Latest / HBCWestminster / Watch Out! 1 John 2:15-27

Transcript

Watch Out! 1 John 2:15-27 · HBCWestminster

• 0:00
  Alright, we are in 1 John. We're doing the Epistle of John. We're going to be doing all three. As you guys know, the intent was to get through all three before the break. That ain't happening. We're in 1 John chapter 2. I do have good news. We are covering more than two or three verses this week. So we're going to be in 1 John chapter 2 verses 15 through 27 this evening. 15 through 27.
• 0:27
  If you guys are new with us, I'm going to go over a recap, and it's a real brief introduction to this week. We'll read our passage and pray and get started. Recap is, John is writing to combat heresy, which was sneaking into the church and was causing a disruption of the certainty of the believers in this church. We have seen and know that we Christians are so very willing to deceive ourselves. We learn this.
• 0:56
  Over and over in these first two chapters of John. And we're willing to even live a fiction of our lives. The enemy wants us to live in the bondage of this fiction. Rather than independence and openness. With our loving heavenly father. We can live in openness with each other and with the Lord. Because Christ the righteous has paid all for our sins. Which means we can now in loving response to him.
• 1:26
  towards perfection ultimately in heaven. And we do this by growing in our knowledge of Him, which leads to a love for God and His children. And as we looked at last week, as we get to know Him more intimately, we find the perfection which He offers us in His Son brings forth a strength and courage as we know He has already won it all for us.
• 1:53
  We receive Christ's perfection. That's where we've been in terms of introduction for this week. We are now at the close of what I would call the beginning arguments, the laying of the foundation of this letter and its purpose. Last week, as I said, he put the roof on. This week we see why all of this foundation was important.
• 2:20
  Why he has contrasted light and dark, love and hatred, truth and lies to this point. John's concern and love for these people help to express the love and concern of our Heavenly Father for us today. And as John...
• 2:36
  expressed last week that these believers were well equipped. If you guys remember in 12 through 14, we saw John say that these people were well equipped for the battle, the fight, the news that he was going to drop on them next.
• 2:57
  They were well equipped. He did so with a purpose and a plan. As the Spirit leads John to write this letter, the encouragement to the unbelievers last week was done to prepare them for the warnings we are about to study this week. John never minces words throughout this letter, but in this section there is eternity very much at the forefront of his words. The importance of it, the enjoyment of it,
• 3:26
  And the very real warning that Satan and the many antichrists desire to steal these things away from the believer. Thus John says to be aware, be alert, trust, and trust that the anointing abides in you. That is a beautiful phrase that he says. The anointing abides in you. We'll look at that as we go through this study. This week then John closes out this foundational section.
• 3:53
  with this warning, and we'll then transition to sonship as he goes through chapters 3 to 5, as opposed to what we've been looking at as fellowship in chapters 1 to 2, what it looks like to be in fellowship with the Lord. Warren Wiersbe, you'll see at the top of the first page, you'll see a really great quote. There's a couple quotes I want you guys to notice from him as we get started. He says,
• 4:19
  Anything, this is a really fantastic, when we start thinking about, is this beneficial for us? I think this is a fantastic quote for us to consider for us as Christians. Anything that robs a Christian of his enjoyment of the Father's love or of his desire to do the Father's will is worldly and must be avoided. Then as we...
• 4:47
  get ready to jump into and read, he also says, the world ceases to hate the Christian and starts to love him when he adopts the ways of the world. I'll give you guys a couple examples of that after we read our text and pray. Let's read 1 John 2, verses 15 through 27. It says this, Do not love the world or the things in the world.
• 5:15
  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. Children, it is the last hour and you have heard that Antichrist is coming. So now many Antichrists have come. Therefore, we know.
• 5:45
  that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they are not of all, are not of us. But many, but you, excuse me, but you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you...
• 6:10
  I write to you not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it. And because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar? But he who denies that Jesus is the Christ. This.
• 6:26
  is the Antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you have heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.
• 6:55
  And this is the promise that he made to us. Eternal life. I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you. And you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and is no lie.
• 7:25
  just as it has taught you, abide in him. Let's pray. Father God, we just call on you to give us understanding, Lord. You promise it even in this very passage. You promise that you will reveal through your spirit to us, Lord, truth.
• 7:47
  There is no lie in you, God. Direct us tonight. Direct our hearts, Lord. Convict us where we need to be convicted. Encourage us where we need to be encouraged, Father. May you be honored and glorified in the study of your word now. In your name. Amen. As I said, I am burning up. I don't know if you guys are hot, but I am frying. As I said, from that study from, or that quote from Wiersbe.
• 8:16
  He says the world ceases to hate the Christian and starts to actually love him when he adopts the ways of the world. Right. So if you guys have read recently, I don't know what generation, if you guys read the book, I Kissed Dating Goodbye. But I certainly did. Freaked me out. I was like, man, I'm going to wreck.
• 8:46
  That's basically the way I came away from that. I better not ever talk to a girl ever because I'm going to wreck it. So anyway, the reason why I bring that up is because a guy named Joshua Harris wrote that book. Joshua Harris was a young, younger, young adult, I would say like right around college age when he wrote that. Became a pastor, has been a pastor for a number of years and has recently.
• 9:15
  recanted his faith. He has said that he no longer believes. He and his wife are getting a divorce. Not that that means that his faith is wrecked. Getting divorced doesn't equal faith being wrecked. But certainly there are markers in his life where he has shipwrecked his faith. All recent accounts seem to be that. The interesting thing,
• 9:43
  about Joshua Harris is how the world is now suddenly accepting him. He's written a bunch of stuff. He's proclaimed his recanting of faith. He has said that he no longer believes and the world has really embraced this and even encouraged it. He's posted on Instagram and these different stories and all this stuff and has proclaimed it. And it's interesting how
• 10:13
  Much the world hates Christianity until it ceases to be Christian. And it's a very powerful image of that. And as we get into the study of...
• 10:28
  for tonight, and we look at this kind of what I would call a precursor to three main points that John is going to give us this evening. Verses 15 through 17, I think, are a precursor to what will lead to the body of our text. And so I think these first three verses, 15 through 17, I've titled, Watch Out. Watch Out.
• 10:55
  It says, do not love the world or the things of the world. If one loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. The evils of this world and all sin, I think, are summarized in verse 16. Verse 16 says, for all that is in the world, the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride.
• 11:25
  of life. We're going to go through this reasonably fast to get to the main body of our study tonight, but we're going to look at the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and pride of life. Desires of the flesh, this is the sinful going against God's plan and purpose for the best he has.
• 11:44
  planned for us. You can see this. I have Genesis 3 in my mind as I consider these three things. You see Eve and Adam as sin comes into the world and affects man. We see the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes depicted very clearly in that instance.
• 12:09
  They're going against what God's plan was for them and his purpose and his best for them as they allow this desire to come upon them. James, in reflection of desires of the eyes, James 1.14. If you men were in the summer study for the men's study, we went through the book of James and we talked about this. But James 1.14 says, but each person is tempted when he is lured.
• 12:39
  And enticed by his own desires. And then desire when it is conceived gives birth to sin. Desires of the flesh and desires of the eyes. Will lead us down a road of sin. Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes 4. Verse 8. As you know Solomon as he's writing this. One person he says.
• 13:14
  Ecclesiastes 4 verse 8, he says, I'm going to read verse 7 too again. I saw vanity under the sun. One person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil. And his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks for whom am I toiling or priving myself of pleasure. This also is vanity and unhappy business. His eyes are never satisfied.
• 13:43
  As we allow ourselves, as James says, and as John says, to walk towards, allow the desires of our flesh, the desires of our eyes, to lead us astray, they will most certainly do so. Then we come to the pride of life. Pride of life, Matthew chapter 4. You guys will recall that this is the temptation of Christ.
• 14:11
  Christ's temptation actually goes through all three of these things. Satan first tempts him the flesh. Then he tempts him with what he can see. And then he tempts him with pride as he takes him up to the very top and says, I'll give you this entire kingdom. I'll give you it all. A couple other passages you see. Again, Genesis 3 is an incredible depiction of all three of these things.
• 14:38
  When we think about the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and pride of life, and sin, and how this is the summarization of all of it, it would make sense if the origination of sin actually came from these three things, which I believe it does.
• 14:54
  Sin comes from the enemy, Satan. Ezekiel 28, 17 says, Your heart was proud because of your beauty. You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground. I exposed you before kings to the feasts, their eyes on you. This is a...
• 15:19
  Speaking of Satan and his fall from heaven as he's cast out of heaven because he was proud. Deuteronomy warns us against these things. As Deuteronomy 8, 11 through 14 says, Be aware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his ordinances and his statutes, which I am commanding you today. Otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied and have...
• 15:47
  built good houses and lived in them. When your herds and your flocks multiply and your silver and gold multiply and all that you have multiplies, then your heart will become proud and you will forget what the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt and out of slavery. Here's the travesty of these three things, the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, the pride of life.
• 16:17
  The desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes seek to fill us with something other than God. Something apart from what God has extended to us by His good grace through Christ Jesus. And I was just talking to somebody about this earlier. The crazy part is we become proud with the very thing with which we have no claim to. One of the crazy things about the book of Jonah is Jonah is sitting there.
• 16:45
  casting judgment on these Ninevites and scolding God for his mercy, all the while being the recipient of God's mercy. He's prideful. There's no other way that you do that other than being prideful and forgetting who we are in Christ. The love of the world will lead us down these paths. As I said, all of this...
• 17:17
  The desires of the flesh, desires of the eyes, pride of life are seen in the temptation of Jesus in Matthew chapter 4. C.S. Lewis says of pride, for pride is spiritual cancer. It eats up the very possibility of love or contentment or even...
• 17:37
  That last statement, even common sense, ties directly back to verse 11 of chapter 2. But whoever hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness and does not know where he is going because he's been blinded. They lack common sense. Galatians 6.3
• 18:01
  themselves, being proud. The last people on earth that should be proud are Christians. We should have no pride apart from what 2 Corinthians 10, verse 17 says, let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. All of these things,
• 18:34
  Desires of the flesh, desires of the eyes, the pride of life, John says, is passing away. The world is passing away with its desires. These things, these passions are passing away. If we dare to chase after these things, though, these perishing pursuits, after this perishing love, we will, brothers and sisters, we will, I believe, we'll see here next, if we follow this,
• 19:02
  If we love the world, we will depart. We will depart from fellowship. John verse 18 through 19 says, Children, it is the last hour, as you have heard, that Antichrist is coming. So now many Antichrists have come. Therefore, we know that it is the last hour. Verse 19, they went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they had,
• 19:37
  The reality that a love of the world will cause us to depart from fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ should not surprise us, right? John has spent the first two chapters telling us of the contrast between truth and lies, light and dark. So when we read this, we shouldn't be surprised at this point because he's been laying the groundwork for this, that the reality is,
• 20:02
  That if we love the world, we are in darkness. If we love the Lord, we are in light. And our lives look like that. He's clearly laying the, has been laying the foundation for this reality. That light and dark are opposed to one another and do not live in the same place. The truth is, and what we see here is the pursuit of these worldly pleasures and pursuits, of worldly pleasures and pursuits will lead to broken fellowship.
• 20:32
  to departing from fellowship. This departing can take place physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Just because you're there doesn't mean you're there. Judas is a perfect example of this. There is a difficult and harsh reality here, which we can't skip over. John points out that it is the last hour. And then in this last hour, they know the Antichrist is coming. However, he goes on to say that now,
• 21:03
  There are many antichrists. We know from scripture such as the book of Thessalonians and Revelation that there is only one capital A antichrist. However, here John says there will be many and there are many antichrists. This statement for John reveals the severity, I believe, of our actions if we are led to chase after the wrong pursuits.
• 21:30
  and what can and most likely will become if we begin to be defined as worldly. Remember, we talked a couple weeks ago about the fact that there's a tone to our life. It's not about the fact that the everyday struggles of our lives, the struggle every day we wake up and we seek the Lord and walk in the power and renewal of the Spirit, but there becomes a tone to our lives, either that of,
• 22:00
  walking in the spirit or walking in darkness. If our lives become defined as worldly, they will most likely become defined as worldly if we follow the wrong pursuits. The first is what we started with. We will depart from fellowship. This will be a result of pursuing worldly things. And as I said, what else would we expect? Our fellowship, our friendship, our time, our focus will follow our passions.
• 22:36
  As these people had become defined by darkness, it follows then that they were either asked, told, or decided to leave the fellowship with those whom they once actually enjoyed time. It is important for us to note, though, that John makes no judgment on their salvation, but did pass judgment on the message that they were spouting. It is important that we are careful not to pass judgment on the salvation of others.
• 23:07
  the heart, but we can stand strong and firm against messages which are contradictory to the truth of God's word. And that is what John is doing here.
• 23:17
  This is most likely, I think, these people referenced here that went out from them, I think is most likely a reference to those spoken of in verse 11, whom had become blinded by the darkness. Remember, we talked, and I said this just a second ago, but we talked a couple weeks ago about there's a difference between the tone of our lives and the daily struggle with our sinful natures. These people had given themselves over to the world. They had pursued these things to where they had become defined by them.
• 23:46
  They were blinded by the darkness. These people whom departed fellowship had atoned to their lives, which brought about the blindness and brought about the departure. These people whom John describes as antichrists, that is the severity with which he addresses this. He actually references them as antichrists. These people whom he describes this way.
• 24:12
  They went out, that it might be apparent, obvious, clear, without doubt. They had a tone to their lives which led them to being asked to leave or deciding to leave. I think both happen. After all, when you're steeped in sin and darkness, you don't like people constantly flicking the light on.
• 24:32
  open your eyes early in the morning and somebody turns the light on after your eyes have been closed the entire time. It's an abrupt and jarring experience that you don't like to have happen. And I don't think it would be any different for these people who were living in darkness. Why would you want to be around others who were living in the light? It would be a painful experience. So I think it's very possible they would even have decided to leave the fellowship.
• 25:00
  This made it clear that they were not part of this church any longer. And Wiersbe again, if you guys haven't guessed, he's one of my favorites in terms of people. He's just a really, really simple, basic, straightforward Bible teacher. A quote from Wiersbe, he says, One of the evidences of true Christian life is a desire to be with the people of God. If you don't desire to be with the people of God,
• 25:25
  As he says, if you don't love your brother, the love of the father probably isn't there. Doesn't mean that it's not, it's probably not active. It doesn't mean that it was never there. It just means that it's not active.
• 25:41
  So after they depart, spiritually, emotionally, or physically, we see that they next become deniers. Once we depart from fellowship, it won't be long before we find ourselves denying that which we claimed to be true. See Joshua Harris, a man who, we just said, claimed to be a Christian and now is denying Christianity. Verses 20 through 23 say this,
• 26:08
  anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and no lie is of the truth. Then he says, 22, Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the Antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. The next thing that we begin to do is we deny.
• 26:38
  We deny Christ. Here is where the connection to John's statement from verse 18 of chapter 2, so many antichrists, so now many antichrists have come. As we deny the truth, the truth of who Jesus Christ is and the work with which he is doing in and through his church, we become an anti-truth speaker or antichrist.
• 27:05
  The reality is that these people found themselves denying both the truth of who Christ is, but also the truth of the works of his people. And I say this because we know the truth of Ephesians 2.10, which tells us that we are saved in Christ Jesus for what? Good works. We are his workmanship created for good works. Thus, as these people found themselves denying Christ,
• 27:37
  He says, who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? They have become anti-Christ, anti-his church, anti-his work in and through the church. To deny Christ is to deny his church. John goes on and he says this is...
• 27:58
  The Antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. To deny Christ is to deny the work of Christ as well. For there is no power to do the work of Christ apart from the Christ. John says of these deniers that no one who denies the Son has the Father. We have to be careful here.
• 28:22
  To be careful how we read this, how we interpret this, just as I said, we can't cast judgment on who is saved and who is not. That is for the Lord and the Lord alone to know. But as he says this, we have to be careful in our approach and our understanding. This statement certainly could mean that they never had the Father, that they were never part of the family of God, that they were tares.
• 28:50
  We know that Jesus talks about the wheat and the tares being sorted. It could also, and I would lean towards this direction because of the context where it would mean that the love of the Father is not in him, as we saw in verse 15. Verse 15 says that if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. It would make sense to me that John is hearkening back to that reference as he says,
• 29:17
  No one who denies the Son has the Father. As we know, this is a book so far that's mainly focused on fellowshipping together and with our Lord, not necessarily about who is saved and who is not. So there's a...
• 29:41
  There is this progression in the warning and illustrative writing of John, verses 15 through 17. We see that the desires of the flesh and eyes and the prideful boasting can and will lead to departing from the fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. And then will take us down this horrific path of becoming deniers or antichrists, deniers of the Christ and the work of his people.
• 30:06
  Brothers and sisters, we must be oh so very careful whom and what we criticize in the church. Certainly where the Bible is clear, we must not shrink away from the truth of what is revealed in the word. However, Lord save each of us from criticizing the work of Christ in his bride, the church. May we be careful to be introspective first before launching into denying the work of Christ in those around us. These people were denying the work of Christ and who he was.
• 30:35
  Again, Warren Wiersbe says, God has warned the church, family, little children, he says, about the conflict between light and darkness and between love and hatred. Now he warns them about a third conflict, the conflict between truth and error. Departing, denying. These then lead to this crazy desire to now deceive. To deceive. You see it.
• 31:05
  They left, right? They're no longer with them. Then he says in verse 22, they have denied that Christ, that Jesus is the Christ. And then in verse 26, he says, I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. These were people who were in the church. They were in the church. They were fellowshipping with them. They were living with them. They were eating dinner together. They were being part of...
• 31:33
  And now these people have gone all the way to now trying to deceive these people. I shared a quote a while back in Connect Group. And I honestly cannot remember the originator of it now. But it's a really great quote. So I'm going to use it. But it's not original with me. It says, a lie is anything which is said or thought with the intent.
• 32:03
  to deceive. Why do I say that? As we read this verse, verse 26, I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. Simply stated, lest we cast judgment on these people whom we're guilty of deceiving, or at least seeking to deceive, we, brothers and sisters, are guilty of deceiving far more often than we probably would readily admit or even realize.
• 32:33
  By that definition, if we think about what a lie is and what deceiving is, it's the intent, right? I can speak truth with the intent to deceive, and that's a lie. Be on guard, brothers and sisters, that we are not deceived. We have to be. That's what John is warning against. Don't be deceived. But also...
• 33:02
  Be on guard that our thoughts, words, and actions don't deceive others. May the truth of our lives be reflected by the truth of God's word. Brant Hansen, he's the author of this book called Unaffendable. Really funny book. Really convicting book. And this is a really good quote. He says, oh yes, the heart is deceptive.
• 33:32
  And that calls for humility above all else. Because my heart isn't deceptive because it fools other people. It's deceptive because it fools me. These people that John is writing about had gotten to a point where their eyes were blinded. They were deceived in and of themselves. And it caused them to now try and deceive the brothers and sisters in this church. But John doesn't leave us here.
• 34:01
  We just looked at all the negative in this passage, right? We just looked at all the warnings of this section. We're going to go back through and we're going to look at the defense against this deceiving heart and spirit is really simple, straightforward, but honestly easy for us as Christians to forget. Abide. Abide. Here is that word again. One of John's favorite truths, I believe, and it makes...
• 34:31
  An appearance all over this section of his first epistle. He says at the end of verse 17, whoever does the will of God abides forever. And now in verse 24, if we go up to 24, let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. In the Son and in the Father. Verse 24.
• 35:01
  He says, let the word you heard from the beginning abide in you and then follows it up with, if what you have heard from the beginning, the love of God expressed through Christ, abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and in the Father. The remedy for being deceitful and being deceived is truly simple. Abide in Christ. Abide in the word. This is so impactful because
• 35:28
  as he then follows up verse 27, the anointing that you received abides in you. This anointing is a reference, I believe, back to verse 20. So 27, he says, in reference to those who are trying to deceive them, he says, you've received this anointing and it abides in you. Verse 20, he says, but you have been anointed by the Holy One and you all have knowledge.
• 35:57
  You have been anointed by the Holy One and you all have knowledge. This is good news, brothers and sisters. We all have knowledge because we all have the Spirit. We have all been gifted with a discerning Spirit, a God-honoring, God-discerning Spirit. Here is the beauty of this warning.
• 36:20
  to be watchful by John. John does paint a very serious picture as he calls those whom would pursue the emptiness of the world and then depart, deny, and deceive. He calls them antichrists. He does follow that up by painting a hopeful truth for us alongside this serious warning. We have been anointed with the Holy One. Guys, we have been anointed with the Holy One and thus have access,
• 36:50
  Through the Spirit to understanding. He says everyone has knowledge. We have the Spirit and thus have understanding, have access to understanding and knowledge. We also are told that we know the truth. That we know the truth. Because, not Jen, John, sorry about that typo, says here at the end of verse 27, his anointing teaches you about everything and is what?
• 37:22
  Verse 27, is true and is no lie. Is true and is no lie. Our loving Heavenly Father has given us the tools needed to withstand the enemy's attacks and our own evil desires and passions in the gift of His anointing us with His Holy Spirit. John...
• 37:56
  very clearly warns against the pursuit of worldly pleasures, very clearly warns that if we pursue those things, that we, even as Christians, will depart from fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, that we will walk away from the faith. We will even become deniers. And then we will try and actually call people to listen to us, which is exactly what Joshua Harris is doing right now, guys. It's crazy how much...
• 38:24
  It's like the Bible is true or something. How much this connects with what we see around us. There is good news in all of this. We are His. We are His anointed. Anointed with His Holy Spirit. Through the cleansing and empowering sacrifice of Christ. Which gifted us. Man, go back to verse 25.
• 39:05
  And this is the promise. And this is the promise. Let's say that again. This is the promise that he made to us. Christ promised us something. God the Father promised us something through his son, eternal life.
• 39:32
  Thus, as we go through this life, if we walk in the light, abide in him and his word, we will experience a joy and a satisfaction which can only come through abiding and basking in the presence of the incredible gift that is this anointing we have received. And all this comes because as we looked at a few weeks ago, verse three, verse three, is it? Oh, nope.
• 40:04
  End of verse 1. Because we know Jesus Christ, the righteous. Praise God. Why would we ever choose to go back to a love of the world? As I ask that question, let's be reminded though that a love of the world doesn't come suddenly. Right? Genesis 3 says that she...
• 40:43
  Eve saw that there's this drawing in that happens, this progression that happens. She wasn't just tempted and then grabbed the apple or whatever it was, the fruit, and ate it. She was enticed. She saw it was good. She lingered. We don't just love the world overnight. It's a giving over of ourselves back over into the bondage of the world.
• 41:15
  My prayer for us tonight as we look at this passage is we consider the considerable warning. Brothers and sisters, being called an antichrist is a considerable warning. But let's be encouraged by the fact that we are his anointed. My prayer is, Lord, help us by your grace and mercy to keep our guard up and inspect our own lives.
• 41:44
  First, lest we be led astray by the desires of the flesh, our eyes and pridefulness of our own hearts. And may we only, only, brothers and sisters, only boast in the Lord because we have nothing, nothing apart from Him. Let's pray. God in heaven, and Lord, it's incredible. You have gifted to us
• 42:19
  The anointing of your Holy Spirit. God, and you've promised him. You've guaranteed him through the payment of your son, Jesus Christ. As John says, who is the propitiation for our sins. We don't deserve it. We don't earn it. The only thing about us which is boastable is you.
• 42:48
  God, may we never deceive ourselves. May we never allow ourselves to be carried away. And Lord, may make us accountable to one another in this church, in this body, to encourage one another to walk towards Christ and leave the world behind, Father. The pleasures, the pressures, the desires behind. And we desire you and you alone.
• 43:16
  God, be honored and glorified in our lives. May we be encouraged tonight that we have, as you say in your word, we all have knowledge of what we ought to do. We are not lost because we have your spirit and your truth of your word. Thank you, Lord, for all these things in your name. Amen.