Latest / Mount Eaton Church / 1 John 2:15-29 - The Deconstructed: A Life That Never Left the World - 8.23.2026

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1 John 2:15-29 - The Deconstructed: A Life That Never Left the World - 8.23.2026 · Mount Eaton Church

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Father, I want to thank you so much for your
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goodness and faithfulness. Thank you for your
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word, Lord, as we come before you. We pray that
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you would help us to understand how we are not
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only preserved in the faith as a saint, but how
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we are to maintain our minds and are consistent
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in our walk. as we walk with you, as to avoid
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the deception of deconstructionism. And that
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you, in your wisdom and goodness, have always
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kept your people till the day of your return,
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till that great day. And we praise you and thank
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you for your faithfulness and goodness. To you
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be glory and honor. In Jesus' name, amen. So
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let us start off with 1 John 2, verse 15. Do
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not love the world or the things in the world.
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If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father
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is not in him. For all that is in the world,
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the desires of the flesh, the desires of the
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eyes, and the pride of life is not from the Father,
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but is from the world. And the world is passing
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away along with its desires, but whoever does
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the will of God abides forever. Children, it
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is the last hour. And as you have heard, the
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Antichrist is coming. So now many Antichrists
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have come. Therefore, we know that it is the
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last hour. They went out from us, but they were
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not of us. For if they had been of us, they would
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have continued with us. But they went out that
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it might become plain that they all are not of
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us. but you have been anointed by the Holy One,
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and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not
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because you do not know the truth, but because
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you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
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Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus
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is the Christ? This is the Antichrist, he who
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denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies
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the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the
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Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from
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the beginning abide in you. If what you heard
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from the beginning abides in you, then you too
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will abide in the Son and in the Father. And
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this is the promise. That he made to us eternal
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life. I write these things to you. About those
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who were trying to deceive you. But the anointing
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that you received from him abides in you. And
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you have no need that any should teach you. But
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as. is but as his anointing teaches you about
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everything and is true and there's no lie just
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as it has taught you abide in him so we read
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this and we go wow it's a lot there is a lot
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but there's a specific continual thread and understanding
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of what he's trying to show you and this is a
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major issue in our day right now So the title
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for this message is The Deconstructed, A Life
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That Never Left the World. The Deconstructed,
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A Life That Never Left the World. So what we
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see in 1 John chapter 2 is 10 times John writes
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the term, I write to you. 10 times. In this entire
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chapter. And this is why it's important. We know
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because I told you guys last week. If John says
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I'm writing to you. Then you have to read it.
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He doesn't write for you not to read. So the
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implication is. If I write to you. If I write
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to you. If I write to you. Then you will read
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it. Then you will read it. Then you will read
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it. And this is significant. This is not a statement
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of suggestion. But an imperative to listen and
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follow. So when God says something over and over
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and over again, it's you listen and you do it.
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And five times he uses the term children in this
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chapter. It's one of the common analogies. If
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you read in this entire book, he uses the term
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children and little children quite often. And
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there's a reason. Because he is writing as a
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father does to his children. We must listen to
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what he is writing in the same way a child should
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listen to their father. In other words, if I'm
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going to talk to you, boy, listen to what I'm
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saying. And so we must listen because he's writing
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in the same way as a father would to a child.
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And this part of the chapter is vital to John's
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explaining what has happened and what's to come.
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He specifically points out the defectors. These
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Christian deconstructionists, these ex -evangelicals
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is a term that's used today. The CVs or the hashtag
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empty the pews statement. For you young guys,
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and this has got a room full of some younger
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people, you know, you got your little Twitter
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hashtag statements. And this is one of those
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statements. Among what you would assume are the
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learned, but they're really not learned at all.
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At a leaders conference I attended a few years
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ago at Cairn University, the subject was doubt,
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disillusionment, and deconstruction. It's based
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on a book, Surprised by Doubt, How Disillusionment
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Can Invite Us to a Deeper Faith by Dr. Joshua
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Chatrall. It's interesting because I left there,
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I went there curious. I know that deconstruction
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is this thing going on. But really, what is it
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about? But I left with many concerns about that
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particular conference. Other than that, the conferences
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have been absolutely amazing. And I can understand
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why they did the conference because they're trying
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to inform pastors and leaders on how to deal
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with people who are quote -unquote deconstructioning
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or are disillusioned to the faith. And Paul deals
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with that. Don't be so easily shaken, Paul says,
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as if. A letter was written. I'll read that in
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a minute. But that's the problem with deconstruction
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people. These disillusioned people. Their faith
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is easily shaken. And the reason why it's easily
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shaken is because it's not really built on the
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firm foundation. Christ being the chief cornerstone
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and the foundation being the apostles and the
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prophets of the word of God given to the people.
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They build on foundation different. Really try
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to build a foundation that fits them. A house
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that they would like. And I think the important
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thing is when I left that conference, I left
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that conference firmer in my rejection of deconstructionism
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and stronger in the stance of the perseverance
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of the saints. And when we get done this, you're
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going to see why I... State that. Deconstructionism
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is not a new thing. It's an old deception. They
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just relabeled it. Christian deconstructionism
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is the process. This is the definition. And I
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pulled this definition from the internet because
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there's like several different types of definitions.
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And it came from the 1960s from a French I think
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it's a French psychologist. I can't remember
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if he was a psychologist or sociologist. But
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he came up with this term of deconstructionism.
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And as a result, the Christians have adopted
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this term and this way of thinking. So I think
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this definition gives a clear understanding of
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Christian deconstructionism and why it's so prevalent.
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And that is because it is a worldview and a world
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philosophy. applied to biblical truths by which
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they make themselves look foolish because they
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don't know. Or they know, but they really don't
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want to know. Or they just don't know because
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they choose not to know. So Christian deconstructionism
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is the process of critically examining, questioning,
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and dismantling a person's previously held religious
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beliefs, church culture, and foundational doctrines.
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Now think about that. You're critically thinking
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about a doctrine that you alone never believed
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in. You're not really dismantling anything. You're
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not deconstructing anything. You're making excuses
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for what's always been there. So often, starting
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with evangelism, it involves taking apart a lifelong
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belief system to see what is true, harmful. And
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shaped purely by politics and tradition. And
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it's interesting that as we see the rise of the
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religious right. And the religious left. The
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rise of the political religion of America. There
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are two forms. Right? Two forms. We have the.
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Christian nationalists. And then we have the
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Christian socialists. And there's this huge debate
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on who's right. And the reality is, I think many
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of these deconstructionists end up making their
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final decision on what they believe politically.
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Because, after all, it's what's going on in my
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life right now. Because I'm like the most important
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thing right now. And this isn't new. If you turn
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to John chapter 6, Jesus dealt with the same
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issue. The same exact problem. Jesus dealt with
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defectors. Jesus dealt with deconstructionists,
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the apostates, the ones who said they were with
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him, but then they were like, yep, I'm out. So
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Jesus is talking to the people. In John 6. And
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he's talking to them about him being the bread
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of life. And Jesus says, he who eats my flesh
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and drinks my blood, it is he who has life. And
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they're like, you're weird. That's cannibalism.
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Of course, they didn't get it. But Jesus makes
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this statement on purpose. One, it's true. But
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two, It's to see if they actually believe in
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him. Because what you read in chapter 6 verse
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60 is one of the reasons why I don't like headings.
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Because when you read headings, you think it's
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all one separate conversation to another. In
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reality, it's the same conversation. So in verse
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59 of chapter 6, it says, Jesus said these things
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in a synagogue as he taught in Capernaum. And
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when many of his disciples heard it, they said,
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this is a hard saying. Who can listen to it?
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Who in the world is able to listen to you telling
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everyone to feed on your flesh and drink your
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blood? Like that is, what are you talking about?
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And he was really pointing them to the time that
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the forefathers were in the desert. Eating manna.
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I am your source of life and your sustenance.
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I am the one who keeps you alive. Man does not
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live by bread alone, by every word that comes
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from the mouth of God is what he was implying
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here. But no. So, these disciples that were following
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him, which were numerous, more than 60, I assume.
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They're all like, I can't listen to this. But
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Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples
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were grumbling about this, he said to them, do
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not take offense at this. Then what if you were
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to see the son of man ascending to where he was
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before? If me telling you to eat my flesh and
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drink my blood is shocking, how about if I left
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right here and you watched me go? Would that
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verify that what I'm saying is true? If the manna
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fell from heaven to feed you, how about if the
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manna ascends to heaven? Will you believe me
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then? That's what he's implying here. Then he
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says, it is the spirit who gives life. The flesh
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has no help at all. Now, that is a massive statement.
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Why? Who's the one that gives life? The Spirit
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of God. What's it say in 2 Corinthians chapter
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2? I'm giving you something that I didn't give
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first service. 1 Corinthians chapter 2, verse
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14. If the Spirit gives life, then it's the Spirit
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who gives knowledge. And it's exactly what Jesus
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says. I'll read it to you. Chapter 2, verse 14.
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The natural person does not accept the things
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of God. of the Spirit of God, for they are folly
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to him, and he is not able to understand them
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because they are spiritually discerned. Spiritual
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truths, unspiritual people cannot understand.
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That means even the gospel. That's why when you
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preach the gospel and you go, how can you walk
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away from that? It's because they don't know
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him. Now, look at what Jesus says here. It is
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the Spirit who gives life. The flesh is no help
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at all. The words that I have spoken to you are
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spirit and life. Do you get the point? But there
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are some of you who do not believe. Jesus did
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all these miracles. He did all this in front
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of them. He then gives them a truth that they
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can have life in him and life everlasting and
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forgiveness by their sins being washed away.
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But what do they do? No, I don't want any part
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of that. Because they don't want any part of
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him. That was the point. If you eat this bread
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and drink this cup, you have a part with me.
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But if you don't, you're not part of me. For
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Jesus knew from the beginning who those were
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who did not believe and who it was who would
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betray him. He knew everyone there that didn't
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believe. They were all disciples. Get it. They
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were all disciples. all following him around,
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watching him do miracles and being excited talking
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about it. Did you see that? Man, he's about to
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take over the Romans. It's all about that, right?
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And then all of a sudden he says, hey, you want
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to be a part of me? You got to do this. And they're
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like, you're crazy. Look what he says here. And
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he said, this is why I told you that no one can
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come to me unless it is granted to him by the
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Father. Do you hear that? Let me make this clear
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again. No one can go to Jesus unless the Father
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has granted that person to go to Jesus. How do
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we deal with that? How do you deal with that?
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Because that wrecks a lot of faith here, right?
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That should mess some people up. Mess me up.
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I'm like, what do you mean? I can't go to Jesus
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unless the Father says so? How do I do it? What
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do I do with that? You don't do anything with
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it. The reality is, it's a reality. Okay, God
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said it. I can't argue that. And that's the way
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it is. I will not come unless the Father sends
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me. Or he draws me. That's the point. And he
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comes near to me. Deconstructionists hate that
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idea. Why? Because with deconstructionists, It's
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all about them. It's about me. It's not about
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God. But then look what Jesus says. After this,
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many of his disciples turned back and no longer
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walked with him. Listen, the doctrine of election
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wrecks everybody. Some will stay. Many will go.
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That's what he's saying here. Everybody left.
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Guess who was left? Twelve. And one of the twelve,
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which Jesus says earlier, is the devil. Look
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what it says here. So Jesus said to the twelve,
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do you want to go away as well? You want to leave
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me? Look at the mind of a believer versus a deconstructionist.
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It's an amazing statement. Simon Peter answered,
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Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words
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of eternal life. Do you know how every believer
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perseveres through the reality of doubt and disillusionment?
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The word of God. Doesn't matter. You have the
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words of life and we are in that. I'm all about
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that. So it doesn't matter how... A church grows
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and explodes and then shrinks. The words of life.
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And we've believed and have come to know that
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you are the Holy One of God. Look at his response.
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So not only do you see that the reality of avoiding
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the deconstruction is the word of God which is
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present in them and because he is with them and
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They know him. Personally, I know. Interesting,
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isn't it? But then Jesus says to them, did I
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not choose you, the 12, and yet one of you is
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a devil? And he spoke of Judas, the son of Simon
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Iscariot, for he, one of the 12, was going to
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betray him. So even though Judas stayed, he stayed
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because it was his will to stay. Judas could
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have left. Nah, not going to happen. Because
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God has a plan for Judas, does he not? Oh yes,
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he does. So, turn to 1 John. So even in Jesus'
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day, there are deconstructors or defectors. And
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there are even that in the Old Testament, if
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you go to Isaiah chapter one, verses one through
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four, people have always left the mission because
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they were never part of the mission. And John
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states that. Now look what it says here. It's
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principle number one. No one can serve two masters.
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They will either hate the one and love the other,
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or they will be devoted to the one and despise
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the other. You cannot serve both. You cannot
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serve God and money. And the word there translated
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money is money. But the reality is it's also
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you cannot serve God and the world. Because the
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world operates everything around money. That's
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in Matthew 6, 24. You either love the one or
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hate the other. You're devoted to one and despise
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the other. But you can't have both. And that's
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the uniqueness about God's work through his word.
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And the uniqueness of how God cleans the church
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out by deconstruction. It's not really real true
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faith. In James 4 .4 it says, you adulterous
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people, do you not know that friendship with
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the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever
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wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself
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an enemy of God. You cannot be both. And what
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John is building here is he's building the clear
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direction of where these apostates are. They
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have a love. All of us love something. We either
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love God or we love the world. We either love
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God or we love our sin. You can't love both.
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And sometimes that's a deep struggle for believers.
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And look what it says here in 1 John 2, 15 through
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17. Do not love the things of the world. If anyone
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loves the world, the love of the Father is not
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in him. Pretty clear, isn't it? You cannot love
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the world and say that I'm a believer. For all
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that is in the world, the desires of the flesh,
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the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life,
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is not from the Father, but is from the world.
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Do you get that? So let me get it clear for you.
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The world is this system of things. Specifically,
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the system of sin, the corruption. And the world
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in its system is completely corrupted and designed
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to destroy, steal, and kill. And the world is
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passing away along with its desires. And whoever
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does the will of God abides forever. And what
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he's saying is, Everything that's corrupted eventually
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decays. The world is dying. Look at the ash trees
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just in this area. That's a small microcosm of
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the slow decay of things. Because of sin. Imagine
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what sin does to the soul. And that's why he
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says we are dead in our trespasses. We are dealing
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with the reality of the corruption of the world
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every single day we wake up and we sleep. And
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the world is passing away with all its desires.
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But the question is, do you abide in God forever?
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Principle number two, those who deconstruct never
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knew Christ nor left the world. And that's my
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argument. There's really no such thing as Christian
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deconstructionism. They just never left the world
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in the first place. You'll hear deconstructionists
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say, well, I grew up in a Christian household.
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I'm a pastor's kid. I just decided over time
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that it's a lie. I was a believer at one time.
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I was a follower of Jesus and I was serious.
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I was preaching the gospel and people got saved.
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That doesn't mean you were a believer just because
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you said a prayer. And what do you see? They
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base their life choices on the experience instead
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of basing choices on truth. And they need someone
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to blame because they don't want to be held responsible
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for their junk. So they say, you know what? It's
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because the church hurt. Let me tell you something.
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No one in this room understands church hurt more
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than I do. And I'm not saying that from boastfulness.
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I am telling you. And my wife is a witness to
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that truth. What we have gone through through
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years of ministry in church. Not our church.
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But just church in general. I know what church
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hurts feels like. Why haven't I defected? Because
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if there's anyone in the room that has an excuse,
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I do. And the elders know because I told them.
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And so does the pulpit committee. I know what
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church feels like. I know what it's like when
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a deacon turns on you and when people lie about
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you and when others are stealing in the church
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and you've got to stand up for truth. I know
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what it's like. Does that mean I'm going to defect
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because things are difficult? No. No, I'm not
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a defector. There are times when you want to
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give up because you're tired, you're exhausted,
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and you're like, I don't know if I can do this
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anymore. But why do you keep going? Because of
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truth and Christ's kingdom. You don't stop because
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it's difficult. But that's what deconstructionists
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do. They make excuses for their disbelief. And
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they blame the church and they blame everyone
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else. Even though they're part of the problem
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because they're in the church as a non -believer.
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They're false Christians. Can you imagine if
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the church was only real true believers? You
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know the scariest part? It'd probably be emptier
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than it is right now. Because I don't know who's
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saved, who's not saved. Only God knows. But if
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they are truly believers, I think we'd be surprised.
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But we'd also be surprised to find out who is.
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I would have never guessed that. Look what he
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says here. So the reality of the deconstructionists
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is they never knew Christ. And they never left
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the world. In Hebrews 4, Hebrews 6, 4 through
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6 says it this way. Hebrews 6, 4 through 6. For
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it is impossible. You hear that? Please. If everyone
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starts talking about this and they're like, see,
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you can lose your salvation. No. I'm telling
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you, it's bad teaching. This is the right teaching
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here. For it is impossible. That's a definitive
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statement. In other words, there's not a way.
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or a possibility, or an iota whatsoever for this
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to happen. So what he's doing, he's giving you
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a scenario that will never happen. For it is
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impossible in the case of those who have once
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been enlightened, in other words, have come to
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know the truth, who have tasted the heavenly
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gift, who have... come to eternity with Jesus,
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have shared in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit
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has indwelled them as a guarantee of their inheritance,
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and have tasted the goodness of the Word of God
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to be completely changed and transformed and
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sanctified by the Word of God, and the powers
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of the age to come with the hope of what we have
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in the future, and then to have fallen away,
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just to totally abandon it. Think about that.
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Do we honestly think that God is that weak? That
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he can't keep his people? And there are denominations
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that teach that you can lose your salvation.
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It is an impossibility. Because if I can lose
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my salvation by the change of my mind, because
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I choose to, then God's a really weak God. It's
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an impossibility. Look what it says. And then
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to have fallen away. To restore them again to
29:13
repentance. To send the Holy Spirit back so that
29:17
he will dwell back in. To cover them again of
29:21
their sin by the blood of Jesus. To have Jesus
29:24
go through the whole process of being crucified,
29:27
buried, and rising again on the third day. If
29:32
you once received all that and he's done all
29:35
that for you, for you to go back and be restored
29:38
to repentance, this is what I believe it's Paul
29:45
writing this along with Luke. Since they are
29:48
crucifying once again the son of God to their
29:51
own harm and holding him up to contempt. What
29:55
you're saying about Jesus' crucifixion is it's
29:58
never good enough. Because I have to do my part
30:01
to keep it. And that's what deconstructionists
30:06
are saying. I've known Jesus. I've worked for
30:11
Jesus. I've done the ministry with Jesus. I grew
30:13
up with Jesus. I've known Jesus my whole life.
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Look what it says in 1 John 2, 18 through 20.
30:25
And this is how John states it. Children, again,
30:28
it is the last hour. So I want you to hear this.
30:32
Hear that? It is the last hour. Not when the
30:39
seven -year tribulation happens. It's now. That's
30:43
important to understand. We're in it now. It's
30:46
been the last hour since his ascension. It's
30:49
going to be the last hour until his return. We
30:52
are in it now. And it's good because we know
30:57
if we're in it that he could be here any minute.
30:59
And if we're in it, he's coming any minute. The
31:03
question, are you ready to go be with him? Okay.
31:09
Now look what it says. Children, it is the last
31:12
hour as you have heard that Antichrist is coming.
31:16
He's talking about V1. Yes, that Antichrist is
31:20
coming. So now many antichrists have come. And
31:27
we know that because there have been many antichrists.
31:29
And there are many antichrists even among believers.
31:33
Because look what it says. Therefore we know
31:35
that it is the last hour. Why? Because there's
31:39
an antichrist coming and there's a bunch of antichrists
31:41
around us. What do we know about these antichrists?
31:47
I want you to pay attention to what John says
31:49
here. This is what he's saying about the antichrists,
31:53
the deconstructionists, the defectors of the
31:57
faith, the apostates. They went out from us,
32:02
but they were not of us. If they had been of
32:06
us, they would have continued with us. But they
32:10
went out that it might become plain that they
32:14
all are not of us. Isn't that interesting? Where
32:20
do most of the antichrists come from? Churches.
32:28
That's enough to hush a room. What? Yes. They
32:34
were never of us. They came from us, but they
32:37
weren't of us. Because if they had been of us,
32:40
they would have remained with us. But they didn't,
32:43
so they went out. And as a result, it's plain
32:46
that all of them are... Antichrists. What is
32:53
an antichrist? He says that shortly. But you
32:56
have been anointed by the Holy One. You're not
32:59
one of those people. You're not one. Why? Because
33:05
the word anointed, this is a really cool word.
33:07
It literally means to smear. You're smeared by
33:14
the Holy Spirit. Now, you guys know, you guys
33:18
understand what smearing is. You guys got little
33:21
kids? Did your kids ever discover ketchup or
33:25
peanut butter? And what they do with it? They
33:31
put it in places you didn't even know they had.
33:33
Places. It's everywhere. It's all here. It's
33:37
painted on them. You're like, what did you do?
33:40
That's the smearing. And it's hard to take peanut
33:43
butter off. That's just a little easier. Just
33:47
stick them in the shower. Peanut butter sticks.
33:50
That's the smearing. That's what this word smear
33:54
means. This anointed. You have been smeared by
33:56
the Holy Spirit. And you all have knowledge.
33:59
What knowledge? What knowledge? Look what it
34:04
says. The knowledge of God. The knowledge of
34:08
this gospel. That's the knowledge you were given.
34:15
Paul states the same thing in this way. Everything
34:18
we just read, notice what he says in 2 Thessalonians
34:22
2, verse 3. Interesting. Let no one deceive you
34:28
in any way. For that day will not come. That
34:33
day will not come unless the rebellion comes
34:38
first and the man of lawlessness is revealed,
34:43
the son of destruction. What? The rebellion comes
34:47
first? Yes, called the days of deconstructionism.
34:52
You know what the fastest church that is, the
34:59
slowest growing church, we'll say it that way,
35:01
but it's the fastest depleting, biblical Christianity.
35:07
Because listen to me, people that attend Stephen
35:10
Furtick Church and all those other false churches,
35:12
those aren't churches. So we live in the days
35:20
of the rebellion. We live in the days of deconstructionism.
35:23
We live in the days of those who have jumped
35:26
ship. Look what it says, the next principle.
35:32
You cannot deconstruct from something you never
35:34
had. You cannot deconstruct from something you
35:38
never had. Jesus said, and this is the will of
35:41
him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of
35:45
all that he has given me. Who gave you to Jesus?
35:55
The Father. And what's Jesus say? Those whom
35:59
the Father has given me, I will not lose. But
36:03
I will raise it up on the last day. John 17,
36:09
39. John 17, 3. This is what he says. And this
36:18
is eternal life that you. That they know you,
36:21
the only true God in Jesus Christ to whom you
36:24
have sent. And what's interesting is this term
36:26
supports verse 20. But you have been anointed
36:32
by the Holy One and you all have knowledge. Knowledge
36:35
of what? Knowledge of eternal life. To know the
36:39
Father and to know the Son is eternal life. Because
36:44
if we are in Christ, then Christ is in God. then
36:48
we are in him and he is in us. In 1 John 2, 21
36:55
through 25, I write to you, not because you do
36:58
not know the truth, but because you know it.
37:02
Who? He is the truth. Christ is the truth. The
37:06
spirit of Christ is the truth. And because no
37:08
one lie, because no lie is of the truth. We know
37:12
that because he lives in you. He's not a liar
37:16
as those who do lie. Who is the liar? The one
37:22
who denies that Jesus is the Christ. This is
37:25
the Antichrist. Now what's interesting in the
37:28
Hebrew, I mean in the Greek, sorry. I'm in the
37:30
Hebrew month. In the Greek, this term the isn't
37:33
present. This is Antichrist is what he says.
37:39
The is not there. I don't know why we put it
37:41
in there because there is no definitive article
37:43
in the original language that I could find. What
37:46
he's saying is that the one who denies that Jesus
37:48
is the Christ is Antichrist. He who denies the
37:53
Father and the Son. That is an Antichrist. How
37:58
can those who deconstruct state that they believed
38:03
in Jesus and were a follower of Jesus to then
38:05
turn around and deny Jesus is the Christ. That
38:10
means you never knew he was Christ. You're an
38:14
antichrist. False Christianity and false Christians,
38:21
false Christians are antichrists and false Christianity
38:23
is the message of the antichrist. It's a false
38:27
religion. It's a fake faith. Notice what it says
38:32
here. No one who denies the Son has the Father.
38:36
What's eternal life? To know you, the only true
38:39
God and his son whom you have sent. Whoever confesses
38:44
the son has the father also. Which makes sense
38:47
because if the Holy Spirit lives in you and he
38:49
is the exact representation of the son and the
38:52
son is the exact representation of the father
38:54
and that they are three in one, the triune God,
38:57
then God, the father and God, the son live in
39:01
you through the spirit of God. Let what you heard
39:08
from the beginning abide in you. What did you
39:09
hear from the beginning? What was the thing you
39:11
heard from the very beginning? The gospel. The
39:17
very first thing that you heard is the gospel.
39:20
Do you know one of the reasons why I never defected
39:23
is because the gospel keeps me. The word of the
39:28
living God keeps me. If you heard from the beginning,
39:35
if what you heard from the beginning abides in
39:37
you, then you too will abide in the Son and in
39:41
the Father. And what did I hear from the beginning?
39:44
His gospel. And how do we receive the gospel?
39:49
For it is by grace you have been saved through
39:52
faith, right? And we receive the gospel because
39:56
the word of Christ is given to us by faith. And
40:08
this is the true promise that he made to us,
40:11
eternal life, which is exactly what we read in
40:14
John 17, 3. That's the promise. The gospel. Do
40:22
you know why people defect? Because they don't
40:25
believe the gospel. Why don't they believe the
40:27
gospel? Because they have not the spirit of God
40:29
to believe the gospel. They can't believe a spiritual
40:32
truth because they're spiritually discerned because
40:34
they don't have God. And the only way to come
40:36
to know God is God has to give you to the Son.
40:42
By which he draws near to you. By which he saves
40:45
you. And gives you the knowledge of faith and
40:48
the gift of faith for you. And the knowledge
40:51
of the truth because the Spirit of God dwells
40:53
in you. You cannot have life without the Spirit,
41:00
he said. 1 John 2, 26 -29. I write these things
41:05
to you about those who are trying to deceive
41:08
you. These deconstructionists. But the anointing
41:15
that you received from him abides in you. Who
41:20
is the smear? Who is the one who has anointed
41:23
you? The spirit of God abides in you. He is the
41:26
anointing which you received. You And you have
41:31
no need that anyone should teach you. So why
41:35
do you come to church? If I don't need someone
41:38
to teach me, what's the point of coming to Wednesday
41:39
night? It's to verify and affirm that what you're
41:45
learning is true. Or that you learn something
41:49
new so that you can go home and verify through
41:51
the Spirit of God that what's being taught is
41:53
true. Either way, it's a receive and it's a give.
41:59
It's a receive and it's a give. All the time.
42:02
You get something, you test it. You learn something,
42:06
you give it. And the Spirit of God is the one
42:11
who will guide you on all truth. He will verify
42:14
if what I'm teaching you is biblically true.
42:16
By you going home and studying it. Listen, you
42:20
should be in the Word every single day. Listening
42:24
to it. reading it, do something with it every
42:28
day. Every day you should be in it somehow or
42:34
another. You should get something every day.
42:41
But the anointing you have received from him
42:44
abides in you. And if you have, and you have
42:46
no need for anyone to teach you, then he should
42:48
teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about
42:53
everything and is true, and is no lie, just as
42:57
it has taught you, abide in him. In other words,
43:00
this is what he's saying. The Holy Spirit, when
43:02
the Holy Spirit verifies and teaches you truth,
43:04
you should be doing it. If you love me, you obey
43:09
my commandments. You're like, why does Jesus
43:14
keep saying this over and over and over again
43:16
through his word? Why does Pastor Joe keep preaching
43:19
and teaching this over and over and over again?
43:21
Because the sin is worse. You can't avoid it.
43:29
It's like I want something practical for my life.
43:31
I want you to speak about what's going on in
43:33
my life because that's what matters for me. That's
43:37
the answer. It literally is do what he tells
43:40
you to do. It's not like you're not going to
43:43
have trouble, but it's going to be a lot better
43:45
for you to get out of the situation. And then
43:50
look what he says. And now little children abide
43:53
in him. So that when he appears, we may have
43:56
confidence and not shrink from him in shame at
44:00
his coming. How can we know that we are his and
44:05
we belong to him when he returns? We're not going
44:08
to cower in fear and in shame because he is there.
44:13
We are going to run like a child runs to their
44:17
father. That's how you'll know. that you are
44:24
not deconstructed. Because you won't shrink in
44:29
shame. You have the confidence that you know
44:31
that the gospel is true and the word of God is
44:33
effective in your life. Verse 29, and we close.
44:39
If you know that he is righteous, you may be
44:43
sure that everyone who practices righteousness
44:46
has been born of him. You're like, there it goes
44:50
again. John's wrote it, and if John wrote it,
44:56
he wants you to read it. If he wants you to read
44:58
it, he wants you to do it. It's there for a reason.
45:05
So what do we learn about deconstructionism?
45:11
It's an old idea. So they can come up with a
45:15
new term all they want. They can wrap it up in
45:17
a bow and make it all pretty. So they can...
45:21
empty the pews and be ex -evangelicals. It really
45:26
doesn't matter. Because they were never of us
45:28
in the first place. So you could say you're deconstructing,
45:34
but you never really deconstructed for something
45:35
you never had. Thank God, God perseveres his
45:44
people. Father, I want to praise you and thank
45:48
you for your faithfulness. Thank you for your
45:50
word. To you be honor and glory forever and ever.
45:54
In Jesus' name.