Latest / CCC West Covina / Sunday Message: Tackling Ten Timeless Truths, Part 6

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Sunday Message: Tackling Ten Timeless Truths, Part 6 · CCC West Covina

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Got your Bible, Hebrews chapter 13.
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He was up to 13. Now, I'm going to preach this
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sermon differently than I preached the first service.
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So in fact not totally different but completely different almost.
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Okay, so I'm going to begin this way as you turn to Hebrews
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chapter 13, we will look at verse number 9 today, I'm going
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to be in this way years ago, in our church, first started, we
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had a man in our church, who was a dear friend of mine who was
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involved in our recording Ministry.
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And the day one, when we met in a park, we began recording all
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of our sermons because when the church began, we wanted to be on
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the radio and the Lord had opened the opportunity for us to
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be on the radio, just one hour a day that was at 4:00 in the
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morning but that's all we got. But we took it.
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And so we had to record everything that we that we
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preached. And of course, he was there to
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be courted on that Sunday. We first started in 1994 and of
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course, Don Davis who still works are sound Ministry is with
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us today still here after 20 years.
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Wow, Don. What commitment?
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You're great, man, but he worked with with Don and so we went
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from the from the, from the park to, to a school and we were to
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school for about a year and then we moved to a church in Glendora
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church is no longer there. They sold the church and built
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houses there. Unfortunate.
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But we went there and this man still was involved in a
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recording. The unfortunate thing about it
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is so many times because we use different equipment at different
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times, sometimes the recording didn't take.
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So I had to come back on Monday and re-preach Sunday, sermon, or
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come back on Thursday and re-preach Wednesday night's
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sermon. Okay, that happened quite a few
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times probably 13 or 14 times less than 20, but more than more
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than N. And of course this man would
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come and he lived close to the church.
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He would come in and we record the message and hear the message
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again. and, After a period of time, you came to realize that
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this this man had had begun to adopt a different belief than
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the church. And I remember he went through
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our membership class, he was a member, he's signed our
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doctrinal statement and all that kind of stuff.
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But word got back to me that he was beginning to learn in
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believe something different about the Christ.
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And so we came to realize that he no longer believed in the
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deity of Christ, that Christ was God In the Flesh.
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So I set him down and began to talk with him about these
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things. And as we sat down, we talked
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about them. And and I said, who are you
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listening to? Who are you talking to?
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Well, he was taking Jehovah's Witnesses and bringing them into
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his house and talking with them about what it is, they believed
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he did this on a regular basis. And the more he did it, the more
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he realized he didn't believe that Jesus was God In the Flesh.
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And so as I was talking to him in my office one day and going
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through, scripture with him, I said you proved to me that Jesus
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isn't God. Go ahead.
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Try it. Sweet ride.
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I kept saying wrong verse can't do that wrong again and wrong
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again and so you can explain to him the deity of Christ and how
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the Bible so eloquently. And so clearly presents.
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That Jesus is God In the Flesh from the Old Testament to the
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New Testament from Genesis to revelation.
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We spent hours talking about the deity of Christ, and he just
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would not. Believe.
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So I said to him, listen, I will give you one more verse and
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that's John 8:24, unless you believe that I am, he you will
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die in your sins. Unless you believe that Jesus is
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the god who spoke to Moses from the burning bush and Exodus
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chapter 3, you will die in your sins.
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That's all I have for you. Because you don't repent for
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what you believe about. Jesus Christ.
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You will spend eternity. Inhale.
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He said, okay. You know, if my office unless
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the year later he was dead. He never turned his life around.
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But he got caught up listening to the wrong kinds of people.
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Did he lose his salvation? No, he didn't lose his
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salvation. He never truly was bored again
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to believe with, to begin with. That's why he was so easily
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duped and led astray sync with these.
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Four tells us that Satan blinds our minds so that we don't
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believe in the deity of Christ. That won't believe that Jesus is
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actually God In the Flesh. Because once you believe that
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Jesus is God, okay, you can begin to understand that the
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work on the cross was sufficient for your saving Saving Grace.
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So it's unfortunate that that took place, but over the years
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as Elders, we've had to deal with people in the church who
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have listened to others outside the church that have led them
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astray. We've even had to discipline
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Elders in our church, who began to believe different things,
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other than what, the Bible actually taught about the
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identity and the ministry of Christ himself. and that was,
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Unfortunate, it is unfortunate. But we are supremely concerned
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about what people believe about the gospel.
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What they believe about Christ. And so we want to keep our ear
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close to the ground to hear what's being taught in Sunday.
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School classes was being taught at home.
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Bible studies what's being taught with our young people,
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our college students because we want to know that truth is being
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taught. Why is that so important?
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Because Hebrews chapter 13 verse number 9, the writer of Hebrews
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gives us the sixth principle, the sixth Timeless truth that we
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need to tackle as well as to treasure.
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And that is in verse number 9, which we just way do not be
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carried away by varied and strange teachings.
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What is good for the heart to be, strengthened by Grace, not
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by Foods through which those who were so occupied.
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We're not benefited. The sixth truth is that you need
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to refuse to listen to wrong teaching.
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Refuse to listen. To wrong teaching.
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Right of Hebrews is writing to. Hebrew people there Jews, right?
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Jews are big on dietary laws. They're big on ceremonial laws.
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There are big on rituals. Okay.
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So much so that they were external trappings that they
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believed would draw them closer to God.
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They didn't but that's what they believed.
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So the writer of Hebrews is going to say to them, listen I
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know what you believed before. You gave your life to Christ,
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don't go back in that direction, don't listen to those various
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kinds of teachings, and strange teachings.
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That will take you back to a place.
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That will not be a benefit to you spiritually.
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But you need to be enriched and nourished by the words of God's
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grace. Very important statement.
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Because the church today in America is being tossed to and
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fro by every wind of Doctrine and that's unfortunate.
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Preachers are mainly at fault for that and I'm a preacher.
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So I can say that because we sometimes don't do what we've
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been called to do. To preach the word in season and
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out of season. But more about that.
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In a moment, it's imperative that we understand that.
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That to pick up on varied, kinds of teachings is dangerous.
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I mean, most churches are filled with with babes babes.
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You know when you get your your grandkids or your kids together
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and they're really small, all right in there.
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Crawling on on the ground, right?
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When they come across an object they get it!
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They pick it up and the first thing to do is put it where in
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their mouth No matter what it is, no matter where it is, no
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matter where it's been, they're going to pick it up and put it
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in their mouth. That's the way most Christians
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are in the church. They're crawling around
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listening to all kinds of teaching and trying to put it in
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their mouth thinking that it's going to help them.
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But in reality, it's going to hurt them because it's not sound
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Doctrine, it's not the truth of the word of the Living.
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God So the writer of Hebrews says, listen.
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I know about your your rituals in your your ceremonies in your
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dietary laws, put those things aside, never put aside the moral
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law, right? Because the moral law is Eternal
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Word of God that sustains forever, but the ceremonial laws
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are ritualistic laws. Those dietary laws that you're
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engaged in are not going to help you in your walk with the lord.
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They're only going to drag you down.
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So he says, don't be carried away, don't be removed.
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Removed by them. Don't be caught in the Trap.
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Because if you are, it's not going to benefit you because it
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hasn't been in benefited anyone else ever.
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You get so many times the church finds itself.
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Trying to feed off of things that do not benefit them. so
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right here who says, refuse to listen To wrong teaching.
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Now, the writer of Hebrews did not have to battle social media,
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right? That was not a thing back in
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those days today, you can listen to anybody anywhere at anytime,
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right? Everybody's got a podcast.
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Everybody's got a YouTube channel.
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Everybody's got this going on. So are you going to do is tune
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in listen. But you got to make sure you
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listen to the right people. So we times people say, well,
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you know, he was so good. He always talked about Jesus.
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Well, if he talks about Buddha and Muhammad, you're not going
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to listen to him. So certainly is going to talk
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about Jesus because if you listen, if he talks about
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Buddha, you're not gonna listen to him.
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That's not Mohammed, you know, you can tune them out.
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But he said it so enthusiastically.
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He said it was such conviction. Yeah.
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But didn't he see? What was true.
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What was right? What was pure?
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What was holy? There are a lot of charlatans
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out there. A lot of people out there that
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don't teach the truth. And the unfortunate thing is
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that there are many Christians who fall?
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Prey to that kind of teaching. Satan loves to destroy your
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testimony. Satan wants to divide the church
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Satan wants to destroy the people in the church.
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You know, so many times, we think that we we leave here.
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We're going to go out and fight Satan, no, no Satan's here.
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He's in the church. You think he's out there
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someplace? Well, yeah, the lust of the
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flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life.
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This is that has nothing to do with Satan, that's just you be
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careful about your lust for the flesh.
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Your pride of life, right? Your lust of the eyes.
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No, we can fall prey to all kinds of sin.
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And Satan doesn't have to tempt us because we are so prone to
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falling into sin. But in the church, Inside the
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church. Is where Satan loves to exist.
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He loves to be in the church. We can divide the church sow
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dissension in the church get false teachers that are rise
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within. The Church of Paul says in Acts
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chapter 20, He is looking to destroy from the inside out.
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He wants his, he wants to destroy for.
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The I said I didn't but he can't write, he couldn't destroy the
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outside, in just look at what covid did covid.
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Did nothing to destroy the church.
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But yet. if you can work on the inside and get false teachers to
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arise from the inside, you can destroy the church.
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All you got to do is read the book of Revelation, Revelation,
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2 & 3, And see what Satan did to the church at Ephesus.
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When Paul said these words to those in Ephesus and accept the
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20, He said. Verse 28 be on guard for
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yourselves. And for all the flock among
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which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to Shepherd the
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Church of God, which he purchased with his own blood.
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She's challenging the Ephesian Elders.
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You need to Shepherd the Church of God, you need to protect the
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church. Because Christ shed his blood
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for the church. He says, verse 20.
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I know not, I think, or this is the possibility, or this might
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happen somewhere down the road. So, watch out now, he says, I
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know very emphatic. I know that after my departure
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Savage wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock and
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from among your own selves men will arise speaking perverse,
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things to draw away the disciples after them.
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Therefore be on the alert remembering that night and day
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for a period of three years. I did not cease to admonish
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each. One of them are which each one
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with tears and now I commend you to God in the word of his grace
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which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance
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among all those who are sanctified I have one protection
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than only one. It's the word of his grace.
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Nothing else I can do for you. I've been here for three years.
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I'm on my way out. And when I leave, mark it down,
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Savage wolves will arise from among your own.
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Selves is a Savage was going to cover the outside, then arise
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from the inside. So the only thing I can do is
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commend you to God and the word of his grace, which is able to
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build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all those who
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believe because you only protection, you only defense
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against false teaching is the truth of the word of God.
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That's it. Need to master it.
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Paul said to those in galatia church at galatia.
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Oh Church what has happened to you, who has Bewitched you Who
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has come in among you, who has turned you aside.
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That has got you to believe another gospel.
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How is it? You had begun in the spirit.
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But now you're trying to be perfected In the Flesh.
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How is it? You began so good.
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And now things are so bad. What happened to you guys?
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That was the church at galatia? Church of Ephesus.
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It's not around today. Because of false teaching Came
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From Within and destroyed the church.
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Paul says, in Romans 16 verse 17, the church at Rome.
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He says, now, I urge you Brethren, keep your eye on those
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who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the
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teaching which you learned and turn away from them for such men
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are slaves. Not of our Lord Christ, but of
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their own appetites and by their smooth and flattering speech,
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they deceive, the hearts of the unsuspecting, be careful, watch
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out. People are they're going to
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cause dissension among you going to deceive you and Lead.
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You astray be very, very careful.
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And then Paul says, in first technique with these 11 false
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prophets are deceitful workers disguising themselves as
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Apostles of Christ. No wonder for even Satan
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disguises himself as an angel of Light.
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Therefore it is not surprising. If his servants also disguise
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themselves as Servants of righteousness, whose end will be
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according to their deeds. In other words, Satan is a
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master of deception. A Master of Disguise.
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Goalie back to the Book of Genesis.
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The third chapter He deceived. Adam and Eve, he told a lie.
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They believed a lie. The sin into the world.
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Satan is a master of deception. He always disguises himself as
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an angel of Light. In his emissaries, they disguise
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themselves as angels of light, they look good on the outside.
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They, they smell good on the outside, but on the inside,
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that's Christ would say they're as rotten as dead men's bones.
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Remember in Matthew chapter 7, when Christ was ending The
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Sermon on the Mount, he talked about false teachers, beware of
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false teachers that are among you, right?
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They look like like sheep on the outside, but inside there,
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they're wolves, Savage, wolves and who's he talking about?
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He's talking about Pharisees scribes Sadducees.
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He's talking about the religious establishment of his day in
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Jerusalem. These are the guys, you got to
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watch out for. Watch out for the homosexual or
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the adulterer or the drunkard. You know, they're Sinners.
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Gotta watch out for those who disguise themselves her false
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teachers. Who get you to believe that what
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they're saying. Is right.
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Church at colossae. Second chapter First number 8,
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Paul says the same thing. John gets in love.
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At first John 4 verse. Number one is this test the
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spirits so John gets in on as well.
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Peter second, Peter chapter 2. He gets you in on the
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conversation about false teaching and Jude.
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Yep. Same with Jude jube that verse 3
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beloved. I while I was making every
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effort to write to you about our common salvation, I felt the
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necessity to write to you, appealing, that you contend
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earnestly for the faith, which was once for all handed down to
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the Saints. Why for A certain person's have
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crept in unnoticed those who are long beforehand, marked out for
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this condemnation, ungodly persons who turned the grace of
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our God, into licentiousness and deny our only master and Lord
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Jesus Christ. Juices, I want to write to you
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about our Salvation because it's so great. but, but, There are
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certain men that have crept in unnoticed.
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Many turn the grace of God into licentiousness who deny our Lord
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and savior. That is they tell you that you
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can go ahead and send us. Okay?
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Because because God's grace will cover that.
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It's okay live as you want to live And yet he says they've
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crept in unnoticed, but they're here, Jesus warned, and Matthew,
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and the gospels they're coming. Paul warned, when I leave, they
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will arise within Peter. John Jude all said they're
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coming until June funny says, guess what?
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They're already here. They have crept in and you don't
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even know they're among you. Wow.
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That's amazing. Think about that.
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And so, the writer of Hebrews says, You got to refuse to
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listen to wrong teaching. You can't be listening to those
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who because of their dietary rituals or because their
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ceremonial ax, or because their holy days or, because of their
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clothes and wearing those kinds of garments.
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It's going to make you any better in Christ eyes or even
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commend you to God. That's first, Christian Saint.
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Paul says listen, no matter what you eat.
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You're never going to please God by what you eat.
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Let's First Corinthians chapter 8.
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Because God doesn't care about what you eat Pastor.
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How can you say that? Because the kingdom of God is
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not about eating and drinking. It's about righteousness.
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Peace and joy. In the Holy Spirit, the king of
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Gods internal. What defiles a man comes from
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within the man, not from what the man takes on the outside and
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puts into me, right? That's why Christ told Peter and
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exit. Through 10 don't call anything
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unclean that I've already labeled clean.
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Meaning, that Cornelius was going to be the first Gentile.
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Who was born again in the book of Acts and great things are
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going to happen because in the Gentile world because of the
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work of Christ on calvary's Cross.
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So important. So, the writer of Hebrews says,
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I want to warn you about something.
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Good to refuse to listen to wrong, kind of teaching the
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church needs to be discerning. And the only way he can learn to
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discern between what is good and what is evil, what is right and
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what is wrong is to know the truth of the Living God that's
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it. So Paul in his epistle to the
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church at thessalonica, gives the Clarion call for discernment
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in the church. He says these words in first
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Thessalonians, chapter 5 verse number 19.
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Verse number 20 do not despise prophetic utterances.
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Do not despise prophetic utterances.
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Remember, we told you last week and the week before that
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Proverbs 13, 13 says what don't despise the word of God.
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Or you will be in debt to it. Don't disregard what God says,
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don't despise, what God says, don't turn a deaf ear to What
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God Says, or you'll be in debt to that.
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In other words, you'll suffer the consequences of those who
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live and Disobedience to the word of God.
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Then we took you to Proverbs chapter 16 last week to show you
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that he listens to the word will be rewarded.
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Proverbs 23:23 says by truth, never sell it, do all you can to
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obtain truth because truth is the only thing that matters.
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And now Paul comes in first and 25 says, do not despise do not
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disregard, not look down upon prophetic utterances.
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In other words, he's not telling them not to look down upon
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prophecy or people predicting the future.
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That's not what he's saying. Prophetic utterances is the
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reiteration of biblical truth. So those who prophesy
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biblically, who give to you, the truth of God, do not despise.
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The prophetic utterances given to you by those who give you the
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truth of God's word. Don't despise it.
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He says instead examine everything.
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Good words. Go.
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I get mods 0, which means to scrutinize to test.
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It's a process by which you take something through a grid to
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prove whether or not it's authentic and genuine.
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This is what you got to do. Make sure that you don't despise
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prophetic utterances, that you listen to them.
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But you examine everything. Everything that has spoken, I
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would I would expect that every one of you would examine
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everything that I say every Sunday just don't say well
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Pastor Lance that, it must be true.
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Don't do that, that's the wrong attitude to have examine it.
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Re-read it. That's why when we preach the
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word we take you from verse 2 verse 2 verse 2 verse by because
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the Bible interprets the Bible. So if Paul said it Peters mother
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said Peter said it Jude's going to say juice said it John's
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going to say it. Why?
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Because Jesus said it's all over the place.
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So the Bible proves the Bible. So it's imperative that we
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examine every prophetic utterance and then you cling to
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that which is good. And you abstain from, every form
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of evil. That's a verse of my mom and dad
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used to always go to me. When I I was a kid growing up,
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hey abstain from every form of evil, and that's true, you
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should do that, right? But that's not what the verse
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says. The verse says, abstaining from
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everything that's evil about what you just examine about.
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The prophetic utterance, that's not true.
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That makes sense, that's what it means.
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So you don't despise prophetic utterances, first Thessalonians
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5 verse number 20, but then you examine everything, that's been
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spoken, hold fast, that which is good cling to that, which is
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Hold on to that which is true. But abstain shun get rid of
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everything, that's evil, that was spoken.
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That's the certain. That's what the Discerning
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Spirit. Does seem weird to use in first
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Thessalonians chapter 4. When it says, we are to abstain
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from sexual immorality, we don't dabble in sexual immorality.
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No, we abstain from it. You turn away from me, you shut
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it. Okay.
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First, Peter 2:11 abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against
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your soul, right? In other words, stay away from
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those things will seems to with those who teach evil things
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things that are unprofitable cling to that, which is good.
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Not don't cling to that, which is entertaining, but cling to
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that, which is good, which is true, which is accurate.
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But abstain from every form of evil that style you.
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So Paul says the same thing, the right of Hebrews says by
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refusing to listen to wrong gun, you teaching The call for
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discernment in the church is huge.
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For the most part, the church is undiscerning.
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Why is that? How does that happen?
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What office is it this way? Tragically.
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There are many in the contemporary church.
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Who also lacks spiritual discernment.
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Such people are far better at staying in tune with cultural
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Trends. Then they are at appreciating
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and understanding biblical Doctrine in some cases.
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Hold churches, have shifted their focus from the clear
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teaching of scripture, to the felt needs of Sinners.
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They want to make the church service comfortable and
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non-confrontational As a result, the message a champion are
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theologically week and the people, they serve our
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doctrinally naive. Those churches are defenseless
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Against Terror. So true.
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Most people in the church are not equipped.
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To defend against Terror. Paul says, if you just for God's
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given gifted men to the church Apostles prophets evangelists
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pastors and teachers. Those are gifted men that God
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has given to the church. There are spiritual gifts that
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every one of you has but God gives gifted me into the church.
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So the church will be equipped. The church should be mature that
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you should grow up through the preaching and teaching of the
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word of God. So that people are not tossed to
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and fro by every wind of Aaron being deceived by spirits that
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will come along and move them astray.
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So Paul says listen examine everything.
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Why? because, for the most part,
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People are taught by men, who all they want to do is be
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contemporarily relevant. Who want to be in style?
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Who will be cool with the things they say, who want to tell?
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Good stories to get you to laugh or or sad stories because you to
29:25
cry play on your emotions. They didn't the lights in the
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service, have smoke that comes out in a service because it's
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all about the mood that they can create thinking that he can
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manipulate you into believing what they're saying.
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All that. You need to refuse the turn away
29:44
from This author goes on to say there are six reasons.
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For the disturbing lack of discernment that characterizes
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the contemporary church. Number one, he says, The recent
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Trend among many image evangelicals to minimize the
30:02
importance of Doctrine. Those this Camp argue that
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biblical Clarity is both divisive and and loving to them.
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It puts up walls, lack humility, and hinders Unity.
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The reality however, is that the church has suffered severe
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consequences for abandoning, its commitment to sound Doctrine.
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So true Number two, he says the church has become less objective
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in its Outlook substituting. Unconditional Truth for moral
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relativism and postmodern subjectivity.
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Instead of seeing truth in terms of black and white, many
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Christians treated as a gray area, the Bible is clearly
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antithetical. It makes absolute distinction
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between right and wrong truth. And error.
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Then the three part of its contemporary Vengeance.
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T strategy. The church has a bend in its
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commitment to the power of scripture and become preoccupied
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with his image in order to reach the culture is become just like
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the culture. if you go to church, And your church is just
31:11
like your culture you're not in church.
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You're in the culture. That'd be different, right?
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Uniquely, and distinctly different than the culture.
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Because that is a number four in consequence.
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Of the previous point, the church's current lack of
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discernment stems from a failure to properly study and interpret
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the scriptures. That's true.
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Number five. He says, is it General
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abandonment of church discipline in Evangelical circles, when
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God's people fail to confront sin, and heresy wickedness,
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within the body goes, unchecked the congregation, and evidently
31:51
accumulates more, and more unregenerate members,
31:54
unbelievers, who feel comfortable, because their sin
31:57
issues are never addressed even Grievous immorality and major,
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ethical lapses are sometimes overlooked ignored under a false
32:06
pretense of love, but a church cannot effectively promote
32:10
discernment if it happily condone sin or primarily
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consists of unsaved. Sinners, after all the
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congregation that thinks incorrectly about Holiness shows
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that it also thinks incorrectly about truth.
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So very true. And lastly says, the church is
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lack of. The sermon is the rampant void
32:36
of spiritual maturity within its ranks.
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Those who are those with a superficial understanding of
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scripture, a weak grasp of sound Doctrine, and a deficient view
32:47
of God cannot be discerning. Why is it our children, don't
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discern between good and evil, right?
32:57
And wrong because they're not spiritually mature. as they
33:02
begin to grow in their walk with the Lord, their senses are Fine,
33:07
tuned to hear error. You need to be able to listen
33:12
for error and no it when it arrives and no, the cling to
33:18
that, which is good and abstain from every form of evil.
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Listen, if everybody in the church was this way, it would be
33:25
so magnificent. That's why we teach you
33:29
Doctrine. Let you do it during our
33:31
announcement side. Why don't we teach you Doctrine
33:34
every quarter because we want you to know what the Bible says
33:37
about anthropology. What the Bible says about
33:41
theology. What the Bible says about
33:43
homology, pneumatology ecclesiology eschatology, right?
33:48
We want you to know those things.
33:49
Why? Because you need to be fed
33:52
truth, fine, fine doctrine. That helps, you understand the
33:58
truth between good and error. Unless we teach you, those
34:02
things you're not going to learn them.
34:05
I can't teach you every Doctrine from the pulpit, but we can
34:08
teach you what are what we believe, and teach it on a
34:11
consistent basis. So you can grow in your
34:14
understanding of the gospel and the god, you serve.
34:20
That is so important. That's why the greatest study
34:23
you can ever embarked on. Is he attributes of God, right?
34:28
Just studying the attributes of God, knowing your God who he is,
34:32
how he functions. All those things.
34:34
Just expound your understanding of the beauty and nature of the
34:38
Living. God.
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And so, it's important that we understand these things.
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So, the writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews chapter 13 verse
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number 9, do not be carried away.
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Do not be removed by varied and strange teachings for it is good
34:52
for the heart to be, strengthened by Grace, not by
34:55
Foods through which those who were.
34:57
So I keep I'd were not benefited, they do you, no good.
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But if you're nourished in the words of Grace, if you're
35:06
strengthened by those words, that's what you need.
35:10
That's why Paul said that. If he's an Elders, I commend you
35:12
to God and the word of his grace, which is able to build
35:15
you up, and to give you an inheritance, it's the word that
35:20
saves, it's the word that sanctifies him.
35:23
Christ has Sanctified them in truth.
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My word is truth. It's the word that satisfies job
35:28
said, it Job chapter 23, right when he said, Ed.
35:33
I treasure your words more than my necessary food, why?
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Because he knew that only thing that could satisfy him amidst,
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all of us pain and it's all of his turmoil.
35:41
I missed all of the abuse he was receiving was what truth that's
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all that matters. It's all I have.
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It's only you can satisfy the man.
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His wife couldn't satisfy him. She was nowhere to be found.
35:54
His friends couldn't satisfy him.
35:55
That's for sure. They can say anything good.
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His health was in shambles, he lost his children, he lost
36:01
everything. So how does the main find
36:03
satisfaction when his life is totally tone of torn apart?
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The only place you can find satisfaction in the truths of
36:12
God's holy word. See that's where it is.
36:17
But if you don't know the truth, Candlelight, the truth.
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And move toward that truth. suppose that committee to God,
36:25
the word of his grace, which is able to Build You Up, It's God's
36:29
word that does that. And we need to come to grips.
36:34
With that. I have in my presence here since
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the year 2001. My welcome mat.
36:45
It's kind of old now and grungy See that's clean that used to
36:50
because I keep stepping on it, but I had this underneath my Pew
36:55
out of here, is since a man gave it to me when I preached on 1st
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Thessalonians 2 verse number 13, where the church of thessalonica
37:03
put out the welcome mat for the word of the Living.
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God, it's my constant reminder, that, when I opened the word of
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God, I must welcome everything that God says And so I keep it
37:18
here and there, he my pew. As a constant, reminder never
37:22
do. I sit down stand up or walk
37:25
around the front, without knowing that's there.
37:29
Because as your pastor, if I don't put a welcome mat out to
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the word of the Lord, why would you write?
37:38
And so, Paul commended the Church of thessalonica because
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they welcomed what was said, they received with joy and
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became imitators of Paul and Silas.
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And they realize that God's word was everything because he
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welcomed it in. And Paul says, the reason you
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welcome it is in is because it does a work in.
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You, who believe in, there's been a mighty work done in your
38:02
lives because you believe, But so many times.
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We don't want to welcome the word.
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All right, Hebrews says these words.
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Hebrews chapter 19, I'm sorry. Progress at the 19th.
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Forgive me verse number 27. Cease listening.
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My son. To discipline.
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Cease, listening my son to discipline and you will stray
38:39
from the words. Of knowledge.
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What a powerful verse. That all powerful, right?
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But they're powerful for this occasion.
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Do you know what happens when you stop listening to
38:53
discipline? You stray from the words of not.
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Why is it people in the church stray away from the truth?
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Because they will not listen to the words of discipline.
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The words are discipline only come from the truth of God's
39:09
word. What does God's word say, right?
39:13
And so when you when you tell them what God's word says they
39:16
are the words of discipline, they're the words of training.
39:19
Their the words of of development that the words of
39:21
instruction And if you refuse to listen to those words, guess
39:26
what you will eventually stray away from the words of
39:29
knowledge. Why because you become
39:33
accustomed, not doing what God's word says.
39:37
When you become accustomed, not obeying, what God's word says,
39:40
it's easier to disobey the next time, and then the next time,
39:43
and then the next time and then you got it.
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Thanks Tom. That's Stop listening to
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discipline my son. And you will certainly stray
39:55
away from the words of knowledge. if I could tell you
39:59
how many times, Over the 28 years that we've been together,
40:03
we've warned people of that. They still care.
40:09
We each other. It will affect you down the
40:11
road. You will stray from the words of
40:15
knowledge are not prophets. I'm not claiming to be prophets
40:18
or Center profits. We're just quoting to you.
40:21
What God says in his word is going to happen.
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Because you refused to listen to the words of discipline.
40:27
You will stray, from the words of knowledge, it happens.
40:31
It always does why Proverbs 13 13.
40:37
If you despise the word of God, you'll be in debt to the word of
40:41
God. Israel, is that way.
40:46
Israel is so important to learn from Everything in the world is
40:51
about Israel said that for 28 years going to see if the next
40:55
28 of God gives me that long. Everything is about Israel.
40:59
Always has been always will be okay. and God speaks to Israel
41:05
in the book of Jeremiah He says these words.
41:10
Jeremiah 50 verse number 30. An appalling and horrible thing
41:15
has happened in the land. The prophets prophesy falsely.
41:20
And the priests rule on their own authority.
41:25
And my people love it. So, Other words, the prophets
41:31
don't speak the truth. They just prophesy falsely.
41:35
And the priests. They don't follow my authority,
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they follow their own authority. And because they do the people
41:42
just love it. They eat it up.
41:45
They eat it up. So the Lord says this and
41:49
chapter 6, verse number 10, behold the word of the Lord has
41:52
become a reproach to them. They have no Delight.
41:59
In it, he ever met someone who no longer is Delights in the
42:03
word of the Lord. You're met someone who when they
42:08
hear the word of God, it becomes reproach to them.
42:13
Why is it? Simply because they have not
42:16
refused to listen to wrong teaching.
42:20
They listen to prophets who prophesy falsely.
42:24
They've listened to priest to work under their own authority.
42:29
And they love it. So, Paul said, in second,
42:32
Timothy 2:56, the preach the word in season out of season
42:35
reprove rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and patience,
42:38
why? Because the time is coming when
42:40
they will not endure sound Doctrine anymore.
42:44
You don't want that. You know God's word doesn't
42:48
tickle your ears. God's word boxes, your ears?
42:53
Read your ears, boxed. Not a good feeling, that's God's
42:58
word. If your is being tickled, that's
43:01
not God's word because God words, confronts sin and deals
43:07
with it so that you're convicted and changed.
43:12
So God says this to Israel. This is the Lord stand by the
43:18
ways and see and ask for the ancient paths the way they used
43:21
to be. Where the good way is and walk
43:24
in it and you will find rest for your souls.
43:28
But they said, we will not walk. In it.
43:37
When you refused. To listen to the words of
43:41
discipline. You will walk away from the
43:46
words of knowledge. so, I said, I watched Men over you.
43:56
A mission to warn you of impending judgment.
44:00
Saying, listen to the sound of the trumpet but they said we
44:05
will not listen. Therefore hero Nations and Noah
44:11
congregation was among them. Hear o Earth behold.
44:16
I am bringing disaster on this people.
44:24
The fruit of their plans. Because they have not listened
44:28
to my words. and that's for my law, they have rejected it also,
44:37
He who despises the word will be in debt to the word.
44:41
He who ceases to listen to discipline will stray away from
44:45
the words of knowledge. And God says, come this way.
44:52
Walk the ancient past. Listen to what I had to say.
44:58
We will not. I'll give you a Watchman.
45:03
Who warned you who blow the trumpet to let you know, of
45:06
impending judgment. We will not listen.
45:11
Really. Okay, I will bring disaster
45:18
about you. And Israel.
45:22
Yep. For 70 years. they went off into
45:26
Babylonian captivity simply because they did not refuse.
45:35
To listen to wrong teaching. They delighted and listening to
45:40
false teachers. And he delighted in listening to
45:44
priests who functioned under their own authority through
45:47
God's Authority. It cost him dearly.
45:53
I don't want that for me. I don't want that for you.
45:57
I don't want that for any believer.
46:00
I want us to understand the beauty of God's holy word and
46:04
the prize that we possess in holding in our hearts hiding it
46:11
in our hearts, handling it correctly.
46:14
So others will hear and believe and know this is the way walk in
46:19
it. Let's pray father thank you for
46:22
today. Thank you for your word.
46:26
Thank you for the greatness of your truth.
46:29
Our prayer Lord is that everyone of us.
46:34
Every single one of us would truly. long to listen to you
46:39
only There are so many people out there that are talking.
46:46
Insane things. It's just aren't true.
46:51
We need to be discerning. And the only way that happens is
46:55
to be completely, commended and committed to the word of your
46:58
grace. We can be built up in the faith
47:01
and know the truth of a living. God as you leave this place
47:06
today, help us to live for you. until you come again, as you
47:10
most surely will in Jesus name, amen.