1 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:11,000 You have your copy of God's word. 2 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:15,440 Go and make your way to 1st John chapter 4 verses one through 6. 3 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:18,320 First John 4 verses one through 6. 4 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:23,040 As we continue our series from first John that we've titled The 5 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:27,480 Vitals of Our faith. The vitals are the bottom line, 6 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:33,120 the basics, the foundation, the vital signs, if you will. 7 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:36,560 These things got to be present for faith to be alive and 8 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:38,680 active. These are the things that John 9 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:42,520 wants us to be aware of and to test and see if indeed or 10 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:46,000 present in our lives. John is writing for our 11 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,960 assurance ultimately. In fact, I've titled today's 12 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:51,200 message from these 6 verses in first John 4. 13 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,640 How do you know what's true? How do you know what's true? 14 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:56,560 Has anyone in the room? I'm curious. 15 00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:01,160 Taken a lie detection test before I see some hands. 16 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:02,800 Raise them high. Yeah. 17 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:03,600 Don't. Don't be ashamed. 18 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:05,640 I've never done this. I'd be fascinated to do one. 19 00:01:05,640 --> 00:01:07,480 I've never taken 1. I think I'd be nervous to take 20 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:08,440 one. I don't know If y'all are 21 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:11,840 nervous. Why do we have lie detector 22 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:18,320 test? Because people do what? 23 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:23,120 Because people lie right? My goodness, we live in a world 24 00:01:23,320 --> 00:01:28,840 laced, ladies and gentlemen, with lies, and it's been that 25 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:32,880 way ever since the enemy Satan himself stepped into the garden 26 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:36,480 and uttered his lies to Adam and Eve. 27 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:40,240 And Adam and Eve believed them and traded the truth of God for 28 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:43,200 a lie. And those lies ushered in the 29 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:46,520 curse of sin and all the corruption thereof, even death 30 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:49,240 itself. Our world is cursed with lies 31 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:53,000 because of Satan's first lie that mankind believed, and we're 32 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:54,840 still battling those lies today. A lot of fact. 33 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:57,800 In fact, This is why most people tend to just be naturally 34 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:00,720 skeptical. I'm not. 35 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:02,640 I, I tend to be more on the side, to be honest with you. 36 00:02:02,840 --> 00:02:05,640 I tend to be more on the like. If you say it, I'm on the like, 37 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:08,440 just plain believe it. I, I was gullible as a kid, to 38 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:11,120 be honest. My wife, she offsets me. 39 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:13,160 She's like The Sixth Sense. Look at you cross eyed. 40 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:14,400 She's going to know if you're lying. 41 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:16,360 I'll be like, what? And you'll be like, no, you 42 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:18,520 didn't see that or no, my wife will pick up on it. 43 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:21,520 We're all one way or the other. But it's true because we live in 44 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:24,160 a world laced with lies. They're like mom and daddy said, 45 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:28,880 if it sounds too good to be true, it probably because our 46 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:32,720 world's laced with lies. So the question is, how are we 47 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:38,640 going to not be a victim of the lies of the world that we live 48 00:02:38,640 --> 00:02:41,040 in? How are we going to know what's 49 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:43,000 true? How are we going to discern what 50 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,880 is the truth of God versus what's lies of the enemy? 51 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:51,200 This is what John answers in first John 4 verses one through 52 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:53,000 6. All right, so hear the Word of 53 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:55,560 God and then we're going to break down what he says Here It 54 00:02:55,560 --> 00:03:02,080 is, beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the 55 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,520 spirits to see whether they are from God. 56 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:08,640 For many false prophets have gone out into the world. 57 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:13,160 And by this, you know the Spirit of God, Every spirit that 58 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:17,600 confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 59 00:03:17,920 --> 00:03:22,160 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. 60 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:25,960 This is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard was 61 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:28,440 coming and now is in the world already. 62 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:32,760 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them. 63 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:38,400 For he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 64 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:40,720 Hallelujah. They are from the world. 65 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:43,200 Therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to 66 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:44,880 them. We are from God. 67 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:49,200 Whoever knows God listens to us. Whoever is not from God does not 68 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:51,680 listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of 69 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:57,080 truth and the Spirit of error. John says this in this text. 70 00:03:57,080 --> 00:03:58,440 Here it is. If you don't walk away with 71 00:03:58,440 --> 00:03:59,960 anything else, walk away with this. 72 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:05,120 Test what you hear before trusting it's true. 73 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:10,120 You got to test what you hear before trusting it's true. 74 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:12,240 The Bible tells you. Say one more time the Bible 75 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:16,440 tells you and it tells me to test what you hear before you 76 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:19,959 trust that it's true. Now remember, John is writing 77 00:04:19,959 --> 00:04:21,399 over and over to answer this question. 78 00:04:21,399 --> 00:04:24,240 How do you know? And the ultimate how do you know 79 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:27,880 question that he's writing to lead us to is to how do you know 80 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:30,880 that you've truly been saved? How do you really, truly know 81 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:33,240 you have assurance of your salvation? 82 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:37,400 But along the way, he's got these mild markers of how do you 83 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:40,160 know, like how do you know Christianity is true? 84 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,000 And and he's answered that and he's answered, how do you know 85 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:45,440 that you're a true Christian? And he's answered that. 86 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:47,640 And then he's answered once you're a true Christian, how do 87 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:50,480 you know what's dangerous to you as a Christian? 88 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:52,760 And then he's gone further and said, how do you know how to 89 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:55,440 live in the last days? How do you live ready for the 90 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:57,680 return of Christ? And he's answered that and he's 91 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:00,120 even answered beyond that. How do we live towards one 92 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,320 another? Remember the one word for the 93 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:06,320 Christian life pop quiz review starts with an L love. 94 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:08,920 Come on, right. John's been answering all these 95 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:11,880 how do you know questions? Now John is is asking and 96 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:15,720 answering the question, how do you know the truth of God? 97 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:18,880 What is teaching from God versus teaching that is not? 98 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:21,960 John says there's a test and we're going to see this test in 99 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:23,680 this text. In fact, the three things we're 100 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:26,760 going to walk through, John is going to give us the command to 101 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:30,800 test, and then #2 he's going to give us the way to test and then 102 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:33,480 #3 the results of the test. You ready? 103 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:36,560 So here's #1 the command to test. 104 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:40,880 Test every teaching to know if it's true. 105 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:43,880 This is verse one. Test every teaching to know if 106 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:45,840 it's true. John says, brothers and sisters, 107 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:47,800 let me go and translate what he says. 108 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:50,120 Don't believe everything you hear. 109 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:54,800 You heard that before. That's biblical right there. 110 00:05:55,360 --> 00:05:56,520 Don't believe everything you hear. 111 00:05:56,760 --> 00:05:58,520 Now, the way John says it is a little different. 112 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:00,880 Notice what he says. He says don't believe every 113 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:03,880 what? Don't believe every spirit. 114 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:06,840 Now that sounds weird. We don't really talk like that. 115 00:06:06,840 --> 00:06:09,160 What in the world does that mean don't believe every spirit? 116 00:06:09,400 --> 00:06:16,480 But by spirit, John means the spiritual source behind anybody 117 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:19,240 you're hearing. There's a spiritual source that 118 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:22,720 is activating, that is motivating, that is driving, 119 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:25,880 that is inspiring that person to say and teach what they're 120 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:28,880 claiming, teaching or saying. Test the spirits, test what's 121 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:33,000 behind the face, the person you're hearing to see if it is 122 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:35,720 of God or not. Do you see this? 123 00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:38,160 But this is so clear in First John over and over again. 124 00:06:38,400 --> 00:06:40,080 There's parts of life that are complicated. 125 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:43,480 This part of life is not there. Only two spiritual forces in the 126 00:06:43,480 --> 00:06:46,760 whole world. Mark it down the the the the 127 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:53,480 Presence, the power of Almighty Creator God and the spirit of 128 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:56,640 Satan and the Antichrist. There's only two. 129 00:06:57,560 --> 00:06:59,680 There's only two. There's only two teams, there's 130 00:06:59,680 --> 00:07:02,160 only two spirits. There's only two forces, if you 131 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:04,240 will. God and the enemy. 132 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:07,800 John knows when you encounter teaching, it's going to come 133 00:07:07,800 --> 00:07:13,120 through a person either live or on TV or social media or the 134 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:15,680 radio or in a book you read or a podcast you hear. 135 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:17,560 And yet John's told us there are. 136 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:21,080 He's already said there are no unidentified human beings on the 137 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:22,640 planet. You either belong. 138 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:25,120 If there's only two spiritual forces in the world, God and 139 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:27,160 Satan. Every human being belongs to 140 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:30,480 either the family of one or the family of the other, whether 141 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:32,600 they realize it or not. Because you see, even if you're 142 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:35,320 a lost person and don't know you're lost, you're under the 143 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:39,520 bondage and the authority of who Satan, the enemy. 144 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:42,480 You might even not even know it. And you're in his bonds and you 145 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:44,160 are not free and you've not been saved. 146 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:46,840 You're not a child of God. You belong to God or belong to 147 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:49,080 the enemy. And John has warned us that the 148 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:52,720 spirit of Satan and the Antichrist is present and active 149 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:57,280 in this world, seeking to deceive and devour and destroy 150 00:07:57,280 --> 00:07:58,640 everyone they can. How? 151 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:02,640 John makes it clear by sending out false teachers. 152 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:05,880 That is people who claim to speak the truth of God but are 153 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:09,480 actually spewing Satan's lies. Now we don't use the word 154 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:12,720 prophet a lot anymore. We don't say false prophet here, 155 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:14,440 false prophet there, but we know it's true. 156 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:17,040 All you got to do is get online and watch a little bit or listen 157 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:19,200 for a little bit and you're going to discover false prophet 158 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:22,360 spewing all kinds of lies that are unbiblical all across the 159 00:08:22,360 --> 00:08:24,280 Internet, around this country and around the world. 160 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:28,000 Many have gone out, many are there, many are going to come in 161 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:30,400 the future. John says This is why you can't 162 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:32,640 believe everything that you hear. 163 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:35,480 That's why John says test the spirits. 164 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:38,200 What's motivating, what's inspiring, what's activating 165 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:41,240 that person you're hearing to see if what they're saying is 166 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:45,360 from God or not. The word for test, it's a little 167 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:50,520 New Testament word that is originally behind the idea of 168 00:08:50,680 --> 00:08:56,520 discerning the purity of metal to know what it's actual content 169 00:08:56,520 --> 00:09:00,160 is. The idea here is to test like 170 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:03,760 you would meddle, but test the meddle of the teaching that 171 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:08,760 you're hearing to see if this is truly of God or of not. 172 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:12,800 Now typically we take this whole idea of testing for granted. 173 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:17,720 We don't realize how much we live our lives according to 174 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:20,800 testing, but we do. In fact, let me just try to 175 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:22,880 prove it to you. When you go to a restaurant 176 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:27,880 today for lunch and you sit down to enjoy a meal, you are 177 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:32,680 trusting that someone has tested this establishment for its 178 00:09:32,680 --> 00:09:35,280 cleanliness and the quality of its food. 179 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:37,680 It's about to put on the table in front of you that you're 180 00:09:37,680 --> 00:09:40,720 going to put in your mouth. In fact, if you want to see 181 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:43,480 they're grade, just ask for it. It'll be posted on the wall, 182 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:46,920 right? Somebody tested before you 183 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:49,480 trusted that it could be true and good for you. 184 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:52,400 All right, then next time you take a sip of water out of your 185 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:53,920 refrigerator, out of your faucet. 186 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:57,440 No, you probably don't put it through a water test after every 187 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:00,320 swig of water you take. But somebody tested it. 188 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:06,040 Somebody tested to see is this water actually safe to drink or 189 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:07,160 not. Now, you may like the test or 190 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:09,960 not like the test they used, but somebody's tested, all right, 191 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:12,200 right. If you get on an airplane to fly 192 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:15,240 from point A to point B, you're sitting in a seat trusting 193 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:19,560 somebody has tested this machine that is in quality operational 194 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:23,080 safety standards protocol to get you from point A to point B. 195 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:26,200 Somebody's tested. We live our lives according to 196 00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:28,880 doing testing. There's a test for everything. 197 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:33,360 But what John is trying to say into you to me today is and when 198 00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:36,000 it comes to discerning the spiritual things of God and the 199 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:40,280 teaching of God, the truth, no one else is responsible for 200 00:10:40,280 --> 00:10:45,200 testing. It's true for you other than is 201 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:48,760 your pastor responsible for testing what's true? 202 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:50,760 In a way, yes. Right. 203 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:53,080 And the Bible says I'm going to be held as a teacher of the Word 204 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:55,400 of God, even to a stricter higher standard. 205 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:56,880 But you know what the Bible says? 206 00:10:56,880 --> 00:10:59,080 You know what you're supposed to do after you hear something from 207 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:03,200 me to test it and see if it's true. 208 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:05,320 You're supposed to look for yourself. 209 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:07,760 You're not supposed to just take my word for it. 210 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:10,240 You're supposed to look down and see, is that what the word of 211 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:14,840 God says or not? No one can take your place in 212 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:18,200 responsibility for testing what you believe is either true of 213 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:21,960 God or of not. God says you are commanded to 214 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:26,360 test what you hear before trusting that it is true. 215 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:29,640 All right, that's the command. Now we're going to get to #2 the 216 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:34,720 way to test, and here it is. Ask, what does it say about 217 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:36,920 Jesus? It's a simple question. 218 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:40,360 It's a simple test. Ask what does it say about 219 00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:42,000 Jesus? This is verses 2 and three. 220 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:44,200 Watch how clear and simple John is here. 221 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:49,400 By this, you know the Spirit of God. 222 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:52,960 By this it means just one thing that is here. 223 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:55,200 It is every spirit. Think person. 224 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:57,960 Of course there's a spirit animating behind every person of 225 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:01,360 God or not. Every spirit that confesses that 226 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:05,640 Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every 227 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:10,080 spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. 228 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:15,320 The one criterion that comprises this test is a confession, 229 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:20,000 meaning a convictional position, a doctrinal stance, a fact that 230 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:23,920 is confessed and affirmed, and that fact is absolutely critical 231 00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:27,760 because this confession is not a part of the gospel we believe. 232 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:31,440 This confession is the gospel that we believe and that is the 233 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:35,520 truth that Jesus who is fully God pre existed as creator of 234 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:39,200 the world who spoke all things into existence actually fully 235 00:12:39,200 --> 00:12:43,040 God remaining fully God became fully man and entered our world 236 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:46,000 to live in our place, to live a sinless life and die on the 237 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:49,120 cross and defeat death for us. That Jesus being fully God 238 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:52,480 became fully man. Our faith rest on that 239 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:54,440 confession y'all. There's no gospel, there's no 240 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:56,840 confession, there's no forgiveness of sin, there's no 241 00:12:56,840 --> 00:12:59,120 hope of eternal life unless that is true. 242 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:05,320 No hope, no promise of the Old Testament is ultimately true if 243 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:08,040 Jesus the Son of God has not come in the flesh. 244 00:13:08,560 --> 00:13:11,040 And no promise of the New Testament has any hope to be 245 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:14,360 true unless Jesus has come is fully God, fully man in the 246 00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:17,480 flesh. You know, this doctrine is a 247 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:20,160 fancy doctrinal word. We call it the incarnation. 248 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:24,760 Carney means meat, flesh, all right to come in the flesh. 249 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:28,600 To Incarnate is God taking on human flesh. 250 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:32,000 This doctrine ties all of our Bible together and it's the 251 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:37,320 hinge on which our faith turns. Did Jesus truly did God become 252 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:40,480 man? Now you might be thinking, Kyle, 253 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:47,080 that claim sounds great as a test to see if what is true is 254 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:50,120 true or not. But you might be thinking, you 255 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:52,200 know, in reality, it doesn't really seem that simple. 256 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:57,240 Like when I hear ideas out there or I hear claims or I encounter 257 00:13:57,240 --> 00:14:02,200 other quote religions or perspectives or world views, 258 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:04,840 like they just don't necessarily come out and say, well, here's 259 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:07,200 what we believe about Jesus. Often do they? 260 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:11,760 Let me remind you that often that is true. 261 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:15,320 But if you just press in just a little bit and keep asking, what 262 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:19,200 do they believe about Jesus? What did they say about the 263 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:21,720 incarnation? Do they affirm it or do they 264 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:23,480 deny it? Do they major on it? 265 00:14:23,560 --> 00:14:26,160 Do they minor on it? Do they highlight it or do they 266 00:14:26,160 --> 00:14:29,200 cast a shadow and do they distance themselves from it? 267 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:33,800 What do they say about God becoming a man, living a sinless 268 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:36,600 life, dying in your place and defeating death, rising again? 269 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:40,520 What do they say about Jesus? That's how you can know, John 270 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:42,480 says. Now I'm just going to press in a 271 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:45,320 little further and give you some examples because I believe as 272 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:47,600 your pastor, I'm responsible to do stuff like this. 273 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:51,560 I want to be clear, I know stuff about like what I'm about to say 274 00:14:51,560 --> 00:14:52,800 is probably going to get me some emails. 275 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:54,480 I had people in the first service walk out. 276 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:57,280 I don't like to have to do stuff like this, but I'm responsible 277 00:14:57,280 --> 00:14:58,520 before God to tell you the truth. 278 00:14:59,480 --> 00:15:00,400 So here we go. You ready? 279 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:04,280 Here's some examples of how other perspectives deny this. 280 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:09,840 Let's start with Islam. No Muslim considers Jesus to be 281 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:15,600 divine or the son of God. In fact, if you were to go to 282 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:19,920 Jerusalem, to the Temple Mount, to the Dome of the Rock, where 283 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:24,360 there's a mosque built on part of the ancient site, there is an 284 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:27,160 inscription on the side of the Dome of the Rock that says God 285 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:35,400 has no son. That is satanic and of the evil 286 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:38,840 1 millions and millions are deceived. 287 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:42,200 What does it say about the incarnation? 288 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:45,080 What does it say about Jesus? Let's get further. 289 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:48,200 This one. I'm just going to keep going. 290 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:54,560 Jehovah's Witnesses, Jesus, they believe, is a little G God, but 291 00:15:54,560 --> 00:15:59,120 not the big G God. Jesus was, according to their 292 00:15:59,120 --> 00:16:05,000 teaching, God's first creation. What did they just deny by 293 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:07,600 saying Jesus was created and not the Creator? 294 00:16:10,040 --> 00:16:12,040 They just denied the truth of John 11. 295 00:16:12,040 --> 00:16:16,320 In the beginning was the and the Word was with God, and the Word 296 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:19,760 was God. All things came into being. 297 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:26,240 Through who? Through Jesus, his son, the 298 00:16:26,240 --> 00:16:28,920 founder. Charles Russell of Jehovah's 299 00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:35,000 Witnesses says Jesus was Michael the Archangel before divesting 300 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:39,320 himself of his angelic nature and appearing in the world as a 301 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:40,760 man. What does it say about the 302 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:44,200 incarnation? What does it say about Jesus? 303 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:48,000 Does it affirm his full divinity prior to time? 304 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:51,560 And does it say in time he really took on full human flesh? 305 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:55,800 What does it say about Jesus? It's either of God or it's of 306 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:57,760 Satan. There's only two spiritual 307 00:16:57,760 --> 00:17:00,880 forces. What about Mormons? 308 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:05,839 I don't believe Jesus is eternally pre existent as God 309 00:17:05,839 --> 00:17:09,520 with the Father, thereby denying the Trinity, but that he was 310 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:15,200 again watch this the first born created spirit child of the 311 00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:25,240 Father, the brother of Lucifer. Jesus achieved through his works 312 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:30,440 little G godhead godhood. Rather he achieved this godness, 313 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:34,440 but not big G God little G God. And by the way they teach so can 314 00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:36,120 you. In the afterlife you can become 315 00:17:36,120 --> 00:17:40,080 your own little G God. What was the last Satan told in 316 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:42,920 the garden? What did he tempt them with? 317 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:45,840 You can be your own. What? 318 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:50,920 What does it say about Jesus? Is he the one and only one true 319 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:55,000 who took on human flesh and lived in our space? 320 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:57,040 Why not? So the we could become God, but 321 00:17:57,040 --> 00:18:00,600 so the we could become sons and daughters of God, redeemed, 322 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:04,160 joined with Christ, sharing in his glory, but exalting him and 323 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:08,640 him alone as God. What does it do to the glory of 324 00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:10,760 Jesus? What does it say about his 325 00:18:10,760 --> 00:18:12,200 divinity? What does it say about? 326 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:16,120 All you got to do is keep asking the same question and you're 327 00:18:16,120 --> 00:18:19,840 going to get to your answer. We could go on, but the point is 328 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:25,160 this every world religion or cult without exception denies 329 00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:30,280 Jesus Christ is eternally fully God who has come in the flesh is 330 00:18:30,280 --> 00:18:32,640 fully man. You can mark it down every time 331 00:18:35,120 --> 00:18:38,000 we've seen the command to test, we've seen the way to test and 332 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:41,920 finally the results of the test. We need to realize and these 333 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:44,760 results. What's different about those who 334 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:47,160 have the truth. This is verses 4 through 6. 335 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:51,280 You all the the point of this test that we're called to 336 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:56,240 constantly conduct when we encounter teaching is so that we 337 00:18:56,240 --> 00:18:58,680 can clearly distinguish truth from error. 338 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:03,440 But of course, the test does get personal because teaching comes 339 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:05,520 through teachers. It comes through people, right? 340 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:09,880 And the results of the test not only reveal what ideas are true 341 00:19:09,880 --> 00:19:13,560 or false, but also what people belong to the truth or not. 342 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:16,360 So at at this point, we're reminded there are only two 343 00:19:16,360 --> 00:19:19,240 types of people in this world, Those who belong to God, those 344 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:21,800 who belong to Satan. John has already warned us that 345 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:24,560 those who belong to Satan will naturally hate those who belong 346 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:26,520 to God. But then listen to this truth. 347 00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:29,960 This is incredible, little children. 348 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:35,240 You are from God and have, what's that next word have 349 00:19:35,280 --> 00:19:38,960 overcome. You are from God and I've 350 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:42,200 overcome them. For he who is in you is greater 351 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:45,600 than he who is in the world. Aren't you glad that's true? 352 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:49,640 Aren't you glad that the one who resides in you, the Holy Spirit 353 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:53,440 of God, is not kind of bigger, kind of stronger, kind of 354 00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:55,880 better. He is greater, infinitely 355 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:58,800 greater and infinitely more powerful than the one that the 356 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:01,720 enemy who is in the world seeking to kill, steal and 357 00:20:01,960 --> 00:20:04,800 destroy. And Jesus says you are from God, 358 00:20:04,800 --> 00:20:07,200 you've overcome them. For he was in you is greater 359 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:09,520 than he was in that. That's a might drop from God if 360 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:15,160 I've ever heard one. Stake your life on that claim. 361 00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:19,440 God says yes. This test is going to 362 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:22,120 distinguish those of you who belong to me versus those who 363 00:20:22,120 --> 00:20:24,240 don't. But for those of you who belong 364 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:26,920 to me, you've overcome them. That word overcome is past 365 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:30,040 tense. Already overcome, Christian. 366 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:32,120 Here's the deal. Let's make this very practical. 367 00:20:32,320 --> 00:20:35,000 You're not living your life trying to win a victory. 368 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:37,720 You're not living for victory. You're not trying to work for a 369 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:40,040 victory. We're able to live our lives as 370 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:43,480 Christians based on the past victory of Jesus Christ. 371 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:47,320 We get to live life in the victory lap lane of Jesus. 372 00:20:48,360 --> 00:20:50,600 You've already overcome. You don't have to worry about 373 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:53,320 waking up that day and wondering if by God's help you're going to 374 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:56,120 win in God's will for God's Kingdom that day, right? 375 00:20:56,280 --> 00:20:59,320 Jesus is already won. We conquer by the blood of the 376 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:02,560 lamb and the word of our testimony every single day. 377 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:04,520 Now I realize you might woke up this morning, woke up this 378 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:06,040 morning like I don't feel like I'm winning. 379 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:10,040 I don't feel the victory. Pastor Calm. 380 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:14,520 In fact, I feel like I'm in a boxing ring with the world and 381 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:16,480 the world's Mike Tyson. He's punching me in the mouth 382 00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:18,200 and biting me in the ear at the same time. 383 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:27,320 And life feels like that sometimes, but Jesus has already 384 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:30,000 won. Jesus says take heart in this 385 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:33,600 world you will have you're going to get bit in the ear, you're 386 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:38,120 going to have trouble. But what Jesus says what same 387 00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:40,760 word. I've overcome the world. 388 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:45,360 I've already overcome the world. By the way, this truth hits a 389 00:21:45,360 --> 00:21:47,360 whole lot different for our brothers and sisters around the 390 00:21:47,360 --> 00:21:52,080 world giving their blood for Jesus Christ, and I mean with 391 00:21:52,080 --> 00:21:56,120 their lives. One out of nine Christians are 392 00:21:56,120 --> 00:22:00,400 persecuted for their faith. 7000 Christians in Nigeria alone have 393 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:02,160 died for faith in Jesus this year. 394 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:07,640 But the Bible says we've already overcome. 395 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:13,760 We may give our lives, some may experience that, but doesn't 396 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:17,240 matter what we face, they can't take away our victory in Christ. 397 00:22:20,360 --> 00:22:23,880 The reason why we've won is because he who is in US is 398 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:25,080 greater than he who is in the world. 399 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:29,800 So part of the difference y'all we need to realize between he 400 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:33,360 who is in US and who we are versus those who are not in 401 00:22:33,360 --> 00:22:36,880 Christ and of the world is that the one in US is greater, is 402 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:40,120 stronger. This is also the reason why the 403 00:22:40,120 --> 00:22:43,560 Bible tells us and James to rebuke the devil and he will. 404 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:49,000 What that means Jesus is greater than Satan. 405 00:22:50,200 --> 00:22:51,480 You need to live your life that way. 406 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:54,920 You need to stake your claim that way. 407 00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:58,480 Speaking and claiming and praying and depending on the 408 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:00,640 name of Jesus, the enemy has to flee. 409 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:03,200 The second part of the difference about US versus the 410 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:06,840 world, verses 5 and 6, those who belong to the world, John says, 411 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:08,880 sound like the world, and they listen to the world. 412 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:10,680 Why do the people of the world listen to the world? 413 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:13,240 Because they're saying the things they want to hear. 414 00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:18,000 But John says this, However, those who belong to God sound 415 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:19,560 like the truth and listen to the truth. 416 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:22,640 John Gospel, chapter 8, verse 47. 417 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:25,680 Whoever is of God hears the words of God. 418 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:29,280 In other words, God's word receives a positive response 419 00:23:29,280 --> 00:23:32,480 from God's people. The difference, the distinction 420 00:23:33,280 --> 00:23:36,720 that regarding who we listen to, John tells us is another 421 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:40,000 dimension of discerning who we belong to, whether we belong to 422 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:42,320 God or not. He says by this we know the 423 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:44,760 spirit of truth and the spirit of error. 424 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:47,760 Those who belong to God are stronger than Satan and they 425 00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:49,680 hear and respond to the word of God. 426 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:55,960 How do we know what's true? How do we know it's true? 427 00:23:56,720 --> 00:24:02,640 You test, how ask. What do they say about Jesus? 428 00:24:03,520 --> 00:24:05,240 You're responsible for that test. 429 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:09,920 You know the way to test and the results discern for us to whom 430 00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:16,040 we belong, to God or the enemy. What I want to do next, to share 431 00:24:16,040 --> 00:24:19,400 some things with you. Sometimes I rarely come across 432 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:21,960 something that I just, man, put word for word in front of you 433 00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:24,920 that's not original to me, but I'm about to do that. 434 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:27,840 There's an author that I read frequently by the name of Chris 435 00:24:27,840 --> 00:24:30,040 Harper. He's the CEO of Better Man. 436 00:24:30,040 --> 00:24:33,120 We do better man studies on Tuesday mornings with men in 437 00:24:33,120 --> 00:24:36,120 this room discerning how to become a more biblical, godly 438 00:24:36,120 --> 00:24:38,320 man. Chris wrote something that is so 439 00:24:38,320 --> 00:24:39,560 pertinent to what we're studying. 440 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:40,640 I want to share his words with you. 441 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:43,080 And if you're a young person in the room, I really want you to 442 00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:44,960 give everything you got to listen to what I'm about to 443 00:24:44,960 --> 00:24:47,560 share with you. This is going to be very 444 00:24:47,560 --> 00:24:49,720 practical. I want you to absorb every word. 445 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:51,160 All right, you ready? Here we go. 446 00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:56,760 Every day, from the moment we open our eyes, we are being 447 00:24:56,760 --> 00:25:00,200 discipled. Not just by sermons and 448 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:03,880 podcasts, but by something deeper, more invisible. 449 00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:07,040 We're being discipled by narratives, by stories. 450 00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:10,600 We live in a world that doesn't just sell products, it's trying 451 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:14,120 to sell you an identity. It doesn't just give content, it 452 00:25:14,120 --> 00:25:17,560 tries to give us meaning. The world wants to tell us who 453 00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:21,920 we are, what the good life is, what we should fear, and what we 454 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:24,600 should chase. These narratives are not neutral 455 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:28,240 ideas, they are competing gospels and unless you 456 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:32,840 consciously resist them, you will unconsciously believe them. 457 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:37,080 Romans 12/2 plainly tells us do not be conformed to this world, 458 00:25:37,360 --> 00:25:40,440 but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. 459 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:44,720 Paul is saying don't be shaped by the world story, be 460 00:25:44,720 --> 00:25:49,120 transformed by God's story. And this modern world has many 461 00:25:49,120 --> 00:25:51,440 stories. Some are obvious, some are far 462 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:54,040 more subtle, all of which did you hear that? 463 00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:57,720 All of these rival the Christian gospel. 464 00:25:58,240 --> 00:26:01,360 The false narratives promise life but deliver bondage. 465 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:04,400 The question is not if you're being shaped, you're being 466 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:07,240 shaped right now. The question is, what story is 467 00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:09,920 shaping you? I'm about to share with you, if 468 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:13,320 I could in the next few minutes, some of the false gospels that 469 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:16,720 the world wants to sell you. Young people, I really want you 470 00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:20,160 to hear these because you can take any idea you come across 471 00:26:20,160 --> 00:26:23,200 and filter it through these and the gospel of Jesus Christ and 472 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:26,080 know if it's true of God or a false gospel. 473 00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:29,040 So the first one is this. Watch this romanticism. 474 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:30,440 You be like Kyle. I've never heard that word. 475 00:26:30,440 --> 00:26:31,320 Do I have a clue what that means? 476 00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:32,880 But you know exactly what this is. 477 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:38,040 It's the lie, the false gospel that you are your feelings, you 478 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:41,400 are what you desire. If you like it and if you want 479 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:44,640 it, that's the true you. The idol is your emotions and 480 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:46,120 your feelings and your desires, desires. 481 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:50,280 The lie is that your salvation, the good life, really you being 482 00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:53,760 you and experiencing all that life has to offer is when you 483 00:26:54,000 --> 00:26:57,600 express yourself the way and according to your own desires. 484 00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:00,480 The promise is if you feel it deeply, you're truly alive. 485 00:27:00,640 --> 00:27:04,000 Intensity of equals authenticity when the truth is the heart is 486 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:07,000 deceitful above all things. If you follow your heart and 487 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:10,280 it's like you'll end up at the wrong destination because you'll 488 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:13,400 have believed a false gospel that you're your feelings, 489 00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:17,320 you're your desires. Let's go to the next one, 490 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:20,560 consumerism. You are what you have. 491 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:24,120 The idol here is money in possessions that salvation. 492 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:29,120 The promise is salvation through more the promise, the false 493 00:27:29,120 --> 00:27:31,160 promises. Stuff equals status. 494 00:27:31,160 --> 00:27:34,280 Accumulate to prove your value. More things mean more life. 495 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:37,720 The truth is life does not consist in the abundance of 496 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:39,800 possessions. He says it like this. 497 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:43,200 Be rich in Christ, not Costco. You're not going to leave this 498 00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:46,320 world with anything in your pantry or your garage or on your 499 00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:53,960 property or on your person line number three, false gospel is 500 00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:58,040 rationalism. Only what I can reason is true. 501 00:27:58,040 --> 00:28:01,880 This false gospel claims the idol here is our human intellect 502 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:05,840 thinking we know and we can understand and discern all truth 503 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:07,720 just with our limited human understanding. 504 00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:10,080 The lie is that salvation comes through the mind. 505 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:13,240 The promise is trust yourself. Your intelligence is the final 506 00:28:13,240 --> 00:28:15,160 authority. If it doesn't make sense it 507 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:17,880 can't be true. The truth is lean not on your 508 00:28:17,880 --> 00:28:26,240 own understanding. Truth is not man discovered, but 509 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:30,560 truth is God revealed. What is the ultimate source of 510 00:28:30,560 --> 00:28:32,440 truth? It is Scripture who is the 511 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:35,200 ultimate source of truth. It is God who is the greatest 512 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:37,720 revealer of truth, the Holy Spirit who's the way, the truth 513 00:28:37,720 --> 00:28:39,640 and the life King Jesus. Mark it down. 514 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:43,600 Rationalism is a false gospel. Here's another false gospel, 515 00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:48,000 pragmatism. If it works, this gospel says it 516 00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:52,760 must be right. This is the old lie that the 517 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:56,520 ends justify the That's unbiblical. 518 00:28:56,760 --> 00:29:00,320 That's false gospel. The promise or the lie is 519 00:29:00,320 --> 00:29:03,080 salvation through efficiency and outcomes, promises 520 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:05,240 functionality, justifies morality. 521 00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:06,800 That effectiveness equals truthful. 522 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:09,880 If it works, it must be true. The truth is there is a way that 523 00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:13,360 seems right to a man that in the way leads to or ends in what? 524 00:29:14,160 --> 00:29:18,040 Death. That's a false gospel. 525 00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:21,480 The next false gospel is individualism or hedonism. 526 00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:25,720 This is the false gospel that you are the center of life, that 527 00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:28,440 you're the center of your universe, that everything 528 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:31,440 revolves around you. So if that's the case, then you 529 00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:33,960 ought to be yourself and go discover yourself, because until 530 00:29:33,960 --> 00:29:36,400 you find the center, the sun of your universe, you're going to 531 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:38,960 be lost. Promises. 532 00:29:38,960 --> 00:29:40,760 Be your own God. When did that life start? 533 00:29:42,200 --> 00:29:44,000 Y'all? Satan is not very creative. 534 00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:50,920 Do what makes you happy. Freedom is found in what you 535 00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:54,520 want. This gospel says the truth is 536 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:57,320 the Bible says deny yourself and take up your cross and follow 537 00:29:57,320 --> 00:29:59,400 me. Jesus doesn't go say to anybody 538 00:29:59,400 --> 00:30:05,360 go find yourself. He says follow me and not just 539 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:08,080 that he says Paul says I've been crucified with Christ. 540 00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:10,680 Jesus says like this, take up your cross daily and follow me. 541 00:30:10,680 --> 00:30:14,240 Go die to yourself. Go say no to you. 542 00:30:15,360 --> 00:30:19,000 You come say yes to me. That's the true gospel. 543 00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:24,640 I've been crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, 544 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:27,080 but Christ liveth in me and the life I live. 545 00:30:27,080 --> 00:30:30,240 Paul says I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave 546 00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:32,600 himself for me. The Christian life, real life, 547 00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:35,440 is Jesus living his life through you. 548 00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:43,040 This is a false gospel. The next one is relativism. 549 00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:45,800 This false gospel says there is no ultimate truth. 550 00:30:46,680 --> 00:30:50,400 This idol is choice. The lie is salvation through 551 00:30:50,400 --> 00:30:53,400 tolerance, the promises. No one can tell you you're 552 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:55,320 wrong. Truth is subjective. 553 00:30:55,440 --> 00:30:58,120 Follow your own truth. Every path leads somewhere good. 554 00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:04,600 The Bible says Jesus says I am the truth and the and no one 555 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:07,880 following any other path gets to the Father except through 556 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:13,720 through me. Jesus says that's a false 557 00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:17,080 gospel. The next one is perfectionism. 558 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:21,720 You must perform to be accepted. This idol is human achievement. 559 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:24,440 It's salvation through flawlessness and perfection. 560 00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:27,120 The promise is if you succeed, you'll be loved. 561 00:31:27,200 --> 00:31:28,960 You're only as good as your last performance. 562 00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:33,520 The truth is, while we were yet failures, sinners Christ what 563 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:38,920 died for us, and all our flop and all our mess up and all our 564 00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:41,960 sin, God did what only God could do for us. 565 00:31:44,720 --> 00:31:46,640 While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 566 00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:51,280 You are not loved because you are perfect. 567 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:54,920 You are being perfected because you are loved. 568 00:31:56,440 --> 00:31:59,600 You see the difference? You're not loved by God because 569 00:31:59,600 --> 00:32:04,440 you're perfect, but you're being perfected by God because he 570 00:32:04,440 --> 00:32:08,240 loves you all. This last one is the one of the 571 00:32:08,240 --> 00:32:13,240 most pervasive in our culture. It slips in so slyly it's called 572 00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:15,240 Western religion. You might hear it called this 573 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:21,320 Moralistic Therapeutic deism. I know none of those words might 574 00:32:21,320 --> 00:32:23,120 make sense to you, but here I hope these do. 575 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:27,400 Idol is or the lie is this false gospel says God wants you to be 576 00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:31,080 nice, safe, successful, comfortable and happy. 577 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:34,560 The idol is your comfort and your ease and your pleasure. 578 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:37,920 The lie is salvation that comes through security and positivity 579 00:32:38,080 --> 00:32:40,480 and politeness. The promise is God exists to 580 00:32:40,480 --> 00:32:42,440 meet your needs and provide for your comfort. 581 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:44,200 The Christian life should be easy. 582 00:32:44,360 --> 00:32:47,640 The Bible begs to differ and says through many tribulations 583 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:52,920 we must enter the Kingdom of in this world you will have but 584 00:32:52,920 --> 00:32:58,280 I've overcome the all these stories. 585 00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:01,240 I want to draw this in. Don't miss it young people, stay 586 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:02,040 with me. You ready? 587 00:33:03,440 --> 00:33:07,160 All these stories have three things in common, and any false 588 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:09,120 gospel you hear will have this in common. 589 00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:12,400 They center on the self, not the Savior. 590 00:33:12,560 --> 00:33:15,920 They preach ease, they don't preach sacrifice, and they 591 00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:18,080 promise life, but they deliver death. 592 00:33:18,280 --> 00:33:20,720 Each of these narratives preaches a false gospel. 593 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:22,240 And here's the false gospel they preach. 594 00:33:22,480 --> 00:33:26,760 It's a false creation that you are your desires. 595 00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:31,120 When God says you were made in his image, not in your false 596 00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:34,520 desires, but in God's desires and design He has for you, it's 597 00:33:34,520 --> 00:33:36,280 a false fall. Fall for sin. 598 00:33:36,280 --> 00:33:40,000 The false fall and the false gospel is that your only problem 599 00:33:40,160 --> 00:33:42,720 is a lack of freedom. If you're just freed up to do 600 00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:45,240 what you want, you'll be good, you'll be great, you'll be 601 00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:48,400 grand. The Bible says the fall is not 602 00:33:48,400 --> 00:33:51,120 just a lack of our freedom. The false gospel, it says this. 603 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:54,320 It's a false savior. More stuff, more success, more 604 00:33:54,320 --> 00:33:56,440 progress, and then a false redemption. 605 00:33:56,440 --> 00:33:58,880 Be just, be happy, be nice, be you. 606 00:34:00,800 --> 00:34:04,840 All those false gospels preach those things, but the Christian 607 00:34:04,840 --> 00:34:08,520 story, the one true story, declares you are not your own, 608 00:34:08,760 --> 00:34:12,239 for you are bought at a price. The good life is not comfort, 609 00:34:12,239 --> 00:34:15,560 but it is conformity to Christ. And CS Lewis made this 610 00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:18,320 statement. He said the most dangerous ideas 611 00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:22,600 in a society are not the ones being argued, but the ones being 612 00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:25,000 assumed. All those false gospels on the 613 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:27,920 screen, they're not being argued in your culture you live in. 614 00:34:28,120 --> 00:34:30,880 And the places I go and the places and people, they are 615 00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:32,760 being assumed. These things are true. 616 00:34:34,800 --> 00:34:36,920 They're embedded in the water we're drinking. 617 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:42,880 God's story says you are made in God's image. 618 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:47,320 Your problem is sin, your hope is the cross, your purpose is 619 00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:49,679 worship. Your future is resurrection. 620 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:53,239 So we don't need more feelings, we need faith and we don't. 621 00:34:53,239 --> 00:34:55,639 We don't need more stuff, we need more scripture. 622 00:34:55,760 --> 00:34:58,000 We don't need to express ourselves, we need to die to 623 00:34:58,000 --> 00:34:59,600 ourselves. We need Jesus. 624 00:34:59,800 --> 00:35:03,400 He is the true and better story and is the one and only one who 625 00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:06,800 offers a true gospel that gives life not just now, but for 626 00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:09,400 forever. What gospel are you believing? 627 00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:13,880 Can I ask you to bow your head and close your eyes? 628 00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:26,280 If you're here this morning, if you've never stepped into the 629 00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:33,720 story, the true story of the gospel of Jesus Christ and by 630 00:35:33,720 --> 00:35:39,920 faith realized your problem is sin, your only hope is the cross 631 00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:42,640 of Christ. Your future is resurrection 632 00:35:42,640 --> 00:35:44,920 either to eternal life or eternal death. 633 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:49,120 I'm inviting you to step out by faith into God's story, into the 634 00:35:49,120 --> 00:35:51,760 truth of Jesus, for you to accept him as your Lord and 635 00:35:51,760 --> 00:35:54,240 Savior. It's why I'll wait right here. 636 00:35:54,240 --> 00:35:57,000 It's why we'll have encouragers close if you need to make the 637 00:35:57,000 --> 00:36:01,800 decision by faith to trust Christ, to stake your life on 638 00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:05,200 the way, the truth and the life, Jesus Christ alone. 639 00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:11,320 I want to invite you to step out if any of these false gospels 640 00:36:11,440 --> 00:36:14,360 have penetrated your life and your mind and your thinking and 641 00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:16,320 your living. And if you need to say, God, I 642 00:36:16,320 --> 00:36:18,440 need to get on my knees. I need to stand before you. 643 00:36:18,600 --> 00:36:20,960 I need to come to these steps like an altar and just say, God, 644 00:36:20,960 --> 00:36:23,560 purify my life and my mind and my heart. 645 00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:29,480 God, I've allowed false gospels to corrupt the way I'm living, 646 00:36:29,960 --> 00:36:34,080 the way I'm thinking, what I'm wanting, what I'm doing. 647 00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:43,000 You need God just to do a little detox of any false gospel in 648 00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:47,960 you. I'm going to invite you to 649 00:36:47,960 --> 00:36:53,280 respond to Jesus in whatever way he's calling that he's the only 650 00:36:53,280 --> 00:36:56,360 way, the truth and the life. If your life's not staked on his 651 00:36:56,360 --> 00:37:00,000 gospel, I pray you're not going to leave today until it is. 652 00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:03,320 Would you maybe just say, God search me and know my heart, see 653 00:37:03,920 --> 00:37:07,760 if there'd be any offensive way in me, Lead me in the way of 654 00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:11,840 your gospel. Give me eyes to discern, ears to 655 00:37:11,840 --> 00:37:15,040 hear anything that's not of you. God, remind me to test what's 656 00:37:15,040 --> 00:37:18,440 true before believing it. Help me talk to my kids so they 657 00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:20,600 can test what's true before believing it. 658 00:37:20,720 --> 00:37:23,000 Help us as a family. Help us and we in our 659 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:25,240 conversation with our neighbors and our teammates to help them 660 00:37:25,400 --> 00:37:30,680 to understand what's true. The truth will set you free. 661 00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:34,360 Heavenly Father, I pray that the truth would set us free this 662 00:37:34,360 --> 00:37:40,040 morning, that by faith we'd move toward your truth by your spirit 663 00:37:40,040 --> 00:37:41,400 and away from anything that's false. 664 00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:44,000 In Jesus name I pray, Amen. Would you stand with me? 665 00:37:44,120 --> 00:37:45,360 We're going to sing, you respond. 666 00:37:45,360 --> 00:37:46,840 You come as the Lord leads.