Let's look at verse 19 once again. For there must be, it is necessary, there must be also heresies among
you that they which are approved may be made manifest among you." Who are these people who are
approved? And it can be seen that they've
passed the test. They've been proved and found
acceptable. They've been tested. is used for medals to prove with
the view of approving. They're approved. The opposite
of this word in the scriptures is reprobate. You've come across
that scripture reprobate worthless. They've been tested and they
found to be worthless. We read of reprobate silver,
worthless silver. That's the opposite of this word.
They which are approved. those which have been tested,
and they have passed the test. Look over in 1 Corinthians 16. Verse 3, Paul says, And when
I come, whomsoever you shall approve, By your letters, then
will I seem to bring your liberality into Jerusalem. Now, that's the
same word. These people have been found
trustworthy. You can trust them with your
money. You can give them your money and you don't have to worry
about them misappropriating it or using it in a wrong way. They've
been proved. They've been tested. They're
trustworthy. We read in 1 Timothy 3.10 where
a man was to be proved before he could be a deacon. You weren't
just to up and make him a deacon. He was to be proved and tested,
put through the test and found trustworthy. Now, who are these
people who are approved? They which are approved might
be made manifest. Now, look back in verse 17 of
1 Corinthians chapter 11. Now, in this that I declare unto
you, I praise you not. That you come together, not for
better, but for the worse. Now, what Paul... What if Paul was here, and he observed our worship service,
what we're doing right now, and he said, you all would be better
off not even meeting. It's actually destructive. It's
bad. No good and no benefit comes
from this. Wouldn't that be devastating?
That's what he says to these people. Now, I'm not going to
praise you. I'm not going to commend you.
He says you're not meeting together for the better, but for the worse. Now, when you come together,
I cannot emphasize properly the importance of public worship. There is something very special
And there's something very powerful about church. It is God's called
out assembly. Now, I got this from a message
I heard Brother Mahan preach. He was preaching on public worship.
And I want to give you the points he made in this message. He said,
God is most glorified in the public gathering. of His people
to celebrate His praise. Now let me read you some scriptures
from the book of Psalms. Let the people's praise be. God is greatly to be feared in
the assembly of the saints, and had in reverence of all them
that fear Him. I will praise the Lord with my
whole heart in the assembly of the upright. That's what we're
doing right now. And in the congregation, there
is something more powerful about public worship. As a matter of
fact, our best private worship is during public worship. Our
most real private worship is during public worship. You think of the ordinances,
baptism, You can't baptize yourself, can you? It's something that's
done publicly. What about the Lord's Table?
When we take the Lord's Table, we drink the bread, or eat the
bread and drink the wine. We wouldn't dare do that by ourselves,
would we? Would you do something and say, I think I'm going to
have a Lord's Table service by myself? You wouldn't dare do that. It's
something that God's people meet together to do. There's something
very special. There's something very powerful
about public worship. You see, here's the second point.
The presence of Christ is manifest in a greater way in public worship. Now, are you saying private worship
is not important? Of course, I'm not. But our Lord
did say where two or three are gathered together in my name,
what? There I am in the midst of them. He still walks among the seven
golden candlesticks, which are the churches. That's where he
makes himself known. His manifest presence is most
manifest in public worship. Now, why did he say where two
or three are gathered together in my name? Let's talk about
something public. Public worship. Thirdly, we are fed We grow and
we mature in public worship. What a blessing public worship
is. I think of pastors and teachers. He says he had given some pastors
and teachers. That's what I claim to be a pastor
that God has called. Well, what's the point of a pastor? What's the point of a teacher?
Well, the scripture says, In Ephesians 4, the pastors and
teachers are for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of
the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. This is
a public thing. Ephesians chapter 4, verse 12.
Public worship, fourthly, is what protects us from apostasy. That's a solemn thought, isn't
it? Public worship, what we're doing right now, actually is
what protects us from apostasy. You get by yourself, and you
see what happens to you. Just pull away, be on your own,
and see what you do. We're warned for Satan not the
assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is. For
if we sin willfully after we've received the knowledge of the
truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins. Now, there's
a reason to be here. It protects me from abomination. And fifth, here's the last one
he said about public worship, and I like this one. Public worship
is the closest thing we have to heaven. Really? Really. It's not the praise of a private
individual, but ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands
of thousands gather together to sing the praise of the Lamb
of God. It's a public thing. You know,
the Lord doesn't work in a corner, does he? Now, you think of the importance
of public worship. I can't emphasize enough the
importance of public worship. But Paul says to these people,
when you come together, it's not for the better, but for the
worse. And that is. Can you imagine
that must have been shocking? Your means even. He understood
the importance of public worship, but he says, when you come together,
it's not for the better. It's not for your benefit. It's
actually for the worse. Now, why did he say that? Well, let's look at verse 18. For first of all, here's why
it's worse when you meet. For first of all, when you come
together in the church and that's what public worship is, it's
us coming together in the church. That's what church means. It's
a called out assembly. It's it's where the family of
God meets together. It's a very special, powerful
thing we see. But he says, first of all, when
you come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions
among you, schisms dividing. And I partly believe it. Now, what are divisions? He says,
I hear that there be divisions among you. And he said this at
the very first of this epistle. Look in chapter one. Verse 10. Now, I beseech you, brethren,
by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the
same thing, that there be no divisions among you, but that
you be perfectly joined together in the same mind, in the same
judgment. For it has been declared unto me of you, my brethren,
by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions
among you. Now, this I say, and here's the
way they came out, that every one of you say, I'm of Paul,
and somebody else says, I'm of Apollos, and somebody else says,
I'm of Cephas, or Peter, and then the real pious ones say,
well, I don't follow any man, I'm of Christ. Is Christ the
body? Are there divisions within the
body of Christ? What about denominations? Baptists?
Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, on and on. We could talk about
all these denominations. Where's that in the Bible? It's
not there, is it? There are no denominations. That's
what a denomination is. It's a division. There are no
divisions in the body of Christ. And divisions are different groups,
different sects, different schisms. It's the opposite of unity. Remember how Paul said, I want
you to speak the same thing, to be of the same mind. I mean,
I don't mean just saying, knowing what to say and saying it to
get along with everybody. I mean, you've got the same mind, the
same heart, speaking the same thing. Divisions are different
groups or sects or schisms, and one thinks he's a little closer
to the truth than the other. Now, I think this is interesting
about denominations. Most of them would say, well,
I'm not saying the other denominations are not saved, but we just have
a little bit more truth. We're closer to the truth. We're
more accurate in our theology and our doctrine. We're better
off than they are. Now, they just haven't reached.
The pinnacle we have is what it is. They haven't reached,
they're not arrived the way we are. They're down there. Can
you see the pride that's involved in that kind of thinking? It's
just pride is all it is. There's no denominations in the
body of Christ. You know, there's really no place
for this in the body of Christ. Divisions and denominations and
so on. Let me tell you why. First, we
have the same teacher. Every believer, they shall all
be taught of God. If I'm truly taught, you know
who taught me? God did, by His Spirit. If you're truly taught,
you know who taught you? God did, by His Spirit. What
you've truly learned, what you truly believe in your heart,
God taught you. They shall all be taught of God.
We have the same teacher. And not only do we have the same
teacher, we've been taught the same things, haven't we? The
same thing. The same thing. God doesn't teach
one, one, somebody else something else. No, not at all. He teaches
all of his people the precise same thing. They're all taught
the gospel. And they all believe the gospel,
every single one of them. They all believe the same thing.
They've been taught the same thing, and they believe the same
thing, and they have the same experience. You know what my
experience is? Now see if you can identify with
this. You know what my experience is?
My experience is that I am nothing, and Christ is all. Is that your experience? We have the same experience, don't
we? Same teacher? He taught the same thing, believed
the same thing, had the same experience. Now, where is there
room for divisions there? Where is there room for different
groups, splinter groups? Nowhere. There are not to be
divisions in the body of Christ. Any division is the product of
the flesh. Look in 1 Corinthians chapter 3. Now, look what he says to these Corinthians. And I, brethren, I could not
speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto
babes in Christ. He said, I fed you with milk
and not with meat, for hitherto you were not able to bear it,
neither now are you able, for you are yet carnal. You act like
unbelievers, he says. For whereas there is among you
envying and striving divisions, are you not carnal and walk as
men? For while one says, I'm a Paul,
another says, I'm a Paulist, Are you not carnal? Are you not acting precisely
the way an unbeliever acts? Can a believer act like an unbeliever
acts? When's the last time you looked
in the mirror? Sure you can. I can too. I mean, but that's what they
were guilty of. They were acting carnal with
these divisions. Now, what's behind these divisions?
Turn back to our text in 1 Corinthians chapter 11. I think this is so
interesting. Verse 18, for first of all, when
you come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions,
schisms, different groups among you. And he says, I partly believe
it. I believe it. And here's why I believe it.
Look in verse 19. For there must be also heresies among you. That's unusual, isn't it? It's
necessary. There must be. among you, that they which are
approved might be manifest. And what's behind these divisions?
He says what is behind these divisions are heresies. Now, what is a heresy? You've
heard of a heretic and heretical teaching. The Scripture says
a man that is a heretic after the first and second admonition,
rejecting, knowing that such sinneth and is subverted, It's
a serious charge. It's among the works of the flesh
that Paul speaks of in Galatians chapter five, a heresy. Now,
what is a heresy? The word by definition means
a choosing. That's what it means, a choosing. That which is chosen, a heretic
is one who makes a choice. What in the world's wrong with
that? Is that a bad thing? You know, I was watching some
kind of program on TV and somebody said, the man is identified by
the choices he makes. I guess that sounds good, but
what's it mean? Choosing. We all make choices. Well, listen real carefully.
I want you to hear this. Faith in Christ is not a choice. You do not choose to believe. You believe when there is no
other option. That's the only time you believe.
You don't make a choice to believe. You believe when you have no
choice. Have you found that true regarding
yourself? You don't choose to believe the
truth. You believe the truth because
it's so. That's why you believe. But you
never choose to believe the truth. You just believe because it's
true. For instance, 2 is very simple, very elementary. I've
said this many times. 2 plus 2 equals 4. Somebody says,
I choose to believe that. You ever heard anybody say something
like that? No. We don't even use language like that. You believe
2 and 2 is 4 because it is. 25 till 7. Anybody want to know
what time it is? 25 till 7. Somebody says, I choose
to believe that. You don't choose to believe that.
You believe because that's what time it is. It's 25 to 7. That's why
you believe that. I choose to believe that. Well,
that sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? You believe something because
it's true. That's why you believe. Now,
I'd have to choose to believe that it's not 25 to 7, wouldn't
I? If I said, no, it's 15 to 7,
I'd be making a choice to believe that. Okay, 2 and 2 is 4. Now,
I believe that because it's so that I'd have to choose to believe
it's 3, wouldn't I? I'd make a choice. Believing error is
a choice. You don't believe it. You believe
the truth simply because it's true. It's so. But you make a
choice to believe that which is wrong. For instance, I don't choose to believe that
Jesus Christ is God. He is. I don't choose to believe that
Jesus Christ is man. He is. I don't choose to believe that
men are dead in sins. They are. I don't choose to believe that
God elected the people. He did. I don't choose to believe that
Christ died for the elect. He did. I don't choose to believe
God's grace is irresistible and invincible. It is. You believe the truth because
it's true, because it's so. Well, I'm going to make a choice
as to whether or not I believe that. Not at all. You believe
the truth because it is so. I don't choose to do the right
thing. It's right. But I'd have to choose not to
do the right thing, wouldn't I? I would make a choice to not
do the right thing, but I don't choose to do the right thing.
You do it because it's right. If I walk contrary to the word
of God, it's a choice. Heresy is just that. It is a choosing. Whether it's
false doctrine or a lifestyle contrary to the Word of God,
heresy is a choice. If we sin, we'll fall. Now, I already talked about that
this morning. That's talking about leaving the gospel. That's not
talking about... Every time you see him, your will's involved,
isn't it? You know it is. That's not what he's talking
about. If that's what he's talking about, none of us will be saved.
We don't have... It's over for us. If he's just talking about
you use your will and see him. He's talking about rejecting
the gospel. After hearing the truth, you willfully choose to
go another direction. If we sin willfully after having
received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more
sacrifice for sin. Turn to Romans 1. Paul says in verse 18, For the
wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness of men who hold or hold down the truth in
unrighteousness. They don't like what they hear,
therefore they hold it down, because that which may be known
of God is manifest in them, for God has showed it to them. For
the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made,
even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. Because that when they knew God,
they glorified Him not as God. You see, they made a choice.
They didn't like what life they had, therefore they changed it.
Because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God,
neither were thankful, but they became vain in their imaginations
and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise,
they became fools and changed the glory of the incorruptible
God unto an image made like the corruptible man, the birds. Forfeited
beasts and creeping things. Wherefore, God also gave them
up to uncleanness through the lust of their own hearts to dishonor
their own bodies between themselves, who changed the truth of God
into a lie. You see, they heard the truth
of God and they said, we're not going that direction. We're changing
it. We don't like what it says. It's messing up our plans. It's
making up, messing up our ambition. They changed the truth of God
into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than
the Creator, who is blessed forever. For this cause God gave them
up unto vile affections, for even their women did change the
natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise
also the men, leaving the natural use of the women, burned in their
lusts one toward another, men with men working that which is
unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error
which meet, and even as they did not like. to retain God in
their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do
those things which are not convenient. And what reprobate is the opposite
of the word approved. They chose the direction they're
going and God said, OK, you can have it. Now, there's always
a motive behind the choice. There's always a sinister motive
behind the choice he speaks of. Let's go back to our text in
1 Corinthians 11. He says, for there, verse 19,
he says, for there must be also heresies among you, that they
which are approved may be made manifest among you. There's a necessity to these
heresies. God allows them. It's all part
of God's purpose. And here's what it is that they
who are approved might be made manifest. It's only through these
heresies that we can see who's approved. You know, if somebody looks like a duck, if something
looks like a duck, if it walks like a duck, if it quacks like
a duck, pretty good indication it's a
duck. These heresies, how men respond
to heresies, make known if they are approved. Our Lord said,
by their fruits you shall know them. Now, every local church,
this is a local church, every local church is a mixed assembly. There's only one church that
has an absolutely pure membership. That's the General Assembly and
Church of the Firstborn, whose names are written in heaven.
That's the church of God's elect. That's the universal church.
That's God's church. It's got a pure membership. Every
one of its members are blood bought, elected, regenerated. conform to the image of Christ.
What a church. And I'll tell you what, that's the church I
want to be a member of. Somebody asked me just last week,
what do you need to do to be a member of this church? I mean,
what do you need to do? Once again, I just don't see
this thing of a role and all that stuff in the Bible, church
role. And if you believe the message, if you believe the gospel,
and if you're here, you are a member. What else do you need to do? If you believe, You identify
that church membership, but you know, in every local assembly,
there's weight and there's tears. The Lord gave the parable, you
know, tears, you know, they look just like the weight. And if
you look at them, you can't tell the difference. Now, is our job
to pull up the tears? No, as a matter of fact, the
Lord tells us not to. He says, here's what you do. If you try to pull
up the tears and try to give you a pure church membership,
what you do, you'll end up pulling up the weight. Actually, we'll
get pulled up. Me and you, we don't have enough sense to really
know. You think you could? I wouldn't even want to make
that. Do you want to try to figure out who's saved and who's not?
I don't know how many times people have asked me, do you think I'm
saved? What difference does it make if I think you're saved?
If I think you're saved, does that mean you are saved? If I
think you're not saved, does that mean you're not? It doesn't
make any difference. We're not to seek to. root up
the tares. You know what the gospel will
make manifest who is approved by God? How men respond to the
gospel. How men respond to heresies. That is what will make known
who is approved by God. A heresy is a choice. Okay, that's
what it means by definition. It's a choosing. Now, I want
to ask you a question. What is the essence of holiness? How would you define holiness?
Well, there are different ways you could define it in the scripture,
but you wouldn't come up with a better definition than this.
Not my will. But thine be done. Now that's holiness. Don't you want to choose? No,
I don't. No, I don't. Don't you want to
choose what you want to believe? No, I don't want that either.
Don't you want to choose what you want to do? No, I want Him
to choose for me. That's what I want. I love what one preacher
came up to an old woman who was dying. She'd been a saint for
many years. And he said, well, what do you
want? What do you want? And she said,
well, I want the Lord's will to be done. He said, well, I
know that, but if you had your choice as to whether you'd live
or die, if you could choose, how would you choose? And she'd
say, well, I'd ask the Lord to make a choice for me. And that's
what a believer wants. I want His will to be done. No matter how it crosses my mind,
I really believe, Thy will be done. And that's, those who are
approved They want God's will to be done. They bow to the word
of God. They say with David of old, order
my steps in thy word and let not any iniquity have dominion
over me. You know what the worst thing, the worst thing that could
happen to me or you is? What's the worst thing? What
do you think? How would you answer that question?
The worst thing that could happen to you is for God to let you
do whatever it is you wanted to do by nature. For Him to leave
you to your own will and to your own nature and let you go. That's
the worst thing that could happen. If God withdrew His hand and
said, let him alone, that's the worst thing that could happen
to you. If somebody chooses to walk
in a way contrary to Christ and His Word, If they say that's
the direction I'm going, that's the choice I'm making, that person
has not been approved. They just have not been approved. They which are approved are manifest. Now, a believer will not be a
heretic. He does not choose to believe anything. He believes
because he has no choice. I cannot not believe on Christ. Can't do it. I can say to everyone,
try to not trust Him. You can't do it, can't you? Now,
I realize we're always crying, Lord, I believe. Help Thou my
unbelief. As long as I have this sinful
nature, I'm always going to be dealing with that. But I cannot
not believe. What do believers do? They believe. All of them, every single one
of them, they believe God. And, you know, I'm looking at
some people. It's obvious to me you've been
approved. You've been approved, you've
been tested, and the way you've gone demonstrates you've been
approved. And I think this is interesting. Look at verse 19
again, for there must be also heresies among you that they
which are approved. may be made manifest among you. Now, this is interesting. Who
are the ones that are made manifest? Those were approved. But notice
he does not say that the reprobate are made manifest. He doesn't
say that, does he? They may be, they may not be,
but you're not really sure. You can't look at someone and
say, well, I know the reprobate. You can't do that. It'll all come out in a wash,
won't it? The Lord's going to make all that known, but you
and I cannot look at something and say, well, they're reprobate.
Well, let's go on reading. We're going to close up here
with this thought. And he says in verse 20. When
you come together, therefore, into one place. This is not to
eat the Lord's supper. You say you're coming together
to eat the Lord's Supper, but that's not what takes place.
For in eating, every one of you taketh before other his own supper,
and one's hungry, and another is drunken. He's actually talking
about people getting intoxicated. What? Have you not houses to
eat and drink in, or despise ye the church of God, and shame
them that have not? What shall I say to you? Shall
I praise you in this? I praise you not. Now, we're going to get more
into that later, but What I want you to see is he's rebuking those
who treat people wrong. They've shamed the church of
God. They have not treated them the
way they should. Those who are approved do not
do that. They love God's people. By this shall all we know you're
my disciples, by your love one to another. Now, I want to close
by looking at Colossians chapter three. I want to show you the opposite
of what these Corinthians were guilty of. They had a church
of Corinth. They are a reminder to us of
how far off a believer can get. Because Paul came to him and
he viewed him as such. As a matter of fact, the only
time in all these writings where he says to somebody, I stand
in doubt of you, do you remember who that was? is the Galatians,
the people who are going back to the law. He said, I stand
in doubt of you, but he never said that to the Corinthians.
But let me show you the opposite of this gathering that is for
the better, actually. Now, look in Colossians chapter
three, verse nine. Lie not one to another. It has something to do with what
we are to each other. two or three gathered together. Lie
not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with
his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in
knowledge after the image of him that created him, where there
is neither Greek nor Jew. Those distinctions have been
abolished. There is not circumcision nor
uncircumcision. There are no barbarian, Scythian,
bond, nor free, but Christ is all, and in all. Now, put on,
therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, vows of mercies. Kindness. Humbleness of mind,
meekness, long suffering for bearing one another and forgiving
one another. If any man have a quarrel against
any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all
these things, here's what's most important, put on charity. which
is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule
in your heart or umpire in your hearts, to which also you are
called in one body to call that assembly. And be ye thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom,
teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of
the Lord Jesus. giving thanks to God and the
Father by Him. Isn't that a wonderful passage
of Scripture? There's no divisions there, are
there? No denominations there. Paul said to Timothy, take heed
to yourself and to the doctrine, the doctrine of Christ, the gospel.
Continue in them, for in doing this you'll save both yourself
and them that hear me to pray.