Latest / Mount Eaton Church / The Word God Said - False Teachers, The Way To Destruction - 2 Peter 2:4-22 pt.2

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The Word God Said - False Teachers, The Way To Destruction - 2 Peter 2:4-22 pt.2 · Mount Eaton Church

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Excellent. All right. Father, I want to thank
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you so much for your goodness and faithfulness.
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Thank you, Lord, for your word. Lord, help us
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to walk in true liberty, to understand that the
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very gift of freedom that has been given, it's
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been given by you for the purpose of your glory
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and honor. That this nation was founded solely
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for the proclamation of the gospel. There is
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no nation on the earth that has proclaimed the
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gospel to peoples globally more than the missionaries
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that have come out of this country. We thank
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you for that. And I do pray desperately that
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we have not lost our zeal for you and our desire.
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To contend for the faith and to walk in true
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freedom. Lord, we do praise you and thank you
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in Jesus' name. Amen. Alright, if you guys would
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turn with me to 2 Peter. 2 Peter chapter 2. We've
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dealt with the, been dealing with the issue of
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false teachers from verses 1 and 3. Now we're
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going to deal with the rest of this chapter.
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I've decided to take this chapter and split it
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off into two sections. The first section is going
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to be dealing specifically with the destruction
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of the rebellious. And then the second part of
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the chapter deals with the clear understanding
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of what you see in the heart of a false teacher
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or what they bring about, the reality of what
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happens because of their character. So we're
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going to read. The whole chapter, the rest of
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the chapter, and then we'll dig in. Verse 4,
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For if God did not spare angels when they sinned,
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but cast them into hell and committed them to
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chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the
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judgment, if he did not spare the ancient world,
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but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness,
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with seven others, when he brought a flood upon
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the world of the ungodly, If by turning the cities
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of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, he condemned
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them to extinction, making them an example of
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what is going to happen to the ungodly. And if
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he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed
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by the sensual conduct of the wicked. For as
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that righteous man lived among them day after
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day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over
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there. lawless deeds that he saw and heard, then
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the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials
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and to keep the unrighteous under punishment
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until the day of judgment. And especially those
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who indulge in the lusts of defiling passion
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and despise authority, bold and willful, they
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do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious
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ones. Whereas angels, though greater in might
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and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment
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against them before the Lord. But these, like
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irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born
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to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about
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matters of which they are ignorant, will also
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be destroyed in their destruction. Suffering
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wrong as the wage of their wrongdoing, they count
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it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are
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blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions
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while they feast with you. They have eyes full
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of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice
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unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed,
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accused children, forsaking right Forsaken the
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right way, they have gone astray. They have followed
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the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved
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gain from wrongdoing. was rebuked for his own
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transgression. A speechless donkey spoke with
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a human voice and restrained the prophet's madness.
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These are waterless springs and mists driven
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by storm. For them, the gloom of utter darkness
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has been reserved. For speaking loud boasts of
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folly, they entice by sensual passions of the
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flesh those who barely escaping from the from
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those who live in error they promise them freedom
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but they themselves are slaves of corruption
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for whatever overcomes a person to that he is
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enslaved for if after they escape the defilements
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of the world through the knowledge of our lord
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and savior jesus christ they are again entangled
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in them and overcome the last state has become
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worse for them than the first. For it would have
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been better for them to never have known the
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way of righteousness than after knowing it to
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turn back from the holy commandment delivered
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to them. What the true proverb says has happened
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to them. The dog returns to its own vomit and
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the sow, after washing her, returns to wallow
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in the mire. This is confusing and difficult.
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I'm just, you read it and you go like, what is
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all of that? I'm going to decipher as best as
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I can by God's grace. So the best way to decipher
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this in just in a informational context is to
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split it into two particular sections, which
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I told you. The first, the judgment of the rebellious.
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As sure as God's salvation is for his people,
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so is the judgment of the wicked and rebellious.
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What do I mean? The reality of God's salvation
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is sure. It's a guarantee for his people. And
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so is the judgment of the wicked and rebellious.
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It's just as guaranteed. God is just, God is
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salvation and just. Grace. And punishment. He
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is both. And you can't separate the two from
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him. Except for us, our punishment and our judgment
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has been placed on Christ. In 2 Peter 3, 7. But
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by the same word, the heavens and the earth that
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now exist are stored up for fire, being kept
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until the day of judgment and destruction of
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the ungodly. See, one thing I want you to understand
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is the first time God destroyed the earth with
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water. This time he's going to flood it with
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fire. Very important. So in 2 Peter 2, 4 through
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10a. For if God did not spare angels when they
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sinned, but cast them into hell or committed
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them. To chains of gloomy darkness is the idea
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here. To be kept until the judgment. The ancient
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world but preserved Noah, he did the same thing.
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What does he do with the angels? Turn to Jude
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6. And the angels who did not stay within their
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own position of authority, but left their dwelling,
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left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal
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chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment
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of the great day. And as you see in verse 7,
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he talks about Sodom and Gomorrah. It's very
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interesting. Revelation 20. Then I saw an angel
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coming down from heaven, holding in his hand
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a key to the bottomless pit and a great chain.
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Verse 2. And he seized the dragon, the ancient
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serpent, who is the devil, Satan, and bound him
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for a thousand years and threw him into the pit
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and shut it and sealed it over him so that he
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might not deceive the nations any longer until
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the thousand years were ended. After that, he
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must be released for a little while. So the reality
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is that the Bible doesn't say how many were chained.
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The Bible just says they were. So let's... It's
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not worth getting into a debate on that. We must
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settle with what the scripture says. In 2 Peter
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2, in Jude verse 6, in Revelation 20, they were
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chained and locked up. And the number, I don't
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know. That's not worth a debate. But what does
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this teach? That the rebellious angels were locked
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up for judgment by which they would be thrown
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into the pit and destroyed. Well, not destroyed,
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not really. Tormented for all eternity. I don't
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believe in nihilism, so we won't go there. Verse
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5, and if he did not spare the ancient world,
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but preserved, kept safe Noah, a herald of righteousness,
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a preacher of divine truth, and seven others,
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which was his wife, his three sons, and their
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wives. When he brought, when he was to bring
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upon, God was to bring upon a flood or a deluge
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of water upon the world of the ungodly. If by
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turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into
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ashes, what's it mean that he turned, that he
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flooded the world of the ungodly? I want you
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to turn to Genesis 6, 17. Genesis chapter 6,
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verse 17. I'm going to do a little bit of walking
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today. Notice what it says here. For behold,
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I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth
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to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of
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life under heaven. Everything that is on the
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earth shall die. Well, why not Noah? I mean,
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he was a sinner, was he not? Of course. But the
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scripture says he was the only righteous one.
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Perfect in his generation. So why did God not
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destroy Noah? Because Noah was set apart as righteous
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unto God. And what's interesting is that everything
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else is destroyed. God has kept Noah the righteous,
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his wife, one flesh, and his children, the future
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generation. them for reestablishing the world
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again. Does that mean that sin wasn't present?
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Not at all. You've got to look. His son Ham was
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a pistol. Turn to Genesis chapter 7 verse 12.
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And rain fell upon the earth for 40 days and
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40 nights and on On the very same day, Noah and
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his sons, Shem, Ham, Japheth, and Noah's wife,
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and their three wives of his sons, with them
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entered the ark. And every beast according to
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its kind, and livestock according to its kind,
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and every bird according to its kind, and every
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winged creature according to its kind. They went
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into the ark with Noah. and two of all flesh
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in which there was the breath of life. When did
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they enter the ark? The same day it rained. I
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want you to get that. God says, Noah, get in
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the ark. Noah gets in the ark. So do all the
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animals. The same day it rains. The day of wrath.
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The day of judgment. I want you to pay attention.
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That is biblical. That's scriptural. Keep reading.
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And those that entered, male and female and all
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flesh, went in as God had commanded him and the
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Lord shut him in. Same day. When was their salvation?
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When was their removal from the earth? Their
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rapture. If you want to say. They're taking out.
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The same day. So that puts a monkey wrench. A
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real big one. Into dispensational theology. Same
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day. It's there for a reason. And you know good
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hermeneutics. You got a scripture upon scripture.
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So. That being said, what else do we understand?
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God shut him in. Who saves? God. Who guarantees
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you're in? God. In the same way that God has
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placed Noah in the ark, God has placed us in
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Christ. By the Holy Spirit. Who is the guarantee,
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our seal, guaranteeing our inheritance. He has
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closed the door for us. We are in the ark, Christ.
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That's the point. If by turning the cities of
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Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, he condemned,
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he judged them to death. Interesting. He condemned
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them to extinction by a catastrophe. So. If you
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have any question that God makes extinct cultures
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of people, it's right here. When I say extinct,
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when we read it, you're going to go, everything's
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extinct. Okay? Making them an example. Why did
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he destroy the two cities by fire and leave nothing
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behind? As an example. As a warning to avoid
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or shun of what's going to happen to the ungodly.
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It's a warning. Don't follow them. This is what's
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going to happen to the ungodly. What does the
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word ungodly mean? The destitute of reverential
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awe of God. They have no awe, no reverence, no
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splendor and majesty of the great king of all
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creation. Turn to Genesis chapter 18. Chapter
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18, Genesis verse 20 and 21. And the Lord said,
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because... The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah
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is great and their sin is very grave. I will
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go down to see whether they have done altogether
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according to the outcry that has come to me.
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And if not, I will know. So why? You'll be like,
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why does God do that? I thought God is omni -omniscient.
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He is. But do you know what he says in Matthew
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18? To establish a crime, because that's what
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this is. You must have two or three witnesses.
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Do you ever thought about that? How many went
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into the city? Two. We won't get into who, though
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I desperately want to. But I do encourage you,
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read chapter 18 and 19, you'll know who. So these
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two men go in as a witness to the destitute of
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the ungodly, the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah. It's
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not the issue of proving that they're sin. It's
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an issue of you have clearly sinned. And God
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does never break his word, right? He always does
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what his word says. And that's what you read
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in Genesis. Now look at chapter 19, verse 24
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and 25. It says, Then the Lord reigned on Sodom
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and Gomorrah, sulfur and fire from the Lord out
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of heaven. And he overthrew the cities and all
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the valley and all the inhabitants of the city
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and what grew on the ground. Did you hear that?
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What's interesting is when you read about Lot,
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which we're going to get to in a minute. God
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destroyed not only every building, but even what
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was growing. And you can easily go there now
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and just see there's a bunch of softball balls
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everywhere. And it only takes a match to light
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it. They still catch fire. Because of sin. But
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verse 7, this is your hope. If he rescued, if
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he dragged out of danger. Is literally what this
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word means. Righteous Lot. The just and upright
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Lot. Because great distress. He was greatly distressed
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by the sensual conduct of the wicked. This word
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distress means to wear out. Lot was worn out
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by the lewdness and their way of life. He was
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exhausted. You ever get to a point when you're
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in a situation so much that you're around it
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so much, bad company corrupts good morals, and
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what ends up happening to you? So if you think
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because you look at yourself as godly and a Christian,
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you can go into a very debauched environment
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thinking that you're going to go in and save
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these people, I'm going to tell you right now,
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one good apple doesn't make a batch of bad apples
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good. Eventually, they're all rotten. And that's
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exactly what's happened here. He was worn down.
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Walked in there all about the God of Abraham,
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and then he was literally saturated with sin,
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the sin of the people, and became conditioned
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to the environment. For as that righteous man
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lived among them day after day, he was tormenting
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his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that
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he saw and heard. Isn't that interesting? Why
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would God call Lot righteous? I mean, after all,
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Lot didn't want to leave Sodom and Gomorrah.
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Because what is God's promise concerning the
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righteous? He will keep them. It's called the
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doctrine of perseverance. He persevered of the
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saints. And what you see concerning the reality
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of Lot is that he is righteous not because of
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anything Lot has done. It's because God has declared
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him righteous through a promise that he made
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to Abraham. We call that election. Look what
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it says. Then the Lord knows how to rescue the
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godly, the reverent, the devout from trials or
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tests or the putting to the proof is the idea.
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And to keep the unrighteous under judgment until
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the day of judgment. Under punishment until the
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day of judgment. He knows how to keep the unrighteous
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under punishment until the day of judgment. What
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about Lot? And especially those who indulge in
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the lusts, in anything they go after concerning
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the flesh. Of defiling is the word they use here.
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The corruption and the pollution of passions.
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And despise. They look, they scorn authority.
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Isn't that interesting? God knows how to rescue
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the righteous. Do you want to know how God rescues
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the righteous? Turn to Genesis. Chapter 19. Chapter
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18. Sorry. I want you to pay attention to this.
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Very important. Genesis 18. How did God rescue
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the righteous? Remember the term I used over
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here? The word rescue means to drag. Genesis
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19. Verse 15. As morning dawned, the angels heard
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Lot saying, Up, take your wife and your two daughters
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who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment
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of the city. But he lingered. He's like, I don't
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want to go. It's okay. I really don't want to
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go. But what did the men do? So the men seized
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him and his wife and his two daughters by the
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hand, the Lord being merciful to him, and brought
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him out and set him outside the city. I thought
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salvation was my choice. Did Lot have a choice?
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No. He was dragged out. Screaming and kicking.
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I don't want to go. Not really, but. But then,
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you know, you know what Lot says after that.
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You need to go away. I'm going to destroy this.
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Can't I just go over there? I mean, it's not
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that far. It's not as bad as Sodom and Gomorrah,
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but. God's like, yeah, go ahead. Then look, they
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despise authority. They scorn authority. You
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know what's really scary? Is that authority scorns
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authority in our country now. When those who
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are in authority scorn authority, we're in deep
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trouble. Look what it says in verse 10b. Bold,
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daring and willful, arrogant and stubborn. They
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do not tremble. They don't fear as they blaspheme,
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as they insult or slander the glorious ones.
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Now I want you to understand something. The reason
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why they use the word glorious ones in the translation
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in the English is because it's between two particular
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discussions. First is Lot being dragged out by
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angels. Okay? And also in verse 4, dealing with
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the issue of God did not spare the angels. And
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then in the next verse, verse 11, whereas angels,
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though greater in might and power. So they use
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the word glorious ones, but I will tell you in
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the original language, the word ones isn't present.
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And what's really cool is whether you use glorious
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ones or just glory, it actually keeps the context
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anyway. I believe that the proper translation
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for this particular verse is this way. Bold and
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willful, they do not tremble, but they blaspheme
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the glory. Of what? Of God. Why? How? How do
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they blaspheme the glory of God? The glory of
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God is seen in his creation. The image bearer.
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is Peter particularly talking about? He's talking
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about the men who are blaspheming God in their
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attractions to one another. We got kids, so I'm
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trying to... But I really think it's the issue
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of blaspheming the glory. We see that in Genesis
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19, 10, and 15 through 16. Which is what I just
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read to you. So, second principle. Not everything
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that is called Christian is Christian. So I want
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you to get this. We have a problem in our country.
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That everything that we consider Christian is
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Christian. Just because it says it's Christian,
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we think it's Christian. Listen to me. Don't
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believe the hype. It's not true. I don't know
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about you, but certain people just aren't Christian.
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And certain positions that they carry just aren't
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Christian. And certain music that is being played
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now just isn't Christian. Why do I say that?
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AI music is one of the most growing. genres in
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music today. It's crazy. There's AI Christian
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music everywhere. What's the problem with AI
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Christian music? It doesn't come from the heart
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of a man who is in love with Jesus. There is
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no genuine beauty of worship. of a man pouring
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out his love and his adoration and his reverence
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and his fear for the living God. It comes from
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a computer that feels nothing, but it just feeds
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you information. And we go, oh, that's good Christian
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music. Just because it's Christian doesn't mean
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it's Christian. Be careful. There is deception
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everywhere. Pay attention to the warning and
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hold fast to the scripture. How can we tell what
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is true? Scripture. What is worship? Obedience
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out of love for God. Second Corinthians 11, 13
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through 15. For such men are false apostles,
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deceitful workmen, describing themselves as apostles
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of Christ. And no wonder. For even Satan disguises
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himself as an angel of light. It is no surprise
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if his servants also disguise themselves as servants
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of righteousness. Their end will correspond to
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their deeds. Chapter 2, verse 2 Peter 2, 11 through
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16. It's 10b, but... Whereas angels, messengers,
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though greater, though they exist... As greater
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in might and strength, or might meaning strength
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and power, they do not pronounce, they don't
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bear, they don't carry a blasphemous or a slanderous
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judgment against them. Well, remember, Peter's
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still talking about a particular event. We haven't
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gotten done the comment concerning Lot. So this
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bold and willful, they do not tremble, should
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be up. Next to despise authority. And it should
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continue because these angels that came to rescue
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Lot did not slander him or did not make a judgment
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against him. Didn't even say a thing about the
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issue of his sin. It's interesting, isn't it?
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Why? Because they came to rescue. He came to
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rescue. I .e., Lot and his family is the them.
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So they didn't come to make a judgment or slander
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them before the Lord. The Lord has already dealt
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with the issue of the sin of the city. Not one
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thing did you hear about why they were destroying
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the city. They just said the sin of the city
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is an outcry. Didn't say anything else, did they?
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No. But these, now he's changing his thought.
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These who? Chapter 2, verse 1. But false prophets
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also rose among the people, just as there will
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be false teachers among you who will secretly
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bring in destructive heresies, even denying the
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master who bought them, bring upon them swift
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destruction. These. That's who he's talking about.
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Now that we've gotten through the examples of
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the destruction of what was happening to those
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who rebelled, he talks about these particular
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false teachers, these people who bring in these
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false teachings. These false teachers, they're
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like, they're irrational, they're unreasonable,
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they're brute. They live by instinct like animals.
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Creatures of instinct. Born. Interesting term.
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The word born literally means to beget. They
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were begotten. They were born to be caught and
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destroyed. Anybody like fishing? That's what
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fish are for. But that's what it says here concerning
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these people. Why is this important? Let me share
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with you Romans. I'm going to make sure I get
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this verse right. If I can remember where it's
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at. There it is. Romans chapter 9 verse 22. I
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want you to hear this. What if God, desiring
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to show his wrath and to make known his power,
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has endured with much patience vessels of wrath
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prepared for destruction? In order to make known
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the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy.
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Now why does he use this statement here? The
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previous verses, look what it says previously
33:12
in verse 19. What will... You will say to me
33:18
then, why does he still find fault for who can
33:24
resist his will? Why does God find fault if I
33:27
don't have a choice? If I'm not in control of
33:31
my own destiny? That's what Paul's saying here.
33:37
Verse 20. But who are you, O man, to answer back
33:41
to God? Will what is molded? Say to what's molder,
33:46
why have you made me like this? So I want you
33:50
to get this. Every one of you are clay. Do you
33:57
have any question about that? When we go to heaven
34:00
and we see Adam, say, Adam, like, what are you
34:02
made of? He'll be like, dirt. There's a reason
34:06
why Paul uses this terminology of potter and
34:10
clay, because we are clay. And I was knit together
34:17
in the secret place, was I not? Was I molded
34:20
in the womb? God is still molding. Has the potter
34:29
no right over the clay to make out of the same
34:33
lump one vessel for honorable use and another
34:37
for dishonorable use? And what if God, desiring
34:41
to show his wrath, and to make his power known,
34:43
has endured with much patience vessels of wrath,
34:46
prepared for destruction. And in order to make
34:49
his riches of his glory known, that's in parentheses,
34:54
because that's what he's implying here, for vessels
34:56
of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for
34:59
glory, even us, whom he has called, not from
35:04
the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles. Doesn't
35:08
God have the right as God to do as he pleases
35:11
for his own glory and purposes according to his
35:14
word? Absolutely. That's what he means here.
35:18
And if he does, then he also, back to 2 Peter
35:22
chapter 2, he has the right to bring about creatures
35:33
to be caught and destroyed. These creatures,
35:38
blaspheming, they blaspheme, they slander, they
35:42
curse, they revile, they defame. They talk about
35:44
matters which they are ignorant, they have no
35:47
knowledge of. They act like they know, but they
35:51
know nothing, is what he's saying. Will also
35:56
be destroyed. They will also be depraved and
35:59
corrupt to destroy. In other words, they will
36:02
not be redeemed. In their destruction. That's
36:06
interesting they use this word twice. They will
36:09
be destroyed in their destruction. It means to
36:12
destroy in order to destroy. Look at this term
36:16
here in verse 13. Suffering wrong. That means
36:19
to bring payment as a payment. They will be destroyed
36:25
for payment because of that is what they've earned.
36:32
Destruction. For what? For their wrongdoing,
36:36
for their evil, for their falsehood, for their
36:38
deceit. They, the false teachers, count it pleasure
36:44
to revel in the daytime. They lead the way. These
36:53
false teachers lead the way in gratification
36:56
and sensual pleasure. And they self -indulge
36:59
and they carouse in it during the daytime. Now,
37:02
I know you guys, you know, I mean, we live in
37:07
a woke culture, right? And what's the woke culture
37:11
statement? They don't even hide it anymore. It's
37:14
all out in the open. No, it's been out in the
37:16
open forever. It's always been open. We've just
37:22
been blind. Because we don't want to think the
37:26
worst of people. You're like, you sound so negative,
37:30
Pastor. I have to. It's false teachers. I can't.
37:34
It's not like pleasant. Then look what Peter
37:40
says. They are blots. They are stains. Blemishes.
37:45
You guys know what a blot is. Who eats spaghetti?
37:49
I'm Italian. We got some Italians here. You ever
37:52
wear a white shirt and it's real nice and then
37:54
you're killing the pasta and it splatters and
37:59
you're like, oh. And you try to get your Tide
38:02
pen out and it doesn't work because there's too
38:03
much oil in it. You know what I mean? You throw
38:07
it in the wash thinking it's going to come out
38:08
and what do you see? The blot. That's what he's
38:15
talking about. They're blemishes. They're a disgrace.
38:20
Reviling in their deceptions, in their delusion.
38:24
They are in delusion. Chapter 1 of Romans. While
38:29
they feast with you. While they have a love feast
38:31
with you. They sit down at your table. They're
38:34
part of your gathering. And they're sitting there
38:38
and they're just causing their stuff. They have
38:43
eyes full of adultery. Insatiable, unceasing,
38:47
unrelenting for sin. They love sin and they invent
38:50
ways to do it. They entice. They seduce. They
38:54
lure. What do they lure? Who do they seduce?
38:57
The unsteady, the unstable, the weak, the unsettled
39:00
soul. They don't go for the strong in the faith
39:05
and in doctrine. They go for the weaker in the
39:07
faith and the doctrine. Why? Because they can
39:09
be convinced quicker. And they have hearts. They
39:13
have hearts trained in greed. They practice greed.
39:21
It's one of the things I don't... I don't like
39:24
about the spiritual advisor of our president.
39:30
I know. She's like, give me $1 ,000. The Lord
39:35
wants you to give me $1 ,000. I'm like, I can't
39:42
get over that video. And people believe she's
39:47
a believer. Shakataka, wakataka, shakataka. I
39:53
mean, I can't. That's the easiest tongues I've
39:55
ever done. I'm just. You want me to translate
39:58
it? I want your money. Give me your money. Give
40:01
me your money. That's what I think. That's what
40:05
she said. Only in America. Now, look what else
40:14
it says. They are cursed children. They're cursed.
40:19
They're forsaking the right way, the straight
40:21
road. They have gone astray. They have wandered
40:25
into deception. They are deceived. They have
40:31
followed. They have obeyed. They have imitated
40:35
the way of Balaam, the son of Baor, who loved
40:41
gain from wrongdoing. Now, I want you to get
40:44
this. Balaam. Balak, I'm not going to go back.
40:48
We're not going to read this. Balak, the king,
40:51
says to his elders, I want you to go get Balaam.
40:55
I don't want Balaam to come, and I want Balaam
40:57
to come and curse the people of Israel. And I
41:01
want you to take a bunch of money to him. And
41:04
they do. I mean, they show up with bags of money,
41:09
right, for him to do a divination. A divination
41:14
is to curse. Okay? So Balaam's like, I don't
41:22
know if I can do that. So Balaam falls asleep.
41:25
And in his sleep, God talks to him and he says,
41:27
Balaam, if the men come to you, you can go with
41:33
them, but only tell them what I say you're going
41:36
to tell them. Balaam's like, okay. He wakes up
41:43
in the morning and he just goes. The men never
41:48
showed up to say, hey, Balaam, let's go. Come
41:52
with me. No, he decided he's going to go anyway.
41:56
I'm just going to wake up and go. That's what
41:59
he does. He wakes up and he goes. He gets up
42:01
in the morning. He gets his donkey ready and
42:03
he's going to go meet them. Why? God said, don't
42:08
go. The only time you can go is if they come
42:10
and get you. But they never came and got him.
42:13
Why? Balaam wanted the money. And you guys know
42:18
the rest of the story. Donkey goes walking. Donkey
42:22
sees Jesus with a sword. And he's like, no, it's
42:28
going that way. It goes this way. Gets between
42:31
a wall. Sees, no, it ain't going that way. Gets
42:35
between the hedges. No, I ain't doing that. And
42:38
drops down. And every time the donkey makes a
42:42
turn, Balaam smacks the donkey. And the donkey
42:46
turns around and says, yo, why you keep hitting
42:49
me, man? I've been with you all these years.
42:51
You keep smacking me. You know I haven't put
42:53
you in a bad situation. Well, why ain't you going
42:55
where I want you to go? Because of him. And all
42:59
of a sudden, the Lord reveals himself to Balaam
43:02
with a sword in his hand. And he says, Balaam,
43:04
I'm going to kill you. I'm going to kill you.
43:12
I don't know about you, but the donkey starts
43:13
talking. Now look what it says here. But, the
43:20
donkey, but was rebuked. He was rebuked for the
43:24
transgression. A speechless donkey spoke with
43:28
a human voice and restrains the prophet's madness.
43:31
Why was the prophet mad? He wanted the money.
43:34
And when you read Balaam's conversation, oh,
43:37
you can give me gold and silver in your house.
43:39
And I'm not going to say anything against what
43:42
the Lord tells me to say. Really? Well, you're
43:44
in trouble now anyway because you weren't supposed
43:46
to go with them in the first place. Verse 17.
43:51
These false teachers are waterless springs. They
43:55
do not quench. They do not satisfy. They are
43:59
mists like clouds driven by a storm. We've seen
44:02
that yesterday. Just clouds get blown wherever.
44:06
For them, the gloom of utter darkness. Now I
44:10
want you to understand this term, gloom of utter
44:12
darkness. That means the blackest or darkest
44:17
of darkness, that is dark. It's like dark. Why?
44:25
For speaking, for proclaiming loud boasts, they're
44:28
pompous, they're bombastic. And they're bombastic
44:34
about their emptiness and their futility, their
44:36
folly. They brag about it. They think it's good.
44:42
And then it says they entice, they seduce by
44:46
sensual passions, by desires and longings of
44:48
the flesh, meaning they live life in a debaucherous
44:52
way, those who are barely escaping from those
44:57
who live and return back in error. For the ones
45:02
that are in the continual delusion and deception
45:04
of wandering and fraud. They just keep, it's
45:07
just a cycle. They keep going through. They do
45:09
over and over and over again. Nothing changes
45:12
and they keep taking people with them. Verse
45:14
19, they promise, they announce freedom for you.
45:19
They'll tell you to get free. This is where it
45:22
is. This is where your freedom is. But they themselves
45:27
are slaves of corruption. perishableness, depravity,
45:31
destruction. For whatever overcomes, whatever
45:36
is lesser and inferior, that is what they're
45:41
enslaved to. That's what this means. For whatever
45:45
overcomes them, overcomes a person, that he is
45:49
enslaved to. It's the lesser, the inferior that
45:52
he's enslaved to. Verse 20. For if, after they
45:57
have escaped the defilements, the pollution and
46:00
the corruption of the world through the knowledge
46:03
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. See, I want
46:05
you to see this. For if is the term. And that
46:09
is in the original. If. Not that it is. If they
46:18
had escaped because of the knowledge of our Lord
46:22
and Savior Jesus Christ. And then, again, if.
46:26
They were involved in the lesser things. Whatever
46:32
happens with them in the state they were in,
46:36
it gets worse than the first time. In other words,
46:40
they're far worse than they were before they
46:44
knew. We know what this is. This is the Matthew
46:49
12, 43 through 45 conversation that Jesus has.
46:53
Turn there. You guys know this little story,
46:58
right? Chapter 12. When the unclean spirit has
47:08
come out of a person, it passes through waterless
47:12
places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it
47:17
says, I will return to my house from which I
47:21
came. And when it comes, it finds a house empty,
47:24
swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings
47:28
with it seven other spirits more evil than itself.
47:32
And they enter and dwell there. And the last
47:36
state of that person is worse than the first.
47:39
So also it will be with this evil generation.
47:48
It's a parable. Isn't that interesting? And that's
47:54
exactly what Peter says here. Verse 21, for it
47:59
would have been better for them never to have
48:02
known the way of righteousness, meaning the gospel.
48:05
They should have never known the gospel. Then
48:08
after knowing it, to turn back from the holy
48:11
commandment of the gospel. Remember I told you
48:15
the gospel is not some invitation where it's
48:19
like, hey, do you want Jesus? You know, I want
48:22
to give you a way into heaven. No, this is a
48:27
commandment. Repent and believe the gospel. That's
48:30
the commandment. It's an imperative. That's what
48:33
he means here. The way of righteousness is the
48:36
gospel. Then after knowing it, to turn back and
48:40
disobey the commandment of the gospel that was
48:43
delivered to them. This is the analogy Peter
48:48
uses to describe this. What the true proverb
48:52
says has happened to them. The dog returns. The
48:56
dog returns to its own vomit and the sow, after
48:59
washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.
49:03
Proverbs 26, 11. The dog returns to its vomit.
49:06
A dog is a dog because it's a dog. It will always
49:10
be a dog. The only way I'm no longer a dog because
49:12
I was a dog. God had made me a new creature.
49:19
I'm no longer a dog. I don't return to my vomit.
49:25
And the reason why so many people do is because
49:28
they're not changed. They have believed a false
49:34
teacher. And this is important because we live
49:38
in days where things are off the hook. It is
49:43
crazy what is being given and taught as Christian.
49:48
And we've been told by preachers, you know, we
49:51
shouldn't judge. We live in very evil days. And
49:58
if you can't judge the right from the wrong,
50:02
how in the world, what do we just pacify it?
50:06
It's wrong. It's sin. As we read in Jude, the
50:12
scripture says that you should drag them out
50:15
of the fire. I love that. You're supposed to
50:19
go into the burning house and rip them out. Read
50:25
it. So if you ever want to know, Jude is the
50:30
sister letter to 2 Peter. It's amazing how close
50:35
they are. Jude says it very concisely. Peter
50:39
says it very distinctly. But they're almost identical.
50:43
It's quite remarkable. So that's my encouragement
50:47
to you guys. Stand firm in the faith. Know your
50:51
doctrine. It's the only way you're going to be
50:54
able to tell the difference. Not everything is
50:57
Christian that calls itself Christian. Okay?
51:02
All right. Father, I want to thank you so much
51:04
for your faithfulness and goodness. Thank you,
51:06
Lord, for your word. Thank you, Lord, for our
51:08
time today. And Lord, may you be honored and
51:10
glorified in all things. In Jesus' name, amen.