HOW TO WITNESS TO THE CULTS
The following are the notes from a message to the Young People's
Fellowship in the Free Presbyterian Church in Enniskillen (N. Ireland)
on Friday 31st October, 2003
No
man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his
goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will
spoil his house. (Mark 3:27)
Either the cults come to your door or you go to theirs or you meet them in school, university or work etc.
You need to know how to break down the great wall of delusion which Satan has built around their soul.
CULTS MOST LIKELY TO BE ENCOUNTERED:
Roman Catholics…Jehovah's
Witnesses
(JW's)…Mormons…Cooneyites…Muslims…New Age
type cults including Hare Krishna's etc.,
WHY SUCH NEED TO BE SAVED:
Sincerity in religion is not enough -
God wants to be worshipped in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Give a
sinner religion and all you have is a religious sinner. All men,
religious or not, need to be born again (John 3:3) religion, even
orthodox religion cannot save and how much more any religion which
denies the fundamental truths/Bible?
WHY CULT MEMBERS ARE OFTEN THE HARDEST TO SEE CONVERTED:
1) Satanically deluded the most.
Enough religion to be dangerous. Illustration: the false borders which
Germans put up in WW I to fool British POW's escaping. Cult members
feel they have "arrived" when they are still in danger.
2) Cults often employ brain
washing techniques. JW's practically forbid the reading of material
other than that printed by themselves. Little free inquiry. Hare
Krishna insist on their follows repeating the Hare Krishna mantra every
single day. Some extreme cults insist on name changing, no contact with
family and sleep deprivation etc., With extreme shepherding in every
area of member's life.
3) Most to "lose" if/when they
leave. For example, JW's are disfellowshipped i.e. shunned completely.
JW's also officially believe that there is no salvation is to be found
outside of their organisation.
WHY CULT MEMBERS ARE OFTEN THE EASIEST TO WITNESS TO:
1) All are usually eager to make new converts. They see themselves witnessing to you.
2) Obviously they have some
interest in religion (cp. an increasingly secular world) and with cults
like the Mormons and especially the JW's/Cooneyites have a more Bible
orientated faith (although still far short) Never hard to talk about
the Bible especially to a JW.
3) It doesn't take that much to
get the better of them theologically, although winning the argument
does not automatically mean winning the soul.
HOW TO APPROACH THE WINNING OF A CULT MEMBER TO CHRIST:
1) Prayerfully - Cannot do this in your own strength. Reliance on Sovereignty of God.
2) Graciously - insulting them etc., will never win them.
3) Tactically - You need an overall strategy or plan.
4) Patiently - several visits
will probably be required. Seldom is so much achieved in one visit.
Rome wasn't built in a day…won't be overthrown in one day either!
5) Scripturally - the Bible is ultimately the only real weapon you will need to bind the strong man: Ephesians 6:17/Hebrews 4:12
THINGS IN COMMON WITH REACHING ALL CULT MEMBERS:
1) A knowledge of basic soul winning verses. R.A. Torrey's Pocket Booklet of soul winning texts is invaluable.
2) A Sound working knowledge of basic
bible doctrines. The Shorter Catechism along with proof texts is a most
useful manual of solid doctrine. Other short helpful books.
3) Ability to give a Christ centred testimony - sometimes this clinches/seals everything. (Mark 5:19/Psalm 66:16)
4) A basic knowledge of what the cult concerned believes and why it is wrong.
IDEALLY…
…you would like just to treat
them all like sinners. No getting bogged down in controversy is a great
help…if only! Failing this i.e. where you just give them the
gospel straight, plain and without controversy, you need a "plan B"
where you are forced to deal with their doctrines cropping up and
preventing them from grasping the gospel.
HOW TO DEAL WITH ROMAN CATHOLICS:
I emphasise the freeness of God's
salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9 etc.,) without works. This invariably meets
with stiff opposition. Stick by your guns. Why does Paul continually
emphasise grace without the law? Need to explain harmony between Paul
and James. Authority of the Bible comes up. God's word can never be
subject to any church. If other doctrine's crop up - need to know how
to refute them…graciously.
The same emphasis on grace alone
through faith alone will run you into trouble with the
Cooneyites…but stick to your guns and don't ever let them move
you from the Bible. If you do…you have lost your only real
weapon. That's what Satan wants.
HOW TO DEAL WITH MUSLIMS:
Another works based religion. Speak of grace and your assurance of heaven etc., don't let him rubbish the bible.
Muslim's apply John 14:16 to Muhammad. But why v16 and not v6?
HOW TO DEAL WITH JEHOVAH WITNESSES:
Ultimately JW'S rely on the watchtower. We need to undermine it's authority of the watchtower and this is not hard to do.
1) Extravagant claims of
Watchtower: "The resolutions adopted by conventions of God's anointed
people, booklets, magazines, and books published by them, contain the
message of God's truth and are from the Almighty God, Jehovah, and
provided by him through Christ Jesus and his underofficers .. It is his
truth and not man's .." {WT May 1 1938 page 143}
"This chronology is not of man, but of
God. Being of divine origin and divinely corroborated, present-truth
chronology stands in a class by itself, absolutely and unqualifiedly
correct .." {WT Jul 15 1922 217}
"Jehovah has established a very
definite channel of communication through which he deals with his
people .. It is vital that we appreciate this fact and respond to the
directions of the 'slave' as we would to the voice of God." {WT Jun 15
1957 page 370}
Many others: (See Rev. Ian Brown's book: "60 questions every JW must answer")
2) Expose the whole host of Watchtower dates for Christ's return/Armageddon etc.,
1874/1914/1925/ etc., "there will be
no slip up…Abraham should enter upon the actual possession of
his promised inheritance in the year 1925ad" ." {WT oct 15 1917 page
6157}
3) Conclude: Watchtower, despite their claims, is very unreliable indeed.
You are trying to sow seeds of doubt. If you can do this, you will leave the JW with nothing to cling to...but the Bible.
Often with JW's you will probably end
up debating the Trinity etc., You do need to know your stuff! If in
trouble, do not hesitate to get the help of a more mature Christian. Be
very careful, they don't get the better of you! You can always arrange
the meeting of a JW contact with one able to debate with them. Use of
internet also for information.
HOW TO DEAL WITH MORMONS
Mormons are tied to their belief that
the book of Mormon is inspired and the main point of the book of Mormon
is that Jesus Christ came physically to the American Indians in AD34. I
usually challenge this most fundamental assertion on the following
grounds:
1) I affirm that Jesus Christ will return physically to earth (Acts 1:11/Titus 2:13)
2) I point out certain events would:
A/ Precede his return (Matthew 24:21/29-30)
B/ Accompany his return (Matthew 24:30-31/1Thessalonians 4:15-17/Revelation 1:7)
C/ Follow his return (2 Thessalonians 1:8-11/2:8) none of these things have happened. He did not return as claimed.
3) Point out the basis of
believing Nephi in the book of Mormon is patently false:"and now it
came to pass that according to our record, and we know that our record
to be true, for behold, it was a just man who did keep the record - for
he truly did many miracles in the name of jesus: and there was not any
man who could do a miracle in the name of Jesus save he were cleansed
every whit from his iniquity."(3 Nephi 8:1) Oh no? See: Matthew 7:22/
Matthew 24:5/24
Cork Free Presbyterian Church, 10 Briarscourt
(Annex) Shanakiel, Cork, Ireland