Amen. I'm thankful the Bible says, God is not a man that He should lie. I'm thankful we can stand on His promises tonight. 2 Timothy chapter number 4. If you're there, go ahead and stand to your feet. 2 Timothy chapter number 4. We've been dealing with where we differ. The Bible says in 2 Timothy chapter number 4, look with me in verse number 3. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. But after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." Lord, we love you tonight. Lord, I ask God that you would just take the next couple of moments, Lord, as we have been learning about where we differ. Lord, not so that we can be prideful and say that we have all the answers, but Lord, that we would be masters of the Scripture. Lord, like the Bereans, Lord, searching the Scriptures like Apollos, mighty in the Scripture. Lord, because we believe that it is the Word of God that is our final and sole authority on all faith and practice. Lord, it is our instruction book for life. Lord, we want to be as close to the Bible as we can be. So Lord, I ask God that You'd help us to learn on where we differ. Lord, we ask God that You'd help us tonight. Lord, we love You. In Your name we pray. Amen. Thank You for standing. You can be seated. Somebody said this and I believe it to be true. They said what is the best safeguard against false doctrine? It's this the Bible Regularly read regularly prayed over and regularly studied the Bible We've been dealing with a topic on where we differ. We've looked at a lot of different cults. We've looked at several denominations, different groups. We've looked at Jehovah's Witness on what they believe. We've looked at what they had in Venice, what they believe and dealt on why they worship on Saturday and the different beliefs that they have. We've looked at the holiness movement, what they believe. And tonight, we're going to be looking at the Presbyterian Church. The Presbyterian Church. We'll look at where they come from. Where they come from, their origination. Well, the Presbyterian Church was founded by a fella by the name of John Knox. And I want to stop right here and say this. The Presbyterian church had a wonderful start, had a great start. In fact, a lot of our revivals stem from these early believers. And you're going to see how they transition to modern day is where we have issues. But I want to look at how they started. They started by a guy by the name of John Knox. John Knox was born in Scotland. And strong evidence pointed to the fact that he may have been an ordained priest within the Catholic church. But after he got around some men who knew their Bible, in fact, after he started studying the Bible for himself, he came to realize that what he thought he knew was wrong. Interesting things happen when you start to study the Bible for yourself. You know that? You start to read the Bible, you'll find that maybe some things that you've been taught may not have been the truth. And he started to get in his Bible, and he started to get around some other men who believed differently than he did, and he became hostile towards the Roman Catholic Church. He was angry at the sacrament of Roman mass, the fact that people had to confess their sin to a man in a box, the fact that the communion at the Lord's table, he was always taught that he had to do that to be saved, only to understand that it had nothing to do with the salvation. until Knox and for some time afterward, the reformers, you say, Preacher, what is a reformer? It's those who revolted against the Catholic Church, the abuse of the Catholic Church in Europe. But for some time afterward, these reformers believed that a Christian must always live in submission to secular authority. Regardless of what the law was, you had to obey the law. Regardless of what the king said, you had to obey the king. Regardless of what the queen said, you had to obey the queen. That's what he was taught. And they believed that because of Romans 13. They reasoned within their hearts that if the king or queen was established by God and therefore they had to be obeyed. But Knox began to question this, because as he began to read his Bible, he began to understand, well, yes, we need to be in submission to the government up until a point till they cross the Word of God. So then he began to reason in his heart that he must not obey a law that goes against the Word of God. And for Knox, the implications were obvious. Just as Christians could not obey wicked laws, they should not submit to wicked rulers. And in his mind, Catholics and Catholic mass was idolatry. Any Catholic monarch, such as Queen Mary, was therefore an idolatrous and wicked ruler. And that Christians should not submit to such rulers, but oppose them. This is what he was thinking in his mind. So, Knox goes to Scotland in 1559, and Knox led what they would call the Reforming Party of Scotland. They're revolting against the Catholic Church. Knox became a vocal proponent of the concept of Presbyterian leadership. And I'm going to explain what that is in just a moment. He was a proponent. In other words, he said, listen, there ought not be no pope, there ought not be no queen that dictates what people do. He was a voice for a Presbyterian style leadership. Under Knox's leadership, what they called the Scottish Confession of Faith was produced in 1560. This confession ended the papal rule or the pope rule in Scotland. In fact, it outlawed Roman Catholic Mass. Now here's my question to you. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? We would think it's a good thing, right? It's a bad thing. You cannot dictate what people believe. You cannot force what people... That's why I'm thankful we live in a country as it stands tonight. We have the freedom of worship. We can worship how our conscience dictates. Romans 14, every single person will stand and give an account of themselves to God. We're not a forced Christian nation. Nobody forces anybody to be a Christian. You study the Bible and you arrive at where you want to arrive at based on what you believe about the Bible. But this confession outlawed Catholic Mass. Over the last 13 years of his life, Knox passionately fought for reform in Scotland. He opposed the Catholic Church and the Catholic rulers. So Knox did some good things, but you know, he went a little, what I would say, he went a little bit far in some areas of what he did, but he did a lot of great things as far as coming out of the Catholic church. He died in 1572 and Knox laid a foundation upon which others would build. You fast forward 200 years into America and then in In 1706, the first Presbytery in America was formed in Philadelphia. Presbyterianism spread rapidly in the colonies. One distinctive of the Presbyterian Church has always been their emphasis on education. In fact, Princeton University used to be, it's still titled this, but they don't practice this, it was a school based on the Presbyterian Church, Princeton is. They've always produced people in seminaries. You study the Baptist history a little bit, you'll see that the Baptist history wasn't so far concerned with education. They were just wanting to get the gospel out as quickly and effectively as they could. So that's really how the Presbyterian church started. It all started underneath a man by the name of John Knox. John Calvin had a little bit to do with it, but he revolted against the Catholic church, and that's how it came to be. Now, us as a Baptist church, us as followers of Christ, we're a non-denominational Baptist church. In other words, we're not tied to anyone. What you see is what you get. When we vote, we vote within ourselves. So where do we differ when it comes to us in a Presbyterian church? Well, there's two main things that we differ from, okay? And by the way, almost every Presbyterian church differs a little bit. But what do they believe? One of the biggest things that we differ is this, is leadership structure. Leadership structure. Their structure consists of sessions, and I'm going to explain what this is, Presbyteries, Synods, and the General Assembly. Okay? This is their leadership structure. Now, what is... Go ahead and switch that slide, Finn. What is a session? Okay? These are some little pictures that I copied and pasted off of their website. What is a session? The session governs a particular congregation It is made up of elders elected by the congregation plus all the installed pastors. See, when it comes to the Presbyterianism, the church does not elect a pastor like you have with me. And we're going to get to this, but there's a group that will install a pastor at that specific church. But these sessions are elected by the congregation and they kind of help make some decisions within that church, if you will. So that's within. You can see the little picture. It's these little group of people sitting around a table within that church. So that's what they call the session. That is the bottom of the hierarchy. Well, then you move up from the session and then you have the presbytery. The presbytery. The Presbytery is the governing body that has jurisdiction over all the sessions. of all the Presbyterian church congregations within its bounds. When a church is without a pastor, it's the Presbytery that takes special oversight of that church. They appoint a moderator for the session, providing for the pulpit to be supplied, and they do other things necessary when there's a pastor not involved. So I know it's probably hard to see a little bit, but you see the Presbytery office Has lines drawn to all these other churches? So you got the sessions that's little people That's the little group elected by the congregation within the church. Then above that you got the Presbytery Office They're dictating what's happening within these churches. They are the ones that will assign and point pastors within those churches so sessions Presbytery, well let's go further up the hierarchy ladder. Then you have the Synod. The Synod. S-Y-N-O-D. It is the governing body that has oversight of the life and mission of the presbytery within a specific geographical region and typically includes at least three presbyteries and they meet every two years. So I know everything's getting smaller. So this right here was the first picture you was looking at. We zoom out And you got Synod, all these little things are a bunch of little churches. The Synod is in control of all these churches and they typically divide it up based on states here in the United States. Some of these Synods have control about three different states. All the Presbyterian churches within three states. and they divide that up. So that's, you got the Synod, Presbytery, and then the Sessions. And then the last part of the hierarchy, the Big Mac Daddy, if you will, that's over all of it, is the General Assembly. The General Assembly. The General Assembly sets parameters for the mission of the entire denomination. I know I'm boring you to death, but this is going to matter here in just a second. The General Assembly sets parameters for the mission of the entire denomination, determining priorities, developing objectives and strategies, and providing resources to carry out the work of the whole church. The General Assembly is given the power, and I want you to listen very closely. I literally copied and pasted this. The General Assembly is given the power, quote, to decide controversies brought before it and to give advice and instruction in cases that are submitted to it. You know that one of the key problems, the key problem Key issue with the Presbyterian Church is the leadership structure. I'm going to show you why. It's very important. That is the key problem with the Presbyterian Church. You say, Preacher, why is that? Leadership must be shaped by the Bible. We've got to do it God's way. If we don't do it God's way, we're going to have problems, okay? Leadership must be shaped by the Bible. Finn, go ahead and change that slide for me. Leadership must be biblical. Biblical leadership. So, there are three terms. Now, we're going to get the Bible. And the reason I'm doing this is because this is what we're looking at tonight. We're looking at what the Bible says how the church should be led, okay? Not the Presbyterian way, but the Bible way. So how do we do it? There's three terms that refer to the pastoral office. The first one is this, it's the term elder. All right, I want you to take your Bible and go to 1 Timothy chapter number five. You should be close there anyway. 1 Timothy chapter number five. 1 Timothy chapter number five. First Timothy, man, I'm gonna ask some of y'all to help me out and read tonight. First Timothy, chapter number five. And Travis, if you will read verse number 17. First Timothy five, verse 17 for me. Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor. Paul uses the term elder, okay? The term elder emphasizes administration and spiritual guidance of the church. Now let me give you another title. It is the title Bishop. Go to 1 Timothy chapter number 3. 1 Timothy chapter number 3. 1 Timothy chapter number 3. Brother Shane, when you arrive there, will you read verse number 1 for me? So we see Elder, we see Bishop. Let's jump to Titus. Go to Titus. Titus chapter number 1. And Adam, when you get there, will you read verse 7? Titus chapter number 1, verse number 7. But Jason, you got it? So we see elders, we see the two passages that refer to bishop. What is a bishop? Bishop means the term oversight, means to be an overseer, has the idea of management. Remember I referred to that when the King James translators, they put the word bishop in there because there was a king and that king would put out bishops over specific castles. They didn't own the castle, they didn't own the land, but they were responsible to manage it and report it back to the king. But then there's also another term, and it's the term shepherd. Go to Ephesians chapter number 4. Ephesians 4. Look with me in verse 11. Ephesians 4. Verse 11, and he gave some apostles, and some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors, teachers. You study that word pastor, it literally means a shepherd. Okay? So we see elder, bishop, and then shepherd or pastor. Jump with me to Acts chapter number 20. Acts 20. Acts chapter number 20. Acts 20 verse 28. Josh, if you're there, would you read that for me? Acts 20 verse 28. Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock of which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood So I'm gonna ask you a question. He says, feed. And then he refers to the church as a flock. What do you think he's referred to? Shepherd, right? Got to have a flock, got to have a shepherd. Flock means sheep, feed, okay? So we see elder, we see bishop, we see shepherd or pastor, okay? The shepherd or pastor emphasizes leadership, guidance, and provision. So here's my question to you tonight. So is elder, bishop, and shepherd three different people in the church? Or is it different descriptions describing one office? It's three descriptions. describing one person or one office. You say, Preacher, how do you know that? I want you to jump to 1 Peter chapter number five. 1 Peter chapter number five. 1 Peter five. Look with me in verse 1. The elders which are among you I exhort who am also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. Feed the flock of God which is among you. Taking the oversight thereof. Do you realize in those two verses you've just seen all three descriptions of the pastor? You say, Preacher, how do you know that? Do we see the word elder? Okay. Then also look at verse two. Feed the flock. What's that talking about? That is the verb form of the noun for shepherd. Feeding the flock. And then he says this, taking to oversight. You know what oversight is? That's the verb form of the word bishop, overseer. All three descriptions describing one person in the Word of God. Okay? You don't have to turn there, but you can write this one down. I'll read it to you. He says the same thing in Titus 1, verse 5. Paul tells Titus, For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou should set us things in order that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I have appointed thee, And if any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of right or unruly, for a bishop must be blameless." So he's using elder and bishop synonymously, okay, describing one person. So we can conclude this, church, That elder, bishop, and shepherd or pastor are the same person. Okay? Describing the same office. The structure of the New Testament church is that Christ is the head. He's the head of the church according to Colossians. The pastor is to lead and oversee the congregation subjecting themselves to the leadership. But watch this. It all has to be done in the confines of what? The Word of God. It has to be done within the confines of Scripture. That's what I already told you. We are in I call we say preacher is Baptist the denomination. No, we're not Southern Baptist We're not Northern Baptist at one time. We are a independent. We're a non-denominational Baptist Church, there is no hierarchy We have nobody else that makes our decisions. We follow Christ We follow the Word of God and we all vote on it together. There is no one else that dictates I don't get reports I don't call some higher-up supervisor somewhere in a different state. They don't call checking in to see how we're doing we're doing. You say, Preacher, why is that? Because none of that stuff's in the Bible. We do it the Bible way, biblical leadership. We make our own decisions based on the Word of God, no other authority. Now, I mentioned earlier that the Presbyterian Church had a good start, but they failed through the years. Why did they fail? They failed because the way they had their leadership structure. You say, preacher, why is that important? Because here's the thing. If I start going in a direction that's not in God's Word, guess what the church ought to be doing? Getting rid of me. But when you don't have nothing to make, there's no checks and balances to compare anything to, what are you going to do? Well, I guess what they say goes. They fail because of their leadership structure. The Bible was not their final authority. Man was, and man still is to this day. The General Assembly is given the power, and I quote, I'm going to say it again, to decide controversies brought before it. and give instruction. You know, when I'm faced with a controversy, or when we're in a societal crisis, we're in a culture war, you know what has not changed? It's the Word of God. I don't have to go to see what a group of people think about the issues at hand. No, I can go to the Bible, and the Bible has not changed. It's not changeable. It cannot change. It's inerrant. It's infallible. And any time that man is the final authority, listen to me, compromise is on the horizon. You say, preacher, how do you know that? Because, listen, man is not inerrant. Man is fallible. Man is corrupt. And it may not be year one, year two, year three. You may have a godly person. You may have a godly person after that, but you mark it down. Tragedy and corruption is on the horizon when the Bible is not the final authority. You say, preacher, why is that? Because here's the deal. I want you to think of it with me. If you've got a group of people that are dictating, well, we've got this issue, what should we do? If they say, well, we believe that abortion is not wrong anymore. And if they're the final authority, how are you going to check to see what they're saying is right? You can't. Because you've placed them above the Bible. But when we have a document inspired that never changes, this is our checks and balances. That's why I hope most of you tonight have one sitting in your lap making sure what I'm telling you is the truth. That is your checks and balances. Bible is our final and sole authority. Unfortunately, the Presbyterian church has slipped. They've went away from what John Knox taught them. By the way, let me throw this out there. If you're going to go home and look up John Knox, be careful because he's a Calvinist, and I don't want to get to that here in a minute. I don't believe it's theology. But there's a lot of things he taught that was true, but they've left that. They've abandoned that because of their leadership structure. Here's what they believe. Okay, go ahead and flip that slide for me, Finn. Problems occur when the Bible's not the authority to keep going. Okay, first one is this. They got unsaved leadership. This is their own study, okay? According to their own study, which I don't even know why they would produce this, but they did, 48% of Presbyterian church elders have claimed to never have any type of experience of a conversion. You mean to tell me that almost 50% of your leadership has never been saved? I mean, y'all see a problem with this? It's a big problem, okay? Unsaved leadership. The next one's this. Let's see where they've slid to. Presbyterian Church is now an open advocate of homosexuality in gay marriage. I know, don't get all cringey on me when I talk about this stuff, but it's the truth. They're now an open advocate for it. By the way, if you come out of Presbyterian Church, I'm not trying to throw rocks at you, but I'm glad you're here because now you're learning the truth. They're an open advocate for it. They used to not be. They used to not be. They stood strong against what they believed the Bible. But guess what? That General Assembly. Corruption. They're not using the Bible as their final authority and now they're an open advocate for it. In 2011, the General Assembly began allowing the ordination of homosexual clergy. Homosexual clergy now stand behind the pulpit of some Presbyterian churches. Guess who made that decision? That General Assembly. That hierarchy. 2014, they changed the definition of marriage in the Book of Order. By the way, that's one of their guidelines in the Book of Order. From a union of a man and a woman to now they've changed the linguistic to just two people. You know what direction they're headed. They're going away with a man and a woman and now they've changed it to two people. Okay? In 2015, the Presbyterian denomination conducted a joint ordination of a married lesbian couple. They ordained them. Presbyterian Church is committed to... I always butcher this word. Go ahead and hit the next one, Finn. Somebody can say that for me. Ecumenism. Did I say that right, Brother Travis? It's not up there. You know what I'm saying? You drop all standards, everybody... What is it, Stephanie? Somebody help me out. Ecumenical. There we go. Ecumenical. Ecumenical is this, when we drop all doctrines, we drop everything just for the sake of unity, of getting everybody together. Can I say this, by the way? I'm all for getting together with like-minded people. Sometimes we're so independent and so angry that we close up, we put up walls against everybody. I'm not for that. But let me tell you what I'm against. I'm against them dropping doctrine and everything I believe just for the sake of unity. If you're unified with people that don't believe the Bible, you're just a unified bunch of people that's probably going to die and go to hell. And I know that sounds hard, but it's the truth. But what did they do? They dropped everything. June 2016, General Assembly in Portland, Oregon. A Muslim offered a prayer to Allah during the open plenary session. This wasn't something that they're linked up for a good cause. I'm talking about this was the opening prayer service of the Presbyterian General Assembly. And they let a Muslim come in and pray to not even the same God that they claim to worship. Something's wrong with that church. Next one is this. Presbyterian church also takes a liberal stand on abortion. Stating, this is what they state, I literally copied this from their website. Quote, the considered decision of a woman to terminate a pregnancy can be morally acceptable. They go on to say that humans are empowered by the Spirit prayerfully to make significant moral choices, including the choice to continue or end a pregnancy. You know what they just attribute to the Holy Spirit of God? That He can help you make a decision to end your pregnancy. This is what happens when you have bad leadership. This is what happens when the Bible is not the final and sole authority. This is the slope that will go down with a group of people who make decisions on behalf of the church, instead of the inerrant, infallible Word of God. Church, this is why this is important. I know at the beginning you say, Preacher, you're boring us in, but this is why. This has to be the main thing. This has to be the guidepost. This has to be the lamp. So, we differ big time on leadership structure. Also, let me show you, we differ not only on leadership structure, but we also differ in baptism. We differ in baptism. They say this, go ahead and click the next thing, Finn. They say this, we baptize children as they grow into their faith. If every single one of you tonight went on to the Presbyterian Church, their big church website, and you start to read about their baptism, they've got four pages on what baptism is. About to confuse the snot out of me. They baptize children as they grow into their faith. Now click the next one, Finn. But then, on their frequently asked questions, does infant baptism make the baby a Christian? Technically, no. I didn't make this stuff up. Technically, no. God's grace is the saving action. Infant baptism is a witness to that grace, but does not hold magical powers to save. Thus we do not believe that unbaptized infants are either doomed or saved. Salvation is the work of God. I believe that. I believe that right there. So my question is, then why in the world are you baptizing them? I study a little bit further, and this is really the conclusion of why they baptize kids. It is more or less that they're going to baptize them that makes the parent promise to raise them in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord. It is kind of similar to when we do like a baby dedication. We're challenging them. Now, I don't get your babies up here and sprinkle them with a water hose. I just teach the parents from the Word of God about how to be a godly parent, okay? You say, preacher, then why don't you sprinkle them? Because the Bible never baptizes a baby. You're not going to find one passage that you see a little kid getting sprinkled with water. Baptism is something that happens after we get saved. It's a picture of what happened. They say this. Click the next one, Finn. This one even confused me even more. Click it one more time. They say this in some mysterious way. Anytime somebody uses language like that, red flag. The act of baptism brings with it the anointing, the presence of the Holy Spirit. Can I tell you, it don't. Getting in water, getting in this big blue tub up here does not make you get more of the Holy Spirit. If it did, y'all come in here on Monday, I'd be in there soaking. But it don't. This old city water of Salisbury, North Carolina don't give you more God. You've got as much God as you're ever going to get the day you got saved. You are indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God. Scriptural post-salvation baptism does not bring the presence of the Holy Spirit. You are indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God. 1 Corinthians 6.19 Paul says what? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you. Church is a wonderful thing to know that you've got unlimited all access to the God of Heaven. You are indwelt by Him. The question is, are you going to yield to Him? Are you going to access Him? Are you going to submit to Him? But baptism has nothing to do with us getting the Holy Spirit. Then their theology, most of the time, click the notes for me then, their theology is this, it's called reformed. Reformed. I told you that John Knox, John Knox was a friend by the name of John Calvin. And a lot of you already know this. John Calvin formed the theology of Calvinism, which simply states this, that God will only save a select group of people, and the other group that He does not save is condemned to hell. And the problem I have with that is John 3.16. For God so loved the... world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. The other problem I have with that is Romans 10, 13. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. I'm going to see if I say this right. Here's, I'm going to get on, I'll say it anyway. An issue with Reformed theology is this, they'll say, this is what they'll argue. I posted something today on social media and the guy's already talking about it. They'll say something like this, well preacher, it's just by the grace of God that any of us are saved. You're right. Absolutely. So don't focus on the people that he chose to be saved. Because they didn't deserve it. You're right. But here's the thing about the God I served. All of us don't deserve salvation. Would you all agree with that? None righteous, no not one. So either all of us have to die and go to hell, because we don't deserve it. or God made a way for all of us to go to heaven. It's got to be one or the other. Either we're all condemned to hell with no way out, with no escape, or God sent His only begotten Son to the world not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. But it cannot be. Well, some can and some cannot. I'm fine. Listen, if we serve a holy... Listen, if we're all going to go to hell, that's what we deserve. I can understand that. And I can also understand that God made a way for everybody. But what I do not understand is that God, and they'll say this, well, it's His infinite wisdom. Well, here's the thing. What did you deserve for Him to choose you and to send everybody else to hell? Those are questions, number one, that are not in the Bible. They're questions they'll never be able to answer. Reform theology. And I'll tell you what, it's infiltrating. The Presbyterian church is full of it, but it's infiltrating our Baptist churches too, by the way. And we need to guard against it. What is the biggest issue of the Presbyterian church? I'll tell you, the biggest issue is their leadership. If you've been underneath my preaching for any amount of time, I say this all the time, this has got to be our final authority. Not only in our church, but it needs to be the final authority in your marriage, how to be a father, how to be an employee, how to be the Christian that God... This is it right here. It's your instruction manual. This has to be the final authority. When churches get away from this, compromise is on the horizon. Let's pray. Lord, we love you tonight. Lord, I ask God that you'd help us. Lord, to live what we're preaching. Lord, that the Word of God would be our final and sole authority. Lord, that we'd stay close to it.