226. Summer Sermon - Willie Rice - The Importance of Sound Doctrine

For freedom, he set me free. Not for change, not for guilt, not for Pharisee. Grace lit the flame, now I'm puffing peace. Cigars and victory justified, released. Welcome to the For Freedom Podcast. This podcast exists to bring the freedom of the gospel for everyday Christians with everyday issues. I ain't saved by dress codes, not by what I eat. I'm covered in the righteousness, washed from head to feet. No tally of tradition, no man-made code. Blood bought my freedom, now I ride that road. They clutch pearls when they see smoke rings rise. But my praise still ascends past the legalist cries. Christ plus nothing, that's the real math. So miss me with your fence laws and your extra path. He sat with sinners, I'm sitting with saints. Sipping grace from the bottle, no room for fakes. I light one for liberty, toast to the king. Every ash a sermon, death has lost its sting. For freedom, he set me free. Not for change, not for guilt, not for Pharisee. Grace lit the flame, now I'm puffing peace. Cigars in victory, justified, released. For freedom, he set me free. Not for change, not for guilt, not for Pharisee. Grace lit the flame, now I'm puffing peace. Cigars in victory, justified, released. Let grace begin. For freedom, he set me free. Not for change, not for guilt, not for Pharisee. Grace lit the flame, now I'm puffing peace. host, James Saifert and Brett Martin. Welcome back to the For Freedom Podcast. We are excited about taking the summertime off, a little summer break as we call it, and we, during our summer, like to do a couple of things. We like to drop just a couple of sermons that have impacted us, a couple of things by me and Brett that we've preached recently, but also we like to do just some special one-off episodes while we were at the convention this last year in Orlando. We recorded with Luther Rice there at the exhibit hall and just had a great time talking with them about what they have going on. Just love being an advocate for what they have going on and just helping others that are looking at furthering their education. One of the things we did that we'll be dropping later this summer is an episode with our wives. We sat down at the house where we were at with Allison and Emily, Brett's wife, Emily, my wife, Allison, and they got to share their story and talk through some things. And so really looking forward to putting that out in the summer. And so we had a couple of other things we did, but one thing that we want to share this this week is the sermon that was preached by Willie Rice, the now current president of the SBC. He preached a message on Wednesday or I'm sorry, Monday of the convention that evening. And man, what an impactful message that was for me, for Brett. We both enjoyed it. I have not been able to stop listening to it. It was just a great what we need to be as men and women that are leaders in Christ world. And so we hope this is a blessing to you. I know people say sermons are not podcasts. I understand that. But sometimes as a pastor, I need to have preaching to me. And I think you can agree to that as well. So here's a great message by Willie Rice. We hope you enjoy it and look forward to a couple of our bonus episodes coming out this summer as we have our summer break. We have been called in this conference to the theme together. And now we turn our attention to the importance of sound doctrine in such a pursuit. While every topic that calls us together is beneficial, if we are not together in doctrinal truth, then nothing else will keep us together. It is the truth of Jesus revealed in the scripture that is the foundation of our unity. Without it, no real togetherness is possible. Without the truth, we have no mission. Without the truth, we have no message. Our only hope for unity is gospel truth. As we seek guidance in this manner, I direct your attention to the Old Testament and the book of 1 Samuel in chapter 15. As always, the Old Testament informs and instructs us as it presents examples of both faithfulness and compromise. One such example is found in the life of Israel's first king, Saul. And 1 Samuel 15, 22 describes a dramatic confrontation between Saul and the prophet of God, Samuel. The word of the Lord says in 1 Samuel chapter 15 and verse 22. Then Samuel said, does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? Look, to obey is better than sacrifice. To pay attention is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination. And defiance is like wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king. Saul answered Samuel, I have sinned. I have transgressed the Lord's command and your words. Because I was afraid of the people. I obeyed them. Now therefore, please forgive my sin and return with me so I can worship the Lord. Samuel replied to Saul, I will not return with you. Because you rejected the word of the Lord. The Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel. When Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the corner of his robe and it tore. The story of Saul is one of the great tragedies in the Bible. It began as a story of grace and providence. He was an unlikely choice from an unlikely tribe. Yet guided by God's hand, Samuel, the great prophet, anointed him and then presented him as king. His reign was marked by decisive victories. He defeats the Ammonites, the Philistines, the Moabites, the Edomites, the Amalekites and the kings of Zobah. He built an army, organized a government and galvanized a people. He fathered a son named Jonathan who would have been a worthy successor. Saul was chosen by God and the logical assumption would have been a glorious one. That his descendants would have set upon the throne of Israel for generations to come. But we know the end of that story. We know his promising story ends with defeat and not victory. It ends with shame and not glory. It ends with Saul and Jonathan dead. The nation divided and the house of Saul destroyed. Was there ever such a tragic rise and fall like the story of King Saul? We might observe Saul's story in three parts. There is first the compromise of Saul. By the time we read of this dramatic condemnation in these verses, Saul had already compromised badly. Samuel had revealed that his reign was fatally wounded. It would not endure. It was now a sinking ship. It was a matter of time and circumstances before the collapse of the house was final. For several years, Saul continued like a wounded deer. He had the crown but not the anointing. As we look closely at our text in verse 23, we see the fatal error. You have rejected the word of the Lord. There is the diagnosis, the fatal error. God had revealed truth to Saul that he had dismissed. He knew the truth, but he opted for compromise. How had this devilish trade been made? We're told in verse 22, does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? Saul had traded obedience for burnt offerings and sacrifices. He had traded obedience for observances. He had traded inner devotion for outward demonstrations. He had traded true righteousness for empty religiosity. He had offerings and sacrifices, but not a heart fully surrendered to God. He did not obey God's word. He just dismissed God's word. He drifted more than he denied. In the words of Paul, he had a form of godliness, but it lacked the real power. And then with stinging dualism, Samuel declares, to obey is better than sacrifice. To pay attention is better than the fat of rams. The message is clear. Saul traded real obedience to God for religious activity and outward performance. And in so doing, he stands opposed, exposed, and accused by heaven. He had rejected the word of the Lord. In what specific manner and for what specific reason had Saul made such a decision? There are two stories that leap out. The first one is found in chapter 13 of 1 Samuel, before our text recorded here. In this story, Saul had marshaled the forces of Israel for a conflict with the Philistines. He gathered the Israelites at Gilgal, and the Philistine forces were arrayed against them with troops that were poetically described as numerous as the sand of the seashore. They were facing a huge challenge. And many of the Israelites began to hide. They began to desert. And Saul faced the pressure. In 1 Samuel 13, 8, it tells us that he was supposed to wait on Samuel to come and offer the sacrifices and offerings up to the Lord. And toward the end of that waiting period, Saul panicked. He offered the burnt offering himself. Just after he offered it, Samuel arrived and rebuked him sternly and declared then and there, quote, Your reign will not endure. Saul had been told to wait. In a moment of pressure, Saul concluded he did not need God's prophet. He justified his actions by the circumstances that surrounded him. He needed to fight. He was told to wait. It was a conundrum. So he chose a third way. He could have both the blessing of God and the timely victory. He took matters into his own hands. He justified his compromise as being warranted by the circumstances. The mission demanded it. It was a pragmatic decision. But in the end, Saul had disobeyed God's word and assumed he could just step into Samuel's role. The second scene precedes our text in chapter 15 here. Here, Saul had been given a mission to attack and even annihilate the Amalekites. Now, the command was clear if severe. Wipe out the Amalekites. Every man, woman, and child. And all the livestock as well. What a hard command to carry out. And yet, we who trust in the justice of God must trust his judgments. It reminds us of how great are the wages of sin. How awful it is to fall into the hands of a living God. And how grateful it should make us that God, in his mercy, has poured out his grace on such as us who deserve his just wrath. It is that he spares us in Christ. Places the just punishment for our sins upon him. That leaves us marveling in bewilderment and amazed by grace. Saul understands the mission. He strikes down the Amalekites. And he fulfills the command of God. Almost. He makes a few small concessions. He spares the king of the Amalekites, Agog. He spares the livestock, the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and animals. And what we know is that when Samuel the prophet arrived, God had already appeared to Samuel to declare to him, Saul has, and I quote, turned away from following me. He has not carried out my instructions. Now, Saul was ready with a defense and an explanation. In fact, Saul's first words were, May the Lord bless you. I have carried out the Lord's instructions. But Samuel knew it wasn't true. If you carried out the Lord's instructions, he said, What is this sound of sheep, goats, and cattle that I hear? Even as he heard the boasting of Saul, he heard the bleeding of the sheep. Saul offered excuses. The troops brought them from the Amalekites. He claimed, as he sought to pass off the responsibility of leadership, he justified his actions by claiming they were going to offer them as sacrifices to the Lord. But Saul's obfuscations and rationalizations did not sway the mighty man of God. Samuel told Saul, God had appeared to him in the night with a message of revelation and judgment. Samuel asked, Why did you do evil in the Lord's sight? And Saul's response in verse 20 is, But I did obey the Lord. I went on the mission the Lord gave me. When asked why he compromised, he claimed the mission demanded it. He had defeated the Amalekites. He had brought back their king. And again, he blamed the troops for saving the livestock. He rationalized it all by saying, They were going to dedicate it as an offering to the Lord. But what God wanted was obedience. What Saul offered was compromise. Why did he compromise? Pragmatism and pressure. He compromised because of pragmatism. He needed to act quickly against the Philistines. The enemy was gathering. His troops were scattering. He saved the livestock because they were valuable. He argued the mission demanded it. He justified compromising the truth of God as a means for accomplishing a noble mission. He compromised because of external pressure. Saul exclaimed in verse 24, I was afraid of the people. I obeyed them. Saul chose to obey men rather than God. He chose to please crowds rather than heed God's commands. He succumbed to the pressure. This then is his compromise. This is how he rejected the word of the Lord. Not through apostatizing and renunciations. Not through idolatry and pagan worship. He succumbed to the pressure of the crowd and the pragmatism of the moment. The opinions of others and the desire for success mattered more than simple obedience to God. He chose religious performance over spiritual obedience. We see next the confrontation of Saul. The confrontation is harsh and direct. Saul does not, Samuel rather, does not mince words. Samuel is not impressed with numerical reports. He is not swayed by the crowds. He does not consult the polls. The details of this prophetic confrontation are worth noting. When God spoke to Samuel and revealed that he had rejected Saul as king, the Bible says Samuel was, and I quote in verse 11, angry and cried out to the Lord all night. The truth will do that to a man. It will keep you up at night. There is such a thing as a righteous anger. The text says in verse 12 that Samuel rose early to confront Saul. He went, he told the truth. Saul attempted to engage in pleasantries. May the Lord bless you. And then he tried to project confidence and feigned faithfulness to be somewhat assertive. He said, I've carried out the Lord's instructions. But Samuel knew and Samuel could hear the bleeding of the sheep. Sometimes the bleeding of the sheep overrides the talking points. Sometimes truth is more important than tone. Saul attempts to justify his actions, but Samuel cut through it with prophetic truth. It is a work of God and a work of grace for God to send the voice of truth. Confrontations are uncomfortable, but in God's work, they are necessary. Who among us has not needed correction? Who among us has not needed reproof? If only Saul's heart had not been so obstinate early on. If only it had been marked by humility and a willingness to be corrected, then perhaps this moment would have never arrived. It is not a sign of greatness to refuse correction. No true revival ever started by reading talking points. No spiritual awakening ever broke out because of a PR campaign. Renewal begins when sins are confessed. Hearts are broken and leaders are humble. It is not a sign of health to boast of our successes when anyone with ears to hear can hear the bleeding of the sheep. And it leads us to a final chapter that might be called the collapse of Saul. In this final scene, God gives a visual symbol of a spiritual reality unfolding in real time. After Samuel's prophetic confrontation, Saul is troubled. And when Samuel turns to go, it will be the final time they ever meet in the flesh. And for one final moment, Saul tries to hang on to what he once had and so longs to keep. He reaches for Samuel. He grabs a corner of his robe and it tears. It's a prophetic picture. And Samuel announces the final verdict. As the robe is torn, so the Lord has torn the kingship of Israel away from you. It would take a while. Saul would carry the crown, but the anointing was gone. The trajectory was set. It was irreversible. When the end comes, it is a tragic scene. Saul falls upon his own sword. He and his good son Jonathan perish in the same battle. The pagan Philistines triumph over God's people. What was the cause of death? It was not the blade of a sword or the arrow of an archer that took his life. The cause of demise was uttered by the great man of God. You rejected the word of the Lord. The date was April the 23rd, 1888. The meeting was held in the City Temple in London. The General Assembly of the Baptist Union gathered to consider a solemn and historic motion from its executive council. The motion was brought. It was overwhelmingly passed. What was the motion? It was a motion to censor the man who is often considered to be the greatest Baptist preacher in history, Charles Spurgeon. The final recorded vote was around 2,000 people enthusiastically supporting the motion to censor and only seven opposed. The great Baptist union was torn. And history will know that the Baptist movement in England never fully recovered. Why had it come to this? And what became known as the downgrade controversy, Spurgeon had joined with other voices in warning of encroaching liberalism in the times. He saw the downgrade. He sounded a clarion call that was labeled divisive and schismatic. He had hoped his prophetic reproof might alter the course of the British Baptist movement. It did not. Spurgeon lost the battle. And in a way, he lost the war. But our own history, as well as others, have validated the great man. He said, I am quite willing to be eaten of dogs for the next 50 years. But the more distant future will vindicate me. It has. And we do. Dr. Albert Moeller, commenting on the downgrade controversy a few years ago, spoke of those who he said often occupy the middle, the mainstream of gospel movements. And he observed this, that the great mass of people who should defend the truth are often more scared by those who do defend the truth than by those who deny it. Saul learned there are more ways to reject the word of the Lord than you might imagine. Saul neither apostatized nor worshiped false idols. He did not deny the truth of a doctrinal statement. And he continued to engage in religious observances and services. Yet he stands condemned as one who rejected the word of the Lord. And so what do we learn from this tragic tale? What we learn is that we do not reject the word of the Lord only through apostasy or the embrace of false doctrine or rank unbelief. Rejection happens long before it is codified into a statement or hardened into a conviction. Saul rejected the word of the Lord and his kingdom was torn asunder. To avoid being guilty of rejecting the truth of God, we must remember three things. Number one, we must value obedience above observance. Saul replaced spiritual obedience for public observance. He replaced private devotion for public demonstrations. He had altars and burnt offerings, but he did not obey the Lord. He had altars, but he did not have the anointing. He had burnt offerings, but not the blessing of God. The rejection of truth does not begin when we pass a motion or change a doctrinal statement. It begins when you think orthodox statements provide a cover for compromise. It begins when we fear the pressure of the crowds and worry more about the opinion of men than the opinion of God. The slow erosion begins when we fear the gaze of the masses and the pressure of the crowds. It begins when we value our pragmatic successes and boast of our statistical accomplishments more than we love God's truth. It is not some cold, detached zeal for cross T's and dotted I's that motivates us. It's our devotion to the King of Heaven that binds us to the truth. It is our love for our glorious King that moves our heart to cleave to His will. It is our unceasing gratitude for the one who plucked us from the fire that fuels our love for His Word. We love His Word because we love Him. We seek to do His will because we owe Him everything. No one doubts this week the presence of our sacrifices and the correctness of our offerings. But what about our hearts? It is not enough to affirm right doctrine. If we seek the favor of the world more than the approval of heaven, if we fear the rejection of men more than we fear the judgment of God, we are already on a dangerous slide. It is not enough for us to engage in religious ritual. If we value pragmatic success more than true devotion, Saul had lost sight of what mattered most. To obey is better than sacrifice. To pay attention is better than the fat of rams. Secondly, we must value faithfulness over fervency. Secondly, Saul justified his compromise with two simple words. The mission. I fulfilled the mission, he said. Oh, yes, we love to talk about the mission and why not? Our mission unites us. Our mission excites us. Our mission motivates us. Our mission directs our cooperative efforts. Saul measured his victory, and we Baptists have excelled in counting like few others. We think counting is a spiritual gift. We share reports of missionaries sent, and churches planted, and converts baptized, and dollars given, and seminarians educated, and we should. These are things that deserve to be celebrated, and we will happily do so. But here is the subtle caution. If we believe our missional fervency justifies any erosion of doctrinal or spiritual faithfulness, we are mistaken. Saul justified his compromise by boasting of his success, but he had not followed the Lord's instructions completely. He felt the end justified the means, but the end does not justify the means. Saul defeated the Amalekites, but his compromise would soon bring defeat to the Israelites. I want a Southern Baptist Convention that is successful, but I want one that is faithful even more. Faithfulness today will bring fruitfulness tomorrow, but success today, if rooted in compromise, will foreshadow a greater defeat to come. Yes, of course, we will share our reports this week. There's nothing wrong with that. We can and should rejoice at every measure of advance, but there is another report that matters more than anything that is printed in a book this week. It is what God sees when he looks at our hearts, and he measures whether or not we are committed to obey him regardless of the cause. Does our ecclesiology come from popular innovation or the word of God? Is our methodology informed by the currents of our time or by the convictions that stand beyond time? If the demise of Saul proves anything, it is that you can boast of your successes, offer up your sacrifices, and burn your offerings, and still reject the word of God. The question for Southern Baptists is not how many Amalekites have been slain, and it's not how many sacrifices have been offered or how many altars have been erected. It is this. Do we have a heart to obey God no matter what? We ask questions like, who is a pastor? What is a church? How should we respond to sin? And we have had plenty who in response to such inquiries have said, well, this is what the culture says. This is what popular opinion demands. This is what pragmatism necessitates. This is what the experts advise. And on and on we have gone. Where are those who will hold up a Bible and say, brothers, we have the word of God. And we will not, not for social applause, not for numerical success, not for denominational affirmation, not for a highlight or a headline or any reason, walk away from the truth of God. We must determine that we will stand faithful amidst the pressures of the people, and that we will stand faithful amidst the challenges of the culture. We must determine that when the attacks of deception come our way, we stand. We will put on the full armor of God so that we may resist in the evil day. And having prepared everything, we will take our stand. Let this message go forth from this convention. Southern Baptists are not evading. We are not evolving. We are not eroding. We are not equivocating. We are enduring. We will be like a tree planted by a stream of water. And if so, our leaves will not wither and our fruit will not cease. And finally, we must value God's kingdom over our kingdom. In the end, Saul became obsessed with maintaining his kingdom rather than advancing God's kingdom. And whenever we substitute performance for obedience, we reject the word of the Lord. Whenever we bow to pressure instead of standing on God's commands, we reject the word of the Lord. Whenever we think activity can substitute for fidelity, or ceremony can substitute for consecration, or progress can substitute for purity, we trade spiritual obedience for pragmatic success. Increasingly, Saul became desperate to preserve his own kingdom, and he confused God's work with his own ambition. The kingdom was torn away from Saul. The tearing of Samuel's robe foretells the day that would soon come when a Philistine arrow would find its target and the king of Israel would be mortally wounded. He would fall on his sword and perish. His son Jonathan would also die that day. And as surely as God's word is always true, the house of Saul would fail. God is building his church. The gates of hell will not prevail against it. Regardless of what happens to us, God will build his church and his kingdom will endure. But movements and churches, and even conventions such as ours, can drift into deception and ignominy. When Jesus speaks to the seven churches of Revelation, he warns them of a lampstand that can be removed and a light that can be extinguished. There can be no doubt that the future health of our movement is not guaranteed. It will depend on our willingness to obey. It all comes down to this. Will we reject the word of the Lord? Too often in recent years I have wondered if I could hear the faint, distant sound of bleeding sheep. And a time or two it sounded like I could hear the tearing of a robe. May God grant that we hear the words of another king who when confronted prayed, you do not want a sacrifice or I would give it. You are not pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. You will not despise a humbled heart. And that is our only hope, isn't it? May God grant that instead of bleeding sheep, he sees a broken spirit. And instead of a torn robe, may he tear our hearts in humble desperation for him. About seven miles from central London, you can visit the West Norwood Cemetery. There are several notable graves there, but for Baptist people, there is the significance of only one. That erected in the memory of Charles Spurgeon. Upon that tomb, these engraved words announced, here lies the body of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, waiting for the appearing of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Ensconced on the front beneath the marble replica of his likeness, there is a marble Bible. It is opened to 2 Timothy chapter 4 and verse 7. And these words, I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith. All too soon, we will pass. Our brief journey will be complete, and the record of our lives will be reduced to a few sentences. The final appraisal will belong to God alone. In some distant future, a new generation of Baptists will arise. And should the Lord tarry, the Southern Baptist Convention will gather. But I can't help but wonder today who they will be then. Will this great force still be faithful? Will they still offer a message of redeeming love to a world lost in spiritual darkness? When our race is over, what baton will we hand to them? Is this great work to be torn asunder? Or will it be said of us that in our day of testing, when we face the winds of cultural pressure, moral relativism, and spiritual skepticism, that we also kept the faith. When our race is run, will they say of us, we stood together on sound doctrine. May God grant that this great convention of ours be found faithful. May they say of us that we had the courage to stand. May it be said of us, we fought our fight. We finished our race. May it be said of us, we stood together in sound doctrine. May it be said of us, we kept the faith. God bless you. I found my new name, found that good grace, found that healing, and the tears fell down my face when I found my beginning that has no ending. I found that second chance, found my best friend, found my forgiveness, found my happiness. I've been singing ever since. I found my freedom in you. Thanks for listening to the For Freedom Podcast. If you enjoyed our content, do us a favor by liking, subscribing, or sharing our podcast on whichever podcast platform you use. Be sure to join us next time for the For Freedom Podcast. For Freedom Podcast. For Freedom Podcast. For Freedom Podcast.

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