MAN'S GREATEST CHALLENGE: R.T. RITENBAUGH
Man's Greatest Challenge (Part 1)
The Foundation of Belief
Given 24-Sep-05; Sermon #739; 72 minutes
By Mr. Richard T. Ritenbaugh Click Here to Listen/Download MP3
Description:Reflecting on Michael Crichton's observations about the difficulty of distinguishing truth from error, Richard Ritenbaugh concurs that it is almost impossible to make sense out of this world if we try to process the voluminous information available in these days of exploding knowledge. What goes into our minds (good or bad) ultimately dictates what we believe. We desperately need to learn to collect and process information from God's perspective, unlike Pilate, who could not recognize truth even when it stared him in the face (John 18:33). Ancient Israel failed to process the truth, bringing hideous curses on themselves. All of humanity has been blinded by the god of this world. The key to knowing the truth of God is to recognize the true nature and character of God, and from this understanding all doctrine flows. Only God's Spirit, given to those who obey Him (Acts 5:32), can remove the blindness of false doctrine, such as ever-burning hell or eternal security.
Topics:Belief Blindness Bias Chrichton, Michael Chosen Character Christ coming in the flesh Docetism Doctrine Error Eternal security Ever- burning hell Fact Fantasy Fiction Faith explosion Information Israel's blindness Knowing God Nature of God Permission Pilate Propaganda Reality Revelation Truth understanding
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Man's Greatest Challenge (Part 2)
Confidence in God's Word
Given 12-Nov-05; Sermon #746; 78 minutes
By Mr. Richard T. Ritenbaugh Click Here to Listen/Download MP3
Description:Richard Ritenbaugh reflects that, with the deliberate disinformation explosion in the information age, it is getting harder to distinguish truth from error. Scientific truth is established on rigor and testing. In matters of theology, only God's revealed Word is a reliable indicator of truth (John 17:17), expressing His will and defining His nature. Many people have difficulty accepting internal biblical evidence attesting to the Bible's authority. When properly investigated, there are no contradictions or errors in Holy Scripture. Because the Yahweh of the Old Testament is the Jesus of the New, there are no contradictions or inconsistencies between the Old and New Covenants. Answered prayer, with the conditions of praying according to His will and keeping His law, living our lives to please Him, proves the existence of God and strengthens a person's faith. All the proofs of the Bible hinge on the nature of God.
Topics:Absolutes Angels Asking according to His will Airplanes and helicopters Alleged contradictions in the Bible Answered prayer Arthur Murray Bible Buckwheat Child rearing Crichton, Michael Contradictions in the Bible Crucifixion Disinformation Bob Hope Eternal life is knowing God Eye witness testimony Fifth gospel Evidence Fulfilled prophecies Galvanizing our faith God watches over His people God's editorial process God's intervention God's mercy God's promises God's sovereignty Inerrancy of the Bible Immanuel Information age Internal testimony James John the Baptist John's prophecies Josh Mc Dowell Lutheenai Mealy bugs Miscommunication Minutia Miracles Mosquitoes Maria Osmond Patti Page Post modernism Prophecies of Christ's Crucifixion Prophecies of Messiah Prophetic details Purified word of God Propaganda Proving God's will Rationalism Reality Revelation Shade the truth Signs Translations of the Bible Road less traveled Satellites Scripture cannot be broken Sovereignty of God Sydney Television Tithing Tyre Trusting the Bible Two witnesses Word of God
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Man's Greatest Challenge (Part 3)
The Gift of the Ministry
Given 03-Dec-05; Sermon #749; 74 minutes
By Mr. Richard T. Ritenbaugh Click Here to Listen/Download MP3
Description:Richard Ritenbaugh asks if we have the resources to reject Satan's counterfeit for God's truth. Paul assures us that by having Christ's mind, we have the capacity to discern truth from error. God's faithful ministry is a tool to help us become discerning. God gives spiritual gifts for the purpose of edifying one another. The ministry is a blessing from Christ for the purpose of edifying and equipping members for of overcoming sin and preparing to serve in God's Kingdom. We come out of the world as diamonds in the rough to be transformed into the unity of the faith and belief, emerging from academic theory into practice and experience. Our mutual goal is to become more like Christ. The minister's main task should consist of exhorting on spiritual matters rather than worldly ones, rejecting the profane or silly in favor of the spiritual and the eternal, teaching the flock, feeding them by example and word, bearing good fruit—no easy thing!
Topics:Academic, Agape love, Apostles, Michael Crichton, Crisis, Decisions, Disinformation age, Doctrine, Envoy, Evangelist, Experiential knowledge, Fantasy, Favor, Feed my lambs, Feed my sheep, Flock, tending, Gift, Good news, Helpers of your joy, Hiding talents in the ground, Instructors, Ministry, Old falsehood repackaged, Pastor, Peter, Propaganda, Prophet, Providence, Reality, Speaking truth in love, Servants, Spiritual maturity, Spiritual gifts, Storm troopers of the church, Schutzstafflung, Teachers, Tend my sheep, Truth, YOU Calendar, Youth or inexperience, Weak of the world, Wolves, Works
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Man's Greatest Challenge (Part 4)
True Christians
Given 31-Dec-05; Sermon #753; 74 minutes
By Mr. Richard T. Ritenbaugh Click Here to Listen/Download MP3
Description:Richard Ritenbaugh continues the theme of the difficulty we have in this age to distinguish truth from error. Satan's biggest targets for disinformation are God's called - out ones. As the apostles turned the world upside down by the Gospel, Satan's implanted tares immediately began to spread disinformation - so much so that the 'Christian' church of the second century bore little resemblance to the church Christ founded. Who, then, are His true disciples? They may be identified by: 1) being led by God's Spirit dwelling within, causing them to yield to God's will; 2) behaving in love toward friend and foe; 3) abiding perpetually in God's Word (not merely agreeing with, but actually living the teaching, coming to know the truth by practical experience; and 4) bearing much spiritual fruit.
Topics:Abiding in God's word, Apostle Paul, Apostasy, Authority of Bible, Betrayals, Council of Jerusalem, Deception, Discernment, Disinformation age, Distinguishing reality from fantasy, Distinguishing truth from error, Experience, False brethren, Freedom, Free moral agency, Fruits of God's Spirit, Godly character, Led by God's Holy Spirit, Liberating aspect of keeping God's law, Michael Crichton, Parable of the talents, Parable of the sower, Peace, Pharisees, Proofs of true disciples, Reality, Repertoire of character traits, Sacrifice, Slave of sin, Tares and wheat, True nature of Christ, Works of the flesh