I want to begin reading in verse
14. So that's just chapter 12. And this day, speaking of the
Passover, shall be unto you for a memorial. And you shall keep
it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep
it a feast by an ordinance forever. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened
bread. Even the first day you shall
put away leaven out of your houses. For whosoever eateth leavened
bread From the first day into the seventh day, that soul shall
be cut off from Israel. And in the first day there shall
be a holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be
an holy convocation to you. No manner of work shall be done
in them, save that which every man must eat. That only may be
done of you. And you shall observe the feast
of unleavened bread. For in this selfsame day have
I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore
shall you observe this day in your generations by an ordinance
forever. In the first month, on the fourteenth
day of the month, at even, you shall eat unleavened bread until
the one twentieth day of the month at even. Seven days shall
there be no leaven found in your houses. For whosoever eateth
that which is leavened Even that soul shall be cut off from the
congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger or born in the
land. Ye shall eat nothing leavened. In all your habitations shall
ye eat unleavened bread. I want to attempt to speak on this
subject, the danger of leaven. Unleavened bread was to be eaten
along with the paschal lamb, and when the feast was established, they were
to eat unleavened bread for seven days, and they were actually
called upon to purge out all leaven out of their house. They
were to get rid of it all and eat nothing but unleavened bread. Now, leaven is yeast. That's
all it is. It's a fungus which causes fermentation.
It's through the process of fermentation that alcohol is made. It is also
how bread rises and puffs up. We all know what yeast is. Now,
there's nothing sinful in yeast in and of itself, but it has
a metaphorical meaning. It means throughout the scripture,
the way the Bible uses this word. And I introduced this message
with that warning, a little leaven, just a little. Leaven's the whole
lump. Leaven in the scripture means
to taint, to corrupt, to infect, to imbue. It is any influence
working silently and strongly that causes change in things
or opinions. That's what leaven represents. Anything working silently, imperceptibly,
it's not something you see at first, it's just small, but it
works change in things and opinions. Now, this word leaven is taken
from the word that means a swelling or a rising, puffed up, you know,
light red, red, puffed up. So we can see, because of what
leaven represents, why it was to be purged from the houses
where the Passover meal was eaten. Yeast, as I said, is not a sinful
thing in and of itself, but what it represents is against Christ. So they were to purge it from
their homes. And anybody that even had leaven
in their homes, yeast in their homes, the scripture says that
soul was to be cut off. Now, that's very severe, isn't
it? The soul was to be cut off from the people. Now, you and
I ought to be scared to death of Lebanon. You know, ever since
I prepared this message, it's just scared me thinking about
this. I don't feel... The prayer of my heart is, Lord,
keep me. Lord, preserve me. I'm afraid
of Lebanon. Individuals go bad. And churches
go bad. Because of living, something
brought in that puffs up with pride, which corrupts, that changes. And this is a very, very solemn
thing to think about. But there are religious assemblies
that started out true gospel churches. They started out believing
the gospel. But the leaven of false doctrine
got in and corrupted it. And God has removed the candlestick. That has happened. Many churches
have began with the truth, began preaching the gospel. And the
example I give, where's the church at Ephesus now? Where's the church
at Laodicea now? They started out with the gospel.
The church at Pergamos now, all these churches that began with
the truth, with the gospel, with the presence of the Lord Jesus
Christ. He was there. And then he wrote Ichabod over
the door. He left. And it's just a religious
institution going through the motions without the Spirit of
God. And what scares me so much is
I know if the Lord doesn't come back, it'll happen to this place
one day. Happens every time. No local church ever continues. Now, one of my prayers to the
Lord is that I'll be dead before it happens. I hope you all are,
too. I really do. I hope you all are,
too. But it's such a sobering, solemn thing to think of the
introduction of leaven. How many people have you known?
How many people have seemed to believe, seem to love Christ? It's appeared that they did,
but leaven is introduced. Where are they now? How many
people have we seen come and go here? A whole lot. A whole lot. But there's a little leaven that
leavens the whole lump. Now, there are individuals, there
are churches who seem to start out well, but they fell away. Now, I realize, I understand
this. I've got this conference. I know all of God's elect are
going to be saved. Don't have to worry about any of the elect
not being saved. Every one of God's chosen people
will be saved. Everybody that Christ died for
will be saved. But there's still concerns. No,
that's just the truth. You know that. You know that
so. But the thought of leaven being introduced, a very small
amount of yeast placed in the dough will work itself through
the whole batch. A little leaven, leaven to the
whole lump. Turn to Matthew chapter 16. I want to look at several
scriptures that give us some idea of what leaven represents. Beginning in verse six. Then said Jesus unto them, take
heed and beware of the leaven. of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves,
saying, Is it because we've taken no bread? Which when Jesus perceived,
he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves,
because ye have brought no bread? Do you not understand, neither
remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets
you took up, neither the seven loaves of the four thousand,
and how many baskets you took up? How is it that you don't
understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that
ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees,
then understood they, how that he bade them not beware of the
leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees."
False doctrine works as leaven. And let me say first that false
doctrine always has a sinister, evil motive behind it. It's never
simply mistaken notions. It's simple. It's evil. It is
opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not just people going in
the same direction. One believe in one thing and
another believe in another, but they're all going the same way.
No false doctrine is opposed to Jesus Christ. And when it's
introduced, it works as leaven, working its way through the whole
batch of dough. It begins almost imperceptibly.
It's very subtle. Let me show you that from Scripture.
Turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 11. I want to show you a couple of scriptures. Verse 13. For such are false apostles. They appear to be apostles, they
say they are, but they're false. Now, does a false apostle preach
the gospel? Answer that question. Does a
false apostle? Obviously not. Now, look what's said about it
next. They're deceitful workers. Transforming themselves into
the apostles of Christ. They appear to be the apostles
of Christ. And this is no marvel, for Satan
himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore, it's
no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers
of what? Righteousness. That's a big word. Whose end shall be according
to their works. Turn to Ephesians chapter 4. Verse 14, that we henceforth be no more
children. Paul is looking for maturity.
That we be henceforth no more children, tossed to and fro and
carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of
men, slyness and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive. Now, you know, in every epistle,
with the exception of one, there's a warning regarding false prophets. Every single one of them. What's
the first thing the Lord said after he said strive to enter
into the straight gate? Does anybody know? First thing he
said after he told his people to strive to enter into the straight
gate, the first thing he said is beware of false prophets. which come to you in sheep's
clothing. They look like sheep. They talk
like sheep. They use that language. But within,
they're wolves looking to devour you. Now, quite often, And this is what is so scary.
And we have to ask the Lord to help us. Ask the Lord to preserve
us. Ask the Lord to give us grace to not be deceived. Quite often,
a false prophet is most clearly identified not by what he says.
It's not even positive error. Sometimes everything he says
is true. It's what he omits. It's what he leaves out. The
Lord put it this way. When he was speaking to the scribes
and Pharisees, he said, here's what you fellows have done. You
pay tithe and amends and annihilation, you pay your tithe, but you've
omitted, you've left out the weightier matters of the law,
that which really matters. You just passed that by. Now,
the example I thought of. Was that lady in Acts chapter
16, remember the lady that was possessed with the spirit of
Scripture says divination? And what was she saying? She
was saying concerning Paul and Silas, these be the servants
of the Most High God, which show unto us the way of salvation.
Tell me what was wrong with what she said? Did I find any error
there? Anything wrong with that? I mean,
everything she said was true. But yet, Paul cast her out as
being demon-possessed. It wasn't what she was saying,
it was what she didn't say. Now, the way I respond to something
like that is, Lord, have mercy on me. Keep me, preserve me,
teach me. Don't let me be tricked by this
subtle, deceitful, cunning, The Lord said, take heed and
beware of false prophets, the doctrine of the Pharisees and
the Sadducees. False prophets, false doctrine
will come with the same words as true doctrine. They'll use
words like grace and blood and faith and all those words. Change
the meaning though. Change the meaning of the word.
May God deliver us from this. Turn to Luke 12. You see how
false doctrine is leavened that can corrupt the church. It's
happened to how many thousands of churches over the years. I
know the Lord's in control of this, and I really don't believe
it's the Lord's will for any local church to continue on and
on and on. But it's going to happen. It's
going to happen. You can just count on it. Lord,
preserve me and keep me. Luke 12. Verse one. In the meantime, when
they were gathered together, an innumerable multitude of people,
insomuch that they quote upon one another, he began, first
of all, to say to his disciples, first of all, beware ye of the
leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Now, this is this
is what leaven represents. It represents false doctrine.
It represents hypocrisy. Now, what is hypocrisy? It's
acting. It's insincerity. It's pretending
to be what you're not. It's claiming to be what you're
not. It's insincere. It's an act. As a matter of fact,
the Greeks at that time, the movie stars, were called hypocrites.
That's what they did. They were actors. They were hypocrites. That's all the word means. Hypocrisy is the opposite of
honesty. I love that passage of Scripture
in Psalm 32, where it says, Blessed is he whose transgression is
forgiven. whose sin is covered, blessed
is the man to whom the Lord will not impute iniquity, and in whose
spirit there is no guile." Now, what kind of spirit is that?
That's the new spirit. That's the new nature. That's
the holy nature, and in that nature there is no guile. It is honest. Now, does a believer
Need to be warned about this thing of being a hypocrite. I
mean, we are believers. Does a believer need to? I mean, is
it is this a need for warning to me? Well, I can show you where
it was a need for warning to an apostle. Turn with me to Galatians
chapter two. Galatians chapter two. Verse 13. And the other Jews dissembled
and that word is. Acted the hypocrite, it is the
word hypocrisy and the other Jews acted the hypocrite, likewise
with him in so much that Barnabas also was carried away with their
dissimulation or their hypocrisy. Now, Barnabas. And Peter, at
this time, Paul says, you're playing the part of a hypocrite. You're being an actor. You're
not being real. This was said to an apostle.
Now, what took place? We see how Levin began to work
and people were carried away from it by it. Now, what took
place? Well, look up in verse 13. I'm
sorry, verse 11. And when Peter was come to Antioch,
Paul says, I withstood him to the face. Because he was to be
blamed. Now, can you imagine how difficult
that must have been for Paul to publicly reprimand Peter before
all these people? I mean, I don't want to reprimand
somebody publicly. I don't want to embarrass anybody.
I don't want anybody to be humiliated. I don't want to nail anybody
to the wall. I mean, I want to speak to him
privately if I've got a problem. And that's the way it generally
ought to be done, isn't it? But Paul, under the inspiration of
the Holy Spirit, deals with this publicly in a very public manner. And what happened, verse four,
for before that certain came from James. He did eat with the
Gentiles, Peter was having a good time with the Gentiles, fellowship
with the Gentiles, he wasn't practicing. Jewish custom and
diet and so on, and he was just having a good time talking, fellowshipping,
but when they were come, these fellows from James who were Jews,
he withdrew and separated himself. fearing them which are of the
circumcision. Now, all he did is he got up. He didn't say anything. He got
up and he moved tables and he sat back down and started talking
to the Jews. You see, he was saying by that action, Gentiles
are saved and Jews are saved, but Jews are a little bit more
pleasing to God. Just a little bit more. They
do it, they've got a little bit of, they're all saved, don't
get me wrong, they're all saved, but Jews are a little bit more
pleased. Now what, how does Paul respond
to that? Let's look in verse 13. And the other Jews dissembled
likewise with him, insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away
with their dissimulation. Do you see how Levin starts spreading
throughout the whole lump? You see what happened with Barnabas.
But when I saw that they walked, verse 14, not uprightly according
to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, if
you, being a Jew, live after the manner of the Gentiles and
not as do the Jews, why are you turning things around and compelling
the Gentiles to live as do the Jews by this action of yours? We who are Jews by nature, not
sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by
the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even
we have believed in Jesus Christ, and we might be justified by
the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law, for by
the works of the law there shall no flesh be justified. Now notice
verse 14. He said, When I saw that they
walked not uprightly. What's that next phrase? According to
the truth of the gospel. Now, what is the truth of the
gospel? The truth of the gospel is that
everybody Christ died for is saved. Everybody who believes
on him is saved. And you can't get any more saved
than you are right now by what Christ did. That's the truth
of the gospel. The truth of the gospel is that
Jesus Christ is all in salvation. There's not Jew. There's not
Gentile. We're all one in Christ Jesus, and we're all accepted
in the beloved. There's not one that's more pleasing to God than
another. You know, I'm glad about that, aren't you? I'm thankful
it's that way. I know if I thought that there were ways that I could
be more pleasing to God than you, I'd be stepping on you trying
to get up. I know myself. I'd be like this, and you'd be
doing that to me too. That's the way men are by nature, but
thank God we don't have to worry about it. That's settled. Every
believer is simply accepted in Christ. You can't get any more
saved than you are right now. You can't get any more love than
you are right now. And Paul rebuked Peter. Now, what if Paul would
have kept his mouth shut? What if Paul would have just said,
I'm not going to deal with this publicly? Well, let's stay here
in Galatians chapter two, verse seven. Three. But neither Titus,
who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.
And that because of false brethren, unawares brought in, who came
in privately to spy out our liberty, which we have in Christ Jesus,
that they might bring us into bondage. They wanted Titus to
be circumcised. He can't preach if he's not circumcised.
Paul said, to whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an
hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. Now,
Paul is saying, if I back off here, the truth of the gospel
won't continue. The introduction of leaven has
come in and it's going to leaven its way through the whole lump.
And that's why Paul dealt so sternly with this. And while
we're in Galatians, look in Galatians 5. I read this at the beginning
of the message, Galatians chapter 5, verse 9. Verse 7, you did run well. You were doing fine. You seem
to believe the gospel. I was so encouraged with you.
Who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth? This persuasion,
this belief that you have, cometh not of him that calleth you.
A little leaven leavens the whole lump. Now, what's he talking
about here? Well, back up to verse one. Stand
fast, therefore, in the liberty, in the freedom wherewith Christ
hath made us free. And be not entangled again with
the yoke of bondage. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you
that if you be circumcised, you can forget Christ. Christ shall
profit you nothing. If you put one work in salvation,
you can forget Christ. For I testify again to every
man that circumcised that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
Christ is become of no effect unto you. Whosoever of you are
justified by the law, you have fallen from grace. For we through
the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For
in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision,
but faith, which worketh by love." Now, you did run well. Who did
hinder you that you should not obey the truth? Now, if you make,
if I make salvation dependent upon works in any way, I make
the whole thing by works. A little leaven, just a little. leavens its way throughout the
whole month. And let me try to illustrate
this. There is essentially no difference
between believing that salvation comes by obedience, by your own
personal obedience to the Ten Commandments, and believing that
God loves everybody, Christ died for everybody, wants to save
everybody, but it's up to an act of your free will as to whether
or not you'll be saved. In both instances, your salvation is
dependent upon what you do. No difference. You see that you
put any work anywhere in salvation. I don't care if it's at the beginning
where your salvation is dependent upon something for you to do
or it won't happen or if it's in the middle where You've got
to keep yourself, or if it's in the end, where you've got
to do something that will give you a higher reward in heaven
by what you do. You put a work in there anywhere, you make the
whole thing by works. A little leaven. Just a little. It leavens the whole lump. Turn to 1 Corinthians 5. Verse six, your glory is not good. And that word glory means you're
boasting what you have confidence in. It's the same word that Paul
used when he said, God forbid that I should glory save in the
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's the same word where it's
as it's written, he that gloryeth, let him glory in the Lord. Now,
he says your glory, your confidence, what you what you're resting
in, what you're boasting in is not good. And he says, no, you
not that a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Back up in verse one, let's see
why he said this. It is reported commonly that
there is fornication among you and such fornication as is not
so much as named among the Gentiles that one should have his father's
wife. So you see, it was a scandalous, evil, unclean thing going on. And look what he says now in
verse two. He says, and you are puffed up. and had not rather
mourned that he that had done this deed might be taken away
from you. Now, here's what he rebukes him
about. He says you're puffed up. You're proud. You don't think it's that big
a deal. You think you won't be infected by it. You think, well,
you know, everybody's human. I mean, he was going in that
direction. What are we going to do about
it? I mean, just overlook it. Overlook it. That's what that's
talking about. Overlooking it. And that's why he rebukes them.
He says, your toleration of this is going to have far reaching
consequences if you don't get rid of it. Look what he says.
He says, you'd rather mourn that he that had done this deed might
be taken away from among you. And what's he talking about being
taken away? Well, in that passage of scripture,
he talks about getting rid of that person. Look down in verse
seven. Well, he says, purge out that.
He's talking about purging out that. Let's go and read him.
For I barely is absent in the body, but present in the spirit.
Verse three, have judged already as though I were present concerning
him that has so done this deed in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ. When you're gathered together and my spirit with the
power of our Lord Jesus Christ to deliver such a one unto Satan
for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved
in the day of the Lord Jesus. Now, I have no idea what all
that means. It's scary. You read something like that.
Paul had apostolic authority. Aren't you glad I don't have
power like that? Well, I could deliver you to Satan. Oh my,
I bet this place would empty out quick, you know. I understand
that, but Paul had it. But he was talking about delivering
this one who was participating in this. for the destruction of the flesh.
And here's what he's saying to these people. You don't fear
that this leaven is going to affect you. Now, what this is,
is toleration. Toleration. Now, I realize in
many ways we have to tolerate each other, don't we? We're to
forbear one another in love, the scripture says. Forbear one
another. Put up with one another. I'm going to hurt your feelings. Forgive me. I'm going to do things
that offend you. Please forgive me. And you're
going to do the same thing, and by the grace of God, I'm going
to forgive you, and I'm going to forgive you. It's over. There's
a lot of toleration that needs to go on with God's people, putting
up with one another. People are so different, aren't
they? People have such... You all have such weird ideas.
It's a wonder I can put up with any of you. You can take that
and run with it. But toleration... His eleven,
there's toleration. There's some things if I tolerate
it, you know what I'm doing? I'm approving of it. That's what
I'm doing. And that's what he is rebuking
them about at this time. You're acting like this is no
big deal. Now, look what he says. Know
you not, verse six, know you not that a little eleven leavens
the whole lump. Purge out therefore the old leaven, that you may
be a new lump, as you are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover
is sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast,
not with the old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and
wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Now, we're to get rid of the
old leaven of malice and wickedness and what was going on here. And
I love what he says when he says the unleavened bread is the unleavened
bread of sincerity. It's the opposite of hypocrisy. Sincerity. It's the opposite
of acting. Sincerity now. I'll cover 1st
Corinthians one. I think this will give us some
idea of what it means. Verse 12. For our rejoicing is
this. The testimony of our conscience.
That in simplicity and godly sincerity. Not with fleshly wisdom,
but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in this
world and more abundantly to you in simplicity. It's not convoluted,
it's not hard to understand, it's not technical. Christ is
all. That's simple, isn't it? You're
complete in Him. Simplicity. and godly sincerity. The opposite of hypocrisy. Sincerity. I can begin right here. I sincerely
believe I'm a sinner. I'm not just using the language.
I really believe. I'm sincere. I need the Lord
Jesus Christ. I need His mercy. Sincerely. Sincerely. I need your friendship. Sincerely. I need you. Sincerely. I mean, I could go
on. Put on. It's real. Sincerity
and truth. That's talking about truth objectively.
The truth of the gospel. And it's talking about truth
subjectively. A truthful person. An honest
person. One who can be trusted. That's
the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. As opposed to false
doctrine, as opposed to hypocrisy, as opposed to salvation by works,
as opposed to an unclean spirit of toleration. Now, every day
you listen to me real carefully. Every day we're called upon to
purge out the old leaven. There's not a day that goes by
when we're not called upon to do that. We've got plenty of
it, don't we? Purge out. the old eleven. That's a lifelong process. You
wake up in the morning and start it over again. Same thing. That's all right.
That's the way the Lord does it. That's OK. But I'm called
upon to purge out the old eleven that I might be a new lump. And it's the new lump that believes
Christ our Passover, which is sacrificed for us. So this this
thing of of leaven, it's not meaningless. I mean, you were
to purge out all of the leaven seven days. And if you had that
leaven in your home, your soul was cut off. Can you see the
danger of leaven with regard to you? Let's forget this church
body. Let's just talk about you as
an individual. Can you see the danger of leaven where it can
begin to work in you? imperceptibly, and it's just
going to gradually work its way through the whole lump. Now,
here's my response to that. This is the only thing I know
what to say about this. This makes me cry out to the
Lord for mercy, grace to keep me and to preserve me and to
teach me, because I know that if that leaven gets in me, it'll
work its way through the whole batch of dough. And so I ask
the Lord, Lord, preserve me, deliver me from being leavenized. I don't know what else to say. I hope that we will all pray
that the Lord will deliver us from this leaven as individuals
and as a church and for all of the Lord's churches. Let's pray
together. Lord, we ask in Christ's name
that you will enable us to purge out the leaven of false doctrine,
the leaven of hypocrisy, the leaven of salvation by works
and the leaven of toleration of sin. Lord, this is so infinitely above our
ability. Lord, we ask that you would do
this for us and enable us to purge out this leaven. Lord,
that can only be done through thy strength and through thy
grace. And Lord, we trust you to do
that. Lord, we ask for your mercy upon
this assembly. We pray that you would be pleased
to cause your gospel to continue to go out from this place. And
we pray that our children might be brought to a saving knowledge
of thy dear Son. We pray that we might see many
sinners brought to a knowledge of thy dear Son in this place.
Lord, save people for Christ's sake. Bless this message for
Christ's sake. In His name we pray. Amen.