All right, let's look at this
scripture again, 1 John 4. And John says, beloved, he addresses
those who are loved of God. They're not just beloved to him,
they're beloved to God. Like the Apostle Paul said over
there in 2 Thessalonians, I'll read it to you, he said, I'm
bound to give thanks always to God for you brethren, beloved
of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you
to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the
truth, whereunto he called you by our gospel to the obtaining
of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, your beloved of the Lord. And he tells us here, he says,
Beloved, believe not every spirit, believe not every person, preacher,
who says that he's speaking for God, that he is speaking by the
power of the Spirit of God. Because, he says, there are many
false preachers gone out into the world, many. The Apostle
Peter, back here in 2 Peter, said in verse, in chapter 3,
chapter 4 of 1 Peter, 2 Peter, chapter 2 of 2 Peter, he says,
they were false prophets, false preachers among the people of
Israel, even as there shall be false teachers among you. And
they privately bring in damnable heresies. They even deny the
Lord that bought them. They're false preachers among
Israel and they're false preachers today. And this is what John's
warning us about. He said, don't believe everybody
who says that they represent God or they're preaching on the
power of the Holy Spirit. But he said, try the spirits.
Try them. How do you try them? You try
them by the Word of God. That's how you triumph, triumph
of the scriptures. Isaiah said, if they speak not according to
the word of God, it's because there's no light in them. Verse
2, he says, Now hereby, hereby know ye the Spirit of God. Here's
the way that you can tell a true preacher who's speaking by the
power of God's Spirit. Every spirit that confesses,
boldly, publicly, plainly defines who Christ is. That Jesus Christ
has come into flesh is of God. He will preach that Jesus Christ
came into the world, but he existed before he came into the world.
You and I were born flesh, but we didn't come into the world.
Christ came into the world. Jesus Christ, our Lord, existed
before he came in human flesh. He is the Son of God. He's one
with the Father. He's one with Almighty God. He's the Creator. This is what
Micah said over here. Don't you turn to it. I'll turn
and read it quickly. Micah chapter 5, verse 2. When
the prophet Micah was talking about the birth of the Messiah,
He's talking about Bethlehem, where he would be born. He says,
But Bethlehem, thou Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you be little
among the thousands of Judah, your little town among the thousands
of big cities and towns, yet out of thee shall he come forth
unto me. That is to be the ruler, the
Messiah, the Christ in Israel. whose goings forth have been
from of old, from everlasting. This one who is born in Bethlehem
of Mary the Virgin laid in a manger, this child given, this child
born is a son given, whose goings forth have been from of old,
from everlasting. That's what we say. If a person
does not confess boldly, plainly, clearly, so
that not to be understood. But that is not just a baby.
That's the God-man. That's not just a child born. It is, but it's not. It's God
Almighty Himself who has prepared a body. He has come down from
glory and entered that body, and He's God Almighty. He'll preach that Jesus, who
was born in Bethlehem, is God in human flesh, the Son of God.
He'll preach that Jesus is really a man. He's really a man. He became a man. He is a man of flesh and bones
and blood, tempted in all points as we are. He is a man as if
he is not God. But he is Almighty God as if
he is not a man. That's right. And Paul calls
that, he said without controversy, he calls that a great mystery.
This is a great mystery. God was manifested in the flesh. Scene of the angels. The angels
announced everything he did. There weren't any angels making
announcements when you and I were born. But when Christ was born,
God sent a legion of angels down here to announce, under you is
born this day in the city of David, Christ the Lord. And no
stars hung over the hospital in Alabama where I was born,
but one hung over this manger and pointed the wise men to that
babe. That's right. The angels announced
everything he did. When he was tempted on the Mount
of Temptation, they came and gave him something to eat, and
ministered to him. He fasted 40 times. They announced
his resurrection. They announced his second coming,
seen of the angels, vindicated by the Spirit, preached to the
Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into heaven.
This is God. God became a man. Jesus of Nazareth
is a man, prophet, priest, and king. But he's none other than,
listen, God Almighty himself. So much that he said, if you've
seen me, you've seen God. If you believe on me, you believe
that you have God. If you don't believe on me, you're
dying your sin. If you don't believe, I'm God. Now the man who preaches this
is telling the truth. He's telling the truth. And he's preaching by the power
of the Spirit of God. He confesses it boldly and plainly. Under us a child is born, under
us a son is given, and the government of the universe is on his shoulders.
Not a sparrow falls to the ground without his permission. Not a
hair falls out of your head, but he numbers. Not a leaf falls
from a tree without his power. Not a fish swims in the ocean.
He didn't put that. The government's on his shoulders.
And his name, who is this Jesus of Nazareth? His name is Wonderful,
Counselor, the Mighty God. He's the Everlasting Father.
He's the Prince of Peace. Both of them. People say, well, the fellow
preacher says some good things. Does he say that? It's not what
he says, it's what he doesn't say. Silence. Somebody says it's
golden. Not where this is concerned.
Silence is cowardice where this is concerned. Silence is denial
when you come to this. Silence is compromise. Silence
is hypocrisy. Silence is covetousness. I want everybody here, every
child, mother, dad, everybody here to know one thing. This
preacher preaches and believes and is convinced and confident
that Jesus of Nazareth is God Almighty. That's right. But he says in verse 3, the fellow
that doesn't confess it, and that's the reason I say it's
not. The silence won't do now. It won't make it. I know, but people,
you've got to say what folks can understand." No, I don't
either. I have to say what God says and pray God will give them
understanding. That's not it at all. But the man that does
not confess that Jesus Christ is coming to flesh, he's not
of God, I don't care how much good works he does, how sweet
he sounds, how tender he is, how loving he is, How much good
works he performs for the community, it doesn't matter. If he doesn't
tell the truth about Christ, he's a liar, he's an imposter,
he's a false prophet, he's a false preacher. Don't hear him. That's
what this says. He's not of God. Yeah, but he
went to the seminary. He's still not of God. Yeah, but he's just such a fine
man. He's not of God. Every spirit that confesseth
not openly, publicly, that Jesus Christ is God Almighty in human
flesh, is not of God, regardless of what his credentials are.
He's not of God. He's not of God. But I go a little
stronger, John says, he's an Antichrist. He's an Antichrist. He's not of God. And he's an
Antichrist, he speaks with another spirit. What is an Antichrist?
1 John 2, back just a little bit. Little children, 1 John
2, 18. Little children, it's the last
time. These are the last days. We've
been in the last days since our Lord was crucified. It's the
last time, it's the last days. You've heard how the Antichrist,
what is an Antichrist? It's opposed to Christ. It's
the enemy of Christ. It's satanic. An Antichrist is
against Christ. Our Lord says, if you're not
for me, you're against me. If you're not gathering with
me, you're scattering abroad. No middle ground. What think
ye of Christ? Whose son is he? What think ye
of Christ? Whose son is he? Is he Joseph's
son? Is he Mary's son? God's son. In a sense that nobody's God's
son. He's the only begotten, well-beloved son of God's love.
He is God, one with the Father. And this man is an Antichrist.
I tell you little children, it's the last time you've heard the
Antichrist shall come. Even now there are many Antichrists. Where are they? In the pulpit. Where does the Antichrist operate?
In the pulpit. That's where he can do the most
damage. whereby you know it's the last
time." Well, how do you know who an Antichrist is? He's a
man that does not boldly own, regardless of what it cost him,
or what price he has to pay. He does not boldly, he confesses
not. He may be silent about it. He
may preach a thousand other things. But if you're not at the place
in the battle where the honor of God is being attacked, you're
not in the fight. If you're not at the place, where
the honor of God and the character of Christ and the truth of how
God saves sinners is being assaulted by Satan. You're back at the
chuck wagon. You're not in the fight. We've got to tell who Christ
is. That's the whole thing. Who is he? Who is he? What did he do? What he did,
it depends on who he is. Why did he do it? Because God
sent him. Where is he now? the right hand
of God. He's an Antichrist, and he's
already in the world. Colossians chapter 2. Turn over
there a minute. Colossians chapter 2. Paul sounds
this note so clearly, Colossians chapter 2. Colossians 2, verse
9 and 10. Let's look at that. Colossians
2, verse 9 and 10. This spirit of Antichrist, Antichrist
is against the Redeemer, denies his deity, denies his offices,
denies his effectual work. Now here Paul clears it up for
us, Colossians 2.9. For in him, in Jesus Christ,
dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. What's he
saying there? He's saying God who's omnipresent,
omnipotent, omniscient, God who created the world, God who is
before all things, God who is I am, he dwells in Jesus Christ. And he dwells in Jesus Christ
in all the perfections of his deity. To see Christ is to see
God, to hear Christ is to hear God, to deny Christ is to deny
God. In him dwelleth all the fullness
the perfections, the nature of God, bodily, in a human body. And you are complete in him. You who believe, you who are
in Christ, because he has all fullness and he fills all things,
because you dwell in him, then you are filled full in him. You
have all things. You are in Christ And all the
fullness in Christ is yours, too. He's made unto us wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. It's all in him.
And because we're in him, you're complete. Something that's complete
needs nothing added. It's complete. And then it tells
us this about it. In Jesus Christ dwells all the
fullness of God, all the perfection of God, all the nature of God,
all the power of God, all the purpose of God, everything pertaining
to God is in Jesus Christ. And you are complete in him.
All things are fulfilled for you. And he is the head. He is
the head of all principality and all power. I know he is the
head of the Church. But from him comes all light. all life, all grace, all love. He's the Lord, he's the head,
he's the king of all others. He's the Lord of all devils and
demons, all principalities and powers. There is no power but
of Christ. He's the head of all demons and
devils, he's the head of all angels, good and bad. He's the
head of all kings of the earth, of all times. He's the head of
all flesh. He's the Lord. He prayed in John
17. He said, My Father, you have
given me authority over all flesh. There's not anything that wiggles
or writhes or moves. All flesh. Bird flesh, fish flesh,
beast flesh, man flesh. All flesh. When our Lord told
his disciples to go pay tribute to Caesar, he said, Go down and
catch a fish and you'll find the money in its mouth. How many
fish do you reckon is in that sea? How many fish do you reckon
is in that sea? Well, I don't know. But I know
every one of them was obeying their master. And they swam away
and let this fellow get through. So Peter could catch him. That's right. My Lord is Lord
of all things. You've given me power over all
flesh. This is what the anti-Christ
preachers oppose. the authority, the power, the
character, the person, the effectual work of the Lord Jesus Christ,
who he is. Turn to Revelation 1. I'll show you another scripture
that tells us who he is. Look at Revelation 1. Listen
to this. Revelation 1, verse 4. John, to the seven churches which
are in Asia, grace be unto you and peace from him which is,
which was, which is to come. And from the seven spirits, that's
the Holy Spirit, before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who's
the faithful witness, prophet, the first begotten of the dead,
he's the prince, he's the king of kings, he's the king of all
kings of the earth, unto him who loved us, he washed us from
our sins in his own blood, He made us kings and priests unto
God and his Father, and to him be all the glory, all the dominion,
the rule, the reign, the power, forever and ever. Amen. That's who he is. That's who he is. Now back to my text, 1 John 4. And he tells us now, don't believe
everybody that comes in the name of God, but try the spirits.
You try them by the word of God, and here's the supreme test.
What do they preach about the Lord Jesus Christ? And then he
tells us in verse 4, look at this, he comforts the believers.
He says, you are God, little children. Do you believe the
gospel? Do you? I do. Do you believe
what I've said about Christ? I do. So strong, I don't know how to
make it stronger. I believe him. Then you're born of God. Look
down at 1 John 5, verse 1. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
of Nazareth is the Christ, the Christ, and all that's said of
the Christ, he's born of God. That's what our Lord said to
Peter. Who do you say I am, Peter? Who do people say I am? Well,
people say you're a good man, you're a good prophet, you're
a great man. You're like Mohammed or Buddha or Confucius. You're just a great man. That's
what people say today. He's a great man. He's a prophet. He's sent
from God. But Peter, what do you say? What do you say? Who am I? Peter said, you are the Christ.
You are the Christ. You are the one of which Every
prophet had written, every prophet anticipated and waited upon,
you're the Christ, the Redeemer, the Messiah, all the whole Old
Testament, you're the seed of woman, the priest after all of
Melchizedek, you're the son of David, you're the root of Jesse,
you're the Christ, and you're God Almighty, you're the son
of God. And our Lord said, you're blessed. He didn't finish. He said, you're
blessed. That's right. But flesh and blood
didn't teach you that because flesh and blood didn't believe
that. My Father taught you that. My Father taught you that I'm
the Christ, the Son of God. First John 5, verse 1, read it
again. And everybody that believes that Jesus is the Christ, he's
born of God, taught of God. And every one that loveth him
that begat the Father and loveth the Son has forgotten." Look
back at my verse in 1 John 4. You are of God. You're born of
God. You're taught of God. You're
chosen of God. You're blessed of God. You're
revealed. You're God. You're God, little
children. You're God. And you've overcome
them. Who's them? What is he talking
about? These false preachers. You've
overcome them. They don't deceive you. You're
God's elect, and you can't deceive God's elect. The day's coming,
he said, when there'll be so many signs and wonders shown
that they'll deceive, if possible, the very elect. But it's not
possible. You've overcome the evil. How'd you overcome him? With the Word of God. That's
how you open it. That's how you answer. When our
Lord was tempted of Satan, he said, you're hungry, 40 days
without food, you're hungry, make these stones bread. It is
written, man shall not live by bread alone. Well, fall down
and worship me, and I'll give you the kingdoms of the earth.
It is written, I shall worship the Lord thy God, and him only
shalt thou serve. Well, cast yourself off, headlong.
He'll give his angels charge over there. Don't tempt the Lord
thy God. It's written. That's how you answer. That's
how. You overcome these false prophets
by the word of God. Because, what's this? Because
greater is he that's in you. Who's in you? The Spirit of God. If any man have not the Spirit
of God, he's none of his. No man can call Jesus Lord but
by the Spirit of God. We're born of the Spirit. We're
born of the Word. We're born of God. You are of
God. You've overcome these pictures.
You've overcome them by the Word, but you've overcome them because
the Spirit of God's in you. Greater is he that's in you than
he that's in the world, and that Spirit of God has given you a
life that can't be quenched. There's a light, the light of
truth in here that The pyres of hell can't put out. Our Lord
said, on this rock I'll build my church and the gates of hell
can't affect it. There's a light that can't be
dimmed. There's a wisdom that can't be
resisted. And I'll tell you, when a man
knows he's called of God and sent of God and he's been taught
the Word of God, he's not afraid of anybody. He's not trying to please anybody
but his Lord. There's a wisdom no man can resist. There's a truth no man can deny.
I didn't agree with you this morning. Well, I'm sorry. Evidently,
I didn't agree with you either, but I agree with him. There's
a life that'll never end. There's a hope that cannot be
quenched. You have received the Spirit of God, and He's greater
than that spirit of Antichrist. Verse 5, listen, they're of the
world. These false preachers are of
the world. They're natural men. They're
born of the flesh. They're educated in the flesh.
And they cater to and please fleshly men. False preachers
are of the world. They seek worldly things. They
seek worldly promotion. They seek worldly crowds. They
seek worldly applause. They're covetous after worldly
things. That's right. These false preachers speak of
the world. He says, therefore speak they of the world. What
do they speak of the world? They speak the wisdom of the
world. They speak the wisdom that man's wisdom teaches. They
speak of social reform and social correction and philosophy and
intellectualism and doctrines that are suited to the taste
of worldly men. They speak of the world. They're
philosophers. They're psychologists, they speak
about all these, they speak of the world. Health and wealth
and healing and flesh and prosperity. That's their message. Look at that next line, and the
world sure does like it. Oh, you just, right down my alley,
preacher, when you talk about how rich I ought to be, and healthy
I ought to be, and prosperous I ought to be, and God wants
me to be this, that, and the other, that just sure makes me
happy, because that's what I want to be. I'm not interested in
eternal life, but I'm interested in making it as good as I can
right here, because I sure like this place. You make it more
attractive to me all the time, preacher. Well, here's the Well,
the people of the world, they attend their meetings, they applaud
their words, and with pleasure, they support them. They are of
the world. They speak of the world. That's
their message. And the world hears them. What's
verse 6? We. John's talking about himself
and every other true preacher. We are of God. We're chosen of
God. You're chosen of God. We're called
of God by the Spirit, by the Word. We're sent of God. We're taught of God. We're put
into ministry by God. We declare the gospel of God.
And our gifts and power to preach is of God. And our understanding
of the Word is of God. We are of God. And he that knows God, he'll
hear us. And what I'm doing this morning
cannot be challenged. I'm reading what this book says,
going verse by verse. And the people that are of God,
they're going to hear this. They're going to hear it. And
that's not just with these ears. Everybody hears. I've got a big
enough mouth, everybody hears me. Here's where they're hearing
it. I was in a meeting two or three weeks ago, and a young
lady I've known all her life since she was a little girl,
but she'd been a rebel all her life. But the Lord conquered
her. She's a married lady now, a mother.
And this is the first time I've seen her since the Lord saved
her. And she came up to me at the service, and she says, I've
heard you preach a whole lot of times. Brother Henry, I heard
you this morning. Oh, she said, I love that gospel
now, the Lord saved me. She's our ever-serving, just
drinking at the fountain. We are God, and he that is of
God will hear us down here in the heart. He who knows God, he that knows,
how do we know God? We know God Not that we've ever
seen God, but we know God in Christ as he's revealed in his
word. We know God not professionally,
but experimentally. There's a difference. I made
a profession of faith when I was just a little child, and I professed
to know God professionally. So when I was 24 years old, I
met him experimentally. Experimentally. Now, come to
know the living God. He knows God experimentally,
in heart, having tasted that the Lord is good. He knows God.
He knows his name. He that knoweth God, he knows
his name. He recognizes his name. I know his name. Jehovah-Jireh,
Jehovah-said-kindred, Jehovah-reil, Jehovah-my-shepherd. I know his
name. I know his grace. I know his
love, I know his mercy, I know his glory, I know his forgiveness,
I know his tenderness, unknowing his peace. But he'll hear you. He'll hear you. But he that's
not of God, he won't hear us. And see, this is the way you
know the spirit of truth and error. When he talked about the
preachers a while ago, he said, you know how you know a true
preacher? He'll tell the truth about Christ. He'll tell you
who he is without embarrassment, without compromise. And the man
who is not of God, he'll deny these things by silence or some
way. And another way you can tell
truth and error is people who hear it. People who are born
of God hear the truth. They rejoice in it. And the people
who are not of God, they don't want it. They don't want it. Churches, there are many of them.
Many of them. They're built a whole lot alike.
They've all got windows and doors and curtains and baptisteries
and piano and organs, carpet This during the remembrance of
me, the churches all, and the men standing in the pulpit, and
they got on blue suits and black suits, and some of them got white-headed
and some black-headed, and they all got a Bible open in front
of them this morning, all over this country. What's the difference? The message. Who is the Lord
Jesus Christ? Why did he come into this world?
What did he do when he came? Where is he now? That's the difference.
And people are of God. These people here this morning
have driven over an hour to get here. They parsed a hundred of
those other churches. One hundred of them at least.
Why are they doing that? They are of God. They've got
to hear the truth about their Lord. Got to hear it. Can't stand anything else, can
you? Don't want to hear it. A sheep will drive a long ways
for a field of clover, but it's got to be God's clover. It's
got to be His green pastures, His still waters. That's the
difference. And that's how you can tell truth and error, by
the people that hear it. Not just by the man that preaches
it, but by the man who follows it. That's what it says here
in the Bible. It says that right there. Hereby
you know it. Let's love one another. He returns
to his theme of this book, love one another. Let's love one another.
Love is of God. Love is of God. It's the commandment
of Christ. This is my commandment, that
you love one another. It's the evidence of a disciple. He said,
by this shall all men know you, my disciples, if you love one
another. It's the fruit of the Spirit, grace and love. It's
the crowning grace. Now about it, faith, hope, and
love, but this is the greatest. To love him, love his word, love
his gospel, love his people, love his truth. Can a man be
without love and be saved? No, sir. Can't do it. Read that verse 7 and 8 again.
Beloved, let us love one another. Love is of God. And everyone
that loveth is born of God and knows God, and he that loveth
not, he doesn't know God. He doesn't know God. God is love. And it's not just fleshly, emotional
experience I'm talking about. I'm talking about love for God. And this is how it's manifested,
verse 9. In this was manifested the love
of God toward us. He sent his only Son. He sent
his only begotten son into this world that we might live through
him. That's the gift of God's love. He loved us. He sent his
son because he loved us. I told you before, John 3, 14,
that's the remedy. As Moses lifted up the serpent,
even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. And verse 15 is a
result that whosoever believes may have everlasting life. But
verse 16 is a reason for God so loved he gave. That's love. This is a manifestation of His
love. He gave His Son. He sent His Son into the world
that we might live through Him. And here it is. Here's the definition
of love. Not that we love God. We didn't
love Him. We did not. Not that we deserved
it. We did not. Not that we are capable
of repaying it. We cannot. Or emulating it. We can't do it beyond us. He sent His Son because He loved
us. Not that we love God. He loved
us. That's the reason God saved you.
He loved you. He loved you. And sent His Son to be the propitiation. What's that? That's an expiator.
What's an expiator? That's the one who makes satisfaction.
That's the one who appeases a holy God. That's the one who makes
amends. That's the one who makes The
right, the wrong right, that's the one that pays the penalty,
all of it, the debt. Well, beloved, if God so loved
us, we sure love one another. That's the conclusion. All right,
I hope that's a blessing to you. It was to me, and I pray this
to you. It's strong, but you know the
gospel is strong. It takes a great gospel to save
a great center. It takes a great God to save
a great center. It takes a great operation of
grace to save a great center. We're not playing games. This has to do with the character
of God and the character of man. and the justice of God, and the
righteousness of God, and the holiness of God, and the love
of God. It's great. It demands the best
we have.