Turn with me to Genesis 11, if
you wish to read along. We have come through Genesis,
not verse by verse, nor even chapter by chapter so much. We've come all the way up to
chapter 12, but I want to back up. And actually, this is validated
in the scripture because in Genesis chapter 10, you read of the sons
of Sham, Ham, and Japheth, Noah's sons, and it speaks of their
different languages. Then all of a sudden you read
in chapter 11, and the whole earth was of one language and
of one speech. And if you don't read the whole
thing, chapter 10, chapter 11, and go on toward chapter 12,
you might become confused. Chapter 11 is now backing up
and telling us how it came that here were three sons of Noah,
whom many of them, some of them, or maybe at least one of them,
and maybe some of their offspring, were even alive during the time
of the Tower of Babel. And they all had one language. But then it's what we read. I
don't wanna spend more time there. And the whole earth was of one
language. and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they
journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land
of Shinar, and they dwelt there. This is in what we would call
modern-day Iraq. They had been in what most people
consider to be Mount Ararat. We've been in Turkey. They began
to go to move out south after the flood was over. And then
a group of them went down east toward the east and came into
the land of Shinar and dwelt there. They said one to another,
go to, let us make brick and burn them thoroughly. They had
brick for stone and slime had they for mortar. And they said,
go to, let us build us a city and a tower whose top may reach
unto heaven and let us make us a name lest we be scattered abroad
upon the face of the whole earth. And the Lord came down to see
the city and the tower which the children of men built. And the Lord said, behold, the
people is one. They have all one language. This
they begin to do. And now nothing will be restrained
from them which they have imagined to do. Go to, you see that, go
to. let us go down, and there confound
their language, that they may not understand one another's
speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad
from thence upon the face of all the earth, and they left
off to build the city. Therefore, the name of it is
called Babel, because the Lord did there confound the language
of all the earth, and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad
upon the face of all the earth. First of all, notice exactly
what man had set out to do is exactly what did not take place. Let us make us a name, and we're
gonna be right here in this one spot, we're gonna dwell right
here. God says, no, you will not. You see, when man defies
God, I don't care how bad it is or how good it might seem. What's wrong with building a
city and a tower? What's wrong with building a
city and a tower? They said, so that we'll make us a name.
And we will not be scattered abroad on the face of the earth.
It was defiance against God. It goes, these people were the
descendants of Sham, Ham, and Japheth. I guarantee you their
grandpappies, their pappies, passed this on to them. Some
of them were even alive still during this time. But Babel,
when you think of Babel, what comes to mind? Tell you what
most people think of, and it's true of me as well. They think
of a tall, tapered edifice, something like this, reaching way up into
the sky, with maybe a road or steps all around it and people
going up, trying to make it up to heaven. I used to think that
myself. But you read, that's not what
it says. It doesn't say so we can get to heaven, but we're
gonna build a city and a tower that reaches up unto heaven. Nimrod, if you have read any
about this, Nimrod was the chief builder of Babel. You see that
in chapter 10, verse 10. Most people when they think of
Nimrod and most depictions of Nimrod, you will see him with
a bow or a spear or something along that line with much wild
game around. Not so. Babel was a city that men began
to build under the authority of Nimrod and it was a castle. It was not a tower that was reaching
up this way. The old English folklore back
in the Dark Ages said that the walls of this castle were nine
miles high. Well, that's all the English
folklore. I don't think God let them get that high. But you understand what they
were trying to do. Babel, Babel is the same word for the word
we read in scripture from here on out, Babylon. It's the exact
same word. That amazed me. I thought, Joe,
there's got to be some kind of difference, major difference,
but it's not. But it's not. Now we know what
Babylon signifies. It's manifested in Nimrod. It says he was a mighty hunter
before the Lord. And again, people depict Nimrod
as this hunter with all kinds of wild game. If you look up
the Hebrew, no, that's not what it says. He was a warrior, stealthy,
to take prey of men. If he were alive today, he would
be the biggest TV evangelist that ever walked. I'm telling
you the truth. If he were alive today, he would
fill stadiums with people with his rhetoric. And he did it before
the Lord. This word before is often translated
against. You know what it's saying? Nimrod
did this right in God's face. I will gather men. I will build
great cities. The first one it says is Babel.
There were others as well. But the first one was Babel.
I will do this. And the people agreed. We like
this idea. This sounds great. We'll make
us a name. and God can't touch us. We'll
build a wall so high, a castle, city, a city castle so great
the flood will never overtake us again. What have they forgotten? What did they at least not believe? God's covenant that I will not
flood the world in such a manner again. You see, Babylon signifies
man in God's face. Babylon signifies, we will do
our will. We will do what we want to do. Babylon is still very much alive
in our day and age. And their chief doctrine has
finally come to a head in these last days, and it's this word,
free will. We're free to do what we want
to do and God always, eventually shows man how wrong he is. Look at the text again. Babel,
Babylon, Nimrod, man's will. Man's will is man's rebellion
against God. We will do this. Go to, let us
now. Now we've heard about what God
did. Oh yeah, our grandpappies told us about what God did. But
now look what we're going to do. Nimrod was the first manifestation
of anti-Christ religion in this world. after the flood. Cain was the first one in the
beginning. And here Nimrod stands upon the scene, and through his
rhetoric, his stealthy ways, his hunter-like ways, he captures
the hearts and minds of his own countrymen, his own brethren,
and says, let us do this in God's face. So much so that they all
begin to say that. Verse nine, and he was a mighty
hunter before the Lord, wherefore it is said, even as Nimrod, the
mighty hunter before the Lord. We wanna be like he says. We
wanna be like him. Babel, Babylon, Nimrod, all of
these things, as I said, is man's will. It's man's will, it's man's
will in rebellion against God's throne. It is antichrist religion. Now you see, I do think some
people misunderstand even the concept of anti-Christ. They
think anti-Christ is actually anti-religion. That's not so.
And anti-Christ religion is not even against the name Christ,
but it's against the true character of Jesus Christ. They don't mind
the Christ, they just don't want the Christ of God. It's indicated
here the people thought they'd found one. We hear about a Messiah,
a coming seed, the seed of the woman. Here's Nimrod. Let's follow
him. And that's what men do over and
in every successive age, over and over and over. False Christs
arise. And deceive what? Many. It is anti-Christ religion. Think
of it. Men love a Christ who has the
power to grant their desires. Don't they? Men love a Christ
who has the power to grant their desires, but who could be held
in check by their desires. Men recall in disbelief, in unbelief,
and disbelief and unbelief is not the lack of belief. It is
positive rebellion against God. I will not believe. Men recall
at the Christ who will not relinquish his sovereign throne over anything
or anyone. They still cry today and we do
by nature. We will not have this man reign
over us. My title this morning is Babel. Do not trifle with God. Babel. Do not trifle with God. Now, I'm gonna give you a few
things here, but let me just give you this. Think about what
God did here. Before the events of what we
read in 11, one through nine, one man could speak to any other
man or woman upon the whole face of populated earth. And Mason,
they could understand one another. The gospel could at least naturally
spread to any man or woman through just one person, passing it on
to another person. Now you see what I'm saying?
You got one language, one speech, one man can speak to all. What
did God do here because of man's rebellion? He shut the gospel
down. As far as? coming forth, he shut
the gospel down. And look at it, go back and read
then. Look, then it goes, once you see the languages confounded,
this is not telling us how all the different languages started,
that's not what it's talking about. This is where the different
languages started, but that's not what it's about. Then he
goes immediately back again, he's already said it once, goes
back again in 10 through 32, showing us the line of Shem. and go look at the numbers. It
is several hundred years before God then says, Abram, get up
and get out. For hundreds of years, the gospel
was silenced. God is not to be trifled with. I know there are probably people,
it's happened, there are people who come here and then went away,
what a poor, pitiful little setup. What a poor, pitiful little thing.
Mason, they've done that. They don't realize they're trifling
with God. They are trying to be a mighty
hunter in God's face. Because wherever the gospel is,
it doesn't matter whether it's one person or two persons. And
the book says, where two or three are gathered together in my name,
I'm right there in their midst. It's not this that they reject,
it's this that they reject. If they love this, they wouldn't
care about this. If they love this book, it's
truth. Joe, it's doctrine according
to godliness. the surroundings, the circumstances
wouldn't matter. All of us, I know all of us by
flesh would like something better. Don't we? But that don't matter. Because we ain't got this. We
could build a city tower only to possibly be destroyed by God
Almighty. You see, anti-Christ religion
always. Not will one day. Anti-Christ
religion always. Now hear me now. Don't reject
this forthright out. I'll give you some proof about
it here in a moment. But anti-Christ religion always, number one,
it always exalts man's will. Go to, let us. Go to, let us. They did not seek
God's face. Well Nimrod led us astray, it
doesn't matter. You wanted to be led astray.
You loved to have it like it was. Now I know that much, all
of the error lies upon the backs of preachers who lie on God today,
but the people love to have it so. If the people wanted the
truth, they wouldn't put up with lying preachers very long. They'd
either get rid of them or they'd go somewhere else where one's
telling the truth. Let us never blame one man but
this one. And I'm not telling you to blame
me, I'm telling you to blame yourself. Now I'm to blame me. My greatest enemy is the one
I look at every morning in the mirror. Me, me. Antichrist religion always, always,
without fail, it always exalts man's will. And now it's actually
come to a head where they advertise their heresy right on their church
buildings. Years ago, Henry Mahan had a man from England come over,
a preacher of the gospel, and he come over and he said, it
boggles my mind, he said, in this country, men advertise their
heresy. They put Free Will Baptist Church
right on the building. They advertise their heresy. Go to, let us. You know what
the religious, Paul said the religious of his day, and he
was talking mainly about the Jews, he said they're always
doing what? Going about, going about, going about. To do what?
To establish their own righteousness. Now men know, even by nature,
that righteousness is a protection against God's judgment. Right? If I'm righteous, then God's
judgment will not fall on me. That's innate because God put
the law in our heart and we know there's a such thing as sin.
We know there's a thing such as God and that God is judgmental
against sin. The problem is you can't build
your own city castle. You can't build your own righteousness. It flies in the face of God's
truth that says there is none righteous And then just so there
is no argument about it, no not one. There is none that doeth
good. Secondly, anti-Christ religion
always utilizes earthly means. Did they build an ark just in
case another flood come? That first one worked. Did they build it according to
God's specified designs? God told Noah exactly how to
build this one, didn't he? No, they said, we're gonna take
brick and mortar. We're gonna build it our way. We're going
to do it our way. Antichrist religion always utilizes
earthly means. But Paul said that's not God's
way. The weapons of our warfare are not what, carnal. And he
don't mean immoral. That certainly applies. But when
he says carnal, they're not earthly human wrought means. The weapons
of our warfare are not carnal, but what mighty through God to
the what? Now wait a minute, pulling down
of strongholds. These people were building a
stronghold. When God's pleased, he'll send his gospel in and
it'll tear down them strongholds. But God don't have to send that
gospel. God made us come down and personally
destroy the whole thing. Just wipe it out. Just wipe it
out. Here we see they, he confounded
their language. And the very thing they weren't
going to do, be spread abroad. What happened? There they go. There they go, there they go.
Thirdly, Antichrist religion always seeks man's honor. Let us make us a name. You see, all false religion,
I mean all false religion, but especially false Christian religion. Especially anti-Christ religion. It's always seeking man's honor. That's the whole reason for the
doctrine of free will, is to honor man's will, not God's will. And even the Lord of glory, when
he came to this earth, said, I came not to do my own will. Though Mason, his will was not
different from the father's at all. But he's expressing to us
a lesson. I came not to do my own will,
but the will of him that sent me. Now if he says that, how
much more should I bow down, Joe, to God's will rather than
mine? He didn't have a will opposite
of the father's. I do. You do. So again, anti-Christ religion
always seeks man's honor. That's just, that's not my way.
No, God says here's my way. Here's my way. God hath highly
exalted him, that is his son, and given him a name that is
above every name. And one day, all men will be
made to bow down and one of the places in the scriptures made
to swear that Jesus Christ, that man, is the Messiah and he is
Lord of all. You see, we by nature are no
different than these people right here in Babel. We're no different. The only reason God hasn't destroyed
us in this country, because we got all kinds of our city castles.
Right, don't we? All kinds of city castles we've
built up against the judgment of God. This will protect us.
This will keep us safe. This will be our righteousness.
This will spare us from God's judgment. The only thing that
has caused God not to just breathe fire down from heaven like he
did on Sodom and Gomorrah, was his long-suffering, and that
his sovereign purpose be carried out upon the face of the earth.
That's the only reason he didn't wipe these people out here. He
spread them out. And here, I didn't add it up,
but a few hundred years later, here's a man called Abram. Just
a few miles away from Babel, or where Babel would have been.
And there are the Cowdays. Isn't that amazing, Mason? In
all of those years, God has left humanity alone. You see, when
this world tries to depict God as doing his best trying to get
man to hear the gospel and believe the gospel, it's all lies. Christ told his disciples, you
go into a town and they don't hear your word, they don't listen
to what you say, you leave and shake the dust off your feet.
Paul said in Romans 1 that God turns men over, some men over
to their own vile affection. God don't give up on men, God
gives men up to their own vile affection. And God has the right
to do one or the other with you, save you or leave you to yourself
and damn you and yourself. The apostle Paul told the Thessalonians,
because some men receive not the love of the truth, God shall
send them strong delusion. But they're gonna believe in
Nimrod. They're gonna follow a Nimrod's what they're gonna
do. They're gonna follow an apostate. They're gonna follow anti-Christ
religion. Men still do it, they trifle
with God. And men today do it just like Nimrod did, right in
God's face. They do it before the Lord. You don't see any humility
in free will religion. Oh, you see some tears when they
get caught. when they get busted for running around with some
woman that's not their wife. And you see all kinds of crocodile
tears then, but boy, they're proud about who they are, what
they're doing for the Lord, and in God's sight, ain't they? Any
other time. And they hold their lapels. We're
building our castle city. And you ought to join in with
us. Go to, let us. But here's the fourth thing,
God is never surprised. Verse five, and the Lord came
down to see the city and the tower. And he's speaking to us
in language we can comprehend. He didn't have to come down to
find out. He came down because he knew. but he's gonna go take
a first-hand look. That's the way we would kind
of put it today. You see, people think of God as that old doting
grandfather up there in heaven, just trying his best to, oof,
I could work this out over here for man, and he messed up there,
and I'll work this out for, no, he's the sovereign king of heaven
and earth. And when men rebel right in his
face, Joe, what's that mean? He's right there. If you're doing
it before the Lord, David, right, what's that mean? He's right
there. And yet men persist right in God's face. God's never surprised. The psalmist said, if I make
my bed in heaven or hell, God's right there. You know what I
said? God is right there. Here's the
fifth thing. God's sovereignty alone, God's sovereignty alone
excludes man from full implosion or explosion, either one. Do
you see it? Verse six and seven. And the
Lord said, behold, the people is one. They have all one language
and this they begin to do. And now nothing will be restrained
from them which they have imagined to do. Now you're not talking
about all of a sudden they're gonna grow wings and fly into heaven if
they wanna do that. That's nobody talking about. He's saying if
I don't restrain them, they will go completely mad just like they
did before the flood. You see, if God Almighty doesn't
restrain humanity, we'd be as the wild beast of the field.
We wouldn't be able to gather together, even in this small
of a group, put up with one another for an hour. We'd be at one another's
throats and ready to stab one another in the back if God Almighty
didn't restrain us. And that's true whether it's
an Antichrist religious church or whether it's a church that's
preaching the gospel. God didn't restrain us, we'd be like a wild
beast ready to rip one another's hearts out. God's sovereignty
alone excludes man's full implosion. He says that he shall cause the
wrath of man to praise him. And the rest of wrath. That lets
me know that man would do a whole lot more. He would do a whole
lot more. And the rest of wrath, he will
what? Restrain. Restrain. Who knows where this world would
be in Mason if he left these folks alone. There'd never been
another gospel ever preached to another man, possibly. You
see, God's sovereign purpose is for his honor and his people's
good. You remember Lorna Elliott. She
was convinced of it. And I'm not gonna dishearten,
I don't think that's the only reason, but she said, God started
World War II to get me to America where I could hear the gospel.
Now people recall it that, but you know, that's what God does.
That's what God does. Now I'm sure there were many
others. But for her, that's what it's about. Let me tell you,
when you go into that straight gate, you gotta go in by yourself. It's straight, not this way,
it's straight this way. You know, it's even the idea
of, you can't even go like this, Mason. You have to maybe turn
sideways. Hold your stomach in. A straight
gate, what's that mean? You gotta go in by yourself.
You can't take mommy with you. You can't take daddy with you.
You can't take your spouse with you. You can't take your children
with you. You enter in individually by yourself or you don't enter
in at all. And in some things, actually
Mason, it can be not just straight tight up this way but low where
you gotta get down on your belly and crawl in the door. Crawl in the door. Here's the
sixth thing. God balks man's will. They said,
go to. Twice they said it, didn't they?
Probably said it a whole lot more than that. We're just giving
two instances. Go to, let us. What's God say? Go to, let us
go down. God don't do that. Yes, God does.
Go read Proverbs chapter one. God said, I called, you refused.
You wouldn't under my reproof. God said, I will malk when your
calamity comes. Isn't that what the book teaches?
That's who God is. And he's malking these people.
You think your will's superior to me? I'm the creator. Just
read back a few chapters, you can get all of that. He done
killed the whole human race other than eight folks and a boatload
of animals because you will not trifle with God. Don't spit in
God's face. God malks the will, the willfulness. Men, in all their rebellion,
I don't care if it's a professing Christian church or whether it's
a Buddhist temple, their main problem is with Jesus Christ
the Lord. That's the problem. It's with
Jesus Christ the Lord. You see, the scripture tells
us, kiss the son. Kiss him. It's a kiss of reverence. and love and desire kiss the
son lest he be angry and ye perish in the way. Seven, God will prevail over
antichrist religion. So the Lord scattered them abroad.
From thence upon the face of all the earth they left off to
build the city. I just, I don't even know that
they got two or three stones up, I don't know. But I got no
reason to believe it was nine miles high, like some of those
old dark ages, where they were filled with superstition and
ignorance. No, God confounded them. What?
Therefore the name of it is called Babel, because the Lord did there
confound the language. You see it? The Lord did it!
Now, he did it because men rebelled against him. God doesn't confound
just for confounding's sake. God doesn't judge men just so
he could judge men. He judges men because of rebellion
against him. Now, God will prevail over Antichrist.
He prevails over Antichrist, and look at it. Now we're gonna
get into something. Turn to Revelation chapter 17. Of course, when you begin Revelation
chapter 17, what are you gonna read? Babylon. Babylon, right? Providentially,
God will prevail over Antichrist. Verse 17 of Revelation 17 tells
us this. And you go read the whole chapter.
Read before and after. But look at what it says in verse
17 about these keys that give their power and authority to
the beast. In other words, here's a Nimrod. We'll follow him, right? We'll follow him. Look, for God,
this is what it says. For God hath put in their hearts
to fulfill his will and to agree. Do you think God could not stop
those folks before they started to build the Tower of Babel?
He's God! for God hath put in their hearts
to fulfill his will and to agree and to give their kingdom unto
the beast until the words of God shall be fulfilled. Now, don't misunderstand me.
I am of the ilk that I believe there will come one day that
which will absolutely fulfill everything that's spoken of here.
But be careful. Be careful that you're not always
thinking about that Antichrist in the future. Because Antichrist
is already here. Antichrist is already here. Now,
think about it. Hear me now, not only does he
do that providentially, but he also does it in judgment, as
I've already mentioned. Second Thessalonians two, we
love, 13, 14, 15, and rightfully so. But remember what verse eight
said, God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe
the lie. Now, hear me now, the Antichrist,
I said even the Antichrist, because we use the wrong phrases. Turn
to 1 John. I'll give you, turn to 1 John,
we're gonna look at it. The Antichrist is not future or singular. This is what the book teaches.
Now that doesn't mean there'll not come some Nimrod in the future. You understand what I'm saying?
But don't ever think, well, Nimrod's only gonna be in the future.
No, Nimrod was way back yonder. And there's been many a Nimrod
since then. And there's many a Nimrod today, and John calls
them, and we're gonna look at it, the Antichrist. You see,
people say, well, I'm talking about the Antichrist. No, when
you always shove everything into the future, you blind yourself
to what's right in front of you and the dangers that are right
in front of you right now. Now listen to me. Do not be a babble. Do not trifle
with God. Do not push everything onto some
other time or era or place. Look at what John says. First
John chapter two. Now you realize that the phrase
Antichrist is only mentioned by John. Nowhere else will you
find the phrase Antichrist. Now the way people talk about
it today, it's as though the Bible's plumbed full of the word
Antichrist. Right? But go look it up. It's only
spoken of by John. But let's look at what he actually
said. Number one, Antichrist. The Antichrist. Now look at what
God's word. It's the, here, when it's mentioned,
that is the, I'm not saying Antichrist is never mentioned anywhere else
but the phrase Antichrist. That's what everybody talks about,
right? Antichrist. And he's always what? He's always
some nimrod in the future. Now look at what John says. Antichrist,
the Antichrist. The only place explicitly used
is John. Look at 1 John 2 verse 18. Little children, it is the last
time. And as ye have heard. Now notice
he didn't say as it is written. It doesn't deny that it's not
written somewhere. But he says as you've heard.
Why? Because I guarantee you back then they were talking about
it just like men do today. And they were always talking
about what's going to come. What's going to come? What's going to
come? That doesn't deny, okay? I'm not denying that there may
be something to come, okay? But look, little children, it
is the last time. And as you have heard that Antichrist
shall come, the received text actually says, and I can show
it to you, I have the received text at my home. Not the original,
of course, but a copy of it. Little children, it is the last
time, and as ye have heard that the Antichrist shall come. Okay? Even now are there many Antichrists. Whereby we know that it is the
last time. Then is where he says they went
out from us. Where does all Antichrist arise
from? Right in the midst of God's people. He and they are not out yonder
somewhere. The danger is they're right here
among us. Those who profess the name of
God, they went out from us, but they were not of us, for if they
had been of, he's still talking about the Antichrist, right? 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. But ye have an unction from the
Holy One and know all things. That doesn't mean that you understand
every word in this Bible, which what do you mean? When you know
Christ, you know all that there is to know. And when you get
your mind on something other than Christ, I don't care if
it's future or present, you get your mind on something other
than Christ, then you're looking at the wrong thing. And know
all things. I have not written unto you because
you know not the truth, but because you know it, and that no lies
of the truth. Who is, and I've got it at home,
it's not a. Because as we will see, if you
look in the Greek, it's the exact same word. It says who is the
liar. It's not a. It's like the publican
says, God be merciful. He didn't say to me, be a sinner. It's the sinner. Here's what
it says. Who is the liar? But he that
denieth that Jesus is, and there's that same word, the Christ. Why
didn't they translate it a Christ? But yet they translated it a
liar. I don't know why. I don't know why, but the Greek
gives us no reason for that, no word for that. Who is the
liar, but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is, and
it's there, he is the Antichrist. That's what it says. He is the
Antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son. You see, the problem
is, if I'm always looking out yonder, I've got blinders on
to what's right in front of me. And this is why Paul says redeeming
the time. Why? Because time's so important?
Is that what he says? Redeeming the time because the
days will be evil one day. No, it's not, oh, bad things
are gonna happen. Bad things are happening now, folks. Thousands
upon thousands are rushing headlong into hell because they're believing
lying preachers and not receiving the love of the truth. We're
on the TV. It goes out all over several
counties, if not two or three states, on the internet, and
others are. Our buildings ought to be packed
to capacity with people wanting to hear the truth of the person
and work of Jesus Christ. And yet, I've been to several
places. This is the norm. This is the norm. Places where
the truth is preached, it ought to be packed with thousands.
wanting to hear of the mercy of God in Christ, but they don't. They want to follow a nimrod.
And our world's full of nimrods. Our world's full of antichrists.
Full of antichrists. Then look at what it goes on
to say. Chapter four, verses one through three. Beloved, believe
not every spirit, but try the spirits where they are of God,
because many false prophets are going down into the world. In
other words, when you hear somebody preach, You better put the line and the
plummet on them. Because what they say, what they
say, what they're preaching, Joe, they're doctrine. What they're
preaching signifies who they're really sent by. Are they sent
by the devil? Or are they sent by God? Hereby
know ye the Spirit of God, every spirit that confesses that Jesus
Christ has come in the flesh. Not just says it. Thousands are
saying, we believe Jesus Christ come in the flesh. but they're
not confessing it, and they don't even know what it means. This
is Messiah, God Almighty has come in the flesh. Every spirit
that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God,
and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come
in the flesh is not of God, and this is, and notice, notice how
they put spirit in there. It ain't in there, there ain't
no pneuma anywhere in the Greek. In any of the Greek, why did
they put it there? I don't know exactly why any
individual, but I can tell you this. The men who do this are
what we would call Church of England. They were persuaded
that Rome was the Antichrist. Were they not? That was their
doctrine. So they just wanted it to be the spirit of Antichrist,
not Antichrist himself or themself. But look at what it says. And
this is, this is of the Antichrist. That's what it actually says.
The that's not there, and the spirit's not there. And this
is that of the, or this is that of Antichrist. Whereof ye have
heard that it should come. He keeps referring to that. So
if that's all it is, why don't we say, well, it ain't true yet. What does he say? And even now
is already, it ain't just the spirit here. Antichrists are
here now. Men are being deceived and gathered
into city castles and building their walls against God. And
judgment's coming. Judgment's coming. Judgment's
coming. You see, those whose language
dwells only on the future antichrist, they trifle with God because
you're putting blinders on to what's happening right now today. A hundred years from now, Joe,
it will not matter to me at all what is happening on this earth
from a personal standpoint. Now, will it? I'll be dead, but
I'm not gonna live to be 157 years old. I'm not gonna live
that long. It ain't gonna happen. You understand
me? We don't live that long anymore.
I'm gonna be dead. to something way yonder in the
future or 150 years from now. Does that matter? No. You know
what matters? Right now. Paul told the Ephesians
elders not look out for something that's gonna happen way down
the line. Not even look for something that's gonna come in. What'd
he say? Men shall arise from among yourselves. Isn't that what he says? That's
where antichrists arise from. They're not out there seeking
to get in. They're in here and eventually they express themselves
and say, we don't believe that. Let me tell you what the truth
really is. And you can see them on TV all over the place. TV
all over the place. You see, look at what he says.
Go back to Revelation 17, I'll give you this last thing and
close it. Look at what it says. And most people think this is some
kind of enigma, some kind of, spooky language, but look at
what Revelation 17 says in verse eight, talking about this beast,
the Antichrist, which comes from what? Babylon. Look, verse eight
of Revelation 17, the beast that thou sawest was and is not. Now, most people would like to
stop, okay, he was, but he's not now, but look what it says.
And the beast that thou sawest was, and he was way back there
even when Cain was alive. You hear me? Cade was anti-Christ. And he killed his brother about
it for it. God destroyed the world and saved eight people
and it wasn't long, just a couple hundred years, here they are
rebelling under a Nimrod again. You see it? The beast that thou
sawest was and is not and shall ascend out of the bottomless
pit. So when it says he was not, it don't mean he didn't exist
at all. But how can you ascend out of a place that you've never
been or you're not at? and shall ascend out of the bottomless
pit and go into perdition. And they that dwell on the earth
shall wonder whose names were not written in the book of life
from the foundation of the world when they behold the beast that
was and is not. And notice it doesn't say and
shall be. Now, of course, the first mention is he was and is
not, but shall ascend out of the bottomless pit. Right? But
then what he goes on to say, I should say, not actually, but
what he goes on to say, when they behold the beast that was
and is not and yet is. You see it? I don't understand
that. You do if you get a little inkling
of this thing of antichrist is not just one person somewhere
in time that's going to arise. Antichrist is all organized religious
rebellion against Jesus Christ. That's what it is. whether it's
Catholic, or Baptist, or Methodist, or Buddhist, or Islam, or whatever
it is. Antichrist is against God's Christ. They'll have all kinds of Christs,
but they don't want to be Christ. So just remember this. This is
all I'm saying. It's all I'm trying to express this morning.
Don't trifle with God. Don't get so concerned about
something out there. Now let me ask you this. Are
we not looking for our Lord to come? And is that not the desire
of our hearts? But do we totally give up right
now? Some of the New Testament believers, they started doing
that. We don't even need to work. The Lord's coming soon. Why work? Paul said, if you don't work,
you don't eat. Isn't that what he said? You know? We know out there is a glory
to come for some. And it's gonna be a time of absolute
ruin for others. but don't be so minded about
all that out there somewhere and put blinders on to what's
standing right in front of you in your everyday life when you
go to work or when you go to the store or when you pass by
all these religious buildings and their preaching lies on God.
They're antichrist. That's what it is. You see, their
language is still being confounded by God. You read it, Joe. Why do you not understand my
Speech. It's not just a matter of linguistics.
What really matters is down in here. If God Almighty don't do
something for me down in here, I'm just still a product of Babel.
Because there is but one language through which God saves men.
You know what that language is? Joe, you said it. It's one doctrine.
The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what's amazing. God shuts Babel down. does exactly
to these people what they said they were not going to let happen,
scatters them abroad. Actually shuts down the witness
of the gospel for a few hundred years and then God himself shows
up in Ur of the Chaldees and does what? Preaches the gospel
to a man named Abram. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that
amazing? You remember what it says, I'll
give you this, I'm close. When Abraham went into the land,
it said who was there? The Canaanites. The Canaanite. The Canaanite, and remember the
Canaanites are a cursed people. Go back and then, go back, look
at Sham, Ham, and Japheth. Remember Ham? No one didn't say
cursed be Ham. He said cursed would be what?
Canaan, the progenitor of the Canaanites. And yet in the Old
Testament, what do we read? We read of God Almighty showing
mercy to a Canaanite woman. So Mason, there's a hope for
a sinner like me. There's real hope. People get in despair. Oh, what are we gonna do about
the world? You ain't gonna do nothing about the world. Pray for the
politicians that we can at least live peaceably, but we're not
going to fix the world. This world is growing old like
a garment and God's gonna wind it all up one day. And you know
what? When that day comes, I figure
I'll look back and say, boy, I understood very little about
all of this. I get so sure in my mind that,
well, this is that, this is that, that I'll read a passage, and
I'll say, oh, wait a minute, Walter, be careful that you don't think
you've got it all lined out, point one, point two, point three,
point four. It ain't that simple. It ain't
that simple. Father, oh, God help us. Help
us not to be unmindful of things to come. Oh God, help us not
to be unmindful. But Lord, help us to also see
what's right in front of us. And Lord, remind us of ourselves. Cause us always to have to flee
to Jesus Christ and bow at his feet. It's in his name I ask
it, amen. Thank you, Joe.