Caller: I've got maybe one question. I want to get your thoughts on something that was said to me at church one time, um, and it was kind of like a heavy weight someone threw in my hands and said, 'Do something with this'. But we were having a discussion about dangerous things to Christian people. And the lady I had spoke with said that she believed that one of the most dangerous things to Christian people, were people who professed to be Christian but in actuality weren't. And I wanted to see um, what kind of thought that would throw to you or have you been posed with that same sort of scenario?
Pastor Doug: Well I don't know who said that but I think it's a very profound, perceptive statement. It is true, that God warns us about wolves in sheep's clothing as being the most dangerous. And Christ dedicated a lot of His preaching to warning the baby Christians to be on their guard of the leaven of the pharisees, which was hypocrisy - in other words, outward religion without inward conversion. They were praying and fasting and giving all to be seen of men. This is the condition of the Laodiceans that Jesus speaks about in Revelation chapter 3. They think they're rich and increased with good and they don't recognize their spiritual poverty. So um, I would say yes it's true, that one of the greatest dangers to the church is uh, people who take the name of Christ but live like the devil.
Caller: I would tend to think that there's a little bit of uh, admonition of sorts found in Revelation with the churches, where one church is lukewarm and the Lord warns them that therefore they're neither cold nor hot. He would spew them out of His mouth.
Pastor Doug: You know something else Eddie a lot of people misunderstand the third commandment where it says, 'Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.' People always think, 'well that means that you're not suppose to cuss in a bar and use God's name in profanity'. It really means a whole lot more than that. When we say we're Christians, we take His name. When we take His name in vain, it means we take His name but do not follow His teachings - that's breaking the third commandment.
Caller: Another thing that's true is that there's a watching world also and that the Lord has us who profess His name to be instrumental in bringing others to Him.
Pastor Doug: That's right. We want to be faithful.
Caller: Yes.
Pastor Doug: A lot of people are turned off from Christianity because people take the name of Christ and they live like the world and they see our hypocrisy. Well that was a good question Eddie. I appreciate that.
Caller: Okay thank you so much.
Pastor Doug: God bless.