Gtcotr/ws022019
Hy’brid
1.
Noun:
The offspring of two plants or animals of different species or varieties.
a. Crossbreed;
mixed-breed
b. Mixture, blend,
meld, amalgam, combination, composite, compound, conglomerate
2.
Noun:
A thing made by combining two different elements.
a. A mixture
b. A word formed from
elements taken from different languages, for example “Television” (tele-from
Green, vision from Latin).
c. A car with a
gasoline engine and an electric motor, each of which can propel it.
3.
Adjective:
a. Of mixed character
b. Composed of mixed
parts
c. Fashioned from mixed
ideas or solutions
The
word hybrid means mixture. To be of mixed or blended character or fashioned by
two different ideas into one solution. There are hybrid cars, hybrid plants,
hybrid animals, hybrid gods and even hybrid churches filled with hybrid Christians.
We stray from the truth when we imagine there are many truths or when we
believe truth is subjective and can be mixed to validate our choices. Nothing
could be farther from “The Truth” … pun intended. With that thought in mind, we
are going to conclude our study of the book of James tonight. Let’s begin by
reading the last two verses.
James 5 NKJV
19 Brethren, if anyone among
you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back,
20 let him know that he who
turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover
a multitude of sins.
Wanders
from the truth – These are those who know the truth but do not follow the
truth. What truth? Jesus the Truth …
1.
His Will
2.
His Word
3.
His Way
Almighty
Jehovah, the God of creation, is not afraid of you worshipping and serving a
different god. He is more concerned about you thinking that the god of your
making is Him. One person wandering from The Truth has proven to influence
others to stray as well. Fashioning a false god is right up there on the top of
the list of the 10 biggie sins God said don’t do.
The
reason God addresses this matter is because it has always been in the nature of
man to serve a god whom they understand and agree with and, who understands and
agrees with them.
A
god of our own making will
·
Excuse
our sin while condemning those who sin against us
·
Always
be on our side and against the other side.
·
Understand
we meant the best
·
Bless
what we are doing and tell us we are right
·
Confirm
our suspicions
·
Hate
our enemies
·
Agree
with our conclusions
·
Champion
our cause
That’s not a god … that’s a puppet.
Late
in his life the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy and warned him concerning the wandering
nature of man in these last days.
2 Timothy 3 NKJV
1 ¶ But know this, that in
the last days perilous times will come:
2 For men will be lovers of
themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to
parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 unloving, unforgiving,
slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
4 traitors, headstrong,
haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having a form of godliness
but denying its power …
As
was said earlier, God is not afraid of you worshipping and serving a different
god. Just so long as you understand it’s not Him.
1 Kings 18:21 And Elijah came
to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If
the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people
answered him not a word.
At
times people are slow to recognize and serve the one true and living God. Allow
me to tell you a little about Jehovah God.
Jehovah
God is:
·
Kind
·
Good
·
Merciful
·
Loving
·
Forgiving
·
Patient
·
Not
rude
·
Not
out of control
·
Not
easily provoked
·
Keeps
no record of wrongs
·
Joyful
·
At
Peace
·
Gentle
·
Faithful
And
the Good News is that God loves your enemies as much as He loves you. And He
expects you to love them too. For he who turns a sinner from the error of his
way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. He who turns …
not he who criticizes, condemns, or points out.
Let’s
not be hybrid Christians … in love with a false god. It’s a choice each one of
us has to make for ourselves.
Joshua 24 NKJV
15 ¶ “And if it seems evil to
you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,
whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side
of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for
me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”
