So I Have Not Called Anyone A Heretic In Awhile

I went to a church last weekend for a specific reason. It was not my church, but a church I had attended before and I know some who attend there as well. The sermon was on Mark 4:1-20. This man read the entire passage, you know about the seed and thorns and rocky soil and all, and then looked the congregation in the eye and told them that they need to stop being in the first three categories and stay in the fourth. Well if you have not gone to look up the passage yet let me help you out. This parable is about different people, not different categories we are in at different times. The first three groups that this pastor put believers in is made up of unbelievers. The last group are the believers. Do you know what it is called when one take the God-breathed scriptures and make them say something God did not intend for them to say? Do you know what it is called when one takes the gospel and makes it law? Do you know what it is called when one takes the good-news and turns it into good advice? Do you know what it is called when one takes indicatives and makes them imperatives?

IT'S CALLED HERESY!!!!!

We had one couple come up to us and the wife said "Wow, that sermon was really good for you to hear wasn't it?" I had no self-control at the time and told her in no uncertain terms, "It was horrible, he made the text say something it did not say." I then got ahold of myself and kept quiet the rest of the conversation. By the way, this was at a church that has "reformed" in their name. How utterly sad.

As an aside, we were at this church last year and they had a pulpit supply pastor preach the same text and do the same damnable job handling it.