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Radio Show Transcript, © 2001, Persuade The
World Ministries, Gordon James Klingenschmitt, Servant. Copying
and distribution (without editing) is highly encouraged.
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<Many more transcripts and free MP3 radio shows CLICK HERE>
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Opening introduction by Mark
McWilliams…
Welcome and thank you for joining this radio
broadcast of Persuade The World Ministries. You’re
about to hear our radio production of the book written and taught
by Gordon James Klingenschmitt, entitled “License To Sin,
The Number One Reason America Is Losing Its Moral
Foundation.” If you call us in the next hour,
we’ll mail you a free cassette tape of today’s
broadcast, which you can copy and give to your friends. Just
call our toll-free phone number: 866-Obey-God. That’s
toll free, 1-866-O-B-E-Y-G-O-D. Gordon James
Klingenschmitt is a graduate of the United States Air Force
Academy, and a seminary graduate of
-------------------------------
Thanks, Mark. Now in our previous
broadcast, we discussed a particular heresy called Antinomianism.
Do you remember that? We said that antinomians are false
teachers who promote a false gospel, making repentance optional,
and telling people they can sin as much as they please and still
go to heaven. After all, we’re in the age of grace
now, and God doesn’t have to rule our hearts. But
their message of cheap grace is actually a false grace, and they
pervert the grace message into a license for immorality. Antinomians
wrongly believe, as you recall from last week, that Jesus died on
the cross to pay for their sins, even while they continue to
enjoy those sins. They think they don’t have to
repent, and they can still be saved and going to heaven.
But does God believe that lukewarm believers are saved and going
to heaven? Let’s read Revelation chapter 3, verse 16.
Here God says, “So then, because you are lukewarm, and
neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”
You know, another word for antinomian is lukewarm. And
lukewarm Christians are not Christians at all in God’s mind.
God would rather they be cold than be lukewarm. He’s
planning to vomit Lukewarm Christians out of His mouth!
So we come to today’s segment, which is entitled “The
American Gospel, By The Numbers.” Now let me begin
this segment with a question. You listening to me right
now, answer this question: Is America a Christian nation?
Think about that. I’m asking about
I propose, and I’ll prove this in a few minutes, that 20% of
Americans are cold heathens, 60% of Americans are lukewarm
unbelievers who think they’re Christians, and only 20% are
hot, on-fire, true Christians. Which of these three
categories best describes you?
20, 60, or 20.
20% of Americans are Cold Heathens: This group might
include atheists, murderers, thieves, adulterers, drug-dealers,
radical homosexuals, witches, Satanists, and all who want nothing
to do with Jesus Christ. These people don’t profess to
be going to heaven when they die, and frankly they don’t
care.
60% of Americans are in what I call the “hypocritical
middle,” that is they’re lukewarm unbelievers who think
they’re Christians. They believe they’re going to
heaven when they die, they go to church, they believe in Jesus,
they may even believe that Jesus died on the cross for them, but
when you ask them, “who is the boss of your life?”
these people answer, “I am.” Who governs your
spending choices? “Me.” Who tells you the
difference between right and wrong? “Me.” Who
tells you how to run your life? “I do.”
These people describe themselves as Christians, but their hearts
and minds are not surrendered to the rulership of Jesus Christ.
They want God’s blessings, but don’t want to obey his
commands. I’ll prove in a few minutes that this
lukewarm group represents perhaps 60 percent of the American
population.
Now the last 20% of Americans are what I call hot
“On-Fire” Christians. These are the people who
love God with all their hearts and surrender themselves entirely
to God’s rulership. In fact, they want to obey
God’s commands even more than they want to receive His
blessings. They’ve offered themselves 100% to worship, love
and serve God sacrificially, because they love God more than they
love themselves. And Oh, how they have pleased Him. These
hot believers are the apple of God’s eye.
And now the statistical proof. 20%—60%—20%.
Let me ask you one last time, is America
today a Christian nation?
95 percent of all Americans adults believe
in God.[1] 95 percent.
89 percent of all Americans pray to God.[2]
89 percent believe Jesus is the Son of God.[3]
86 percent believe “There is only one
true God, who is holy and perfect, and who created the world and
rules it today.” [4]
86 percent of Americans believe that
“eventually, all people will be judged by God.” [5] 86 percent.
85 percent of Americans describe themselves
as “Christian.” [6] 85 percent.
That same 85 percent believe Jesus was born
to a virgin,[7] and 84 percent believe Jesus really rose from
the dead.[8]
76 percent of Americans claim to attend
church at least once in a typical month.[9] So 76 percent are
churchgoers.
Another 76 percent ask God’s
forgiveness for specific sins when they pray.[10]
73 percent of Americans believe that
“all of the miracles described in the Bible actually took
place.” [11]
71 percent believe “The Bible is the
written word of God” [12]
And 70 percent of all Americans believe in
the second coming of Christ, that Jesus will return to earth.[13]
Isn’t this amazing? Now from
these statistics, we would guess that America is clearly a
Christian nation—perhaps the most “Christian”
nation on the face of the earth. But then again, is it
possible we’re saying one thing with our lips, but doing the
opposite with our actions?
Here are a few more astonishing facts about our nation’s
religious beliefs:
Roughly two-thirds of all Americans believe that it doesn’t
matter what god or higher power you pray to, as long as
you’re sincere.[14] And yet 86
percent of Americans believe, “There is only one true
God.” Two-thirds say it doesn’t matter what God
you pray to, but 86 percent say there’s only one true God.
Do you realize what that means? That means there’s
over half of the US population who are lukewarm believers,
straddling the fence, trying to agree with both statements.
They say out of one side of their face, “There’s only
one God,” but then they say out of the other side of their
face, “it doesn’t matter what God you pray to.”
Now doesn’t that make them sort of two-faced? You
know, the Bible calls that idolatry. If you sincerely pray
to a false god, you are sincerely an idol worshipper. And
the God of the Bible says, “I am the LORD your God...You
shall have no other gods before me...” [15]
Now these same Americans believe that “Christians, Jews,
Muslims, Buddhists, and others all pray to the same God, even
though they use different names for that God.” [16] You know, that’s an interesting
opinion, but it doesn’t match up with the words of Jesus
Christ. Jesus said “I am the way and the truth and
the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
[17] Jesus said that. Now you can
disagree with Jesus if you want, but don’t claim to be a
Christian if you don’t agree with Jesus. Jesus said No
one comes to the Father except through me. Now do you
agree with Jesus or not? Are you a Christian or you not?
Get off the fence, and don’t claim to be a Christian if you
don’t agree with Jesus. And don’t think
you’re going to heaven when you die, either. You
can’t be saved without Jesus. The Bible says, Salvation
is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven
given to men by which we must be saved. [18] Not Buddha, not Mohammed, not
Confucius. Jesus said he’s the only way.
Now maybe some of you are confused because you don’t read
your Bibles. You know, 92 percent of Americans have Bibles
in their homes, but only a third of Americans read their Bibles
outside of church.[19] That leaves
almost 2/3 of all Americans in the lukewarm category, with dusty
Bibles. Their Bibles are gathering dust on the shelf.
85 percent of Americans call themselves Christians, but only
one-third of all Americans are “born-again” Christians,
meaning they made a personal commitment to Christ and accepted
him as their personal savior.[20]
Next Sunday, more than half of church attenders in America will
not be born again.[21] Did you know you
can’t go to heaven unless you’re born-again? Jesus
said in John 3 “I tell you the truth, no one can see the
kingdom of God unless he is born again.” [22] Look that up in John chapter 3.
But then, even those who make personal decisions to accept Christ
as savior, or claim to have had a “born again”
experience, often demonstrate no change in their lifestyle after
that decision. George Barna, a Christian pollster, says,
“In the past year, a majority of the people who’ve made
a ‘decision for Christ’ were no longer even connected
with the church within 8 weeks of that decision.” [23] Now some people think the problem is a
lack of follow-up and discipleship classes by the churches.
Maybe, maybe not. I suggest the problem is with the
evangelist preaching cheap grace, who easily called people
forward “to receive forgiveness” rather than demand the
whole-hearted repentance, that they “give up their entire
lives, and surrender their hearts and minds to the Lordship of
Jesus Christ.” You know, for every 100 unchurched
people who come forward in an altar call today, not even 3 are
active in any church one year later.[24]
They come forward, “they receive a cheap salvation,”
and they go back to their old lifestyle, thinking they got saved.
They’re not saved. How did they sneak into the kingdom
of God, when God never became their king?
Another survey
comparing the behaviors of born again Christians to
non-Christians found almost no ethical differences. George
Barna looked at 65 different moral behaviors (like gambling,
whether or not we watch R or X rated movies, engaging in
adultery, etc.)…and found there was not a single one
on which born again Christians were demonstrably different (by
more than a couple percentage points) than non-Christians.” [25] Now I ask, do the people in this
country view a decision for Christ as anything more than cheap
fire-insurance? Do they hope to be protected from the
flames of hell, while their hearts remain unchanged? Have
they ever submitted to Christ as Lord, or did they merely attempt
to receive Him as Savior? Jesus said, “Anyone who
does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.”
[26] Have most Americans ever really been
born of God? Have you personally every really been
spiritually reborn? Here’s what the Bible says, No
one who is born of God will continue to sin…he cannot go on
sinning, because he has been born of God.[27]
George Gallup, Jr. of the famous Gallup polling organization,
found essentially the same results. “While religion is
highly popular in America,” he says, “it is to a large
extent superficial; it does not change people’s lives to the
degree one would expect from the level of professed faith.” [28] Professed faith, but unchanged lives.
Hmmm… Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you
hypocrites; as it is written: “These people honor me with
their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” [29]
I’ll come back with a lot more statistics in a minute, but
let’s take a short break and hear from Mark…
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Middle segment by Mark McWilliams…
Thanks Gordon. He’ll be back in just a moment. But first, do you know somebody who needs to hear today’s message? If you call our toll-free number in the next hour, 866-Obey-God, we’ll mail you a free cassette tape of today’s broadcast, which you can copy and give to your friends. All our tapes are copyable and free, but please remember we need your donations to stay on the air and to give away these free tapes. So please pray and obey, then send us your best possible donation, after you receive your free cassette. (Gordon: Hey time out! If it’s your first time calling us, no donation is required! Just call us!) Our toll free number is 866-Obey-God, that’s 1-866-O-B-E-Y-G-O-D. And please specify you’re requesting today’s program. Do you believe America needs to hear these messages? If so, then we need you to sponsor us, by joining the Persuader’s Club with a monthly pledge of just $15. If you join the Persuader’s Club, we’ll also send you an autographed copy of Gordon’s book that you’ve been hearing. Just visit our web-site at persuaders-club.com. Or call us in the next hour at 866-Obey-God. Right now, let’s return to Gordon James Klingenschmitt.
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Thanks again, Mark.
Now remember, 85 percent of all Americans identify themselves as
Christian. Of these, about 41 percent say they are
“absolutely committed” to Christianity, and 44 percent
say they are only “moderately committed” to the faith.[30] That means more Christians claim to be
lukewarm than claim to be absolutely committed to God! But
then it gets worse. Only 5 percent of all Americans pay a
tithe (a tenth) of their gross income to any religious center,[31]
in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ in Matthew
23:23.[32] That shows their
real priority. Even if 41% claim to be “absolutely
committed” to God with their lips, only 5 percent give a
tenth of their income to charity. Even most of the
“absolutely committed” people act like they’re
lukewarm. They want God’s blessings, but don’t
want to sacrifice to obey His commands. But God says, I
know your works, I know that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish
you were cold or hot. But because you’re lukewarm, and
neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.[33]
Lukewarm Christians make God sick to his stomach.
You know, only 23 percent of all Americans have invited a
non-church-going person to attend church in the past six months.[34]
And less than one out of three church-attenders has shared
his/her faith in Christ with a non-Christian in the past twelve
months.” [35] Perhaps many are too ashamed to mention the
name of Jesus, who said, “If anyone is ashamed of me and
my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in
his glory.” [36]
Middle-class Americans spend eight times as much on
leisure pursuits as they do in giving to charity.[37] Eight times more on leisure than on
charity. But the Bible asks, If anyone has material
possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him,
how can the love of God be in him?....Anyone who does not love
remains in death. [38]
76 percent of all Americans claim to attend church at least once
a month. Yet only 27 percent of all Americans volunteered
any free time recently to help any church.[39]
They attend, but don’t help. Are they obeying the laws
of love, or the laws of selfishness?
A University of Wisconsin study recently found that 50% of all
American adults have lived with a mate outside of marriage.[40] Now if 85% of Americans claim to be
Christian, but 50% of Americans have co-habitated out of wedlock,
then there are a lot of people living in sin who claim to be
Christians. Hmmm.
A University of Chicago study recently found that 83 percent of
adult men and 70 percent of adult women admit to having engaged
in sexual intercourse before marriage.[41]
That’s 83% of men and 70% of women. The Bible calls
that fornication, or sexual immorality. Now if 85 percent
of Americans are self-described Christians, but 70 to 83 percent
of Americans admit they are sexually immoral fornicators, this
leaves about two-thirds of the American population in “the
hypocritical middle” who 1) describe themselves as
Christian, and 2) admit they indulge themselves in sexual
immorality. What is going on in the minds of those who are
both? If they have never repented, what pulpit lies allow
them to call themselves Christian?
If they don’t
repent, what do these people believe about the Gospel of Jesus
Christ? Isn’t it for them a license to sin as much as
they please, while they pretend to be forgiven? If they
don’t confess and forsake their sins before God,
they’ll never be forgiven. The Bible says, Be not
deceived: neither fornicators…nor adulterers…shall
inherit the kingdom of God.[42]
Recently on a nationally syndicated Christian radio talk show, a
homosexual man called in to explain to the host why he was (or so
he thought) saved and going to heaven.
“I continue to
be openly gay,” he said, “and in fact I’ve been
living with my male lover for the past eight years, but I know
I’ll go to heaven when I die. I believe that the blood
Jesus shed on the cross paid the penalty for my sins. I
received Jesus as my personal Savior. That’s the only
way to get to heaven, isn’t it? Not by good
works—I am washed by faith in the blood of Jesus!” [43]
Now my goal is not to pick on homosexuals, I’m just
repeating what I heard him say—
But I must ask, what have you preachers been
telling the American people? What Bible are you preaching
from? Is it the same one that says, neither the sexually
immoral ...nor homosexual offenders...will inherit the kingdom of
God? [44] Who are you false
prophets out there, shouting “Peace with God, Peace with
God!” while God refuses to grant peace until we repent?
Do you speak the words of Christ, who preached, “Unless
you repent, you too will all perish.”[45] Or have you created a different gospel,
void of repentance?
USA Today reports that 52% of Americans believe that hell
certainly exists, and another 27% on top of that believe hell
might exist.[46] Yet nobody
believes they’re going there!! An astonishingly low 1%
of all Americans agree with the following statement: “When
I die, I am certain I will not go to heaven.”[47]
Only one percent—almost nobody—believes they will not
go to heaven when they die. But what did Jesus teach?
“Enter through the narrow gate.” He said,
“For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction,
and many enter through it. But small
is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life,
and only a few find it.” [48]
Eternal destruction? Many. Eternal life? Only a
few. Now if only 1 percent of Americans believe they will not go
to heaven, but Jesus said many will not go to heaven, but to
eternal destruction, what happens to all those people who think
they’re going to heaven, when Jesus says they’re not?
Perhaps they think they’re safe, while destruction awaits
them?
Jesus said many will be surprised when they are cast into
destruction. Imagine millions of church-going Americans,
perhaps 50 or 60 percent of our beloved nation, believing in God,
yet acting lukewarm, refusing to let God rule their hearts and
minds. Imagine them all standing before God, having been
told by false teachers “you’re saved, you’re
forgiven, you’re going to heaven.” Now imagine
the shock on their faces, when they hear Jesus say,“You say
to me ‘Lord, Lord’…but ‘I never knew you.
Away from me, you evildoers!’”
[49] Don’t be found among the many
lukewarm, join the few hot lovers of God. Wholeheartedly
submit to God’s rulership, forsake your known sins, and do
His will.
Let’s pray
together. Would you pray these words with me? Just
say these words along with me. “Father in Heaven, I
see how I have sinned against you, and I’ve only pretended
to love you. I’m ashamed and sorry for how I’ve
acted. I have chosen to be lukewarm and selfish, instead of
loving you with a hot, passionate devotion. I desperately
need your forgiveness. Now take a moment to confess your
specific sins to God, especially that one you’re thinking of
right now…
“Father, I now
choose to forsake my sins, and instead I choose to love God, and
to love my neighbor. With a heart of repentance, I now
trust in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross as the only
acceptable atonement for my sins. I surrender the rulership
of my heart to you, Father, and I invite you to come and rule my
heart forever. In the name of my Lord, Jesus Christ, I
pray. Amen.” Now if you prayed that prayer with me,
I’d like to ask you to raise your hand. Wherever you
are, if you’re at home or in your car, or in front of other
people, it’s OK. Just raise your hand up to God as a
sign that you’ve rededicated your life to God. Did you
mean what you just prayed? I know you did. If you
prayed with me, would you please write to me and get a copy of
this book you’re hearing me teach from? In this book
are all these statistics with their source references, and in
future broadcasts we’ll be answering your questions about
salvation by faith versus works, or eternal security, so I hope
you’ll tune in here again next time. I love you and I
care about you. Now here’s Mark again with that
information.
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Closing trailer by Mark McWilliams…
Thanks Gordon, and thanks everybody for listening. Do you know somebody who needs to hear today’s message? If you call our toll-free number in the next hour, 866-Obey-God, we’ll mail you a free cassette tape of today’s broadcast, which you can copy and give to your friends. All our tapes are copyable and free, but please remember that we need your donations to stay on the air and to give away these free tapes. So please pray and obey God about how much these teachings are worth to you, and return to us your best possible gift after you receive your free cassette. (Gordon: Hey time out! If it’s your first time contacting us, no donation is required! Just call us!) Our toll free number is 866-Obey-God, that’s 1-866-O-B-E-Y-G-O-D, and please specify you’re requesting today’s program. Now do you believe America needs to hear these messages? If so, we’re specifically asking you to join the Persuader’s Club, and to sponsor this radio broadcast with a monthly pledge of just $15. If you join the Persuader’s Club as a monthly partner, we’ll send you an autographed copy of the book you’ve been hearing, written and taught by Gordon James Klingenschmitt, entitled, “License To Sin, The Number One Reason America Is Losing Its Moral Foundation.” Just visit our web-site at persuaders-club.com. That’s persuaders-club.com. It’s the monthly donations of our Persuader’s Club partners who keep this program on the air. Now if you have comments or questions about today’s broadcast, you can email us at “persuadetheworld@yahoo.com,” Or you can write to us. Or you can always call us toll free, at 866-Obey-God. And if you remember, please tell us the call sign of the radio station you’re listening to. May God bless you, and thank you for supporting Persuade The World Ministries. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.
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<Many more transcripts and free MP3 radio shows CLICK HERE>
[1] ABC Evening News with Peter Jennings, 28 Mar 97
[2] Barna, George, What Americans Believe. Regal Books, (Ventura CA: 1991), p. 209.
[3] ABC Evening News with Peter Jennings, 28 Mar 97
[4] Barna, What Americans Believe, p. 203.
[5] Barna, Index of Leading Spiritual Indicators, Word Publishing (Dallas, TX: 1996), p.71.
[6] Ibid. p. 9.
[7] Ibid. p. 19.
[8] ABC Evening News with Peter Jennings, 28 Mar 97
[9] Barna, What Americans Believe, p. 237
[10] Barna, Index of Leading Spiritual Indicators, p.62.
[11] Ibid. p.27.
[12] Barna, What Americans Believe, p. 294.
[13] Barna, Index of Leading Spiritual Indicators, p. 20
[14] Ibid., p. 300.
[15] Exodus 20:2-5 (NIV)
[16] Barna, What Americans Believe, p. 212.
[17] John 14:6 (NIV)
[18] Acts 4:12 (NIV)
[19] Barna, Index of Leading Spiritual Indicators, p. 55.
[20] If “born again” Christian is defined as an individual who has made a “personal commitment to Jesus Christ” that remains important in their life, and one who also believes that he or she will have eternal salvation because they have “confessed their sins and accepted Jesus Christ as their savior.” Ibid., p.73.
[21] Ibid., p. 297.
[22] John 3:3 (NIV)
[23] Barna, interview with Pat Robertson on “The 700 Club,” 27 May 98
[24] J. Vernon McGee, Through the Bible Radio, KGFT, 24 Jul 96
[25] Barna, interview with Pat Robertson on “The 700 Club,” 27 May 98
[26] Matt 10:38 (NIV)
[27] 1 John 3:9 (NIV)
[28] Gallup, George H., Jr. And Castelli, Jim, The People’s Religion, MacMillan Publishing Co, (New York: 1989), p.21.
[29] Mark 7:6 (NIV)
[30] Barna, Index of Leading Spiritual Indicators, p. 3.
[31] Barna, Index of Leading Spiritual Indicators, p. 111.
[32] See Matthew 23:23 and Luke 11:42
[33] Rev 3:15-16 (NKJ)
[34] Ibid., p. 276
[35] Barna, “An Inside Look at Today’s Churches,” www.barna.org, August 97.
[36] Luke 9:26 (NIV)
[37] Those who earn between $50,000 and $75,000 per year give an average of 1.5% to charity, religious or otherwise, and spend 12% on leisure pursuits. William D. Hendricks, “What’s Wrong with This Picture?” Wall Street Journal, 6 Aug 91
[38] 1 John 3:17, 14 (NIV)
[39] Barna, What Americans Believe. p. 244.
[40] CNN Headline News Factoid, 16 Jul 95
[41] Only 16.5 and 30% respectively report having abstained from vaginal intercourse before marriage. Edward O. Laumann, John H. Gagnon, Robert T. Michael, and Stuart Michaels, The Social Organization of Sexuality: Sexual Practices in the United States, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1994, p.502.
[42] 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (KJV)
[43] Radio talk show host Bob Larson, “Praise the Lord”, TBN, aired 17 Jan 95.
[44] 1 Cor 6:9-10 (NIV)
[45] Luke 13:3 (NIV)
[46] USA Today Snapshots, 31 Oct 97, from Market Facts’ Telenation
[47] Barna, What Americans Believe. p.198.
[48] Matt 7:13-14 (NIV)
[49] Matt 7:22-23 (NIV)