We've had a wonderful last few
days together, being able to be with our family and traveling
together with Gabe and Hannah and the girls. It's been truly
a delight, but it is no delight like being together with you. Being able to assemble ourselves
together, as Gabe was saying, that is truly a blessing. It's truly a miracle. I think
about that scripture. Barnabas gone and walked into
this city and it says and he saw the grace of God. It is truly an admission of my
heart to say to stand here in Kingsport, Tennessee and to look
at the miracle of God's grace in this place, I behold and I
see the grace of God. I'm going to ask you to take
your Bibles and turn back to the scripture that Brother Stan
read, 1 John chapter 2. And I would like to look at verses
18 to 20, the last three verses that he read. apostle John he was the last
surviving apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ a man that was taught
the gospel by the Lord himself and John says writing in verse
18 little children you know what a what a blessed title isn't
it you know A believer is the only one that
will consider that title to be a blessing. Man by nature, he thinks he gets
a little bit of knowledge and he puffs himself up. Now, we're all like this. I mean,
it's not like we're looking at somebody else. I mean, this is
us. We've got this nature about us. We think we've arrived, you
know, I've been in the faith all these many years and I'm
worthy to be heard. That's the old man talking, but
there's a new man and he hears that title, little children. I want, I want to learn something. I need to be taught. I recognize
that. Little children, it is the last
time. Whenever the Lord Jesus Christ,
our blessed Redeemer, our Savior from the cross, cried these words
before he bowed his head first and gave up the ghost, he said,
it is finished. I was going over my
notes and I struggled for just a moment to think about that
that that verse that that saying it is finished. You think how far it goes Bob
it the eternal counsel of Almighty God that which the Lord has eternally
purposed that counsel that's going to stand that everlasting
covenant of grace wherein the triune God Jehovah Father Son
and Spirit That eternal counsel, that eternal covenant that David
said, this is all my salvation. This is all of it right here.
He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things
and sure it. The work of the father, the will
of the father, the purpose of the father. that purpose and
will that shall stand. It is finished. And when he gave up the ghost,
all that had ever been prophesied, promised, shown in shadow and
type concerning the fulfillment of the promise of Almighty God
to save his people, was concluded. It, it is finished. Now there's one thing that we
look for that has yet to come to pass and it's the second coming. The scripture says it's going
to be in the day that you think not. I think about that so much. You ask somebody, do you really
think this is the last time that you'll ever hear the gospel again?
Do you think this will be the last time? This is going to be
it. This is it. This is today. The Lord's coming
back today. Do you really believe that? Most
of us, if we're honest, we'd say, no, I don't think so. I
don't think it's going to be a day. I don't think it's going
to be today. It's going to be a day just like
that. When you think not, the Lord will return. God shall sound. The dead in Christ will rise
first. And we which are alive, the apostle
Paul says, and remain shall not precede them. We'll meet them
in the air. And so shall we ever be with
the Lord. Now, we believe that. And we
look forward to that. But there's just a part of us
that just thinks, well, it's not going to be today. Come quickly
Lord Jesus One of these days it's going to be One of these
days it shall come to pass little children it is the last time
But while the Lord had directed the Apostle John to say that
he said It is the last time And as ye have heard, that Antichrist
shall come. Now, let me ask you this. When
did they hear that? Well, the Lord. The Lord Himself
had said that in Matthew 24, 24. This is the Word of the Lord
Jesus Christ. He said in Matthew 24, 24, There
shall arise false Christs prophets and shall show great
signs and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall
deceive the very elect as you've heard the Lord taught that the
Lord had instructed that Antichrist shall come now as soon as the
Lord Jesus Christ came made flesh was set forth
to be God's Messiah immediately false Christs appeared and the
Apostle John said back in 1st John chapter 2 you've heard that
Antichrist shall come even now there are many Antichrist many
adversaries to Christ adversaries to the Messiah whereby we know
that it is the last time now what John was teaching was obviously
well known to the people that Antichrist would come but he
corrects this theory that it was going to be one man in particular,
one Antichrist. The Apostle John says there's
many Antichrists. Now this Antichrist, this spirit
of Antichrist, what is he saying? Now let's look at 1 John 2, 22,
just a few verses up. Who is a liar? but he that denieth that Jesus
is the Christ. He is Antichrist that denieth
the Father and the Son. To deny Christ, what does that
mean? That is to call what God Almighty
says, the Lord Jesus Christ has said. It is to deny to say that's
not true. I do not believe I will not accept
what he has said as truth. A man that stands and declares
that the Lord Jesus Christ died to make salvation possible for
all men when the Lord said John 10 15 I lay down my life for
the sheep For someone to say I believe he died for everybody
That's Antichrist That's denying what the Lord has said For the
Lord Jesus Christ to set forth in His Word and for someone to
stand and refute what He says is Antichrist. And John says
there are many Antichrists. When the Lord said from the cross,
it is finished. And for someone to say all you
have to do is Antichrist that is that spirit of Antichrist
that is exalting the will of man over the will of God and
Reducing salvation to man's works and denying God's sovereignty
God's rule God's reign God's Word God's power over all things
is Antichrist 1st John 4 and And verse 3 the scripture says,
Every spirit, every man that stands in a pulpit and confesseth
not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God. This is that spirit of Antichrist
whereby ye have heard that it should come and even now already
is it in the world. Everybody will absolutely admit
or say, I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world,
but he came into the world and finished what? That which Almighty
God everlastingly purposed. That the Lord Jesus Christ came
into this world to save his people. from their sins. To deny that is Antichrist. So every person, every man that's
standing in a pulpit today or anytime and denies the Lord Jesus
Christ is Antichrist. There's not one, there's many
has set forth. Even now there are many antichrists
whereby we know that it is the last time. They deny the Messiah. Then John gave this characteristic
of those that were antichrists in verse 19, verse John 2, 19. They went out from us, but they were not of us. For
if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued
with us, but they went out that they might be made manifest,
that they were not all of us. Now, they, I want you to notice
how many times John uses they and us. They and we. They went out from us. But they were not of us, for
if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued
with us. But they went out that they might
be made manifest that they were not of us. Now, you know, when
we talk about they going out from us, and there's no doubt
about it. you will often see this will
often be the case that there is a physical departure there
is a physical departure you'll often see that that actual they
used to be here we used to be looking at them we used to sit
here with them but they're not here anymore but though that
is a fact there is also a very real truth that there are always
going to be tears among the brethren. Someone says well if you're still
sitting here that means that you're always of us and that's
not what the scripture sets forth. Why does the Lord allow there
to be those among the brethren that are still tares. Listen to 1 Corinthians 11 19
for there must be also heresies among you that they which are
approved may be made manifest among you. There's always going
to be tares among the wheat. So the going out they went out
from us. It may be physical. But it may
be in heart. I can be standing right here
and talking to you, and if I don't have a heart from this, I'm not
with you. I'm separated from you. I've
gone out from you. I'm not with you. Whenever the
tares were sown, wheat. The servants of the householder
when those tares started coming up they asked this question,
will thou then that we go and gather them up? But the householder
said, Nay, lest while you gather up the tares, you root up also
the wheat with them. Let them both grow together until
the harvest. And in the time of harvest, I
will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares,
and bind them in bundles, to burn them, but gather the wheat
into my barn. Matthew 13. What are we called to do when
we come together? We've come here to hear the gospel
of God's grace. Well, what if there's somebody
in our midst and we're suspecting that there's, I don't know, what
do we want? You want me to rip them up? You
want me to get rid of them? The scripture sets forth that
the Lord has instructed us, you leave them alone. Leave them
alone. What's going to happen? The Lord
will take care of it. The Lord will take care of it.
I may have told you this, I remember before Brother Scott died, I
was driving down the road and I was relating to him something
that had happened. And it was someone that I just
dearly love and something had happened that really disappointed
me. And I asked Brother Scott, you
know, give me some advice on what do you think I should do.
And he said, well, this is what I'd do. He said, I'd just leave
him alone and pray for him. And he said, the Lord will take
care of him. And to this day, I say the same thing every time.
I wish I'd have thought of that. Just leave him alone, pray for
him. You want us to rip him up? Nope,
just leave him alone. So here, the Apostle John sets
forth that false professors. They are found among the brethren. Brother Henry made a statement
on this scripture right here and this is what he said. They
occupy a place among the wheat and for a while keep up a masquerade,
acting under false pretenses, being counted and considered
to be among the number of the godly, but sooner or later The
Spirit of God reveals there to be an evident departure, that
is, either literally or figuratively, in heart. They depart from the
fellowship of Christ and the hearing of the gospel, revealing
that they were never part of the body, never regenerated or
in love with Christ. They went out from us. But I want to give first to me
and you just listen in if you want to while we're talking about
they went out from us because they were not with us let's don't
look around don't don't look around because let me tell you
the first thing that we will do by nature i just kind of wonder who in
this congregation right here is probably those tears. The
scripture sets forth, let's examine ourself to see if we be in the faith. Examine yourself. When it comes
to this blessed exhortation, examine yourself. to see if you
be in the faith. Now, whenever the Lord regenerates
one of his own, one of his sheep, there's going to be an evident
change. There's no doubt about that.
They will walk as they grow in grace, they'll walk and they'll
adorn the gospel that they believe. And therefore, let me tell you
the hazard of that truth. Now that's true. A believer walks
and he talks like a believer. There's a change. I know that. But, listen. Great pains can
be made by the old man to perform acts or things that I think you
want to see. I will act in a certain way if
I think that I can do something to make you think that I'm a
believer or I'll listen to what you're saying. And if I think
that I can do something that will please you, you know, I'm
going to try to act like that. I'm going to try to talk like
that. That's a very real possibility. But while we should never discount
that there is an evident change in a believer, we must guard
against trusting in ourselves that we're righteous because
of outward works, outward stuff. Tell somebody I know that you're
a believer because I see you doing ABC. That's an evident
change and that's a sure sign of being a believer. You may
be giving somebody a false hope because I'm going to tell you
something. I'll guarantee you I can be as good an actor as
anybody. I can put on such an act to make
you think. But the evidence of life Examine
yourself. Examine yourself. I'm not here
to examine you. I'm not here to make a spectacle
in my heart about what you're supposed to be. Examine yourself. Let me tell you the evidence
of a believer. The evidence of life is a heart
that continually casts itself upon Christ. He that cometh to me. I will in no wise cast him out. He that cometh to me. Well, I came to the Lord, you
know, 17 years ago or I came there 40 years ago. I came to
the Lord. He that cometh right now. A man, a woman that truly examines
themselves to see if they be in the faith. True peace for
that sinner arises from the knowledge and the belief of heart that
Christ died for me, died for this sinner who is in constant
need of pardoning mercy. It's not what I see me doing
or you doing. I can fake that and you can too. But I'll tell you one that's
truly found to be in the faith. They know what they are. I am
what I am by the grace of God. Oh, wretched man that I am. Who shall deliver me from the
body of this death? Do I need him? Do I need Like
I said, an outward act, we're all capable of that. They went
out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of
us, they would no doubt have continued with us. But they went
out that they might be made manifest, that they were not all of us. This is what I know about being
found continually in the faith. This is the foundation. This
is the hope. This is the peace I've got. Job 17, 9. The righteous
also shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall
be stronger and stronger. How are they going to stay? I
know they will. I know they will. I know they
won't go out. I know they won't. They won't
go out physically because God Almighty has given them a new
heart and they are kept by the power of God through faith. Ready to be revealed in the last
time listen to this word of promise from the lord himself jeremiah
32 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them That I will
not turn away from them to do them good, but I will put my
fear in their hearts That they shall not depart from me Here's
the evidence of a man or woman that examines themselves to see
if they be in the faith. Lord, keep me. Lord, keep me. Don't look how
many times I'm here, I'm showing up or how much I've read. Lord,
have mercy on me, the sinner. Tares for a while seemed to grow
along with the wheat that that wheat might be made manifest.
But that wheat will continually cast himself upon the mercy of
God. You tell me one more time how
the Lord has put away my guilt. I need to hear the message of
life in Christ one more time. But in closing, let me ask you
this. How is it that we can be found
faithful? How is it? Look at verse 20. But ye have an unction. You have,
that is, a sacred appointment and anointing that Gabe read
about. That anointing. You have an unction
Where did you get it? From the Holy One. From Almighty God Himself. And
you know all things. Well, someone would say, well, this little child right here
doesn't know all things. I heard Brother Henry say, he
said, the older I get, the more I realize what I don't know.
Well, the Apostle John says here, you know all things. What does a believer know? I'm
going to tell you everything that a believer knows. And these
things he does know, she does know. And knowing these things,
that believer wants to hear these things again. A believer knows,
number one, that he is a poor, helpless, needy sinner. Now you know that. You know that
Almighty God has called you out of darkness, and you know, but
for the grace of God, I would not be here. I wouldn't want
to be here. You know that you're a sinner. I'll tell you the second thing
you know. You know from God's Word in the Spirit of God revealing
to you this truth. You know that salvation is of
the Lord. You know that. You know that
God the Father chose to show mercy unto you. You know that. You know that before the foundation
of the world that Almighty God put you in Christ. I've heard
Brother Scott say so many times, where God puts a man, puts a
woman, God keeps them there. You know that. You know that
you're a sinner. And you know that God the Father
chose you. And I'll tell you the third thing
you know. You know that when the Lord Jesus Christ went to
Calvary, being made sin, that He was made sin for you. You know that. If I've got any
hope, he was made what I am. Absolutely made me sin and I
was redeemed by the grace of God. Not that salvation might
be made possible, but he finished the work. I'm a sinner. God chose
to show mercy to me. Christ redeemed me by the shedding
of His blood. And you know this, fourthly,
that it was the Holy Spirit who called you by grace, by power,
called you out of darkness, gave you a new heart, gave you a new
spirit, teaches you, has sealed you, teaches you of Christ and
keeps you you know that and Fifthly it is by the grace of God that
you shall be kept Until that day in which the Lord
calls us unto himself you know all things and everything that
Almighty God has been pleased to teach us and Based upon those
things. I'm the sinner God chose to show
mercy to me Christ redeemed me Paid my debt put away my debt
before God's law spirit of God Regenerated me by power Keeps
me teaches me and I'll be kept until the day of salvation That's
everything everything you know We grieve, we truly do, when
we see one that is not pleased to stay. I pray that Almighty
God has mercy, calls out his people, keeps them. When one
tires of hearing the truth and leaves and goes somewhere else,
a believer, Wishes that it were not so but
I tell you this Almighty God is gonna save his people. I know
that I Pray that the Lord has mercy on my family I'm thankful. I believe that God has shown
mercy to my family. I've got family that I pray that
the Lord will show mercy to But I know this that it is by the
grace of God That I'm here I know it's by the grace of God you
that know him are here too. And may the Lord be pleased to
once again teach us that though others may leave and will readily
admit, if he doesn't keep me, I will too. We might look around
and say, well, I know this. I know I'd never leave. I know
he'd never leave. No, you don't know that. If we're here tomorrow, it's
by the grace of God. May the Lord be pleased to teach
us afresh today for Christ's sake and for our eternal good.
Amen.