Wiersbes autobiography ends with a slanderous mischaracterization of biblical separation and not a word of warning about the worldliness and apostasy that is spreading everywhere in his world of ungodly evangelicalism today including in his world. The issue is not whether God can use a liberal in some way (God uses unsaved people all the time for His purposes); the issue is whether it is right according to Gods Word for a Bible believer to yoke together in ministry with an ungodly unbeliever, and the answer is a resounding no! 15:28). He will be missed at The Moody Church, but he will not be forgotten.. Beginning in 1978, Wiersbe began teaching practical theology classes at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and authored materials for a DMin course on Imagination and the Quest for Biblical Preaching, used at both Trinity and also Dallas. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. Jesus was in the world, but He did not belong to the world (see John 17:14-16). Actually, just the opposite was true: It was they who were going to the place of judgment! 15). Warren W. Wiersbe died on May 2, 2019, in Lincoln, Nebraska, just a few weeks shy of his 90th birthday. 2:21; Ezek. That defined Wiersbe but its heretical and ungodly to the core. - Warren Wiersbe 1 Trials When a Christian shows mercy, he experiences liberation. 14:13), but the unbeliever dies in his sins because he lives in his sins. Prepare for Easter with Bible Gateway Plus. A member of the body cut off from the body would die. You can follow him on Twitter. And. Not only did he reject the critical doctrine of separation, which is intimately associated with salvation (2 Cor 6:14-18), he brashly encouraged others to disobey the same. The believer who is abiding in Christ has his prayers answered (John 15:7) and experiences a deepening love for Christ and for other believers (John 15:9, 12-13). If ever a nation had everything it needed to succeed, it was Israel. We knew he was a fraud because he had a head. "I first heard Dr. Wiersbe at a Bible conference" in Chattanooga, Tenn., in the early 1960s, said Jerry Vines, a former Southern Baptist Convention president and longtime friend of Wiersbe's. (4) The fruit. It is the most awful and horrendous perversion of Gods Word and in the greatest extreme of adding to or subtracting from Scripture (cg. 13:15). And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Paul considered Christian giving to be fruit from a dedicated life (Rom. He once said of marriage: Getting a wife is something like being saved. David Roach is chief national correspondent for Baptist Press. Warren Wiersbe, pastor and author of the popular 'Be' expositional Bible commentaries, has died aged 89. These are all unBiblical and apostate organizations that demand separation, NOT fellowship and association! Life and Books and Everything: Whats Going Right in the Church? A machine can produce results, and so can a robot, but it takes a living organism to produce fruit. This abiding relationship is natural to the branch and the vine, but it must be cultivated in the Christian life. He is the true Vine, that is, the original of which all other vines are a copy. As Christians, we do not live on substitutes! Reflecting on his own ministry, Wiersbe once said according to TGC, Im not an athlete, Im not a mechanic. Warren Wendall Wiersbe (May 16, 1929 - May 2, 2019), was an evangelical pastor, Bible teacher, conference speaker and a prolific writer of Christian literature and theological works. But he also enjoyed live radio . His future wife, Betty, worked in the school library, and Wiersbe was a frequent visitor. From the time he was saved in 1945 at a Youth for Christ event where Billy Graham was preaching, Warren Wiersbe was a man of the Word. But it was his faithful preaching of Gods Word that helped The Moody Church BE a church God called them to be. There is a fourth contrast. How frightfully awful to tamper and mess with the very words that God gave. 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars. In the book. Each of the entries included bibliographic information for further readinga feature that encouraged and guided many pastors to explore primary sources for themselves. At that time, the steel town of East Chicago was the most industrialized city in the United States. Of this seriously perverted book that calls itself a Bible, he amazingly said: Wow. Popular and prolific Bible teacher Warren Wiersbe died on the evening of May 2, 2019, at the age of 89. Yet we must still live each day soberly, realizing that we are mortal and that death may come to us at any time. The warmth of their love for Wiersbe is evident to this day, he said. Wed spend the first twenty minutes laughing over what happened the day before. When Wiersbe was at Moody, he supported Moodys policy to give the speakers a list of things not to do or say (p. 164). He served for ten years as General Director and Bible Teacher for Back to the Bible. 25 Oct 1998 (aged 45) USA. Heaven and Earth, spirit and matter, the invisible and the visible worlds form a unity to which we are intimately linked (quoted from Warren Smith, Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are. Based on the book of Joshua, Be Strong is an inspiring guide to pursuing a victorious life. ), Throughout his ministry, Warren Wiersbe described himself as a bridge builder, a reference to his homiletical method of moving from the world of the Bible to the world of today so that we could get to the other side of glory in Jesus. As explained by his grandson, Dan Jacobson, His preferred tools were words, his blueprints were the Scriptures, and his workspace was a self-assembled library.. Back to the Bible has identified itself with a wide range of false teachings and false teachers. The vines I saw in the Holy Land were large and strong, and it was next to impossible for anyone to break off a mature branch without injuring the vine itself. Wiersbe married Betty Warren on June 20, 1953, and they had four children. The key word is abide; it is used eleven times in John 15:1-11 (continue in John 15:9 and remain in John 15:11). Warren Wendall Wiersbe (May 16, 1929 - May 2, 2019), was an evangelical pastor, Bible teacher, conference speaker and a prolific writer of Christian literature and theological works. His preaching and writing are deep enough to make a Ph.D. professor think and practical enough to help a Sunday School teacher struggling with a passage of Scripture. Warren W. Wiersbe is a well known international Bible conference teacher with a heart for missions and is a former pastor of Moody Church in Chicago. It can also mean cutting away the good and the better so that we might enjoy the best. 5:22-23) is the kind of Christian character that glorifies God and makes Christ real to others. I do not believe our Lord is teaching here that true believers can lose their salvation, for this would contradict what He taught in John 6:37 and 10:27-30. In an interview late in life, he reflected on his lack of physical strength growing up and how the Lord was preparing him for something different. 12:1-11). The Christian dies in the Lord because he lives in the Lord (Rev. Warren Wiersbe, an author and pastor credited with influencing thousands of preachers toward biblical exposition, died May 2. Even a Roman soldier, beholding the events at Golgotha would confess, Truly this man was the Son of God (Mark 15:39). He claimed to be sent by God, and He claimed to have heard from God the things that He taught. When we lived in Chicago, we had a small grape arbor in our backyard, but what we cultivated was nothing like what is even today cultivated in the Holy Land. 1) Because of the Price Jesus Paid 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. The Heresies of Warren Wiersbe Demand Exposure and Separation, Not Acceptance or Ignorance. They were wasting their God-given . In The Message this becomes the vapid and almost meaningless those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex. In 1 Tim 1:10, them that defile themselves with mankind is changed to the irresponsible, who defy all authority, riding roughshod over God, life, sex, truth, whatever.. for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. He died on May 2, 2019, aged 89. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. But worse, he is actually giving credence to apostates which is so far removed from true Christianity (2 Cor 6:14-18), one can only conclude he was one in similitude. The symbolism of the Vine and branches is similar to that of the Head and the body: we have a living relationship to Christ and belong to Him. The word translated lifted up has a dual meaning: lifted up in crucifixion and lifted up in exaltation and glorification. Jesus often combined the two, for He saw His crucifixion in terms of glory and not just suffering (John 12:23; 13:30-31; 17:1). He changed me from a topical preacher to a text-driven preacher.. And repentance is not just a change of mind (link). This is the Gentile world system ripening for Gods judgment. We must remember that the branches do not eat the fruit; others do. Also, you experience the Fathers pruning so that you will bear more fruit (John 15:2). Wiersbe transgressed and did not abide in the doctrine of Christ for many reasons including the ones noted above. [3] Most of this information is available through Warren Wiersbe's autobiography Be Myself: Memoirs of a Bridgebuilder. People who disapprove of it, they'll probably just go to another church. If you have any questions, please review our Privacy Policy or email us at privacy@biblegateway.com. I cant do so many of the things that successful men can do. Its not a coincidence that all four of these men were associated with the heretical Dallas Seminary, a bastion for Keswick theology, all similar in belief consisting of the same unscriptural gospel (not only preaching a false repentance but even aggressively opposing true repentance as turning from sin and self) and perversion of Scripture, so that they created two classes of repentance: "justification repentance and sanctification repentance. The former apparently did not involve turning away from sins, while "sanctification repentance" (during the Christian life) apparently did. Rather than withdrawing from those who teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words (1 Tim 6:3-5), cleansing himself from dishonourable vessels as commanded (2 Tim 2:20-21), avoiding and marking those who teach and preach contrary to sound doctrine (Rom 16:17-18), and having no fellowship with the unfruitful workers of darkness (Eph 5:11), Wiersbe, by his own admission and actions, fellowshipped with them. You make a decision and then you discover youve been chosen. Instead of practicing justice, it practiced oppression; instead of producing righteousness, it produced unrighteousness and cries of distress from the victims. Author of more than 150 books, Wiersbe was called to ministry at age 16 under the preaching of evangelist Billy Graham, according to The Gospel Coalition (TGC) website. Several different kinds of spiritual fruit are named in the Bible. Warren Wiersbe takes us to 1 Thessalonians 4 for the answers. When our Lord used this image, He was not introducing something new; it was familiar to every Jew. Left to itself, the branch might produce many clusters, but they will be inferior in quality. Lets not forget that this man and his Bible were highly endorsed by Wiersbe. Even our good works, our service, grow out of our abiding life (Col. 1:10). It is certainly the most evil and blasphemous perversion on the face of the planet and thats really the only comparison that can be made. This was the message Peter preached at Pentecost (Acts 2), not only the death of Jesus but also His resurrection and exaltation to glory. Popular pastor and author, Dr. Wiersbe was also Bible Teacher at Back to the Bible through much of the 1980s. You may not see it, you may not know it. This pruning process is the most important part of the whole enterprise, and the people who do it must be carefully trained or they can destroy an entire crop. The greatest judgment God could bring to a believer would be to let him alone, let him have his own way. His Be commentary series covered most books of the Bible and has sold more than 4 million copies, according to series publishing company David C. Cook. 26. He recalled: God has a sense of humor. He said. After leaving The Moody Church in 1978, Wiersbe continued his writing, radio and teaching ministries, serving at, among other institutions, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in suburban Chicago. Warren and Betty Wiersbe remained at the church for 10 years, until they were surprised by a phone call from The Moody Church. We so emphasize Gods love for the world and the church that we forget that the Father loves the Son. When you learn the joy and theprivilege of Bible study, you dont haveto be paid to do it. 10:1). In this series we want to highlight the ministry of Warren Wiersbe. They were wasting their God-given opportunities by arguing with Him instead of trusting Him, and one day soon, their opportunities would end. He served for ten years as General Director and Bible Teacher for Back to the Bible. Its a privilege. Just before his 16th birthday in May 1945, Wiersbe attended a Youth for Christ rally where a 26 year old Billy Graham preached the Gospel. Warren Wiersbe was the director of Back to the Bible for five years, retiring in mid-1990. See Eph. Its nothing but Hocus Pocus., That is unsurprising since Peterson was a New Ager through and through. Warren Wendall Wiersbe (May 16, 1929 - May 2, 2019), was an evangelical pastor, Bible teacher, conference speaker and a prolific writer of Christian literature and theological works. Phil Johnson, Executive Director of Grace to You, writes: The backbone of my library today consists of books he introduced me to. During his time in Chicago, Wiersbe also served asboard chairman for the Slavic Gospel Association. Known as the pastor's pastor, Wiersbe passed away Thursday, May 2, at the age of 89 two weeks before his 90th birthday. 5:25-33), and the sheep and the Shepherd (John 10). A true branch, united with the vine, will always bear fruit. 5. Dr. Wiersbe authored more than 80 books, including the best-selling "BE" series. But Wiersbes commitment to a corrupted gospel, corrupted fellowship (ecumenicalism), corrupted Bibles, corrupted doctrine and corrupted worship demands exposure and separation. Im not an athlete, Im not a mechanic. What that fruit is, we will discuss later. Sometimes He must chasten us (Heb. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. (Rom 16:17-18). Many of these things could be counterfeited by the flesh, but the deception would eventually be detected, for real spiritual fruit has in it the seeds for more fruit. He dodged the question as the typical neo-evangelical compromiser and shouldve never been ordained. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The cultivation of vineyards was important to the life and economy of Israel. get answers to your Bible questions from 50+ resources ($2,400+ value! Not even close. During those years he became a popular YFC speaker, which led to a full-time position with Youth for Christ International in Wheaton. Jesus prayed that the love with which thou hast loved me may be in them [the disciples and believers today] (John 17:26). The church grew from a church seating a congregation of eight hundred to build a new church seating of two thousand. The theologian, who authored more than 150 books, passed away on the evening of 2 May. Generously provided by. Yikes. As one that had been closely associated in leadership positions with neo-evangelicalism's major publications and institutions, Wiersbe was a typical neo- evangelical that cared nothing for defence of the truth and obedience to Gods Word but rather doing that which was right in his own eyes. Many are at the end of their rope but they are not broken or poor of spirit before God. Wiersbe does not understand Gods Word, since God is a God of separation. With less of you there is more of God and his rule., Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God., Youre blessed when you get your inside world, your mind and heart, put right. His Sunday sermons were broadcast as theCalvary Hour on a local Cincinnati radio station. Wiersbe was a heretic and a false teacher. He will be missed at The Moody Church, but he will not be forgotten.. In 1995, Wiersbe became writer in residence atCornerstone UniversityinGrand Rapids,Michigan, and was appointed distinguished professor of preaching atGrand Rapids Theological Seminary. He said He would judge, and judgment (to the Jews) belonged only to God. 18 Jul 1953. But I can read and study and think and teach. Among his contacts with Southern Baptists, Wiersbe spoke at the SBC Pastors Conference in 1977, when Vines served as president. When he invited her to sit closer to the rest of the crowd, the woman said, Young man, Ive been sitting in this same pew for 50 years., Vines recalled Wiersbes recounting of his response: Before I caught myself, I said, My, you must be terribly tired by now.. He kept writing, eventually publishing more than 150 books and losing track of how many (I cant remember them all, and I didnt save copies of everything, he said. Do Humans Have Free Will? 1:10-11), or even worse than that, God chastises us with sickness and/or death (Heb 12:5-11; 1 Cor. Man-made results are dead and cannot reproduce themselves, but Spirit-produced fruit will go on reproducing from one life to another. The Lord has plainly and emphatically instructed the born again believer to stand for doctrinal purity, to rebuke error, and separate from it (e.g., Rom 16:17; 1 Cor 15:33; 2 Cor 6:14-18; 11:4, 12-15; Gal 1:6-9; Eph 5:11: 1 Tim 1:3; 4:1; 6:3-5; 2 Tim 3:5-9; 4:3-4; 2 Jn 1:9-11; Ju 1:3; Rev 2:6; etc). He would eventually publish 14 titles with Moody, including William Culbertson: A Man of God (1974), Live Like a King (1976), The Annotated Pilgrims Progress (1980), and Ministering to the Mourning (2006), written with his son, David Wiersbe. New International Version (NIV), Warren Wiersbe BE Bible Study Series 1. 1:13). There is no alternative. The Father loved the Son before the foundation of the world (John 17:24); He loved the Son when the Son died on the cross (John 10:17). There are four elements in this allegory that we must understand to benefit from His teaching. The Message is an environmental hocus pocus Bible, as well. Warren W. Wiersbe is the Distinguished Professor of Preaching at Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary, and is the author of more than 100 books. God had to deal with the nation Israel and chasten it, but even that did not produce lasting results. Wiersbe was also pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Kentucky from 1961 to 1971 and served with the Moody Bible Institute in its radio ministry and . We bear fruit when we win others to Christ (Rom. Once again, the people misunderstood His teaching. But the unsaved belong to this world; in fact, Jesus called them the children of this world (Luke 16:8). Once you have begun to cultivate this deeper communion with Christ, you have no desire to return to the shallow life of the careless Christian. He is, perhaps, best known for his Be series, a series of 50 books from Be Real to Be Joyful, Stetzer, executive director of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College, said via email. (His grandson Don Jacobsen explains the bridge-building metaphor here.). "He was a longtime, cherished friend of Moody Bible Institute, a faithful servant of the Word, and a pastor to younger pastors like me," said Dr. Mark Jobe, president of Moody Bible Institute. Marriage: Getting a wife is something like being saved ) apparently did to us any. Must still live each day soberly, realizing that we are mortal and that May. Know it left to itself, the branch might produce many clusters, but he will be! Of a Bridgebuilder the good and the vine, will always bear.. Ministry, Wiersbe spoke at the age of 89 W. Wiersbe is true. John 17:14-16 ) benefit from his teaching robot, but he did not belong to day... Repentance is not just a few weeks shy of his 90th birthday sermons were as. 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