THESIS: To use the massacre of the Branch Davidian Cultists in Waco as a warning to Christians to beware false Christs and Prophets and the Government
INTRO:
A. Soldier of Fortune magazine (7/93) in its lead editorial said: "April 19, 1993 was the first time since the Spanish Inquisition, at least in the West, that people have been burned alive for their religious beliefs." The article further stated: "There are allegations of bigamy and child-molesting against David Koresh. Of course these are felonies under Texas law, but they are not Federal offenses and hence no business of the ATF (or FBI). Further, the fact that Koresh was an unattractive character with followers holding rather odd theology, does not mean that they have no civil, legal or constitutional rights. Calling such a group a 'cult' should not deprive them of their rights."
B. Of course we would strongly disagree with Koresh and his followers and the cult mentality which he spawned. And most of this message will be an attempt to warn God's people not to be led astray by some false teacher. Other issues have also been raised by these recent events which believers need to be alerted to. If we do not learn from history we will be doomed to repeat it. The tragic events in Waco have become a part of our history. 📣We must listen closely to the "WARNINGS FROM WACO"...
I. BEWARE FALSE CHRISTS:
Mt. 24:4-5 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
A. The Lamb of God:
1. Koresh claimed that he was "Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God." 2. Biblically this made him a liar, a deciever and an antichrist because all we have to do is to read Jn. 1:29 to find out Who the true Lamb of God is.
a. He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. b. He was the sinless, Lamb of God pictured by all those OLD TESTAMENT lambs slain on the altar of Israel.
NOTE: David Koresh's blood was tainted by sin like every other mortal and if every drop of his blood was shed it could not atone for one sin of one sinner!
B. The Messiah:
1. The long-haired "prophet" with a gun in one hand and a Bible in the other called himself "a sinner without equal" in one breath and the "Messiah" in the next. 2. He promised his followers that if they would die for him, he would save them.
ILLUS: The real Christ and Messiah doesn't ask His followers to die for Him, ✔instead, He died for them! Instead of saving his followers, Koresh led them to a horrible death in a blazing inferno. As horrible as it was, it was only temporary. The screams, moans and tears of the victims were soon over in this life. Millions who watched in horror and shock are destined for an eternal lake of fire "where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched."
II. BEWARE FALSE PROPHETS:
II Pet. 2:1-2 1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
A. Pride Produces False Prophets:
1. Not all ego-maniacs become self-styled messiahs, like Koresh, but the seed is there.
Prov. 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
2. Pride was the sin that produced Satan. 3. Koresh "displayed a talent for prayer and memorizing Scripture" but his background was in the 7th Day Adventist cult and so his knowledge of Script. was faulty
NOTE: The Bible doesn't make men crazy, but a lot of crazy men quote the Bible. Every cult distorts certain passages of Scripture. The 7th Dayists are not just a main-line denomination who are just a little off doctrinally but are a dangerous cult and the Branch Davidians were a split off that cult.
The sanest and happiest people on earth are those who have been saved and are feeding daily on the Word and living in fellowship with the true Christ. "Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it." Lk. 11:28
4. Pride led Koresh into sexual abberations:
a. It was no accident that Koresh was into Rock Music with its strong sexual and sensual overtones.
QUOTE:Sword of the Lord, Hugh Pyle, 5/21/93 "Demon possession may have been a real possibility (with Koresh). You see it in the faces, particularly in the eyes of the twisting, writhing rock musicians. Observe the painted faces, the vile, unclean appearance, the obscenities, the vulgar mvmts. And gestures. Ask veteran missionaries how this compares with the wild pagans in heathen jungles."
b. Porn, child abuse and polygamy were all apparently practiced by Koresh.
ILLUS: At least 17 of Koresh's children perished in the flames in Waco and we should all weep for such child abuse. 👿But what about mothers who murder their babies as a form of birth control? 👿Not one word from our Government condemning them or the Drs. who kill their babies. 👿What about the homos who daily abuse children? Instead of condemning them our President supports "gay rights" and becomes the first Pres. in America to go on record in favor of the most perverted lifestyle known to mankind.
B. What Produces Their Followers?
1. People in sorrow, trial or financial difficulty are especially vulnerable to the cult mentality. 2. Some become disenchanted with their church, Pastor or fellow Christians and become restless and 👿Satan sends a Mormon "missionary" or a J.W. to their door and another lamb is devoured by the wolves. 3. Christians fail to win people to Christ, so the devil sends his emissaries to win them to him-self. 4. People are attracted to personality, strong leadership, etc. and transfer the trust intended for the Lord to some mere man.
III. BEWARE BIG BROTHER:
QUOTE:Hugh Pyle, IBID: "I have no goodwill toward Koresh, his immorality, his gun stockpile or his false teachings. But the scary thing is, our FBI could declare war on a religion they disapproved of and utterly destroy those involved in it."
A. Signs of the Times:
Mt. 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
1. This Script. deals with the Trib. saints, but it may have serious implications and applications to us in this end time. 2. In the early church the Government was one of the Christian's greatest enemies. 3. The Government worked with phony religious authorities to imprison, torture and kill Christ-ians.
QUOTE:Rutherford, 6/93 Kelly Shackelford: "For any Christian, I think it's just another sign of increasing intolerance. Waco will be used against all Christians, even if Waco didn't involve an orthodox Christian group...We have to be careful and vigilant in making sure that the government never oversteps its bounds towards any faith, even faiths which we might think are off the wall or different from our own. If the government is going to start infringing upon religious freedoms, it's always going to start with some group that is not popular....We have to be careful not to turn our eyes away from what happens just because we disagree witha group whom the government is acting towards."
Cal Thomas: "There are people who are enemies of religious faith who delight in the David Koresh types because it allows them to step up their efforts to discriminate and to limit the legitimate religious expression of many Americans.
Tal Brooke: "What we have seen with the David Koresh scenario is that the state is now looking for good public examples of dangerous cults to create a precedent where it can arbitrarily go in and basically decide who is deserving of religious freedom."
A Georgia citizen writes the Atlanta Journal: "It is not for Big Brother Government to regulate religion and to stamp out those who are not to its liking." But Big Brother seems to be licking its chops as if to say: "Now we can get rid of the Bible for its 'doomsday' teachings and thus be rid of the Blood which condemns homosexuality, etc.
Hugh Pyle: "The more tragedies we have like Waco, the easier it will be for stupefied Americans, untaught in the Scripts. to go along with the vilifying of true believers.Can you not see the handwriting on the wall? USA Today states that "the forces that made the holocaust are too close for comfort." The Jews in Hitler's day? The Christians in the 90's? Who knows? Early Christians were thrown to the lions and burned at the stake. Read Heb.11 and Foxe's Book of Martyrs.'
B. The End of Freedom in America?
1. Pres. Clinton said: "...we can't help it if a bunch of fanatics kill themselves."
ILLUS: One Christian lady said: "If Mr. Clinton can say he can't be resp. for religious fanatics who want to kill themselves with fire, why can't he say he can't be resp. for the queers who want to kill themselves with AIDS?"
2. The New Agers (incl. V.P. Gore!) and the W.C.C. will endorse the "ethnic cleansing" of those who believe the Bible. 3. The "Global Society" doesn't need people who take God seriously and believe His Word.
CONCL: Satan is removing his mask of "an angel of light" and revealing himself as "the roaring lion" seeking to devour believers especially. He will use false Christs, false prophets and Big Brother Government to achieve his ends. Don't be deceived. Know God's Word, walk with Him, support His church.
I Pet. 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:!