The following describes the Mp4 sermon of this post: it is a description of the content of the sermon along with some direct statements from Mr. Sullivan.
The Fearful End of Ignorance [Ignorance is a character from the John Bunyan book, The Pilgrim’s Progress]
Thomas Sullivan is the speaker, his Sermon Audio site is The Narrated Puritan, the link below the sermon is to his site.
I recently published an initial post on The Pilgrim’s Progress series. I merely wanted to familiarize readers with Bunyan’s book and its value to the born-again Christian, as his allegory portrays the many obstacles that the actual Christian pilgrim will encounter.
This post is about the detrimental impact of ignorance of scriptural knowledge upon the believer, the pilgrim.
Ignorance could mean numerous things: lack of biblical knowledge; lack of grace due to patterns of sin; resting in heretical beliefs, for example, belonging to a church that focuses on faith healing and tongues instead of feeding believers with scriptural truth so that they might learn how to access God’s grace for their pilgrimage….
In pastor John MacArthur’s series on the following passage, he noted that verse 15 could be experienced by the influence of a false teacher or by the influence of self-deception upon a Christian pilgrim:
Matthew 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Mat 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
MacArthur’s teaching emphasized the fact that a pilgrim must know the scriptures so that he/she can recognize God’s truth from man’s erroneous teachings. Spiritual error / heresy can easily become a fatal error if one persists in it.
As I have continued in my study of the Bible and of this culture, especially since Obama and Trump, I have discovered that our daily existence is conducted upon a sea of lies. The only truth out there is the word of God….
The cultural war between those who uphold the dictates of the reprobate mind and those who seek to live by scriptural truth is fought there.
With the above in mind, the speaker’s words about ‘ignorance’ should be more relevant to your own pilgrimage through this wilderness.
Contents discussed by Thomas Sullivan (TS):
- The initial several moments were spent reading lines from Bunyan’s book that give listeners an impression of who the character, ignorance is
- [The following link is to the post I did last week that gave a list and description of all the Characters in Bunyan’s book, The Pilgrim’s Progress: https://sheeplywolves.com/characters-in-john-bunyans-book-pilgrims-progress/ ]
- [That post explains why I thought it gravely important to understand the characters ‘ignorance’ and ‘formality.’ The latter climbed over the wall on to the celestial highway, he did not enter into his pilgrimage by going through the gate; the significance of the gate is that it is intended to keep out those who are not ready for the pilgrimage. So, when formalist climbed over the wall onto the Way, he did not have necessary prerequisites that would enable a successful pilgrimage, repentance…; although ignorance finished the pilgrimage, he was sent to hell via a portal from heaven]
- [I know that is relevant to Christianity today, because of such movements as the teaching that one can become ‘born again’ by signing a card or praying a prayer. That is a lie, see CATEGORIES, Christian Testimonies for a post on the Sinner’s Prayer]
- TS introduces a sermon by Jonathan Edwards (JE) that is very relevant to the character ignorance and those that go through life like that character did
- TS read part 2 of Edwards’ 5-part sermon [for 5-6 minutes]
- JE spoke of one who was descending into the experience of death and the things that are typically experienced by such people who have not worked to free themselves of spiritual ignorance [my opinion of what is being said]
- At first, there is the hope for continued life, that morphs into a realization that death is overcoming him
- With that realization, thoughts / contemplations become very different
- Back to Pilgrim’s Progress, continuing to read the journey of ignorance
- Some analysis of the journey of ignorance
- An excerpt from a Bunyan sermon, The Death of the Fruitless Professor
- That sermon was about the barren fig tree that Christ prophesied against
- In that context, Christ gave up that soul to the executioner, leaving off His intercession for that soul
- Heb 10:31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God [consequence of Christ’s actions above]
- Herein, the instrument used by the ‘Living God’ to cut down the barren tree, the axe, is death
- God often uses the axe of death to take the barren fig tree out of the profession and out of the world at once
- God’s axe has been sharpened by sin, the law and a formal profession [a profession based on man-made dogma; opinions…, not on biblical doctrine]
- Other aspects of how death brings down the formal professor
- Daniel 5:27 TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting;
- [A careful and progressive portrayal of how death hacks away at the soul of the vain professor]
- The two angels picked up ignorance and put him into the portal that took him to hell, from heaven
- Reading from a commentary by James Rogers about the case of ignorance
- A description of those who go through life with a vain hope that they will be alright on judgment day
- However, he became awakened too late
- Samuel Davies / Martyn Lloyd Jones comments about this situation
- Relevant comments from Samuel Davies sermons [that emphasize the grave matter at hand]
- [At 25min 45sec, topic changed to other allegories by Bunyan that are relevant]
- One of those allegories, The Holy War; main character ‘man-soul;’ brief description given because of its relevance
- Christ visiting man-soul and explaining how He has shaped him via his work and providences that kept him on the path
- [Many believers wonder why God doesn’t remove them from the fray with sin, the following statements answer that]
- Words about how to walk in the way such that Christ is honored; from the character ‘man-soul’ of The Holy War; also some words from Christ
- Nothing can hurt the pilgrim or grieve Christ but sin; take heed of sin
- The fight with the devil and demons is allowed to continue so that you will remain awake; to try your love and to make you watchful and to prize My mercy; also, to remind you of your former deplorable condition
- Without such warfare from within, you would be asleep and would be hurt by the enemies without you
- If you succumb to your inner enemies, they will do you harm; but if you fight against them, you will benefit from the fight
- Know therefore, that when you fight against your inner enemies, temptations, you will draw nearer to My Father; to teach you war; to make petitioning desirable to you; and to make you little in your own eyes
- Therefore, when you sense demonic strife and temptation, let that heighten your love for me
- Stand for Me against these demons, and I will stand for you with My Father
- Love Me against temptation and I will love you not withstanding your infirmities
- Man-soul, remember what my captains and my soldiers have done for you: they have fought, suffered and borne much at your hands to do you good
- Nourish them therefore, when you do well, they will be well
- You must not live by sense, but upon My word; that I may love and bear you
Link to the above Sermon Audio site:
https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sid=814231126513007