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10 Lessons from 2nd John That Will Change How You See Truth · truthunedited

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  Speaker 1: What if I told you that deception isn't always obvious,
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  Speaker 1: that it doesn't come with a warning label. Instead, it
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  Speaker 1: looks good, it sounds good, it even feels right. But
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  Speaker 1: beneath the surface, it is leading people away from God.
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  Speaker 1: We live in a time where truth is no longer truth,
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  Speaker 1: where the world tells us that right and wrong are
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  Speaker 1: just personal opinions, that the Bible is outdated, and that
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  Speaker 1: love means accepting everything, even at the cost of compromising
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  Speaker 1: God's word. But what happens when truth becomes flexible, when
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  Speaker 1: feelings replace scripture, When deception disguises itself as enlightenment, confusion
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  Speaker 1: takes over, false teachers rise, and people are led astray
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  Speaker 1: without even realizing it. This is exactly why Second John
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  Speaker 1: was written. John saw this happening in his time, people
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  Speaker 1: twisting the gospel, distorting Christ's message and leading belief away
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  Speaker 1: from the truth, and his warning was urgent. Walk in truth,
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  Speaker 1: hold fast to what you have been taught. Do not
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  Speaker 1: be deceived, because here's the reality. Truth is not flexible,
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  Speaker 1: it is absolute. Love is not just emotion, It is
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  Speaker 1: obedience to God. Deception will always look appealing, but it
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  Speaker 1: leads to destruction, And in this video. We're going to
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  Speaker 1: break down ten of the most powerful lessons from the
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  Speaker 1: Book of Second John, lessons that will equip you to
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  Speaker 1: stand strong in a world of compromise, because to day
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  Speaker 1: many believers are unknowingly drifting from the truth. It happens
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  Speaker 1: in small compromises, in subtle distortions of scripture, in messages
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  Speaker 1: that sound right but lack the foundation of God's word.
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  Speaker 1: But John reminds us stand firm, don't follow every new idea,
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  Speaker 1: test everything against God's word. So let me ask you,
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  Speaker 1: what if deception isn't always obvious, but if standing for
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  Speaker 1: truth means rejecting what's popular. What if true love isn't
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  Speaker 1: about blind acceptance, but about obedience to God. Because by
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  Speaker 1: the end of this Deep Bible Stories video, you won't
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  Speaker 1: just understand the Book of Second John, you'll know how
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  Speaker 1: to stand firm in truth, walk in love, and remain
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  Speaker 1: faithful in a world that is constantly shifting. We have
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  Speaker 1: created a complete explainer video for the Book of Second John,
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  Speaker 1: breaking it down in a way that makes it easy
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  Speaker 1: to understand. We've also created a separate e book to
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  Speaker 1: help you in your Bible study. Both are linked in
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  Speaker 1: the description. But you like this video to be turned
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  Speaker 1: into an e book. Let us know in the comments
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  Speaker 1: and if this video blesses you, like and share it
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  Speaker 1: so more people can understand the word of God. It
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  Speaker 1: is our hope and prayer that this message awakens something
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  Speaker 1: in your spirit, a faith so strong that nothing can
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  Speaker 1: shake it. With that being said, let's get started. The
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  Speaker 1: first and most important lesson we take from the Book
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  Speaker 1: of Second John is this truth and love are inseparable.
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  Speaker 1: In today's world, we are constantly told that love and
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  Speaker 1: truth can exist apart from each other, that love means
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  Speaker 1: accepting anything and everything, and that truth is whatever we
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  Speaker 1: want it to be. But John tells us something very different.
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  Speaker 1: He opens his letter by writing to the Chosen Lady
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  Speaker 1: and her children, whom I love in the Truth Second
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  Speaker 1: John one one. Right from the start, John makes it
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  Speaker 1: clear that love is rooted in truth. You cannot separate
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  Speaker 1: the two, and yet this is exactly what so many
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  Speaker 1: try to do. Think about it. How often do we
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  Speaker 1: hear phrases like if you love me, you'll support my choices,
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  Speaker 1: or love means never judging anyone. Culture has redefined love
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  Speaker 1: to mean unconditional approval, and truth has become a shifting
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  Speaker 1: personal opinion. But here's the problem. Love without truth is deception,
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  Speaker 1: and truth without love is cold and lifeless. Imagine a
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  Speaker 1: doctor who knows their patient has a life threatening illness,
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  Speaker 1: but refuses to tell them because they don't want to
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  Speaker 1: hurt their feelings. That wouldn't be love. That would be cruelty.
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  Speaker 1: Love is not about making people feel good in the moment.
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  Speaker 1: Love tells the truth, even when it's hard to hear.
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  Speaker 1: In the same way, truth must always be delivered in love.
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  Speaker 1: If that same doctor were to coldly tell the patient,
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  Speaker 1: you're dying and there's nothing you can do about it
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  Speaker 1: without offering help, guidance, or hope, that truth, no matter
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  Speaker 1: how accurate, would be heartless. This is why John writes
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  Speaker 1: in second John one three, Grace, mercy, and peace from
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  Speaker 1: God the Fire and from Jesus Christ, the Father's son,
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  Speaker 1: will be with us in truth and love. These things, grace, mercy, peace,
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  Speaker 1: are only possible when truth and love work together. But
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  Speaker 1: what does that look like in real life. Let's go
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  Speaker 1: back to Jesus. No one modeled truth and love better
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  Speaker 1: than him. When the Pharisees brought a woman caught in
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  Speaker 1: adultery before him, they wanted Jesus to condemn her publicly.
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  Speaker 1: They were holding tightly to the truth. Adultery was a
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  Speaker 1: sin according to the law. But they had no love,
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  Speaker 1: they had no mercy. And what did Jesus do. He
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  Speaker 1: didn't ignore the truth, nor did he condemn her without love. Instead,
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  Speaker 1: he exposed the hypocrisy of the accusers. And then he
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  Speaker 1: turned to the woman and said, neither do I condemn you.
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  Speaker 1: Go now and leave your life of sin. John eight eleven. Truth,
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  Speaker 1: she had sinned, love, she was given grace and a
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  Speaker 1: new start. This is what it means to walk in
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  Speaker 1: truth and love. But let's be honest, this is not easy.
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  Speaker 1: We live in a time when standing for truth is
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  Speaker 1: often labeled as hateful. If you call sin what it is,
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  Speaker 1: you're told you're judgmental. If you say that Jesus is
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  Speaker 1: the only way to God, you're called intolerant. But here's
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  Speaker 1: where many people go wrong. They either become so focused
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  Speaker 1: on defending truth that they forget to love, or they
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  Speaker 1: are so desperate to love that they water down the truth.
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  Speaker 1: And this is exactly why John's letter is so important.
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  Speaker 1: Walking in truth means knowing what God's word says and
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  Speaker 1: standing firm in it. That means we don't bend to
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  Speaker 1: popular opinions. We don't change scripture to fit modern culture.
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  Speaker 1: We don't compromise just to be accepted. Walking in love
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  Speaker 1: means that he and when we stand firm, we do
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  Speaker 1: so with grace. That means we don't argue just to
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  Speaker 1: win debates. We don't attack others with the Bible as
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  Speaker 1: a weapon. We don't use truth as an excuse to
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  Speaker 1: be unkind. A perfect example of this balance is found
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  Speaker 1: in Paul's letters. In Ephesians four fifteen, Paul writes, instead
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  Speaker 1: speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become
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  Speaker 1: in every respect the mature body of Him who is
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  Speaker 1: the head that is Christ. This is what spiritual maturity
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  Speaker 1: looks like, not picking one or the other, but holding
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  Speaker 1: on to both. But let's make this personal. Have you
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  Speaker 1: ever had a moment when you knew someone was walking
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  Speaker 1: in sin and you weren't sure how to approach them.
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  Speaker 1: Maybe a close friend was making destructive choices, but you
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  Speaker 1: hesitated to say anything because you didn't want to push
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  Speaker 1: them away. Maybe you've seen a family member drift from
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  Speaker 1: God and you've wondered should I say something or should
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  Speaker 1: I just love them and hope they come back on
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  Speaker 1: their own. Or maybe you've been on the other side
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  Speaker 1: of this. Maybe someone has confronted you about something in
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  Speaker 1: your life, but the way they did it was harsh
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  Speaker 1: and unloving, and instead of feeling convicted, you just felt attacked.
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  Speaker 1: This is where wisdom comes in. In Proverbs twenty seven six,
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  Speaker 1: we read wounds from a friend can be trusted, but
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  Speaker 1: an enemy multiplies kisses. This means that a real friend,
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  Speaker 1: someone who truly loves you, will tell you the truth
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  Speaker 1: even when it hurts, but an enemy, an enemy will
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  Speaker 1: flatter you, tell you what you want to hear, and
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  Speaker 1: let you walk straight into destruction. So the question is
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  Speaker 1: what kind of friend are you? Do you love people
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  Speaker 1: enough to tell them the truth? Do you hold to
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  Speaker 1: the truth enough to tell it with love? John's mess
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  Speaker 1: is clear, we cannot choose one and ignore the other.
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  Speaker 1: A faith that is all truth but no love is rigid,
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  Speaker 1: cold and self righteous. A faith that is all love
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  Speaker 1: but no truth is weak, compromising, and powerless. And this
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  Speaker 1: is why John starts his letter with these words, whom
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  Speaker 1: I love in the truth, not only I, but also
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  Speaker 1: all who know the truth, because of the truth which
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  Speaker 1: lives in us and will be with us forever. Second
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  Speaker 1: John one one to two. Truth lives in us. It
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  Speaker 1: is eternal, It does not change with time or culture.
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  Speaker 1: And because of that truth, we love not with a shallow,
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  Speaker 1: emotional love that accepts everything, but with a bold, courageous
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  Speaker 1: love that points people to Christ. So here's the challenge.
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  Speaker 1: Where in your life do you need to walk in
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  Speaker 1: both truth and love. Maybe it's a conversation you've been avoiding.
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  Speaker 1: Maybe it's a stand you need to take. Maybe it's
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  Speaker 1: simply shifting the way you approach people, not ignoring truth
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  Speaker 1: but not weaponizing it either. Because this is how Jesus walked,
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  Speaker 1: and if we are his followers, we must walk as
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  Speaker 1: he walked. Truth and love inseparable, unshakable, unstoppable. This is
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  Speaker 1: the first and most important lesson from second John. And
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  Speaker 1: if we get this right, every other lesson will fall
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  Speaker 1: into place. Let's move forward. The second most important lesson
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  Speaker 1: we take from second John is this, Walking in obedience
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  Speaker 1: is walking in love. It's easy to say we love God.
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  Speaker 1: Many people claim to love Jesus. They wear crosses around
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  Speaker 1: their next, post Bible verses on social media, and even
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  Speaker 1: attend church every Sunday. But John tells us that love
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  Speaker 1: isn't just a feeling. It's not an idea or emotion
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  Speaker 1: that fades with time. Love is action, Love is obedience.
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  Speaker 1: John writes, I was overjoyed to find some of your
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  Speaker 1: children walking in truth, just as we have received a
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  Speaker 1: command from the Father. And now I urge you, dear lady,
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  Speaker 1: not as a new commandment, but one we have had
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  Speaker 1: from the beginning, that we love one another, and this
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  Speaker 1: is love that we walk according to His commandments John
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  Speaker 1: one four to six. Did you catch that this is
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  Speaker 1: love that we walk according to his commandments? In other words,
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  Speaker 1: if we say we love God but do not obey him,
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  Speaker 1: we are deceiving ourselves. This is not a new idea.
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  Speaker 1: From the very beginning, love and obedience have been connected.
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  Speaker 1: When God gave the Israelites his commandments in the Old Testament,
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  Speaker 1: he didn't do it just to give them rules. He
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  Speaker 1: did it because he loved them, and he expected them
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  Speaker 1: to follow his commands as a response of love in return.
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  Speaker 1: In Deuteronomy six five, God commands love the Lord your
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  Speaker 1: God with all your heart, with all your soul, and
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  Speaker 1: with all your strength. But just a few verses later,
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  Speaker 1: he also says, be sure to keep the commands of
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  Speaker 1: the Lord, your God, and the statutes and decrees he
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  Speaker 1: has given you Deuteronomy six seventeen. Why because to love
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  Speaker 1: God is to obey him. Fast forward to the New
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  Speaker 1: Testament and Jesus himself says the exact same thing. If
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  Speaker 1: you love me, keep my commandments, John fourteen fifteen. But
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  Speaker 1: here's where we run into a problem. Our culture has
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  Speaker 1: redefined love to day. Love means accepting everything and never
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  Speaker 1: challenging anyone. Love means supporting every decision, no matter how destructive.
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  Speaker 1: Love means avoiding hard conversations and never offending anyone. But
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  Speaker 1: is that true love? Imagine a father who sees his
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  Speaker 1: child running toward a busy street. He knows the danger,
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  Speaker 1: He knows that if his child keeps running, disaster will strike.
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  Speaker 1: What does he do? He shouts, He runs after them,
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  Speaker 1: He grabs them, even if it makes them cry. Why.
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  Speaker 1: Because love is not passive. Love doesn't stand by and
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  Speaker 1: what destruction happen. Love acts in the same way. God's
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  Speaker 1: love is not passive. It is a love that commands, protects,
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  Speaker 1: and disciplines. And if we truly love him in return,
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  Speaker 1: we won't just feel it, we will show it through obedience.
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  Speaker 1: But here's the hard truth. Obedience is not always easy.
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  Speaker 1: There are times when God calls us to do things
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  Speaker 1: that don't make sense. Think about Abraham. In Genesis twenty two,
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  Speaker 1: God commanded him to sacrifice Isaac, the son of Promise,
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  Speaker 1: the son he had waited for the sun through whom
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  Speaker 1: God had promised to build a great nation. It didn't
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  Speaker 1: make sense, it was painful, but Abraham obeyed, and because
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  Speaker 1: of his obedience, God provided a ram in Isaac's place.
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  Speaker 1: Obedience often requires trust, It requires surrender. It requires believing
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  Speaker 1: that God's ways are higher than our ways, even when
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  Speaker 1: they don't match our emotions, and this is where many
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  Speaker 1: fall away. There are people who love the idea of Jesus,
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  Speaker 1: but they don't want to obey his words. They love
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  Speaker 1: the idea of grace, but they don't want to submit
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  Speaker 1: to his commands, and so they create a version of
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  Speaker 1: Christianity that allows them to live however they want, thinking
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  Speaker 1: that as long as they love in their own way,
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  Speaker 1: they are following God. But John warns us against this
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  Speaker 1: kind of deception. In today's world, we hear people say
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  Speaker 1: things like God just wants me to be happy. Love
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  Speaker 1: is love as long as I'm a good person. God understands.
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  Speaker 1: But here's the problem. Love apart from truth is not
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  Speaker 1: real love. A love that ignores obedience is not love
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  Speaker 1: at all. It is rebellion wrapped in pretty words. This
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  Speaker 1: is why Jesus warned, not everyone who says to me,
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  Speaker 1: Lord Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only
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  Speaker 1: the one who does the will of my Father, who
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  Speaker 1: is in heaven Matthew seven twenty one. Did you catch that?
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  Speaker 1: Not everyone who calls Jesus lord will be saved, only
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  Speaker 1: those who obey the Father. There is no way around it.
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  Speaker 1: If we say we love God, we must follow his word.
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  Speaker 1: But let's make this personal. Have you ever been in
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  Speaker 1: a situation where obedience felt hard. Maybe God called you
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  Speaker 1: to forgive someone who hurt you, but you're in motions
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  Speaker 1: screamed they don't deserve it. Maybe you felt convicted about
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  Speaker 1: ending a relationship or walking away from something that was
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  Speaker 1: pulling you away from God, but you struggled because you
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  Speaker 1: still had feelings attached. Maybe you felt led to step
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  Speaker 1: into a new ministry, but fear held you back. Obedience
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  Speaker 1: is rarely convenient, but it is always worth it. Think
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  Speaker 1: about Peter in Luke five. He had been fishing all
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  Speaker 1: night and caught nothing. He was exhausted, he was discouraged,
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  Speaker 1: and then Jesus told him put out into deep water
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  Speaker 1: and let down the nets for a catch Luke five four.
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  Speaker 1: From a human perspective, it didn't make sense, but Peter obeyed,
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  Speaker 1: and what happened a miraculous catch so large that his
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  Speaker 1: nets began to break. Obedience always leads to blessing, even
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  Speaker 1: when we don't see it right away. So here's the challenge.
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  Speaker 1: Are you walking in obedience or are you redefining love
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  Speaker 1: on your own terms? Are there areas in your life
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  Speaker 1: where you are saying God, I love you, but refusing
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  Speaker 1: to obey what he has asked you to do. Are
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  Speaker 1: their sins you are holding on to because they feel comfortable.
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  Speaker 1: Are there commands in scripture that you're ignoring because they
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  Speaker 1: don't fit the world's definition of love? John's words remind
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  Speaker 1: us love is not just a feeling. It is a decision,
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  Speaker 1: a commitment, a lifestyle. And if we claim to love God,
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  Speaker 1: then our lives must prove it, because on the last day,
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  Speaker 1: when we stand before him, he won't ask how many
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  Speaker 1: worship songs we sang or how many good deeds we did.
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  Speaker 1: He will look at our hearts and ask, did you
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  Speaker 1: obey my voice? Walking in obedience is walking in love,
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  Speaker 1: and those who truly love him will follow where he leads,
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  Speaker 1: no matter the cost. Let's move forward. There's a dangerous
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  Speaker 1: lie that has deceived millions, a lie so subtle that
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  Speaker 1: even believers don't always recognize it. And that lie is this.
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  Speaker 1: If it sounds good, if it feels good, it must
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  Speaker 1: be from God. But what if I told you that
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  Speaker 1: some of the most destructive deceptions don't come from obvious
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  Speaker 1: enemies of the faith, but from those who claim to
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  Speaker 1: represent Christ. What if I told you that false teachers
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  Speaker 1: don't always look like wolves. They often wear the clothing
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  Speaker 1: of a shepherd. John warns us in second John one seven.
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  Speaker 1: Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who
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  Speaker 1: do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh.
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  Speaker 1: Such a one is the deceiver and the Antichrist. This
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  Speaker 1: is not just a warning, it is a prophecy. John
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  Speaker 1: doesn't say a few deceivers will come. He says many.
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  Speaker 1: He doesn't say they will be easy to spot. He
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  Speaker 1: says they're already out in the world, working to lead
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  Speaker 1: people away from the truth and the greatest danger. Deception
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  Speaker 1: doesn't look like deception. Imagine walking through a desert, exhausted,
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  Speaker 1: desperate for water. Off in the distance, you see a
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  Speaker 1: beautiful oasis, cool, refreshing, promising life. But as you run
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  Speaker 1: toward it, reaching out to drink, your hands grasp nothing
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  Speaker 1: but air. It was a mirage, a cruel illusion that
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  Speaker 1: led you further into the waste land. This is what
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  Speaker 1: deception looks like in the church to day. It's not
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  Speaker 1: blatant Satan worship. It's not an obvious rejection of God.
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  Speaker 1: It is the slow, subtle twisting of the truth. It
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  Speaker 1: is preachers who say God just wants you to be happy,
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  Speaker 1: but never call people to repentance. It is churches that
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  Speaker 1: teach love means accepting everything, but never talk about sin.
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  Speaker 1: It is movements that claim Jesus isn't the only way,
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  Speaker 1: He's just one path to God. And John calls this
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  Speaker 1: what it really is, the spirit of the Antichrist. This
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  Speaker 1: is the same deception that began in the Garden of
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  Speaker 1: Eden when Satan tempted Eve. He didn't come out and
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  Speaker 1: say God is a liar. Instead, he asked, did God
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  Speaker 1: really say Genesis three one? He planted doubt. He twisted
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  Speaker 1: the truth, and he led Eve into destruction, not by
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  Speaker 1: rejecting God outright, but by slightly distorting his words. And
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  Speaker 1: that's exactly how deception works. Today. There are churches that
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  Speaker 1: claim to preach the Gospel, but they never talk about sin,
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  Speaker 1: they never call for repentance. They turned Jesus into a
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  Speaker 1: life coach instead of a savior, and slowly, without realizing it,
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  Speaker 1: people who once stood firm in the truth begin to drift.
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  Speaker 1: Jesus warned us about this in Matthew seven fifteen. Beware
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  Speaker 1: of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing,
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  Speaker 1: but inwardly are ravenous wolves. A false prophet is not
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  Speaker 1: someone who stands outside the church and attacks it. A
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  Speaker 1: false prophet is some one inside the church pretending to
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  Speaker 1: lead while leading people away from the truth. And here's
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  Speaker 1: the terrifying reality. Many false teachers believe they are serving God.
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  Speaker 1: Jesus said in Matthew seven twenty two to twenty three.
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  Speaker 1: Many will say to me, on that day, Lord Lord,
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  Speaker 1: did we not prophesy in your name and in your
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  Speaker 1: name drive out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?
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  Speaker 1: Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you
• 21:43
  Speaker 1: away from me, you evil doers. Let that sink in.
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: These are people who thought they were serving Jesus. They
• 21:50
  Speaker 1: preached in his name, they performed miracles. But they were deceived.
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: And if they were deceived, how much more should we
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: be on guard? This is why Paul gives one of
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: the strongest warnings in Galatians one eight. But even if
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel
• 22:08
  Speaker 1: other than the one we preach to you, let them
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: be under God's curse. Did you catch that even if
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: an angel from heaven preaches a different gospel, it is
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: a deception. That means that not every spiritual experience is
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: from God, not every sermon is filled with truth, Not
• 22:27
  Speaker 1: every so called Christian leader is leading people to Christ.
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: And here is the most dangerous part. Most deception comes
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: wrapped in just enough truth to make it look real.
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: Satan doesn't attack the church by saying, don't believe in Jesus.
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: He attacks by saying, believe in Jesus, but let's redefine
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: who he is. Believe in Jesus, but let's add something
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: to his gospel. This is why we must be rooted
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: in the Word. In Act seventeen eleven, the bara Maarians
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: were praised because they examined the scriptures every day to
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: see if what Paul said was true. Think about that, Paul,
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: one of the greatest apostles, was tested by the Bereans.
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: They didn't just accept what he said, they tested it
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: against God's word. How much more should we test everything
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: we hear to day? But let's make this personal. Have
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: you ever been in a situation where something sounded right,
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: but deep down you felt something was off. Maybe you
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: heard a preacher say, if you have enough faith, God
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: will make you rich. Maybe you heard someone say Jesus
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: would never judge any one, so we shouldn't either. Maybe
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: you saw a movement that claimed to be Christian, but
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: their message felt more like self help than the Gospel.
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: The reason you felt that discomfort is because the Holy
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: Spirit is a spirit of truth. John sixteen thirteen. If
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: something doesn't align with scripture, it is not from God.
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: And this is why John's warning is so urgent. If
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: we are not careful, if we do not test what
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: we hear, if we do not stand firm in the truth,
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: we will be led away without even realizing it. So
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: here's the challenge. Are you testing everything against God's word
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: or are you just accepting what sounds good. Are you
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: willing to stand firm even when the truth is unpopular,
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: even when people call you judgmental, even when it means
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: walking away from things that don't align with scripture. Because
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: in the end, deception will always look appealing, but it
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: leads to destruction. Beware of deception. Many will distort the gospel.
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: The fourth most important lesson we take from Second John
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: is this, do not lose what you have worked for.
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: If deception is the weapon, then compromise is the trap.
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: And here's the terrifying reality. Most people don't fall away
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: from the faith all at once. It happens slowly, one's
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: small compromise at a time. John warns us in Second
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: John one eight. Watch yourselves so that you may not
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: lose what we have worked for, but may win a
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: full reward. This is not just a suggestion, it is
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: a command. Watch yourselves, pay attention, be alert. Why because
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: no one is immune to falling away. No one is
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: so strong in their faith that they can ignore the
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: danger of spiritual drift. And John is not the only
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: one who gives this warning. Jesus himself warns in Matthew
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: twenty four thirteen. But the one who endures to the
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: end will be saved. Paul echoes this in First Corinthians
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: nine twenty seven. I discipline my body and keep it
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: under control, lest after preaching to others, I myself should
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: be disqualified. Disqualified, And think about that. If Paul, one
• 26:04
  Speaker 1: of the greatest apostles, a man who encountered Jesus, planted
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: churches and wrote most of the New Testament, was concerned
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: about being disqualified, how much more should we be on guard?
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: But here's the problem. Most people don't realize they are
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: falling away until it's too late. Picture a boat drifting
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: at sea. The captain didn't drop anchor, the water was calm,
• 26:27
  Speaker 1: everything seemed fine. But over time, slowly, without realizing it,
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: the boat drifts farther and farther from the shore. By
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: the time the captain notices he's miles away, far from
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: where he started. This is what happens spiritually. No one
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: wakes up one day and decides I'm going to walk
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: away from God to day. Instead, it starts with small compromises.
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: Maybe at first you're passionate about reading the Bible, but
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: then life gets busy, you start skipping days here and there.
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: A small compromise. Then you stop praying as often because
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: you're tired. Another compromise. Then you start watching or listening
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: to things that you know aren't good for your soul,
• 27:14
  Speaker 1: but you tell yourself it's not that bad. Another compromise.
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: Then you start justifying sin, You start saying things like
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: God understands, he knows my heart. Another compromise, And before
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: you know it, the fire you once had is gone,
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: The passion you once had for Jesus is replaced with apathy,
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: and the worst part, you don't even remember when it happened.
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: This is why John says, watch yourselves, because the enemy
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: doesn't need to destroy you all at once. He just
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: needs to distract you long enough to make you drift.
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: This is why Paul warns in Galatians six nine, let
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: us not grow in doing good, for at the proper
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: time we will reap a harvest if we do not
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: give up. Because the enemy wants you to give up.
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: Have you ever noticed that whenever you try to get
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: serious about your faith, distractions increase. Maybe you commit to
• 28:18
  Speaker 1: waking up early to pray, but suddenly your schedule becomes overwhelming.
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: Maybe you decide to get back into the word, but
• 28:26
  Speaker 1: then your phone won't stop buzzing. Maybe you try to
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: get more involved in church, but then something always comes up.
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: That's not a coincidence, that's a strategy. Satan doesn't need
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: to pull you into sin. He just needs to wear
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: you down, to get you so tired, so distracted, so discouraged,
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: that you stop fighting, that you stop enduring. But John
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: reminds us there is a reward for those who endure.
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: He says, so that you may not lose what we
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: have worked for, but may win a far full reward.
• 29:01
  Speaker 1: What is this reward? Jesus tells us in Revelation three eleven,
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have so
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: that no one may seize your crown. A crown is
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: at stake, a reward that Jesus himself will place on
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: the heads of those who do not give up. Paul
• 29:18
  Speaker 1: speaks of this in Sewod Timothy four seven to eight
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: when he says, I have fought the good fight, I
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness.
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: Did you did you catch that the crown is not
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: given to those who start the race. It is given
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: to those who finish. But let's make this personal. Have
• 29:44
  Speaker 1: you ever felt like giving up? Maybe you've been faithful
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: to God, but life keeps throwing one battle after another.
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: Maybe you've been praying for something but you feel like
• 29:54
  Speaker 1: God is silent. Maybe you've tried to live righteously, but
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: temptation keeps pulling, And in those moments, the thought creeps in.
• 30:03
  Speaker 1: What's the point? That is exactly what the enemy wants.
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: He wants you to lose what you have worked for,
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: to get tired, to settle, to walk away right before
• 30:14
  Speaker 1: the breakthrough. But John is pleading with us, don't lose
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: your reward. Don't let distractions steal your purpose. Don't let
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: temporary hardships make you give up on eternal promises. Because
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: here's the truth. We are closer than we think. What
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: if you are just one more prayer away from your breakthrough.
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: What if your endurance through this season is preparing you
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: for something greater. What if the thing you are fighting
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: for is closer than you realize, but the enemy wants
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: to stop you before you reach it. This is why
• 30:46
  Speaker 1: Hebrews ten thirty six tells us you need to persevere
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: so that when you have done the will of God,
• 30:54
  Speaker 1: you will receive what he has promised. The promise is coming,
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: but only to those who persevere. So here's the challenge.
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: Where are you compromising? Are you slowly drifting without realizing it?
• 31:10
  Speaker 1: Are you allowing distractions to pull you away from what
• 31:13
  Speaker 1: God has called you to do? Are you growing tired
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: in your faith? If so, this is your wake up call.
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: Watch yourself, stay alert, hold fast to what you have
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: because the finish line is closer than you think, and
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: those who endure to the end will receive their reward.
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: Do not welcome false teachers. This is the fifth most
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: important lesson we take from Second John. Not every one
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: who claims to preach the gospel is preaching the truth.
• 31:42
  Speaker 1: Not every voice that speaks about Jesus is leading people
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: to him. Some are leading people away away from the Cross,
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: away from repentance, away from salvation. And here's the most
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: terrifying part. Some of them don't even realize their doing it.
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: John gives us a strong warning in Second John one
• 32:02
  Speaker 1: nine through ten. Anyone who runs ahead and does not
• 32:06
  Speaker 1: continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God
• 32:11
  Speaker 1: whoever continues in the teaching has both the father and
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: the son. If any one comes to you and does
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: not bring this teaching, do not take them into your
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: house or welcome them. This is not a small warning.
• 32:25
  Speaker 1: John is not saying be careful. He is saying do
• 32:29
  Speaker 1: not even welcome them, do not invite them in, do
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: not support them, do not align yourself with them in
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: any way. Why. Because false doctrine is not just wrong,
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: it is deadly. Think about poison. If someone handed you
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: a bottle labeled poison, do not drink, you would never
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: consider drinking it. But what if someone took that same
• 32:55
  Speaker 1: poison and mixed it into a glass of fresh water.
• 32:59
  Speaker 1: What if it looked What if it tasted pure? You
• 33:02
  Speaker 1: would drink it without realizing that every sip was leading
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: to your destruction. This is exactly how false doctrine works.
• 33:10
  Speaker 1: Satan does not destroy people by removing the gospel. He
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: destroys them by distorting it, by taking the truth and
• 33:18
  Speaker 1: mixing it with just enough lies to make it lethal.
• 33:21
  Speaker 1: Paul warned about this in Second Corinthians eleven fourteen to fifteen.
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, so it
• 33:32
  Speaker 1: is no surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: servants of righteous Did you catch that false teachers do
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: not look like false teachers. They look righteous, They look good.
• 33:45
  Speaker 1: They use the name of Jesus, they quote scripture, but
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: they twist it just enough to lead people astray. This
• 33:52
  Speaker 1: is why John is so harsh. He knows that if
• 33:56
  Speaker 1: we tolerate false doctrine, we are participating in it. But
• 34:00
  Speaker 1: let's be real. This is hard because in today's world,
• 34:04
  Speaker 1: tolerance is seen as a virtue. We are constantly told
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: don't judge, be accepting, just focus on love. And because
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: of this, many believers have become afraid to speak out
• 34:19
  Speaker 1: against false teaching. But here's the truth. Love does not
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: mean accepting lies. Imagine a doctor who discovers that a
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: patient has a life threatening disease, but instead of telling
• 34:32
  Speaker 1: them the truth, he says, I don't want to hurt
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: their feelings. I'll just tell them they're fine. That's not love,
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: that's negligence. The same is true spiritually. If we know
• 34:46
  Speaker 1: that someone is preaching a distorted gospel, but we stay
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: silent because we don't want to offend, we are not
• 34:53
  Speaker 1: loving them. We are enabling their deception. Jesus himself warned
• 34:59
  Speaker 1: about this in Matthew seven twenty one to twenty three.
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: Not everyone who says to me, Lord Lord, will enter
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: the will of my Father, who is in heaven. Many
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: will say to me on that day, Lord Lord, did
• 35:17
  Speaker 1: we not prophesy in your name, and in your name
• 35:20
  Speaker 1: drive out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?
• 35:24
  Speaker 1: Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you.
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: Away from me, you evil doers. Did you see that?
• 35:32
  Speaker 1: Many will stand before Jesus, fully convinced that they were
• 35:35
  Speaker 1: serving him, only to hear the words I never knew you.
• 35:40
  Speaker 1: That means that false teachers are not just deceiving others,
• 35:44
  Speaker 1: they are deceiving themselves. And this is why John tells
• 35:48
  Speaker 1: us to be careful who we welcome into our homes,
• 35:52
  Speaker 1: into our churches, into our lives. But how do we
• 35:56
  Speaker 1: recognize false teaching? Paul gives us the answer in Galatians.
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: But even if we or an angel from heaven should
• 36:04
  Speaker 1: preach a gospel other than the one we preach to you,
• 36:07
  Speaker 1: let them be under God's curse. In other words, if
• 36:11
  Speaker 1: a message does not match scripture. It is false no
• 36:15
  Speaker 1: matter who preaches it. It doesn't matter if they are
• 36:18
  Speaker 1: a well known preacher, it doesn't matter if they have
• 36:21
  Speaker 1: millions of followers. It doesn't matter if their message is
• 36:24
  Speaker 1: inspiring or if their words feel good. If it does
• 36:29
  Speaker 1: not align with God's word, it is a lie. And
• 36:33
  Speaker 1: we cannot afford to entertain lies. But let's make this personal.
• 36:37
  Speaker 1: Have you ever heard a sermon or a message that
• 36:40
  Speaker 1: sounded right, but something in your spirit felt off. Maybe
• 36:44
  Speaker 1: it was a preacher who focused only on prosperity, telling
• 36:48
  Speaker 1: people that following God will make them rich, but never
• 36:51
  Speaker 1: mentioning repentance or sacrifice. Maybe it was a movement that
• 36:55
  Speaker 1: claimed to be Christian but embraced ideas that completely contradict scripture.
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: Maybe it was a church that preached love but never
• 37:05
  Speaker 1: spoke about truth. This is why we must be discerning.
• 37:09
  Speaker 1: In Act seventeen eleven, the Bharians were praised because they
• 37:13
  Speaker 1: examined the scriptures every day to see if what Paul
• 37:17
  Speaker 1: said was true. Think about that. Paul, one of the
• 37:21
  Speaker 1: greatest apostles, was tested by the Barians. They didn't just
• 37:26
  Speaker 1: accept what he said, they tested it against scripture. How
• 37:30
  Speaker 1: much more should we be testing everything we hear to day.
• 37:34
  Speaker 1: But here's the hard part. Sometimes standing for truth means
• 37:39
  Speaker 1: walking away. Sometimes it means leaving a church that has
• 37:43
  Speaker 1: embraced false teaching. Sometimes it means distancing yourself from people
• 37:48
  Speaker 1: who refuse to align with scripture. And sometimes it means
• 37:52
  Speaker 1: speaking up even when it costs you relationships. Jesus warned
• 37:58
  Speaker 1: us in Luke twelve fifty one. Do you think I
• 38:01
  Speaker 1: came to bring peace on earth? No? I tell you,
• 38:04
  Speaker 1: but division. That doesn't mean we are called to be
• 38:07
  Speaker 1: argumentative or hateful. It means that truth divides. It separates
• 38:12
  Speaker 1: light from darkness, it separates deception from righteousness, and sometimes
• 38:18
  Speaker 1: it separates us from people who refuse to accept the truth.
• 38:22
  Speaker 1: This is why John's warning is so strong. He knows
• 38:26
  Speaker 1: that if we welcome false teachers, we are endorsing their message.
• 38:31
  Speaker 1: So here's the challenge. Are you tolerating false teaching in
• 38:34
  Speaker 1: your life? Are you listening to messages that contradict God's
• 38:39
  Speaker 1: word because they make you feel good? Are you following
• 38:42
  Speaker 1: leaders who preach a different gospel because they are popular.
• 38:47
  Speaker 1: Are you afraid to stand up for truth because you
• 38:49
  Speaker 1: don't want to offend John reminds us truth is not negotiable.
• 38:54
  Speaker 1: We don't get to rewrite it, we don't get to
• 38:57
  Speaker 1: soften it, We don't get to tolerate what God calls false,
• 39:01
  Speaker 1: because in the end, compromise with deception is still deception,
• 39:06
  Speaker 1: and we cannot afford to welcome it into our lives.
• 39:09
  Speaker 1: Anyone who rejects Christ's teachings is not of God. We
• 39:14
  Speaker 1: live in a time when many claim to follow Jesus,
• 39:17
  Speaker 1: but the Jesus they follow is not the Jesus of
• 39:20
  Speaker 1: the Bible. Some say he was just a good teacher.
• 39:24
  Speaker 1: Others claim he was just one path among many. Some
• 39:29
  Speaker 1: take his words and twist them to fit modern beliefs.
• 39:32
  Speaker 1: But John makes it clear if you reject the teachings
• 39:36
  Speaker 1: of Christ, you do not belong to God. John writes
• 39:41
  Speaker 1: in second John one nine, anyone who runs ahead and
• 39:45
  Speaker 1: does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not
• 39:49
  Speaker 1: have God. Whoever continues in the teaching has both the
• 39:53
  Speaker 1: Father and the Son. Did you catch that anyone who
• 39:58
  Speaker 1: runs ahead, anyone who goes beyond what Christ taught, any
• 40:04
  Speaker 1: one who adds or takes away from his message, they
• 40:08
  Speaker 1: do not have God. That means it doesn't matter how
• 40:12
  Speaker 1: spiritual someone sounds. It doesn't matter how much they talk
• 40:16
  Speaker 1: about God. If they do not hold to Christ's true teaching,
• 40:21
  Speaker 1: they are not of him. This is a sobering reality
• 40:26
  Speaker 1: because today many have abandoned the foundation of Jesus words
• 40:30
  Speaker 1: in pursuit of new revelations. We see it everywhere. People
• 40:35
  Speaker 1: claim to have special knowledge that isn't in the Bible.
• 40:38
  Speaker 1: They claim that God is revealing new truths that contradicts scripture.
• 40:43
  Speaker 1: Some say God is doing a new thing, He's moving
• 40:47
  Speaker 1: beyond the Bible. But here's the truth. God does not change.
• 40:51
  Speaker 1: Malachi three six says either Lord, do not change. Hebrews
• 40:56
  Speaker 1: thirteen eight tells us Jesus Christ is the same yesterday
• 40:59
  Speaker 1: and to day and forever. That means his word does
• 41:03
  Speaker 1: not evolve to fit culture. His truth does not shift
• 41:07
  Speaker 1: with human opinions. His teachings are not outdated, they are eternal.
• 41:12
  Speaker 1: But this is where many fall into deception. Imagine a
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: man building a house. He lays a foundation of solid stone,
• 41:21
  Speaker 1: strong enough to withstand any storm, But over time he
• 41:25
  Speaker 1: starts listening to new ideas. He hears that brick is stronger.
• 41:29
  Speaker 1: Then someone convinces him that wood is better, then another
• 41:33
  Speaker 1: tells him to build on sand because times have changed.
• 41:38
  Speaker 1: So he abandons his foundation and builds something new. And
• 41:42
  Speaker 1: then the storm comes, the rain pours, the wind beats
• 41:46
  Speaker 1: against the house, and because he left the original foundation,
• 41:50
  Speaker 1: his house collapses. This is exactly what happens when people
• 41:54
  Speaker 1: abandon the true teachings of Christ for new revelations. Jesus
• 42:00
  Speaker 1: himself warned about this in Matthew seven twenty four to
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: twenty seven. Everyone who hears these words of mine and
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: puts them into practice is like a wise man who
• 42:11
  Speaker 1: built his house on the rock. The rain came down,
• 42:14
  Speaker 1: the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against
• 42:18
  Speaker 1: that house. Yet it did not fall, because it had
• 42:22
  Speaker 1: its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these
• 42:26
  Speaker 1: words of mine and does not put them into practice
• 42:29
  Speaker 1: is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
• 42:33
  Speaker 1: The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds
• 42:37
  Speaker 1: blew and beat against that house, and it fell with
• 42:40
  Speaker 1: a great crash. The foundation is Christ's teaching, not man's opinions,
• 42:46
  Speaker 1: not cultural trends, not new revelations that contradict the word.
• 42:50
  Speaker 1: But let's make this personal. Have you ever heard someone
• 42:53
  Speaker 1: say something that sounded spiritual, but it didn't quite sit right.
• 42:58
  Speaker 1: Maybe they said God just wants you to be happy,
• 43:02
  Speaker 1: but ignored the call to holiness. Maybe they preached about
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: love but never mentioned sin. Maybe they emphasized miracles and
• 43:11
  Speaker 1: power but never talked about repentance and salvation. And maybe
• 43:15
  Speaker 1: for a moment you thought that sounds good. This is
• 43:19
  Speaker 1: why discernment is critical, because not everything that sounds good
• 43:24
  Speaker 1: is true. Paul warned us about this in sewod Timothy
• 43:29
  Speaker 1: four three through four, for the time will come when
• 43:32
  Speaker 1: people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to
• 43:36
  Speaker 1: suit their own desires, they will gather around them a
• 43:40
  Speaker 1: great number of teachers to say what their itching ears
• 43:44
  Speaker 1: want to hear. They will turn their ears away from
• 43:47
  Speaker 1: the truth and turn aside to myths. We are living
• 43:51
  Speaker 1: in that time. There are churches that reject Christ's teachings
• 43:55
  Speaker 1: on sin because they don't want to offend. There are
• 43:59
  Speaker 1: pastors who whist the Gospel to fit what people want
• 44:02
  Speaker 1: to hear. There are entire movements built on half truths
• 44:05
  Speaker 1: that sound right but lead people away from God. And
• 44:09
  Speaker 1: John makes it clear if you reject Christ's true teaching,
• 44:13
  Speaker 1: you do not have God. This is why we must
• 44:16
  Speaker 1: be careful. If someone claims to speak for God but
• 44:19
  Speaker 1: their message contradicts scripture, they are not speaking for him.
• 44:24
  Speaker 1: If someone has a new revelation that goes beyond what
• 44:27
  Speaker 1: Jesus taught, it is not from him. If someone redefines
• 44:32
  Speaker 1: Jesus to fit a new theology, they are not of him.
• 44:37
  Speaker 1: The real Jesus is found in his word, not in
• 44:40
  Speaker 1: human wisdom, not in modern interpretations, not in voices that
• 44:44
  Speaker 1: claim new authority. Jesus said in John eight thirty one
• 44:48
  Speaker 1: to thirty two, if you hold to my teaching, you
• 44:51
  Speaker 1: are really my disciples, then you will know the truth,
• 44:55
  Speaker 1: and the truth will set you free. That means that
• 44:59
  Speaker 1: if if we hold to his teaching, nothing added, nothing
• 45:02
  Speaker 1: taken away, we are truly his. But here's the danger.
• 45:07
  Speaker 1: If we do not, we are at risk of falling away.
• 45:10
  Speaker 1: So here's the challenge. Are you standing on Christ's true
• 45:13
  Speaker 1: teaching or are you being influenced by voices that twist
• 45:17
  Speaker 1: his word? Are you testing every message against scripture or
• 45:21
  Speaker 1: are you accepting ideas just because they sound spiritual. Are
• 45:26
  Speaker 1: you holding to his truth or are you following new
• 45:28
  Speaker 1: revelations that lead you away? Because in the end, Only
• 45:33
  Speaker 1: those who remain in his teaching have both the father
• 45:36
  Speaker 1: and the son. Everything else is deception. The seventh most
• 45:41
  Speaker 1: important lesson we take from Second John is this, be
• 45:45
  Speaker 1: careful who you align yourself with. It's one thing to
• 45:49
  Speaker 1: recognize false teachers. It's another thing to separate yourself from them.
• 45:55
  Speaker 1: Many people think that as long as they don't believe
• 45:58
  Speaker 1: a false gospel themselves, they're safe. But John gives a
• 46:02
  Speaker 1: sobering warning. If you support false teachers, if you give
• 46:07
  Speaker 1: them a platform, if you align yourself with them, you
• 46:10
  Speaker 1: are partaking in their deception. John writes in Second John
• 46:15
  Speaker 1: one ten to eleven, if anyone comes to you and
• 46:19
  Speaker 1: does not bring this teaching, do not take them into
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: your house or welcome them. Anyone who welcomes them shares
• 46:27
  Speaker 1: in their wicked work. That is a serious statement. John
• 46:31
  Speaker 1: is not saying just be careful. He is saying, do
• 46:34
  Speaker 1: not welcome them, do not support them, do not align
• 46:39
  Speaker 1: yourself with them in any way. Why. Because when we
• 46:43
  Speaker 1: give credibility to someone who distorts the gospel, we are
• 46:46
  Speaker 1: helping spread the deception. Imagine this. You have a friend
• 46:51
  Speaker 1: who's about to drink a bottle of poison. You see
• 46:54
  Speaker 1: the warning label. You know it will kill them, but
• 46:57
  Speaker 1: instead of stopping them, you smile and say say, I
• 47:00
  Speaker 1: don't want to be judgmental, maybe it won't hurt them.
• 47:06
  Speaker 1: That's not love, that's complicity. When we align ourselves with
• 47:10
  Speaker 1: those who preach a false gospel, we are handing people
• 47:13
  Speaker 1: the poison ourselves. Paul warns about this Ingalatians one nine.
• 47:19
  Speaker 1: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than
• 47:21
  Speaker 1: what you accepted, let them be under God's curse. Think
• 47:26
  Speaker 1: about that. A curse, not a simple disagreement, not just
• 47:29
  Speaker 1: an opinion. A false gospel leads people to eternal destruction.
• 47:34
  Speaker 1: That means this isn't just about theology. It's about life
• 47:38
  Speaker 1: and death. But here's where it gets difficult. In today's world,
• 47:43
  Speaker 1: people confuse love with acceptance. We are told that if
• 47:47
  Speaker 1: we love people, we should support them no matter what
• 47:50
  Speaker 1: they believe. That calling out false doctrine is judgmental, that
• 47:55
  Speaker 1: refusing to support certain preachers is divisive. But that is
• 47:59
  Speaker 1: not the life the Bible talks about. Love without truth
• 48:02
  Speaker 1: is deception, and truth without love is cold and lifeless.
• 48:08
  Speaker 1: Jesus himself was full of both grace and truth. John
• 48:11
  Speaker 1: one fourteen he ate with sinners, but never endorsed their sin.
• 48:17
  Speaker 1: He showed compassion but never compromised God's word, and we
• 48:21
  Speaker 1: are called to do the same. But let's make this personal.
• 48:25
  Speaker 1: Have you ever followed a Christian teacher or influencer just
• 48:28
  Speaker 1: because they were popular. Maybe they had millions of followers,
• 48:32
  Speaker 1: a best selling book, or a huge church. Maybe their
• 48:36
  Speaker 1: messages made you feel good, but they rarely talked about repentance,
• 48:40
  Speaker 1: sin or obedience, and maybe deep down you knew something
• 48:44
  Speaker 1: was off. This is why John is warning us, because
• 48:48
  Speaker 1: who we align ourselves with matters. Proverbs thirteen twenty says
• 48:53
  Speaker 1: walk with the wise and become wise, For a companion
• 48:56
  Speaker 1: of fools suffers harm. Who you listen to, who you follow,
• 49:01
  Speaker 1: who you allow to influence your faith will shape you.
• 49:04
  Speaker 1: Think about the people in your life. Are they leading
• 49:07
  Speaker 1: you closer to Jesus or are they pulling you away?
• 49:11
  Speaker 1: The same goes for the pastors and teachers you support.
• 49:14
  Speaker 1: Are they preaching the true gospel or are they distorting it?
• 49:19
  Speaker 1: Are they pointing people to Christ or are they pointing
• 49:22
  Speaker 1: people to themselves? Because alignment is agreement aim as three
• 49:27
  Speaker 1: three asks. Can two walk together unless they are agreed
• 49:32
  Speaker 1: if you align yourself with someone who twists God's word,
• 49:36
  Speaker 1: you are agreeing with them, whether you realize it or not.
• 49:39
  Speaker 1: And John tells us plainly, if you share in their work,
• 49:43
  Speaker 1: you share in their judgment. So here's the challenge. Who
• 49:47
  Speaker 1: are you aligning yourself with it? Are you supporting voices
• 49:50
  Speaker 1: that honor Christ's teachings or voices that distort them. Are
• 49:55
  Speaker 1: you walking with people who push you closer to holiness
• 49:58
  Speaker 1: or people who make you comfortable in com compromise? Because
• 50:01
  Speaker 1: in the end, alignment matters, and those who stand for
• 50:05
  Speaker 1: truth must also stand apart from deception. The eighth most
• 50:10
  Speaker 1: important lesson we take from Second John is this truth
• 50:14
  Speaker 1: brings joy and unity among believers. The world tries to
• 50:19
  Speaker 1: unite people in many ways through common interests, shared goals,
• 50:23
  Speaker 1: cultural movements, and even political ideologies. But none of these
• 50:28
  Speaker 1: things can create true unity. Why because they are built
• 50:33
  Speaker 1: on things that shift, things that change with time. But
• 50:37
  Speaker 1: there is one thing that never changes, the truth of Christ.
• 50:42
  Speaker 1: And when believers are united in that truth, we experience
• 50:45
  Speaker 1: something the world cannot offer, deep, lasting, unshakable joy. John
• 50:53
  Speaker 1: expresses this in Second John one twelve. Though I have
• 50:57
  Speaker 1: much to write to you, I do not want to
• 50:59
  Speaker 1: use whose paper and ink. Instead, I hope to come
• 51:03
  Speaker 1: to you and talk face to face, so that our
• 51:06
  Speaker 1: joy may be complete. Did you catch that our joy
• 51:10
  Speaker 1: is made complete when we are together in truth? John
• 51:14
  Speaker 1: had already written letters to encourage believers, but he knew
• 51:18
  Speaker 1: that something powerful happens when followers of Christ come together,
• 51:23
  Speaker 1: not just as friends, not just as acquaintances, but as
• 51:27
  Speaker 1: a family, united in the truth of God's word. But
• 51:32
  Speaker 1: let's be honest, this kind of unity is rare, because
• 51:37
  Speaker 1: to day many churches and Christians are divided, not over
• 51:41
  Speaker 1: small disagreements, but over the truth itself. Some churches no
• 51:46
  Speaker 1: longer preach the full Gospel. They remove repentance from their messages,
• 51:50
  Speaker 1: They avoid talking about sin. They preach love without truth,
• 51:55
  Speaker 1: and as a result, they have unity. But no christ
• 52:00
  Speaker 1: churches go in the opposite direction. They become so focused
• 52:03
  Speaker 1: on truth that they forget grace. They are quick to condemn,
• 52:07
  Speaker 1: quick to correct, but slow to love. They have truth
• 52:13
  Speaker 1: but no unity. But John shows us that both must
• 52:16
  Speaker 1: go together. Jesus himself prayed for this in John seventeen
• 52:20
  Speaker 1: seventeen twenty one. Sanctify them in the truth. Your word
• 52:25
  Speaker 1: is truth, that they may all be one, just as you,
• 52:29
  Speaker 1: Father are in me and I in you, that they
• 52:32
  Speaker 1: also may be in us, so that the world may
• 52:35
  Speaker 1: believe that you have sent me. Did you see that
• 52:38
  Speaker 1: truth is what sanctifies us, and truth is what unites us.
• 52:43
  Speaker 1: When believers are truly united in Christ's truth, something powerful happens.
• 52:49
  Speaker 1: Think about Acts two, when the early Church was first formed.
• 52:53
  Speaker 1: The Bible says in Acts two forty two to forty
• 52:56
  Speaker 1: seven that they devoted themselves to the apostles, teaching and
• 52:59
  Speaker 1: to fellowship. They broke bread together, they prayed together, they
• 53:04
  Speaker 1: met daily, and as a result, they experienced great joy
• 53:09
  Speaker 1: and the church grew. Their unity was not built on
• 53:12
  Speaker 1: personal preferences. It was not built on entertainment. It was
• 53:16
  Speaker 1: not built on culture. It was built on truth, and
• 53:19
  Speaker 1: because of that truth, joy overflowed. But let's make this personal.
• 53:24
  Speaker 1: Have you ever been in a place where you felt
• 53:26
  Speaker 1: completely alone, even in a room full of people. Maybe
• 53:29
  Speaker 1: you were surrounded by co workers, classmates, or even friends,
• 53:33
  Speaker 1: but something was missing. You laughed at the same jokes,
• 53:38
  Speaker 1: you talked about the same things, but there was no
• 53:40
  Speaker 1: deep connection. Now, think about a time when you were
• 53:44
  Speaker 1: with believers who truly loved Jesus. Maybe it was a church,
• 53:49
  Speaker 1: at a Bible study, or just a simple conversation with
• 53:52
  Speaker 1: a brother or sister in Christ. There was joy, there
• 53:56
  Speaker 1: was connection, There was unity, not because of common interests,
• 54:00
  Speaker 1: but because of a shared faith in Christ. That is
• 54:03
  Speaker 1: what John is talking about. But here's where things get difficult,
• 54:07
  Speaker 1: because not everyone who claims to follow Jesus is standing
• 54:11
  Speaker 1: in his truth. And when false teachings creep in, division follows.
• 54:18
  Speaker 1: Paul warns about this in Romans sixteen seventeen. I urge you,
• 54:22
  Speaker 1: brothers and sisters to watch out for those who cause
• 54:25
  Speaker 1: divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary
• 54:29
  Speaker 1: to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.
• 54:33
  Speaker 1: Did you see that division is caused by those who
• 54:36
  Speaker 1: twist the truth? That means unity is not about compromising
• 54:41
  Speaker 1: truth just to get along. True unity only happens when
• 54:45
  Speaker 1: we stand in the truth together. This is why John
• 54:50
  Speaker 1: says in First John one six to seven, if we
• 54:53
  Speaker 1: say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness,
• 54:56
  Speaker 1: we lie and do not practice the truth. But if
• 54:59
  Speaker 1: we walk in the light as He is in the light,
• 55:02
  Speaker 1: we have fellowship with one another. Fellowship happens in the light,
• 55:06
  Speaker 1: not in darkness. That means, if we truly love our
• 55:09
  Speaker 1: brothers and sisters in Christ, we cannot compromise truth just
• 55:14
  Speaker 1: to keep the peace, because falsehood destroys unity, but truth
• 55:19
  Speaker 1: strengthens it. So here's the challenge. What is the foundation
• 55:24
  Speaker 1: of your fellowship? Are you surrounding yourself with believers who
• 55:28
  Speaker 1: push you closer to Christ or are you aligning yourself
• 55:32
  Speaker 1: with those who claim Christianity but reject his truth. Are
• 55:37
  Speaker 1: you standing in real unity, the kind that is built
• 55:40
  Speaker 1: on the unshakable truth of God's word, or are you
• 55:44
  Speaker 1: settling for false unity, the kind that avoids hard conversations,
• 55:50
  Speaker 1: ignores sin, and keeps things shallow. Because John reminds us
• 55:55
  Speaker 1: true joy and unity are only found in the truth,
• 55:59
  Speaker 1: and if we walk in that truth, we will never
• 56:01
  Speaker 1: walk alone. The ninth most important lesson we take from
• 56:05
  Speaker 1: second John is this hold fast to what you have
• 56:09
  Speaker 1: been taught. The truth of God's Word is not something
• 56:12
  Speaker 1: we discover. It is something we receive, guard and pass down.
• 56:18
  Speaker 1: But we live in a time when people treat truth
• 56:20
  Speaker 1: as something that can be redefined instead of protected, and
• 56:25
  Speaker 1: that is exactly how deception begins. John closes his letter
• 56:29
  Speaker 1: in Second John one thirteen with a simple but powerful reminder.
• 56:33
  Speaker 1: He writes, the children of your elect sister, greet you.
• 56:38
  Speaker 1: At first glance, it may seem like just a farewell,
• 56:41
  Speaker 1: but it reveals something deeper. The next generation of believers
• 56:46
  Speaker 1: was watching John knew that truth is not just for us.
• 56:51
  Speaker 1: It is something that must be preserved and passed on,
• 56:55
  Speaker 1: because if one generation does not stand firm, the next
• 56:59
  Speaker 1: will have no nothing to hold on to it. This
• 57:01
  Speaker 1: has been Satan's strategy from the very beginning. He doesn't
• 57:05
  Speaker 1: need to destroy the truth. He just needs people to
• 57:08
  Speaker 1: neglect it, to get so caught up in the distractions
• 57:11
  Speaker 1: of life that they stop teaching it, stop defending it,
• 57:15
  Speaker 1: stop passing it down, and before long, an entire generation
• 57:19
  Speaker 1: grows up not knowing the word of God. This is
• 57:23
  Speaker 1: exactly what happened in Judges two ten. After that whole
• 57:27
  Speaker 1: generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew
• 57:32
  Speaker 1: up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had
• 57:34
  Speaker 1: done for Israel. Think about that one generation, just one
• 57:39
  Speaker 1: failed to pass down the truth, and the next one
• 57:42
  Speaker 1: forgot God entirely. That is the danger we face today.
• 57:46
  Speaker 1: There was a time when biblical truth was the foundation
• 57:50
  Speaker 1: of society, a time when scripture was respected, when families
• 57:55
  Speaker 1: prayed together, when churches boldly preached righteousness. But over time,
• 58:00
  Speaker 1: compromise crept in the Bible was removed from schools, churches
• 58:07
  Speaker 1: started preaching what people wanted to hear instead of what
• 58:11
  Speaker 1: they needed to hear. Parents became too busy to teach
• 58:15
  Speaker 1: their children about God, and now we have a generation
• 58:19
  Speaker 1: that does not know the Lord, not because truth was lost,
• 58:24
  Speaker 1: but because it was not held on to. This is
• 58:27
  Speaker 1: why John's words are so urgent. Paul gives the same
• 58:32
  Speaker 1: warning in Second Thessalonians two fifteen. So, then, brothers and sisters,
• 58:37
  Speaker 1: stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed
• 58:40
  Speaker 1: on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter,
• 58:44
  Speaker 1: hold fast, do not let go. Do not allow what
• 58:47
  Speaker 1: you have been taught to be watered down, because if
• 58:50
  Speaker 1: we do not stand firm, the next generation will have
• 58:54
  Speaker 1: nothing to stand on. But let's make this personal. Have
• 58:58
  Speaker 1: you ever watched a family slowly drift from the faith.
• 59:02
  Speaker 1: Maybe the grandparents were strong believers, deeply committed to Christ.
• 59:07
  Speaker 1: The parents were a little more relaxed, still Christian, but
• 59:11
  Speaker 1: not as serio as the children, they grew up with
• 59:13
  Speaker 1: no real foundation, and by the time the grandchildren arrived,
• 59:17
  Speaker 1: God was no longer a part of the family at all.
• 59:20
  Speaker 1: It didn't happen all at once, It happened slowly. A
• 59:24
  Speaker 1: few small compromises in one generation became complete indifference in
• 59:29
  Speaker 1: the next. That is what happens when we do not
• 59:32
  Speaker 1: hold fast to what we have been taught. Paul warns
• 59:36
  Speaker 1: about this in Firs Timothy. For one, the Spirit clearly
• 59:40
  Speaker 1: says that in later times some will abandon the faith
• 59:44
  Speaker 1: and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Did
• 59:50
  Speaker 1: you catch that Some will abandon the faith not because
• 59:53
  Speaker 1: they planned to, not because they stopped believing in God,
• 59:56
  Speaker 1: but because they let go of the truth. They became comfortable,
• 1:00:00
  Speaker 1: they stopped fighting for what mattered, and before they knew it,
• 1:00:03
  Speaker 1: it was gone. This is why holding fast is not
• 1:00:07
  Speaker 1: just a suggestion, it is a command. In Proverbs four thirteen,
• 1:00:11
  Speaker 1: we are told, hold on to instruction, do not let
• 1:00:15
  Speaker 1: it go. Guard it well, for it is your life.
• 1:00:20
  Speaker 1: Your life depends on it, Your family's future depends on it.
• 1:00:23
  Speaker 1: The church's survival depends on it. Because truth does not
• 1:00:27
  Speaker 1: survive on its own. It must be fought for, it
• 1:00:31
  Speaker 1: must be protected, it must be passed down. But here's
• 1:00:34
  Speaker 1: the good news, it is not too late. Even in
• 1:00:37
  Speaker 1: the darkest times, God has always preserved a remnant, a
• 1:00:40
  Speaker 1: group of people who refuse to compromise, who refuse to
• 1:00:44
  Speaker 1: be silent, who refuse to let go of his word.
• 1:00:48
  Speaker 1: The question is will you be part of that remnant?
• 1:00:52
  Speaker 1: Will you hold fast to what you have been taught
• 1:00:54
  Speaker 1: or will you allow it to fade away? Will you
• 1:00:57
  Speaker 1: teach the next generation the truth or will you assume
• 1:01:00
  Speaker 1: that some one else will do it? Because here's the reality.
• 1:01:04
  Speaker 1: If we do not pass it down, it will be lost.
• 1:01:07
  Speaker 1: And what we fail to fight for to day, the
• 1:01:10
  Speaker 1: next generation will never know to fight for at all.
• 1:01:14
  Speaker 1: So here's the challenge. What are you doing to hold
• 1:01:16
  Speaker 1: fast to the truth. Are you reading the Word daily
• 1:01:20
  Speaker 1: or are you letting distractions pull you away? Are you
• 1:01:23
  Speaker 1: standing firm in your faith or are you slowly compromising.
• 1:01:28
  Speaker 1: Are you teaching your children, your friends, your family about
• 1:01:31
  Speaker 1: Christ or are you assuming they will figure it out
• 1:01:34
  Speaker 1: on their own? Because John reminds us truth must be
• 1:01:39
  Speaker 1: held on to or it will be lost. The tenth
• 1:01:42
  Speaker 1: most important lesson we take from second John is this,
• 1:01:46
  Speaker 1: do not compromise. Stand for truth no matter the cost.
• 1:01:51
  Speaker 1: It is easy to follow Christ when there is no opposition.
• 1:01:55
  Speaker 1: It is easy to declare our faith when everyone around
• 1:01:57
  Speaker 1: us agrees. But what happen happens when the world turns
• 1:02:01
  Speaker 1: against you. What happens when standing for truth comes with
• 1:02:06
  Speaker 1: a price. John's final words remind us that faith is
• 1:02:10
  Speaker 1: not just about believing the truth. It is about standing
• 1:02:14
  Speaker 1: for it, even when it is hard, even when it
• 1:02:17
  Speaker 1: costs us everything. The Bible makes one thing clear. Truth
• 1:02:22
  Speaker 1: will always be rejected by the world. It always has been,
• 1:02:26
  Speaker 1: and it always will be. Jesus warned us in John
• 1:02:29
  Speaker 1: fifteen eighteen to nineteen. If the world hates you, keep
• 1:02:34
  Speaker 1: in mind that it hated me first. If you belong
• 1:02:38
  Speaker 1: to the world, it would love you as its own.
• 1:02:42
  Speaker 1: But as it is, you do not belong to the world.
• 1:02:45
  Speaker 1: But I have chosen you out of the world. That
• 1:02:49
  Speaker 1: is why the world hates you. Let that sink in.
• 1:02:54
  Speaker 1: The world will hate you not because of who you are,
• 1:02:57
  Speaker 1: but because of what you stand for. We see this
• 1:03:01
  Speaker 1: happening more and more. Biblical values are being ridiculed. Truth
• 1:03:06
  Speaker 1: is being replaced with whatever feels right and anyone who
• 1:03:10
  Speaker 1: dares to speak out is labeled as intolerant, hateful, or judgmental.
• 1:03:16
  Speaker 1: But this is nothing new. Think about Daniel. He was
• 1:03:19
  Speaker 1: taken captive into a pagan land, surrounded by a culture
• 1:03:24
  Speaker 1: that had no regard for God. The king changed his name,
• 1:03:28
  Speaker 1: tried to erase his identity, and forced him to conform,
• 1:03:33
  Speaker 1: but Daniel refused. When he was commanded to stop praying,
• 1:03:37
  Speaker 1: he continued anyway. When he was thrown into the lion's den,
• 1:03:40
  Speaker 1: he did not waver, and because of his faithfulness, God
• 1:03:44
  Speaker 1: shut the mouths of the lions and delivered him. Think
• 1:03:48
  Speaker 1: about the apostles. They were beaten, imprisoned, and even killed
• 1:03:54
  Speaker 1: for preaching the gospel, but they never compromised. They counted
• 1:03:59
  Speaker 1: it as joy to suffer for the name of Jesus.
• 1:04:03
  Speaker 1: Think about Stephen. He boldly declared the truth before the
• 1:04:07
  Speaker 1: religious leaders of his time. They were so enraged that
• 1:04:11
  Speaker 1: they stoned him to death. But as he was dying,
• 1:04:14
  Speaker 1: he saw Heaven open and Jesus standing at the right
• 1:04:18
  Speaker 1: hand of God waiting to receive him. This is the
• 1:04:21
  Speaker 1: cost of truth, and this is why so many fall away.
• 1:04:25
  Speaker 1: It's easy to be bold when nothing is at stake.
• 1:04:28
  Speaker 1: But what happens when speaking truth threatens your job, your reputation,
• 1:04:33
  Speaker 1: your relationships, or even your life. Jesus tells us in
• 1:04:37
  Speaker 1: Matthew ten thirty eight to thirty nine, whoever does not
• 1:04:41
  Speaker 1: take up their cross and follow me is not worthy
• 1:04:44
  Speaker 1: of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and
• 1:04:47
  Speaker 1: whoever loses their life for My sake will find it.
• 1:04:51
  Speaker 1: That means the Gospel will cost you something. It may
• 1:04:54
  Speaker 1: cost you friendships, it may cost you opportunities, it may
• 1:04:57
  Speaker 1: cost you comfort. For some, it may even cost them
• 1:05:01
  Speaker 1: their lives. But here's the truth. Compromise is always more costly,
• 1:05:06
  Speaker 1: because those who deny Christ for the sake of the
• 1:05:08
  Speaker 1: world will lose everything. Jesus makes this clear in Mark
• 1:05:13
  Speaker 1: eight thirty six. What good is it for someone to
• 1:05:16
  Speaker 1: gain the whole world yet forfeit their soul? The world
• 1:05:20
  Speaker 1: will offer you power, comfort, and acceptance if you stay silent,
• 1:05:25
  Speaker 1: But in the end it is a trap. The moment
• 1:05:28
  Speaker 1: you compromise truth, you are walking away from the very
• 1:05:32
  Speaker 1: thing that gives you life. So here's the question. Are
• 1:05:36
  Speaker 1: you willing to stand even if it costs you everything?
• 1:05:40
  Speaker 1: In Revelation two ten, Jesus gives a promise to those
• 1:05:44
  Speaker 1: who endure, be faithful unto death, and I will give
• 1:05:49
  Speaker 1: you the crown of life. That is the reward, not wealth,
• 1:05:54
  Speaker 1: not comfort, but a crown that will never fade. So
• 1:05:57
  Speaker 1: let's make this personal. Have you been afraid to speak
• 1:06:01
  Speaker 1: the truth because of what people might think? Have you
• 1:06:04
  Speaker 1: stayed silent when you should have spoken? Have you compromised
• 1:06:08
  Speaker 1: in small ways just to fit in. John's message is clear.
• 1:06:13
  Speaker 1: The time for compromise is over. We are not called
• 1:06:16
  Speaker 1: to blend in. We are called to stand out. We
• 1:06:19
  Speaker 1: are not called to be silent. We are called to
• 1:06:21
  Speaker 1: declare truth, no matter the cost, because in the end,
• 1:06:26
  Speaker 1: the only thing that will matter is this, did we
• 1:06:29
  Speaker 1: stand for Christ or did we bow to the world?
• 1:06:34
  Speaker 1: After everything we've learned, it all comes down to this,
• 1:06:38
  Speaker 1: will you stand firm in truth or will you compromise.
• 1:06:41
  Speaker 1: It's easy to say we will stand. It's easy to
• 1:06:44
  Speaker 1: believe that when the time comes, we will choose Christ
• 1:06:47
  Speaker 1: over comfort, faith over fear, truth over lies. But the
• 1:06:53
  Speaker 1: real test is not when the world is watching. It's
• 1:06:56
  Speaker 1: in the small, hidden choices we make. Every day. Letter
• 1:07:00
  Speaker 1: is not just a warning, It is a call to action.
• 1:07:03
  Speaker 1: It is a challenge to examine ourselves, to ask the
• 1:07:07
  Speaker 1: hard questions, to strip away every excuse and every distraction,
• 1:07:12
  Speaker 1: and be honest about where we stand. Because here's the truth.
• 1:07:16
  Speaker 1: Compromise doesn't happen overnight. It happens in the small decisions,
• 1:07:22
  Speaker 1: the moments when you know you should speak, but you
• 1:07:25
  Speaker 1: stay silent, The moments when you know something isn't right
• 1:07:30
  Speaker 1: but you let it slide. The moments when standing for
• 1:07:34
  Speaker 1: truth feels too costly, so you choose the easier path.
• 1:07:39
  Speaker 1: This is exactly what happened to Peter. Peter was one
• 1:07:42
  Speaker 1: of Jesus's most devoted followers. He was bold, he was passionate.
• 1:07:48
  Speaker 1: He swore that he would never deny Jesus, even if
• 1:07:52
  Speaker 1: it cost him his life. And yet when the moment
• 1:07:56
  Speaker 1: of testing came, when the pressure became too much, when
• 1:08:00
  Speaker 1: standing for Jesus meant facing real danger, he denied him
• 1:08:04
  Speaker 1: three times. Not in a grand, dramatic betrayal, not with
• 1:08:08
  Speaker 1: a public declaration, but in the small, quiet moments. The
• 1:08:13
  Speaker 1: servant girl recognized him, You were with Jesus, won't you.
• 1:08:17
  Speaker 1: Peter shook his head. I don't know what you're talking about.
• 1:08:21
  Speaker 1: Another person pointed him out, you're one of his disciples. Again,
• 1:08:26
  Speaker 1: Peter denied it, I don't know the man, and then
• 1:08:30
  Speaker 1: a third time, this time swearing, calling down curses on
• 1:08:33
  Speaker 1: himself just to convince them that he had nothing to
• 1:08:36
  Speaker 1: do with Jesus. And then the rooster crowed. Peter realized
• 1:08:40
  Speaker 1: what he had done. He had compromised, he had chosen
• 1:08:43
  Speaker 1: safety over truth, and it broke him because deep down
• 1:08:49
  Speaker 1: he knew this is not who I was called to be.
• 1:08:52
  Speaker 1: And maybe right now you feel the same. Maybe you
• 1:08:56
  Speaker 1: know that in the small moments you have stayed silent
• 1:09:00
  Speaker 1: when you should have spoken. Maybe you have let fear,
• 1:09:03
  Speaker 1: comfort or the approval of others keep you from standing firm.
• 1:09:08
  Speaker 1: Maybe you have been slowly drifting, not realizing how far
• 1:09:11
  Speaker 1: you have gone. But here's the good news. Jesus is
• 1:09:15
  Speaker 1: calling you back, just like Peter. You may have failed
• 1:09:18
  Speaker 1: in the moment, but that doesn't have to be the
• 1:09:21
  Speaker 1: end of your story. After his resurrection, Jesus met Peter again,
• 1:09:26
  Speaker 1: but he didn't condemn him, He didn't remind him of
• 1:09:29
  Speaker 1: his failure. He simply asked one question, do you love me?
• 1:09:35
  Speaker 1: And Peter answered yes, Lord, you know that I love you?
• 1:09:41
  Speaker 1: Three times? Jesus asked three times Peter answered, and in
• 1:09:44
  Speaker 1: that moment, Jesus restored him. Not only that, but he
• 1:09:49
  Speaker 1: gave him a mission feed my sheep. Peter, the man
• 1:09:54
  Speaker 1: who had once denied Jesus, became one of the boldest
• 1:09:57
  Speaker 1: preachers of the gospel. The same man who had been
• 1:10:01
  Speaker 1: too afraid to stand for Christ in front of a
• 1:10:03
  Speaker 1: servant girl would later stand before rulers and religious leaders
• 1:10:08
  Speaker 1: proclaiming we must obey God rather than men, And eventually
• 1:10:13
  Speaker 1: Peter would give his life for Christ, crucified upside down,
• 1:10:18
  Speaker 1: refusing to deny him again. Peter's story reminds us of
• 1:10:22
  Speaker 1: something powerful. It is never too late to stand for truth.
• 1:10:25
  Speaker 1: Maybe you've compromised in the past, maybe you've been afraid
• 1:10:29
  Speaker 1: to take a stand, maybe you've stayed silent when you
• 1:10:33
  Speaker 1: should have spoken. But to day Jesus is asking you
• 1:10:37
  Speaker 1: the same question he asked, Peter, do you love me?
• 1:10:41
  Speaker 1: Because if we love him, we will stand for him,
• 1:10:44
  Speaker 1: even when the world hates us, even when it costs
• 1:10:48
  Speaker 1: us relationships, even when it costs us everything, Because at
• 1:10:52
  Speaker 1: the end of this life, we will all stand before Him,
• 1:10:56
  Speaker 1: and in that moment nothing else will matter, not our reputation,
• 1:11:01
  Speaker 1: not our comfort, not what people thought about us. The
• 1:11:05
  Speaker 1: only thing that will matter is this, did we stand
• 1:11:09
  Speaker 1: firm in truth? Paul reminds us in two Timothy four
• 1:11:13
  Speaker 1: seven through eight. I have fought the good fight. I
• 1:11:16
  Speaker 1: have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now
• 1:11:20
  Speaker 1: there is in store for me the crown of righteousness,
• 1:11:24
  Speaker 1: which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me
• 1:11:28
  Speaker 1: on that day. That crown is not for those who compromised.
• 1:11:33
  Speaker 1: It is not for those who played it safe. It
• 1:11:36
  Speaker 1: is for those who endured. So here's the challenge. Where
• 1:11:39
  Speaker 1: do you stand? Are you standing firm or are you compromising?
• 1:11:43
  Speaker 1: Are you speaking truth or are you staying silent? Are
• 1:11:47
  Speaker 1: you living boldly for Christ? Or are you blending into
• 1:11:49
  Speaker 1: the world. Because the time for lukewarm Christianity is over.
• 1:11:55
  Speaker 1: Jesus is calling you to stand. The world will reject you,
• 1:11:59
  Speaker 1: but he will reward aud you. The cost will be high,
• 1:12:02
  Speaker 1: but the prize will be eternal. The battle will be hard,
• 1:12:06
  Speaker 1: but the victory is already won. So will you stand?
• 1:12:10
  Speaker 1: Which lessons spoke to you the most? Drop a comment below.
• 1:12:14
  Speaker 1: After everything we've learned, after every warning, every challenge, and
• 1:12:18
  Speaker 1: every call to stand firm, there is one thing we
• 1:12:22
  Speaker 1: cannot forget. We cannot do this alone, no matter how
• 1:12:26
  Speaker 1: strong we think we are, no matter how much we
• 1:12:29
  Speaker 1: love truth, no matter how determined we are to remain faithful,
• 1:12:33
  Speaker 1: we need God's strength because the battle for truth is
• 1:12:38
  Speaker 1: not just a battle of words or ideas. It is
• 1:12:41
  Speaker 1: a spiritual war, and if we try to fight it
• 1:12:44
  Speaker 1: in our own power, we will fall. Peter, the same
• 1:12:50
  Speaker 1: disciple who boldly declared he would die for Jesus, denied
• 1:12:54
  Speaker 1: him three times when fear took over. But do you
• 1:12:57
  Speaker 1: know what changed after that? He was filled with the
• 1:13:01
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit. That's why when he stood before the same
• 1:13:04
  Speaker 1: people who had crucified Jesus, he was no longer afraid.
• 1:13:09
  Speaker 1: He didn't back down, he didn't stay silent. He preached
• 1:13:13
  Speaker 1: with boldness, declaring we must obey God rather than men.
• 1:13:18
  Speaker 1: He was no longer standing in his strength. He was
• 1:13:21
  Speaker 1: standing in Gods. And that is the only way we
• 1:13:24
  Speaker 1: will stand. Because the enemy is relentless. He will attack
• 1:13:28
  Speaker 1: with doubt, fear, deception, and compromise. He will try to
• 1:13:32
  Speaker 1: wear us down, make us tired, make us question if
• 1:13:36
  Speaker 1: it's even worth it. He will whisper just stay quiet.
• 1:13:40
  Speaker 1: It's easier that way, not to ma'am. But we are
• 1:13:47
  Speaker 1: not called to take the easy path. Jesus said in
• 1:13:50
  Speaker 1: Matthew seven thirteen to fourteen, enter through the narrow gate.
• 1:13:54
  Speaker 1: For wide is the gate, and broad is the road
• 1:13:57
  Speaker 1: that leads to destruction, and men enter through it. But
• 1:14:02
  Speaker 1: small is the gait, and narrow the road that leads
• 1:14:05
  Speaker 1: to life, And only a few find it. Only a
• 1:14:08
  Speaker 1: few find it because the narrow road is hard, it
• 1:14:12
  Speaker 1: is lonely, it is costly, but it is worth it
• 1:14:16
  Speaker 1: because at the end of that road is life, eternal, unshakable,
• 1:14:21
  Speaker 1: glorious life, in the presence of the one who is
• 1:14:24
  Speaker 1: truth itself. So let's ask him for strength. Let's pray. Father,
• 1:14:29
  Speaker 1: we come before you, humbled by your truth and desperate
• 1:14:32
  Speaker 1: for your strength. We live in a world that rejects you,
• 1:14:36
  Speaker 1: a world that twists your word, that calls evil good
• 1:14:39
  Speaker 1: and good evil. We see deception rising, false teachers leading
• 1:14:44
  Speaker 1: many astray, and a culture that mocks righteousness. But we
• 1:14:48
  Speaker 1: know you have called us to stand firm, to be
• 1:14:52
  Speaker 1: the light in the darkness, to be the ones who
• 1:14:55
  Speaker 1: refuse to compromise. And yet, Lord, we confess the standing
• 1:15:00
  Speaker 1: firm is not easy. The pressures of this world are heavy.
• 1:15:04
  Speaker 1: The voices around us are loud. There are times when
• 1:15:08
  Speaker 1: fear grips our hearts, when we wonder if it's worth
• 1:15:11
  Speaker 1: the cost. But you, o God, are our refuge. You
• 1:15:16
  Speaker 1: are our rock. You are our unshakable foundation. When the
• 1:15:20
  Speaker 1: world shifts, you remain the same when people betray us.
• 1:15:25
  Speaker 1: You are faithful when everything around us is uncertain. You
• 1:15:29
  Speaker 1: are the one thing that never changes. Lord. We need
• 1:15:33
  Speaker 1: your strength, We need your wisdom. We need your spirit
• 1:15:36
  Speaker 1: to guide us, to convict us, to empower us to
• 1:15:39
  Speaker 1: walk in truth, even when it costs us everything. Your
• 1:15:42
  Speaker 1: word says in Second Timothy one seven, that you have
• 1:15:45
  Speaker 1: not given us a spirit of fear, but of power,
• 1:15:48
  Speaker 1: love and a sound mind. Lord, let us not be
• 1:15:53
  Speaker 1: ruled by fear. Let us not shrink back when the
• 1:15:57
  Speaker 1: world pushes against us. Us with boldness to speak truth
• 1:16:02
  Speaker 1: in love. Fill us with courage to stand for righteousness
• 1:16:06
  Speaker 1: even when it is unpopular. Fill us with endurance to
• 1:16:09
  Speaker 1: keep running the race. When we grow weary, we remember
• 1:16:13
  Speaker 1: the words of Isaiah forty thirty one that those who
• 1:16:17
  Speaker 1: wait on you will renew their strength. They will mount
• 1:16:20
  Speaker 1: up with wings like eagles. They will run and not
• 1:16:24
  Speaker 1: grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Lord, When
• 1:16:30
  Speaker 1: we are tired, when we feel like giving up, renew
• 1:16:33
  Speaker 1: our strength. When we are tempted to compromise, remind us
• 1:16:37
  Speaker 1: that obedience is always worth it. When we feel alone,
• 1:16:41
  Speaker 1: remind us that you are always with us. We lift
• 1:16:46
  Speaker 1: up our brothers and sisters around the world who are
• 1:16:49
  Speaker 1: suffering for your name, those who have lost families, jobs, homes,
• 1:16:54
  Speaker 1: those who are imprisoned, those who are persecuted, those who
• 1:16:57
  Speaker 1: are risking their lives just to hold a Bible in
• 1:17:00
  Speaker 1: their hands. Lord, strengthen them, Comfort them, Let them know
• 1:17:05
  Speaker 1: that their faithfulness is not in vain. Let them know
• 1:17:08
  Speaker 1: that you see their sacrifice, and that a great reward
• 1:17:12
  Speaker 1: is waiting for them. Your word says in Matthew five ten.
• 1:17:15
  Speaker 1: Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, For
• 1:17:19
  Speaker 1: theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Lord, remind them that
• 1:17:24
  Speaker 1: they are blessed even when the world hates them. Fill
• 1:17:28
  Speaker 1: them with supernatural peace that cannot be shaken. We pray
• 1:17:31
  Speaker 1: for the next generation. Lord, in a world filled with confusion, deception,
• 1:17:37
  Speaker 1: and false teachings. We pray that you would raise up
• 1:17:41
  Speaker 1: men and women who will not bow to the culture,
• 1:17:44
  Speaker 1: who will not abandon your truth. We pray for parents
• 1:17:48
  Speaker 1: that they would teach their children to love your word.
• 1:17:51
  Speaker 1: We pray for pastors that they would have the courage
• 1:17:54
  Speaker 1: to preach the full Gospel without compromise. We pray for teachers,
• 1:17:59
  Speaker 1: lee leaders, influences that they would use their voices to
• 1:18:03
  Speaker 1: glorify You and not to lead people astray. Let the
• 1:18:07
  Speaker 1: next generation not inherit a watered down gospel, but a
• 1:18:11
  Speaker 1: faith that is strong, unshakable, and built on the solid
• 1:18:16
  Speaker 1: foundation of Christ. And Lord, we pray for those who
• 1:18:20
  Speaker 1: have drifted away from the truth, those who once walked
• 1:18:23
  Speaker 1: closely with you but have been deceived, those who have
• 1:18:27
  Speaker 1: exchanged the truth for a lie, those who have chosen
• 1:18:32
  Speaker 1: the approval of man over obedience to You. Lord, Call
• 1:18:37
  Speaker 1: them back. Open their eyes to see where they have strayed,
• 1:18:41
  Speaker 1: soften their hearts to repent and return to You. Remind
• 1:18:46
  Speaker 1: them that no matter how far they have gone, your
• 1:18:50
  Speaker 1: arms are always open. Just like the father, welcome the
• 1:18:53
  Speaker 1: prodigal son home. You are waiting for them to return.
• 1:18:57
  Speaker 1: Let them see that nothing the world offers can compare
• 1:19:00
  Speaker 1: to the joy of walking in your truth. And most
• 1:19:03
  Speaker 1: of all, Lord, we pray that you would be glorified,
• 1:19:06
  Speaker 1: that our lives would not just be filled with words
• 1:19:09
  Speaker 1: of faith, but with actions that prove our faith. That
• 1:19:13
  Speaker 1: we would not just listen to your word but obey it,
• 1:19:17
  Speaker 1: That we would not just believe in you, but follow
• 1:19:19
  Speaker 1: you with everything we have. Let our lives be a
• 1:19:23
  Speaker 1: testimony to the power of your truth. Let those who
• 1:19:26
  Speaker 1: see us know that we are different, not because of
• 1:19:30
  Speaker 1: anything we have done, but because of what you have
• 1:19:33
  Speaker 1: done in us. And Lord, we long for the day
• 1:19:37
  Speaker 1: when the fight will be over, when every knee will bow,
• 1:19:40
  Speaker 1: when every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
• 1:19:44
  Speaker 1: Until that day. Strengthen us until that day, Sustain us
• 1:19:50
  Speaker 1: until that day. Let us stand firm, never wavering, never compromising,
• 1:19:54
  Speaker 1: never turning back, Because in the end, the only thing
• 1:19:57
  Speaker 1: that will matter is this. Did we remain faithful? Did
• 1:20:02
  Speaker 1: we stand for truth? Did we love you with all
• 1:20:04
  Speaker 1: our hearts, ale, mind, and strength? Lord, Let our answer
• 1:20:08
  Speaker 1: be yes. Let us be found faithful, Let us be
• 1:20:11
  Speaker 1: found standing. We ask all of this in the mighty,
• 1:20:15
  Speaker 1: unshakable name of Jesus Christ. Amen. If this deep Bible
• 1:20:21
  Speaker 1: stories message has spoken to you, take the next step.
• 1:20:24
  Speaker 1: Do not just listen, live it, share it, stand in it,
• 1:20:29
  Speaker 1: Let the truth of God shape every decision you make.
• 1:20:33
  Speaker 1: And if you want to go even deeper, we've created
• 1:20:35
  Speaker 1: a full explainer video and an ebook to help you
• 1:20:38
  Speaker 1: study this message even more. The links are in the
• 1:20:42
  Speaker 1: description below which Lesson challenged you the most. Let us
• 1:20:46
  Speaker 1: know in the comments, and remember truth is worth everything.
• 1:20:50
  Speaker 1: Hold on to it, stand in it, never let it go.