1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,960 Welcome to the Liberty Baptist Sermon Archives. 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,040 The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty Baptist 3 00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:13,040 Church in Easton, MA. You can find out more about us 4 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:17,280 or contact us at my libertybaptist.org or just look 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,760 us up on Facebook. And now we hope that this 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,040 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:26,720 Well, we are in second Peter chapter #2 and I do think it's 8 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:29,000 important for us to talk about liberty and talk a little bit 9 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:31,080 about freedom because of the weekend that we have here. 10 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:34,080 I even brought this tie out to be able to commemorate the fact 11 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:36,520 that it is our Independence Day just a couple days ago. 12 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:39,560 I'm thankful for the freedoms that we have here in the United 13 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:41,720 States of America. I'm thankful to live in this 14 00:00:41,720 --> 00:00:44,960 area, the country that we live in, because we have history all 15 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:46,760 around us, don't we? I mean, we kind of take it for 16 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:50,400 granted a little bit how much history that we have just in our 17 00:00:50,480 --> 00:00:53,560 backyard. We have Plymouth, just a 40 18 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:55,680 minute drive way in One Direction. 19 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:59,560 We have Boston where you have the Freedom Trail and you have 20 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:03,520 Faneuil Hall and you have Baptist history there in Boston 21 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:06,600 where you have the spot where the Boston Massacre took place 22 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:09,720 in the 1700s. But almost 100 years before 23 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,440 there was a different massacre that took place when Obadiah 24 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:16,000 Homes was arrested and beaten for holding an unlawful prayer 25 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:18,320 meeting in Lynn. Now that may be the last time 26 00:01:18,320 --> 00:01:20,000 somebody prayed in Lynn, all things considered. 27 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:22,760 If you're around here, you know, Lynn is the city of sin, right? 28 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,120 But, but Obadiah Holmes was beaten for that. 29 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:28,680 And by the way, part of Baptist history was there was a 30 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:31,200 president of Harvard who was there watching. 31 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:35,480 His name was Henry Dunster, who was so impressed by what he saw 32 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:39,040 and by the Baptist distinctives that he became a Baptist 33 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:40,480 himself. And Harvard couldn't handle 34 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:41,760 that. And they threw him out. 35 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:43,800 See, Harvard was even going liberal 400 years ago. 36 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:46,120 How do you like that? So you have that out there. 37 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:48,880 You have. Lexington and Concord, I mean, 38 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:51,720 there's so much history around that I take AJ to his 39 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:54,280 pediatrician appointments and I can look out from the window in 40 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:58,440 Boston and see Dorchester Heights, where Washington put 41 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:00,760 the cannons to start the siege of Boston. 42 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:03,240 And we have this all around us. And sometimes I think we just 43 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:05,560 get so used to it because there's history. 44 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:08,560 Or every town that one of you lives in has a house that George 45 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:14,160 Washington slept in. Or walk past or or someone that 46 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:15,880 knew George Washington was a right. 47 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:17,480 Look, you're laughing because you know I'm right. 48 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:22,640 I mean, history, liberty, freedom, it's all around us, 49 00:02:22,640 --> 00:02:25,800 that history that we have. But I will tell you that I'm 50 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:27,760 glad to celebrate American history. 51 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:31,040 I'm thankful for the freedom that we have here in the United 52 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:32,920 States of America. There's nowhere I would rather 53 00:02:32,920 --> 00:02:35,600 live than here in the United States of America. 54 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,880 But I do want us to have some clarity this morning about an 55 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:40,280 issue that I think is found here in. 56 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:42,080 In the word of God, and that's it. 57 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:46,720 If someone truly wants liberty, if someone really wants to 58 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:50,520 experience what liberty and freedom is all about, it's not 59 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:53,920 found in a government, It's not found in a country. 60 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:58,800 It's not found in a royal line. True freedom can only be found 61 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:02,920 in one place, and that's in Jesus Christ and Christ alone. 62 00:03:02,920 --> 00:03:04,640 Would you stand pleased for the reading of God's Word? 63 00:03:04,640 --> 00:03:07,800 We're in second Peter chapter #2 and we're actually going to take 64 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:11,720 a larger section. Of Scripture and in theology we 65 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:14,200 call that a chunk. So we're going to take a larger 66 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:16,840 chunk of Scripture here. We're going to go from verse 15 67 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:18,360 all the way to the end of the chapter. 68 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:21,480 So you follow along as I read when it says this, which have 69 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:25,480 forsaken the right way and are gone astray, following the way 70 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:28,680 of Balaam, the son of Bosor, who love the wages of 71 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:31,280 unrighteousness, but was rebuked for his iniquity. 72 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:35,600 The dumb ass, speaking with man's voice, forbade the madness 73 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:38,240 of the prophet. These are wells without water, 74 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:41,840 clouds that are carried with a Tempest, to whom the mist of 75 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:45,560 darkness is reserved forever. For when they speak great 76 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:49,240 swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the 77 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:53,320 flesh, through much wantonness. Those that were clean escape 78 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:57,400 from them who live in air, while they promised them liberty. 79 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:00,840 See that word right there? They promised them liberty. 80 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:04,720 They themselves are servants of corruption, for of whom a man is 81 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:08,240 overcome of the same as he brought in bondage. 82 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:11,920 For after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through 83 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:15,080 the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are 84 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:17,800 again entangled therein and overcome. 85 00:04:18,079 --> 00:04:20,519 The latter end is worse with them than the beginning, for it 86 00:04:20,519 --> 00:04:22,960 have been better for them not to have known the way of. 87 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:26,520 Righteousness, then, after they have known it, to turn from the 88 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:28,680 holy commandment delivered unto them. 89 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:32,120 But it's happened, it has happened to unto them. 90 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:36,200 According to the true proverb, the dog is turned to his own 91 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:40,440 vomit again and the sow that was washed or wallowing in the mire. 92 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:43,480 And that's a repeating a retelling of Proverbs chapter 93 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:46,480 26, verse 11. Why don't you be seated this 94 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:49,760 morning and then we're going to look at this issue of what true 95 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:52,000 liberty is. We see a lot of examples of what 96 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:52,760 it. Is not right. 97 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:56,600 In these 7 verses, and it's actually appreciate that the 98 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:59,680 message that Brother Rocky really kind of went together 99 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:02,040 really well with what we're going to talk about here this 100 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:04,840 morning through no coordination of ours whatsoever other than 101 00:05:04,840 --> 00:05:06,400 the coordination of the Holy Spirit. 102 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:10,800 But I want us to see this morning that while bad beliefs 103 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:14,720 bring bondage, Christ is the giver of life. 104 00:05:15,280 --> 00:05:19,760 Bad beliefs bring bondage, but Christ is the giver of life. 105 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:22,320 Heavenly Father, I pray that you would be with us here this 106 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:23,880 morning as we get into the Word of God. 107 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:26,680 Allow me to be able to say what needs to be said to bring 108 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:29,360 encouragement to your people. But most importantly, if there's 109 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:33,240 someone here who is sitting within this room or who could be 110 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:37,400 watching online or listening later, who comes to the 111 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:40,200 realization that they don't know you as Savior, that they have no 112 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:43,400 assurance of heaven, I pray that this would be the very day that 113 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,280 they come to that great assurance and pass from death 114 00:05:46,280 --> 00:05:48,440 unto life. We thank you for this all. 115 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:51,440 Ask your blessing upon it in Jesus name, Amen. 116 00:05:52,320 --> 00:05:55,920 In our text we see that there's a promise of liberty that comes 117 00:05:55,920 --> 00:05:59,160 with false teaching. Yet this promise is only 118 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:01,560 illusion. It's like a mirage in a desert. 119 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,960 It seems to offer something of which it does not. 120 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:08,040 And so maybe we asked ourselves this morning, what is false 121 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:09,800 teaching? I know we've talked a lot about 122 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:12,760 false teaching and false teachers already here in Second 123 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:16,080 Peter, not only in chapter #2 but even on our Wednesday night 124 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:17,960 series. Looking at the book of that so 125 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:21,280 well connects with Second Peter. We were looking at that just a 126 00:06:21,280 --> 00:06:24,040 few weeks ago. But what is false teaching? 127 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:26,920 If I was to summarize it in a very quick way, it would be 128 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:28,920 this. It's anything that is in 129 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:31,960 opposition to the truth that is found in the Word of God. 130 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:35,800 False teaching is anything that is in opposition to the truth. 131 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:38,240 Well, where do we find truth? What is the arbiter of truth? 132 00:06:38,280 --> 00:06:42,040 Well, God is truth and the arbiter of truth, the revealed 133 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:45,520 truth that we have today is found for us in the very Word of 134 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:47,360 God. Now where can you find false 135 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:48,760 teaching? And probably a better question 136 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:51,120 is where can you not find false teaching? 137 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:53,120 Because really, it's everywhere, isn't it? 138 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:56,360 You can find false teaching in lots of different places. 139 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:58,560 And we can think of some of the usual suspects. 140 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,160 We can think of many of the world religions, well any 141 00:07:01,160 --> 00:07:04,360 religion that doesn't speak of Jesus Christ being Lord and 142 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:07,520 Savior and the only way of salvation, which would well be 143 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:10,280 Christianity, Amen. But any religion that would 144 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:15,040 teach any other way, well Nope, that would be false teaching. 145 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:18,320 Well, a cult maybe. They name the name of Jesus 146 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:22,240 Christ, but take who Jesus Christ is and distort him into 147 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:25,280 something that he is not. That would be false teaching. 148 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:29,000 False teaching could come in the form of a televangelist who has 149 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:32,640 a large following, a large bank account and a spray tan. 150 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:36,320 That could be, hey, there's a good crowd this morning. 151 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:37,800 All right? He's saying, yeah, I'll be here 152 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:38,480 all week. All right. 153 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:41,280 But no, it's no. But that's what what we think of 154 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:42,800 false teaching. That's what we're thinking 155 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:45,120 about, aren't we? Those are the the typical places 156 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:49,720 in in other religions and cults and and televangelists or the 157 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:54,040 popular television stations that seem to proclaim a form of 158 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:56,600 Christianity but deny the godliness thereof. 159 00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:58,200 No, no, That's what we normally think of. 160 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:00,880 But there's also some places that false teaching is not so 161 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:03,480 obvious as well. They can be found in popular 162 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:07,560 self help books. They can be found in Christian 163 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:10,760 podcasts. They can be found on reels 164 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:13,120 online that you watch on social media. 165 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:16,560 And it seems like something that might be good but you find out 166 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:20,760 it's maybe not so good at all. They can be found in a church 167 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,720 member. Who might be giving false 168 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:27,040 information from the word of God, you say would that actually 169 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:29,280 happen in the church? And no, I'm not accusing anyone 170 00:08:29,280 --> 00:08:30,960 here at Liberty Baptist Church of that. 171 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:33,960 No, certainly I'm not. But what I am saying is that we 172 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:37,679 would be remiss to to think that this happens in churches all 173 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:38,720 around the world. Why? 174 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:41,600 Because Jesus Christ warned us of that very issue. 175 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:43,880 He said in Matthew Chapter 7 verse 15. 176 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:47,320 Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing, 177 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:49,600 but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 178 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:53,840 Jude verse 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, 179 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:57,680 these creeps that come in and they say that they believe what 180 00:08:57,680 --> 00:09:00,760 the word of God says. But once they kind of come in 181 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:03,600 and gain the confidence of certain people, then they turn 182 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:06,080 people away to their false teaching. 183 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:10,160 Anything that is against and contrary to the word of God, 184 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:13,480 that would be false teaching. Now listen, I'm not talking 185 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:17,400 about being wary of everything you hear and everyone you meet. 186 00:09:17,400 --> 00:09:20,120 I'm not talking about being suspicious of everyone and 187 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:22,360 everybody. I'm not talking about being wary 188 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:26,640 of everybody, but I am talking about being aware that false 189 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:31,000 teaching is real. It's pervasive and it comes in 190 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:33,960 through our laptops, it comes in through our phones, it comes in 191 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:37,560 through our television, it comes in through media, it comes in 192 00:09:37,560 --> 00:09:41,960 through any and every way so that Satan can oppose the very 193 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:43,240 things of God. Now. 194 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:46,280 Now, why would someone turn to false listen when you have 195 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:49,640 living water? Why would someone want to drink 196 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:54,200 from polluted water when there's living water that's available to 197 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:57,320 all mankind? Why would someone want any other 198 00:09:57,320 --> 00:09:58,640 water? Well, there's a lot of different 199 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:01,360 reasons and I can probably summarize it this way. 200 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:05,440 There are some who are empty headed and that might sound like 201 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:08,960 I'm trying to be rude or belittle someone. 202 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:10,880 And I don't mean that. I'm not trying to say that 203 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:15,040 someone has no mental faculties when I say empty headed. 204 00:10:15,280 --> 00:10:18,120 They just haven't thought about the things of the Lord before. 205 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:21,320 They never really considered it. And someone comes along with 206 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:24,400 some teaching that sounds appealing and they immediately 207 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:26,120 gravitate to it. They might be empty headed. 208 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:28,360 Listen, they might be empty handed. 209 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:31,520 There's a lot of false teaching that's out there today that 210 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:35,720 says, listen, if you sow a seed, then you'll have everything that 211 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:37,760 you want. All you got to do is give in the 212 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:41,360 plate and you'll have the fast cars, you'll have the nice 213 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:43,560 houses, you'll have everything you need. 214 00:10:43,560 --> 00:10:45,320 And I will tell you this, if that's the case, I'm looking at 215 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:47,480 the parking lot right now. We're all doing it wrong. 216 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:51,760 Because I see some puddles of oil. 217 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:54,360 But I don't see a lot of Ferraris, you know what I'm 218 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:56,640 saying? So some of their appeal because 219 00:10:56,640 --> 00:10:59,360 they're empty handed, many are appealed to it because they're 220 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:04,520 empty hearted, because it seems like nobody cares and someone 221 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:11,080 comes along with a slick presentation and open hands, but 222 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:13,760 they don't realize what is behind all of that. 223 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:17,080 False teaching appeals to the empty headed, to the empty 224 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:20,720 handed, to the empty hearted. But Peter here describes false 225 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:22,280 teaching in several different ways. 226 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:26,840 No, he exposes what false teaching is here in these few 227 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:29,760 verses that we just read. And he says, first of all, that 228 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:34,240 false teaching offers error, False teaching offers error. 229 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:37,960 Look again at verses #15 and 16. It says, which have forsaken the 230 00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:41,160 right way and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam, the 231 00:11:41,160 --> 00:11:45,080 son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, but 232 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:48,640 was rebuked for his iniquity. The dumb ass, speaking with the 233 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:51,840 man's voice, forbade the madness of the prophet. 234 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:55,200 You see, false teachers have taken that which is good and 235 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:59,240 pure and right from God's word and distorted it, and have 236 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:02,280 turned it into error. And Peter uses as an example 237 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:04,720 this this man named Balaam. Now we don't have time to go 238 00:12:04,720 --> 00:12:07,600 back into all this back story of who Balaam was. 239 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:10,440 But you might remember that when the people of Israel were 240 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:13,880 traveling to the promised land during that long journey that 241 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:17,760 they took, that there was a man who came that Balak, the king of 242 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:21,240 Moab, who approached Balaam, who was some sort of prophet who at 243 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:23,960 least knew who God was. And he approached him. 244 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:27,240 He says, all I need you to do is curse the people of God. 245 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:29,080 And he says, there's no way I can do that. 246 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:30,840 And he says, well, I've got a lot of money. 247 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:34,440 He said, hold on a second. And he goes back and prays and 248 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:37,520 the Lord says you can't do that. And he says, well, but Lord, I 249 00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:39,680 really would want to do it. I mean, look at all that money 250 00:12:39,680 --> 00:12:41,560 back there. And so there's a back and forth 251 00:12:41,560 --> 00:12:44,480 that takes place. And eventually Balaam does go 252 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:48,000 and tries to pronounce woes upon the people of Israel, but God 253 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:49,760 overrides him. And every time he tries to 254 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:53,560 pronounce a woe, God ends up blessing them more and more. 255 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:57,000 Now, in the midst of all that, Balaam is riding off to the 256 00:12:57,000 --> 00:12:59,840 appointed place where he's going to look over a precipice and is 257 00:12:59,840 --> 00:13:02,560 going to try to pronounce those woes upon the people of Israel. 258 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:05,880 And all of a sudden his donkey talks to him and turns around 259 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:07,520 and basically says this, What's the matter with you? 260 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:10,520 What are you thinking? You know the. 261 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:12,600 Craziest part of that text is Balaam doesn't even seem 262 00:13:12,600 --> 00:13:14,680 surprised by this. He just has this conversation 263 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:16,120 with his donkey. He's like, well, what's the 264 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:17,680 matter with you? And the donkey says, what's the 265 00:13:17,680 --> 00:13:19,600 matter with you? And they kind of go back and 266 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:21,240 forth. And you know what's interesting? 267 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:26,320 And it says in verse #16 that he was the man's voice forbade the, 268 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:29,880 the, the, the donkey speaking with a man's voice forbade the 269 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:32,840 madness of the prophet. You know what the maddest part, 270 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:35,960 the craziest part of that whole account is not the donkey 271 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:38,400 talking. The craziest part of this 272 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:41,120 account, according to what Peter is saying here, is that a 273 00:13:41,120 --> 00:13:45,920 prophet who had some idea of who God was decided I would rather 274 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:48,760 not listen to God. I want to preach what I want to 275 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:53,520 preach so I can line my pocket. He was preaching error so that 276 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:57,080 he would be able to be enriched. And there's a lot of that's the 277 00:13:57,080 --> 00:13:59,160 taking place today. Boy, I can name a lot of 278 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:02,200 different ministries and I can name a lot of different programs 279 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:04,720 that have 800 numbers. They might as well have 900 280 00:14:04,720 --> 00:14:06,480 numbers to have you call. You know why? 281 00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:07,880 Because that's what they're looking for. 282 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:11,400 They're looking for getting into your home, they're looking to 283 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:14,520 getting into your bank account. And there are widows and there 284 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:17,160 are those who are elderly who are just looking for a little 285 00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:18,880 bit of hope and they're just looking for a little bit of 286 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:20,800 help. And they call to one of these 287 00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:24,520 numbers where someone on the other line has a very saintly 288 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:27,080 type of voice and writes down a prayer request, which no one 289 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:30,360 likely will ever pray for. But what they're really writing 290 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:36,160 down is 16 digits a month and a year and a three digit CV code. 291 00:14:37,520 --> 00:14:40,200 You know what I'm talking about. They need your numbers. 292 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:45,080 And there's a lot of error that's out there with false 293 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:48,320 teaching. Jude, as I mentioned, very 294 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:50,800 closely mirrors the book of Second Peter. 295 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:53,520 And the reason we studied Jude as we were approaching Second 296 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:56,600 Peter was because of the overlap between these two books. 297 00:14:56,920 --> 00:15:01,120 But in Jude verse #11 he says woe unto them, for they have 298 00:15:01,120 --> 00:15:04,040 gone in the way of Cain. They ran greedily after the 299 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:07,320 error of Balaam for reward and perished in the gain. 300 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:10,400 Of core and some of you that were here on that Wednesday 301 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:12,480 night that we preached through that verse might remember the 302 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:16,160 three types of false religion that we looked at that Cain had 303 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:19,360 the facade of religion. He he looked religious because 304 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:21,720 of what he brought, but he wasn't listening to God. 305 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:24,320 He was just listening to what he wanted to do. 306 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:27,240 The facade of religion. Balaam was all about financial 307 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:31,480 religion, the error of a finances of gain preaching as a 308 00:15:31,480 --> 00:15:35,080 hireling for reward. And then Cora mentioned his core 309 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:38,360 in Jude 11. But Cora was fractured religion 310 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:40,480 that he opposed the things of God. 311 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:44,120 He thought that he could be in the place of Moses and and it 312 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:47,240 doesn't really matter what flavor it is and that's why 313 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:50,360 three are mentioned in Jude one's only mentioned here. 314 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:52,320 But we can break it all down to this. 315 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:55,120 It's all error. It's all wrong. 316 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:58,880 And so while false teacher may false teaching may seem to offer 317 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:01,600 truth or or it's speaking something that no one else is 318 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:05,000 talking about. By the way, this is free, but be 319 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:07,280 be. Very wary when someone says 320 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:09,480 they'll tell you something that nobody else on this earth is 321 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:12,520 talking about right now. Because I will tell you this. 322 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:15,640 The revealed word of God reveals to all who are willing to 323 00:16:15,640 --> 00:16:17,840 listen. But if you have one, Preacher 324 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:23,400 says, look, me and my closest 10 associates, we're the only ones 325 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:24,760 that know about this. Listen. 326 00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:29,280 If you can't run, walk as fast as you can away from that, 327 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:33,240 because that is error. False teaching offers error, but 328 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:36,040 it also offers this. It offers emptiness. 329 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:39,400 It offers emptiness. Look at verses #17 and 18. 330 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:42,520 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a 331 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:46,280 Tempest, Tempest to whom the mist of darkness is reserved 332 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:48,040 forever. For when they speak great 333 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:50,360 swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lust of the 334 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:54,720 flesh, through much wantonness. That means reckless indulging 335 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:57,920 without restraint, acting uncontrollably. 336 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:02,160 Those that were clean escape from them who live in error. 337 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:07,640 And here Peter offers the irony of the whole issue. 338 00:17:07,839 --> 00:17:11,599 Remember I said who are the ones who are looking for false 339 00:17:11,599 --> 00:17:13,359 teaching? It's typically the ones who have 340 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:16,880 some emptiness within them. They're offered something of 341 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:20,359 which they don't have. But yet once they get beneath 342 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:23,079 the surface, they come to a place where they realize that 343 00:17:23,119 --> 00:17:26,640 all the promises that they were made were wrong. 344 00:17:27,319 --> 00:17:29,960 The rug was pulled out from under them, they thought they 345 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:33,160 would have something, and they were left with even less than 346 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:38,720 they had before. 2 examples are used here in verse #17 wells 347 00:17:39,120 --> 00:17:41,960 without water. Could you imagine being in the 348 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:43,800 desert? I mean, we have to look at this 349 00:17:43,800 --> 00:17:47,280 within the context and without the with the understanding of 350 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:48,600 the people who lived at this time. 351 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:53,600 Imagine being out in the desert. There's no 711, there's no 352 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:56,720 Bucky's, there's none of these things available. 353 00:17:57,080 --> 00:18:00,520 You have the water that you're carrying with you and your water 354 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:03,280 is spent. And you just need a place where 355 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:06,120 you can refresh yourself. You need a place where you can 356 00:18:06,360 --> 00:18:09,280 refill yourself. And you finally see a well and 357 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:13,120 with great pain, you, you throw the bucket down and you start to 358 00:18:13,120 --> 00:18:15,640 realize as you bring it up, it feels pretty light. 359 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:18,480 And the reason it's light because when you bring it to the 360 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:20,280 top, you realize there's nothing inside of it. 361 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:24,080 And you lean down to that well. And as best you can see, there's 362 00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:26,920 nothing in there. You were so hoping when you saw 363 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:32,080 that well from afar that it would be life saving water and 364 00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:35,680 the disappointment when it's empty again. 365 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:38,920 We can't imagine the agrarian Society of which many of them 366 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:42,160 lived during that time. I'm not a farmer, nor am I the 367 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:44,200 son of a farmer, nor am I related to farmer. 368 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:48,160 I don't even know a farmer, all right, But I've sang the farmer 369 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:49,520 and the Dell before. That's about it. 370 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:51,800 All right. But I don't know any of these 371 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:53,640 things. But this is what I do know. 372 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:55,760 I do know this. If I lived in that society in 373 00:18:55,760 --> 00:18:59,240 that time, if you had a harvest that was supposed to come, if it 374 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:01,840 didn't come, there were no government programs to help you. 375 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:06,880 There was no backup. Listen, you could have spent all 376 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:13,080 of your money on seed and watched it absolutely parch 377 00:19:13,920 --> 00:19:16,120 your, your, your growth out there in the fields. 378 00:19:16,120 --> 00:19:19,120 And could you imagine realizing we could lose everything? 379 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:23,600 There may be no harvest. There's been no rain for days or 380 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:27,720 weeks. And then you see a cloud and you 381 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:32,640 realize we're saved. It's rain, It's it's time. 382 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:34,800 We're we're going to get some rain. 383 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:37,480 It, it's finally going to come and, and the crops are going to 384 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:41,200 grow and we're going to be OK. And as you see that cloud pass, 385 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:43,440 not a drop of water comes out of it. 386 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:46,640 It's empty. Could you imagine the 387 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:51,000 disappointment, the heartache? What Peter is saying here is 388 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:56,440 that's what false teaching is. It makes a lot of promises and 389 00:19:56,440 --> 00:20:01,280 it does not deliver. False religion takes that is 390 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:05,640 pure and that is right and perverts it for its own use, and 391 00:20:05,680 --> 00:20:07,960 you can find that in many different ways. 392 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:12,760 Islam acknowledges a prophet of God, Jesus, but perverts his 393 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:16,920 person and his work, denying his deity and atonement, thereby 394 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:21,360 offering a false path to God that Jesus is not just a good 395 00:20:21,360 --> 00:20:24,960 man. He is not just an enlightened 396 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:29,240 one, but that he is the very Son of God, God the Son and the Son 397 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:33,360 of God, and he is the only way to salvation and Islam teaches 398 00:20:33,360 --> 00:20:37,360 opposed and it is false. The prosperity gospel takes the 399 00:20:37,360 --> 00:20:40,680 biblical truth that God blesses his children and twists. 400 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:45,480 It twists it into some get rich quick scheme, turning faith into 401 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:48,200 a money making scheme rather than trust in God. 402 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:52,640 Charismaticism takes a preacher who stands before a proud a 403 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:57,480 crowd and and says God gave him a word that has nothing to do 404 00:20:57,480 --> 00:21:01,800 with the word of God and that people will follow what he says 405 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:04,440 and ignore the revealed word of God. 406 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:08,440 That's dangerous. It's false teaching, so it's a 407 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:10,480 good thing Baptists don't have anything like that. 408 00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:13,640 Baptists can be into false teaching too. 409 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:18,880 You can get false teaching and even good Baptist churches. 410 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:22,000 You know why? Because anytime we pervert what 411 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:26,080 this book says and present something that is true that is 412 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:30,680 not found in this book, we have gone the way that is very 413 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:35,240 dangerous. It's easy for us to preach our 414 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:37,080 preferences as if they're in the Word of God. 415 00:21:38,240 --> 00:21:42,040 It's easy for us to present standards as the way to 416 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:45,400 salvation. No, friend. 417 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:49,480 Jesus is the way of salvation. There is no other way. 418 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:53,240 And whether it's whether it's Islam or or whether it's 419 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:58,320 Buddhism or whether it's it's the Jehovah's Witnesses or or 420 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:02,280 whether it's bad teaching in a Baptist Church, if it's opposite 421 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:05,600 of this word, it's empty. There's nothing in it. 422 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:09,200 It says right here that that there, there is nothing with it. 423 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:12,520 A well without water, a cloud carried to The Tempest, and 424 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:16,080 great swelling words. But then when you get to the 425 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:20,080 end, there's really nothing there that's right. 426 00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:23,000 There's emptiness, there's error. 427 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:24,920 But you know the worst part of all? 428 00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:28,920 It leads to this. That emptiness and that error 429 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:33,960 leads to enslavement. Look at verse #19 while they 430 00:22:33,960 --> 00:22:36,960 promised them liberty, they themselves are the servants of 431 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:37,760 corruption. Look, look at that. 432 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:40,160 They've been promising liberty. But here's the problem. 433 00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:43,360 They don't have the liberty they're promising, right? 434 00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:45,800 Yeah. I think this is key. 435 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:50,280 They are promising something of which they don't even possess 436 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:55,160 because they themselves are the servants of corruption, for of 437 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:59,400 whom a man is overcome of the same as he brought into bondage. 438 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:03,120 Do you realize that when we are saved in Jesus Christ, we are 439 00:23:03,120 --> 00:23:05,440 called unto liberty, that we have a new life. 440 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:09,440 But this error, this emptiness, this false teaching that it ends 441 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:11,440 up not just being, well, I guess it's another way. 442 00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:13,120 It's not just as good as the other way. 443 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:17,280 No, no, it's not just a not as good way as the way. 444 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:20,920 No, this is the only way. Every other way is error and it 445 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:25,520 leads to enslavement. It leads enslavement in this 446 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:28,640 life. I think of the Scientologist. 447 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:31,280 I learned a lot about Scientology living in Tampa 448 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:34,440 because the Scientology headquarters is in Clearwater. 449 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:37,880 In fact, they've taken over most of downtown Clearwater over the 450 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:41,160 past 20 or 30 years. Did you know if you were to be 451 00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:45,960 in the C organization called C Org, that is the most elite of 452 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:49,880 those who are in Scientology, you have to sign over a billion 453 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:55,760 year pledge of your life. You said pastor, did you 454 00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:59,720 misspeak there? I misspeak a lot, but I didn't 455 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:01,640 there. A billion year. 456 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:05,800 That means every life that you have following this life, you 457 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:10,880 belong to Scientology. If you decide to leave, you are 458 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:13,760 given, it's called a freeloader bill. 459 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:17,360 That means you have been part of their group and they have helped 460 00:24:17,360 --> 00:24:20,040 you and they have sustained you. And if you were to walk out, you 461 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:25,840 could owe them up to $100,000 and they will find you and they 462 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:28,800 will make you pay. See, Pastor, I, I don't think 463 00:24:28,800 --> 00:24:30,960 that's real. No, I, I've read books and 464 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:33,800 articles about this and I'm probably, listen, the half has, 465 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:37,920 has not yet been told. And that's just one group. 466 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:41,880 Why? Because false teaching leads to 467 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:44,640 enslavement. You think it's going to bring 468 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:46,360 life and you think it's going to bring joy. 469 00:24:46,360 --> 00:24:47,720 You think it's going to bring happiness. 470 00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:50,400 And they promise you all those things and infinitely more. 471 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:53,160 In fact, often times they'll promise you everything you want 472 00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:58,760 to hear, but in the end, you're enslaved in this life. 473 00:25:00,120 --> 00:25:03,360 But I will tell you this, it's not just enslavement in this 474 00:25:03,360 --> 00:25:06,240 life, it's enslavement in the life to come. 475 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:11,840 Revelation 21, Eight. But the fearful, the 476 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:15,280 unbelieving, the abominable. The murderers and the 477 00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:18,720 whoremongers and sorcerers, idolaters and all liars shall 478 00:25:18,720 --> 00:25:22,760 have their part in the lake of fire which burneth with fire and 479 00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:27,000 brimstone. Which is the second death, you 480 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:28,840 say? But Pastor, many of those people 481 00:25:28,840 --> 00:25:32,400 were probably well-intentioned. Many of those people probably 482 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:35,440 were very sincere and what they were believing it, frankly. 483 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:38,200 Please understand, as I've made mention before when I talk about 484 00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:41,720 those who are involved in false religions and cults, that I'm 485 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:44,280 not attacking them. I'm not attacking the adherence. 486 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:47,520 What I'm doing is attacking the authorities and the articles of 487 00:25:47,520 --> 00:25:49,200 faith. No, no, we want to love these 488 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:51,880 people to come to Jesus Christ. We're not trying to call them 489 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:53,440 fools. We're not trying to call them 490 00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:56,160 anything of that nature. We're trying to lovingly tell 491 00:25:56,160 --> 00:25:59,240 them, no, no, what you're doing is not giving you life. 492 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:02,240 In fact, it's enslaving you in this life and it will enslave 493 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:04,360 you in the life to come. But what we're telling you is 494 00:26:04,360 --> 00:26:06,440 this, that. Jesus Christ loves you, yes, but 495 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:11,520 they're going to be many who are sincere but will be sincerely 496 00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:14,400 wrong. Jesus said in Matthew 721 497 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:16,400 through 23. Not everyone that saith unto me, 498 00:26:16,560 --> 00:26:19,120 Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven. 499 00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:22,200 But he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven, many 500 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:25,240 will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not 501 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:28,400 prophesied in Thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, 502 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:30,840 and in thy name have done many marvelous works? 503 00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:36,560 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you depart 504 00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:40,720 from me that work iniquity. Those who are taught that you're 505 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:43,800 saved by your works and work their whole life to be saved 506 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:48,840 have followed a false teaching. Those who follow any other way 507 00:26:48,840 --> 00:26:52,400 than what the gospel says. Jesus Christ and Christ alone, 508 00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:56,440 not by works of righteousness, which we have done by his grace. 509 00:26:56,440 --> 00:27:00,880 He saved us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of 510 00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:02,160 the Holy Ghost. He said the washing of 511 00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:04,760 regeneration, that's the washing of baptism, right? 512 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:07,280 No, it's being washed by the blood of Jesus Christ. 513 00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:10,800 I was washed in the baptismal font when I was six months old. 514 00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:14,080 I cried a lot. At least that's what I was told. 515 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:17,960 But I wasn't saved. But on the 2nd December, 2nd 516 00:27:17,960 --> 00:27:21,560 1998, I had to come to the place where it wasn't my baptism, it 517 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:24,280 wasn't my confirmation, it wasn't the Lord's Supper, it 518 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:26,560 wasn't keeping my nose clean. I wasn't doing a good job at 519 00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:30,240 that anyway. But it was Jesus Christ and 520 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:34,480 Christ alone that saved me. Everything else offers freedom 521 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:39,520 but really brings enslavement. You may remember the story 522 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:41,960 living in the Boston area back in 2016. 523 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:43,920 There was a woman named Laura Levis. 524 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:47,720 She died from a slow onset asthma attack outside Somerville 525 00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:50,640 Hospital in the September of that year. 526 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:54,840 Levis, who lived a few blocks away from the hospital, couldn't 527 00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:57,800 find her way to the emergency department and couldn't find 528 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:01,080 anyone to help her. She was 34 years old. 529 00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:05,440 She dealt with asthma of the type that was slow onset, and 530 00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:07,840 she lived close enough to Somerville Hospital which she 531 00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:12,040 believed that she could more easily walk to the hospital and 532 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:14,880 get help. She walked there around 4:00 AM, 533 00:28:15,120 --> 00:28:17,760 made her way up a hill to the emergency department and saw 2 534 00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:19,880 doors. Neither was clearly marked. 535 00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:22,120 The one she walked to was locked. 536 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:25,360 She called 911, has transferred multiple times. 537 00:28:25,880 --> 00:28:28,000 In a recording from one of those calls, she can be heard 538 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:32,400 struggling to breathe and struggling to speak, saying 539 00:28:32,400 --> 00:28:34,840 she's having an asthma attack and is slowly dying. 540 00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:38,480 Surveillance cameras actually captured the series of events. 541 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:44,520 Her husband, who was not home at the time, said her death should 542 00:28:44,520 --> 00:28:47,640 never have happened. It was the result of a complete 543 00:28:47,640 --> 00:28:50,400 breakdown in our emergency healthcare system and the 544 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:54,640 emergency 911 system. I watched an interview with her 545 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:57,440 husband and he said this, that very likely from the 546 00:28:57,440 --> 00:29:01,800 surveillance footage, she could see people inside the emergency 547 00:29:01,800 --> 00:29:07,680 room and the door was locked and no one was there to save her. 548 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:12,680 I can't think of a much more tragic story than that, to have 549 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:18,160 something so minor, so treatable, to end up being 550 00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:22,520 someone's demise because something was marked to bring 551 00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:27,080 life, but what was offered wasn't actually being offered. 552 00:29:27,080 --> 00:29:30,200 At the moment. The doors were locked, the 553 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:33,120 lights were off and no one was answering the phone. 554 00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:38,600 To me, that is a very vivid example of what false teaching 555 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:42,320 is. You can look at the promise of 556 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:47,280 life, but you can't touch it, you can't handle it, you can't 557 00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:50,360 get close to it. In fact, that which seems to 558 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:54,760 offer life only and ultimately brings death. 559 00:29:56,600 --> 00:29:58,920 And I will tell you here today, if you've come from any other 560 00:29:58,920 --> 00:30:02,080 tradition where you thought there was some other way to be 561 00:30:02,080 --> 00:30:05,160 saved. I say this not to be bold, I say 562 00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:08,200 this not to be arrogant, but I say this upon the authority of 563 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:10,040 the Word of God and the Word of God alone. 564 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:14,160 It is only by calling upon Jesus Christ that you can be saved. 565 00:30:14,320 --> 00:30:17,320 And if you push Him away, and you do not call upon Him to save 566 00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:19,880 you, that you will spend an eternity in the lake of fire. 567 00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:26,360 I say that without any joy. I say that not because I enjoy 568 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:30,840 telling people that hell is real, but I say it because it is 569 00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:34,400 true and it is real. And know this. 570 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:37,440 This is not the Baptist way versus the Catholic way versus 571 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:39,480 the Methodist way versus the Lutheran way. 572 00:30:39,480 --> 00:30:42,240 Well, you are a Lutheran pastor and so is the Lutheran way 573 00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:44,320 against the Baptist way. That's where it's really at. 574 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:46,880 You know it's about Jesus is. The way, right? 575 00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:52,920 And the truth and the life and no man cometh under the Father, 576 00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:55,920 but by me. See, false teaching offers error 577 00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:59,160 and emptiness and enslavement. And if I was just to say, bow 578 00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:01,000 your heads and close your eyes, and that's it. 579 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:03,360 And that was the five minutes I cut from the sermon that's 580 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:05,240 coming up. We'd be in trouble. 581 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:08,920 But the good news this morning is this. 582 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:14,240 Well now, this afternoon is this is that while false teaching 583 00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:18,040 offers emptiness and error and enslavement, Christ offers 584 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:21,520 eternal life. Praise be to God, there is 585 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:23,720 liberty that is found in Jesus Christ. 586 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:27,400 There's no liberty in this, but there is liberty in Christ. 587 00:31:27,560 --> 00:31:31,200 Isaiah 61 verse one. The Spirit of the Lord is God is 588 00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:33,960 upon me because the Lord has anointed me to preach good 589 00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:36,840 tidings unto the meek. He has sent me to bind up the 590 00:31:36,840 --> 00:31:40,520 broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the captives and the 591 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:42,600 opening of the prison to them that are bound. 592 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:45,880 Later in Luke chapter 4, Jesus is going to go to the synagogue 593 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:48,480 in his hometown of Nazareth and he's going to be seated. 594 00:31:48,480 --> 00:31:51,720 He's going to open up the scroll and he's going to speak from 595 00:31:51,720 --> 00:31:55,120 Psalm or rather Isaiah 61 verse one, the verse I just read you 596 00:31:55,280 --> 00:31:58,320 and he is going to proclaim himself as the one who will free 597 00:31:58,320 --> 00:32:01,360 the captives, meaning this He will free you from your sin. 598 00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:06,440 He can free you from your sin if you call him upon him to save 599 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:11,960 you. 2nd Corinthians 317 the verse, the life verse of Liberty 600 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:13,960 Baptist Church. Now there is. 601 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:17,560 Now the Lord is that spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, 602 00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:22,440 there is. Liberty AW Tozer said Jesus 603 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:24,320 Christ knows the worst about you. 604 00:32:25,640 --> 00:32:30,440 Nonetheless, He is the one who loves you most and sets you free 605 00:32:30,440 --> 00:32:34,800 from your worst. Today understand this. 606 00:32:34,800 --> 00:32:39,240 There are many thought processes that offer life, joy, peace, 607 00:32:39,440 --> 00:32:42,920 enlightenment, knowledge, and a host of other wonderful things. 608 00:32:43,160 --> 00:32:46,080 But only Christ offers eternal life. 609 00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:50,040 All other ways are false ways. And lead to death. 610 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:53,960 One preacher put it this way, if Jesus is not the only way that 611 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:57,320 he's not the way at all because he claimed to be the only way 612 00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:01,640 Acts 412 neither is there any salvation in any other for there 613 00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:05,960 is none other name under heaven given upon men whereby we must 614 00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:08,320 be saved. And I want to encourage you 615 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:12,720 beyond encourage you. I want to beg you here today if 616 00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:16,200 you don't know Jesus Christ as your Savior, if you've never 617 00:33:16,200 --> 00:33:19,120 trusted him fully and completely to forgive you of your. 618 00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:21,400 Your sins and to give you a home in heaven. 619 00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:24,800 There is no better day than this day to call upon Him to save 620 00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:27,360 you. Whether it's December 2nd, 1998 621 00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:30,480 or whatever day you got saved or whether day, whatever day 622 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:31,840 someone that's close to you got saved. 623 00:33:31,840 --> 00:33:33,600 Do you have a day? Do you have a time? 624 00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:37,320 Do you know that you know that Jesus Christ is your Savior? 625 00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:41,560 There is no more important decision that you can make in 626 00:33:41,560 --> 00:33:42,480 your life. Why? 627 00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:49,040 Because all other teaching leads to error and emptiness and 628 00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:51,960 enslavement. It's only through Jesus Christ. 629 00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:57,000 The the tour group I heard went to Plymouth a few days ago. 630 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:01,040 I love Plymouth and, and I'm going to say something that if 631 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:03,320 you've been to Liberty Baptist Church for a while, you know my 632 00:34:03,320 --> 00:34:05,960 feelings about this because you likely feel the same way. 633 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:09,520 I love Plymouth and I am very underwhelmed by the rock. 634 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:15,080 I got tired of taking people to Plymouth. 635 00:34:15,080 --> 00:34:16,440 Let's go to Plymouth. Let's see the rock. 636 00:34:16,719 --> 00:34:18,600 And you get there. You try to warn them and they 637 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:21,159 get there and they look at that and they want to say it. 638 00:34:21,199 --> 00:34:24,080 Everybody wants to say it, but nobody does. 639 00:34:24,080 --> 00:34:25,600 They look at it and they want to say this. 640 00:34:25,679 --> 00:34:30,600 That's it because, yeah, for hundreds of years, people were 641 00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:31,960 chipping away. And that's why they put it in 642 00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:34,360 the middle of a pit where nobody can get to it. 643 00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:37,600 So you you stand there, you look at it, you just want to walk 644 00:34:37,600 --> 00:34:39,360 away, but you know, you have to have some reverence. 645 00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:41,639 So you stand there for a few minutes, you look at it, you 646 00:34:41,639 --> 00:34:43,679 look around, you look at your watch, you look at some more. 647 00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:45,719 And then you look around again and you say, hey, let's go get 648 00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:46,520 some lobster. And that's. 649 00:34:46,520 --> 00:34:48,760 What you do, and that's a day in Plymouth. 650 00:34:50,320 --> 00:34:54,719 All joking aside, what we love to do when we take people to 651 00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:56,760 Plymouth is not we go to the Rock. 652 00:34:56,760 --> 00:34:59,160 You have to go to the Rock. You're too close, but we spent a 653 00:34:59,160 --> 00:35:01,800 very short time there. And then we go to the 654 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:04,600 Forefathers Monument. I don't know how many of you've 655 00:35:04,600 --> 00:35:05,840 been to the Forefathers Monument. 656 00:35:05,840 --> 00:35:09,360 It's interesting, you know, the Commonwealth and our and our 657 00:35:09,360 --> 00:35:12,920 country doesn't like to highlight our nation's Christian 658 00:35:12,920 --> 00:35:14,560 heritage. By the way, we were founded with 659 00:35:14,560 --> 00:35:17,480 Christian heritage. And it's interesting that you 660 00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:20,200 have all of these large signs that are out there for all of 661 00:35:20,200 --> 00:35:22,400 these different things. In the Forefathers Monument has 662 00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:24,200 a sign that's written on a postage stamp. 663 00:35:25,760 --> 00:35:27,920 And this isn't even hyperbole. Well, it's a little hyperbole. 664 00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:29,840 It's not a host postage, but it's about this big. 665 00:35:31,240 --> 00:35:32,840 If you don't know it's there, you don't even know. 666 00:35:32,880 --> 00:35:35,360 Most people use it as a dog walk. 667 00:35:36,400 --> 00:35:39,000 I've seen more people walk their dogs around than than actually 668 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:42,160 inspect it. But it is one of the largest 669 00:35:42,160 --> 00:35:44,720 granite statues in the United States. 670 00:35:44,720 --> 00:35:48,280 It's 40 minutes from here and you see. 671 00:35:48,280 --> 00:35:53,680 This woman who has a Bible under her arm and the other arm 672 00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:58,280 pointing to the sky towards the Lord as she stands with her eyes 673 00:35:58,280 --> 00:36:04,240 gazed upon England saying this, that's where we were from, This 674 00:36:04,240 --> 00:36:07,160 is where we are, but this is where we're going. 675 00:36:10,080 --> 00:36:14,960 And you look at all of the different images that are on the 676 00:36:14,960 --> 00:36:18,520 side of it explains the the heritage of the pilgrims. 677 00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:22,880 It's incredible, it really is. But I will tell you this, Those 678 00:36:22,880 --> 00:36:25,800 people came to the United States looking for liberty. 679 00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:30,400 They came looking for liberty. They were held under by an 680 00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:33,440 oppressive government that would not let them worship the way 681 00:36:33,440 --> 00:36:37,720 that they intended to. They then went to Holland for a 682 00:36:37,720 --> 00:36:41,040 short time and then came here to, well, what is now the United 683 00:36:41,040 --> 00:36:45,040 States. They were looking for liberty. 684 00:36:45,920 --> 00:36:49,640 But if you're not careful, when you go through Plymouth and you 685 00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:53,400 go to the plantation and you go to all those other places, you 686 00:36:53,400 --> 00:36:57,520 would just think they were looking for freedom, you know, 687 00:36:57,520 --> 00:36:59,960 Cuz freedom, America, you know what I'm saying? 688 00:37:03,000 --> 00:37:04,800 Yeah. That's an eagle, by the way, in 689 00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:05,800 case you didn't know. All right? 690 00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:09,640 Yeah. So are we live all right? 691 00:37:10,120 --> 00:37:11,960 Yeah. It'd be a good time for the 692 00:37:11,960 --> 00:37:15,400 Internet cut off. But, you know, America, freedom, 693 00:37:15,600 --> 00:37:18,560 you know what I mean? But that's not the freedom they 694 00:37:18,560 --> 00:37:19,720 were looking for, right? Even. 695 00:37:20,080 --> 00:37:25,360 Yeah, they were looking for freedom in Christ to be able to 696 00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:29,960 worship as they saw fit. They were looking for something 697 00:37:29,960 --> 00:37:32,480 better and they were looking beyond a place. 698 00:37:32,800 --> 00:37:34,400 Well, by the way, they weren't even looking for here. 699 00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:35,440 They're trying to go to Virginia. 700 00:37:35,680 --> 00:37:37,840 And they were the first person and people in Massachusetts that 701 00:37:37,840 --> 00:37:39,360 got lost. And the rest of us have followed 702 00:37:39,600 --> 00:37:42,440 in their footsteps ever since with all our crazy roads. 703 00:37:43,480 --> 00:37:45,200 But they ended up here and they have staying here. 704 00:37:45,320 --> 00:37:47,000 But they weren't looking for this country. 705 00:37:47,960 --> 00:37:49,680 They were looking unto A heavenly country. 706 00:37:51,240 --> 00:37:52,440 And that's where true liberty is. 707 00:37:52,440 --> 00:37:55,000 In fact, if you go to the back of that pilgrims forefathers 708 00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:57,280 monument, it says this by William Bradford. 709 00:37:57,440 --> 00:37:59,880 Thus out of small beginnings greater things have been 710 00:37:59,880 --> 00:38:03,760 produced by his hand that are made all, that made all things 711 00:38:03,760 --> 00:38:07,000 of nothing, and gives being to all things that are. 712 00:38:07,320 --> 00:38:11,040 And as one small candle may light, 1000, so the light here 713 00:38:11,040 --> 00:38:15,680 kindled hath shone unto many, yeah, in some sort of the whole 714 00:38:15,680 --> 00:38:19,600 nation. Let the glorious name of Jehovah 715 00:38:19,800 --> 00:38:24,200 have all praise, and this is. What our nation was founded 716 00:38:24,200 --> 00:38:27,040 upon. But I will tell you this, this 717 00:38:27,040 --> 00:38:29,280 is the type of freedom that you need in your life. 718 00:38:30,240 --> 00:38:33,000 If you don't know Jesus Christ as your Savior, you need to know 719 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:35,280 him today. And I will say this, and I will 720 00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:39,640 be done if you are saved, if you do know Jesus Christ your 721 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:42,000 Savior. I believe there are many of us 722 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:44,800 that if we're not careful in our flesh, that we feel the 723 00:38:44,800 --> 00:38:49,160 Christian life is confining, it's constricting. 724 00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:50,720 Well, you know, you become a Christian. 725 00:38:50,720 --> 00:38:52,760 You don't have any fun anymore. Yeah. 726 00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:56,280 You become a Christian and just the Christian life is just it. 727 00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:58,200 Listen, it's just all this. Don't do this, don't do this, 728 00:38:58,200 --> 00:38:59,840 don't do this. And it's just, you know, you 729 00:38:59,840 --> 00:39:00,880 want to be a Christian, that's fine. 730 00:39:00,880 --> 00:39:01,920 But your life's going to be over. 731 00:39:02,360 --> 00:39:05,280 That's just the way it is. And that's the way the world 732 00:39:05,280 --> 00:39:06,720 talks about Christianity sometimes. 733 00:39:06,720 --> 00:39:08,880 But I'll be honest with you. I've seen even in our good 734 00:39:08,880 --> 00:39:10,520 Baptist churches as this mindset. 735 00:39:10,840 --> 00:39:12,200 Well, you know, I guess I'm saved. 736 00:39:12,200 --> 00:39:14,160 I guess, you know, well, those people look like they're having 737 00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:15,920 a lot of fun. But I, you know, I guess I won't 738 00:39:15,920 --> 00:39:17,640 have fun because I'm because I'm saved. 739 00:39:19,720 --> 00:39:22,880 No, I'm serious. We can get that in our flesh. 740 00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:25,720 Start to see. Hey, no, no, you go to a ball 741 00:39:25,720 --> 00:39:27,680 game and you see a bunch of people drinking beer and say, 742 00:39:27,680 --> 00:39:29,160 well, they must be having a good time. 743 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:32,520 No, I'm serious. No, you go out to the 744 00:39:32,520 --> 00:39:34,800 restaurant, you see people, they're laughing and they're 745 00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:36,440 having fun. And you said, man, it looks like 746 00:39:36,440 --> 00:39:38,680 they're having a good time. And here I am being a Christian. 747 00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:42,680 Could I remind you that following God's law as a 748 00:39:42,680 --> 00:39:45,440 believer offers joy without baggage. 749 00:39:46,920 --> 00:39:51,280 Love, that is. Pure fun that you can remember 750 00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:53,640 in the morning. Yeah, Amen. 751 00:39:53,640 --> 00:39:57,120 Sex without shame, pleasure without regret. 752 00:39:57,400 --> 00:40:01,080 A clear conscience at night. And you can remember things the 753 00:40:01,080 --> 00:40:05,080 next day. Galatians 513 says, For 754 00:40:05,080 --> 00:40:07,920 brethren, you've been called unto liberty only use not 755 00:40:07,920 --> 00:40:11,720 liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one 756 00:40:11,720 --> 00:40:14,320 another. Hey, we're free in Christ, for 757 00:40:14,320 --> 00:40:18,760 that freedom makes us want to serve him and gives us greater 758 00:40:18,760 --> 00:40:24,200 joy, greater peace, greater love, greater everything because 759 00:40:24,200 --> 00:40:26,920 we know him. That's freedom. 760 00:40:27,720 --> 00:40:31,160 So this week as we add to our faith, enjoy the freedom you 761 00:40:31,160 --> 00:40:33,440 have in Christ. And if you aren't in the faith, 762 00:40:33,840 --> 00:40:35,720 heed the gospel called. Be saved today. 763 00:40:36,160 --> 00:40:41,000 Bad beliefs bring bondage, but Christ is the giver of life. 764 00:40:42,200 --> 00:40:44,720 Thank you for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of 765 00:40:44,720 --> 00:40:47,640 Liberty Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing 766 00:40:47,640 --> 00:40:51,120 to you, or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us 767 00:40:51,120 --> 00:40:55,720 know by contacting us at info@mylibertybaptist.org. 768 00:40:56,000 --> 00:41:00,520 Or you can visit us this Sunday at 800 Washington St. in Easton, 769 00:41:00,520 --> 00:41:03,360 MA. May the Lord bless you as you 770 00:41:03,360 --> 00:41:04,560 grow in His Word.