Introduction by Pastor Hirota:
As you all know we have a special speaker, Rev. Woods who has had a heavy burden for those who are suffering from cults and heresies. He has been in Japan for a long period of time as a christian minister, but just recently has started a mission to rescue such people, with God's help. His mission is called: The Rehabilitation Center for the Suffering of Cults.

Jn. 5:39-40.

I am thankful for God for being here this morning. I didn't plan to be in Oita during this work to give seminars all through Kyushu on Cults. I was in Fukuoka for the past few days, when suddenly through Pastor Hirota, I received this blessed opportunity to give this sermon before you today.

In Japan we see various wrong teachings that are troubling to non-Christians as well as to Christians. True, 2000 years ago, St.Paul was also suffering from cults and heresies. Just recently, I found a certain book that was saying that Jesus was half human and half alien. I have also heard that some people have started baptising animals! Again, I tell you that the apostles and early christians had these same problems!

II Peter 2:1. Here, we can understand that without knowing Jesus we will perish. 22 years ago, in a country in South America, a terrible and shocking news spread all over the world [Jimmy Jones, Jones Town, Guyanna]. 912 people of the "People's Temple" [were forced to] commit suicide by drinking juice [laced with] poison [at gun point. Many were gunned down including the cult leader, Jimmy Jones]. They all obeyed the directions of the ruler of this cult.

I have a magazine here published by the Jehovah's Witnesses on which we can find the title "Here are godly youth who have died by observing God's law!" The people of the Jehovah's Witnesses refuse to take blood transfusions even when they are at the point of death. These children died because they or their parents refused this treatment. Now they are celebrated in their churches. These people believe that they are faithfully observing the precepts that are written down in the Book of Leviticus! Through my work, I see those who are badly suffering from cults. In talking to them I often feel frustrated!

Now we christians who are knowledgable in the Truth should be clothed by the truth of God all of the time! We need to be able to tell the difference! We know that Jesus Christ is the center and main person (God) of the Bible. The whole Bible testifies of Jesus Himself. We are to be the people who testify and give glory to Jesus Christ. When you encounter someone who is trying to praise someone other than Jesus, you should be alert and awake! We call it a cult; that tries to praise a founder of that religion or group itself. Within five or ten minutes in talking with a person, I can tell whether this person is a truly committed Christian or not. If that person mentions the name of Jesus in his or her testimony, I can tell that that person is a real Christian. If not, I feel uneasy and start to wonder about that person's faith. Cults always refuse Jesus' being God. They often say He is one of the greatest saints, or prophets, or the Number 1 Angel! They see who He really is.

Jn. 20:24-29. Here we find Thomas was so suspicious that he couldn't accept Jesus' resurrection unless he saw Jesus for himself. So Jesus encouraged him to believe [in Him by showing him His wounded hands and side - and then encouraged us all to believe - ] even without seeing Him. Here of course Jesus accepted Thomas' confession of faith in Him (Thomas confessed that He was his Lord), however, He added that belief in Him, without seeing, was faith.

Last year, we had a big conference on the cults, which included the reverend Don Nelson, who had been a Jehovah's Witness. Don was converted when he read the New Testament[ for himself, instead of relying on WatchTower interpretations]. His eyes were opened and he accepted Jesus as his Lord. I Co. 12:3. One time Don was trying very hard to make a Jehovah's Witness confess that Jesus was his Lord. However, that person earnestly and continuously refused to do it. The conversation lasted for as long as three hours! However, he did not do it -- to accept Jesus as your own Lord is what is really needed for one to become a true Christian. If a person can't confess that Jesus is his Lord, then he is a person of the cults.

Secondly, I tell you, that if a person doesn't believe IN Christ, he is of some cult. People of cults do not believe in Christ Jesus, Himself, but only the organization. They believe in the group, they belong to the teaching, not to Christ. [And this is the point of our scripture reading today.] Recently, I met a lady who had been a J.W. once. She was doing so called evangelistic work; visiting people door-to-door for as much as 40 hours a week per month! Then she contracted a very high fever that lasted a month. In bed she happened to read a book of mine on cults. All the questions she had secretly kept inside were all solved by that book's statements. On that very day, she was saved! The fever left her at that moment!

Another time, I had a long talk with a J.W. He ended up telling me that he was such a strong person that he could reach God's level by himself, without the help of Jesus Christ's work on the cross! I felt so frustrated in persuading him that he had the wrong picture. That was just not the way it is! I shared with him a story, I said, "You are attempting to swin acrossed the Pacific Ocean, but I am flying over it." While people of the cults are making much effort to reach their own salvation, Christians are taking it easy with the gracious help of Jesus. To be saved, they believe, one has to make strong efforts and do good deeds. No! Good deeds rather are to be the result of our being saved completely!

A lady who had been a J.W. for seven years burnt out one day from being such a nice and good person in so many ways. She started to wonder about God. Then she bought as many as 30 books on the cults, and these started to give her insights into her problems. I had a talk with her, referring to Ephesians 2:8-10. Through our discussion, she sounded as though she had just found some precious jewelry! She confessed that she would accept Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!

In talking with people we are to know that they should be putting Jesus in the center of their bibles, and receiving their salvation as part of God's grace to us all (so that no one should boast). If they are not truly saved, we are to bring them to the true Way [who is Jesus; for there is no other name given to Man by which we may be saved.]

All Sermons were translated by Junko Okamoto - Edited for the Net by Shido
For another special sermon see: Oita Evangelical Christ Church
For all sermon indicies see: cHaPeL nOaH sErMoN iNdEx