Latest / Meadows Baptist Church Podcast / The Truth About Apostasy Part 2 - 2/11/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch

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The Truth About Apostasy Part 2 - 2/11/26 - Meadows Baptist Church - Pastor Charlie Branch · Meadows Baptist Church Podcast

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  Welcome to the podcast of Meadows
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  Baptist Church of Walnut Cove, North
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  Carolina. We're so glad you joined us
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  today. If you enjoy today's message, be
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  sure to subscribe, follow, and share
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  with your friends. Now, let's join
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  Pastor Charlie Branch with a word from
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  God.
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  >> Jude verse number five. Amen.
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  Amen.
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  I know there ain't five chapters in
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  Jude. Amen. I'm just messing with you.
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  All right.
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  >> Jude verse number five. And uh continue
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  here tonight looking uh at the examples.
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  We left off last time there with the
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  first example of apostasy. And we'll
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  talk about that again. It's been several
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  weeks. And matter of fact, it's been I
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  guess about a month now at this point in
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  time since we looked at this. And so
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  I'll review just a little bit and then
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  we'll get into the thought tonight. Jude
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  chap Jude verse number five. I done
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  messed myself up trying to mess with
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  y'all. Amen. But uh Jude verse number
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  five and let's look in verse four. Uh
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  Jude verse number four. And u I'll say
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  this tonight. I I know that we're all
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  very well aware uh of the division,
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  everything that's been going on amongst
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  um the ranks of Christianity here in the
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  last week over uh the events of Sunday
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  evening. And I'll just say this to each
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  one of you tonight. All it takes is a
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  little discernment to know the truth.
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  And uh Facebook's not a place to air out
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  our opinions. Amen. And air out our
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  dirty laundry. And I'll say this
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  tonight, we waste a lot of time arguing
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  and uh with people. The world's always
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  going to be what the world is.
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  >> And I was reading this today and it
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  would blow some people's minds to read
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  this, but Jesus literally said it in
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  John chapter number 17. He said, "I pray
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  not for the world."
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  >> He said, "But I pray for them." You're
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  >> right. You know, he was talking about,
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  he's talking about them disciples,
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  talking about his children. And u I tell
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  you this, the world will come to Christ
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  when they get ready to.
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  >> You're right.
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  >> But it's up to us to put him out there.
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  Amen. And uh I I know that there's a lot
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  more to it than that. Uh but I just
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  ain't got time for that. Amen. And we
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  just we just going to stand on the right
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  side of the fence. Just like somebody
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  said, the best way uh to know the
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  counterfeit is to know the real thing
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  the best. Amen. And we just going to
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  keep it real and right. Amen. Do our
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  best to hang by the stuff and stay with
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  the word of God. Jude verse number four.
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  And the reason I said that is this is a
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  very timely text for that. And we'll
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  talk about that more here tonight. Jude
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  verse number four, he said, "For there
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  are certain men crept in unawares who
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  were before of old ordained to this
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  condemnation, ungodly men, turning the
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  grace of our God into lasciviousness,
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  and denying the only Lord God and our
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  Lord Jesus Christ. I will therefore put
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  you in remembrance, though you once knew
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  this, how that the Lord having saved the
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  people out of the land of Egypt,
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  afterward destroyed them that believe
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  not. And the angels which kept not their
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  first estate, but left their own
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  habitation, he hath reserved an
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  everlasting chains under darkness under
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  the judgment of the great day. Even as
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  Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities about
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  them in like manner, giving themselves
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  over to fornication, and going after
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  strange flesh, are set forth for an
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  example, suffering the vengeance of
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  eternal fire. Likewise also these filthy
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  dreamers defile the flesh, despise
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  dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
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  Yet Michael the Archangel, when
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  contending with the devil, he disputed
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  about the body of Moses, dur not bring
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  against him a reing accusation, but
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  said, "The Lord rebuke thee." But these
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  speak evil of those things which they
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  know not, but what they know naturally
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  as brute beast, in those things they
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  corrupt themselves. Now, Father, I ask
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  you for just a moment, please, that you
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  would help me tonight. God, I realize
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  these scriptures are very deep waters in
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  all the word of God is. Lord, it's a
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  well of everlasting life. And Lord, I
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  pray tonight, God, that you would help
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  us to bring up truths, uh Lord, that
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  would exhort us and encourage us,
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  Father, as the children of God, Lord, to
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  know the difference, Father, between
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  what's real and what's not. God, I pray
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  that you give us wisdom and discernment
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  tonight. Lord, you told us in your word
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  that it's not necessarily age that beels
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  wisdom, but it's those who submit to the
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  wisdom impartation of the Almighty. And
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  so, Lord, I pray you would impart to us
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  wisdom tonight. We come seeking it. And
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  God, I ask you to help us receive it.
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  And we'll thank you for what you do
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  because we ask it in Jesus name. And
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  God's children said, "Amen."
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  >> Amen. Tonight here in this text of Jude,
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  of course, we visited this on last time
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  there been several weeks, but we were
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  dealing there with apostasy. And on last
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  time, the outline, we ended up there
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  with the first example of apostasy in
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  our text. We dealt with the entrance of
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  apostasy in verse number three and verse
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  number four. And then we dealt with the
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  examples. And I dealt with verse number
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  five concerning Israel's unbelief. And
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  so if you're keeping up an outline on
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  this, I would say first of all when we
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  looked at verse number five, it was
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  Israel's unbelief that caused them to
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  reject the promise of God. You notice
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  there in the text, the Bible says that
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  they how that the Lord having saved the
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  people out of the land of Egypt
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  afterward destroyed them that believe
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  not. Now what does it mean when it says
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  that he destroyed them that believe not.
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  It was those who refused to believe that
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  they could take the land of Canaan. When
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  they were told to go in, Joshua and
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  Caleb said, "We be more than able to
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  take the land." And they were given an
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  admonition. It was the Lord's will for
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  him to go in. And the 10 spies that had
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  an evil report, they turned the heart of
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  the people. And those people refused to
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  go in. And because of their unbelief,
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  this is what they said. Would to God we
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  had died in the wilderness. And you know
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  what? God answered their prayer.
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  >> Amen. They would die in the wilderness.
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  But it would be 40 years later. Amen.
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  And uh we know that they wandered around
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  all those years waiting to go in because
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  they refused to go at the command of
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  God. And so those that believe not
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  though they were delivered out of Egypt,
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  they never got to see that land of
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  victory. And I made a dual application
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  last time we talked about that that
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  there were those that came out of Egypt
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  and seemingly got delivered from the
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  bondage of Egypt, but they never truly
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  were saved because when they got out in
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  the wilderness, they had the same
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  attitude that they had while they were
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  in Egypt. Amen. There's a lot of people
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  that'll come out of the world and come
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  into the church. But if you never see
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  anything change about them, it's a good
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  evidence, amen, that they've never been
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  saved. Amen. And so there were those
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  that came out that necessarily weren't
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  saved. But there were also those that
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  came out and they did get delivered and
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  God did change their life, but they
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  became victims of apostasy. And we
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  talked about that last time, how that
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  saved people can be victims of
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  apostates.
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  >> We can be victimized. And what I mean by
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  that is is you can't lose your
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  salvation, but your life, your ministry
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  can be shut out prematurely by those who
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  are not saved. Amen. And your testimony
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  can be taken. Your usefulness in the
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  ministry can be taken from you. And so
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  he tells them here in the text, he says
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  there in verse five, he says that
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  afterward destroyed them that believe
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  not. Now verses six and seven are the
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  same same truths. In essence, he is
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  explaining to them here that those who
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  reject the truth of God's word, that
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  destruction is waiting for them. And you
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  notice the examples he uses. First of
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  all, he uses a rejected promise in verse
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  number five. But I'll say this, second
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  of all, in verse six, Jude uses a
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  rejected position. Now, look what the
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  Bible says in verse six. And the angels
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  which kept not their first estate, but
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  left their own habitation, he hath
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  reserved in everlasting chains under
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  darkness unto the judgment of the great
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  day. And so we've seen that the unbelief
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  concerning Canaan and the refusal of the
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  promise led to the death of judgment for
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  certain of the Israelites. And as Israel
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  refused the promise, the angels in verse
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  six are headed for destruction. And the
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  Bible says here in the text that they
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  are headed for destruction because of a
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  couple reasons. Number one, the Bible
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  says you notice their domain in verse
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  number six. And the angels which kept
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  not their first estate. Now you look up
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  that word that phrase first estate in
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  its context and it literally means the
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  domain the the uh I guess you would say
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  the atmosphere in which these angels
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  dwell. Now, there's a lot that I could
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  say about this tonight. I'll give you
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  the two schools of thought tonight, and
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  I'll tell you the way that I lean.
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  There's different uh there's different
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  ideas about this. And so, I'll give you
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  what I believe tonight. But when I talk
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  about the domain that that first estate,
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  it means what the the the the uh what's
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  the word I'm looking for here? The
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  responsibility that they were first
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  entrusted with. Now, notice with me the
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  book of Ezekiel, chapter 28. I encourage
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  you to put it in your margin.
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  We have no record of these angels and
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  their first estate. But there is an
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  angel that we do have the record of his
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  first estate. Ezekiel chapter number 28.
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  Listen to what the Bible says in verse
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  number 12. Ezekiel 28:12. You put in
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  your margin. I'd encourage you to put
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  verse number 12 through 14 in your
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  margin. Look what he says.
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  The Bible says the Lord speaking to
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  Ezekiel, son of man, take up a
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  lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and
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  say unto him, thus saith the Lord God,
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  thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom,
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  and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in
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  Eden, the garden of God. Every precious
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  stone was thy covering, the sardius,
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  topaz, and the diamond, the barrel, the
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  onyx, the jasper, the sapphire, the
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  emerald, the carbuncle, and gold. the
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  workmanship of thy tabs and of thy pipes
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  was prepared in thee in the day that
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  thou was created. You say, "Preacher, I
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  have no idea who you're talking about."
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  Well, notice verse 14. Thou art the
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  anointed cherub that coverth, and I have
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  set thee so. Thoust upon the holy
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  mountain of God, thou has walked up and
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  down in the midst of the stones of fire.
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  Verse 15, thou was perfect in thy ways
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  from the day that thou was created till
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  iniquity was found in thee. And you say,
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  preacher, well, it says it's the king of
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  Tyrus. Well, when you look at the king
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  of Tyrus in that context, there's a
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  illusion there to the devils. Who that
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  is? That's Lucifer, the son of the
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  morning. Amen. And so, what is his first
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  estate? Well, he's the anointed cherub
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  that coverth. That's what the Bible
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  says. And what does that do? What did
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  that anointed cherub do? Well, this is
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  what that literally means that the
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  cherub Satan was the one who protected
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  the holiness of God. As God is seated in
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  heaven upon his throne, Lucifer there,
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  his job was to stand before him with his
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  wings and cover the holiness of God. And
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  it was his eyesight daily to see the
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  vision of God Almighty. And you say,
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  preacher, well, what is the emphasis of
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  that in verse number six? Well, you
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  understand that there was more than one
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  cherub. You're
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  >> right.
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  >> There's other types of angels. And I'm
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  not giving a lesson on angology tonight,
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  but I am telling you this. Angels are
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  all ministers for God.
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  >> And these angels in verse number six,
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  the Bible says they kept not their first
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  estate. Now, Satan, of course, his
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  ministry primarily was guarding the
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  holiness of God. He was there and and
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  you can look at the terminology that's
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  used there of his of his pipes and his
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  tablets. He was in charge of the music
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  in heaven. Amen. That's the reason why
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  he's so he does so well in the music
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  industry in the day and time which we
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  live and throughout history because
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  that's what he's good at. Amen. And he
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  manipulates that stuff because he knew
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  what the best really was.
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  >> Amen. Boy, that'll preach tonight. Amen.
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  And because he knew what the best was,
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  he manipulates that. And like I said,
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  I'm not preaching that tonight, but I am
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  giving you the thought that his domain
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  was dwelling in the presence of God. And
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  the Bible says, "And the angels which
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  kept not their first estate." All of the
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  angels dwelt in the presence of God
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  Almighty. And the Bible teaches us that
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  because of the devil's fall, there were
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  those that fell with him. There's an
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  illusion in the book of Revelation 12 to
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  the fact that the devil, if he is the
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  dragon of Revelation 12, that a third
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  part of the stars, which would be
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  angels, fell from heaven with him. I
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  don't know that. I do know that there
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  are fallen angels. The Bible says that
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  clearly. I don't know if it's a third of
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  them, but this is what I do know
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  tonight. The Bible says Jude said they
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  kept not their first estate. So the the
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  realm in which they live, the
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  responsibility that they had, they chose
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  willfully to depart from that. Now, the
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  disagreement tonight comes in on whether
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  or not these angels literally just
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  walked out of heaven or whether while
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  they were in heaven, they decided they
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  wasn't going to serve God and God kicked
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  them out of heaven. And you say, "Well,
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  what's the disagreement about that?"
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  Well, two schools of thought here
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  tonight. I'll give you this in verse
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  six, and it ain't going to cost you a
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  thing. Okay? There are some that believe
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  where the Bible says the angels which
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  kept not their first estate. It means
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  that while Lucifer was in heaven, we
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  know he was kicked out of heaven. Jesus
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  said, "I saw him fall from heaven as
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  lightning and so he was booted out." But
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  apparently there are those that believe
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  that in this text here that these
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  angels, they walked out of heaven
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  willfully.
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  Now, here's what I'll say about that
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  tonight. The truth is in this text,
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  whether or not they walked out willfully
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  or God kicked them out, it was their
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  decision that caused them to leave.
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  You're
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  >> right.
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  >> You say, "What do you mean by that?"
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  Well, if God if if either they walked
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  out willingly or God kicked them out, it
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  was their sin and refusing to operate in
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  the realm of responsibility that God
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  placed on them. That was what got them
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  banished from heaven. That's what got
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  Adam and Eve banished from the garden.
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  Do you realize that they refused to
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  operate in the realm of responsibility
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  that God gave them? And so their domain
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  was left undone. They did not operate
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  what God had commanded them to do. And
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  so you see their departure in verse six,
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  look what the Bible says, but left their
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  own habitation.
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  Now some would say that because of that,
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  that means that the angels were cast out
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  of heaven and they were still dwelling
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  in the spirit world. We know that this
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  devil is the prince of the power of the
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  air and we know that his demons work in
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  the world and and uh he he's he's in
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  control of all the high places of the
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  world so to speak. But there are those
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  that believe that as the angels fell out
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  of heaven, firstly God kicked them out,
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  but then they also fell not only out of
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  heaven, but they also came out of the
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  spirit realm to dwell upon the earth.
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  You've probably heard it before. Genesis
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  chapter number six, the Bible says that
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  it came to pass the sons of God saw the
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  daughters of men that they were fair and
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  they took unto them wise all of whom
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  they chose. Now, I don't know tonight
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  whether that's what this text is talking
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  about. There's men a lot smarter than I
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  that have never been able to figure this
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  out. Okay? But I'm going to give you the
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  two schools of thought. So, the first
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  one is this is that these angels where
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  it says they left their first
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  habitation. And it means that these
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  angels left the spirit realm and decided
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  to come to earth and cohabitate with
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  humankind.
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  And because of that, the Bible says that
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  there were giants born. This is what
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  they teach. I'm not saying this is
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  biblical truth tonight, but the Bible
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  says they left their own habitation and
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  so they came to this earth. They
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  cohabitated with man. And out of that
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  was born a race of giants. Okay? And out
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  of that in this text, the Bible says he
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  hath reserved them in everlasting chains
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  under darkness. Now I don't lean that
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  way tonight for this reason. I just I
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  think that's just you know that was when
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  you study that out you can look and that
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  was a idea that a Jew come up with in
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  ancient ancient history.
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  >> We don't have Bible for that. Okay. But
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  I tell you what we do have Bible for.
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  This is where I lean always you're
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  always best to stay with the Bible.
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  Somebody say amen. The Bible says that
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  the angels which kept not their first
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  estate but left their own habitation. We
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  would agree that's what the devil did,
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  didn't he?
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  >> God kicked him out because he refused to
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  do his job. Amen. And so he willingly
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  left his own habitation. He was booted
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  out. And so the Bible says in verse
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  number six, he hath reserved them in
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  everlasting chains. The argument is
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  whether or not they are now presently in
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  chains or its future. Well, I'll say
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  this from the verse. It's obvious that
• 17:20
  the chains are present. Notice that he
• 17:22
  hath reserved them in everlasting chains
• 17:25
  under darkness. So that means when you
• 17:27
  look at the verbiage there that's used,
• 17:29
  presently they are in change. Here's
• 17:31
  what I'll say about that. Okay? Just
• 17:33
  because the devil is chained up and his
• 17:35
  minions are chained up does not mean
• 17:37
  that they cannot get out
• 17:39
  >> and torture you. I'm not saying they can
• 17:41
  get away from the chains, but what that
• 17:43
  does mean is it's like a dog on a leash.
• 17:45
  They can only go as go as far as they're
• 17:47
  allowed to go. You're right.
• 17:49
  >> Amen. And so what do we know about the
• 17:51
  devil? Of course, his his eternity
• 17:53
  saved.
• 17:54
  >> I mean, we know that tonight. Amen. We
• 17:56
  know that he is doomed and damned for
• 17:59
  eternity. And you notice out of their
• 18:01
  departure, but their delight in sin
• 18:04
  caused them to leave heaven. And so
• 18:06
  their darkness, notice what happens in
• 18:08
  verse six, he hath reserved them in
• 18:10
  everlasting chains under darkness. And
• 18:12
  and the reason I lean this way tonight
• 18:14
  is this is because if it's if there's a
• 18:17
  certain group of angels that's held in a
• 18:19
  place because they were so wicked, why
• 18:21
  is the devil still able to get out,
• 18:23
  >> right?
• 18:25
  >> Nobody No, none of us more wicked than
• 18:27
  him. Amen.
• 18:28
  >> And so if there's a a group of them
• 18:30
  that's held in a certain place just
• 18:32
  because of what they did in supposedly
• 18:34
  Genesis 6, why is the rest of them
• 18:36
  allowed to roam free on the world?
• 18:39
  >> Here's what I'm saying tonight. All of
• 18:41
  those angels that rejected God, they're
• 18:43
  in chains.
• 18:44
  >> Amen.
• 18:44
  >> How is that on Calvary?
• 18:48
  >> Jesus. Amen. He was the seed of the
• 18:50
  woman that bruised the head of the
• 18:51
  serpent.
• 18:52
  >> And you know what the head of the
• 18:53
  serpent was? All his children are those
• 18:55
  angels. Amen. Those fallen angels, those
• 18:59
  demons, they have been rejected. And
• 19:01
  what is their doom? It was set and
• 19:03
  sealed at Calvary. This is where we can
• 19:05
  rejoice tonight. Because if that means
• 19:08
  that they're reserved in everlasting
• 19:09
  chains, they're never going to get out.
• 19:11
  >> Right.
• 19:12
  >> Amen. That means that they have no
• 19:15
  control over us.
• 19:16
  >> You're right.
• 19:17
  >> Except what we allow them to have.
• 19:19
  >> That's right.
• 19:19
  >> Notice this. He's reserved them in
• 19:22
  everlasting chains. They are held
• 19:25
  permanently in the darkness. Now, you
• 19:27
  think about this. These angels that saw
• 19:30
  the greatest light that there is, that
• 19:33
  literally beheld God the Father, are
• 19:36
  held in darkness. They are held in this
• 19:39
  place under darkness. Notice that
• 19:41
  phrase, not only the darkness, but
• 19:43
  notice their destruction. They are held
• 19:45
  in everlasting change under darkness
• 19:48
  unto the judgment of the great day. We
• 19:52
  preached on that several months ago.
• 19:53
  Revelation 20 verse number 10. After the
• 19:56
  beast and false prophet were dealt with,
• 19:58
  the Bible says at the very end, right
• 20:00
  before the great white throne of
• 20:01
  judgment, God takes Lucifer, amen, and
• 20:04
  cast him into the bottomless pit. Amen.
• 20:06
  Or into the lake of fire, amen, where
• 20:08
  the beast and false prophet are. And
• 20:10
  what does the Bible say? They'll be
• 20:11
  tormented there day and night forever.
• 20:14
  >> And so all of those angels going to be
• 20:17
  cast away. Like I said tonight, you
• 20:19
  don't have to believe that either way,
• 20:21
  but those are the two schools of thought
• 20:22
  on that verse. But I'll tell you, the
• 20:24
  hope that I have in this tonight is
• 20:26
  knowing that I've not rejected my
• 20:28
  position.
• 20:28
  >> Amen.
• 20:29
  >> Amen. He offered it to me. Amen. I
• 20:32
  didn't deserve it. Amen. They had it,
• 20:33
  but they lost it.
• 20:35
  >> He offered it to me and I said, "Thank
• 20:37
  God. I'll take it." Amen. Hallelujah.
• 20:40
  >> Notice not only the rejected position,
• 20:42
  but notice secondly tonight, I'm moving
• 20:44
  on or thirdly in the outline here, we we
• 20:47
  consider the the rejected promise, the
• 20:50
  rejected position, but now notice the
• 20:52
  rejected pattern. All of this is a
• 20:54
  rejection and I use that word for this
• 20:56
  truth. Any re unbelief is rejection of
• 21:00
  the truth.
• 21:01
  >> Any unbelief, save, lost, wherever you
• 21:04
  at, the devil, amen, a baby, don't, it
• 21:07
  does not matter. Any unbelief is
• 21:10
  rejection of truth. When truth is
• 21:13
  revealed and there's an unbelief is
• 21:15
  there, that is rejection. The world
• 21:17
  wants to tell you otherwise, but that's
• 21:18
  not the way it is. Okay. Well, that
• 21:21
  doesn't mean I don't I it doesn't mean
• 21:22
  that to me.
• 21:25
  >> When did we get this idea of relative
• 21:27
  truth,
• 21:28
  >> right,
• 21:28
  >> man? I'm telling you, I could have
• 21:29
  passed school with flying colors if I
• 21:31
  could have had relativism on my side in
• 21:33
  math. Somebody say, "Amen."
• 21:37
  I didn't have a hard time with math till
• 21:39
  I got to high school. Amen. But anyway,
• 21:42
  I thought about this pattern. Now,
• 21:44
  notice what the You say, "What do you
• 21:45
  mean by pattern?" Notice verse seven.
• 21:47
  Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the
• 21:49
  cities about them in like manner, giving
• 21:51
  themselves over to fornication and going
• 21:53
  after strange flesh are set forth for an
• 21:56
  example, suffering the vengeance of
• 21:59
  eternal fire. Now what is the pattern?
• 22:03
  Now we would say first of all verse
• 22:04
  seven, you know the cities there that
• 22:06
  are convoluted. You say what do you mean
• 22:09
  convoluted? Convolution. The Bible says
• 22:12
  even as Sodom and Gomorra and the cities
• 22:14
  about them in like manner. We always say
• 22:17
  Sodom and Gomorra. Sodom and Gomorra.
• 22:18
  Sodom and Gomorra. But you know what?
• 22:19
  There was more cities than just them two
• 22:21
  that were destroyed.
• 22:23
  >> There's actually two other cities that
• 22:24
  we know of for a fact were destroyed.
• 22:27
  According to the book of Hosea, chapter
• 22:29
  number 11, I'm verse number eight, I
• 22:31
  believe it is. Their names are Adma and
• 22:33
  Zaboam. You can find those cities
• 22:35
  mentioned Genesis 14:2, Deuteronomy
• 22:38
  29:23, and Hosea 11 and verse number
• 22:41
  eight. And those cities are always
• 22:43
  mentioned as being in in a province
• 22:46
  with Sodom and Gomorrah. But there was
• 22:48
  also another city that was in a province
• 22:50
  with Sodom and Gomorrah. You remember
• 22:52
  that little city that Lot fled to? What
• 22:55
  was it called, church? Somebody tell me.
• 22:57
  Zor.
• 22:59
  You know what that city was a part of it
• 23:01
  too? And you read the text there in the
• 23:03
  book of Genesis and it says that you
• 23:05
  know Lot, he goes there and they give
• 23:07
  him leeway to go there. Amen. But the
• 23:09
  Bible says that they couldn't destroy it
• 23:11
  because he was there. They was going to
• 23:13
  take it out, too. You say, "What do you
• 23:15
  mean by that?" Well, this thing was all
• 23:17
  wrapped up in a governmental hold,
• 23:19
  >> right?
• 23:20
  >> Here's what happens. All right. People
• 23:22
  say, "Well, the judgment of God's going
• 23:24
  to fall on America because of all the
• 23:26
  sin we've got going on in the nation."
• 23:29
  Now, here's how it works. Okay? Just
• 23:31
  because the sin is present in the
• 23:33
  nation, all right, does not mean that
• 23:35
  the judgment of God's going to fall.
• 23:37
  I'll say this, the judgment of God is
• 23:38
  already on those people personally.
• 23:40
  >> Amen. You hear what I'm saying? Here's
• 23:43
  when the judgment of God falls. It's
• 23:44
  when the leadership of that nation
• 23:46
  >> embraces it entirely
• 23:49
  >> and they promote it and make it law. And
• 23:52
  you know what happened in Sodom and
• 23:53
  Gomorrah? It burnt to the ground.
• 23:56
  >> I'll say more about that in a minute.
• 23:58
  The city's convolution, they were all in
• 24:00
  agreement. And it'll be a sad day in
• 24:01
  this country. I'm thankful that we're
• 24:03
  not headed for this. We've got some
• 24:04
  states in our union that's that's got
• 24:07
  their head screwed on right for the most
• 24:08
  part. Amen. I don't know about ours
• 24:10
  right now. Somebody say amen. But uh
• 24:13
  what I'm saying is is that all of these
• 24:15
  cities were in agreement together. They
• 24:18
  were all operating under the same
• 24:19
  ideology.
• 24:21
  Lot's there in the middle of them. Peter
• 24:22
  deals with this in his epistle. And so
• 24:25
  they're all convoluted together. Not
• 24:27
  only the the city's convolution, but you
• 24:29
  know the citizens corruption in verse 7,
• 24:32
  and the cities about them in like
• 24:34
  manner, giving themselves over to
• 24:35
  fornication and going after strange
• 24:39
  flesh. Now, what does that mean? Well,
• 24:42
  first of all, you see they're
• 24:43
  sacrificing there in verse 7. They're
• 24:46
  giving themselves over to fornication.
• 24:48
  Fornication is any type of sexual sin
• 24:50
  outside of outside of marriage. And so,
• 24:53
  the Bible says they're literally giving
• 24:54
  themselves over. It literally means to
• 24:56
  place on the altar of sacrifice too.
• 24:59
  They're laying their lives down. These
• 25:01
  means these people were selling
• 25:03
  themselves out
• 25:05
  >> for this.
• 25:07
  We've made it a business in America
• 25:09
  today.
• 25:10
  >> You're right.
• 25:10
  >> I'm not saying we have, but America has
• 25:13
  >> has made a business of selling
• 25:15
  themselves over to fornication. Isn't
• 25:17
  that interesting? The greatest scandal
• 25:18
  that could possibly be in American
• 25:20
  history is going on right now. And I'm
• 25:21
  telling you this,
• 25:22
  >> right? Our government has sold itself
• 25:25
  over to this type of thing. And the
• 25:28
  Bible says they are giving themselves
• 25:30
  over to fornication and going after
• 25:33
  strange flesh. Now, there's people that
• 25:36
  read into that to deal with the whole
• 25:38
  angel thing. Like I said, I'm not
• 25:40
  reading into it. You look up that word
• 25:42
  strange and it simply means that what's
• 25:44
  not normal.
• 25:45
  >> It means what's outside of a marital
• 25:47
  union between a man and a woman that's
• 25:50
  consensual. Amen. They have joined
• 25:52
  together in matrimony and when in love
• 25:54
  one to another and anything outside of
• 25:56
  that that's what this fits
• 25:58
  >> right
• 25:58
  >> and it goes beyond that really I guess I
• 26:00
  should say it does go beyond that it
• 26:02
  goes beyond that from the natural use of
• 26:04
  a man and a woman it goes beyond that to
• 26:06
  homosexuality and then everything that
• 26:09
  proceeds from that
• 26:10
  >> right
• 26:11
  >> and that's what they were engulfed in
• 26:14
  they were they were sacrificing
• 26:16
  themselves essentially they were seeking
• 26:19
  this form of self-gratification that
• 26:22
  literally they were having to deny the
• 26:25
  own nature within them to take part of
• 26:27
  it.
• 26:29
  And this is what happens. You know, we
• 26:30
  when we think about salvation and
• 26:33
  salvation, we deny the flesh to get
• 26:35
  closer to Christ. But you think about
• 26:36
  how far these people are. They have to
• 26:39
  deny their own natural desires in order
• 26:41
  to be as wicked as they are.
• 26:44
  >> They are so wicked that they're going
• 26:46
  beyond. They have literally given
• 26:48
  themselves over. Paul talks about in
• 26:50
  Romans chapter one that God gave them up
• 26:52
  to what he calls a reprobate mind. Means
• 26:56
  that they have no binding. There's no
• 26:59
  law. There's no moral compass. They just
• 27:01
  do whatever feels good and they'll go as
• 27:03
  far as they want to go until they just
• 27:05
  can't go no more.
• 27:06
  >> You're right.
• 27:07
  >> And that's what it is. It's a turning
• 27:09
  over. They've sacrificed themselves on
• 27:12
  the altar of their flesh. It's like I
• 27:14
  told you before. All right. We're
• 27:16
  talking about the flesh. was talking
• 27:17
  about here the other night at the church
• 27:18
  that you know talking about Saul your
• 27:20
  flesh will kill you if you let it
• 27:22
  >> right
• 27:22
  >> amen it'll wipe itself out
• 27:25
  >> and that's what they did they g they're
• 27:28
  going after strange FLESH THEIR PURSUIT
• 27:31
  DAY AND NIGHT EVERY MOMENT WAS THIS
• 27:34
  SENSUALITY THAT THEY HAD become addicted
• 27:36
  to
• 27:38
  and you notice that out of their
• 27:40
  sacrificing and their seeking you note
• 27:42
  verse number seven the Bible says
• 27:44
  they're set forth for an example They
• 27:46
  they were established. It's almost like
• 27:48
  a monument. You think about Lot's wife
• 27:50
  that died. She was a monument to that
• 27:52
  family. Solomon and Gomorrah is a
• 27:54
  monument to history.
• 27:55
  >> Yes.
• 27:56
  >> To show what how God deals with that
• 27:58
  sin,
• 27:59
  >> right?
• 28:00
  >> You know, we we think about, you know,
• 28:01
  and I'm not preaching on this tonight,
• 28:03
  but you know, there there was uh you
• 28:05
  know, consequences as a whole for Sodom
• 28:08
  and Gomorrah. I mean, and let's look at
• 28:10
  that. I I need to deal with that first.
• 28:12
  Notice notice that in verse 7 they're
• 28:13
  set forth an for an example suffering
• 28:15
  the vengeance of what? Eeternal
• 28:20
  fire. Now let me ask you, is there a
• 28:23
  land somewhere in the Middle East that's
• 28:24
  still burning?
• 28:30
  You know what that tells me? That when
• 28:32
  God sent the fire, you know where they
• 28:34
  all went straight to?
• 28:35
  >> You're right.
• 28:36
  >> They never got a release from the fire.
• 28:39
  They never saw a moment of rest from the
• 28:41
  fire. The judgment that took their life
• 28:44
  on this side is the judgment that
• 28:46
  they're presently living in now.
• 28:48
  >> Amen.
• 28:49
  >> You say, "What's the emphasis of that?"
• 28:51
  I'm saying God literally made it hell on
• 28:53
  earth.
• 28:54
  >> Yeah.
• 28:55
  >> That's how serious he is about that. He
• 28:58
  said, "I'm not even going to allow you
• 28:59
  to live out your days. I think this sin
• 29:02
  is so gross to me. It stinks IN MY
• 29:04
  NOSTRILS SO BAD THAT IF YOU WANT IT THAT
• 29:07
  BAD, I'LL BURN YOU UP HERE BEFORE you
• 29:09
  ever get there.
• 29:10
  >> Amen.
• 29:12
  >> Notice that in verse seven, the
• 29:14
  vengeance of eternal fire. And I want to
• 29:15
  deal with this right here, okay? I don't
• 29:17
  I don't deal with with topics much are
• 29:20
  going on in Christianity, but this is a
• 29:22
  damnable heresy that's going around.
• 29:24
  Kurt Cameron supports this, okay? And
• 29:26
  you need to listen to what I'm telling
• 29:27
  you. All right? There's a doctrine
• 29:29
  that's going around now called
• 29:30
  annihilationism.
• 29:33
  That means when a person dies lost that
• 29:35
  they go to hell and eventually after
• 29:37
  some time they just burn up.
• 29:40
  That after a time period you're there,
• 29:43
  you know, your suffering's enough. God
• 29:45
  says that's enough. You just burn up and
• 29:47
  disappear into thin air. There's a lot
• 29:49
  of people believe in that in this day
• 29:51
  and time. Okay. And here's what you need
• 29:53
  to know about that. The Bible says,
• 29:55
  what's it say in verse 7? They're set
• 29:57
  forth for an example suffering the
• 29:59
  vengeance of what?
• 30:01
  eternal fire.
• 30:03
  >> You see, the truth is, see, when they
• 30:05
  they look at judgment that way, what
• 30:07
  that does is that turns around
• 30:09
  everything about Calvary,
• 30:11
  that means that Christ did not suffer
• 30:13
  eternal punishment on the cross.
• 30:15
  >> Right?
• 30:15
  >> He did suffer eternal punishment on the
• 30:17
  cross. Christ in three days and three
• 30:20
  nights and on the Calvary, he suffered
• 30:22
  that that punishment eternally for you
• 30:24
  and I. He was separated from the father
• 30:26
  so we wouldn't have to be. But let me
• 30:28
  ask you this. If punishment after a
• 30:30
  time, God says that's enough. What does
• 30:33
  that mean for those of us who've been
• 30:34
  saved? Well, that just cheapens my
• 30:37
  salvation, doesn't it?
• 30:39
  >> Well, just after, you know, a
• 30:41
  hundred,000 years, you know, you're just
• 30:43
  going to burn up, you know.
• 30:45
  >> No, friend, I'm telling you, hell's
• 30:47
  perpetual.
• 30:48
  >> If you could crack the lid on hell right
• 30:50
  now, you know who you'd still find
• 30:52
  there? The rich man. Luke 16, still
• 30:54
  there. Amen. He's still there. He's
• 30:56
  still burning. And 10 billion years from
• 30:58
  now, you crack the top on it, he'll be
• 31:01
  there. And the devil will be, TOO.
• 31:02
  SOMEBODY SAY, "AMEN." THEY'LL STILL BE
• 31:04
  THERE. AND THEY'LL STILL BE BURNING. LET
• 31:07
  ME SAY THIS AND HEAR IT LOUD AND CLEAR.
• 31:09
  HELL IS FOREVER. AMEN.
• 31:13
  >> If hell's not forever, why would heaven
• 31:15
  be?
• 31:17
  >> If hell's not forever, who's to say that
• 31:20
  we couldn't go to heaven and end up
• 31:21
  sinning while we get over that?
• 31:24
  I'm talking about when heaven and hell
• 31:26
  is sealed and settled, there's no
• 31:28
  change.
• 31:31
  >> There's no escape.
• 31:33
  And Jude says, what did he say in verse
• 31:35
  seven? They're set forth for an example.
• 31:38
  What is that? That means they are stood
• 31:40
  up as a standard, saying, "This is where
• 31:42
  God says, I'm done." You're
• 31:44
  >> right.
• 31:44
  >> This is the point WHERE GOD SAYS, "NO
• 31:47
  MORE."
• 31:50
  You say, "Preacher, what's the ratio?"
• 31:52
  Well, I told it to you the few weeks
• 31:53
  ago, however long ago it's been, Lot was
• 31:56
  the only one there that was saved.
• 31:58
  >> And out of all them, he got him out.
• 32:03
  >> One person, he got him out and then he
• 32:05
  destroyed the city. Sad thing is Lot
• 32:07
  destroyed himself. I'm sad to say that
• 32:09
  if God did that to America, much of the
• 32:12
  church today, if we were delivered from
• 32:14
  that and sent somewhere else, we just
• 32:15
  implode upon ourselves because we're so
• 32:17
  carnal.
• 32:18
  >> Yeah. Amen. That's the way that's what
• 32:21
  the scripture teaches. Lot went out and
• 32:23
  what did he do? He got messed up with
• 32:24
  his children and this is set forth for
• 32:27
  an example. They're suffering. Now, now
• 32:30
  let me point this out. Okay, they
• 32:32
  they're they're they are that the cities
• 32:35
  were convoluted. The city citizens were
• 32:37
  corrupt and their condemnation was
• 32:40
  consuming. Their condemnation was
• 32:42
  painful. Verse number seven, their
• 32:44
  suffering, their condemnation was
• 32:46
  personal. Notice that the vengeance, God
• 32:49
  took it personal,
• 32:51
  >> right?
• 32:52
  >> Hey, God, don't mess around.
• 32:54
  >> Amen.
• 32:55
  >> Let me say this to you tonight. Those
• 32:57
  covenants that you made on the marriage
• 32:59
  altar, God takes them seriously.
• 33:01
  >> You're right.
• 33:02
  >> You may not, but God does. Amen.
• 33:05
  >> YOU SEE IN THIS THIS THOUGHT HERE THAT
• 33:07
  THAT HE IS it's personal. God takes it
• 33:10
  seriously. It was painful. It was
• 33:11
  personal. IT WAS PERPETUAL. IT'S ETERNAL
• 33:14
  FIRE.
• 33:15
  It's powerful. The most powerful force
• 33:17
  on earth is fire.
• 33:19
  >> You're right.
• 33:20
  >> God took this to set up a standard, an
• 33:23
  example to say, "This is what it looks
• 33:26
  like when God says, "I'm done." And the
• 33:29
  apostasy's too great.
• 33:32
  You think about this. You see a margin
• 33:34
  in each of these. Verse five, there was
• 33:37
  a handful of Israelites that disobeyed
• 33:40
  and and so they were judged. Verse
• 33:43
  number six, there was a a margin of
• 33:46
  angels that disobeyed and they were
• 33:48
  judged. But you look at Sodom and
• 33:49
  Gomorrah. What does that tell us? Pretty
• 33:52
  much entirely. It was wicked. Entire
• 33:56
  thing. What did God say in Genesis
• 33:58
  chapter 6? I believe it's verse number
• 34:00
  eight. Said God grieved God that he'd
• 34:03
  made man. He said because the thoughts
• 34:04
  and imaginations of his heart was only
• 34:06
  evil continually. And you know what he
• 34:08
  did? He took out the whole world
• 34:11
  >> set no and his children. And what did
• 34:12
  they do when they get off the ark? Noah
• 34:14
  goes and makes a vineyard of all things.
• 34:16
  In that vineyard, he gets drunk with
• 34:18
  wine and there curses his grandson and
• 34:21
  starts a line of sin again. Those
• 34:24
  Canaanite children would forever be
• 34:26
  cursed because of Noah's sin. You say,
• 34:28
  "What are you saying, preacher?" I'm
• 34:30
  saying it's in all of us,
• 34:31
  >> right?
• 34:32
  >> This reprobate nature, it's in us in our
• 34:35
  depths, our flesh. WE'RE PLAGUED WITH
• 34:36
  THIS.
• 34:38
  >> And God says if you allow it to go too
• 34:40
  far,
• 34:40
  >> Yeah.
• 34:42
  He said these are set forth for an
• 34:44
  example. Notice this verse number eight
• 34:46
  and I'll be done tonight. We've
• 34:47
  considered here uh we considered in the
• 34:50
  text the examples and we considered the
• 34:53
  entrance of apostasy. Now apostasy. Now
• 34:56
  notice the employment. We'll talk about
• 34:57
  this more coming up. But verse number
• 35:00
  eight is an entryway verse. It's a segue
• 35:02
  to the rest of the chapter. And look
• 35:04
  what he says. Verse number eight. What's
• 35:06
  that first word? Likewise. Now, what
• 35:09
  he's doing is is he's yoking this up
• 35:11
  with everything that he's already said.
• 35:14
  He's dealt with the sin of each of these
• 35:16
  and it's unbelief. We've dealt with
• 35:17
  that. Okay? It's rejection of the truth.
• 35:19
  And look what he says. Likewise also,
• 35:23
  these filthy dreamers defile the flesh,
• 35:26
  despise dominion, and speak evil of
• 35:29
  dignities. Now, I want to give you just
• 35:31
  three things here, and I'm done. You see
• 35:33
  their description in verse eight.
• 35:35
  They're called likewise also these
• 35:37
  filthy dreamers. They're labeled
• 35:39
  literally as being full of sensual
• 35:42
  mentality.
• 35:44
  What do you what do I mean by that?
• 35:45
  Well, they're controlled by their
• 35:47
  senses. Filthy dreamers. Now, I want to
• 35:51
  say this tonight. We know where sin
• 35:53
  where where it derives from. Amen. Out
• 35:55
  of the abundance of the heart, the mouth
• 35:56
  speaketh and every other sin. Amen. That
• 35:59
  pride, it comes forth from the heart.
• 36:01
  Amen. All all the sins of the body, they
• 36:03
  proceed forth from the heart. Paul deals
• 36:05
  with that in his epistle. But what I
• 36:08
  notice in this is his description here
• 36:10
  is is that these men are impure
• 36:12
  mentally. Now you say, "Preacher, I you
• 36:14
  need to remind me who we're talking
• 36:16
  about." Well, according to verse number
• 36:17
  four, he were talking about teachers,
• 36:20
  people. He's teaching the word of God in
• 36:22
  churches.
• 36:23
  Look what he says in verse four. He
• 36:24
  said, "For there are certain men crept
• 36:26
  in unawares."
• 36:29
  That's not in the world,
• 36:30
  >> right?
• 36:31
  >> That's in the church.
• 36:33
  >> That's not at your job. That's not at
• 36:35
  your house. that's in the house of God,
• 36:38
  >> right?
• 36:39
  >> And look what he says about them. These
• 36:40
  filthy dreamers, their mind is full of
• 36:44
  wickedness. Their musings are
• 36:46
  wickedness, sensuality. And I noticed
• 36:48
  this. I I I thought this was
• 36:50
  interesting. I want to put this in
• 36:51
  there. I ain't going to charge you
• 36:52
  nothing for it. Webster relates this
• 36:55
  filthy dreamer thought of perversion. He
• 36:58
  relates it with passivity.
• 37:01
  And he says, "Just as much as these men
• 37:03
  are wicked,
• 37:05
  they're just as much lazy.
• 37:09
  >> Their perversion creates in them a a a
• 37:13
  place of of staleness.
• 37:16
  >> Their mind is so busy, constantly full
• 37:19
  of wickedness that they're never able to
• 37:21
  accomplish anything."
• 37:28
  We see this on the job. Was talking with
• 37:30
  the brother here the other day. We went
• 37:32
  somewhere and it seems like everywhere
• 37:34
  you go, you see people sitting around in
• 37:36
  their vehicles with their phone.
• 37:38
  >> Nobody else in the car.
• 37:43
  Look, okay, we're not stupid.
• 37:47
  You say, "Preacher, you're accusing
• 37:48
  people of doing things they ought not
• 37:50
  be." No, friend. I know what the flesh
• 37:52
  is,
• 37:52
  >> right?
• 37:53
  >> And the Bible's teach, you know, I I've
• 37:55
  heard preachers say this, an idol mind
• 37:56
  is the devil's workshop. We don't have
• 37:58
  an idle mind anymore. You're
• 37:59
  >> right.
• 38:00
  >> The moment we stop thinking about
• 38:02
  something that's right, you know what
• 38:03
  happens?
• 38:04
  >> Yeah.
• 38:05
  >> Amen.
• 38:05
  >> It comes right back. You're
• 38:06
  >> right.
• 38:07
  >> Somebody testified here Sunday about
• 38:09
  that. Said, "I had an awful thought the
• 38:10
  other day, and it just like God just
• 38:12
  ripped my heart out about that." Here's
• 38:14
  what happens. Our mind has come so
• 38:16
  trained to technology
• 38:18
  >> that the minute we stop thinking about
• 38:20
  something here. You say, "Preacher, what
• 38:21
  are you saying?" I'm saying, "It takes
• 38:22
  more Bible reading now than it ever has.
• 38:24
  It takes more praying now than it ever
• 38:26
  has. It takes staying closer to God than
• 38:29
  it ever has. Because here's what you're
• 38:31
  going to find. You will mess yourself
• 38:33
  up." Because the very second,
• 38:37
  >> the American workforce is so sorry.
• 38:42
  >> Why is that? because our minds are so
• 38:44
  busy with junk,
• 38:46
  >> right?
• 38:48
  >> I see it all the time. Seeing as a young
• 38:50
  man just going out in the workforce, I
• 38:52
  remember we were doing some doing some
• 38:54
  work. Dad and I, we had some contracts
• 38:56
  with the the State Department and and uh
• 38:59
  I I remember watching some of those boys
• 39:01
  and and and they get there for three
• 39:03
  hours. They'd sit in a vehicle and they
• 39:05
  sit there and do nothing but scroll. And
• 39:06
  I remember just a time or two sitting
• 39:08
  around with them, talking to them. You
• 39:10
  see what they're looking at?
• 39:12
  >> And there's people all across this
• 39:14
  country doing that. You're
• 39:15
  >> right.
• 39:16
  >> These are members of churches. These are
• 39:18
  deacons. These are preachers. These are
• 39:20
  people that are husbands.
• 39:22
  >> And let me You say, "Preacher, you're
• 39:24
  calling out THE MEN." THAT'S THE
• 39:25
  PROBLEM.
• 39:27
  >> AMEN.
• 39:28
  >> THE MEN ARE THE PROBLEM.
• 39:32
  OUR PERVERSION HAS BROUGHT US TO
• 39:35
  PASSIVITY.
• 39:37
  >> GOOD. And he says in the text, look what
• 39:39
  he describes them as. They're filthy
• 39:41
  dreamers. And these people are in the
• 39:42
  church. You're
• 39:44
  >> right.
• 39:44
  >> They're in the church. God help us.
• 39:47
  >> Men that'll cuss ALL WEEK LONG AND TALK
• 39:50
  LIKE THE DEVIL AND LIVE LIKE THE DEVIL
• 39:52
  AND TALK ABOUT THEIR WIFE AND GO HOME
• 39:54
  AND ACT LIKE NOTHING'S WRONG. You're
• 39:56
  >> right.
• 39:57
  >> GO TO CHURCH AND SHOUT HALLELUJAH AND
• 39:59
  AND DO ALL KINDS OF OTHER STUFF, BUT
• 40:01
  THEY'RE WICKED AS A DEVIL. THESE ARE
• 40:03
  APOSTATES. That's right.
• 40:06
  >> It's revealed by their thoughts.
• 40:10
  Bible says in the book of Corinthians,
• 40:11
  the weapons of our warfare are not
• 40:13
  carnal, but are mighty through God to
• 40:14
  the pulling down of strongholds, casting
• 40:16
  down imaginations
• 40:19
  and bringing into obedience every
• 40:21
  bringing into subjection every thought
• 40:23
  unto the obedience of Christ. You know
• 40:25
  what? That is a willful thing that a
• 40:27
  Christian has to do. We have to bring
• 40:29
  oursel in. You're
• 40:30
  >> right. And that's not one time a day.
• 40:35
  That's many times.
• 40:37
  It's
• 40:37
  >> time and time and time again. THERE IS A
• 40:40
  A SPIRITUAL WARFARE. AND IF WE'RE NOT
• 40:43
  CHOOSING TO REEL OUR YOURSELF IN, the
• 40:45
  world's taking us hook, line, and
• 40:46
  sinker.
• 40:47
  >> Amen.
• 40:49
  >> I'm so passionate about this because
• 40:50
  this is what's killing our churches. The
• 40:52
  reason why the buses don't run, the
• 40:54
  reason why visitation don't happen, the
• 40:56
  reason why Sunday school classes aren't
• 40:58
  being taught, the reason why ministries
• 41:01
  of the church are not being accomplished
• 41:02
  and men are not being called to the
• 41:04
  ministry is because we become so full in
• 41:06
  our mind with junk. You're
• 41:08
  >> right.
• 41:09
  >> We become passive
• 41:11
  in everything that we do. And until we
• 41:14
  deal with that, we can never go forward.
• 41:18
  Their description is that they're filthy
• 41:20
  dreamers. They're impure mentally.
• 41:23
  He says he's lazy because his mind is so
• 41:26
  busy on wickedness. Now you notice not
• 41:29
  only their description but not their
• 41:30
  defilement in verse number eight. These
• 41:32
  also these filthy dreamers defile the
• 41:35
  flesh. Now I know notice the terminology
• 41:38
  there. The Bible does not say they
• 41:41
  defile their flesh.
• 41:43
  >> And the Bible also does not say that
• 41:45
  they defile others flesh.
• 41:47
  >> Right?
• 41:47
  >> So you know what that means? that all
• 41:50
  flesh that comes in contact with them is
• 41:52
  defiled
• 41:53
  >> theirelves and everybody around them.
• 41:58
  >> That means that they themselves are
• 42:00
  defiled and they themselves are defilers
• 42:03
  of others.
• 42:04
  >> Right?
• 42:05
  >> They are defiled within and out of the
• 42:07
  abundance of the heart the mouth
• 42:09
  speaketh. AND SO THAT WHICH IS IN THE
• 42:11
  DROUGHT COMES OUT AND others
• 42:14
  are defiled by that wickedness. They
• 42:17
  defile the flesh. You say, "Well, how is
• 42:20
  that?" Well, if their mind's full of
• 42:21
  filthiness,
• 42:24
  >> filthy dreamers. You say, "Preacher, I
• 42:26
  can't grasp the fact you're telling me
• 42:28
  that I have to choose." Why? Why does
• 42:29
  God not take that from me? Why does he
• 42:31
  not take that from me? Well, let let me
• 42:33
  give you a verse here. I just I got to
• 42:35
  give you this. Okay. James chapter 1
• 42:38
  verse number verse number 18. All right.
• 42:41
  This is my favorite verse of all time
• 42:42
  probably. He said, "Of his own will be
• 42:45
  us with a word of truth that we should
• 42:46
  be a kind of first fruits of his
• 42:48
  creatures." So because you're born
• 42:49
  again, that means that you are the best,
• 42:52
  the first fruits. You know what the
• 42:53
  first fruits are? That's the best of the
• 42:55
  crop.
• 42:56
  >> Because we've been born again, his own
• 42:58
  will, he's begat us with the word of
• 43:00
  truth. That's the Bible. That we should
• 43:02
  be a kind of first fruits of his
• 43:04
  creatures. Verse 19, wherefore my
• 43:06
  beloved brethren, let every man be swift
• 43:07
  to hear, slow to speak, and slow to
• 43:10
  wrath. Now, isn't it interesting? The
• 43:11
  first thing he says after that is our
• 43:12
  taught our conversation life.
• 43:14
  >> Look what he says. Verse number 20. For
• 43:16
  the wrath of man workketh not the
• 43:18
  righteousness of God. Verse 21.
• 43:20
  Wherefore lay apart all filthiness
• 43:24
  and superfluity of naughtiness.
• 43:27
  And what you Bible say and receive with
• 43:30
  meekness the engrafted word which is
• 43:33
  able to save your souls. It means not
• 43:35
  for salvation but it's able to preserve
• 43:37
  you. You know the reason why people are
• 43:39
  so wicked
• 43:41
  >> is because they're not choosing to lay
• 43:43
  apart. That filthiness that literally
• 43:45
  means just defiled things that enter in
• 43:48
  your mind. That superfluity of
• 43:49
  naughtiness that literally means it's
• 43:51
  like a double. It's wickedness and
• 43:53
  double wickedness. They it's an excess
• 43:55
  of wickedness to lay it apart. And he
• 43:59
  says these filthy dreamers defile the
• 44:00
  flesh. Why is that? It's cuz it's all
• 44:02
  they meditate on.
• 44:03
  >> It's like putting a bunch of dirt in a
• 44:05
  washing machine and turning on the on
• 44:07
  the wash cycle. You know what it does?
• 44:09
  All that mud just begins to
• 44:13
  and that's what people do every day of
• 44:14
  their life. They just intake dirt and
• 44:16
  dirt and dirt and dirt and then they
• 44:18
  want to put some water in there and you
• 44:19
  know it doesn't make a mess, don't it?
• 44:22
  >> Some people's got so full that they
• 44:24
  can't get it all out.
• 44:25
  >> You're right.
• 44:27
  >> They defile the flesh. I know this is
• 44:29
  quiet tonight. The reason I'm so
• 44:30
  passionate about this because this where
• 44:31
  we all live.
• 44:32
  >> You're right.
• 44:33
  >> We've got more time than we ever have,
• 44:35
  but yet we have no time. Yes.
• 44:38
  >> Tell me why that makes sense.
• 44:41
  We know it don't. We know. We know.
• 44:44
  We're like, "Why do we do this?" We ask
• 44:46
  ourel that every day of our life. Why do
• 44:48
  we do this to ourselves? Yet we get up
• 44:50
  the next day. You know what we do?
• 44:53
  >> Same thing.
• 44:55
  >> Notice verse eight. I promise I'm done
• 44:56
  here. They defile the flesh. They
• 44:59
  despise dominion. They speak evil of
• 45:01
  dignities. Now, we see this in the work
• 45:04
  world, okay? And I men in our church are
• 45:06
  blessed. They hold high positions and
• 45:08
  jobs. Ladies in here, you're blessed.
• 45:09
  You hold positions and jobs. What do you
• 45:11
  hear nonstop?
• 45:14
  People just mouthing about authority.
• 45:17
  >> You're right.
• 45:18
  >> Constantly. What's the description there
• 45:19
  in the text? They despise dominion.
• 45:24
  Their description is they're a fulfilled
• 45:26
  filthy dreamer. They're defiled.
• 45:27
  Themselves are defiled. Those around
• 45:29
  them are defiled. and their demeanor,
• 45:31
  their department is they have a problem
• 45:33
  with authority.
• 45:35
  >> What is the world which we're living in?
• 45:37
  What is our country literally the face
• 45:38
  of right now? A PROBLEM WITH AUTHORITY,
• 45:42
  >> RIGHT?
• 45:42
  >> NOBODY'S IN CHARGE. EVERYBODY SAYS THIS
• 45:45
  ONE'S in charge. When there's a problem,
• 45:46
  well, THAT AIN'T MY JOB. THAT'S his job.
• 45:48
  Then you go to that one. WELL, THAT'S
• 45:49
  NOT MY JOB. THAT WAS THAT ONE'S JOB. AND
• 45:51
  IT'S ALL A MESS BECAUSE there is no
• 45:54
  authority. You're
• 45:55
  >> right.
• 45:56
  >> Let me say this. When everybody's a
• 45:57
  chief, there are no chiefs. Right?
• 46:02
  >> When everybody's in authority, there is
• 46:04
  no authority.
• 46:06
  >> Right?
• 46:07
  >> And these people, they despise dominion.
• 46:09
  This is a description of apostates.
• 46:12
  When a man, woman comes into the church
• 46:14
  and they start mouththing about the
• 46:15
  pastor, mouthing about the deacons,
• 46:17
  mouthing about the Sunday school
• 46:19
  teachers, or mouthing about men and the
• 46:21
  trustees or whatever else, mouthing
• 46:23
  about faithful people in THE CHURCH.
• 46:25
  THIS IS THEIR DESCRIPTION. They despise
• 46:28
  dominion. And you know what'll happen?
• 46:29
  You hang around them long enough, you'll
• 46:31
  find out they're a pervert.
• 46:33
  >> You're right. Come on.
• 46:36
  >> Say, "Preacher, how do you know that?
• 46:37
  You ain't been around here that long.
• 46:38
  I've been around preachers that are this
• 46:40
  way."
• 46:42
  >> Amen.
• 46:43
  >> They have all this authority and God's I
• 46:46
  mean, they're they're all in this big
• 46:47
  place and everybody looks to them and
• 46:49
  they've got hundreds of people that
• 46:50
  answer to them and you get around them a
• 46:52
  little bit and they they tell dirty
• 46:53
  jokes.
• 46:55
  >> They let a cuss word slip.
• 47:02
  I guess probably one of the things that
• 47:03
  ever hurt me the most is a man that I
• 47:05
  looked up to dearly
• 47:07
  sitting in a car with him one night and
• 47:08
  he looked at me and he said a cuss word
• 47:12
  talking about not to ever let anybody
• 47:14
  change me and for the next six months of
• 47:16
  my life that man tried to change me.
• 47:23
  You know what he was?
• 47:25
  He despised dominion.
• 47:27
  >> You're right.
• 47:28
  >> You say, "Preacher, do you think he was
• 47:29
  always that way?" No. I think the
• 47:32
  troubles and trials of his life had
• 47:33
  brought him to that place. I admired him
• 47:36
  with everything in my heart. I'll tell
• 47:39
  you this. You know what happened at that
• 47:42
  moment? His character just went.
• 47:47
  They despise dominion. They speak evil
• 47:50
  of dignities.
• 47:52
  So, they're deporting their dominion.
• 47:54
  They have a real problem with authority.
• 47:55
  They're just unwilling to do what
• 47:57
  somebody tells them to do.
• 47:59
  >> They despise me. They hate somebody to
• 48:01
  give them instruction.
• 48:03
  >> I'll tell you this tonight, the the
• 48:04
  greatest mark of the true Christian is
• 48:06
  somebody that will openly receive
• 48:09
  instruction. You're
• 48:10
  >> right.
• 48:11
  >> If you're not teachable, you're not
• 48:13
  trainable.
• 48:14
  >> And if you're not trainable, you will
• 48:16
  not be effective in the ministry.
• 48:18
  Period.
• 48:19
  >> You're right.
• 48:20
  They have a will problem with authority,
• 48:22
  but they have a word problem with
• 48:24
  authentic leadership. Notice that in
• 48:25
  verse 8, they speak evil of dignities.
• 48:28
  That word dignities, it's only used in
• 48:30
  Peter's Peter's given an admonition like
• 48:32
  this ain't second Peter 2. And he says
• 48:34
  literally the same thing. He says
• 48:36
  they're not afraid to speak evil of
• 48:37
  dignities. And what they're saying is is
• 48:39
  they're not afraid to speak evil of
• 48:40
  those who are true and credible.
• 48:42
  >> Yeah.
• 48:43
  >> Isn't that interesting?
• 48:45
  people that are really all right and
• 48:47
  doing doing right and walking right,
• 48:48
  serving God right, these people ain't
• 48:50
  afraid to just run them in the ground,
• 48:52
  right?
• 48:52
  >> I mean, they'll just beat them until
• 48:54
  they just beat them plum in the ground.
• 48:57
  They're not afraid of it. I tell you
• 48:59
  this, I'd be scared to death to talk
• 49:02
  about a preacher,
• 49:05
  a preacher's wife, or a family that I
• 49:07
  knew was serving God.
• 49:10
  >> Because truth is, there's no no none of
• 49:12
  us perfect. Okay?
• 49:13
  >> Amen. But I do know this. All right.
• 49:16
  There's a difference. All right. Listen
• 49:17
  to me. There's a difference between
• 49:19
  rebuke and somebody gospel.
• 49:21
  >> You're right.
• 49:23
  >> There's a difference. Rebuke is
• 49:25
  personal.
• 49:26
  >> Oneon-one. Facebook's not your platform
• 49:28
  for rebuke. Okay.
• 49:30
  >> Amen. It ain't it ain't there. All
• 49:33
  right. Rebuke's personal one onone.
• 49:35
  Amen. I really don't it it ain't
• 49:37
  something to be done over a phone call.
• 49:38
  I think you need to do it face to face.
• 49:40
  Right.
• 49:42
  There's been things even in the church
• 49:43
  since I've been here tried to reach out
• 49:45
  to people and say, "Let's talk. Let's
• 49:46
  talk." But they never they never can
• 49:48
  come to that place because they know a
• 49:51
  face-toface confrontation is not what
• 49:53
  they want.
• 49:53
  >> You're right.
• 49:54
  >> I've had people landlast me behind the
• 49:56
  telephone. It makes makes uh mouses men
• 50:00
  when they get behind that telephone.
• 50:02
  Man, I'm telling you,
• 50:03
  >> you talk face to face.
• 50:05
  >> You're right. These people, they not
• 50:08
  afraid to speak evil with dignitaries,
• 50:10
  but they'll never do it to their face.
• 50:12
  >> That's right.
• 50:13
  >> They'll always do it behind their back.
• 50:15
  >> They'll always do it to somebody else
• 50:18
  that's lesser that they think they can
• 50:20
  manipulate.
• 50:21
  >> You're right.
• 50:22
  >> I'll say this tonight. There's people in
• 50:25
  here tonight that apostates are not
• 50:27
  going to come after you because you've
• 50:29
  been faithful. You know what you
• 50:31
  believe, why you believe it. They're not
• 50:33
  going to come after you and try to
• 50:34
  subvert you. And you know that tonight,
• 50:36
  let me add, let me give you this
• 50:38
  admonition tonight. Those of you that
• 50:39
  are that way, look out for the ones that
• 50:42
  aren't.
• 50:42
  >> Amen.
• 50:44
  >> I'm serious. We have people come in this
• 50:46
  church over the years from from a
• 50:48
  pastor's heart to you. I can't reach
• 50:50
  everybody.
• 50:51
  >> You're right.
• 50:51
  >> I can't get in front of everybody that
• 50:53
  comes in here. Now, I'm not asking you
• 50:55
  to get in front of everybody that comes
• 50:56
  in here. What I am saying is you to use
• 50:58
  some Holy Ghost discernment
• 51:00
  >> and protect our young people.
• 51:02
  >> Amen. protect our young married couples.
• 51:05
  >> Protect those that can't do not know the
• 51:08
  difference yet.
• 51:09
  >> It's not their fault, okay?
• 51:12
  >> But they got to learn,
• 51:13
  >> right?
• 51:14
  >> And these people right here, it's like I
• 51:16
  said, verse number four, they're crept
• 51:17
  in unawares.
• 51:20
  Not all of them I knew about, but I'll
• 51:23
  say this, there's not always going to be
• 51:24
  all of them you know about. So don't
• 51:26
  always fault the preacher when you don't
• 51:27
  know what's going on. Okay?
• 51:30
  >> Notice this.
• 51:32
  The Bible says in verse 7, notice that
• 51:35
  last phrase, that middle phrase, verse
• 51:37
  seven, going after strange force,
• 51:39
  there's strange flesh. They're set forth
• 51:42
  for an example.
• 51:44
  You see, the reason they're set forth
• 51:46
  for an example is because their lives
• 51:48
  and their lips pretty much said, "Here I
• 51:50
  am. I'm the standard of all that's
• 51:52
  wicked."
• 51:54
  >> You know what? I'd hate to be that
• 51:56
  person,
• 51:57
  >> right? I'd hate to be the guy that down
• 51:59
  the road I fall out, Sister Betty Jean,
• 52:02
  and then every other preacher's talking
• 52:04
  about me, saying he fell out, using me
• 52:07
  as an example. You say, "Preacher, well,
• 52:09
  that's not right." Well, the Bible says,
• 52:11
  "The elders, them that sin, rebuke
• 52:14
  before all."
• 52:15
  >> Yep.
• 52:19
  >> I know we don't like that,
• 52:23
  but when a pastor stumbles,
• 52:25
  >> Yeah. Somebody has authority in the
• 52:27
  church, stumbles,
• 52:29
  that has to be brought to light and
• 52:31
  dealt with. You're
• 52:32
  >> right.
• 52:32
  >> You say, "Preacher, I don't like that."
• 52:34
  Well, that's the Bible.
• 52:35
  >> Right. Amen.
• 52:36
  >> Do I enjoy that? No. I hope I never have
• 52:38
  to do it.
• 52:42
  But I will tell you this tonight. These
• 52:44
  apostates are lurking.
• 52:46
  >> Amen.
• 52:47
  >> And God help your sorry soul if you are
• 52:49
  one of them. Get right with God.
• 52:51
  >> Amen.
• 52:52
  >> Amen. Please.
• 52:53
  >> Amen. Do not be a burr in the saddle of
• 52:57
  this church trying to go forward for
• 52:58
  God.
• 52:59
  >> Get right with God. You say, "Preacher,
• 53:01
  apostates won't get right with God."
• 53:03
  Well, let me tell you this. They can
• 53:04
  just like anybody else.
• 53:06
  >> Cuz here's the truth tonight. If I get
• 53:07
  out of the will of God and stay away
• 53:08
  from the word of God, I'll become one
• 53:10
  just as quick as anybody.
• 53:13
  >> Let's stay right, church. I love you. I
• 53:15
  mean it. I love you. Father, thank you
• 53:17
  for this time. Lord, help us, Father, to
• 53:19
  see the employment of apostasy.
• 53:23
  God, we've our nation, our churches has
• 53:26
  become victim to this perverted passive
• 53:28
  mentality. And Lord, I if there's
• 53:30
  anything that's ever described the men
• 53:32
  of this generation, I know that that
• 53:34
  does. And God, I pray please, Father,
• 53:37
  would you help us as men, to keep our
• 53:40
  minds pure, Lord, to keep our hearts
• 53:43
  pure, Lord, to protect ourselves from
• 53:47
  this world. And Lord, that's not just
• 53:48
  from others, but Lord, that's from
• 53:50
  what's in our own pockets and our own
• 53:52
  hands, in our own homes.
• 53:55
  And Lord, if men are struggling, Father,
• 53:57
  how much more are children?
• 54:00
  >> Lord, please help us men be men so our
• 54:04
  children can still be children.
• 54:08
  Father, I pray this church to be a haven
• 54:10
  for our children.
• 54:12
  God, they can grow up, Lord. And Lord, I
• 54:15
  don't want them to be naive in the sense
• 54:17
  of things that they ought to know,
• 54:18
  Father, that they should. But Lord, I
• 54:20
  don't want them to know nothing about
• 54:21
  this world.
• 54:23
  I don't want them to have to know
• 54:24
  anything, Lord, by experience. But God,
• 54:27
  I want them to learn, Lord, from us and
• 54:31
  from your word, Lord, what they can be
• 54:34
  protected from.
• 54:36
  God, help us, Lord, to guard this place.
• 54:39
  Lord, we can't so much guard it with our
• 54:41
  lips, but Lord, we can guard it with our
• 54:43
  lives.
• 54:44
  >> Well, help us to be men and women of
• 54:46
  prayer in these days, Lord, so that
• 54:48
  these young people in these classrooms,
• 54:50
  they'll have their testimonies protected
• 54:52
  and their purity protected. And Lord,
• 54:54
  that's my desire as a pastor of this
• 54:56
  church. I pray you granted. I know it's
• 54:58
  your will. And Lord, I pray you help us
• 55:00
  rest this week. Help us, Lord, as we
• 55:01
  come in tomorrow from men's fellowship.
• 55:03
  I'm already looking forward to it. Lord,
• 55:05
  I sure love you. Thank you for loving
• 55:07
  us. Save that in this nearest tale
• 55:08
  tonight. and we give you thanks for what
• 55:09
  you do cuz we ask it in Jesus' name.
• 55:12
  Amen. I love you.
• 55:14
  >> Thank you for joining our service today.
• 55:16
  We'd love it if you join us in person
• 55:18
  the next time you are able at Meadows
• 55:20
  Baptist Church. Our physical address is
• 55:23
  2988
• 55:25
  Stewart Road in Walnut Cove, North
• 55:27
  Carolina. Our service times are Sunday
• 55:30
  school at 10:00 a.m., Sunday morning
• 55:32
  worship at 11:00 a.m., Sunday evening
• 55:35
  worship at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday
• 55:37
  evening Bible study at 700 p.m. For more
• 55:41
  information, visit us at
• 55:42
  meadowsbaptisturch.com.
• 55:45
  Thanks again for tuning in.