Radical Grace/The Lutheran Difference

In this edition of Radical Grace we ask the question: Why is Worshiping in the Church necessary? From the many excuses that people make, whether they're too busy, or whether they don't like being around hypocrites, or whether they just think the church is "after my money", we still have to remind the people of Hebrews 10:25,"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."Also we do another edition of "You've heard it said", and this week we hear Pastor Adrian Rogers give us 5 things we should be doing while we wait for Jesus' return. My little brother likes to call this kind of preaching, "3 points and a poem", which is what he's used to back home.

In this edition of Radical Grace Radio, Pastor Gary Held talks about how the idea of Christians being at war is misused by some Christians, for instance, how the idea of us being Christian Soldiers fighting against the culture is bolstered by the misapplication of certain Scripture. We also begin what we hope will be a weekly segment, "You have heard it said", where we take some statements of popular teaching of Christian Teachers today, and do what Jesus did with them on the sermon on the mount. This week it's Pastor Michael Youssef and what he believes is the Gospel, and how "if you believe with all your heart, God can do great things".

Actually, what's going on is we're fighting for the doctrine of the Trinity. It's Trinity Sunday, and we have the Athanasian Creed in mind, and it's time to set the record straight again before the full blown Modalists get their chance to mess things up... Happily, most Modalists don't celebrate Trinity Sunday. Strange...

In this edition of Radical Grace Radio Pastor Greg does a mean Sean Connery impersonation as he makes a great point about the love of God, and we answer an emailer who wanted to know...There's something which confuses me about Sola Fide. If we're saved by grace alone through faith alone by Christ alone on the authority of scripture alone, why are sacraments necessary? I'm not necessarily doubting the necessity of sacraments, I just don't understand that if access to salvation comes down to faith alone (sola), then how is it alone if a sacrament must be coupled with it? Thank you in advance for your answer. -Chris Danville, Indiana

Sandra, a listener in Melbourne Florida, called the show... but she didn't realize exactly which show she was calling. We're not making fun of her, it was just a funny situation.

In this Edition of Radical Grace Radio we go over some listener emails, and Pastor Greg LeSeiur Tells about his days at ELCA Seminary in Gettysburg... Where apparently he learned the Jesus is reduced to being a condiment on the burger of World Religion. Apparently other religions are just fine, but they are better if you add Jesus... We know, it's bad.Larry in KY Writes Something Matt mentioned in the last was the first time I'd heard someone else really articulate it, someone who'd been there once and that is the spirit of antichrist wafting in the protestant church. I use to tell my wife back during my struggles with "was Christ really for me", that dark, dark, dark time, "I believe more deception and covering up of Christ occurs not so much overtly but under the guise of "nice" and smiles and from well meaning fellows and pastors. Not the kind of guys you'd label, 'that's my enemy'." I've told her, "…I think we've been tainted by dispensationalism and Hollywood…we think antichrist and Pharisees are these 'dark smoking back room hand wringing plotters', or the church Lady on SNL a few years back. But I'm beginning to think that's a fake or rouse to keep us from looking at the real antichristic spirit of our age, even in the protestant church. For the real Christ and him crucified cover uppersare not at all like that. In a sense that would be obvious and EASY to avoid…like a thief coming at you a mile away with his gun drawn. No now days it's sold to you under nice things and generally morals we all want. Christ is covered up more there than anywhere so that either you end up overly proud of yourself that you are doing it OR you end up in despair thinking, 'I'm lost for sure'." If you've been in that you know what that is like and its hard to uncover. In a sense a Hollywood Pharisee would be refreshingly easy to refute! You all have done a WONDERFUL job of reorienting what antichrist and all involved is. It donned on me the other day listening that it makes sense – the deception even of dispensationalism. If the devil can get the church laity to be looking for the boogy man in some political figure, he can then sneak in under the radar under morals and things whether from Rome or within the protestant church itself in general and REALLY cover up Christ. Because we can unite with Rome around a moral issue but at the price of the Gospel itself. Great, great, great work brothers…keep it up you have no idea how much you feed us! _____________________________________________________________Josh writes...I heard the "water valve" illustration and find it to be compelling. However, I feel that illustration still places a burden on the PERSON and not on GOD because the person can close the valve. In working with this illustration, we all close the valve all the time. So, how does the valve stay open for some even when they try to close it and for some it closes. If election is truly based solely on God, then he must choose whose valve opens and whose valve closes at the end of their life. I don't see how you can get around the fact that God elects for salvation and selects some for condemnation. If condemnation is based on something in us denying God's offer of salvation then, by default, salvation is also based on the lack of that same thing IN US. I don't believe you can have election for salvation from God without selection for condemnation by God as well._____________________________________________________________Jason writes...I am listening to the program on "The United States of the Beast". Didn't Luther, Calvin, and all the Reformers point to the dynasty of the Popes as the beast of Revelation? It seems to fit to me. Maybe I am getting ahead of myself because I didn't get to the end yet. Some Lutherans sound really anti-Calvinist. Am I damned for being Calvinist? If so let me know why before it's too late. I love Lutherans no matter what they say. Martin Luther rocks. In Christ, (unless Calvinists are damned) Jason Just heard the end. I agree with Luther. Luther rocks!

In this edition of Radical Grace Radio, we talk about literalism applied to the Revelation of Jesus Christ, we look at how Jesus interprets his Revelation, and we get a chance to talk about the consequences of believing messed up versions of End Times Teachings and how it leads us to false Gospels.Question of the week: Can you get a right faith from wrong doctrines? Email us at RadicalGrace@ live.com your take on this question.

In this edition of Radical Grace we take time to clarify the historic position that Lutherans have confessed concerning who or what the Anti Christ is. We talk about what our confessions say, and about how this same spirit of Anti Christ exists not just in Rome in the form of the Holy See, but also in Evangelicalism, obscuring the Gospel just as much as Rome does.Also, a caller challenges us on this, stating that we shouldn't be sowing hatred in a time where religious hatred is rampant in the world.

In this third part in a series about the End Times, we get specific about the Anti Christ, and Pastor Gary Held has a very interesting (and chilling) theory about who or what the Beast of Revelation 13 really is. This is a must hear episode.

In this re-release edition of Radical Grace Pastor Gary and I talk about the parable from Matthew 13:44, "The treasure hidden in a field". In the discussion we talk about applying Law and Gospel to this to discover what Jesus was really telling about the kingdom. If you've never heard of a law and Gospel interpretation before, don't miss this discussion.