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You're listening to Key Life 
Fellowships Pulpit ministry 

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podcast. 
We thank you for tuning in as we

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learn from God's Word together. 
If you would like more 

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information regarding Key Life 
or to speak with one of our 

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pastors, please visit us at 
keylifefellow-ship.com. 

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Amen. 
I ask the early service this 

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question and I'll ask you as 
well. 

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How many of you appreciate those
songs that draw attention to the

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Lord Jesus Christ and magnify 
Him. 

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I say that in opposition to the 
many things that we see today 

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labeled Christian music, that 
exalt man and that point to man 

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that are self-centered, only to 
leave Jesus as a footnote or A 

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tag on the end. 
But I'm thankful for songs that 

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remind us of where we ought to 
be biblically exalting Him, 

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exalting his name, and for all 
that we do to be about no one 

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else but Christ. 
If you have your Bibles, if you 

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will turn to First Timothy 
chapter 4 as we begin the 4th 

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chapter in this pastoral 
epistle, again in a series 

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entitled Biblical Ministers and 
Biblical Ministry, I pray that 

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God is ministering to you as we 
go through this. 

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We're going to see in this 
message today a warning. 

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We're going to learn what this 
warning is all about. 

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Paul is going to issue that 
warning. 

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He is going to issue the fact 
that there is a threat and then 

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there is a threat of something 
known as apostasy. 

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What apostasy is it is the 
abandoning of the true faith. 

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It is the departing from true 
Christianity is spoken of in 

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Scripture in other places as a. 
Falling away. 

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However, in our modern age, like
many other things that we see in

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Scripture, it's been rebranded, 
it's been softened a little, 

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it's been retitled from 
apostasy, what many are calling 

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it deconstruction or to be 
deconstructing from the faith 

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instead of departing or falling 
away. 

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No, no, I want to say this and I
want to make this very clear as 

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we get into this today, no 
matter how you want to label it,

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it's a departure from the true 
faith. 

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If you can call it whatever you 
want to call it, you can box it 

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in whatever package you want to 
box it in. 

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We're going to see that Paul is 
warning about a departure true 

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falling away. 
And I want you to understand 

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that because many people think 
that when we deconstruct as we 

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define it in these days, we're, 
we're just simply finding a 

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faith that works for us instead 
of the faith that our fathers 

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handed down to us. 
And in that we err because it 

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then becomes about us. 
And when one departs from the 

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true faith of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. 

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And to the inventions of man, 
even though they may be labeled 

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Christianity. 
We're going to see in a moment 

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that the enemy is very crafty. 
He's very cunning in this. 

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He doesn't label heresies that 
lead people into apostasy as 

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heresies. 
He labels all of them 

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Christianity. 
But these things are deceiving 

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many. 
And John says this in his first 

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epistle. 
In the 2nd chapter. 

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He says this about the apostate 
so that you're not mistaken. 

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When people depart from the 
faith, they abandoned the Lord 

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Jesus Christ. 
They walk out of the church 

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never to return in repentance 
and faith know this. 

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He says this in first John 
chapter 2 verse 19. 

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They went out from us, but they 
did not really belong to us. 

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It's not as if they lost 
salvation. 

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They never had salvation. 
They never belonged in the 1st 

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place. 
For if they had belonged to us, 

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Scripture says they would have 
remained with us. 

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But they're going out showed 
that none of them belonged to 

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us. 
This is tragic and tragically 

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under the label and the idea in 
our time of what many are 

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calling deconstruction. 
There are people departing from 

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the one true faith by the 
multitudes. 

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Now I know this, I know many of 
them seem to return at another 

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time. 
But John says that if they 

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departed from us and went out 
from us, it proves that they 

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were not of us, because if they 
were of us, they would have 

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remained with us. 
But they're going out showed 

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that none of them belong to us. 
Now, what's unfortunate about 

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the modern day reconstruction 
that the Bible is obviously 

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calling it departing from the 
faith apostasy. 

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When they return, often times 
they return on their own terms 

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with their new found faith, and 
then they intermingle this new 

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found faith with the true 
Christian faith, making it not 

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the true faith at all. 
And so we see very quickly that 

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apostasy presents a tragic 
threat. 

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To the church, it presented a 
threat to the church there in 

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Ephesus, as Paul is writing this
in his day, and it presents a 

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threat in our day as well. 
You better make note of that. 

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You're none of us. 
We're. 

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Above this threat, we need to 
pay close attention to what this

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message says. 
Now, I know some of you you're 

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going to say this alarms me. 
It should. 

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This is an alarming message. 
It should be alarming to the 

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individual as well as the entire
congregation. 

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It's ought to shake us to the 
court, ought to wake us up. 

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It ought to cause us to do 
strict inventory of our 

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professed faith to make sure 
that we truly are of the faith. 

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Because you know what, there are
many who depart from the faith 

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and they still sit right here. 
So we need to see it as threat. 

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That it is First Timothy chapter
4. 

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Paul says this. 
It says in verse one. 

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The Spirit clearly says that in 
latter times some will abandoned

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the faith and follow deceiving 
spirits and things taught by 

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demons. 
Such teachings come through 

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hypocritical liars whose 
consciences have been seared as 

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with a hot iron. 
They forbid people to marry and 

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order them to abstain from 
certain foods which God created 

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to be received with Thanksgiving
by those who believe and who 

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know the truth. 
For everything God created is 

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good, and nothing is to be 
rejected if it is received with 

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Thanksgiving. 
Because it is consecrated by the

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Word of God and prayer. 
He goes on in verse 6 and he 

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says if you point these things 
out to the brothers, you will be

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a good minister of Christ Jesus 
brought up in the truths of the 

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faith and all of the good 
teaching that you have followed.

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Let's pray together. 
Father, in the name of Jesus, we

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come to you, thanking you for 
your Word and trusting in Your 

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Word. 
God, we know that today Your 

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Word is going to speak to our 
hearts and to our minds. 

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And for the believer who's here 
today, they will receive Your 

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truth and their lives will 
exemplify that as you mold them 

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and as you shape them into who 
you desire for them to be. 

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For the unbeliever today, Lord, 
I pray that they hear the truth 

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of the gospel, that you by your 
Spirit, use the truth in the 

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preaching of the gospel to open 
their blind eyes and open their 

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deaf ears. 
That they would see and hear the

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truth of Jesus Christ. 
That you would regenerate them 

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to new life, drawing them out of
darkness into your life, 

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exposing their sin, causing them
to see their need for repentance

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and their need for faith in 
Jesus Christ. 

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And this very day, Lord, you 
would save them because of the 

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truth that has gone forth, 
because of the sacrifice that 

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you made on their behalf. 
And I pray that all things be 

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done according to your will, 
that Your will be accomplished 

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above all things. 
Equip us, strengthen us by your 

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word now through the power of 
Your Spirit. 

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And we pray and we ask these 
things, the mighty name of 

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Jesus, Amen. 
So we look today at the threat 

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of apostasy. 
If we're going to do that, we're

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going to simply just take what 
Paul has already spoken here. 

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We're going to break it down 
verse by verse and see what he's

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saying. 
And the first thing that I think

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we need to take note of and that
we need to realize is the 

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reality of apostasy. 
He says in the first verse, he 

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said, the Spirit clearly says, 
yeah, there's nothing foggy 

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here. 
There's nothing in code. 

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This is not a mystery. 
The Spirit clearly says that in 

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the latter times Psalm will 
abandoned the faith. 

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So what Paul is saying is he's 
saying the Spirit has revealed 

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this truth and there's nothing 
that you can do to change it. 

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It is a reality and it must be 
embraced as a reality. 

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Why? 
So that you don't fall into the 

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trap of thinking that you're not
susceptible to this, so that you

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see the seriousness of it, and 
so that you would truly examine 

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yourself and test your faith to 
see if you are truly in Christ 

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Jesus this morning. 
So we must be constantly aware 

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of the reality and the threat of
apostasy in our personal 

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Christian lives, not only in our
personal Christian lives, but as

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a whole, as a church. 
Don't think for one second that 

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for some reason apostasy is not 
a danger that we at Key Life 

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Fellowship faced as a threat 
simply because we're sound and 

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doctrine at this moment in time.
Sound and doctrine at this 

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moment in time counts for 
nothing 20 or 25 or 30 years 

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down the road from here. 
And so we need to see the 

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reality of apostasy and doing 
that. 

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We need to see that it is first 
an inevitable threat. 

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Paul says this is what is going 
to happen. 

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And this has been revealed to 
him not because of some opinion 

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that he he gathered from someone
else. 

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No, he says, I have received 
this directly from the Spirit. 

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That's why he's passing it on to
to Timothy there in Ephesus, 

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who's pastoring that church. 
He said, I want you to be aware 

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of this and I want all your 
people to be aware of this, that

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this is an inevitable threat to 
the church apostasy. 

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We need to constantly be aware 
of it. 

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Now. 
Stop thinking that if we ignore 

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it, it's going to somehow go 
away. 

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Stop relaxing and thinking, 
well, it surely doesn't apply to

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us just because we're biblically
sound. 

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The threat of apostasy is here 
and it is real. 

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How do I know that? 
Because it was there and it was 

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real. 
And Ephesus, when Paul wrote to 

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them and he'd received word from
the Lord that this needed to be 

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addressed. 
Because it's an inevitable 

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threat. 
Jesus spoke on this in Matthew 

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chapter 24. 
He says this in verse 24. 

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For false messiahs and false 
prophets will appear and perform

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great signs and wonders to 
deceive, if possible even. 

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The elect he's talking about in 
the latter times, in the end 

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times. 
And let me just make this clear 

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for you, right? 
Because people ask, ask me from 

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time to time, are we living in 
the end times? 

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Yes, since the ascension of 
Christ we have been living in 

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the end times and we will live 
in the end times until Christ 

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returns. 
And so we need to take note of 

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this. 
If we are living in those days, 

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Jesus said this, that there is 
going to come a deception and 

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many will fall away, and that 
deception will be so strong that

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if it was possible, it would 
even deceive the elect. 

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Now I'm thankful that it's not 
possible to deceive the elect. 

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They are secure in Christ. 
But you know what it is capable 

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of doing. 
It's capable of deceiving people

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who aren't the elect into 
thinking that they are the 

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elect, resting in false 
assurance and false salvation 

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based on some work that they 
did. 

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You know, they walked an aisle 
and they prayed a little prayer 

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and asked Jesus into their 
heart. 

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But you'll find that nowhere in 
Scripture. 

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Please don't preach that. 
Please don't use that when 

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you're evangelizing. 
It is not biblical, period. 

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Get rid of it. 
I know some of you have had. 

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It for decades. 
It's time to lose the things 

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that are unbiblical. 
Why? 

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Because of the inevitable threat
of apostasy. 

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There are many. 
People who will spend an 

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eternity in hell. 
I believe this having said and 

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repeated parroted a sinner's 
prayer because someone told them

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in order to be saved, this is 
how you must do it. 

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You will find that nowhere in. 
Scripture. 

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I've searched high and I have 
searched low. 

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It's not to be found, and Jesus 
says beware. 

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That there's going to be false 
messiahs and false prophets, 

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people that preach things that 
aren't biblically sound. 

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They'll do great signs and 
wonders and if possible, they're

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going to deceive the elect. 
Be aware of this. 

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Paul actually points out in 
Second Timothy the inevitable 

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nature of this falling away. 
In Second Timothy chapter 3, he 

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says this in verse one. 
But mark this, there will be 

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terrible times in the last days.
People will be lovers of 

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themselves, lovers of money, 
boastful, proud, abusive, 

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disobedient to their parents, 
ungrateful, unholy, without 

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00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:23,920
love, unforgiving, slanderous, 
without self-control, brutal. 

230
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Not lovers of the good, 
treacherous, rash, conceited. 

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Lovers of pleasure rather than 
lovers of God, you say? 

232
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Yeah, Kirk, that's talking about
the outside world. 

233
00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:35,160
Of course that's what they're 
going to be. 

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Read on. 
Having a form of godliness but 

235
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denying its power. 
And these are people who claim 

236
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to have a form of godliness. 
These could be people within the

237
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walls of a church. 
He says they claim to have a 

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form of godliness, but the 
denier deny the power thereof he

239
00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:55,160
says have nothing to do with 
them. 

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00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:57,640
You know what the power that 
he's talking about is the power 

241
00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:00,640
of the gospel, for it is the 
power of God unto salvation for 

242
00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:02,720
all who believe. 
First for the Jew, then for the 

243
00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:05,680
Gentile. 
They're actually denying God's 

244
00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:09,320
power to save and putting the 
emphasis on people and their 

245
00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:15,280
works, just as Paul is 
addressing those here in Ephesus

246
00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:18,360
who would do the same thing. 
And he wants them to know the 

247
00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:21,920
reality of apostasy by making it
very clear that it is an 

248
00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:24,480
inevitable threat. 
Not only is it an inevitable, 

249
00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:28,440
inevitable threat is also an 
imminent threat. 

250
00:15:29,320 --> 00:15:32,760
This is this is a threat and 
that is always knocking at the 

251
00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:38,520
door trying to get you to go 
down the path that leads toward 

252
00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:41,680
destruction to walk away from 
the true faith. 

253
00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:45,160
That's why Jude in writing his 
letter, he said this in the 

254
00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:47,720
third verse of that one short 
chapter. 

255
00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:49,560
He said, dear friends, although 
I was very. 

256
00:15:49,560 --> 00:15:53,480
Eager to write to you about the 
salvation we share, I felt 

257
00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:56,600
compelled to write and urge you 
to contend for the faith that 

258
00:15:56,600 --> 00:16:00,200
was once for all entrusted to 
God's holy people. 

259
00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:05,800
Jude riding to the church saying
I, I want you folks to fight for

260
00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:09,880
the faith because there are 
people constantly coming at the 

261
00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:13,680
one true faith, constantly 
knocking on the door, constantly

262
00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:17,440
trying to lead people down the 
wrong path, constantly even 

263
00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:19,680
coming into the church and 
saying you have Christ. 

264
00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:21,760
But let me tell you about a 
little something more that you 

265
00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:26,040
don't have. 
And they can label it any 

266
00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:28,440
spiritual thing that they want 
to label it. 

267
00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:32,360
But if it leads people away from
the one true faith found in 

268
00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:34,920
Jesus Christ, the one true 
gospel, we have a problem. 

269
00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:37,680
Don't we? 
And so this is an imminent 

270
00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:46,720
threat and anyone in any church 
at any time can be LED astray at

271
00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:53,080
any moment, even this church, 
even this man. 

272
00:16:55,320 --> 00:17:00,960
I want you to understand that I 
am a human being and I'm nothing

273
00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:04,440
more than that. 
And if I don't solidify what I 

274
00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:08,200
teach in scripture, I could 
teach you error at. 

275
00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:13,040
Any moment. 
And some of you, because many of

276
00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:17,760
you follow without question, 
some of you would fall into a 

277
00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:21,920
trap along with me. 
And so you have to be very aware

278
00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:25,800
of this imminent threat. 
I say that because I was 

279
00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:28,440
involved in a church where this 
happened. 

280
00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:33,360
I don't tell a whole lot of. 
Personal stories from the pulpit

281
00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:38,040
Think there's a time and place 
for personal stories? 

282
00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:43,720
That's lunchtime or dinner time.
But I'll share this one because 

283
00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:47,560
maybe it'll help some of you. 
I was in a church that was 

284
00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:54,760
passionate about reaching loss 
to people with the gospel, and 

285
00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:56,720
it breaks my heart every time I 
think about this. 

286
00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:00,960
And one year they baptized over 
300 people by simply preaching 

287
00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:04,080
the good news of the gospel of 
Jesus Christ. 

288
00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:15,480
And then in slipped a little 
heresy here, a little false 

289
00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:20,960
teaching there, a little pride 
over here, a little arrogance 

290
00:18:21,120 --> 00:18:26,560
over here. 
And before you knew it, the 

291
00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:31,840
leaders in that church, many of 
them who are still in an 

292
00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:35,920
apostate state, giving no regard
to the Word of God, doing 

293
00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:39,200
whatever it is that they want to
do, many of them were led. 

294
00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:43,560
Astray and LED others astray. 
You can go back to that church 

295
00:18:43,560 --> 00:18:48,800
today and it is just a remnant 
of what it once was. 

296
00:18:51,560 --> 00:18:54,720
So I want you to see the nature 
of this threat. 

297
00:18:57,080 --> 00:19:01,560
Apostasy will always, until 
Christ returns, pose an imminent

298
00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:06,720
threat. 
No one is above this, not until 

299
00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:09,720
you are glorified and in the 
presence of Christ. 

300
00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:13,240
That's why it's our duty to 
constantly examine our 

301
00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:15,800
profession of faith and 
constantly examine the Scripture

302
00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:17,760
and constantly study the Word of
God. 

303
00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:25,280
This is an eminent threat. 
Not only is it an eminent threat

304
00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:28,720
and an inevitable threat. 
It's an increasing threat. 

305
00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:31,920
When we all. 
Agree that since the ascension 

306
00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:34,720
of Christ we have drifted closer
and closer to the return of our 

307
00:19:34,720 --> 00:19:38,840
Lord. 
I loved a moment ago when we 

308
00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:42,680
sang How great thou art and 
Christ shall come. 

309
00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:45,600
That ought to be the longing of 
all of our hearts. 

310
00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:48,600
But until then, know this. 
There's going to be an 

311
00:19:48,600 --> 00:19:54,160
increasing threat of apostasy as
the day draws nearer and nearer 

312
00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:59,840
to Christ's return. 
Apostasy is going to grow. 

313
00:19:59,840 --> 00:20:02,200
Deception is going to grow. 
How do I know this? 

314
00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:06,320
Because Scripture tells us this.
Second Timothy, chapter 4. 

315
00:20:06,880 --> 00:20:09,680
Verse 3 Paul says this he says 
for the time will come when 

316
00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:11,960
people will not put upset with 
sound doctrine. 

317
00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:14,480
Instead the suit to their own 
desires. 

318
00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:17,240
They will gather around them a 
great number of teachers to say 

319
00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:19,080
what they're itching ears want 
to hear. 

320
00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:23,800
They will turn their ears away 
from the truth and turn aside to

321
00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:26,200
myths. 
The word of God speaks and he 

322
00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:31,680
says this it's going to continue
to escalate into this direction.

323
00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:36,640
Be very aware of that. 
This threat is increasing all 

324
00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:39,880
the time. 
Deception more and more we can 

325
00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:43,120
all agree, couldn't we? 
Looking at our modern culture, 

326
00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:47,680
looking at so-called modern 
evangelical churches, we could 

327
00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:53,240
say this very easily, yes. 
Many of them have completely 

328
00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:55,960
apostatized from the faith. 
They're not teaching the truth 

329
00:20:55,960 --> 00:20:58,080
of the Word of God. 
They're not standing on sound 

330
00:20:58,080 --> 00:20:59,440
doctrine. 
They're not teaching sound 

331
00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:01,280
doctrine. 
And they may have been a place 

332
00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:07,560
that once did, but now they have
traded sound doctrine for self 

333
00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:13,520
help psychology. 
They have traded bold gospel 

334
00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:19,960
preaching for entertainment. 
This increasing threat is all 

335
00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:28,160
around us, inching in day by day
as we approach the coming of the

336
00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:30,320
Lord. 
It's progressively getting 

337
00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:31,880
worse. 
We can see it, can't we, In our 

338
00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:35,120
time, like Isaiah spoke of in 
Isaiah 520, where he says this 

339
00:21:35,120 --> 00:21:38,800
woe to those who call evil good 
and good evil, who put darkness 

340
00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:41,160
for light and light for 
darkness, who put bitter for 

341
00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:44,160
sweet and and sweet for bitter, 
he said. 

342
00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:47,040
But Kirk, isn't that talking 
about those outside of the 

343
00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:48,200
church? 
Possibly. 

344
00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:53,800
Aren't we seeing many signs of 
that within the church? 

345
00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:59,480
Arguing about things that the 
Bible specifically says they are

346
00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:04,240
wrong and then somehow trying to
justify it theologically and 

347
00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:07,640
biblically when scripture has 
spoken on it and it's black and 

348
00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:11,000
white. 
God says woe to these people. 

349
00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:15,800
This threat is increasing and 
will continue to increase 

350
00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:19,040
progressively getting worse. 
Second Timothy chapter 3 verse 

351
00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:24,040
13 he says while evil doers and 
impostors will go from bad to 

352
00:22:24,040 --> 00:22:28,560
worse, deceiving and being 
deceived. 

353
00:22:29,360 --> 00:22:34,120
Oh, if the deception that those 
that Ephesus were going to face.

354
00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:38,600
Was escalating in nature 
increasing as a threat? 

355
00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:43,240
Well how much more as we are 
approaching the return of Christ

356
00:22:43,360 --> 00:22:45,960
are we seeing a greater 
deception? 

357
00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:51,280
Please know this church, 
everything labeled church is not

358
00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:54,800
the church. 
Everything labeled Christian is 

359
00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:58,720
not Christianity. 
Everything labeled Christ. 

360
00:22:58,760 --> 00:23:02,280
Is not Christ? 
How do we distinguish 

361
00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:06,200
distinguish what is true? 
We go to the word of God over 

362
00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:10,480
and over and over again, but 
many have been lulled to sleep 

363
00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:12,160
regarding the threat of 
apostasy. 

364
00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:14,080
That's why I want you to realize
that it is a. 

365
00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:19,040
Reality. 
It's here, an inevitable threat,

366
00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:21,560
an imminent threat, an 
increasing threat. 

367
00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:24,320
It's nothing to play with. 
It's nothing to just look some 

368
00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:27,000
other direction and play like 
we're not prone to it. 

369
00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:34,760
You have to see the serious 
nature of it except the fact 

370
00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:36,360
that it is an ever present 
reality. 

371
00:23:36,360 --> 00:23:41,680
Secondly, Paul gives us the 
reason for apostasy, and I want 

372
00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:43,200
you to pay close attention to 
this. 

373
00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:49,080
He goes on there in the next 
part of the first verse. 

374
00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:50,560
I'll read the entirety of it 
again. 

375
00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:53,000
It says the Spirit clearly says 
that in the latter times some 

376
00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:55,600
will abandoned the faith and 
follow deceiving spirits and 

377
00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:59,680
things taught by demons. 
Such teachings come through 

378
00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:05,440
hypocritical liars whose 
consciences have been seared as 

379
00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:08,760
with a hot iron. 
He says what they do, He says 

380
00:24:08,760 --> 00:24:11,920
they forbid people to marry and 
order them to abstain from 

381
00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:15,440
certain foods which God created 
to be received with Thanksgiving

382
00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:20,360
by those who believe and who 
know the truth. 

383
00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:23,720
And Paul's instructing the 
church to be aware of the 

384
00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:28,920
reasons for apostasy. 
He speaks of exactly how people.

385
00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:32,240
Will abandoned the faith here. 
Here specifically, he's talking 

386
00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:36,480
about people that were coming in
and they were teaching some kind

387
00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:40,800
of ascetic legalism, telling 
people that if you're going to 

388
00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:44,120
truly be saved, you you can't 
get married and you have to 

389
00:24:44,120 --> 00:24:47,040
abstain from certain foods and 
you have to do this and you have

390
00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:53,720
to do that. 
And all of this is because of a 

391
00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:55,880
demonic influence. 
Now. 

392
00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:59,600
Now I know many of you you get 
freaked out by that, but can I 

393
00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:02,080
let you in on a secret that many
people just want to stick their 

394
00:25:02,080 --> 00:25:03,880
head in the sand and play like 
it doesn't exist? 

395
00:25:04,120 --> 00:25:07,560
There is a dark and demonic 
world that you cannot see with 

396
00:25:07,560 --> 00:25:12,040
your human eye. 
You better be aware of this. 

397
00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:14,640
Why is this important? 
Because Paul says that our 

398
00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:17,680
struggle there in Ephesians 
chapter 6, verse 12, our 

399
00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:20,880
struggle's not against flesh and
blood, but against the rulers, 

400
00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:23,480
against the authorities, against
the powers of this Dark World, 

401
00:25:23,680 --> 00:25:27,120
and against the spiritual forces
of evil in the heavenly realms. 

402
00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:29,840
What is he saying? 
We was riding to the Ephesians 

403
00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:33,720
there and they thought that the 
tyranny of Rome was their enemy.

404
00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:38,040
And he's saying this, No, you 
got a greater enemy. 

405
00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:41,720
In fact, all the rulers and all 
the authorities of Rome, they're

406
00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:45,200
controlled by these dark and 
demonic forces in heavenly 

407
00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:49,000
realm. 
And so you need to be aware of 

408
00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:50,600
that when we talk about 
apostasy. 

409
00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:53,840
Why He says because there will 
be people who follow deceiving 

410
00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:56,040
spirits and things taught by 
demons. 

411
00:25:56,040 --> 00:25:59,760
This is demonic influence. 
What does that look like? 

412
00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:04,280
It looks like Antichrist 
deceptions, these Antichrist 

413
00:26:04,280 --> 00:26:07,240
deceptions that were here when 
Jesus was on this earth. 

414
00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:10,120
But we know that John covers 
them in his first epistle. 

415
00:26:10,120 --> 00:26:13,080
He says this in first John 
chapter 4 verse 1. 

416
00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:15,800
He says, dear friends, do not 
believe every spirit, but test 

417
00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:17,760
the spirits to see whether they 
are from God. 

418
00:26:18,320 --> 00:26:21,960
That would do you well to do 
that because many false prophets

419
00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:25,280
have gone out into the world and
this is how you can recognize 

420
00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:28,120
the Spirit of God. 
Every spirit that acknowledges 

421
00:26:28,120 --> 00:26:30,840
that Jesus Christ has come in 
the flesh is from God. 

422
00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:33,600
He goes on and he says, but 
every spirit that does not 

423
00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:35,400
acknowledge. 
Jesus is not from God. 

424
00:26:36,120 --> 00:26:38,720
This is the spirit of 
Antichrist. 

425
00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:43,240
What you have heard is coming 
and even now is already in the 

426
00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:50,000
world, those anti Christian 
deceptions that we see all over 

427
00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:53,600
the place. 
That are born out of demonic 

428
00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:57,600
influence and second John he 
continues to speak of this and. 

429
00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:00,160
17 He says. 
I say this because many 

430
00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:02,840
deceivers who do not acknowledge
Jesus Christ as coming in the 

431
00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:06,200
flesh have gone into the world. 
Any such person as the deceiver 

432
00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:09,120
and the Antichrist. 
He says it again. 

433
00:27:09,120 --> 00:27:13,200
He wants people to know how true
this is. 

434
00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:18,640
And so there are those anti 
Christian deceptions. 

435
00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:21,880
You know what's sad about those 
anti Christian deceptions? 

436
00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:29,840
They're labeled Christianity. 
They're labeled the right way. 

437
00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:36,200
Many people often forget this, 
that the narrow gate which leads

438
00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:41,920
to heaven has the same label on 
it as the wide gate which leads 

439
00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:46,640
to destruction. 
They're both labeled eternal 

440
00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:48,160
life. 
They're both labeled to 

441
00:27:48,160 --> 00:27:51,280
Christianity. 
That is how crafty this demonic 

442
00:27:51,280 --> 00:27:54,680
influence is. 
Because our enemy Satan is 

443
00:27:54,680 --> 00:27:59,480
cunning and he's roaming the 
earth seeking whom he may devour

444
00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:05,600
as a roaring lion. 
So you you need to understand 

445
00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:11,080
the reason for apostasy. 
It is a demonic influence, anti 

446
00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:14,880
Christian deceptions, false 
religious systems stemming from 

447
00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:19,600
so-called enlightenment by these
people who are receiving this 

448
00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:22,760
new enlightenment. 
Now I got a word from the Lord. 

449
00:28:23,120 --> 00:28:25,480
Show me chapter and verse or you
didn't get a word from anyone. 

450
00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:33,920
Show me they can't produce 
anything and the word that they 

451
00:28:33,920 --> 00:28:36,720
say that they received 
contradicts the scripture that I

452
00:28:36,720 --> 00:28:41,600
hold in my hand that is 
infallible and is inerrant and 

453
00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:45,360
so I have to make this choice. 
Is the word of God infallible or

454
00:28:45,360 --> 00:28:47,160
inerrant? 
Or. 

455
00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:50,640
Do all these people who receive 
this enlightenment, do they 

456
00:28:50,640 --> 00:28:54,440
trump the word of God? 
Let me just tell you where I 

457
00:28:54,440 --> 00:28:55,680
stand in case you don't know 
this. 

458
00:28:57,120 --> 00:29:01,160
I stand on the word of God 
because it is the one absolute 

459
00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:06,320
truth in this world, but yet 
many false religious systems 

460
00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:09,240
stem from so-called 
enlightenment or knowledge that 

461
00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:12,320
they receive out of. 
Thin air, folks. 

462
00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:15,800
Listen to me, you men who study 
with us on Thursday nights, You 

463
00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:18,520
know this. 
That's Gnosticism repackaged, 

464
00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:22,640
isn't Isn't it much of the 
Charismatic movement, the Word 

465
00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:28,000
of Faith movement, is Gnosticism
in a different package, leading 

466
00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:31,240
people away from the true 
gospel, leading them away from 

467
00:29:31,240 --> 00:29:34,040
sound. 
Doctrine leading them into full 

468
00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:38,040
blown apostasy all while calling
it biblical teaching. 

469
00:29:39,880 --> 00:29:43,080
You need to be aware of this. 
The demonic influence that we 

470
00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:47,360
see in these systems. 
Second Corinthians Chapter 11 

471
00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:51,760
Paul says this. 
He says in verse 14. 

472
00:29:51,760 --> 00:29:55,400
And no wonder, for Satan himself
masquerades as an Angel of 

473
00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:58,600
light. 
It is not surprising then if his

474
00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:01,720
servants also masquerade as 
servants of righteousness. 

475
00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:05,320
Their end will be what their 
actions deserve. 

476
00:30:06,800 --> 00:30:08,720
Please know this. 
We're dealing with demonic 

477
00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:13,760
influence that poses as light. 
They may be standing in the 

478
00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:17,120
pulpit, they may be in some 
ministry role or some leadership

479
00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:21,560
role. 
Introducing this demonic 

480
00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:27,760
influence, sometimes even Pagan 
idolatry, into the church. 

481
00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:32,760
How do they do this? 
Paul doesn't leave us guessing 

482
00:30:32,760 --> 00:30:35,240
here. 
He says they'll follow deceiving

483
00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:36,720
spirits and things taught by 
demons. 

484
00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:39,360
Such teachings come through 
hypocritical liars whose 

485
00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:43,160
consciences have been seared as 
with a hot iron. 

486
00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:48,360
The reason for apostasy first is
demonic influence, but we know 

487
00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:51,200
that it enters into the church 
and into the life of the 

488
00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:53,680
believer through heretical 
instructions. 

489
00:30:55,840 --> 00:30:58,680
People who come and they teach 
things that are not consistent 

490
00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:01,880
with biblical truth. 
They are hypocritical liars 

491
00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:08,760
claiming to be free while in 
bondage to their own lies. 

492
00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:11,600
Paul doesn't pull any punches 
here. 

493
00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:16,800
He calls them exactly what they 
are, hypocritical liars, false 

494
00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:21,920
teachers with. 
Seared consciences, and he says 

495
00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:27,600
this about them, these false 
teachers, these hypocritical 

496
00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:32,480
liars with seared consciences 
will bring in these strange 

497
00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:35,640
teaching another place in 
Scripture. 

498
00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:42,080
He calls them secret teachings. 
Things that are secret that they

499
00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:47,160
introduce secretly bringing 
these destructive heresies in 

500
00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:50,120
without anyone knowing. 
Second Peter, chapter 2. 

501
00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:53,960
Verse one says, But there will 
also there were also false 

502
00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:56,720
prophets among the people just 
as there will be false teachers 

503
00:31:56,720 --> 00:32:00,600
among you and they will secretly
introduce destructive heresies, 

504
00:32:00,600 --> 00:32:04,480
even denying the sovereign Lord 
who bought them, bringing swift 

505
00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:08,200
destruction on themselves. 
Peter here talking about these 

506
00:32:08,200 --> 00:32:11,760
secret and destructive heresies.
What what do I mean by that? 

507
00:32:11,760 --> 00:32:17,600
Here's how they creep in and 
you're in the middle of a reach 

508
00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:19,640
group Wednesday night Bible 
study in home. 

509
00:32:21,040 --> 00:32:25,960
You're looking at the scriptures
as they are laid out plain and 

510
00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:30,640
simple. 
And someone then speaks up and 

511
00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:33,280
says, I know that says that, but
I believe this. 

512
00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:36,680
And someone else says, you know,
I thought about that, too. 

513
00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:39,560
That's why hopefully our Reed 
St. leaders will stop that 

514
00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:41,320
conversation right there and 
say, hey, hold on. 

515
00:32:41,320 --> 00:32:47,520
Nope, that's not working here. 
They come in secretly if it 

516
00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:49,040
doesn't happen like. 
That you know where else that 

517
00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:50,600
happens afterwards? 
Out in the parking lot. 

518
00:32:52,320 --> 00:32:56,200
And I know that the pastor 
taught you this this way, but 

519
00:32:57,720 --> 00:33:01,160
isn't it better if we see it 
another way? 

520
00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:04,600
Can I tell you this? 
I do my best. 

521
00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:09,320
I strive to never give you my 
opinion about anything. 

522
00:33:10,880 --> 00:33:14,960
If my opinion doesn't matter, I 
give to you, plain and simple, 

523
00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:16,600
the word of God's sound 
doctrine. 

524
00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:19,600
Why? 
To guard against such things, 

525
00:33:19,600 --> 00:33:21,400
right? 
I don't want to be a heretical 

526
00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:23,800
instructor. 
I don't want to be some false 

527
00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:25,960
teacher who leads myself and 
others into. 

528
00:33:25,960 --> 00:33:28,920
Error. 
I don't want to be the one that 

529
00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:31,640
Jesus describes in Matthew 
Chapter 7 verse 15 where he says

530
00:33:31,640 --> 00:33:34,080
watch out for false prophets. 
They come to you in sheep's 

531
00:33:34,080 --> 00:33:36,840
clothing, but inwardly they are 
ferocious wolves. 

532
00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:38,960
Again we see that secretive 
nature. 

533
00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:40,800
They come and they pose as 
sheep. 

534
00:33:42,400 --> 00:33:47,320
But inside, they're wolves. 
Oh, we see it in our day, don't 

535
00:33:47,320 --> 00:33:49,400
we? 
They pose as sheep. 

536
00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:52,280
They pose as angels of light. 
They don't really care about 

537
00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:53,800
your soul. 
All they care about is your 

538
00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:59,360
pocketbook or theirs. 
They just want to get to yours. 

539
00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:01,920
They'll tell you everything 
under the sun. 

540
00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:03,040
Right? 
If you want a miracle. 

541
00:34:03,720 --> 00:34:06,000
And can I ask you this? 
If someone in here was suffering

542
00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:07,600
from cancer, wouldn't you want a
miracle? 

543
00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:11,679
They prey on people like this. 
Are you in a wheelchair? 

544
00:34:11,679 --> 00:34:13,000
You were born there. 
You want to walk? 

545
00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:15,880
Well, yeah, I want to walk. 
I've never done that. 

546
00:34:17,159 --> 00:34:19,120
And they tell you, well, if you 
want to do these things, if 

547
00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:23,920
you'll sow seed into my 
ministry, walk out the door. 

548
00:34:23,920 --> 00:34:26,199
Then if you can't walk, get 
somebody. 

549
00:34:26,199 --> 00:34:29,800
To will you out, you're not a 
place you need to be. 

550
00:34:31,239 --> 00:34:33,520
These are radical instructors 
are hypocritical liars, 

551
00:34:33,520 --> 00:34:37,080
promising things that they can't
deliver, seared consciences. 

552
00:34:37,080 --> 00:34:38,960
They don't care about people. 
They don't care about people's 

553
00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:40,159
souls. 
All they do is care about 

554
00:34:40,159 --> 00:34:46,480
themselves. 
Jesus warns that in Matthew 

555
00:34:46,480 --> 00:34:49,800
2411, many false prophets will 
appear and deceive many people 

556
00:34:49,960 --> 00:34:52,960
who are living in it. 
Because of the increase of 

557
00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:54,800
wickedness, the love of most 
will grow cold. 

558
00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:56,159
What is he talking about? 
The true. 

559
00:34:56,159 --> 00:35:00,400
Love for God, to just love 
Christ for who he is, to love 

560
00:35:00,400 --> 00:35:03,400
the Father for who he is, to see
them in Scripture and to be 

561
00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:05,120
content with that. 
You know what's interesting? 

562
00:35:05,160 --> 00:35:07,760
The church nowadays as a whole 
is not content with Christ. 

563
00:35:07,760 --> 00:35:09,560
They're trying to find new and 
fancy things. 

564
00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:13,920
Now let us be content. 
In fact, let us be consumed with

565
00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:17,840
Christ. 
These are radical instructors, 

566
00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:21,200
false teachers, bringing 
destructive heresies, 

567
00:35:21,800 --> 00:35:24,400
proclaiming false gospels. 
And we already know what Paul 

568
00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:28,600
thinks about false gospels. 
Galatians chapter 1, he covers 

569
00:35:28,600 --> 00:35:30,800
this very thoroughly. 
He says, I'm astonished in verse

570
00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:33,520
6 that you are so quickly 
deserting the one who called you

571
00:35:33,520 --> 00:35:36,520
to live in the grace of Christ 
and are turning to a different 

572
00:35:36,520 --> 00:35:39,040
gospel, which is really no 
gospel at all. 

573
00:35:39,800 --> 00:35:42,360
Watch how this happened. 
Evidently, some people are 

574
00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:45,680
throwing you into confusion, 
hypocritical liars with seared 

575
00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:48,400
consciences and are trying to 
pervert the. 

576
00:35:48,400 --> 00:35:51,520
Gospel of Christ. 
But even if we or an Angel from 

577
00:35:51,520 --> 00:35:54,320
heaven should preach a gospel 
other than the one we preach to 

578
00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:58,520
you, let them be under God's 
curse, anathema. 

579
00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:05,160
We have to be aware of these 
hypocritical instructors, these 

580
00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:10,880
teachers, these blind guides 
leading people away from the 

581
00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:15,640
true gospel, leading them to 
legalistic heresies, antinomian 

582
00:36:15,640 --> 00:36:20,960
heresies, again, ascetic 
heresies like we see here all 

583
00:36:20,960 --> 00:36:24,040
things that lead you and point 
you away from Christ by seeming 

584
00:36:24,040 --> 00:36:29,040
spiritual. 
But in the end, they're not the 

585
00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:34,200
one true faith. 
It's demonic influence through 

586
00:36:34,200 --> 00:36:37,480
heretical instruction, 
preaching, false teachings and 

587
00:36:37,560 --> 00:36:41,440
false doctrine. 
They're contrary to what Jesus 

588
00:36:41,440 --> 00:36:42,680
taught. 
They're contrary to what the 

589
00:36:42,680 --> 00:36:45,000
apostles taught. 
They're contrary to what we find

590
00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:47,680
in the 66 books of canonized 
Scripture. 

591
00:36:47,920 --> 00:36:51,200
They're false. 
They're just exactly what Jesus 

592
00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:54,120
and what the apostles are 
warning about. 

593
00:36:55,280 --> 00:37:00,440
The third reason that we see the
reason for apostasy, demonic 

594
00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:02,600
influence, heretical 
instructors, and this is a big 

595
00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:03,720
one. 
I want you to pay attention to 

596
00:37:03,720 --> 00:37:05,600
it. 
Biblical illiteracy. 

597
00:37:07,960 --> 00:37:11,040
People do not know the word of 
God. 

598
00:37:12,160 --> 00:37:16,800
Now they have access to the Word
of God, but they have a lack of 

599
00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:21,680
scriptural knowledge. 
If you have a lack of scriptural

600
00:37:21,680 --> 00:37:25,560
knowledge, you are vulnerable to
the attacks. 

601
00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:31,200
Of the heretic because a path of
heresy and eventually heresy 

602
00:37:31,200 --> 00:37:34,720
will always, if left unchecked, 
lead to apostasy. 

603
00:37:38,040 --> 00:37:42,480
A path is paved with biblical 
illiteracy. 

604
00:37:43,440 --> 00:37:48,680
People just don't know. 
They are ignorant. 

605
00:37:51,800 --> 00:37:55,920
And the problem to me is this. 
There's a deficiency in the 

606
00:37:55,920 --> 00:38:01,400
pulpit which has has over time 
resulted in a deficiency in the 

607
00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:05,320
Pew. 
I will take the responsibility 

608
00:38:05,320 --> 00:38:07,280
and I will blame the pastor's. 
Why? 

609
00:38:07,280 --> 00:38:11,360
It is our job as under 
shepherds, under Christ, to 

610
00:38:11,360 --> 00:38:15,600
protect you from the false 
teachers who come with that 

611
00:38:15,600 --> 00:38:19,600
demonic influences influence the
deceiving spirit. 

612
00:38:20,840 --> 00:38:26,440
It's our job to call a wolf a 
wolf, even if he looks like a 

613
00:38:26,440 --> 00:38:29,040
sheep. 
Even if you don't like it. 

614
00:38:29,360 --> 00:38:34,600
Even if you don't like me. 
It is the pastor's duty to do 

615
00:38:34,600 --> 00:38:38,640
this, and the pastors have not 
done what they are supposed to 

616
00:38:38,640 --> 00:38:40,560
do. 
How do I know this? 

617
00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:42,880
Because Ephesians chapter 4 
tells me exactly what we're 

618
00:38:42,880 --> 00:38:45,920
supposed to do. 
Verse 11 it says so Christ 

619
00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:48,560
himself gave the apostles, the 
prophets, the evangelists, the 

620
00:38:48,560 --> 00:38:50,640
pastors and teachers. 
Why did He give them? 

621
00:38:51,040 --> 00:38:53,080
To equip his people for works of
service. 

622
00:38:53,080 --> 00:38:56,360
So that the body of Christ may 
be built up until we all reach 

623
00:38:56,360 --> 00:38:59,200
unity in the faith and in the 
knowledge of the Son of God, and

624
00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:02,480
become mature, attaining to the 
whole measure of the fullness of

625
00:39:02,480 --> 00:39:05,960
Christ. 
Then we will no longer be 

626
00:39:05,960 --> 00:39:10,720
infants, tossed back and forth 
by the waves and blown here and 

627
00:39:10,720 --> 00:39:14,680
there by every wind of doctrine 
or teaching, and by the cunning 

628
00:39:14,680 --> 00:39:18,320
and craftiness of people in 
their deceitful scheming. 

629
00:39:19,120 --> 00:39:23,360
Instead, speaking the truth in 
love, we will grow to become in 

630
00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:26,960
every respect the mature body of
Him who is the head that is 

631
00:39:27,080 --> 00:39:29,520
Christ. 
It is the pastor's job. 

632
00:39:30,880 --> 00:39:33,560
To make sure that you are 
hearing the truth of the word of

633
00:39:33,560 --> 00:39:36,000
God, that you are being 
encouraged to study the 

634
00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:38,680
scriptures on your own, to show 
yourself a Workman who is 

635
00:39:38,680 --> 00:39:41,640
approved rightly dividing and 
handling the word of truth. 

636
00:39:42,520 --> 00:39:45,640
It is my job to teach you those 
things. 

637
00:39:45,960 --> 00:39:48,760
And if I don't teach you those 
things because I would rather 

638
00:39:48,760 --> 00:39:53,360
have a golf outing with my 
friends or to go on a vacation 

639
00:39:53,720 --> 00:40:00,600
and to just enjoy life. 
Instead of being concerned about

640
00:40:00,600 --> 00:40:07,080
your soul, the responsibility 
rests with me. 

641
00:40:08,840 --> 00:40:11,640
I'm thankful that we don't have 
a church full of biblically 

642
00:40:11,640 --> 00:40:16,480
illiterate people, that we have 
people that are eager people who

643
00:40:16,480 --> 00:40:19,200
are excited about learning the 
Word of God. 

644
00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:25,800
But I don't think for a second 
that the enemy is OK with that. 

645
00:40:28,160 --> 00:40:33,360
And so I know at the threat of 
apostasy, the threat of heresy, 

646
00:40:33,360 --> 00:40:35,200
I know that those things are 
real. 

647
00:40:39,080 --> 00:40:40,920
We can't stand for biblical 
illiteracy. 

648
00:40:42,280 --> 00:40:44,880
We must study to know the 
Scriptures. 

649
00:40:45,600 --> 00:40:47,920
Where does if we're to 
distinguish the truth from all 

650
00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:52,640
of the lies and man, aren't 
there many lies being tossed out

651
00:40:52,640 --> 00:40:56,200
right now? 
If we're to know and to 

652
00:40:56,200 --> 00:41:01,320
distinguish the difference, we 
have to know the truth backward 

653
00:41:01,560 --> 00:41:06,040
and forward. 
Our men on Thursday night have 

654
00:41:06,080 --> 00:41:11,240
spent months learning about 
ancient heresies that have not 

655
00:41:11,240 --> 00:41:15,440
gone away, though they've been 
condemned for seventeen, 1800 

656
00:41:15,440 --> 00:41:20,360
years. 
Why is that important? 

657
00:41:21,920 --> 00:41:25,200
So that those things don't creep
into their home, creep into 

658
00:41:25,200 --> 00:41:28,560
their family, ultimately creep 
into this church, ultimately 

659
00:41:28,560 --> 00:41:31,400
lead us away from the truth of 
sound biblical doctrine, the 

660
00:41:31,400 --> 00:41:34,480
true gospel, and lead us down 
the road of apostasy. 

661
00:41:37,880 --> 00:41:43,280
The pastor ought to be concerned
and concerned enough for 

662
00:41:43,280 --> 00:41:47,200
people's souls that he demands 
biblical literacy. 

663
00:41:48,960 --> 00:41:51,400
And we learn the Scriptures, we 
learn the Scriptures together, 

664
00:41:51,400 --> 00:41:53,920
we learn the Scripture with 
every opportunity that we have. 

665
00:41:55,160 --> 00:41:57,320
And for some, you say, well, the
Bible's boring. 

666
00:41:57,320 --> 00:42:01,240
You need to be saved. 
You need to be saved. 

667
00:42:02,920 --> 00:42:06,240
There's nothing boring about the
Word of God that he has 

668
00:42:06,240 --> 00:42:08,640
preserved and he has kept 
through the blood of the martyrs

669
00:42:08,640 --> 00:42:10,600
so that we can have it in our 
hands, so that we can hear 

670
00:42:10,840 --> 00:42:14,440
directly from him. 
Nothing boring about that. 

671
00:42:19,840 --> 00:42:22,440
A third reason for apostasy 
Biblical illiteracy. 

672
00:42:22,480 --> 00:42:26,240
John Owens speaks of this in a 
book that he wrote about 

673
00:42:26,240 --> 00:42:30,240
apostatizing from the Gospel. 
He says this. 

674
00:42:30,240 --> 00:42:32,960
He says if the teachers are 
blind and the people are blind, 

675
00:42:33,640 --> 00:42:36,400
they will both end up in the 
eternal ditch of hell. 

676
00:42:38,000 --> 00:42:42,360
Isn't that true? 
I know that I received much 

677
00:42:42,360 --> 00:42:47,960
ridicule because I stick to the 
Scriptures. 

678
00:42:49,520 --> 00:42:56,280
I take it very seriously. 
Number one, I don't want to 

679
00:42:56,280 --> 00:43:01,840
spend any eternity in hell 
teaching something that leads my

680
00:43:01,840 --> 00:43:05,600
own life astray, believing 
something that leads me astray. 

681
00:43:05,600 --> 00:43:07,960
And I don't want you to spend 
any eternity in hell. 

682
00:43:10,600 --> 00:43:15,040
But even more important than 
that, I'm going to answer to 

683
00:43:15,040 --> 00:43:25,480
Christ one day. 
When I answer for every word 

684
00:43:25,480 --> 00:43:32,720
that comes out of my mouth, I 
want to air on the side of every

685
00:43:32,720 --> 00:43:35,440
word that came out of my mouth 
was the word of God or pointed 

686
00:43:35,440 --> 00:43:42,160
people to the word of God. 
I can't tolerate biblical 

687
00:43:42,240 --> 00:43:45,720
illiteracy in the church. 
What's the reason for the 

688
00:43:45,720 --> 00:43:49,360
apostasy that we see today? 
Those who are deconstructing 

689
00:43:49,360 --> 00:43:54,600
right now, because of their lack
of a biblical foundation, their 

690
00:43:54,600 --> 00:43:56,760
parents didn't build them a 
sound foundation. 

691
00:43:56,760 --> 00:43:58,800
The church didn't build them a 
sound foundation. 

692
00:43:59,000 --> 00:44:01,680
They were never. 
Built on any foundation that was

693
00:44:01,680 --> 00:44:04,360
scriptural. 
Now you couple that with some 

694
00:44:04,360 --> 00:44:08,760
false conversion to false 
ideology and you have a lot of 

695
00:44:08,760 --> 00:44:11,240
people saying, you know what 
I've deconstructed from my? 

696
00:44:11,240 --> 00:44:14,160
Faith. 
It's not your faith, it's real. 

697
00:44:16,200 --> 00:44:18,480
It's a gift from God so that no 
man can boast. 

698
00:44:18,480 --> 00:44:21,280
It's him saving you, not you 
saving yourself. 

699
00:44:24,000 --> 00:44:28,440
Those who are deconstructing in 
evangelical churches today are 

700
00:44:28,440 --> 00:44:30,720
simply doing this because they 
were biblically illiterate. 

701
00:44:30,720 --> 00:44:35,680
And no one cared. 
You know what I care about? 

702
00:44:36,920 --> 00:44:39,040
I care that every single 
children's classroom this 

703
00:44:39,040 --> 00:44:40,920
morning they're receiving sound 
doctrine. 

704
00:44:42,720 --> 00:44:45,680
I care about the fact that 
tonight and our student 

705
00:44:45,680 --> 00:44:49,680
ministry, there's not going to 
be a whole lot of entertainment,

706
00:44:49,680 --> 00:44:54,120
though it will be fun. 
They're going to receive sound 

707
00:44:54,120 --> 00:44:57,720
doctrine. 
On Tuesday nights when our 

708
00:44:57,920 --> 00:45:02,320
single adults meet, they're not 
going to meet just to hang out 

709
00:45:02,320 --> 00:45:05,040
and find a spouse, though many 
of them hang out and find a 

710
00:45:05,040 --> 00:45:10,040
spouse. 
We're going to be taught sound 

711
00:45:10,160 --> 00:45:11,000
doctrine. 
Why? 

712
00:45:11,000 --> 00:45:13,240
Because we don't want them to be
biblically illiterate. 

713
00:45:13,320 --> 00:45:16,160
Because we don't want them 
falling into the trap of 

714
00:45:16,160 --> 00:45:20,600
apostasy, going off to college 
and somebody giving them a 

715
00:45:20,600 --> 00:45:23,840
better way of thinking. 
There's no better way of 

716
00:45:23,840 --> 00:45:27,880
thinking other than thinking 
biblically to being in line with

717
00:45:27,880 --> 00:45:31,480
the will of God, to having your 
mind renewed by the Scripture so

718
00:45:31,520 --> 00:45:33,040
that you can know the will of 
God. 

719
00:45:35,160 --> 00:45:40,560
This is true and everything else
is a deceitful concept, demonic 

720
00:45:40,560 --> 00:45:45,760
influencing, heretical teaching.
Be careful of biblical 

721
00:45:45,760 --> 00:45:48,960
illiteracy in your life. 
It's important that you know the

722
00:45:48,960 --> 00:45:51,880
word of God. 
It's not important that you know

723
00:45:51,880 --> 00:45:55,240
the word of God so that you can 
look like a Christian who has 

724
00:45:55,240 --> 00:45:57,000
knowledge and somehow impressed 
people. 

725
00:45:59,160 --> 00:46:01,280
It's important that you know the
word of God so that every day 

726
00:46:01,280 --> 00:46:03,240
you can go back through the 
things you know and you can 

727
00:46:03,240 --> 00:46:05,800
examine your life by that palm 
line. 

728
00:46:07,600 --> 00:46:11,440
Am I truly a Christian? 
I believe the truth of the 

729
00:46:11,440 --> 00:46:15,960
gospel as defined by Scripture. 
Am I walking in those truths? 

730
00:46:15,960 --> 00:46:19,200
Is there evidence in my life? 
Am I producing fruit? 

731
00:46:20,680 --> 00:46:25,640
You can know with confidence. 
So we see the reasons, the 

732
00:46:25,640 --> 00:46:31,600
reason for apostasy. 
Thirdly, what do we do with 

733
00:46:31,600 --> 00:46:35,120
this? 
Did we do like so many and say, 

734
00:46:35,120 --> 00:46:40,240
OK, it's a threat, but let's 
talk about something that 

735
00:46:40,240 --> 00:46:45,880
applies to my life? 
This applies to your life, your 

736
00:46:45,880 --> 00:46:49,800
very soul depends upon what 
you're hearing today. 

737
00:46:52,320 --> 00:46:54,800
And so when we look at apostasy,
we have to say this. 

738
00:46:54,800 --> 00:46:59,080
There must be a response. 
But if we brought to the 

739
00:46:59,080 --> 00:47:02,960
knowledge through Paul that 
there is a real threat called 

740
00:47:02,960 --> 00:47:08,440
apostasy, and it is from the the
ideology of demons, from the 

741
00:47:08,440 --> 00:47:11,480
teaching of these heretical 
liars who are deceiving us, 

742
00:47:11,880 --> 00:47:14,560
leading us to stray, shouldn't 
we respond to this? 

743
00:47:15,200 --> 00:47:18,720
Isn't this important of? 
Course it is. 

744
00:47:20,800 --> 00:47:24,640
Paul does just that. 
He teaches us how to respond. 

745
00:47:25,680 --> 00:47:28,560
Apostasy says in verse 4, for 
everything God created is good, 

746
00:47:29,320 --> 00:47:32,640
and nothing is to be rejected if
it is received with Thanksgiving

747
00:47:33,400 --> 00:47:36,560
because it is consecrated by the
word of God and prayer. 

748
00:47:37,200 --> 00:47:39,280
If you point these things out to
the brothers, you will be a good

749
00:47:39,280 --> 00:47:41,440
minister of Christ Jesus, 
brought up in the truths of the 

750
00:47:41,440 --> 00:47:45,600
faith and the good teaching that
you have followed the fact that 

751
00:47:45,600 --> 00:47:50,160
the threat of apostasy is real 
and is a present danger in the 

752
00:47:50,160 --> 00:47:52,440
church. 
Calls for a response. 

753
00:47:53,640 --> 00:47:58,800
If we just sit back and refuse 
to acknowledge the threat, it's 

754
00:47:58,800 --> 00:48:02,680
already overtaken us. 
You're as good as gone. 

755
00:48:06,160 --> 00:48:08,680
Your eternal existence and 
livelihood is at stake. 

756
00:48:10,720 --> 00:48:13,760
How should we respond? 
Well, first, biblical truth. 

757
00:48:15,000 --> 00:48:17,920
Here's how Paul counters these 
people who were teaching this 

758
00:48:18,120 --> 00:48:20,160
aesthetic legalism. 
He says this. 

759
00:48:21,120 --> 00:48:24,440
No, wait a second. 
Everything God created is good. 

760
00:48:25,560 --> 00:48:27,000
How do we know this? 
How did Paul know this? 

761
00:48:27,000 --> 00:48:29,240
He went back to the word of God.
When God created it, he said 

762
00:48:29,240 --> 00:48:31,000
it's good. 
And so if God said it's good, 

763
00:48:31,000 --> 00:48:33,920
you know what it is? 
Good, Good. 

764
00:48:36,120 --> 00:48:38,520
Paul's speaking into their lives
and he's giving them some 

765
00:48:38,520 --> 00:48:41,000
biblical literacy here. 
He's saying, look, this person 

766
00:48:41,000 --> 00:48:44,040
is saying that things are bad, 
but God says they're good 

767
00:48:44,040 --> 00:48:46,440
because this was this idea that 
had crept into the church and 

768
00:48:46,440 --> 00:48:48,640
was trying to creep into the 
church, leading people astray. 

769
00:48:49,080 --> 00:48:51,480
That spirit is good, matter is 
evil. 

770
00:48:53,600 --> 00:48:55,360
Let me be. 
Clear on this, that heresy has 

771
00:48:55,360 --> 00:48:57,680
been condemned for a long, long 
time. 

772
00:49:00,960 --> 00:49:04,440
And Paul says everything God 
created is good and it's not to 

773
00:49:04,440 --> 00:49:06,000
be rejected. 
If it's received with 

774
00:49:06,000 --> 00:49:10,280
Thanksgiving, you recognize 
where it came from and who 

775
00:49:10,280 --> 00:49:15,560
provided it, Who put it from his
hand into your mouth, providing 

776
00:49:15,560 --> 00:49:19,000
your every need, He says. 
Because it is consecrated by the

777
00:49:19,000 --> 00:49:23,640
word of God and prayer. 
God said it's good in his word, 

778
00:49:23,640 --> 00:49:26,240
and you said thank you Lord, for
the good things that you have 

779
00:49:26,240 --> 00:49:28,080
given me. 
Right. 

780
00:49:28,080 --> 00:49:29,720
That's where the people say 
don't eat this kind of meat, 

781
00:49:29,720 --> 00:49:33,960
don't do this kind of thing. 
You must fast 3 * a month, 4 * a

782
00:49:33,960 --> 00:49:38,200
month, making up their own rules
and their own set of ideas. 

783
00:49:39,000 --> 00:49:44,120
Paul says Nope, you need to 
respond to that with biblical 

784
00:49:44,120 --> 00:49:45,680
truth. 
That's what Paul does. 

785
00:49:45,680 --> 00:49:48,000
He stands on the Scripture in 
order to defend against the 

786
00:49:48,000 --> 00:49:50,320
confusion that these teachers 
were bringing into the church 

787
00:49:50,320 --> 00:49:52,880
and ultimately leading people 
into apostasy. 

788
00:49:54,160 --> 00:49:55,560
Because he was. 
Leading them away from the true 

789
00:49:55,560 --> 00:49:56,920
gospel. 
The true gospel is what? 

790
00:49:57,120 --> 00:49:59,640
Grace alone, the faith alone, 
and Christ alone. 

791
00:49:59,880 --> 00:50:03,400
Now it was grace alone through 
faith alone and Christ alone. 

792
00:50:03,560 --> 00:50:05,640
Plus, don't eat this, don't eat 
that. 

793
00:50:05,640 --> 00:50:07,680
Observe this day. 
Don't observe that day. 

794
00:50:08,120 --> 00:50:10,680
You see what just happened, All 
the alone's that you said prior 

795
00:50:10,680 --> 00:50:12,880
to that don't matter anymore 
because they're no longer alone.

796
00:50:15,680 --> 00:50:19,040
They've changed the entire idea 
of the gospel, but we have to 

797
00:50:19,040 --> 00:50:21,000
stand on biblical truth. 
That's how we have to respond. 

798
00:50:21,120 --> 00:50:23,720
What does the Word of God say? 
That ought to be your number one

799
00:50:23,720 --> 00:50:26,440
question of everything you hear 
from the mouth of someone who 

800
00:50:26,440 --> 00:50:29,040
claims to be a Christian or a 
preacher or a minister of any 

801
00:50:29,040 --> 00:50:31,880
kind. 
Is what they are saying 

802
00:50:31,880 --> 00:50:34,200
consistent with the Word of God?
Now here's the problem. 

803
00:50:34,200 --> 00:50:35,920
If you don't know the Word of 
God, you're in trouble, aren't 

804
00:50:35,920 --> 00:50:38,720
you? 
You just have to take their word

805
00:50:38,720 --> 00:50:41,520
for it. 
And there's so much deception 

806
00:50:41,520 --> 00:50:43,720
out here. 
It's running rampant. 

807
00:50:44,760 --> 00:50:46,080
You can't just take people's 
word for it. 

808
00:50:46,080 --> 00:50:48,120
You have to be like the Bereans 
in Acts chapter 17. 

809
00:50:48,120 --> 00:50:51,040
You remember the Bereans. 
I, I don't know much and you 

810
00:50:51,040 --> 00:50:53,200
don't know much and we don't, we
can't gather much about these 

811
00:50:53,200 --> 00:50:54,840
people. 
But it says this in Acts chapter

812
00:50:54,840 --> 00:50:57,800
17, verse 11. 
Now the Berean Jews were more 

813
00:50:58,240 --> 00:51:02,120
out of more noble character than
those in Thessalonica, for they 

814
00:51:02,120 --> 00:51:03,880
received the message with great 
eagerness. 

815
00:51:03,880 --> 00:51:08,560
He's talking about the gospel 
and examine the Scriptures every

816
00:51:08,560 --> 00:51:14,000
day to see if what Paul said was
true. 

817
00:51:14,000 --> 00:51:15,360
Now let me just tell you what's 
going on there. 

818
00:51:15,360 --> 00:51:20,600
The apostle Paul, you're reading
first Timothy chapter 4 and over

819
00:51:20,600 --> 00:51:23,280
half of the New Testament that 
the Lord used him to pen. 

820
00:51:24,400 --> 00:51:27,440
These people are even 
questioning the apostle Paul. 

821
00:51:28,720 --> 00:51:32,320
Smart move. 
They're going back to the word 

822
00:51:32,320 --> 00:51:36,320
of God and they're saying, is 
what this man's saying is this 

823
00:51:36,320 --> 00:51:38,680
true? 
Please listen to me. 

824
00:51:38,800 --> 00:51:41,840
If they, the Bereans, had to 
question the apostle Paul, 

825
00:51:41,920 --> 00:51:44,320
question me, it's not going to 
offend me. 

826
00:51:44,440 --> 00:51:47,800
Go back and take the word of God
and say, is what Kirk Hall's 

827
00:51:47,800 --> 00:51:51,000
teaching true? 
Not is it true based on your 

828
00:51:51,000 --> 00:51:53,880
feelings or based on your 
upbringing or based on your 

829
00:51:53,880 --> 00:51:57,800
ideology or tradition? 
Is it true according to the 

830
00:51:57,800 --> 00:52:01,800
Scripture, that's what the 
Bereans did. 

831
00:52:01,800 --> 00:52:04,320
We're going to learn a lesson 
from them. 

832
00:52:04,320 --> 00:52:07,240
We're going to respond to 
apostasy. 

833
00:52:07,240 --> 00:52:09,040
We have to respond with biblical
truth. 

834
00:52:09,040 --> 00:52:11,720
We have to know biblical truth. 
We have to weigh things out 

835
00:52:11,720 --> 00:52:15,480
according to the Word of God. 
Again, first John chapter 4, let

836
00:52:15,480 --> 00:52:17,200
me remind you, we read it a 
moment ago, but I'm going to 

837
00:52:17,200 --> 00:52:18,240
give you one of those verses 
again. 

838
00:52:18,400 --> 00:52:22,200
First one, dear friends, do not 
believe every spirit, but test 

839
00:52:22,200 --> 00:52:24,440
the spirits to see whether. 
They are from God because many 

840
00:52:24,440 --> 00:52:26,280
false prophets have gone out 
into the world. 

841
00:52:27,200 --> 00:52:30,360
There it is again. 
Nowadays people think, well, 

842
00:52:30,360 --> 00:52:35,800
this person, they have a church 
and they have a tie and they 

843
00:52:35,800 --> 00:52:39,800
stand in a pulpit. 
We should take what they say at 

844
00:52:39,800 --> 00:52:42,480
face value. 
Oh, please don't. 

845
00:52:44,480 --> 00:52:50,400
This person has a following. 
Be careful of that. 

846
00:52:51,800 --> 00:52:55,840
But you don't understand, 
pastor, They have more 

847
00:52:55,840 --> 00:53:00,640
subscribers to their YouTube 
video than anyone else. 

848
00:53:00,640 --> 00:53:01,880
That ought to be your first 
warning. 

849
00:53:05,560 --> 00:53:09,200
You laugh. 
There will come a time when men 

850
00:53:09,200 --> 00:53:11,480
will not endure sound doctrine. 
You're not going to have a whole

851
00:53:11,480 --> 00:53:13,000
lot of subscribers. 
You're not going to get a whole 

852
00:53:13,000 --> 00:53:14,280
lot of life. 
They're not going to be a whole 

853
00:53:14,280 --> 00:53:15,680
lot of thumbs up. 
You're not going to get a little

854
00:53:15,680 --> 00:53:21,800
hard. 
We have to stand on biblical 

855
00:53:21,800 --> 00:53:25,320
truth. 
We have to test the spirits. 

856
00:53:26,440 --> 00:53:29,720
When that person on social media
or that person on some religious

857
00:53:29,720 --> 00:53:33,560
broadcasting network spewing 
lies, you need to be sitting 

858
00:53:33,560 --> 00:53:37,560
there with your Bible wide open 
and you can watch them if you 

859
00:53:37,560 --> 00:53:40,440
want. 
You better be there with your 

860
00:53:40,440 --> 00:53:42,560
Bible wide open and you better 
say, Nope, that's wrong. 

861
00:53:42,680 --> 00:53:44,400
Nope, that's wrong. 
Nope, that's heresy. 

862
00:53:44,520 --> 00:53:47,280
That's heresy. 
That's been condemned for 1800 

863
00:53:47,280 --> 00:53:49,000
years. 
That's been condemned for 1400 

864
00:53:49,000 --> 00:53:52,240
years. 
That's apostasy completely. 

865
00:53:53,560 --> 00:53:55,360
They're turning people away from
the one true faith. 

866
00:53:55,360 --> 00:53:57,280
They themselves are in danger of
hell. 

867
00:53:59,960 --> 00:54:01,680
Biblical truth. 
That's how we ought to respond. 

868
00:54:01,760 --> 00:54:04,520
Respond to apostasy. 
Secondly, bold teaching. 

869
00:54:06,400 --> 00:54:11,960
What's what Paul says this verse
6, what he says here, he 

870
00:54:11,960 --> 00:54:14,000
straightens them out on their 
thinking and he uses the word of

871
00:54:14,000 --> 00:54:14,920
God. 
Then he says this. 

872
00:54:14,920 --> 00:54:19,240
If you point these things out to
the brothers, you'll be a good 

873
00:54:19,240 --> 00:54:22,880
minister of Christ Jesus. 
If you point them out, he he, he

874
00:54:22,880 --> 00:54:24,960
didn't say, you know, if you 
just don't worry about ruffling 

875
00:54:24,960 --> 00:54:29,320
feathers, He didn't say, just 
ignore those things and maybe 

876
00:54:29,320 --> 00:54:33,600
they'll go away. 
No, he said, point them out. 

877
00:54:35,880 --> 00:54:39,200
Show them the error of this 
teaching. 

878
00:54:39,200 --> 00:54:42,760
Show them why it is error. 
Name names if you have to. 

879
00:54:43,000 --> 00:54:47,320
Do not let people fall victim to
the threat of apostasy just 

880
00:54:47,320 --> 00:54:54,640
because you're trying to be a 
nice guy, he says boldly teach 

881
00:54:54,640 --> 00:54:56,760
them. 
Paul's approach is bold. 

882
00:54:57,840 --> 00:55:00,920
He's teaching a bold approach, 
just as he teaches kindness. 

883
00:55:00,920 --> 00:55:03,360
And Titus chapter one, verse 9, 
he says we must hold firmly to 

884
00:55:03,360 --> 00:55:06,640
the trustworthy message as it 
has been taught so that he can 

885
00:55:06,640 --> 00:55:10,400
encourage others by sound 
doctrine and refute those who 

886
00:55:10,400 --> 00:55:12,960
oppose it. 
Paul saying, point it out. 

887
00:55:13,280 --> 00:55:17,360
If you, if you have to give a 
refute, if you have to contend 

888
00:55:17,360 --> 00:55:19,600
for the faith, that means to get
in the ring and fight. 

889
00:55:21,760 --> 00:55:25,600
Stand on the truth of the word 
of God and boldly teach it and 

890
00:55:25,600 --> 00:55:28,960
don't worry about what is going 
to happen after that. 

891
00:55:30,480 --> 00:55:33,880
Can I tell all of you this? 
I am firmly aware of this. 

892
00:55:35,680 --> 00:55:39,160
Most people don't like me, they 
just tolerate me. 

893
00:55:39,160 --> 00:55:41,040
That's OK. 
I I do the same with me. 

894
00:55:44,160 --> 00:55:49,080
But I am firmly aware of this, 
especially. 

895
00:55:49,080 --> 00:55:54,880
In today's time, when you stand 
on biblical truth and you boldly

896
00:55:54,880 --> 00:55:59,960
teach or preach the Scriptures, 
people are going to despise you 

897
00:56:00,320 --> 00:56:03,640
for it. 
And let me remind you of this. 

898
00:56:04,920 --> 00:56:11,880
They despised our Master, they 
brutally tortured him, they 

899
00:56:11,880 --> 00:56:16,800
kneeled into a tree and they 
executed him. 

900
00:56:20,760 --> 00:56:24,560
They did the same to those who 
followed him, and they'll do the

901
00:56:24,560 --> 00:56:27,520
same to everyone else who boldly
teaches the word of God. 

902
00:56:28,120 --> 00:56:29,960
You don't believe me? 
You asked the martyrs around the

903
00:56:29,960 --> 00:56:33,800
world who were being persecuted 
or even dying for their faith. 

904
00:56:33,800 --> 00:56:35,440
Right now you have it easy in 
America. 

905
00:56:39,200 --> 00:56:41,840
We must respond to apostasy with
bold teaching. 

906
00:56:41,840 --> 00:56:45,520
We can't back down, he says. 
If you point these things out to

907
00:56:45,520 --> 00:56:50,600
the brothers, he said, you'll be
a good minister of Christ Jesus.

908
00:56:51,800 --> 00:56:56,400
You know what the opposite is? 
If you're so worried about 

909
00:56:56,400 --> 00:57:02,360
people liking you and accepting 
you that you won't do these 

910
00:57:02,360 --> 00:57:07,680
things, you're not a good 
minister of Christ Jesus. 

911
00:57:10,280 --> 00:57:12,600
I told you a moment ago that one
day I'm going to stand before 

912
00:57:12,600 --> 00:57:13,920
Christ and I'm going to give an 
account. 

913
00:57:18,360 --> 00:57:22,880
It's very obvious. 
And I say that with trembling 

914
00:57:22,880 --> 00:57:25,160
lips and tears in my eyes, and I
don't apologize for that. 

915
00:57:28,280 --> 00:57:37,560
It's serious to me, and I'm 
going to give an account whether

916
00:57:37,560 --> 00:57:43,120
I boldly taught the Word of God 
without exception and put my 

917
00:57:43,120 --> 00:57:50,640
neck on the line, the glory of 
God, or did I cave to the 

918
00:57:50,640 --> 00:57:59,320
pressure of the apostate church 
in America more than anything in

919
00:57:59,320 --> 00:58:07,440
all my life. 
I want to finish the race under 

920
00:58:07,440 --> 00:58:15,200
his Paul did, fighting a good 
fight, holding on to the true 

921
00:58:15,200 --> 00:58:20,920
faith, finishing my course. 
I want to hear well done, good 

922
00:58:20,920 --> 00:58:25,400
and faithful servant. 
We must be bold in our teaching.

923
00:58:25,400 --> 00:58:28,680
We can't ignore the threat of 
apostasy just because no one 

924
00:58:28,680 --> 00:58:32,520
else is talking about it. 
It's not a big deal to anyone 

925
00:58:32,520 --> 00:58:36,240
else. 
Oh, pastor, you preach on those 

926
00:58:36,240 --> 00:58:37,920
things. 
Your tithes are going to go 

927
00:58:37,920 --> 00:58:41,400
down. 
Give me a break. 

928
00:58:41,400 --> 00:58:44,400
Keep your 30 pieces of silver, 
Judas. 

929
00:58:48,280 --> 00:58:52,160
We're going to boldly continue 
to teach the Word of God. 

930
00:58:52,160 --> 00:58:55,920
We're not going to apologize to 
anyone for it. 

931
00:58:57,400 --> 00:58:58,720
Say. 
Well, pastor, you seem a little 

932
00:58:58,720 --> 00:59:01,120
overboard on that. 
That's easy for a person to say 

933
00:59:01,120 --> 00:59:03,280
when you're not going to stand 
to give an account, but I am. 

934
00:59:07,480 --> 00:59:11,040
How do we respond to apostasy, 
biblical truth, bold teaching? 

935
00:59:13,000 --> 00:59:15,280
He doesn't stop there. 
Consistent training. 

936
00:59:16,800 --> 00:59:18,760
He says if you point these 
things out to the brothers, you 

937
00:59:18,760 --> 00:59:22,200
will be a good minister of 
Christ Jesus, brought up in the 

938
00:59:22,200 --> 00:59:25,680
truths of the faith and of the 
good teaching that you have 

939
00:59:26,040 --> 00:59:27,760
followed. 
You know what Paul's telling 

940
00:59:27,760 --> 00:59:30,440
Timothy to do? 
Be consistent with that which 

941
00:59:30,440 --> 00:59:36,880
you have learned. 
Lean on the sound teaching that 

942
00:59:36,880 --> 00:59:40,480
brought you up. 
In fact, in Second Timothy 

943
00:59:40,480 --> 00:59:44,600
chapter 3, Paul goes into great 
detail about this. 

944
00:59:44,600 --> 00:59:48,200
He says to Timothy, But As for 
you continue in in what you have

945
00:59:48,200 --> 00:59:51,000
learned and have become 
convinced of because you know 

946
00:59:51,880 --> 00:59:56,000
you know those from whom you 
learned it and how far how from 

947
00:59:56,000 --> 00:59:59,120
infancy you have known the holy 
Scriptures which are able to 

948
00:59:59,120 --> 01:00:02,800
make you wise for salvation 
through faith in Christ Jesus. 

949
01:00:03,000 --> 01:00:07,040
He said Timothy, you know the 
truth and the. 

950
01:00:07,040 --> 01:00:13,800
Truth that saves the Sinner. 
Stay true to it, stay consistent

951
01:00:13,920 --> 01:00:18,800
in it, grow in it. 
We must receive the truth of the

952
01:00:18,800 --> 01:00:22,960
Word, the truth of the gospel, 
and we must continue 

953
01:00:22,960 --> 01:00:26,160
consistently walking in that 
truth. 

954
01:00:26,440 --> 01:00:30,240
Don't throw Jesus and the Gospel
away just because it's not 

955
01:00:30,240 --> 01:00:35,960
fashionable anymore. 
Most modern church movements 

956
01:00:37,280 --> 01:00:43,400
that I would even label apostasy
have started because Jesus just 

957
01:00:43,400 --> 01:00:45,560
wasn't enough for the people 
anymore. 

958
01:00:47,480 --> 01:00:50,760
No Paul saying to Timothy, go 
back and revisit Christ. 

959
01:00:50,920 --> 01:00:53,680
Go back and revisit the gospel. 
And then when you're done, go 

960
01:00:53,680 --> 01:00:56,480
back again and go back again. 
You want to grow in Christ. 

961
01:00:56,600 --> 01:01:00,640
Keep going to Christ, keep 
looking at His word, keep 

962
01:01:00,640 --> 01:01:03,680
looking at the truth. 
Preach the gospel to yourself so

963
01:01:03,680 --> 01:01:06,880
that you can have confidence 
where you really are and you can

964
01:01:06,880 --> 01:01:12,720
bring confidence to other. 
So we're going to confront, 

965
01:01:12,840 --> 01:01:14,640
respond to apostasy. 
It needs to be through 

966
01:01:14,640 --> 01:01:20,720
consistent training, receiving 
truth, continuing in that truth,

967
01:01:20,720 --> 01:01:25,280
abiding in that truth, not only 
for our sake, but also for the 

968
01:01:25,280 --> 01:01:28,400
sake of those who are teaching 
Colossians 2 verse six. 

969
01:01:28,400 --> 01:01:30,640
He says this. 
So then, just as you receive 

970
01:01:30,640 --> 01:01:33,160
Christ Jesus as Lord, continue 
to live your lives in Him, 

971
01:01:33,720 --> 01:01:36,720
rooted and built up in Him, 
strengthened in the faith. 

972
01:01:36,720 --> 01:01:39,600
As you were taught and 
overflowing with thankfulness, 

973
01:01:39,600 --> 01:01:41,880
he didn't say. 
Go looking for new doctrines. 

974
01:01:41,880 --> 01:01:46,240
Go looking for new things. 
See through that no one takes 

975
01:01:46,240 --> 01:01:48,520
you captive through hollow and 
deceptive philosophy. 

976
01:01:48,520 --> 01:01:50,360
What are they deceiving you from
Christ? 

977
01:01:50,840 --> 01:01:54,480
The gospel, which depends on 
human tradition and the 

978
01:01:54,480 --> 01:01:57,760
elemental spiritual forces of 
this world rather than on 

979
01:01:57,760 --> 01:01:58,440
Christ. 
What did he say? 

980
01:01:58,440 --> 01:02:00,920
Hypocritical teachers and 
demonic influence. 

981
01:02:02,880 --> 01:02:05,440
So just as you receive Christ, 
he says continue to live your 

982
01:02:05,440 --> 01:02:11,000
lives in Helm, consistent in 
training. 

983
01:02:12,200 --> 01:02:15,040
I just don't understand why 
y'all go to church every single 

984
01:02:15,040 --> 01:02:16,800
week. 
We want to hear about Christ 

985
01:02:16,800 --> 01:02:20,000
again. 
We want to know about Christ 

986
01:02:20,000 --> 01:02:22,520
more. 
We want to agree with other 

987
01:02:22,520 --> 01:02:25,240
believers how he's worthy and 
worthy to be praised. 

988
01:02:25,240 --> 01:02:27,680
And he's worthy to be praised 
because he died, He was buried, 

989
01:02:27,680 --> 01:02:31,240
and he rose again. 
He ascended into heaven where he

990
01:02:31,240 --> 01:02:33,360
sits at the right hand of the 
throne of God living to make 

991
01:02:33,360 --> 01:02:35,440
intercession for me. 
And one day he's going to return

992
01:02:35,640 --> 01:02:38,200
and he's going to bring his 
beloved along with the rest of 

993
01:02:38,200 --> 01:02:40,760
his beloved into his presence, 
glorified forever. 

994
01:02:44,760 --> 01:02:47,880
Remind yourself of these things.
Why? 

995
01:02:47,880 --> 01:02:49,480
So that other people don't lead 
you astray. 

996
01:02:50,880 --> 01:02:53,720
Persevere in the truth that you 
believed first. 

997
01:02:54,480 --> 01:02:57,640
Why? 
Well, because if you don't, it 

998
01:02:57,640 --> 01:03:02,600
proves some things. 
Hebrews chapter 3 verse 12 he 

999
01:03:02,600 --> 01:03:04,760
says see two of brothers and 
sisters, that none of you has a 

1000
01:03:04,760 --> 01:03:07,480
sinful unbelieving heart that 
turns away from the living God, 

1001
01:03:08,360 --> 01:03:11,320
but encourage one another daily 
as long as it is called today, 

1002
01:03:12,000 --> 01:03:15,000
so that none of you may be 
hardened by sins, deceitfulness 

1003
01:03:15,600 --> 01:03:21,400
we have come to share in Christ,
if indeed we hold our original 

1004
01:03:21,480 --> 01:03:25,200
conviction firmly to the very 
end. 

1005
01:03:27,720 --> 01:03:29,840
You hold that conviction firmly 
to the very end. 

1006
01:03:34,160 --> 01:03:37,800
There are many they made a 
hollow profession with their 

1007
01:03:37,800 --> 01:03:42,400
mouth of Christ at one point in 
time have who have wandered away

1008
01:03:43,120 --> 01:03:47,920
from the truth. 
Proving this, if they never 

1009
01:03:47,920 --> 01:03:50,680
repent and they never return, it
is going to prove to us one 

1010
01:03:50,680 --> 01:03:55,120
thing they have apostatized from
the true faith. 

1011
01:03:56,760 --> 01:03:58,400
Don't try to pretty that thing 
up. 

1012
01:03:58,400 --> 01:04:02,200
Say what it is. 
They've wandered back out into 

1013
01:04:02,200 --> 01:04:04,920
the world. 
They were never truly saved. 

1014
01:04:05,760 --> 01:04:08,160
They are like Demas and Paul 
mentioned. 

1015
01:04:08,160 --> 01:04:12,600
He says Demas has forsaken me. 
Having loved this present world.

1016
01:04:13,520 --> 01:04:16,840
The world meant more to Demas 
than Christ ever meant to Demas.

1017
01:04:17,840 --> 01:04:20,200
Because if you're truly in 
Christ, Christ is your world and

1018
01:04:20,200 --> 01:04:23,920
you will remain in Christ your 
entire life. 

1019
01:04:24,760 --> 01:04:26,400
That is the doctrine of 
perseverance. 

1020
01:04:26,400 --> 01:04:28,040
That is the preservations of the
Saints. 

1021
01:04:28,280 --> 01:04:32,520
God promises that this will 
happen for those who are in 

1022
01:04:32,520 --> 01:04:36,120
Christ. 
That's why it's important that 

1023
01:04:36,120 --> 01:04:40,760
you examine your life. 
You examine your life and you 

1024
01:04:40,760 --> 01:04:44,080
see what you really are. 
There are people who are trying 

1025
01:04:44,080 --> 01:04:47,680
to distract you constantly. 
Matthew 24 Jesus again says this

1026
01:04:48,920 --> 01:04:50,080
verse 4. 
Jesus answered. 

1027
01:04:50,080 --> 01:04:52,440
Watch out that no one deceives 
you, for many will come in my 

1028
01:04:52,440 --> 01:04:54,960
name, claiming I am the Messiah 
and will deceive many. 

1029
01:04:55,600 --> 01:04:58,240
You'll hear of wars and rumors 
of wars, but see to it that you 

1030
01:04:58,240 --> 01:05:01,400
are not alarmed. 
Such things must, must happen, 

1031
01:05:01,920 --> 01:05:05,320
but the end is still to come. 
He says nation will rise against

1032
01:05:05,320 --> 01:05:07,240
nation and Kingdom against 
Kingdom, and there will be 

1033
01:05:07,240 --> 01:05:10,080
famines and earthquakes in 
various places, and all these 

1034
01:05:10,400 --> 01:05:11,720
are the beginning of birth 
pains. 

1035
01:05:13,040 --> 01:05:15,880
Then you'll be handed over to be
persecuted and put to death, and

1036
01:05:15,880 --> 01:05:17,960
you will be hated by all nations
because of me. 

1037
01:05:17,960 --> 01:05:21,440
It's interesting that Jesus says
will be hated and everybody 

1038
01:05:21,440 --> 01:05:24,840
wants to be liked. 
At that time. 

1039
01:05:24,840 --> 01:05:27,920
Many will turn away from the 
faith and will betray and hate 

1040
01:05:27,920 --> 01:05:30,600
each other. 
Many false prophets will appear 

1041
01:05:30,600 --> 01:05:33,800
and deceive many people because 
of the increase of wickedness. 

1042
01:05:33,800 --> 01:05:37,920
The love of most will go cold, 
but the one who stands firm to 

1043
01:05:38,040 --> 01:05:41,800
the end will be saved. 
What's Jesus saying? 

1044
01:05:42,360 --> 01:05:45,280
That's the true believer. 
That's the true believer. 

1045
01:05:45,280 --> 01:05:49,720
He did not fall to the threat of
apostasy, but because of Christ,

1046
01:05:49,720 --> 01:05:52,360
he rose up in the midst of that 
threat. 

1047
01:05:52,840 --> 01:05:57,400
He endured to the end, proving 
that his salvation was in fact 

1048
01:05:57,480 --> 01:06:03,520
of God, was in fact authentic. 
So we must respond to this 

1049
01:06:03,520 --> 01:06:07,840
apostasy through biblical truth,
bold teaching, consistent 

1050
01:06:07,840 --> 01:06:10,680
training. 
What does the Word of God say? 

1051
01:06:11,120 --> 01:06:16,080
Know it, study it, go back, 
study it, know it, live there 

1052
01:06:17,280 --> 01:06:21,520
and abide in the truth. 
So we see as we wrap this up 

1053
01:06:21,520 --> 01:06:26,600
that apostasy is a real threat, 
is it not? 

1054
01:06:26,600 --> 01:06:31,120
And it can't be ignored. 
It can't be ignored. 

1055
01:06:31,120 --> 01:06:32,120
It can't be ignored in your 
life. 

1056
01:06:32,120 --> 01:06:33,840
It can't be ignored in the life 
of this church. 

1057
01:06:34,360 --> 01:06:36,440
I don't think for one second 
that this is not the only time 

1058
01:06:36,440 --> 01:06:39,400
that I think about apostasy. 
I think of apostasy all of the 

1059
01:06:39,400 --> 01:06:41,400
time. 
Our staff thinks about apostasy 

1060
01:06:41,400 --> 01:06:45,880
all of the time. 
Can't be ignored. 

1061
01:06:47,240 --> 01:06:49,320
We must guard against it with 
the truth of the scriptures. 

1062
01:06:50,320 --> 01:06:52,000
We must guard against it with 
the truth of the gospel. 

1063
01:06:52,000 --> 01:06:54,560
We must preach the gospel with 
boldness and passion that others

1064
01:06:54,560 --> 01:06:59,880
would be rescued and LED away 
from this darkness To the 

1065
01:06:59,880 --> 01:07:01,480
believer. 
I say this to you as we close 

1066
01:07:01,480 --> 01:07:02,480
today. 
Examine yourself. 

1067
01:07:03,920 --> 01:07:06,440
Examine yourself. 
Work out your own salvation with

1068
01:07:06,440 --> 01:07:07,560
fear and trembling. 
What does that mean? 

1069
01:07:07,560 --> 01:07:09,120
Do you have the works to back up
your claim? 

1070
01:07:12,320 --> 01:07:14,880
Do you? 
I can't answer that question for

1071
01:07:14,880 --> 01:07:18,520
you. 
I simply say examine yourself. 

1072
01:07:19,600 --> 01:07:22,280
And Paul was questioned about 
the authenticity of his faith 

1073
01:07:22,280 --> 01:07:23,960
and his apostleship. 
You know what he told the other 

1074
01:07:23,960 --> 01:07:26,280
people? 
To test yourselves to see if 

1075
01:07:26,280 --> 01:07:29,080
you're of the faith ought to be 
something that we're constantly 

1076
01:07:29,080 --> 01:07:31,480
doing in our life, taking the 
gospel, preaching it to 

1077
01:07:31,480 --> 01:07:34,520
ourselves, and examining 
ourselves in light of the truth.

1078
01:07:35,600 --> 01:07:38,080
Why? 
So that we don't fall to the 

1079
01:07:38,080 --> 01:07:44,800
threat of apostasy. 
Once you come to that 

1080
01:07:45,240 --> 01:07:47,960
conclusion, keep coming to that 
conclusion. 

1081
01:07:48,880 --> 01:07:51,160
Guard yourself over and over by 
knowing the Word of God and 

1082
01:07:51,160 --> 01:07:54,160
standing in the Word of God, 
having true hope in the gospel 

1083
01:07:54,160 --> 01:07:57,640
and that alone. 
Walking in the power of the Holy

1084
01:07:57,640 --> 01:07:59,680
Spirit, contending for the 
faith. 

1085
01:08:01,160 --> 01:08:03,320
Say, preacher, are you calling 
us to fight? 

1086
01:08:03,320 --> 01:08:07,520
Yes. 
I am not with the methods of 

1087
01:08:07,520 --> 01:08:11,360
this world, not with the means 
of this world, but with the 

1088
01:08:11,360 --> 01:08:13,800
might and the power of the Word 
of God. 

1089
01:08:14,520 --> 01:08:17,200
I am calling you to fight, and 
God's Word is calling you to 

1090
01:08:17,200 --> 01:08:19,200
fight. 
Because when we cease to fight, 

1091
01:08:19,359 --> 01:08:27,680
apostasy will rule. 
To the unbeliever, my prayer for

1092
01:08:27,680 --> 01:08:32,720
you is that you hear the truth 
of the gospel, that if the Lord 

1093
01:08:32,720 --> 01:08:39,560
be drawing you today internally,
oh, and if He is, you'll know 

1094
01:08:42,479 --> 01:08:45,680
He's drawing you unto himself 
internally, revealing to you 

1095
01:08:46,920 --> 01:08:51,200
your sinful condition, your 
wretched state, your need for 

1096
01:08:51,200 --> 01:08:54,840
cleansing, your need for Savior.
If He's bringing you to that 

1097
01:08:54,840 --> 01:08:58,479
knowledge today, He's bringing 
you to that knowledge because 

1098
01:08:58,479 --> 01:09:01,960
His desire is to save you. 
His desire is that you would 

1099
01:09:01,960 --> 01:09:05,399
call on Him in desperation, that
you would cry out to the Lord 

1100
01:09:05,399 --> 01:09:09,200
Jesus as your only hope of 
salvation because He is the only

1101
01:09:09,200 --> 01:09:16,720
hope of salvation before you 
fall to eternal apostasy. 

1102
01:09:19,160 --> 01:09:21,200
My prayer for you is that the 
Lord would have mercy on your 

1103
01:09:21,200 --> 01:09:25,080
soul today, that He would usher 
you out of the darkness of your 

1104
01:09:25,080 --> 01:09:29,920
sin into His marvelous light. 
He would grant to you 

1105
01:09:29,920 --> 01:09:31,479
forgiveness and cleansing of 
your sin. 

1106
01:09:31,479 --> 01:09:33,960
And all the other promises that 
are included in the finished 

1107
01:09:33,960 --> 01:09:36,399
work of Jesus Christ on the 
cross through His death is 

1108
01:09:36,399 --> 01:09:40,319
buried on His resurrection at 
the day alone today. 

1109
01:09:40,319 --> 01:09:43,200
And from this point forward, 
that you would trust Christ 

1110
01:09:43,240 --> 01:09:48,720
alone as your Lord and Savior, 
that you would keep trusting in 

1111
01:09:48,720 --> 01:09:53,000
Him the rest of your life and 
for all eternity. 

1112
01:09:53,399 --> 01:09:55,160
Let's pray together. 
Father, in the name of Jesus, we

1113
01:09:55,160 --> 01:09:56,600
come to you. 
We thank you for your word. 

1114
01:09:58,840 --> 01:10:04,600
Lord, I know this. 
I have no power to take your 

1115
01:10:04,600 --> 01:10:07,080
word and to transfer it into the
hearts of men. 

1116
01:10:09,360 --> 01:10:15,600
But you do. 
And I ask that you would, that 

1117
01:10:15,600 --> 01:10:19,760
you would accomplish your will 
through it now, that you would 

1118
01:10:19,760 --> 01:10:25,040
bring men and women out of 
darkness, that you would shore 

1119
01:10:25,040 --> 01:10:31,720
up the faith in those who are 
believers, that they would rest 

1120
01:10:31,720 --> 01:10:35,560
in the confidence of Christ in 
that alone, that you would be 

1121
01:10:35,560 --> 01:10:39,920
glorified in our lives. 
We praise you for it in Jesus 

1122
01:10:39,920 --> 01:10:46,000
name, Amen. 
You've been listening to Key 

1123
01:10:46,000 --> 01:10:48,760
Life Fellowships Pulpit ministry
podcast. 

1124
01:10:49,160 --> 01:10:52,320
Join us each week for more 
teaching from God's Word.