"Heaven's Gate or Hell's?"

by Pastor Marvin McKenzie

Bayview Baptist Church, Astoria, OR

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Text: 1 John 4:1-3

Introduction:

There has been much interest lately about cults and the like. I preached a message this last Sunday night that I thought might be of interest to some of you. The Scriptures tell us that in the last days there will be many false Christs, many that try to turn people from the truth to follow "cunningly devised fables."

The Christian should not be surprised nor alarmed at the rise of cultist type religious groups. Nor should we feel as if we must shrink from God given, Bible truth because of these cultist activities. We need to make a distinction at this point, from non Christian religions and Christian type or Bible-based cults. While many of the same things are true of each, our main difficulty is with those that use the same Bible we use, or at least a version of it.

With the mass suicides of 39 people involved in the Heaven's - Gate cult, there has risen a new thrust of conversation in journalism concerning the seriousness of cults and what they do to its people. I am as opposed to the cults as just about anybody I know. Ibelieve they are devilish, destructive and disobedient to God. But, at the same time, I am concerned that the media is training the masses to believe that almost ANY church organization is cultish and dangerous.

*** We have seen, in the last few days, video clips of cult leader David Koresh, teaching the Bible in much the same fashion (even if he was teaching a false doctrine) as we would in a Baptist church.

*** We have heard them decry as a cultist mark, the idea of living for the "faith" seven days a week.

*** We have heard them speak of the doctrine of "millennialism" or the coming of God to end this world as we know it and establish a new world as a cultist doctrine.

*** Some of the clips of the cult leader, "Doe," aired in the news had him describing preparing to soon leave this world to go to the Kingdom of Heaven.

*** Our church has been labeled a cult on at least two occasions I can think of. Not by the media, but by people who disagree with our doctrines. That is not too much of a worry to me, because the Baptists were branded a cult by the Catholics hundreds of years ago! YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER THE SOURCE!

With those things in mind, it would be wise of us to search the Scriptures and see what it would consider a true cult, or false faith. I did some research about cults sects and religions and found acouple of things I want to show you just before I get down to the heart of my message tonight:

Religious Meanings of the Word CULT

There are many mutually conflicting meanings to the word "cult". Established uses are:

Theological usage : (positive meaning) a style of worship and its associated rituals. This is the historical meaning of the word.
Sociological usage : (neutral meaning) a small religious group that exists in a state of tension with the predominant religion. Hindus might be considered a cult in North America; Christianity might be considered a cult in India.
General religious usage : (neutral meaning) a small, recently created religious group that is not a variant of an established religion. Often, it is headed by a single charismatic leader.
Evangelical Christian usage : (negative meaning) most Evangelicals would define as a cult any Christian religious group which does not accept the historical Christian doctrines (accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, virgin birth, the Trinity, salvation through beliefs, etc.). The implication is that the cult's theology is invalid. They might consider the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints (the Mormons), Unification Church and Jehovah's Witnesses to be cults. But they would not classify Wicca as such, because it is not Christian.

The earliest use of this meaning of the word "Cult" is believed to be a 1938 book " The Chaos of the Cults " by W.B. Eerdmans. Fundamentalist Christian usage (negative meaning) Some Fundamentalists would accept the Evangelical definition of cult defined above. Others might brand any religious group (Christian or otherwise) which deviates from historical Christian belief as a cult . This definition would include the Mormon Church, Wicca, mainline and liberal Christian denominations, and all of the other religions of the world. Over 70% of humanity would belong to cults, by this definition.

Popular, media usage : (very negative meaning) a small, evil religious group, often with a single charismatic leader, which engages in brainwashing and other mind control techniques. Often used as a synonym for mind control cult or for doomsday cult . The earliest use of this meaning of the word is believed to have been in a 1965 book by Walter Martin "The Kingdom of the Cults" (revised and expanded in 1985).

Definition of a Cult

Every cult can be defined as a group having all of the following 5 characteristics:

1.It uses psychological coercion to recruit, indoctrinate and retain its members

2.It forms an elitist totalitarian society

3. Its founder leader is self-appointed, dogmatic, messianic, not accountable and has charisma

4. It believes 'the end justifies the means' in order to solicit funds and recruit people

5. Its wealth does not benefit its members or society (Cult Information Centre )

As I consider this subject, the first thing that comes to mind is the fact that Cult religions are of the devil. It seems reasonable to believe that what would be true of the devil would be true of his churches too.

I. A DEPARTURE FROM ORTHODOXY
Especially in the area of the doctrine of Christ I Jn 4:1-3

II Jn 1:9-10

The Devil's grandest desire is to so deceive people that they would turn away from the true Christ and follow after another. With that goal in view, He does all he can to teach false doctrines concerning Christ.

A Christ built upon false doctrine is NOT the same Christ of the Bible!

Illustration: In Mexico, the name "Jesus" is quite popular. Is any man named Jesus, the same Jesus of the Bible? NO! What makes them different than the Jesus of the Bible? The things that are true about them- Who their parents are When they came to be Who their family and blood relatives are What their character is (sinful)

If you follow a Jesus that has different truths about him than the Jesus of the Bible, he is not the Jesus of the Bible, even if those that follow him, believe he is!

If he is not born of a virgin - he is not the same Jesus! If he is not God in flesh - he is not the same Jesus! If he is not perfectly sinless - he is not the same Jesus! If his brother is Adam - he is not the same Jesus!

There are other areas of departure from orthodox doctrine, but this one is the big issue!

We could protect ourselves from any cult group if we would refuse to speak to any religious group that does not teach that Christ Has Existed Eternally Was Virgin Born, and Is the Sinless Incarnation of God

Furthermore, we need to watch out for a Biblical doctrine of salvation.

If they teach any other way of salvation that that Christ alone can save, it is a cult that we ought to stay clear of!

II. A DECEPTIVE SPIRIT
John 8:44 2 Cor 11:13-15

Satan is a liar clear through and is able to lead those who are not Christians to be liars as well!

Have you noticed that it seems like dishonesty and lying are on the increase?

I cannot speak for any generation other than the one I have lived in, but it does seem to me that, during my lifetime I have witnessed an increase in people who cannot tell the truth!

Deceit is on the rise - especially among the cults!

They have a deceptive spirit about them. They are wolves in sheep's clothing, they look good, but their desire is evil!

III. A DENIAL OF RESPECT FOR AUTHORITY
2 Pet 2:9-10 Jude 1:7-8

You want to be very careful of any religious organization that teaches its people to rebel against authorities!

There is a legitimate kind of civil disobedience.

When the civil authorities tell us to disobey the Lord, The Bible teaches us that "We ought to obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29)

But even then, we are to be respectful of them, kind to them, and submissive of them in every area we can be!

These kinds that go up in the mountains, refuse a drivers' license and claim the government have not authority over us - ARE SURE SIGNS OF CULT GROUPS!

Mark number 4

IV. A DESTRUCTIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE HUMAN BODY.
John 8:44 Luke 12:4-5

There are two reasons I know of that Satan hates the Human body;

a. The human body is made in the likeness of God Satan can't look at a man without being reminded of the God he turned against.

Next, b. Christ came to defeat Satan in a Human Body No wonder Stan would hate humans - God became one to whip the fire out of the Devil!

Satan's hatred of the human body manifests itself in several ways;

1. Epicureanism Epicureanism is the over indulgence and wanton seeking of pleasure.

---It can manifest itself in over eating ---It could manifest itself in sexual promiscuity, or ---It could manifest itself in spending too much time in recreation. Something like the windsurfers, who have given up professions to do nothing but waste their lives in pleasure.

Epicureanism is a subtle way to destroy the human body through pleasure and promiscuity.

2. Stoicism Stoicism is the exact opposite of Epicureanism.

The Stoic seeks to divorce himself from any form of pleasure and passion - to live his life "above any type of worldly desire."

The Catholic Monks were a beginning form of Stoicism.

Heaven's Gate Cult, showed the ultimate method of Stoicism through their mass suicide.

3. Unisex God made man male and female. And he made it clear that the sexes were to be grateful to be what God made each one to be.

We are to dress differently We are to do different things

Paul said that one of the signs of the last days was that the false teachers would forbid to marry.

The Heaven's Gate Cult, according to my research, was founded by a man who had experimented with homosexuality, and was so repulsed by it, that he chose to abstain from and teach others to repress any sexual urge whatever.

They said that the men and women who killed themselves were dressed in such a manner that the police who found them originally thought that they were all men.

Finally,

V. A DEVIANT VIEW OF ETERNITY
In Genesis 3:4, the Devil told Eve one of the first lies ever told, "ye shall not surely die."

Ever since, the Devil has been telling one lie after the other about eternal matters.

Check out the cults and you will find all types of deviant doctrines about eternity.

---We all enter into "nirvana" and become a part of the huge cosmic force. ---Or we just die and completely cease to exist. ---Or hell is only a temporary place of punishment, called "purgatory." And when a person has suffered sufficiently, they are released to go into eternity ---Or Heaven isn't really what we are looking for, but a paradise on earth.

Applewhite believed that you got to "The Father's Kingdom" by travelling on a spaceship!

That is a deviant doctrine of eternity if there ever was one!

The marks I have given you here are most likely not the ones that you will read in the paper, or learn in a book on world religions;

But Paul told us that it is the Pastor's job to warn his people and protect his flock from the wolves in sheep's clothing.

And, if we will keep these marks well known, they will serve to provide us with the protection we need against such cults as we have seen in the last few weeks!

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