We're beginning today a brief
series on Antichrists, plural, and Antichrist, the Antichrist. This last week I was subjected
to some things that 25 or 30 years ago I would never have
dreamed of hearing or reading. Folks, every message from the
pulpit of a true assembly should be one of treat and treatment. Sometimes more emphasis on treat,
other times more emphasis on treatment. I don't know what
you would call my message today. I'll let you decide, and you'll
probably be calling it something before the service is over. Let's
read beginning with verse 18. Children, that's the young ones. We've already seen the three
divisions of Christians in 1 John. Children, it is the last hour. And just as you heard that Antichrist
is coming, even now, Many antichrists have arisen. From this we know that it is
the last hour. I want to call attention to something
in the Greek. The word is hora. Hora. And it means hour, time,
And it also refers to time for the final drama is just about
completed. Keep that in mind when you look
at verse 18. Verse 19, they, that is the antichrists,
plural, went out from us, but they were not really of us. For if they had been of us, they
would have remained with us. They went out, that is, from
the true assemblies. In order that it might be shown
that they all are not of us. But you have an anointing from
the Holy One. who, the children to whom he's
writing. And you all know. I have not written to you because
you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because
no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar? But the one
who denies that Jesus is the Christ. And Christ in the Greek means
anointed one. This is the anti-Christ. The one who denies the Father
and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not
have the Father. The one who confesses the Son
has the Father also. As for you, let that abide in
you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard
from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the
Son and in the Father. And this is the promise which
He Himself made to us. eternal life. These things I
have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive
you. And as for you, the anointing,
which is already mentioned in verse 20, which you receive from
Him abides in you. And you have no need for anyone
to teach you Now stop there for a moment. That doesn't mean there
isn't any place for the preacher or the pastor teacher. But when it comes to understanding
the truth, God alone can reveal it to you, my friend. And don't
you ever forget that. I can't reveal it to you. I can
preach the truth, but God reveals it to you. All right, let's read
all of verse 27 again. And as for you, the anointing
which you receive from him abides in you. That's the Holy Spirit,
the spirit of regeneration. And you have no need for anyone
to teach you, but as his anointing teaches you about all things
that is concerning the truth of God. and is true and is not
a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in him. And now,
little children, abide in him, so that when he appears, we may
have confidence and not shrink away from him in shame at his
coming. If you know that he is righteous,
You know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born
of Him. That's a tremendous passage. We'll be looking at verses 18
and 19 for this Sunday and the Lord willing next Sunday. Several things I want to share
with you before we get into a study of these two verses this morning. I have a document here. In fact,
I have three that I want to mention, if time will permit. One of them
is three pages long. I've never had anything to affect
me like the reading of this document. I was subjected to error as soon
as I became a Christian. So were you. So were you. But folks, I have never thought in my ministerial life
that I would be subjected to what I am being subjected to
today. I had a Presbyterian preacher
who gave me a good send-off after I became a Christian. I wasn't
getting anything, anything of consequence in the Baptist Church. Therefore, my wife and I would
look during the week. And Dr. Norman B. Harrison, that
you've heard me tell about several times, had come to Houston and
was giving a series of lectures for two weeks at the old Baraka
Church, which was a little frame building out between the 18th
and 19th Street off of Heights Boulevard, and this was in 1939,
and the very first part, yeah, 1939. He helped me greatly in
those two weeks. He had about five or six little
books, I bought them. In those days, a man couldn't
hardly get anything printed because it cost so much to have it done.
And if he had something he wanted to have printed, he couldn't
afford it. So that's the day we were living
in at that time. But I won't go any further but
anyway to say that Dr. Norman B. Harrison was a great
blessing to me on the fundamental truths of salvation, God's absolute
sovereignty and salvation. Baptists were not teaching it.
Baptists are still not teaching it. But listen to this. At the Presbyterian Church General
Assembly this month, Delegates from across the country and around
the world voted to remove the ban on ordination of homosexuals,
sending shockwaves throughout the denomination. But an even
bigger issue is simultaneously in question, salvation of humanity
through Jesus Christ. Did you know that? How many of
you have heard about it? None of you. Listen. The very
essence of Christianity was debated at the annual denominational
conference as some delegates proclaimed, Jesus is one way
to salvation, but not the only way. Are you letting that soak in? The significance of this issue
cannot be overstated, as Presbyterianism has historically been considered
the bastion of conservative Christian theology. Folks, in my 60 years as a minister
of the Lord Jesus Christ, I didn't think I would ever see this.
Listen. Theological matters pertaining
to Jesus Christ, known as Christology, made waves in the denomination
last year during a, quote, peacemaking conference, end of quote. At
the conference, some attendees declared their belief that humanity
can attain salvation through various religions. And I was told just this morning,
they're erecting a huge statue in Houston area of Buddha. That's a religion. Belief in the death of Christ
as atonement for humanity's sin is just one of those methods. Are you folk listening to me
this morning? You know, I'm not going to give anything this morning
but what I haven't given many times. But folks, I'm going to
be stronger in it than I have ever been. as a result of what
is taking place today. I want to know where you stand,
because if you expect to hear me preach, you're going to have
to agree with what the Bible says, period. Have I made myself
clear? I may be 82, and God may enable
me to live to 92, and if I do, I hope I'm stronger then than
now. Outraged, several groups of congregations,
known as sessions, wrote to the denomination's general council
demanding disciplinary action against the proponents of such
theology. Additionally, the congregations
asked for a reaffirmation. of the church's historical doctrine
that, listen closely, Jesus Christ is the one and only way through
which humankind can be saved. Do you believe it? Well, you're going to be tested,
I assure you of that. And the test is going to begin
with me. In the end, an acceptable solution, affirming
Jesus as, quote, uniquely Savior, end of quote, was approved by nearly 80% of
the assembly's commissioners, about 550 delegates representing
Presbyteries in the United States and around the world. But the
debate has left more conservative members of the church wondering
where their denomination is heading. It's not heading, it's already
just about there. And I'm going to get to the Baptists
in just a moment. I have one just as bad on the Baptists that
you may not know about. Everything in the life of the
church has become so politicized that it has become difficult
to find agreement, even on the most basic of issues, said Joe
Reitmeyer, executive director of Presbyterians for Renewal. Quote, it doesn't get any more
basic, end of quote, he said, of the Christological issues. That's the bottom line. Indeed,
Reitmeier overheard one attendee at the debate remark, quote,
I don't know, I didn't know, excuse me, I didn't know that
was something you could debate. Folks, I wouldn't debate Christology
with any member of this church. If you don't believe what the
Bible says, goodbye. Goodbye. And I won't move a peg. While the theological issues
committee at the General Assembly finally drafted the agreed-upon
statement, which was not the first choice of a group of conservative
commissioners, quote, the whole debate and the demeanor of it,
you think, good grief. Why was this so difficult? Though the Christological resolution
received less media attention than the one allowing ordination
of self-affirming homosexuals. Let me tell you something, folks. It'll be 50 degrees below zero
in hell before this preacher would allow anything like that
to happen as long as I'm alive, I would die in this pulpit before
I'd even allow one to be a member of this church. And I have the Bible for it. Local presbyteries must now decide
whether to accept the General Assembly's decision on accepting
homosexual leaders. The Presbyterian Church is a
representative democracy, not unlike the federal government.
Changing the church's constitution to reflect the new proposal requires
ratification of the proposal by a majority vote of the Presbyterians
over the next year. I'm not going to read all three
pages. Tolerance doesn't mean inclusion. everywhere, all the
time. Tolerance. I want to ask you
a question this morning. What book do you believe is the
greatest demonstration of intolerance? There are a lot of books written
on the subject of tolerance. But what book do you believe
is the greatest book on the subject of intolerance? Would somebody
like to say something? Say it out loud, I want to hear
it. Amen, brother. A Jewish rabbi this past week
made this statement. They were talking about tolerance
and intolerance. And somebody said, well, all
those passages in the book of are known as the first five books
of the Bible. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers,
Deuteronomy, the Pentateuch. The Jewish rabbi said the greatest
book is the book written by Moses on the subject of intolerance. But I would like to tell that
same Jewish rabbi and the New Testament that presents Jesus
Christ as the only way of salvation, the fulfillment of all the types
and the shadows. One that you do not acknowledge
is intolerant with you because he's the only way that a person
can be saved. The obviously orchestrated maneuver
to stack, you talk about politics and denominations,
I saw so much before I got out of the Baptist that I wanted
to vomit, to stack General Assembly committees with
liberals left, people walking about feeling discouraged. Roth
said, Most churches that see themselves as centrists or conservatives
are finding this ongoing debate to be very distracting from what
we really need to be doing. It comes back year after year
after year. They want to get on with the
task of reaching out with the grace of Christ and ministering
to hurting people. Both the homosexual and Christological
debates have diminished the church's ability to minister. And I don't
believe it's ministry. And anytime this little assembly
lets down on what you have been taught, we cease to minister. We as Presbyterians don't have
an effective witness to our world. Think about what we're saying.
We're a church who questions the deity of Christ, questions the deity of Christ.
I want you to know Baptists have been doing it for over 50 years.
And that's why I got out of it and I didn't get out of it too
quick, too quickly. I'm just going to go ahead and
insert this now. We're going to be looking at
antichrists this morning, and a little bit will be given concerning
THE antichrist. I don't know how long we'll stay
in this. We could be here a long time if we wanted to, because
this is a big subject, but I don't want to take that long. for this
particular series where I'm trying to emphasize fellowship. But folks, I believe that every man in the
Southern Baptist Convention who is teaching that Jesus Christ
was peccable, I believe that person is an anti-Christ. Did you hear me? I said he's an Antichrist. He is a forerunner of THE Antichrist. And you can go out and tell I
said it, and I'll face anybody in it, and I won't back down. Listen to what the Presbyterians
are saying, the Conservatives. The lines are really drawn in
the sand. And folks, as far as I'm concerned,
the lines are drawn in the sand. Wright Meyers summed up, adding,
the amazing thing is that the Lord still loves us. Well, that
can withstand some interpretation. I don't believe they can prove
that he ever did love some of them. Will you buy that? When I think about, now that's
just one of the documents. Listen to this one. How many
of you have heard this? Carter, that's Jimmy Carter.
And let me stop right here and say that man is a reprobate. Did you hear what I said? You can go off and say I called
Jimmy Carter from the pulpit of reprobate. I did. Carter's quote, Mother God, end
of quote, isn't listening is the title of this document. It was widely reported This week,
this is last week's document, the week before that, that former Jimmy Carter has
launched a new coalition of Baptists, one that rejects a number of
Southern Baptist key scriptural positions, including the role
of women in the church and home. Are you listening? What else? Carter's liberal coalition
is called the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Fellowship, folks,
not according to the word of God, and they recently conducted their
annual meeting in Atlanta. Among Carter's objections are
the SBC's call to boycott Disney, its evangelism efforts aimed
at winning Jews, which I don't believe in what they call winning
Jews. I wouldn't buy that either. A
declaration that women should not be called as senior pastors, and a statement that wives should
submit graciously to their husband's leadership. I repeat, Jimmy Carter
is a reprobate. He doesn't know the Bible from
the revised version of Shakespeare. The problem with Jimmy Carter
and his flummoxed. I wasn't familiar with that word
so I had to look it up. It means confused. Followers
is really quite simple. They have rejected the divine
authority of the Bible. If the Apostle Paul was wrong
about the role of women in the church and home, Then he was
also wrong about the redemptive work of Christ on the cross,
and wrong about the infallibility of the scriptures. Now, I don't
know about you, but I'd take the word of God over the word
of Jimmy Carter any day. That statement was made by Chuck
Baldwin, Dr. Chuck Baldwin. I'll read a little
bit more of it, but I want to tell you something. I have something
here this morning. I'm going to take a little time
to do this. run overtime today. My wife got this through the
mail recently from your social security agency. Prepared especially for
A to J best. You know, they send these out,
you know what I'm talking about. Your earnings record at a glance. She finished high school in 1937,
she started work for the telephone company. I met her in 1938, we
got married. From 1937 to 1942, they have
1950. But I know, I know what happened, so I'm gonna make it
1942. My wife made the sum total as an employee of $2,091. That's all she ever made. Look
at her. She's doing pretty good. She paid the Social Security
total now of $18. We got married in November 1938.
She'd worked for a telephone company, I'd worked for National
Biscuits. A couple of months, I said, sweetheart, I want you
to quit. I want you to be home. We had a little new duplex. We
bought some new furniture for it. She had her bedroom suit,
of course, and other things that young girls those days would
start putting aside, accumulating. And so she quit. And I was the
breadwinner for about $19 or $20 a week. And we didn't have a car. We weren't worried about a car.
Then, a few months later, I got a job making twice what I was
making. And that was more than her father was making, and he
had been working at Crown Central Refinery for about 20 years. And then that didn't last long. God
saved both of us and called me to preach, and so I gave that
up and moved back to Houston. But what I'm saying is, she worked
a little bit while I was going to school, we got hungry. Are
you listening? We got hungry. Didn't have a
thing for food. And so she worked for Montgomery
Wards a few weeks while we were in school in Fort Worth, and
I said, I didn't want that. But what I'm saying is, how things
have changed Men were taught when I came up, they were to
be the breadwinners. The wife was to be the queen
of the home. But the wife is no longer the
queen of the home. In order to make a living today,
most of them are working. And the home is neglected. Now
do you know what's wrong with the home? You know what's wrong
with the kids, most of them? They don't have any supervision
whatsoever. The supervision they ought to
have. Say, you're old fogey. Call me
whatever you want to. I'm a Christian. I believe the
Bible. And it's not outdated. And if
you think it's outdated, folks, let's admit, we don't have a
thing in common. There is no fellowship here.
and you're not making any contribution to it if you do not adhere to
what you have been taught from the Word of God. I'm going to
lay it on the line, folks. We don't have much longer. We
don't have much longer. Listen to this. by leaving the SBC, Carter and
Company, did us all a big favor. Well, I don't go with that. I don't buy that. He's still
in. That's the reason he's saying
that. Now, we can easily see who and what they really are
if we could only get all the liberals in the Republican Party
to do the same thing. That's the way he ended his article. I want to give you one little
bit here before we get into something else. Did you know that you can't
question Darwin? You can question God, but you can't question Darwin. What do you think about that?
I have an article here where some students have been questioning
Darwin and their teachers are teachers in biology, teaching
evolution, and boy, they're up in the air. You can't question
Darwin. Folks, we're at the end of the
road. Now, if you can sit and just
float along with it, you and I don't have anything in common. Not a thing in the world do we
have in common. Antichrists and anti-Christ. Enemies to fellowship. I'm gonna try to go slow, but
I have so much to cover, it's gonna be difficult. Antichrists, plural, are of the
same breed and likeness of the Antichrist himself. Are you listening? And the principles they manifest
will come to assume the character of the man of sin. The Antichrist's denial of Jesus
Christ as the eternal Son of God is their refusal to accept
the revelation of the Godhead in manhood, watch me, without
any change in His deity. Now folks, that's a doctrinal
statement. If you don't believe, we don't have a thing. We're
wasting our time even meeting here together. Error can proceed no further
than the denial of God being in Christ objectively reconciling
the world of the elect unto himself. Am I right or am I wrong? Pseudo-Christs are a sign of
the last hour. The last hour. 1 John 2.18. Matthew 24, 24. As long as Jesus Christ is absent,
and folks, He's absent. He's not here except in spirit.
He's not here in person today. As long as Jesus Christ is absent,
Christians have the indivisible, indispensable stimulant of the
expectation of His coming. He's coming, folks. We don't
act like it. Most of the time we don't talk
like it. And there are times we don't live like it. But He's
coming. So let me state it again. As
long as our Lord Jesus is absent from this earth, reigning as
King of Kings and Lord of Lords. You and I have the indispensable
stimulant of the expectation of His coming. He's coming. Just
as He came the first time to put away sin by the sacrifice
of Himself, He's coming the second time to receive us unto Himself. And redemption will be completed.
And the only thing that is left is the redemption of the body. Therefore, the future expectation must not become a mere flight,
F-L-I-G-H-T. from the difficult realities
you and I face today. We face them. This expectation is something
that you and I see from a distance. And we can rejoice in it from
a distance. Hebrews 11 verse 13. Let's listen to what Job said.
I want to show you what Job believed about the coming of the Lord. You mean in the book of Job,
even before Christ came the first time? Yes, listen to this. Job
19, 25, and 26. Job said, I know that my Redeemer
lives. I want to ask you a question
this morning. Do you know, even on the other side, of Christ's
advent, first advent, that Job lived? If Job knew, do you know? I know, and you know as a Christian.
I know that my Redeemer lives. And at the last, He will take
His stand on the earth. It says on the earth. Our millennialists don't believe
that, but the Bible teaches it, and I believe it. Even after
my skin is destroyed, after your body goes back to the dust of
the earth, listen to what Job said, yet from my flesh I shall
see God. What does that do to you? How
does that make you feel as a Christian? Then turn to Hebrews 11, 13.
The writer of Hebrews said, All these died in faith and a host
of the Old Testament saints are named in the hall of faith. Hebrews 11. I call it the hall
of faith. without receiving the promises,
but having seen them, and having welcomed them from a distance,
and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on
the earth. So you and I are rejoicing in these from a distance. The apostates of whom John wrote
in 1 John 2, 18 and 19 could go only one direction, just one,
from the true assemblies of Jesus Christ. They didn't belong there. And the early Christians wouldn't
tolerate them. But church members today, I didn't say Christians,
church members are tolerating They're just church members.
They're not Christians. I hope I'm making myself plain. Why? They wouldn't tolerate them
because, according to 2 Corinthians 11, 1-4, they possessed a different
spirit. Not the Holy Spirit, but a demonic
spirit. And they believed another gospel,
not the true gospel presented to you and me by Jesus Christ
and the inspired apostles, which had revealed to them another
Christ. So a different spirit, a different
message, and a different Christ. That's what the Presbyterians
are experiencing and the Baptists have been experiencing it for
a long time but are so ignorant they don't recognize it. That's 2 Corinthians chapter
11 verses 1 through 4. Paul's concern was the seduction
of the minds of the Corinthians from what? from single-hearted
devotion to Jesus Christ. Folks, I said single-hearted.
I said single-hearted devotion. You can't have devotion for Him
and devotion for something else or somebody else equally with
Him. You can't do it. If you can, you don't have Christ.
He's not yours. I'm just telling you like it
is. John speaking of the Antichrists
that went out in 1 John 2.19 does not indicate, watch this,
does not indicate that this was merely something historical. It's something taking place today.
And it'll get worse and worse until the coming of the Christ
who will destroy the Antichrist. who will precede him and will
manifest himself before the coming of the Christ. The two prevalent and difficult
problems for Christians at any time, in any dispensation, in
any age, are false principles and false persons. and false purposes. You know,
having mentioned about, I've already made this statement,
I'm going to see if you would agree with me this morning. I'm going
to ask you to show your hand. But I'm going to read you a statement
by a Baptist concerning Christ. A false principle. I'll make the statement before
I read this statement. This is a direct quote from a
Baptist work, and I can produce it for you, if you doubt it. How many of you believe that
any Baptist preacher, or any preacher for that matter, who
says that Jesus Christ could sin, is an antichrist, and is
lost? How many believe that? Okay. Folks, glad to see you there,
because that's a fact. You're not going to find out
until you question them. Now, I'm going to surprise you.
Don't think that everyone who gives lip service to the doctrines
of grace, don't think for a cotton-picking second, Charles, you visited
a church before you came to our church. And that man, you know
what he thought of me. He called me a docetist. I don't agree with him. And he's
supposed to be the doctrines of grace. Listen to this statement, and
here's a direct quote from a work, a Baptist work, quote. The man's
name is J.B. Moody. The child of Bethlehem
was begotten of the Holy Spirit, but being born of a regenerated
woman with the remains of depravity still in the flesh, there may
have been a taint of the same depravity imparted to her child
which made it possible for him to sin. Now folks, do you see why that
I left 40 years ago? He can sympathize with us in
this depravity, which he could have gotten only by heredity."
End of quote. Now that's the kind of stuff,
that's the kind of damnable heresy I was subjected to. And folks,
I had to fight a lot of battles. And I'm not through fighting
them yet. by God's grace. And we've had a lot of people
come through this church, even in the last 25 years, who gave
lip service to it, and many of them have gone and rot back into
that stuff. False principles, false persons. God's people have always had
to fight against both. Against both. Contending with
false principles and persons outside the assemblies is laborious. And I've had to
do that outside of the assembly where I pastor. But struggling
against them within is, folks, much more arduous. And I don't intend to fight it
on the inside. I just don't intend to. If it
exists, we've got to get rid of it, and get rid of it in a
hurry. Paul warned the elders of Ephesus
concerning this very thing. Turn in your Bibles to Acts 20. I want to read verses 29 through
31. Listen to what Paul said. Acts
20, 29 through 31. Paul said, I know that after
my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing
the flock. and from among your own selves. Folks, I want that to soak in.
From among your own selves, men will arise speaking perverse
things to draw away the disciples after them. See, folks, I'm going to give
some suggestions to you at the conclusion of this series on
fellowship, after I'm gone, because some
of you are going to outlive me. And notice he says, therefore
be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period
of three years, I did not cease to admonish each one with tears. John warned believers against
Gnosticism and Antichrist in the passage that we're looking
at here this morning. I'd like you to turn to the fourth
chapter of 1 John. Fourth chapter. I want to read
some verses. Beloved, do not, beginning with
verse one, do not believe every spirit, But test the spirits, how do
you test the spirit? You test the spirit by the word
of God. To see whether they are from
God, because many false prophets, didn't say true prophets, they
said false prophets, have gone out into the world. By this you
know the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that
Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. And even the flesh or the human
nature of Christ is called in Luke 1.35 that HOLY THING. You don't think the absolutely
Holy One could assume something that was unholy, do you? Only a reprobate could believe
that. I said only a reprobate. And every spirit that does not
confess Jesus is not from God. So that means Jesus Christ is
THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE, and NO ONE comes to the Father
but by Him, and NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN IS GIVEN AMONG MEN,
WHEREBY WE MUST BE SAVED. That's Acts 4.12. Does that sound
like what the Baptists and the Presbyterians
are talking about now? Does that sound like their language
that I have read to you this morning? Verse 4. You are from God, little
children, and have overcome them because greater is he who is
in you than he who is in the world. And that's the testimony of every
Christian, every Christian. So all who deny the biblical
principle of the person of Christ and his incarnation are Antichrists. John speaking of the Antichrist
that went out does not indicate that this was merely historical. There are forerunners of the
Antichrist, all of them, and we have a lot of forerunners
out there today, a lot of them. The most intolerant book, I said,
is the Word of God. And folks, the Bible just doesn't
tolerate false prophets. Sacred history proves there have
always been false teachers. Not something new. They've always
been around who proclaim false principles. Turn with me, please,
to Jeremiah 23. I wanted to read quite a few
verses of Scripture this morning. We won't have time, but I'll
give them to you, and you can look them up later. In fact,
I'll give you a list before we get through this morning. Jeremiah 23, 16, 17, and 21. Listen to these verses. Thus
says the LORD of hosts. The word LORD here is spelled
with caps. It's the Hebrew word Yahweh.
means the Covenant God. Thus says the Covenant God of
Hosts. Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying
to you. This was in Jeremiah's day. They
are leading you into futility. They speak a vision of their
own imagination. Not from the mouth of the Lord.
They keep saying to those who despise me, the Lord has said. Boy, nothing gets me anymore
and turn the television on and a preacher will say, the Lord
said, and they read a verse of scripture after they have made
a heretical statement and make some that follow. Oh, makes me
shiver. They say calamity will not come
upon you. I did not send these prophets
in verse 21. I didn't send them, but they
ran. I did not speak to them, but
they prophesied. False prophets prophesy with
the approval of false religionists. So you know why they're having
such a heyday today? You know why they're building
such great, magnificent buildings? and all the entertaining things
to get them to come, I'll have something to close with along
that line. So the moment the reason of man
and the oracle of God are considered equal, religious man is on the
road to eternal destruction. He's a reprobate. God's people
throughout history have been warned concerning false religionists
and false principles. I want to give you a list of
things. Number one, give you a little outline. Jude warns
against the way of Cain. Now, it'll be found, but I want
you to make a study of the way of Cain. Something for you to
do. The way of Cain. It's going to be answered shortly
with just a word or two, but I want you to dig into it. He
warned against the way of Cain. Secondly, the era of Balaam. The era of Balaam. What is it?
Really, what is it? And thirdly, and the gainsaying
of Korah. Woe to them for they have gone
the way of Cain. and for pay they have rushed
headlong into the era of Balaam and perished in the rebellion
of Korah. That's number one. Number two,
a mixed multitude joined the Israelites and caused them to
sin. Exodus 12, verses 37 and 38. Turn to it. Exodus chapter 12,
verses 37 and 38. Listen to this. Now the sons
of Israel journeyed from Ramesses to Succoth about 600,000 men
on foot, aside from children. And a mixed multitude also went
up with them along with flocks and herds, a very large number
of livestock. And then in Numbers 11 and verse
4, if you can turn to it quickly, and the rabble who were among
them had greedy desires. And also the sons of Israel wept
again and said, who will give us meat to eat? Now who was it
that caused the trouble? All of those unregenerate people
who joined the Israelites. They could see that they were
being blessed by God and so they wanted to get a piece of the
pie and they joined up and the Israelites undiscerningly let
them in. Number three, In Zechariah 8
verse 23, men of all nations yoked themselves with the Jews
to share their blessings. Here's what it says, Zechariah
8 verse 23, Thus says the LORD of hosts, In those days ten men
from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying,
Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you. Number four. Turn now to Matthew 7, 15 and
16. False prophets came in sheep's
clothing, sheep's clothing. They acted like sheep, they talked
like sheep, so they came in sheep's clothing. For what purpose? To deceive. Here it is, Matthew
7, 15, and 16. Beware the false prophets who
come to you in sheep's clothing, our Lord is giving this warning
during His ministry, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.
Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles,
are they? And then in Acts 20, 29, here's
the clincher. I know that after my departure,
Paul said, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing
the flock. I've already referred to that
portion of scripture. Number five, Peter spoke of false
teachers who came in and brought down the Boharrases. 2 Peter 2, 1 and 2, listen to it. 2 Peter 2, verses 1 and 2. But false prophets also arose
among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among
you. who will secretly introduce destructive
heresies, destructive heresies, even denying the master who bought
them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. And many will
follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth
will be maligned. I want to take you through the
scriptures and hit some high points. Number six, let's listen
to see what Paul has to say. Paul pointed out in the assembly
epistles, the false teachers and principles with which the
early disciples and the early assemblies had to contend. Corinth battle false prophets,
false principles, and immorality. Now I want to mention some of
the epistles under this one. Corinth battled false prophets,
false principles, and immorality. I said immorality, chapters 5
and 6 especially. Galatia, I'm talking about Galatians
now, Paul's the author of Galatians. Galatia grappled with false teachers
and their teachings. Philippi strove against enemies
of Christ and fussing women. Notice what I said, fussing,
fussing women. Colossi, Colossi fought the false
principles of rationalism and asceticism. Touch not, handle
not, taste not. Thessalonica was warned about
falling away. The seven assemblies in Asia,
Revelation chapters two and three, the last book of the Bible, demonstrate
diminishing spirituality due to leaving their first love,
being lax in the matter of discipline, tolerating evil, professing life
while in a state of death and apostatizing. Folks, I'm trying
to cover it as much as I can in as few words as possible.
Number seven. And in this last point, folks,
I have seven points. So the seventh point has seven
points, if you're making an outline. According to scripture and history,
The local aspect of the assembly has never in her 2,000 year history been in worse spiritual condition
than now, than now. Institutional assemblies are
as blind as Israel in the Old Testament was blind to their
own true condition. You say, well, who are you? I'm
just a two-by-four, folks. Don't amount to very much, but
I'm telling you what the book says. And that's important. That's very important. As a whole,
they may be compared with Israel as described by Malachi. I'm
talking about the seven short letters in Revelation chapters
2 and 3. that people disputed with every rebuke Malachi gave. Now I want to give you seven
things in Malachi. Show you the harmony between
Revelation chapters two and three and the book of Malachi four
chapters in length. Listen to this. Number one, the
rebuke for their ingratitude for God's love was questioned. was questioned. See, today, those
who believe in evolution, they don't believe that Darwin should
be questioned. But backslidden people even question
God. Have you ever questioned God?
Has something ever happened to you and you wonder, well, God,
why did this happen to me? Ask my wife if she's asked the
Lord why she fell and broke her foot. She hadn't questioned God. You're not going to question
him. I haven't questioned him either. There's a purpose in
it for both of us. Purpose in everything, folks. So number one, the rebuke for
their ingratitude for God's love was questioned. And here's what
they asked. How hast thou loved us? Malachi 1, 2. Number 2. All of
these are taken from Malachi. The rebuke of the priests for
despising God's name was questioned. Here it is, chapter 1, verse
6. How have we despised thy name? Self-righteous Pharisees, that's
what they were. Number 3. In verse 7 of chapter
1, the reprimand of the priest for offering polluted bread was
questioned. How have we defiled thee? Number 4, God's proof of the
Jews for their troublesome complaints against His judgments was questioned. In chapter 2 verse 17, how have
we wearied thee? Number five, God's reproach of
the Jews for going away from his ordinances was questioned.
Chapter three, verse seven, how shall we return? Number six, God's chiding of
the people for robbing him of tithes and offerings was questioned. And here's the question, how
have we robbed thee? God said you've robbed me, how
have we robbed you? That's chapter 3, verse 8. Number 7, the rebuke of the Jews
for their insolent language against God was questioned. And here
is the question, what have we spoken against thee? Chapter
3, verse 13. that Jews have said, it is vain
to serve God. And what profit is it that we
have kept His charge and that we have walked in mourning before
the Lord of Hosts? Chapter 3, verse 14. But I want
to take time and read you a little from the second chapter. And
here is a chapter in Malachi that ought to be read from the
pulpit of every institution that calls itself a church in America
today. Chapter 2, turn with me to Malachi
chapter 2. Let me preface, get your attention
for a moment. Many years ago, before I left
the convention. Somebody got Donald Gray Barnhouse
on the program of the pastor's conference. He was in Houston
speaking at a Presbyterian church, and so they asked him to speak.
He came and he spoke, and he used the second chapter that
I'm going to read to you. After the conference was over,
It was a great message. I was one that really enjoyed
it and rejoiced and amened him constantly. I wanted to egg him
on because he was telling the truth. After the conference was
over, I walked out into the parking lot and several preachers, there
must have been half a dozen to nearly a dozen preachers, were
they angry. Want to know who in the world
was responsible But Donald Gray Barnhouse is speaking to the
pastor's conference today. I said, well, I don't know. I
walked up. I said, I don't know who did, but I surely am thankful
that somebody did. And boy, that was just like lighting
a torch. And so we had quite a time. I
let him know right where I stood. Because he was describing every
one of those fellows griping. I mean, I let him know. I let
them know. He was describing all of you. That's why you're
so angry. So let's see what it says. And
now this commandment is for you, O priests. The priests were the spiritual
leaders of Israel. Like the preachers, the elders
are of the churches today. So and now this commandment is
for you, O priests, plural. If you do not listen and if you
do not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the Lord
of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse
your blessings. I want you to stop and just consider
that a little bit, will you? Boy, that's potent. I'll
curse your blessings. Whatever your blessings are,
I'll curse them, God said. Listen, let's read on. And indeed
I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart. Do you see why they all got mad? Behold, I am going to rebuke
your offspring, And I will spread refuse, the King James says done,
D-U-N-G, on your faces. Now, folks, let
that soak in a little bit. I'm going to take your refuse
and smear it all over your faces. Do you feel like You're in a
house of the Lord and such a language should not be used. If you feel
that way, it's for you. God's going to smear it all over
your face. Verse 4, Then you will know that
I have sent this commandment to you, that my covenant may
continue with Levi, says the Lord of hosts. My covenant with
Him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to Him as an
object of reverence. So He revered me and stood in
awe of my name." There's not much awe today. True instruction was in His mouth.
True instruction was in His mouth. and unrighteousness was not found
on his lips. He walked with me in peace and
uprightness, and he turned away back from iniquity. For the lips
of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction
from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. For as for you, You have turned
aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble
by the instruction. You have corrupted the covenant
of Levi, says the Lord of hosts. So I also have made you despised
and abased before all the people, just as you are not keeping my
ways, but are showing partiality in the instruction." That's far
enough. I want to bring this lesson this
morning to a conclusion. Do you see what's been bothering
me? Does it bother you? There is no difference today
between the goal and the methods used by organized religion and
those of the world. I'm applying what we've studied
this morning. I'm applying it now. Let me say
it again. There is no difference today
between the gold, G-O-A-L, and the methods used by organized
religion, I didn't say Christianity, and those of this evil world
system. for the whole system is lying
in the lap of Satan himself. And that's exactly what 1 John
5, 19 says. The goal of both man's happiness
and their methods to achieve that goal are the same. As the world employs methods
that appeal to the depraved nature of man. Organized religion promotes
the same things under different names. Let me illustrate it. The only difference between the
two is that the world is more honest. The world, I said, is more honest It does not seek to camouflage
its methods. Even Fox, the one conservative
channel, is now receiving ads of almost nude women, and it's
getting attention. So Fox is just about to reach the end of the line
as far as I'm concerned. So let me say this again. The
only difference I said between the two is that the world is
more honest. They made no bones about it. I heard a good statement recently. Somebody asked the question,
what is pornography? You know what the answer was?
You'll know it when you see it. You'll know it when you see it. And no Christian will doubt what
it is. The happiness of the individual.
So let me give this sentence again. The only difference between the
two, the religious world and the world itself, promotes the
same things. But the world is more honest,
does not seek to camouflage its methods, but goes right to the
point. The happiness of the individual
by offering that which satisfies the flesh.