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Roman 16:17:20 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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We've been in the book of Romans around two years, I think, and it's been an awesome time.
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We've learned a lot of really great truth together.
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I'm kind of coming to a close on this.
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So Paul has talked about how awesome our great salvation is in Christ.
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He's told us that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone and nothing else.
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And now he's kind of wrapping up the letter to the church at Rome.
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And he throws out some things here at the end that are really, you want to ask, why did he kind of like end this way?
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Look at verse 17 of Romans 16.
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We're going to read our text for this morning.
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It says,
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I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught.
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Avoid them.
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For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites.
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And by smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the hearts of the naive.
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For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you.
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But I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent to what is evil.
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The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
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The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
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Just pray with me.
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Father, I'm overwhelmed and thankful to be here this morning with your people, the church.
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Those who have been bought with the blood of Christ.
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And I pray that you would help me communicate well this morning in a way that would only bring you glory.
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This isn't about me.
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It's not about anyone here.
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We were made for you, Lord.
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And I pray that I know that I can sometimes rely too much in myself or not rely enough in you.
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And I pray that you would just fill me and control me and allow me to speak the words of life that we just sang about.
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That men have died for throughout the centuries to preserve translators and people that love you.
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So God, just find us faithful this morning.
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In Christ's name, amen.
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Amen.
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So, throughout Scripture, throughout the Old and New Testaments, but particularly what we're going to look at a lot this morning in the New Testament,
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there are sober warnings against those who would teach a gospel contrary to the one that they had received.
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False teachers, false prophets.
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False.
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What we need to understand is that there are no new truths from God.
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There's no new revelations from God.
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No new morals, whatever.
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Like what God has taught throughout the centuries, there's nothing new at all.
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God is not changing things.
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He's not up in heaven at the moment saying, I wish I got something else into this book.
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He's not doing that.
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That's a puny, pathetic God.
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But throughout the Scripture, there are all kinds of warnings to look out for, be on the watch for false teachers,
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those who would attack the truth of the gospel.
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And so we're told as believers to examine everything carefully under the Word of God
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and to almost develop like a sixth sense for when something is not right and something is untrue.
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So we're going to have just maybe five places to turn other than our main text,
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but hold your place in Romans 16 so you can flip back.
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Return to Mark 13.
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We'll just look at some words from Christ.
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Mark 13, verse 21.
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And some believers have been fooled into thinking, well, I have the Holy Spirit, so I'm good.
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Like whenever something is not true, the Holy Spirit is just going to tell me it's not true.
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That's not true.
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Jesus said in John, when he's talking about the Holy Spirit, he said,
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He will remind you of everything that I have taught you.
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He will remind you of the things that I have put into your heart.
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And so you have to ask the question, well, if you don't know what Christ said,
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how can the Holy Spirit remind you?
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And it is possible for even genuine believers to believe lies and to believe false teachings.
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And we're going to see that right here.
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Mark 13, verse 21.
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And then this is Jesus talking.
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He says,
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And then if anyone says to you,
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Behold, here is the Christ.
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Or behold, He is there.
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Do not believe Him.
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For false Christs and false prophets will arise
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and will show signs and wonders in order to lead astray.
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If possible, the elect.
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See that?
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So even God's people can be deceived by false teaching.
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But take heed.
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Behold, I have told you these things.
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I have told you everything in advance.
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Like I have told you.
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So look out for this stuff.
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And in Hebrews 13, it says this,
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Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
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Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings.
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Like it's just this constant theme.
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There's actually two books in the New Testament
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that are completely dedicated to apostasy and false teaching.
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That's the book of Jude and the book of 2 Peter.
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Totally dedicated to like exposing false prophets
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and warning us that they will be coming.
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So a second place to turn today.
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Flip over to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5.
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And we're going to kind of look at what we're called to do as believers
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in light of this storm of false teaching and false doctrines that are out there.
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We're going to talk about some later in the message.
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So, in light of that, believers are called, I should say commanded,
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to use discernment in everything that they read and everything that they hear.
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And this is what, verse 21, chapter 5.
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Very simple, it says,
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But examine everything carefully.
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Hold fast to which is good.
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Abstain from every form of evil.
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And these words there, examine,
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it means to like to make a distinction,
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to analyze, to test,
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to prove, like you would like precious metals,
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and to deem worthy, to scrutinize.
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That's what this means.
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So, how many of us actually do that
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when we read and when we listen
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to things outside of the Word of God itself?
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We need to learn to discern truth from half-truth
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and truth from error.
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One of the best vehicles of false teachers
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is not to just teach you an all-out lie,
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but to teach you a lie sprinkled in the midst of some truth
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under the guise of familiar language and jargon.
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And the writer of the Hebrews
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also gives very sober warnings about this.
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He said,
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he pleased with them
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not to depart from the truth that they had received.
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And in chapter 2, he says,
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Therefore, we must pay much closer attention
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to what we have heard,
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lest we drift away from it.
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And in chapter 5,
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he actually classifies those who are spiritually mature
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and those who are not spiritually mature.
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The distinction he makes is
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the mature will be able to discern
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from good and evil.
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Pretty interesting.
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That's like what he says.
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So, this is what he says,
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But solid food is for the mature,
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for those who have had their powers of discernment
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trained by constant practice
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to distinguish good from evil.
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See that?
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Like this, their senses have learned
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like something doesn't smell right here,
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something is not right about what this guy is saying.
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This is not true what I'm reading
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or hearing on TBN or whatever.
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So, what matters
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is that we're called to be discerning
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in all that we read and hear as believers
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and to guard the gospel.
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If I had to have a title this morning,
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that would be it.
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Like guarding the gospel.
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Paul told Timothy,
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Guard the good deposit
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that was entrusted to you.
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Hold it dear and protect it.
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Philippians 1, 9 says this,
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It is my prayer
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that your love may abound more and more
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with all knowledge and all discernment
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so that you may approve what is excellent.
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And so be pure and blameless
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for the day of Christ.
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So he prayed like that they would have discernment
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to approve what is good,
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what is evil,
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what is true,
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what is false.
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So, but messages like this
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can come across
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harsh, I guess,
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and unloving.
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And I really want to just take just a second
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to explain to you my motive
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and my desire.
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Recently,
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some of you know,
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like I was diagnosed with some skin cancer
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and I had to go through some things,
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but everything looks good now.
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And I've had other health issues in my past.
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So,
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I have just an illustration for you.
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Some of the college students
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might have actually heard this before.
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But,
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let's say,
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you know,
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one day you were,
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noticed something wasn't right,
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like you felt something weird going on
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in your body.
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And so you go to
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the hospital
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or to the clinic
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or whatever
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and to see one of your best friends
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is actually the doctor there.
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And you go with your family
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and you go with your children
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and you just expect
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to just kind of run some quick tests
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and be out by lunch.
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Now,
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you've already gone to the doctor's office
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and done that.
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That's the only thing you look forward to
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is getting out and eating.
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So,
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so you're there
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and the tests are on
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and you're sitting in the waiting room.
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Meanwhile,
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your friend is in the back
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and he gets the results
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from your test.
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And he sees
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that you actually
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have the worst type of cancer
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that's out there.
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And unless he does something
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soon
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and you start going through treatment,
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you're going to be dead
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really fast.
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So in that moment,
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he has a choice.
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He can say,
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well,
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man,
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if I tell him this,
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this is going to ruin his day.
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It's going to ruin his week.
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It's going to ruin the rest of his life,
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probably.
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I'm going to make his wife cry.
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I'm going to make his children cry.
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If I go out there
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and I tell him the truth
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about his condition,
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well,
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I don't want to make him upset.
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So I'm just not going to do it.
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Is that the loving thing to do?
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No.
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Like,
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love
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would compel him
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to go out there
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despite of what this friend
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may think about him.
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and it would compel him
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to tell him the truth.
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You have cancer.
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Because he,
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even though it's hard for him
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to tell him the truth,
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he loves him
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and is fighting
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to save his life.
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Right?
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That's what truth is.
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And that's what love does.
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It's the nature of love
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to warrant against those
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for harm,
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for those that it might hurt,
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you know.
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Two,
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so I just want you to know
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that I have no hidden motive
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this morning.
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Turn to Ephesians chapter 4
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real fast.
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And this kind of sums up
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my attitude.
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word.
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It's the nature of love
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just to protect
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those whom it loves.
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Okay,
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Ephesians chapter 4
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go to verse 14.
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And this is Paul talking.
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And here we go.
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We just kind of read over this stuff
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and don't think much about it.
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But,
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it says,
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he's praying for them
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in this prayer.
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And he says,
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so that you may no longer
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be children
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tossed to and fro
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by the waves
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and carried about
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by the wind
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of doctrine,
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by every wind of doctrine,
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by human cunning,
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by craftiness
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and deceitful schemes.
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See that?
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So he says,
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that's children
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who are tossed around
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by every wind of doctrine
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that's out there.
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But then it says,
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rather,
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speaking the truth in love,
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we are to grow up
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in every way
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into him who is the head,
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into Christ,
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from whom the whole body
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joined
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and held together
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by every joint
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with which is it equipped.
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With each part
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that's working properly
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makes the body grow
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so that it builds itself up
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in love.
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So,
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my desire is like
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to warn you
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and say that
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there are many winds
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of doctrine out there.
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I love to study
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church movements
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and church history.
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I bore a lot of people
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with that
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day after day
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when I talk about it.
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But,
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I'm not interested
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to know
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that the mainline
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Protestant
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denominations
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in the U.S.,
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I could say in Europe too,
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who once started
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very conservative,
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very,
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you know,
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Christ-centered,
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gospel-loving,
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you know,
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people
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who held the Scripture
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in high regard
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and said it was
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the Word of God.
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Most all of the
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mainline denominations
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have departed from that.
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Most of them.
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Here in the U.S.,
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the,
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like,
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I'm not speaking
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for every
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type of person
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who's in this denomination.
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I'll start with the Baptists
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because we're Baptists.
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Southern Baptists
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have,
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overall,
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thankfully,
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as kooky as we can be
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about some other things,
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we've held on to
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the authority
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of Scripture
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and we've held on to
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the inerrancy
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of Scripture
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and Christ being
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the only way
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to God
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and salvation by grace.
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We've held on
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to those things.
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But there are
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many different things
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that have split off
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of Southern Baptists.
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Different liberal
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theological groups
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and,
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but some of the
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mainline denominations,
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some of the
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mainline Lutheran
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denominations,
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mainline Methodists,
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have all abandoned
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those things.
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But definitely,
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there are conservative
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Methodists and Lutherans
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out there
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who don't,
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you know,
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tolerate that
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at all
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and say,
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no,
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that's not
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what we believe.
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So,
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we have to
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take heed here.
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I don't want you guys
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to believe every false
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teaching this out there.
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And as it says,
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the goal here is love,
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not rebuke.
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It's like,
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to show you like,
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if you're a parent,
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you have a child,
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they're doing something
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going to harm them,
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you're going to like
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yank that out of their hands,
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right?
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That's what the loving
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thing to do is.
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So,
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out of our text in Romans,
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I believe I have just
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five questions
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we're going to look at.
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So,
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flip back to Romans,
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chapter 16.
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Some of you know
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I have respiratory issues
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and I'm not breathing
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well this morning,
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so,
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just bear with me.
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Okay,
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so the first
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question we're going
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to ask from our
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text
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is,
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what is the mark
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of false teachers?
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what's the mark
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of false teachers?
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We see this in verse 17.
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I appeal to you,
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brothers,
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to watch out for those
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who cause divisions
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and create obstacles
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contrary to the doctrine
16:49
that you have been taught.
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Avoid them.
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So,
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Paul's not talking
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about minor
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quarrels here,
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about the carpet,
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or about
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little
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Bible stories
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that,
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you know,
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whatever.
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He's talking about
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serious deals
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that can cause
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divisions in a church.
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And,
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he says to watch
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out for them.
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And he says
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their distinction is
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they're going to teach you
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like a gospel
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contrary to the one
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that you've heard.
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word.
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And so,
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like,
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watch out.
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And,
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like I said,
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we have a few places
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to turn this morning,
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but scripture
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interprets scripture.
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You need to support
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what you're arguing
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with the other scripture.
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So,
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flip to
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2 Timothy,
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chapter 4.
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2 Timothy,
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chapter 4.
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See,
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the gospel has been
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passed down
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throughout the centuries.
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It hasn't changed.
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It's been a relay
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of truth
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for all time.
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And,
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this is Paul
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talking to Timothy
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who is himself
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a pastor.
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So,
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verse 1
17:57
of chapter 4.
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He says,
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I charge you,
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I charge you,
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Timothy,
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in the presence
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of God
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and of Christ Jesus
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who is the judge
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of the living
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and the dead
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and by his appearing
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in his kingdom.
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Preach
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the word.
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Not a word
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or a good word.
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Preach the word.
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God's word.
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He said,
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be ready
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in season
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and out of season.
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Reprove,
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rebuke,
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exhort
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with complete
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patience and teaching
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that for the time
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is coming
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when people
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will not endure
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sound teaching
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but having itching
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years,
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they will accumulate
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for themselves
18:41
teachers
18:42
to suit their
18:44
own passions
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and will turn
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away
18:47
from listening
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to the truth
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and wander
18:50
off into myths.
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So,
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people who find
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the truth of God
18:56
hard to handle,
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those go somewhere
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else.
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They'll go and
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listen to a teacher
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who will tell them
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what they want
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to hear.
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Tell me
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how man-centered
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things are.
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So,
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instead of
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submitting to God's
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truth,
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they find teachers
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that will help
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them,
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you know,
19:14
appease what
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they want
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and the spirit
19:17
of the age,
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I guess you could
19:18
say in a lot
19:19
of ways,
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what culture
19:21
would say.
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So,
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the mark of false
19:23
teachers is
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they teach a gospel
19:25
contrary to the one
19:27
that's been passed
19:28
down throughout the
19:29
centuries and the
19:30
one that this
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testifies to.
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The second
19:34
point,
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flip back over
19:37
to Romans.
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The second
19:44
question is,
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what is the
19:46
motive of
19:48
false teachers?
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Okay,
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and we see this
19:50
in verse 18.
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It says,
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for such
19:53
persons do
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not serve our
19:56
Lord Christ
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but their own
19:57
appetites.
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So,
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false teachers
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serve their own
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appetizer.
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What this
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means in Greek
20:02
is literally
20:03
your belly
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which means
20:05
like the
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things that
20:06
your flesh
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may crave.
20:08
John Piper
20:09
said here,
20:12
behind the
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plausible speech
20:13
and smooth
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talk of a
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gentleman,
20:17
gentlemanly,
20:19
he said,
20:20
demeanor is
20:21
idolatry and
20:22
the idol is
20:22
the belly,
20:23
the appetite
20:24
for food
20:25
or sex
20:26
or human
20:27
approval.
20:29
Behind the
20:29
serious false
20:30
teaching,
20:30
we almost
20:31
have to
20:31
find out
20:32
these aren't
20:34
just intellectual
20:35
mistakes.
20:36
These are
20:36
worldly passions
20:37
that come
20:38
from an
20:39
enslaving mind.
20:40
So,
20:41
like we,
20:42
false teachers
20:43
have a
20:43
different motive
20:43
other than
20:44
to glorify
20:45
Christ.
20:46
They want
20:46
man to
20:46
approve
20:47
them,
20:47
they want
20:48
popularity,
20:50
they want
20:51
money,
20:52
power,
20:53
etc.
20:54
And I'm
20:54
going to
20:55
read
20:55
something
20:57
from 1
20:57
Timothy
20:57
to you
20:59
that kind
20:59
of explains
20:59
this.
21:02
Paul
21:02
talking
21:03
again,
21:03
he says,
21:03
if anyone
21:03
teaches
21:04
a doctrine,
21:05
a different
21:06
doctrine,
21:06
does not
21:07
agree with
21:07
sound words
21:08
of our
21:09
Lord Jesus
21:10
Christ,
21:11
in the
21:11
teaching that
21:12
is in
21:13
accordance with
21:14
godliness,
21:15
he is
21:15
puffed up
21:16
and conceited
21:16
and understands
21:18
nothing.
21:19
He has an
21:20
unhealthy
21:20
craving for
21:21
controversy and
21:22
quarrels about
21:24
words.
21:25
And it
21:25
says that
21:26
they,
21:27
he goes
21:27
on to
21:27
say that
21:28
he does
21:28
this because
21:29
he hopes
21:29
it will
21:29
give him
21:29
great gain.
21:31
He hopes
21:31
that teaching
21:33
these things
21:33
contrary to
21:34
the gospel
21:34
will be a
21:35
means of
21:35
gain.
21:37
So,
21:38
they have
21:39
some hidden
21:39
motive,
21:39
it's not
21:40
to glorify
21:40
Christ.
21:42
And you
21:42
always can
21:42
tell,
21:43
because men
21:45
who do
21:45
want to
21:46
glorify
21:46
Christ will
21:47
always tell
21:47
you,
21:48
if I'm
21:49
out of
21:49
line,
21:50
tell me,
21:52
like let
21:52
what I've
21:53
said be
21:53
tested here,
21:56
because false
21:57
teachers don't
21:57
like scrutiny.
21:58
They'll say,
21:59
just stay
21:59
away from
22:00
me,
22:01
and don't
22:01
scrutinize
22:02
me at
22:02
all with
22:03
that stuff.
22:05
So,
22:07
you know,
22:08
I,
22:09
there's so
22:10
many,
22:10
this question
22:11
could go on
22:11
and on,
22:12
this next
22:12
one,
22:13
but what
22:13
is the
22:13
method of
22:15
false
22:15
teachers,
22:15
is the
22:16
next
22:16
question.
22:19
What is
22:19
the method
22:20
of false
22:20
teachers?
22:22
In
22:22
verse 18,
22:23
it says,
22:25
by smooth
22:26
talk and
22:27
flattery,
22:28
they deceive
22:29
hearts.
22:30
See this?
22:31
Smooth
22:32
talk and
22:32
flattery.
22:34
The word
22:34
flattery is
22:35
eulogia.
22:37
Does that
22:37
sound familiar?
22:39
Like a
22:39
memorial service?
22:42
A eulogy,
22:44
to give a
22:45
blessing or
22:45
to give
22:45
praise to
22:47
someone.
22:48
So,
22:49
in a bad
22:49
sense,
22:50
like they're
22:51
giving you a
22:52
blessing,
22:53
they're telling
22:53
you what
22:54
you want
22:54
to hear.
22:56
And then in
22:56
smooth talk,
22:57
it says,
22:58
this word
22:58
means like
23:00
simple,
23:01
pleasant,
23:02
plausible
23:02
words.
23:03
They're not
23:04
trying to
23:05
trick you
23:05
on the
23:07
surface.
23:07
It doesn't
23:08
come across
23:08
that way.
23:10
False
23:10
teachers
23:11
don't get a
23:12
big crowd
23:13
by being
23:13
rough and
23:14
harsh and
23:15
rambling.
23:16
They get it
23:17
by being
23:17
nice guys
23:18
and by
23:19
appealing to
23:20
the
23:21
sympathies of
23:22
culture.
23:23
So,
23:24
throughout
23:24
history,
23:26
false
23:26
teachers have
23:27
been kind
23:28
of like
23:29
that.
23:30
One guy
23:31
from
23:32
336 A.D.,
23:35
Arius,
23:36
he was a
23:36
part of the
23:37
Arian heresy
23:37
in the
23:38
Council of
23:39
Nicaea.
23:40
He denied
23:41
the divinity
23:41
of Christ.
23:43
And listen
23:44
to what
23:44
this one
23:46
historian
23:47
kind of
23:48
explains what
23:48
he's like.
23:50
He says,
23:50
he was a
23:51
bright,
23:52
energetic,
23:54
attractive
23:54
fellow,
23:56
the kind
23:56
of citizen
23:57
whom any
23:58
rotary club
23:59
would welcome,
24:00
singing sea
24:01
shanties in
24:02
the dockside
24:02
pubs,
24:03
and teaching
24:04
Bible stories
24:05
on Wednesday
24:05
night.
24:07
This was an
24:07
immensely popular
24:08
man.
24:10
His story
24:11
reminds us
24:12
the heresy
24:13
does not
24:15
blunge in
24:18
us into
24:18
unbelief.
24:20
We are
24:20
seduced.
24:21
He was a
24:22
gentleman.
24:22
His morals
24:23
were above
24:23
reproach,
24:25
and he
24:25
distinguished
24:26
himself by
24:26
his unfailing
24:27
courtesy.
24:28
These are
24:29
what false
24:30
teachers look
24:31
like.
24:31
They're so
24:32
good.
24:33
They're
24:33
attractive
24:33
even.
24:36
So,
24:37
we're told
24:40
to avoid
24:40
them.
24:42
Listen to
24:42
what Jesus
24:43
said in
24:43
Matthew 7.
24:45
He said,
24:45
false
24:45
teachers,
24:47
false
24:47
prophets
24:47
will come
24:48
to you
24:48
in sheep's
24:50
clothing,
24:50
right?
24:51
But he
24:51
said,
24:51
but inwardly
24:52
they're
24:52
ravenous
24:52
wolves.
24:54
So,
24:54
they appear
24:55
attractive and
24:56
good on the
24:57
outside,
24:57
but inwardly
24:58
they are
24:59
not.
25:00
So,
25:01
they're very
25:01
tricky.
25:03
I listen to
25:03
some of these
25:04
guys.
25:05
So crafty
25:06
with how they
25:06
play with
25:06
words and
25:07
play with
25:07
ideas and
25:09
flip questions
25:10
on people.
25:12
So,
25:13
then the
25:14
next question,
25:15
fourth
25:16
question,
25:18
who is
25:18
the prey
25:19
of false
25:20
teachers?
25:22
Okay,
25:22
so who do
25:23
false teachers
25:24
like to
25:25
prey on?
25:26
And according
25:27
to our text,
25:29
in verse 18,
25:29
it says the
25:30
naive.
25:31
And this
25:32
means the
25:33
harmless,
25:35
someone who's
25:35
fearing no
25:36
evil from
25:36
anybody,
25:37
and they
25:38
distrust no
25:39
one.
25:39
They don't
25:40
suspect anyone's
25:41
up to
25:42
mischief.
25:44
And I
25:46
want to
25:46
submit that
25:47
I wouldn't
25:48
say this about
25:48
our church
25:49
in general,
25:50
and I'm
25:51
thankful for
25:51
that,
25:52
but overall,
25:55
the church
25:55
in America
25:56
statistically
25:57
has an
25:59
intense
25:59
doctrinal
25:59
shallowness.
26:01
They're a
26:01
mile wide,
26:02
an inch deep
26:03
on what they
26:03
believe.
26:05
And they
26:08
seem to be
26:08
concerned about
26:08
learning the
26:09
bare minimum
26:10
of the
26:11
Bible.
26:12
They content
26:13
themselves with,
26:14
I'm not against
26:15
devotional books,
26:16
I'm just against
26:16
bad devotional
26:17
books.
26:18
Reading one
26:19
verse in a
26:19
paragraph is
26:20
not going to
26:21
get you through
26:22
your day.
26:23
That's not the
26:23
nourishment for
26:24
your soul.
26:24
What if you
26:25
just ate,
26:26
you know,
26:26
like one
26:27
biscuit in the
26:27
morning that
26:28
was supposed
26:28
to get you
26:28
through the
26:29
day?
26:29
Like that's
26:30
not really
26:31
good.
26:32
So because of
26:34
the doctrinal
26:34
shallowness
26:35
that exists,
26:36
the naive
26:38
or just easy
26:39
parade for
26:40
false teachers.
26:41
Like I
26:42
had a good
26:43
friend who
26:44
just bought
26:45
into some
26:46
recent new
26:48
books that
26:48
are out
26:49
there.
26:50
And he's
26:52
an awesome
26:52
dude.
26:53
He really
26:53
does love
26:53
the Lord,
26:54
but he
26:54
doesn't have
26:55
a very solid
26:56
foundation
26:57
biblically yet
26:58
for what is
26:58
true and what
26:59
is false.
26:59
false teachers
27:03
have to do
27:04
is just
27:04
like say a
27:05
little bit of
27:06
Christian jargon,
27:07
refer to a
27:09
single verse
27:10
maybe in
27:11
scripture.
27:11
I love how
27:12
Joel Osteen
27:12
loved to say
27:14
this is the
27:14
word of God
27:15
and then he
27:15
doesn't refer
27:16
to it the
27:17
whole rest of
27:17
the time.
27:19
So see,
27:20
it's just
27:20
tricky.
27:22
Use one
27:23
word,
27:24
just use
27:25
Christian jargon,
27:26
crack a few
27:27
jokes,
27:28
and then be
27:28
passionate and
27:29
then people
27:29
were just
27:29
like,
27:31
they just
27:32
can't,
27:33
they don't
27:33
know what
27:33
to do.
27:34
Like they're
27:34
just sucked
27:35
right in.
27:36
Like in,
27:37
whether it's
27:37
biblical or
27:38
not,
27:38
if someone
27:39
is hip and
27:40
cool and
27:41
has Christian
27:42
jargon,
27:42
a few jokes
27:43
and they're
27:43
passionate,
27:43
that's all
27:44
it takes.
27:45
I mean,
27:45
that's really
27:46
it and
27:47
it's sad.
27:48
And so,
27:49
we're probably
27:50
going to get
27:51
a little more
27:51
personal here.
27:52
We've been
27:52
speaking very
27:52
general for
27:54
the most
27:54
part.
27:57
But,
27:58
I want
27:59
to submit
28:00
to you
28:00
that I
28:00
have,
28:01
in the
28:02
past,
28:03
believed some
28:03
things that
28:04
were not
28:04
biblical.
28:06
Thankfully,
28:06
they didn't,
28:08
they weren't
28:08
things about
28:09
salvation or
28:09
anything like
28:10
that.
28:10
But,
28:10
how many of
28:13
you love the
28:14
Christian
28:14
bookstore?
28:14
When you
28:15
go to the
28:15
Christian
28:15
bookstore and
28:16
the Christian
28:17
music's playing
28:17
and you see
28:18
all these nice
28:18
people walking
28:19
around,
28:19
you're just
28:19
kind of,
28:20
like,
28:20
man,
28:21
this place
28:21
is awesome.
28:22
I remember
28:22
thinking that
28:22
when I first
28:23
became a
28:23
Christian.
28:24
And,
28:25
so,
28:26
we need,
28:28
though,
28:29
to understand
28:30
that whenever
28:32
we go into
28:32
the Christian
28:33
bookstore,
28:34
there's a lot
28:36
of junk in
28:37
the Christian
28:37
bookstore that
28:38
doesn't belong
28:39
there at
28:40
all.
28:40
Like,
28:41
they'll have
28:41
Brian McLaren
28:43
here,
28:44
Mac Claren,
28:46
and then John
28:46
MacArthur
28:47
right beside
28:48
each other.
28:48
And,
28:48
those two
28:49
guys,
28:50
no way.
28:51
Like,
28:51
one believes
28:53
the true
28:53
gospel and
28:53
one doesn't.
28:55
And,
28:55
you'll know
28:56
which one
28:56
he really
28:57
does.
28:59
So,
29:00
but,
29:01
due to the
29:02
church's
29:03
lack of
29:05
biblical
29:06
theology and
29:07
doctrine,
29:08
the word
29:08
doctrine is not
29:09
a bad word.
29:09
It's in the
29:09
New Testament
29:10
16 times.
29:11
So,
29:12
deal with
29:13
that.
29:15
But,
29:17
I know some
29:17
people are
29:17
like,
29:18
don't give
29:18
me doctrine,
29:19
don't give
29:19
me theology,
29:20
let's just
29:20
talk about
29:21
how much
29:21
Jesus loves
29:21
us.
29:22
And,
29:22
they don't
29:23
understand.
29:23
These are
29:24
things that
29:24
scripture talks
29:26
about that we
29:26
learn well and
29:27
that we still
29:28
instill into
29:28
our hearts.
29:30
so,
29:31
so,
29:32
good Christian
29:33
books will
29:35
always lead
29:36
you back
29:36
to the
29:37
scripture.
29:39
That's
29:39
something
29:40
Martin Luther
29:40
said a
29:41
long time
29:41
ago.
29:42
I love
29:43
like a
29:43
book like
29:44
John Piper.
29:45
You look and
29:46
he has like
29:46
12 pages in
29:47
the back that
29:48
are just
29:48
scripture
29:48
references and
29:50
just clear
29:51
Bible teaching.
29:52
And,
29:53
so,
29:55
I have a
29:56
quote here
29:56
by a guy
29:57
named Nathan
29:58
Benowitz.
29:59
He says,
29:59
outside the
30:00
local church,
30:02
there is
30:02
probably no
30:03
place in the
30:03
community with
30:05
more spiritual
30:05
influence than
30:07
the local
30:07
Christian bookstore.
30:09
For many
30:10
believers,
30:11
books provide
30:12
the primary
30:13
supplement to
30:14
what is heard
30:15
on Sundays.
30:16
But,
30:17
just because
30:17
something is on
30:19
the shelf
30:19
doesn't mean
30:20
that it's
30:20
doctrinally
30:20
accurate or
30:21
spiritually,
30:21
beneficial.
30:24
After all,
30:24
biblical discernment
30:25
is not just
30:26
for sermons.
30:27
It also must
30:28
be applied to
30:29
chapters and
30:29
articles.
30:31
And,
30:31
even the
30:31
bestsellers are
30:32
not above the
30:33
scrutiny of
30:34
scripture.
30:36
Like,
30:37
how dare some
30:38
of these guys
30:38
say that their
30:39
book is above
30:40
the book that
30:42
God himself
30:42
wrote.
30:44
And,
30:45
so,
30:46
I want to
30:47
communicate this
30:48
as kindly and
30:50
as humble as
30:51
I am.
30:51
This is like
30:52
the doctor
30:53
walking into
30:54
the office to
30:55
tell you that
30:55
you might have
30:56
eaten some
30:58
stuff that
30:58
might kill
30:59
you,
30:59
okay?
31:00
And,
31:00
something needs
31:01
to be done.
31:04
I have read
31:05
this book,
31:06
and as someone
31:08
who has gone
31:09
through a lot of
31:09
suffering in his
31:10
life,
31:10
this book brought
31:11
me no comfort
31:12
at all.
31:13
It made me
31:13
sad.
31:14
God,
31:14
and,
31:18
just as a
31:19
little thing
31:19
here,
31:20
this isn't
31:21
the time to
31:22
go through
31:22
like a large
31:23
book review
31:24
on these
31:25
things.
31:26
I'm going to
31:26
say a few
31:27
things about
31:27
them,
31:27
and if you
31:28
want to talk
31:28
to me later,
31:29
you can,
31:29
and I also
31:29
have some
31:30
things if you
31:31
want to,
31:32
to go and
31:32
read about
31:33
each one of
31:34
these books.
31:34
But,
31:34
there's so
31:35
many out
31:35
there,
31:35
but I
31:36
picked two.
31:36
So,
31:39
how many
31:39
have read
31:40
the book,
31:40
The Shack?
31:41
You don't need
31:42
to raise your
31:42
hand,
31:43
but just ask
31:44
yourself the
31:45
question.
31:46
I've read
31:46
the book,
31:47
it's a fiction
31:48
book,
31:50
but he seeks
31:51
to kind of
31:52
explain God's
31:54
relationship to
31:54
human suffering,
31:56
and it's an
31:57
emotional book,
31:57
it's even sad,
31:59
and like
31:59
emotionally,
32:00
it'll just pull
32:00
you right in,
32:01
and see,
32:01
there it is,
32:02
there's like
32:02
the biblical
32:03
shallowness of
32:05
our culture,
32:06
like it just
32:06
pulls us in
32:07
emotionally,
32:07
and we just
32:08
go throw out
32:10
like whatever
32:10
this says,
32:11
and we're just
32:12
pulled right in,
32:15
and it's a
32:16
fiction book,
32:17
and I want to
32:17
make just a
32:19
statement here,
32:22
the majority,
32:23
a lot,
32:23
excuse me,
32:24
I'll say a
32:25
lot,
32:26
a lot of
32:26
people out
32:27
there,
32:28
they don't get
32:29
their theology
32:29
from the Bible,
32:30
they get it
32:30
from Christian
32:31
fiction,
32:32
right?
32:34
And the
32:34
problem is,
32:36
you can't
32:36
just say,
32:36
well,
32:37
it was just
32:37
a fiction
32:37
book,
32:38
and he
32:39
didn't mean
32:39
for it to
32:40
be like a
32:40
systematic
32:41
theology,
32:41
or anything
32:42
like that,
32:43
but the
32:43
problem is,
32:44
people don't
32:44
read it that
32:44
way,
32:45
they get
32:46
like what
32:46
they believe
32:47
about God
32:47
from those
32:48
books,
32:49
and anybody,
32:51
regardless of
32:51
who you are,
32:52
you're held
32:52
accountable for
32:54
how you try
32:54
to portray
32:55
God,
32:55
whether it's
32:55
to a child
32:56
in a fiction
32:57
book,
32:58
or whether
32:58
it's to
32:59
grown adults,
33:00
like God
33:01
will hold you
33:01
accountable,
33:02
God cares
33:02
about how
33:03
he's seen,
33:04
and how
33:04
he's viewed,
33:05
there was a
33:06
Puritan named
33:08
William Ames
33:08
a long time
33:09
ago,
33:10
and he was
33:11
a loving,
33:12
kind pastor,
33:13
the people
33:14
loved him,
33:15
he spoke the
33:16
word of God,
33:17
and ministered
33:18
to the
33:18
laws,
33:19
and after
33:20
one of his
33:20
sermons,
33:21
the guy
33:21
said,
33:21
pastor,
33:22
you are so
33:22
precise in
33:24
what you say,
33:25
the Puritans
33:26
are known for
33:26
their precision
33:27
on what they
33:28
say,
33:28
they'll tell you
33:29
20 things they
33:30
don't mean,
33:30
before they tell
33:31
you 20 things
33:32
they do mean,
33:32
and,
33:34
but his
33:35
response was,
33:36
sir,
33:36
I serve a
33:37
precise God,
33:38
that's like
33:39
what he said,
33:41
so,
33:41
but in this
33:42
book,
33:43
real quickly,
33:44
there was this
33:45
guy named
33:46
Mack,
33:46
and his
33:47
daughter was
33:48
brutally
33:48
murdered in
33:49
this shack,
33:50
and he
33:51
receives an
33:52
invitation,
33:53
that ends up
33:53
being from
33:54
God himself,
33:55
to go back
33:55
to the shack,
33:57
and for,
33:59
and in the
33:59
process,
34:00
he meets the
34:00
Trinity there,
34:01
Father,
34:02
Son,
34:02
and Holy
34:03
Spirit,
34:03
but they're
34:03
not,
34:04
they're
34:04
portrayed by,
34:06
you know,
34:07
African-American
34:08
woman,
34:09
and an
34:10
Asian woman,
34:11
and Jesus
34:11
actually plays
34:12
himself as
34:12
the Middle
34:13
Eastern man
34:13
in the
34:14
book,
34:15
so,
34:16
it's a
34:16
book that
34:17
really does
34:17
muddle the
34:18
sovereignty of
34:19
God,
34:20
it butchers the
34:21
Trinity,
34:21
and it's a
34:22
bad understanding
34:22
of salvation,
34:23
and I've done
34:24
my research on
34:25
William Young,
34:27
I don't,
34:27
I don't hate
34:28
this guy,
34:29
I feel like
34:29
terribly sorry
34:30
for him,
34:30
alright,
34:33
so here's
34:34
just a few
34:35
things out
34:35
of this book
34:36
that I saw,
34:38
and one is,
34:41
in regards to
34:42
the Trinity,
34:43
okay,
34:44
people are like,
34:44
I read this and
34:45
now I understand
34:45
the Trinity,
34:46
but no,
34:47
it says,
34:48
page 96,
34:50
it says,
34:52
when we three,
34:53
this is one of
34:54
them talking,
34:55
when we three
34:55
spoke ourselves
34:56
into human
34:58
existence,
34:59
as God,
34:59
the Son,
35:01
we became
35:01
fully human,
35:03
the Father,
35:04
the Spirit,
35:04
and Jesus
35:05
were together
35:05
at the cross,
35:06
and together
35:07
they were
35:08
crucified,
35:09
what?
35:11
No,
35:12
the Son
35:12
became manifest
35:14
in flesh,
35:15
the Father
35:16
didn't,
35:17
the Holy Spirit
35:18
did not,
35:19
who was
35:20
crucified on the
35:20
cross,
35:21
was the Father?
35:22
Nope,
35:23
it does this
35:26
all throughout
35:26
the book,
35:27
it gets the
35:27
roles of each
35:28
member of the
35:29
Trinity all
35:30
mixed up,
35:31
and that is
35:32
not glorifying
35:33
to God at
35:33
all,
35:35
and then when
35:35
it comes to
35:36
the understanding
35:37
of sin,
35:38
and punishment
35:38
of sin,
35:39
and judgment,
35:40
Jung carries
35:41
like an extreme
35:42
universal point
35:44
of view,
35:45
and he slips
35:45
it right in,
35:46
time and
35:47
again,
35:48
so this is
35:49
Jesus talking,
35:50
and he says,
35:52
this is what he
35:52
says,
35:53
I'm the best
35:54
way any
35:56
human can
35:57
relate to
35:58
Papa or
35:59
Sarayu,
36:00
well,
36:00
Father and
36:01
Holy Spirit,
36:02
to see me
36:03
is to see
36:04
them,
36:05
the love you
36:05
sense from me
36:06
is no different
36:06
from how they
36:07
love you,
36:09
so now Jesus
36:10
is the best
36:10
way to relate
36:12
to the Father,
36:13
in English
36:13
language,
36:14
the best way
36:14
means that
36:15
there are
36:15
other ways,
36:17
okay,
36:18
and in
36:20
regard to sin,
36:21
he said this,
36:21
this is,
36:22
this is Papa
36:23
talking,
36:24
he says,
36:24
I don't need
36:25
to punish
36:25
people for
36:26
sin,
36:27
sin is
36:28
its own
36:28
punishment,
36:30
devouring
36:30
you from
36:31
the inside,
36:32
it is not
36:33
my purpose
36:33
to punish
36:34
it,
36:35
it is my
36:35
joy to
36:35
cure it,
36:37
oops,
36:37
see,
36:37
sounds nice,
36:38
right,
36:38
but then,
36:40
this is page
36:40
120,
36:42
he says,
36:44
man,
36:47
I cannot
36:48
send any
36:49
of my
36:49
children
36:49
to an
36:50
eternal
36:51
hell just
36:51
because they
36:52
sin against
36:52
me,
36:53
your
36:54
understanding
36:54
of God
36:55
is wrong,
36:56
I am not
36:56
the one
36:57
who will
36:57
condemn
36:58
most people
36:59
to an
37:01
eternity
37:01
of torment,
37:03
and throughout
37:03
the book,
37:03
he uses
37:04
children,
37:05
the word
37:05
children,
37:06
as everybody
37:07
in the
37:07
world,
37:08
he is not
37:08
referring to
37:09
the believers,
37:11
scripture is
37:12
clear,
37:13
if you don't
37:13
have Christ,
37:14
it says the
37:14
wrath of
37:14
God remains
37:16
on you,
37:16
and the
37:17
true children
37:17
of God
37:18
are those
37:18
who have
37:18
Christ,
37:20
and that is
37:20
it,
37:20
it is not
37:21
a general
37:22
thing at
37:23
all,
37:25
and so,
37:26
God is not
37:26
going to
37:27
punish sin,
37:28
it is not,
37:29
what does it
37:30
say here,
37:30
he says that
37:31
most people
37:31
will not,
37:33
it is not
37:33
my purpose
37:34
to condemn
37:34
anybody,
37:35
well,
37:36
broad is
37:37
the path
37:37
that leads
37:38
to destruction,
37:38
and many
37:39
will find
37:39
it,
37:39
right,
37:40
like there's
37:40
this idea
37:41
there,
37:42
so there's
37:43
so much
37:44
in this
37:44
book,
37:45
but as
37:45
someone who's
37:46
been through
37:46
suffering,
37:47
he really
37:47
does,
37:47
like,
37:48
just destroy
37:48
God's
37:49
sovereignty
37:50
over suffering,
37:51
and like,
37:51
if you take
37:52
away the
37:52
sovereignty
37:53
of God,
37:54
you have
37:54
zero
37:55
comfort,
37:57
zero,
37:57
what's God
37:58
going to do,
37:58
he can't
37:58
protect you
37:59
from anything
37:59
at all,
38:00
and he
38:02
carries an
38:02
open theistic
38:03
point of view,
38:04
which you can
38:05
look up later,
38:05
but it's,
38:07
God is
38:08
reactive to
38:09
situations,
38:10
he's not
38:10
ordained
38:10
situations,
38:12
so,
38:13
man,
38:14
don't get
38:15
your theology
38:15
from this
38:16
stuff,
38:16
and pray
38:16
for this
38:17
guy,
38:18
okay,
38:18
and,
38:19
and,
38:20
another
38:21
one,
38:22
this is just
38:24
the second
38:24
one,
38:24
this would
38:24
just be
38:25
a Bible
38:26
exegesis,
38:27
if we
38:27
didn't just
38:28
explain,
38:29
and touch
38:29
home on
38:30
some things,
38:31
but a
38:32
very well-known,
38:35
popular book,
38:36
a guy that I
38:36
actually used to
38:37
read a little
38:38
bit of,
38:38
and enjoyed
38:39
some of the
38:40
stuff,
38:41
but he's
38:41
taking just a
38:42
dive off the
38:42
deep end,
38:44
and he needs
38:44
prayer as
38:45
well,
38:45
but the
38:47
book is
38:49
called
38:49
Love
38:50
Wins,
38:51
a book
38:51
about heaven,
38:52
hell,
38:52
and the fate
38:53
of every
38:53
person who
38:54
lived by
38:54
Rob Bell,
38:55
and Rob
38:56
Bell
38:56
traditionally
38:57
has some
38:58
good stuff,
39:00
some good
39:00
teaching,
39:01
but just
39:01
he ever
39:02
slowly just
39:04
started kind
39:04
of slipping
39:05
off what
39:06
straying from
39:08
the doctrine
39:08
he had
39:08
received,
39:09
straying from
39:09
the gospel
39:10
that he had
39:11
believed.
39:12
He's a
39:13
mega church
39:14
leader,
39:14
but basically
39:15
he's saying
39:17
that hell
39:17
is something
39:18
that we
39:18
create for
39:19
ourselves
39:19
when we
39:20
reject God's
39:21
love,
39:22
and hell
39:23
is like a
39:23
present reality.
39:24
He's saying
39:24
that the
39:25
suffering and
39:25
stuff that we
39:26
go through in
39:27
this life is
39:27
hell,
39:29
but it's
39:30
not compared
39:31
to what is
39:32
to come,
39:34
but he says
39:34
that at the
39:35
end of the
39:35
day,
39:36
hell won't
39:37
be forever
39:37
because God
39:38
is going to
39:38
have his
39:39
way,
39:40
and love
39:41
wins,
39:42
and one
39:43
day,
39:43
all people
39:44
will be
39:44
reconciled
39:45
to God
39:46
regardless,
39:47
either in
39:48
this life
39:48
or the
39:48
next,
39:49
they're
39:49
going to
39:49
be
39:49
reconciled
39:50
to God
39:51
again.
39:51
There will
39:51
be no
39:52
eternal
39:52
torment
39:53
of the
39:55
lost at
39:55
all,
39:56
and I
39:57
rarely,
39:58
I've heard
39:59
Rob Bell
39:59
interview,
40:00
I've read
40:01
a lot of
40:02
his stuff,
40:03
I've rarely
40:04
seen someone
40:04
so crafty
40:05
with words,
40:06
he's so
40:07
good,
40:07
like he
40:08
twists and
40:09
turns things,
40:10
he uses
40:10
really good
40:11
Christian
40:12
jargon,
40:13
so if
40:14
you have
40:15
read the
40:15
book or
40:16
want to
40:17
just be
40:18
aware of
40:19
this,
40:19
readers need
40:20
to pay
40:20
attention to
40:21
the idea
40:22
of hell
40:23
he describes,
40:25
and he
40:26
does actually
40:27
bring up,
40:27
you know,
40:28
Jesus is the
40:29
only way,
40:30
but not in
40:31
the way we
40:31
would explain
40:31
that at all,
40:32
not the
40:32
biblical,
40:33
orthodox,
40:34
historical way
40:35
that's been
40:35
taught forever,
40:37
whatever,
40:38
so pay
40:39
attention to
40:40
those things,
40:40
remember,
40:41
bad theology
40:42
usually sneaks
40:44
under the
40:44
guise of
40:45
familiar language,
40:46
he used
40:47
200 pages
40:47
to kind of
40:48
sneak in
40:48
little things,
40:50
and so,
40:53
in general,
40:55
this isn't
40:56
a new thing
40:57
at all,
40:59
this teaching
41:00
could be
41:01
summed up
41:02
with a
41:03
minor difference
41:04
or two,
41:04
in his case,
41:05
under what
41:06
is called
41:06
universalism,
41:07
which means
41:08
that one
41:08
day,
41:09
again,
41:09
all people
41:10
will be
41:10
saved,
41:11
there will
41:11
be no
41:11
one in
41:12
hell,
41:13
it carries
41:13
a few
41:13
different
41:14
ideas,
41:15
but everyone
41:16
is savingly
41:16
loved by
41:17
God,
41:18
and is
41:18
reconciled
41:19
to God
41:19
already,
41:21
because of
41:21
what Jesus
41:21
has done,
41:23
it says
41:24
because of
41:24
the wideness
41:25
of God's
41:25
mercy,
41:27
people of
41:27
other religions
41:28
even,
41:29
will somehow
41:29
find their
41:30
way into
41:30
heaven one
41:31
day,
41:32
and initially,
41:33
it says
41:34
that despite
41:35
some people's
41:36
rejection of
41:36
his love,
41:37
these people
41:38
are still
41:38
loved by
41:39
God,
41:40
and will
41:40
one day
41:40
be with
41:41
him in
41:41
heaven,
41:42
so it's
41:42
this idea
41:44
that one
41:44
day,
41:44
we're all
41:45
going to
41:45
be there
41:46
regardless
41:46
of what
41:47
goes on
41:47
in this
41:47
life,
41:48
if that's
41:48
true,
41:49
why are
41:49
we sending
41:50
missionaries
41:51
out to
41:52
die brutal
41:53
deaths with
41:53
the gospel,
41:55
if love's
41:55
going to
41:55
win,
41:56
let's just
41:56
sit here
41:56
and chill
41:57
out,
41:57
not go
41:58
do anything
41:59
for the
41:59
sake of
41:59
Christ
42:00
worldwide,
42:00
this is
42:02
not true,
42:04
scripture,
42:05
Matthew 25,
42:06
out of
42:07
Jesus'
42:07
own mouth,
42:08
this is about
42:08
the judgment,
42:09
the last
42:09
judgment,
42:09
he says,
42:10
many will
42:11
go astray
42:12
into eternal
42:13
punishment,
42:15
eternal punishment,
42:18
says,
42:18
but the
42:18
righteous into
42:19
eternal life,
42:21
turn,
42:21
I'll show you
42:21
one,
42:22
turn to
42:22
2 Thessalonians
42:24
chapter 1,
42:26
I don't
42:27
know like
42:27
what is
42:28
clearer
42:28
than this,
42:32
and go
42:32
to verse
42:33
5,
42:34
2 Thessalonians
42:35
chapter 1,
42:40
verse 5,
42:43
and this
42:43
is scary
42:44
stuff,
42:46
it says,
42:48
this is the
42:49
evidence of
42:50
the righteous
42:50
judgment of
42:51
God,
42:52
that you may
42:53
be considered
42:53
worthy of
42:54
the kingdom
42:55
of God,
42:56
for which
42:56
you are
42:56
also
42:57
suffering,
42:58
since indeed
42:59
God considers
43:00
it just
43:01
to repay
43:02
with affliction
43:03
those who
43:03
afflict you,
43:04
and to grant
43:05
relief to you
43:06
who are
43:06
afflicted as
43:06
well as
43:07
to us,
43:09
when the
43:09
Lord Jesus
43:10
Christ,
43:10
here it is,
43:11
the second
43:11
coming of
43:12
Christ,
43:12
okay,
43:13
when the
43:15
Lord Jesus
43:15
is revealed
43:17
from heaven
43:17
with his
43:18
mighty angels
43:18
and flaming
43:20
fire,
43:21
inflicting
43:21
vengeance on
43:22
those who
43:23
do not
43:23
know God,
43:25
and on
43:25
those who
43:25
do not
43:26
obey the
43:26
gospel of
43:27
our Lord
43:27
Jesus,
43:29
they will
43:29
suffer a
43:30
punishment of
43:32
eternal destruction,
43:33
does that sound
43:33
temporary?
43:34
Like that says,
43:35
eternal destruction,
43:37
away from the
43:39
presence of the
43:39
Lord,
43:40
and from the
43:41
glory of his
43:42
might,
43:42
when he comes
43:43
on that day
43:43
to be glorified
43:45
in his saints,
43:47
and to be
43:47
marveled at by
43:48
all who have
43:48
believed,
43:49
because of the
43:50
testimony,
43:51
their testimony
43:52
you have
43:53
believed.
43:53
So,
43:54
wow,
43:56
like what's
43:56
clearer than
43:57
that?
43:58
The Lord
43:59
hates sin,
44:01
but guess
44:01
what?
44:01
Like he just
44:02
as equally
44:03
is merciful
44:04
and gracious.
44:05
Like you
44:06
don't know
44:06
what the
44:06
love of God
44:07
is until
44:07
you've
44:07
experienced
44:08
how much
44:09
you've
44:09
been forgiven.
44:10
And we
44:11
want God
44:12
to be a
44:12
God who
44:13
hates sin,
44:14
and we'll
44:14
destroy it
44:15
one day,
44:15
and we're
44:16
thankful that
44:16
he has
44:17
provided a
44:17
way for us
44:18
to be
44:19
reconciled
44:19
to God.
44:21
In Revelation,
44:21
it says that
44:22
those who
44:22
are cast
44:23
into the
44:23
fire will
44:23
be tormented
44:25
day after
44:25
day,
44:27
forever and
44:28
ever.
44:28
That's exactly
44:28
what it says.
44:30
There's no
44:30
temporary thing
44:32
there at all.
44:34
So,
44:35
to just be
44:36
aware that
44:36
that stuff's
44:37
out there,
44:38
pray for
44:39
these men.
44:40
This isn't
44:41
something to
44:41
laugh about
44:42
at all.
44:45
And like I
44:45
said,
44:46
this wasn't
44:46
meant to be a
44:46
full book
44:47
review.
44:47
I come
44:48
and talk
44:49
to me
44:49
later.
44:50
I have
44:50
some things
44:51
you can
44:51
look at
44:52
on each
44:53
one of
44:53
those.
44:53
But those
44:54
are just
44:54
two that
44:55
are really
44:55
mainline out
44:56
there.
44:56
We forget
44:56
that up
44:57
here in
44:57
Dahlonega,
44:58
North Georgia,
44:59
Christ's
44:59
family.
44:59
We are
45:00
blessed to
45:01
hear really
45:01
good Bible
45:03
teaching every
45:03
week.
45:06
So,
45:07
this goes
45:07
back to
45:08
Romans again,
45:09
the last
45:09
point here,
45:10
and we're
45:10
closing it
45:11
up.
45:15
Romans 16,
45:17
go to
45:18
verse 19,
45:20
and this
45:20
is the
45:20
last question.
45:21
What is
45:21
Paul's
45:22
encouragement
45:22
to the
45:24
church in
45:24
Rome?
45:27
In
45:27
verse 19,
45:29
he says,
45:30
Paul rejoices
45:50
that the
45:51
church in
45:51
Rome,
45:52
in his
45:53
time,
45:54
was well
45:54
known for
45:55
battling
45:56
false
45:57
teachings.
45:57
things.
45:58
They did
45:59
such a
45:59
great job
46:00
at it,
46:00
and he
46:00
was thankful
46:01
for that.
46:01
He's like,
46:02
remain that
46:03
way,
46:03
be able to
46:04
stay wise
46:06
in what is
46:06
good,
46:07
innocent to
46:07
what is
46:07
evil.
46:09
So,
46:09
he says,
46:09
stay that
46:10
way,
46:10
but then
46:10
he gives
46:10
him an
46:10
encouragement
46:11
and says,
46:11
one day,
46:12
God will
46:12
soon crush
46:14
Satan under
46:15
your feet.
46:16
We will
46:16
triumph with
46:18
Christ in
46:19
the end,
46:19
and we
46:19
will see
46:20
him brought
46:21
low.
46:23
This is
46:23
very unlike
46:24
the church
46:25
at Galatia,
46:27
and this
46:29
is where
46:29
we're going
46:29
to close.
46:31
But,
46:31
I do
46:32
invite you
46:32
to turn
46:33
to this
46:33
if you
46:33
like.
46:34
It's
46:34
really a
46:35
great text,
46:35
and it'll
46:36
be good
46:36
to kind
46:36
of sum
46:37
up
46:37
everything
46:37
we've
46:37
said
46:38
today.
46:39
Galatians
46:40
1,
46:40
verse 6.
46:43
The church
46:43
at Galatia
46:44
had done
46:44
the exact
46:45
opposite of
46:46
the church
46:46
in Rome.
46:47
They were
46:48
allowing,
46:48
you know,
46:49
false
46:49
teachings
46:49
to come
46:50
in,
46:51
particularly
46:52
the Judaizers
46:53
teaching that
46:55
obeying the
46:56
law was a
46:57
part of
46:57
being saved.
46:59
So,
47:00
verse 6.
47:02
He says,
47:03
I am
47:03
astonished
47:04
that you
47:05
are so
47:06
quickly
47:06
deserting
47:07
him who
47:07
called you
47:08
in the
47:09
grace of
47:10
Christ,
47:11
and are
47:11
turning to
47:12
a different
47:12
gospel.
47:14
Not that
47:15
there is
47:15
another one,
47:17
but there
47:17
are some
47:18
who trouble
47:18
you and
47:19
want to
47:19
distort the
47:20
gospel of
47:20
Christ.
47:22
Alright,
47:22
so he's
47:23
like,
47:23
he's
47:23
blown away
47:24
that they're
47:24
believing this
47:25
stuff,
47:26
and it
47:26
happened so
47:27
fast.
47:29
Then listen
47:29
to this,
47:29
he says,
47:30
but even
47:30
if we
47:31
or an
47:32
angel from
47:32
heaven
47:33
should
47:33
preach to
47:33
you a
47:34
gospel
47:34
contrary
47:35
to the
47:35
one we
47:36
preached to
47:37
you,
47:38
let him
47:38
be accursed.
47:40
Wow,
47:40
like he even
47:41
threw himself
47:41
in there.
47:42
If we come
47:42
back later
47:42
on and
47:43
say,
47:43
hey,
47:44
something
47:44
different
47:45
going on.
47:46
But then
47:47
he says an
47:47
angel from
47:48
heaven,
47:48
like who
47:49
wouldn't
47:49
believe an
47:49
angel from
47:50
heaven?
47:51
If Gabriel
47:51
came and
47:52
said,
47:52
hey,
47:52
there's
47:52
another
47:53
way,
47:54
right?
47:55
Y'all know
47:55
that like
47:56
several major
47:57
world religions
47:57
out there
47:58
were started
47:58
that way.
47:59
Islam,
48:00
Mormonism,
48:01
claiming to
48:01
see angelic
48:03
beings that
48:04
preach the
48:06
gospel contrary
48:06
to the one
48:08
received.
48:09
It says,
48:09
let him be
48:10
accursed.
48:10
And that
48:10
word,
48:12
in Greek,
48:12
it means to
48:13
be cut off
48:14
completely.
48:15
He's saying
48:16
here that it
48:17
is better
48:18
for that
48:19
person who
48:20
is distorting
48:22
the gospel
48:23
to be
48:24
cut off
48:25
from God
48:25
altogether
48:26
than for
48:26
him to
48:26
go on
48:27
deceiving
48:28
and teaching
48:29
other people
48:29
things that are
48:30
going to lead
48:30
them to
48:31
destruction.
48:32
That's what
48:32
it means.
48:34
Verse 9
48:35
says,
48:36
As we have
48:36
said before,
48:37
so I say
48:38
again,
48:39
If anyone
48:39
is preaching
48:40
to you a
48:40
gospel contrary
48:41
to the one
48:42
you have
48:43
received,
48:43
let him be
48:44
accursed.
48:45
For I am
48:46
not seeking
48:46
the approval
48:47
of man.
48:49
And for am I
48:50
seeking the
48:50
approval of man
48:51
or of God,
48:52
or am I
48:53
trying to
48:53
please man?
48:55
If I were
48:56
still trying
48:56
to please
48:57
man, I
48:57
would not
48:57
be a servant
48:58
of Christ.
48:59
Okay, like
49:00
the gospel,
49:01
there's no way
49:02
to dress it up
49:03
and make it
49:03
sound good to
49:03
people initially.
49:05
They have to
49:05
understand that
49:06
they have
49:06
cancer.
49:07
They have
49:07
to know
49:07
that they're
49:09
dead in
49:09
their sin.
49:10
They're
49:10
separated from
49:10
God.
49:12
But we
49:13
have a
49:13
loving,
49:14
gracious,
49:15
love does
49:16
win, by
49:16
the way,
49:17
but not
49:17
the kind
49:17
referred to.
49:19
The
49:19
unconquerable
49:20
love of
49:21
Christ can
49:23
save us
49:24
from our
49:24
sin.
49:25
And about
49:26
this text,
49:27
this is
49:28
something John
49:28
Calvin said
49:29
about this
49:29
text, and
49:30
like it's so
49:31
Christ-centered,
49:32
so glory of
49:33
God-focused.
49:35
He said,
49:36
it is better
49:36
that the
49:37
whole world
49:38
should perish
49:39
and be
49:40
consumed
49:41
than for the
49:42
gospel to be
49:43
perverted.
49:44
We must
49:45
cling with
49:46
strong affection
49:47
to the
49:48
gospel and
49:48
not allow
49:49
anyone to
49:50
corrupt it.
49:51
Like, it's
49:52
better for us
49:53
to perish
49:53
than for the
49:54
gospel to be
49:55
distorted.
49:56
That's how
49:57
much he
49:57
exalted the
49:58
gospel.
49:58
That's how
49:58
much he
49:59
cared about
49:59
it.
49:59
So, I
50:03
just pray
50:03
that we
50:05
would be
50:05
careful in
50:06
what we
50:06
read and
50:06
what we
50:07
hear.
50:08
We would
50:08
take it to
50:08
heart and
50:09
we would
50:09
guard the
50:10
gospel,
50:11
guard the
50:12
glorious
50:12
gospel that
50:13
we've been
50:13
entrusted
50:14
with.
50:15
Grace
50:16
alone,
50:16
faith
50:16
alone,
50:17
and Christ
50:17
alone.
50:19
So, let's
50:20
pray together.