Easter 2018 Sermon Evaluation: the Beginning
This sermon evaluation will be of the 2018 Easter Sermon at Church of the Highlands presented by Chris. Before we get into the specifics I think it's important that we understand why the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus was, and still is, so vitally important. "By His life, He wrought a perfect righteousness which fulfilled God's law in full; by His death, He made a perfect atonement for sin, satisfying God's holy justice and wrath which demanded sin's punishment; and by His resurrection from the dead, He proved the truth of who He is as God incarnate, and that the salvation He came to bring was accomplished for every sinner whom the Father gave Him to save (Matt. 1:21; 5:17-18; John 6:37,39; Rom.2:21-28; 5:1-11; 2 Cor.5:21)."¹
It should be noted that Church of the Highlands stresses "Next Steps" every chance they get, and Easter Sunday is far from an exception. They maintain that the "steps" include getting closer to God, getting baptized, joining a church (Chris always follows this with "it doesn't have to be this one"), finding out how to get more involved at Highlands, and the one that always gets the most time and attention: join a small group! As I mentioned in a previous post, the primary issue I have with small groups at COTH is the lack of oversight. The only requirements for leading a group are church membership, tithing 10% of your income, and attending an hour-ish long Small Group Leader Class (I know because I led one), and notifying your small group advisor of your curriculum choice via email. They heavily emphasized encouraging your participants in their "next steps." Most lay people (including myself at the time) have no business leading other lay people in a Bible study. Souls are at stake, therefore getting the Gospel right is of the utmost importance.
In this next clip Chris attempts to explain why "taking the spiritual journey," i.e. taking the next steps, is so vital. Watch the brief clip, then we'll discuss.
"The things God has for you, aren't good for God, they're good for you" (emphasis mine). What in the world is he talking about?! How dare he suggest such a thing? Beloved, let me assure you of this: God is sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient, there is not a single thing happening in this world that He is not in full authority over (Col. 1:16-17; Psalm 90:2; Hebrews 1:3) . So when His Word tells us that He would never do anything that is not in His own best interest, you can take that to the bank.
"Everything [God] does is motivated by His desire to be glorified. Isaiah 48:11 is the banner over every divine act: 'For My own sake, for My own sake I do it, for how should My name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.'"² Suggesting that God does anything that is not for His good/glory is unbiblical. God is not a genie in a lamp that you rub by "believing" in Him to do "good things for you." Don't mistake me, God can (and if you are truly saved, will) work everything for your good (Romans 8:28), but usually the realization that the horrible thing you went through is being used by God to make you more like Christ comes only with the benefit of hindsight. That is why it is so important that we read God's Word for ourselves. The more we know what the Word of God says, the more we trust it, the better we walk by faith, knowing what we know to be true of God (He is good, righteous, loving, faithful, enduring, honorable...) by faith rather than by sight or feelings.
Wow! I feel like we've already covered so much important information, and we haven't even gotten to the actual sermon! We shall overcome! Upward and onward to the next misuse of Scripture. Ugh. But first...coffee.
Chris spends the next bit talking about discovering your purpose. I'm not going to post a clip of it, but if you want to see for yourself you can check out the video on the church's website and go to timestamp 06:57. He makes it pretty clear that he believes that in order to discover your purpose you should join the church, find your spiritual gift, and take your place on the Dream Team (this is a paraphrase of his usual spill). However, the Bible is clear on what our purpose in this world is. We exist to glorify God. "I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made" (Isaiah 43:6-7). "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). "Let your light so shine among men that they may see your good deeds and give glory to your Father in heaven"(Matthew 5:16).
Basically, we should (with the help of the Holy Spirit) conduct our lives in such a way that we are silently leading others to Christ just by our conduct. Jesus admonishes that if we love Him we will keep His commands (John 14:15). Does this mean that we must struggle, and fight against temptation at every turn? Yes and no. While we will always sin (we are human after all), John MacArthur points out in his commentary of John 14:15 that "love for Christ is inseparable from obedience." Jesus followed up verse 15 with the promise to send a Helper (the Holy Spirit) to supernaturally give us the desire and ability to obey Jesus' commands.
One more important point about God's plan for you. If you have been called by God, you cannot miss God's plan for your life. Your mission field is where ever you are. As a spouse, a parent, an employee, a boss... those who surround you are your people! They are your mission field! Live in such a way that you preach the Gospel without ever saying a word, and should the opportunity present itself...say the Gospel out loud. It would behoove each of us to spend some time mentally preparing to present God's plan of salvation. That way we will not be unprepared when the Lord sends one of His lost sheep our way. While salvation belongs to the Lord (Jonah 2:9), faith comes from hearing, and hearing the word of Christ (Romans 10:17), and since we can't know who the Holy Spirit will cause to believe we should share the Good News every chance we get.
So far we have covered the Gospel, learned a snippet about Biblical fasting, discovered our purpose, and determined our mission field...is it nap time yet? No? Okay. Maybe one day will get to the actual sermon...
And...we're off!
Check out this clip:
Did you read my Thou Shalt Not Steal post? If not, in that post I point out that Chris failed to credit one of his quotes to the original author. Which, if you've spent any amount of time in the American educational system, you know, is plagiarism, the theft of intellectual property. And now he's done it again. At least this time he put the quote in quotation marks, even if he didn't name the source.
In an attempt to give credit where credit is due I did a quick internet search, with mixed results. Ravi Zacharias is often credited with it, however, Apologist Ray Ciervo (among others), credits the quote to author C.S Lewis. It's a shame Chris doesn't.
It would seem that not citing the original source does not prevent Chris from twisting the quote to suit his purpose. It is pretty obvious to anyone with half a brain and a Bible that Mr. Lewis was referring to the fact that when those who belong to Christ die to this life, they are raised to eternal life. And at the second coming of Jesus they will receive their glorified bodies. Therefore, even though we were dead in sin and trespasses through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus we are eternally alive in Him.
Chris, on the other hand, asserts that "what I mean by that is that He wanted to take the areas of your life that are in decay and getting worse...and make 'em better." He didn't just fail to name the original author of the quote, he took credit for it! Don't believe me? Watch for yourself:
The Gospel:
First, the bad news... Since the fall of the Adam all men have been born sinners. Adam's sin was imputed to us, his descendants. The Bible states that we are by nature sinners, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). We can't help ourselves, we are "dead in [our] trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1) Without the supernatural intervention of the Holy Spirit we cannot understand Scripture, are not able to keep His laws, nor will we seek after the things of God (Romans 3:11). And since the Bible clearly states that "the wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23) we are not capable of being reconciled to God through our own good works, as they are like filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6).
Now, the Good News: While it's true that our sin demands the payment of death, it is also true that "...the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). For "even when we were dead in our trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:5). How did Christ procure salvation for all who would believe? "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners [wicked, immoral, God-hating, undeserving wretches], Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Because we were dead in our sins and trespasses we were without hope, after all, the wages of sin is death. Someone has to be sacrificed, and if not us, then who? Our hope came in the form of a baby born to a virgin, who was simultaneously fully man and fully God. Though He faced every temptation we face, He knew no sin. His righteousness fulfilled the Law's requirement of a perfect sacrifice. Because of His love for us He took our sin upon Himself and allowed Himself to be sacrificed on the cross. In His death, He took our sins and imputed to us His righteousness. Just as Christ rose from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion, we will rise to eternal life upon our deaths. Jesus is our Hope. Our Righteousness. Our savior.
In Adam we inherited sin and death. In Christ we inherit righteousness and eternal life.
This is why we celebrate Easter, we celebrate our undeserved salvation, and we remember the price Christ paid that made it possible. It is never something we should take for granted. With that in mind, let's look at how Chris Hodges, Lead Pastor of Church of the Highlands, handled his Easter presentation.
The first clip, which begins just after the 01:00 mark if you watch the service on the COTH website, is of Chris taking up time, and warming up the room with a couple of stories/jokes. This happens almost every sermon and I think it goes a long way toward making people like him on a personal level. After all, how could anyone with such an "aw-shucks" personality be anything but genuine? Since I've never met him in person (kinda sad given that he was my pastor for three years) I can't speak to his "real life" persona. He very well may be just as nice as he seems, and I've never heard anything to suggest otherwise. The truth is, even if he "nice," that doesn't mean that he's rightly dividing God's Word, and if he isn't, that's a problem. Too many people (over 50,000 every week) are taking Chris' word as gospel truth. Therefore, it must be held to the standard of the True Gospel.
During this opening shtick Chris makes a lighthearted joke about using the church-wide fast at the beginning of the year to kick off his weight loss resolution. While the bit is humorous, is fasting to be taken so lightly? Let's see what God's Word has to say about it.
Fasting is the voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes. Scripture abounds with examples of godly men devoting themselves to prayer in order that they may draw closer to the Lord. It was usually undertaken during a time of trials, when hopelessness abounded. Psalm 69:1-20 is a heartbreaking example of this. David, in his anguish cries out for God, and humbled himself with fasting. Years later, surrounded by enemies, Jehoshaphat was "was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah" (2 Chronicles 20:3 ESV). In the Book of Ezra we can witness yet another fast as Ezra, with those traveling out of the bondage of Persia (formerly Babylon), "proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before God, to seek from Him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods: (Ezra 8:21 ESV). These are far from the only instances of fasting in the Bible. But in every instance of godly fasting, the fast comes from a place of humbleness, and an earnest seeking of God's will and or protection in a particular situation.
Those who would use fasting for worldly attention are strongly rebuked in the New Testament. "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven...But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you" (Matthew 6:1,17). This is further addressed by Jesus in The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collectors found in Luke 18:9-14, which you should definitely grab your Bible and read. In fairness, Chris was not boasting of his fast, but he was making light of it, clearly admitting that his only reason for fasting was not to humble himself and seek God's favor and will, but as a starting point for his new year's diet resolution. The result is the same. He was not fasting in the manner the Bible ordains.
Moving on...
At time stamp 03:40 of the online message Chris takes out the weekly worship guide. He spends the next several minutes discussing the guide and prayer cards. He explains that on Easter there is a special "Annual Easter Survey" because "everyone shows up on the same weekend." Each year the leadership of Church of the Highlands asks the audience for sermon ideas. Chris then takes these suggestions, allegedly prays over them, and in the fall he usually spends six weeks preaching on the most popular topics from the survey. Chris encourages non-members to make suggestions also. He then moves on to the "next steps." I believe I can confidently assume that the vast majority of Gospel centered churches do not allow members, much less visitors, to play a role in deciding the message presented from the pulpit. That seems like a job for the Holy Spirit.
It should be noted that Church of the Highlands stresses "Next Steps" every chance they get, and Easter Sunday is far from an exception. They maintain that the "steps" include getting closer to God, getting baptized, joining a church (Chris always follows this with "it doesn't have to be this one"), finding out how to get more involved at Highlands, and the one that always gets the most time and attention: join a small group! As I mentioned in a previous post, the primary issue I have with small groups at COTH is the lack of oversight. The only requirements for leading a group are church membership, tithing 10% of your income, and attending an hour-ish long Small Group Leader Class (I know because I led one), and notifying your small group advisor of your curriculum choice via email. They heavily emphasized encouraging your participants in their "next steps." Most lay people (including myself at the time) have no business leading other lay people in a Bible study. Souls are at stake, therefore getting the Gospel right is of the utmost importance.
"The things God has for you, aren't good for God, they're good for you" (emphasis mine). What in the world is he talking about?! How dare he suggest such a thing? Beloved, let me assure you of this: God is sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient, there is not a single thing happening in this world that He is not in full authority over (Col. 1:16-17; Psalm 90:2; Hebrews 1:3) . So when His Word tells us that He would never do anything that is not in His own best interest, you can take that to the bank.
"Everything [God] does is motivated by His desire to be glorified. Isaiah 48:11 is the banner over every divine act: 'For My own sake, for My own sake I do it, for how should My name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another.'"² Suggesting that God does anything that is not for His good/glory is unbiblical. God is not a genie in a lamp that you rub by "believing" in Him to do "good things for you." Don't mistake me, God can (and if you are truly saved, will) work everything for your good (Romans 8:28), but usually the realization that the horrible thing you went through is being used by God to make you more like Christ comes only with the benefit of hindsight. That is why it is so important that we read God's Word for ourselves. The more we know what the Word of God says, the more we trust it, the better we walk by faith, knowing what we know to be true of God (He is good, righteous, loving, faithful, enduring, honorable...) by faith rather than by sight or feelings.
Chris spends the next bit talking about discovering your purpose. I'm not going to post a clip of it, but if you want to see for yourself you can check out the video on the church's website and go to timestamp 06:57. He makes it pretty clear that he believes that in order to discover your purpose you should join the church, find your spiritual gift, and take your place on the Dream Team (this is a paraphrase of his usual spill). However, the Bible is clear on what our purpose in this world is. We exist to glorify God. "I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by My name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made" (Isaiah 43:6-7). "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). "Let your light so shine among men that they may see your good deeds and give glory to your Father in heaven"(Matthew 5:16).
Basically, we should (with the help of the Holy Spirit) conduct our lives in such a way that we are silently leading others to Christ just by our conduct. Jesus admonishes that if we love Him we will keep His commands (John 14:15). Does this mean that we must struggle, and fight against temptation at every turn? Yes and no. While we will always sin (we are human after all), John MacArthur points out in his commentary of John 14:15 that "love for Christ is inseparable from obedience." Jesus followed up verse 15 with the promise to send a Helper (the Holy Spirit) to supernaturally give us the desire and ability to obey Jesus' commands.
One more important point about God's plan for you. If you have been called by God, you cannot miss God's plan for your life. Your mission field is where ever you are. As a spouse, a parent, an employee, a boss... those who surround you are your people! They are your mission field! Live in such a way that you preach the Gospel without ever saying a word, and should the opportunity present itself...say the Gospel out loud. It would behoove each of us to spend some time mentally preparing to present God's plan of salvation. That way we will not be unprepared when the Lord sends one of His lost sheep our way. While salvation belongs to the Lord (Jonah 2:9), faith comes from hearing, and hearing the word of Christ (Romans 10:17), and since we can't know who the Holy Spirit will cause to believe we should share the Good News every chance we get.
So far we have covered the Gospel, learned a snippet about Biblical fasting, discovered our purpose, and determined our mission field...is it nap time yet? No? Okay. Maybe one day will get to the actual sermon...
Check out this clip:
Did you read my Thou Shalt Not Steal post? If not, in that post I point out that Chris failed to credit one of his quotes to the original author. Which, if you've spent any amount of time in the American educational system, you know, is plagiarism, the theft of intellectual property. And now he's done it again. At least this time he put the quote in quotation marks, even if he didn't name the source.
"Jesus didn't come to make bad people good, He came to make dead people alive."
In an attempt to give credit where credit is due I did a quick internet search, with mixed results. Ravi Zacharias is often credited with it, however, Apologist Ray Ciervo (among others), credits the quote to author C.S Lewis. It's a shame Chris doesn't.
It would seem that not citing the original source does not prevent Chris from twisting the quote to suit his purpose. It is pretty obvious to anyone with half a brain and a Bible that Mr. Lewis was referring to the fact that when those who belong to Christ die to this life, they are raised to eternal life. And at the second coming of Jesus they will receive their glorified bodies. Therefore, even though we were dead in sin and trespasses through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus we are eternally alive in Him.
Chris, on the other hand, asserts that "what I mean by that is that He wanted to take the areas of your life that are in decay and getting worse...and make 'em better." He didn't just fail to name the original author of the quote, he took credit for it! Don't believe me? Watch for yourself:
This clip was right after the previous one, he went from stating the quote to taking credit for it. Should you need to verify that for yourself you can go to the video on the church's website and go to timestamp 08:22. Is there nothing on earth that this man can't make about himself?
Did you read the Gospel at the top of the this post? Do you understand that Jesus did not die in agony and humiliation on the cross of Calvary to "take the dead areas in your life and make 'em better?" He died a sacrificial death to take our sin upon Himself and to impute to our undeserving souls His righteousness that we may stand before God the Father as though we had never sinned. Beloved, if that's all we ever get out of relationship with Jesus Christ, it is vastly more than we deserve!
Chris' Easter sermon is a thinly veiled (I'm being generous) prosperity gospel message. Love Jesus! He'll make your life so much better! Join our church, we'll put you on the slave team...er...dream team! That way we can keep raking in the dollars while using volunteers to staff our campuses, but, hey! we throw a killer end-of-the-year party for you so you can pat yourself on the back for all your hard work.
Wake up, people! With every word of this man-centered gospel Chris is telling you exactly what he is: a wolf in sheep's clothing. Honestly, I'm not even sure I should continue on with this post. I get so indignant watching him say these things that just aren't true, and so disheartened at the thought of the thousands of people who are being misled every single week.
Read your Bibles. Compare what your pastors, Sunday school teachers, small group leaders, etc...are saying to what the word of God says. Join a church that cares for you and not only what you have to offer the church. They're out there, but most of them are small. They don't do fancy lighting, or screens, or worship bands. But what they lack in visual stimulation, they more than make up for with Gospel Truth. The preaching feeds your soul, rather than your feelings. I'm praying for you.
Until next time...
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. –1 Corinthians 1:3
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¹ Smith, Kurt. "Saving Grace." June 2018 Sermon.
² Piper, John. “Is God for Us or for Himself?” Desiring God, 10 Aug. 1980, www.desiringgod.org/messages/is-god-for-us-or-for-himself.
² Piper, John. “Is God for Us or for Himself?” Desiring God, 10 Aug. 1980, www.desiringgod.org/messages/is-god-for-us-or-for-himself.
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I understand that the posts on this blog may be upsetting for those who are members of Church of the Highlands, please know that it is not my intention to hurt you. Once the Lord opened my eyes to what was happening at COTH I just couldn't remain silent. I welcome your comments (even those that disagree with me) so long as they are made in a polite manner (no foul language will be tolerated).