It's good to see you this morning,
and let's take our Bibles and turn to Revelation 22, verse
14. I said Revelation 14, I mean 22, verse 14. Make it 15. Revelation 22, 15. For without are dogs, and sorcerers,
and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever
loveth and maketh a lie." Let's pray together. Our great God, Savior, we ask You this morning to help
us to worship. Lord, we have no other reason
to be here than to worship You. Would You bless the Word and
bless it to our hearts our understanding, comfort us, teach us according
to your blessed purpose and counsel for Christ's sake. Amen. This is the fifth prophecy. It is not sealed in
the book. This is what the Lord told John
in verse 10 of this chapter. He saith unto me, Seal not the
sayings of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. These five truths are summing up of this book. These five things set forth. totality of the truth. Now, there's a description that's
set forth of the character of those who
are found under the judgment of God. Here's the fifth, I just jotted
this down, is the fifth truth. All under God's judgment are
justly under that judgment. This scripture starts this verse
with these two words, for without. Those without the city that was
just spoken of in verse 14. Those without the holy city of
God. Heavenly Jerusalem. Those without. Those without grace. Those without mercy. goes without compassion. Someone would say, but aren't
all people under the mercy and compassion of God? No. They would say, what do you base
that on? I would base it on God's Word. when he told Moses, I will
have mercy on whom I'll have mercy. I'll have compassion on
whom I'll have compassion. It's not of him that willeth,
nor of him that runneth, but of God that shows mercy. Actually, the description of
those that are without actually gives us a true description of
those, the opposite of, let me say that, those that are without,
the description of those that are without. And I'm going to
deal with these words in a moment, Lord willing. And those that
are actually without is actually the very opposite of those that
are found within the mercy and grace of God. But let me give you a statement
that I anticipated in my mind as I was preparing this message. Here's a statement that I, in
my mind, I anticipated. The scripture says, without our
dogs and sorcerers, whoremongers, murderers, idolaters, and whosoever
loveth and maketh a lie." Someone would say when it comes to those
that are described here as without, someone would say, well now,
don't judge. Let's don't judge now. I want
you to turn to Matthew 7. Verse one. I. That I think that this. This verse of Scripture right
here, Matthew seven one. Has been a passage of Scripture
that. Many people have used. In defense. Of rebellion against God. Now here's what the scripture
says. Judge not that ye be not judged. For with what judgment
ye judge, ye shall be judged. And with what measure ye meet,
it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote
that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam
that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother,
Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye, and behold a beam
that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out
the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou seek clearly
to cast out the mote that is in thy brother's eye. Lord willing, I'm going to try
to show you a couple of passages of Scripture that's going to
make good on what I want to say here. But judge not has absolutely
nothing to do with the recognition of and the disclosure of rebellion
against God. Judge not When the Lord was speaking,
and it was the Lord speaking in Matthew 7, has nothing to
do with rebellion that is revealed
in the Holy Scriptures. Talking about someone that's
inconsistent, contrary to the gospel of God's free grace, preaching
that is totally inconsistent, setting forth false, self-righteous,
free-willed, religious man's works. And people say, now don't
judge now. Their heart's in the right place.
No, it's not. No, it's not. Don't judge. What does it mean? I want you to turn to Romans
14. Romans 14. And let me let me make let me
make a statement here and I'll and then Lord willing, we'll
we'll go on, but. Romans. 14, I will start reading in just
a minute here in verse one. But when the scripture says judge
not. What the Lord was talking about
was. Believers. To believers. Believers. dealing with other
believers. And it has to do with the accommodating of one believer with the weakness
and the spiritual immaturity of another believer. And I'm
going to show you that. Romans 14, verse 1, Him that
is weak in the faith, receive ye. But not to doubtful disputations. Now, I'm telling you that that
scripture just set forth. It's talking about a weak believer,
immature. There's nothing that is more
wonderful than to behold a believer that God has taught some things
and settled them and matured them and talked to them and You get
some wise counsel. But I'm going to tell you something,
that wisdom comes with a great price. And it's, by and large,
it's hard on the flesh. And it's tough. And you go through
some tough times learning. Him that's weak in the faith,
he's in the faith. If he wasn't in the faith, Paul
wouldn't have said, he that's weak in the faith. He's in the
faith. We all have some grave clothes. I hate to admit that. Don't you? I got them and you got them too. Him that is weak in the faith,
receive ye, but not to doubtful disputation. For one believeth
that he may eat all things. Another who is weak eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise
him that eateth not, and let not him that eateth not Judge
him that eateth, for God hath received him. Who art thou that
judgeth another man's servant? To his own master he standeth
or falleth, yea, he shall be holding up, for God is able to
make him stand. One man esteemeth one day above
another, another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully
persuaded in his own mind. He that regardeth the day, regardeth
it unto the Lord, and he that regardeth not the day, to the
Lord he does not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the
Lord, for he giveth God thanks. He that eateth not to the Lord,
he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. For none of us liveth
to himself, no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live
unto the Lord. Whether we die, we die unto the
Lord. Whether we live therefore or die, we're the Lord's. Remember
this, he's talking to believers. Judging, not. Believers to believers. Weak believer. For to this end
Christ both died and rose and revived, but He might be the
Lord both the dead and the living. Why dost thou judge thy brother? Why dost thou set it not thy
brother? We shall all stand before the
judgment seat of Christ, for it is written, As I live, saith
the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, every tongue shall confess
to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself
to God. Let us not, therefore, judge one another any more. But
judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or occasion
to fall in his brother's way." Turn to James 4. James chapter
4. Verse 11 and 12. James 4, 11. Speak not evil one
of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his
brother and judgeth his brother speaketh evil of the law, judgeth
the law. But if thou judge the law, thou
art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There's one lawgiver
who is able to save and to destroy. Who art thou that judgest? Another
now. What did he say in judging judge
not? Like I said, it has nothing to
do with. Recognizing and setting forth
that which is absolutely. Contrary to the scriptures. Contrary
to the scriptures, contrary to the gospel of God's grace, contrary
to the truth, contrary to Christ. It has nothing to do with recognizing
that and disclosing it. What does judging not mean? Bear with one another's infirmities. Watch over another's weakness.
Be gentle. Be forbearing. Manifest a spirit
of kindness, affection, and understanding toward the brethren. So we've all got immature thoughts,
doubts, strivings. So recognizing, now I'm back
in Revelation 22, 15 now, so recognizing what the Scripture
sets forth as judge not. When the Scripture sets forth
and it says for without are dogs, sorcerers and whoremongers and
murderers and idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie, that's
the way it is. Matthew 7, 15, 16 says this,
Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing,
but inwardly they are ravening wolves, and you shall know them
by their fruits. Even so, every good tree bringeth
forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit."
So we know that there are those within this world that the Scripture
sets forth that are as God says they are. 1 Thessalonians 5.21 says, Prove
all things, and hold fast to that which is good. 1 John 4,
1, try the spirits, whether they are of God. So whenever there
is a setting forth in the Scriptures of that which is so, it's not
judging. The Scripture says you will know
them by their fruits. You'll know them. So don't excuse
rebellion. Don't excuse inconsistency and
say, well, we're just not supposed to judge. I know they're not
preaching. I know they're not preaching
sovereign grace. I know that. And I know they're
saying that God, you know, is wanting to save everybody. I
know that organization is saying that the Lord wants to save everybody,
but we just shouldn't judge. Remember, judge not has to do
with believers to believers, and it's dealing with weak believers,
weak thoughts, things that, you know, one man says, I just don't
think I ought to eat pork. Don't eat it. I just don't feel good about
going to a restaurant on Sunday. I just don't feel as though,
don't go. Don't go. Well, I just feel as
though that it's not right. If I went over there and I shoveled
snow and it's Sunday afternoon, I just don't feel, don't do it
then. But don't judge a man and don't
judge another believer because of something that has nothing
to do with the gospel of God's free grace. God will teach you. That's what
Scott told me one day. It helped me more than anything
I ever, you know, I say. Brother Scott, I saw this over
here. One of the brethren made a statement
and I just, what do you think about that? Man, he made a statement
that just shut me up. And I thought, man, I was so
silly. That's what he said. The Lord
will teach him. Why didn't I think of that? The
Lord will teach him. If it's not a matter of the Scriptures
concerning God's grace, God's Word, God's power, God's mercy,
God's compassion, God's will. If it has nothing to do, if it's
just a weak thought, Him that is weak in the faith, receive
Him. Okay. All right. Enough of that. All
right. Those that are without, they're
dogs. That's what the Scripture says.
They're dogs. It means one of an impure mind. That's what the
word dog It means right there, an impure mind. Philippians 3 says, Beware of
dogs. Beware of evil workers. Beware
of the concision. Dogs, impure in their mind. They are without. Sheep are within. Dogs, They're the tares. There's always going to be tares
among the wheat. Always. Always. They're always
there. Sheep are the wheat. Dogs are
the tares. And I'm going to read a scripture.
If you want to turn to Isaiah 56, verse 10 and 11, what I'm
going to read, I'll make good. I just don't want to make a statement. and not back it up with scripture. There's the biggest mistake you
can make. You just say, well, he's a dog. How do you know?
What do you base that on? Well, he's lost. Well, base it on scripture. If
you're going to make a statement, make it dogs. Let me tell you what, after
reading Isaiah 56, let me tell you what I wrote down, then I'll
read the scripture. Dogs are actually filthy preachers
and those that follow them. They possess no love for Christ,
no love for His people, no love for His gospel, and they are
manifest by their inconsistency of the truth, and they love this
world's gain. Now let me turn to Isaiah 56. Isaiah 56, verse 10 and 11. His watchmen are blind, blind to the truth, blind. God
opens a man's eyes, he sees. If man opens a woman's eyes,
he sees. They're ignorant. They're ignorant
of God, ignorant of God's grace, ignorant of God's Word, ignorant
of God's purpose, ignorant of God's mercy and compassion. Ignorant. They're all dumb dogs. They cannot
bark. Sleeping, lying down, loving
to slumber. Yea, they're greedy dogs. And the margin there, if you've
got your margin there, greedy means strong of appetite. They
can never have enough. You know, for a believer, Christ
is all he needs. What do you need? I have all.
Christ is all and in all. What more do you need? I've heard,
I've heard, I heard someone say this. He said, the gospel is just not
enough. What else do you need? Christ
is not enough? What else? It's going to be Christ
plus what? They never have enough dogs. It takes – I know the Lord wants
to save. I know that – I understand that.
They say, But I'll tell you what else it takes. They're greedy dogs which can
never have enough. They're shepherds that cannot
understand. They all look to their own way. They all look to their own way,
Neil. This is what I got to do. This is what I have to make. Everyone for his own gain from
his quarter. Dogs. A dog is one that cannot stay consistent to Christ.
He doesn't know Him. He cannot understand. If God
Almighty teaches a man, teaches a woman, I'm going to tell you
something right now. They understand. You know the first thing they
understand? They understand that they can't. That's the first
thing they know. That cat leopard came to the
Lord. Lord, if you will, you can make me whole. Peter's sinking. Lord, save me. He was sinking. Why didn't he just will himself
back up? Dog. Back in Revelation 22. For withouter dogs cannot understand,
can't bark, just gain all they're interested in. Second thing is
sorcery. Magicians, I looked the word
up, it says one that produces a magical act. You think, well,
sorcerers. You know, those like in that
Harry Potter movie, sorcerers, witches, those kind of people. Well, spiritually speaking. It's one that pretends to be
able to do something. But all the while, it's foolishness. Now, you know what a sorcerer
of magic is. He puts something over his hand. Flowers. I made those. I produced that. Or take a box, you know. black
box and hold it up and everybody can see. There's nothing in there.
Four sides, you know. Take your little stick and go
on inside and everything. You know, put a drape over it.
Something like that. It's always got to be, you know,
there's always something hidden there. Pull it off and a bird
flies out. I made that. No you didn't. That was a trick. You didn't
create that. Sorcerers. Spiritually speaking, though,
it's those that set forth and pretend that life, spiritual
life, is produced by themselves. I made that. I produced a righteousness,
they say, by my own ability that is accepted before Almighty God
and by my own free will, I made myself righteous before God. No, you didn't. All of our righteousnesses are
as filthy rags. There's none good. No, not one. And there's no clean thing that's
ever come out of a filthy thing. Let me tell you something. Man,
by nature, cannot produce a righteousness before God. There's none good, not one. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Word
Himself, if His righteousness be not imputed to me, I'm dead. I'm gone. I'm lost. Almighty
God must do something for me that I cannot do for myself. Someone will say, well, but if
you believe, if you believe, then you'll be saved. If you
think that your belief is the reason that you're saved, then
that's a work on your part. And not by works of righteousness
that we have done. That's in direct violation of
that Scripture. Well, the reason I'm saved is
because I know we're saved by grace. Through faith means that's how
you know it. And not of yourself. It was a
gift of God. Sorcerers. Dogs and sorcerers
are out. Third thing is whoremongers.
Spiritual adulterers that give allegiance to and worship the
God of their imagination. Whoremongers. Unfaithful. You
know what a whoremonger is, unfaithful, spiritual adulterer, attempting
to do something by a god of their
imagination, thinking that they could be blessed or have mercy. Whoremongers are those who are
joined to the great whore. That's scriptural. Of this world,
this world's false religion. And how do you know? How do you
know that false religion? Turn with me to Galatians 1.
Galatians 1. Paul is speaking. to some believers that had been
having some that's trying to influence them. Having some that's untrue, unfaithful,
trying to influence them. Galatians chapter 1 verse 6,
I marvel that you're so soon removed from him that called
you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel. He's he's believers that had
some come. They said, yeah, well, it's it's
it's salvation by grace. Yeah, there's no doubt about
that. But you've got to be circumcised to, you know, don't let's don't
take away, you know, let's don't take away, you know, the deeds
of the law. I mean, you're you're saved by
grace, I understand that, but let's be you know, let's you
know. I'm a marvel that you're so soon removed from him that
called you into the grace of Christ. unto another gospel,
which is not another, but there would be some that troubled you
and would pervert the gospel of Christ." How is the gospel of Christ perverted? Paul tells us right here, "...but
though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto
you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any
other gospel unto you than that You have received, let him be
a curse. For do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please
men? If I have yet pleased men, I
should not be the servant of Christ. But I certify you, brethren,
that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man." That
means it doesn't, it didn't. Well, he says that I neither
received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation
of Jesus Christ. It's not after man. It gives
man no honor, no glory. It gives him no standing for
that which man can do. Man is a fallen creature. He's depraved. He cannot. His heart is dead. This is salvation. This is the gospel. Almighty
God, who before the foundation of the world purposed to show
mercy to whomsoever He would. God Almighty, the Father, chose
a people. This is in Ephesians 1. He chose
all that He purposed to show mercy to and had the right to
do that according to Romans 7. 9, I'm sorry. Had the right. As the potter,
He had the right to make one vessel unto honor and another
vessel unto dishonor. He chose them and gave them to
His Son and entrusted. And the Father trusted in Christ
first. He was the first one to ever
trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, the union of deity and humanity. God Almighty trusted Him and gave Him a work, the redemption
of all that He had everlastingly loved. He set His affection on
a people, a remnant. The Lord Jesus Christ everlastingly
loved them as the Father and the Spirit. And in the process of time, He
came into this world. Those that He had everlastingly
loved, those that He was everlastingly betrothed to, His bride, that
He everlastingly beheld her and loved her. And she in Adam fell
and He came into this world. And for those that the Father
had everlastingly loved and had given Him, for those, the elect,
the sheep, Christ lived as their representative, the Son of Man,
God-Man, Mediator. God-Man, Mediator. And He walked
before God's law. Under the scrutiny of God's law,
Almighty God said of Him, three times recorded, This is My beloved
Son, whom I am well pleased. You hear Him. And He established
a righteousness before God for them. And in time, all that He
had ever lived for, and died for. And that's who He died for.
He died for the sheep. He died, I lay down my life for
the sheep. All that He had everlastingly
been given by the Father. All of their guilt. He was made
sin. And bore the sin of His sheep. Not for everybody. I lay down
my life for the sheep. You say, well, everybody's a
sheep. No. The Lord told some Pharisees.
He said, you believe not because you're not My sheep. My sheep
hear My voice. And they follow Me. And I give
unto them eternal life. They'll never perish. They'll
never perish. All that the Father has ever given Me shall come
to Me. And Him that comes to Me, I will
in no wise cast them out. And He died for them and paid
their debt before God's law. And now they have no guilt to
answer for. Almighty God, in the process
of time, when it pleased God, Paul said, to reveal His Son
in me. In time, God causes the sheep
to come sit under the sound of the gospel. And I hear this message
of what God Almighty has everlastingly done and purposed and willed.
And the Spirit of God takes this word and empowers, teaches them
that and gives them a new heart, a new mind, a new spirit. And He makes them willing in
the day of His power, and they hear Him. And they said, I believe
that. I believe that's the gospel.
There's the evidence that God's done something for them. Not
that their belief was the source of their life. They believed
because God gave them life. A baby, being that little baby,
didn't cry to become alive. It cried because it's alive.
That's life. A believer hears because God's
given them a new ear to hear, and they see because God's given
them a new eye to see, and they realize salvation's of the Lord. It's all of grace. All of grace. And Almighty God teaches them. This is what I've everlastingly
purposed to do. This is what I've always... That's
the gospel. Paul said, If we or an angel
from heaven preach any other gospel than that, let him be
accursed. As I've said before, so say I
now again, if any man preach any other gospel, let him be
accursed. Whoremongers. Those that will
flee to a God that's trying to do something. God Almighty is
not trying to do anything. He doeth as He will in the army
of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No man, no man,
no man can stay His hand." Back in Revelation 22, I'll have
to finish. Murderers. Those that hate God's sovereignty. Those that hate God. Those that
hate God's grace. Can you imagine a man, a woman? And I'll tell you this, all of
us. I don't care who you are. I don't care who I am until Almighty
God gives us a new heart. We hate the grace of God. We
hate God. We hate God. I'll make good on
that. I'll make good. We hate irresistible calling
because we want to have some honor. We want somebody to pat
us on the back and say, You did something. I know you didn't
do much, but you did something. We hate God's character, and
to hate God's character is to hate God. 1 John 3, 15, Whosoever
hateth his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer
hath eternal life abiding in him. Murder is an attitude of
the heart. Murder is an attitude of the
heart. You said, I've never killed anybody,
so therefore I'm not in that group. It's an attitude of the
heart. Matthew 15, 19, for out of the heart proceed evil faults,
murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.
Verse 20 of Matthew 15 says, these are the things which defile
a man. Romans 8, 6 to 7, 6 and 7 says, for to be carnally minded,
That is, minding the flesh is death. But to be spiritually
minded is life and peace because, now listen to this, this is what
I said, a mind unregenerated is a murderer. That's a murderer's
mind, the mind of a murderer. For to be carnally minded, the
old mind, the old man, is enmity Against God in that word enmity
means hostility and hatred. For it is not subject to the
law of God, neither indeed can be. One that is unregenerated
by God's grace. Dies in that state, he died as
a murderer. Hated God. In his heart. He said, I hate you. You say,
how do you know that? The Scripture says the carnal
mind is enmity against God, hostility and hatred. Next, an idolater. That is, to worship anything
other than the true and living God. It is those that give themselves
to the care of this world. Philippians chapter 3 verses
17 to 19 says, Brethren, be ye followers together of me and
mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example. For many
walk of whom I have told you after and now tell you even weeping
that they're the enemies of the cross of Christ whose end is
destruction, whose God is their belly. That means a sensual and
fleshly appetite and whose glory is in their shame who mind earthly
things. I'm going to read you something
out of Brother Henry's commentary. I read this and I thought I could
write all this down and say this is a quote from Brother Henry.
I'll just read it right out of his commentary. He says, Follow
me, Paul says, as I follow Christ. Paul would not have any man follow
him as the head of a party or a sect. He condemned others for
that. He wanted them to have the same
goal he had, to win Christ and be found in him. Also, observe
others who live after this pattern I have set for you. He said believers
should encourage and be examples to one another in the pursuit
of righteousness. Then in verses 18 and 19, I have
told you often and now tell you with great sorrow that many religious
people, he says, walk a road which reveals them as enemies
of the cross. They hold to ceremony and circumcision,
not to Christ alone. They glory in the flesh, making
merchandise of you. They're more interested in converts
than in conversions. They're more interested in statistics
than spirituality, more interested in gifts than in the giver. They
turned the grace of God into a license to sin. Their end is
destruction. Their God is not the living God,
but their own desires and passions. What they glory in is really
what they ought to be ashamed of. They're concerned for carnal,
earthly, fleshly things. Someone said, God created us
to love people and use things, but sinful men love things and
use people. I thought, idolaters. And then lastly, those
who loveth and maketh a lie. That is, having an affection
for and the embracing in an unchecked embrace of anything that's forbidden
according to the truth of God's Word. You know, God's people,
they know something of the frailty of their flesh. They see it. They know it. They
realize it. They admit it. God's people are
honest people. And they don't pat themselves
on the back and say, oh, my, look what a wonderful man I've
been. What a wonderful woman I've been. You know, you ask
them, ask them, you know, won't you give me kind of a word or two about your consistency. I'll tell you what they'll say.
Oh, I've been consistent, all right, but consistent in being
inconsistent. That's what I'm consistent in.
Paul the Apostle said, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver
me from the body of this death? There is within a believer There's
a new heart. There's a new mind. It struggles
against that old man that is still there. That old mind that
he was born with, the very heart which you were born, you still
got it. I've got a nature that is within
me that's carnal, that resists God. Thanks be unto Him that paid
the debt for what I am by my old fallen nature. He paid the
debt of it, but the presence of it is still there. And one
day, by the grace of God, this vile body is going to be put
off. Who shall deliver me from the
body of this death? And until that day, I'm going
to struggle and you are too. But those that have not a new
heart, those that know not, it says in closing, whosoever loveth
and maketh, that is, do a lie. There's not a believer in this
room this morning that will truthfully tell me I love to rebel against
God. I love it. I love it. I love to be inconsistent. I
love to see the frailty of my flesh. No, you speak with grieving
in your heart. And you think to yourself, as
Paul said, O wretched man that I am. Job said, I loathe myself. You think he was just trying
to sound spiritual? And he meant it. He meant it. Without. Without. Dogs, sorcerers, murderers,
idolaters, those that love and make a lie. Within the fold are
those that have been redeemed from what they are by nature.
May the Lord be pleased to teach us something of His unsearchable
grace and mercy to call us out of darkness and to not leave
us to ourselves. For Christ's sake, Amen.