Douglas Campbell's sermon, 'Endurance of the Saints', explores the theme of perseverance in the Christian faith, emphasizing the importance of true believers enduring to the end. Drawing from 1 John 2:18-27, the sermon warns against the Antichrist and false teachings that lure people away from the truth of the Gospel. Campbell highlights that true believers are marked by their adherence to the word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He stresses that pride can prevent individuals from submitting to God's truth and lead them astray. The sermon critiques the superficial understanding of salvation, emphasizing the need for genuine repentance and commitment. It also contrasts true Christianity with Gnosticism and other false religions, underscoring that endurance and abiding in Christ are vital for salvation.

If you would turn me this morning to Romans, 1 John chapter 2, we're going to look specifically at verse 19, but this morning I'd like to read 18 to 20, to give us context as we would come to this new second here in 1st John. We've been hitting on the first for a little bit. As we continue, I think we need to this morning come to the end of the section to give context to what we're going to this morning. So, it's 1 John chapter 2. We're going to read from 18 through 27.

The word of God, God's children, It is the last hour. And as you have heard that Antichrist is coming, so now many Antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would have continued with us.

But they went out that it might become plain that they are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is a truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist who denies that he is the Father and the Son.

No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the fall so. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and the Father. And this is the promise He made to us eternal life.

I write these things to you, those who are trying to deceive you, but the anointing that you receive from Him abides you, and you have need that anyone should chew but as his anointing tees you about everything and it's true And it's no I just as this taught you you abide in him Let's pray Heavenly father Thank you for keep us more that you have have given each of us us to gather together to worship. Father, thank you for every breath that you've given us, every beat of our heart, every good thing that you've given us, Father, that we are completely un-deserving of. And yet, by your grace and your mercy, You proclaim to the world that you are a good God, a God of patience, a God of kindness, a God of wrath, also a God of mercy. And Father, Father, we were yet sinners. Christ does die for us.

While our sin cried out for your justice, cried out for your punishment, you are merciful. Father, so often in my flesh, in our flesh, we confuse your mercy. It warps our mind, it warps our flesh into believing that we should fear you. We should not respect you. Father this morning I pray give us a deeper fear of you, a deeper respect of you.

Father help our decision that's within us that caused us to be flippant towards you, to be flippant towards your word. Father, help us to know you better, to respect you more. Father, this morning as we come to your ear I pray that you would open our hearts and our minds. May God wouldn't leave Eve here saying a good message or that was a good message and then going on about our lives but father let us hear hear hear from the Word of God and our lives change drawn and to be to be made like more like you you for the morning we ask as for help we are beyond blessed by receiving your word and father even the text we know that we need more of your word, your holy spirit. Father, that's our request that God would change us.

You would give ears to hear. Father, it is for Your glory that we ask these things, that God might glorify You in this life. And in the life to come, we pray in Jesus' name, Amen. The past couple of weeks, we've been looking at this verse 18, looking specifically at the Antichrist, or looking at the Antichrist and the Antichrist that have come. This next text, this verse 19, is again one of the great subscriptions.

It's easy for a pastor to say that because every text is a great text. But as we come to more texts in the Scripture, it's more and more exciting. And this is no doubt is one of those exciting texts that gives us understanding inside that the church is understanding about our relationship with God and his word. And so what a blessing it is. And also we have to we have to take a little bit of a setback and we have to understand that John is battling in letter Gnosticism or if you go all the way back to the Old Testament it's this mystery Babylon or this world religion, this world corrupt religion, and that's a lookalike of Satan.

And I believe that that's why so often, or when we come to This person, the Antichrist, it's the opposite of Christ. It is a... Oh, if you think in the modern world, if you've had... Oh, try to think... Maybe I can't think of anything, but maybe go to the, you're gonna tease me for this, but you go to the dollar store and you get generic cream sandwiches and then you have the swansman come and give you one of the ice cream sandwiches.

There's definitely a difference. But we this in Satan's plan from the beginning that it is always a mimicking. It's always trying to to give you a fake alternative a Generic error culture that appeal to people So it's he gives them a religion that appeals to their flesh and should make them think that all is well, but in fact, it is a religion that can't save. It is, in essence, a simulation, a fake. Maybe it would have been better to look at maybe a briefcase or maybe even a book, a Bible, a Bible that has what do they call it, fox leather?

This is a Bible that has genuine color. They may look the same, but you will soon find after just a year or two of use that they are absolutely not the same. All right, let's continue on from the lame illustrations. And look at verse 19. It says, they went out from us, but they were not us.

For if they had been us, they would have continued with us. But when out, then it might become plain that they are all not of us. This seems very, very wordy. Seems hard to understand. But in fact, when we step back, I can look at this contact text.

John is writing to the mystics, or to his church, warning them of Mastacism, warning of false religion. And here we find that inside the church, there were people who were writing up. The church, I mean, the gathering, those we would believe to be brothers and sisters in Christ. With that, there were men who would rise up and they would begin to teach something just a little bit different. They would teach something that most of the time is appealing to the floor, something that people want to hear, itching ears want to hear.

And they would inside the church begin again to amass followers to themselves. Before long, long time is they could no longer deal with having competition and they would say, okay, I've got you group of people in the front. We're not even going to go either with those, those people anymore because we obviously know more than they do and they are hindering us. This is what This verse is specifically addressing. And then when people would leave, and what naturally happens, what happens for sure with your pattern, is he begins to contemplate what has happened.

Why did this happen? Why would they leave us? Why would they quit coming? Why would they not come back? Now we have and I was gonna define this a little later We have to understand also right that in context of today.

This isn't just a that Mr. Brody moved to Montana, there's better deer hunting there, and he coming to our church, and they're going to a church there. That's not at all what it's saying. This is people who would become apostate, who begin to teach contrary to what Scripture says and they break off and amass people to themselves. Or maybe they would just get tired of truth And so maybe they get tired of being pre-ad or this or this or that.

So they would leave and they just never ever cuck. In this context, specifically, it's regarding Antichrist and false teachers. Now what is the reasoning for this? Why does this happen? I've been involved in ministry and in church long enough to see people who appear to be Christians, appear often times to be even greater Christians than I am.

And they will, I remember when I was young, that there was a board member of the church who appeared to be this great Christian. And then I didn't know him crazy well, but I knew him somewhat. And after a few years, all of a sudden, he's coming to church. But his wife was coming, and what I found is that he found some other girl and ran off with her and here's his wife that's left. And if you look at me there's something inside of you that that that cries is what has happened well look at the Gallup polls and it shows that inside I to sanity we have same divorce rate of just a little bit higher than the world.

Something inside of you should cry out, what is wrong with this picture? What is happening? What further confuses us is the false understanding of the gospel that has been proclaimed in the past several decades, where you just come forward, say a prayer, do this or that, and just come to every Sunday, then you're obviously saved. Is that the case? We find here absolutely not.

Look at Corinthians 11. It gives a definition, where there must be fathoms among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized. We also find with adding to this understanding that there is always, see this is this is speaking inside the church, this is inside the gathering, that there is always going to be factions in among you There's always going to be those a fringe or maybe those who are right the middle of it and For for this reason or that reason they decided that they know better and they're going to do what they do. And why is that happening? It's so that in order those who are genuine among you might be recognized.

Yesterday I looked a little into the pair of the wheat and the tares. Many of you know that wheat and the tares were sewn together. We're warned to not uproot them. We're warned to not hold the tares because it could uproot good plants. But what we find here is that at this point, as we continue to proclaim the truth, as we continue to pray, oftentimes the tares will uproot themselves.

And if they do it themselves, it allows us to recognize who amiss is genuine. Understand that the old test, the true Christianity, is found here in this text. If you remember, John was written that we might be a part of our salvation, or that we might be made aware or alarmed at the lack of salvation. And we find here the true test of Christianity. The ultimate true test of Christianity is one of endurance.

In 1 John 20-21 it says, But You have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie of the truth." Continuing to 2 Timothy 12, it says, "'If endure, we will also reign with him. If we deny him, he will also deny us. Look what Jesus said in Mark 13, 13, And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. The one who endures to the end will be saved.

In Hebrew 14, we have come to share in Christ if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. Is Christianity easy? Absolutely not. The preacher that preached a message and at the end says, If you want to go to heaven one day, raise your hand and pray prayer. It's so easy, so simple.

Just raise it, everybody close your eyes. We don't even have to embarrass you for it. Just with everybody's head bowed, just slip up a hand and slip it down. That's all you need to do to enter the kingdom of heaven. That, my friends, is blasphemy.

It is blasphemy. It is leading people to hell. Why? Because they raised their hand, they have no repentance, they don't know Christ, but they made some sort of a really religious commitment and now they walk out the door oftentimes never to return but they made it raise their hand hand one day and the preacher preachers that's all it takes and so that's all there is they never come back they never endure life isn't easy now Think of all the empty promises that are given out by preachers and well-intentioned, but sometimes, but oftentimes false believers who say, well, if you just come to know Christ, He'll fix everything. He'll make your life better, He'll make marriage better, everything will go easier, have a smile on your face every day.

This is opposite of what the scripture says. It said they will hate you, because they hated me. And if they hated Christ, are you gonna do better than Christ? Over and over and over, scripture tells us the mark of the true Christian is who endures to the end. The one who doesn't give up.

In fact, often times when I go to quote people, and I've said this before, I would much rather quote dead people because I know if they've been do or not I don't look back at my five years years ago and say whoa I shouldn't have quoted from the Mac I ministries I deeply really respect have to read who have to read redo films I still got the biggest biggest question is you know those had to be redone? Because one of the guys in there didn't endure to the end. Now understand, these guys in these films, they're not like average church-ender. These men are devoting their life to scripture God, and yet fall. Martin Jones said, There is nothing which certifies the genuineness of a man's faith, as his patience and his patient endurance, his keeping on steadfast spite of everything.

In spite of everything that's going on, they continue to... What's the word, Jake? To plod along. When life gets hard, they continue to plod. When they have no desire to read scripture, they continue to plod.

When they have no feeling towards worshipping God, they continue to plod along. Why? Because God gives them endurance. Why do they go out and what what does it mean to go and go and first John 2 19 is they went out and out from but they were not of us for if they had had been us they would they would have computed with us but went out that it might complain that they are, they all are not of us. One, it re-illustrates and the inside the church, there is the wheat and there's the rice.

But they're among us. Oftentimes, it's as they themselves deceived, Whether it be through an empty religion or an idolatrous view of Christ, whatever it may be, they may do the right thing, they may put on the clean clothes, they may like genuine believers, and yet if their heart is not changed, if they are not born again, they will fall away. It might take decades. It might take week. But what it means to go out?

Why do people go out? There are three different things specifically that as I pondered this most often happens. The first is why do people go out is because they still have pride. Their pride will not let them submit to the elders. Their pride will not let them confess their sin.

Their pride will not let them look bad in front of people. Brothers and sisters, your pastor confesses his sin. I go to my elders. I go to Jake. Jake is very very good at pointing things out.

But you know what, there are times I go to him and I say Jake, I have to tell you this. I am so heartbroken. This is how I have been. This is how I reacted. This was my bad reaction to something wasn't important.

And brother, would you hold me accountable? I cannot keep doing this. I can't keep doing this way. How about you? How about you people how about you men and You're looking at stuff on the internet.

Would you go to your pastor and turn to him? Would you would you tell your other or sister or brother other in Christ race? Don't tell your stir that tell your tell your brother unless you have a wife Or would your pride say I can't do that? They'll never think of me the same. Can I tell you something?

If you're confessing sin to a genuine believer, they will not hold it against you, as they have the same wicked flesh that you have. If their pride is broken and submitted to Christ, they aren't going to treat you different, because they have sometimes the same struggles. And they might confess to you that I'm way brother we need to we need to get help or I'll help you in this or whatever it is pride will stop us from it and if pride stops us from consing our sins to one another. What will happen is we will hide those until we die and never repent them. And oftentimes die in good hell Because we were never born again.

Our sin never broke to the point where the hurt and the broken sin never outweighed the pride that stopped you from doing it. It's pride inhibiting you from coming to know Christ deeply, inhibiting you from knowing Christ's truth. Pride will cause people to go out. Now we can go on to trivy pride, which we see often times in many different churches. Maybe it's the pride of I built the bathroom and so I'm going to get to pick what color we paint the walls and I'm out of here.

But whatever it is, that honestly is silliness. That is silliness. That's not even deep silliness. It's pride trolling you. If is Now I'm not saying are you not handling it because we're all battling it Amen, and if you're in cry you are battling pride.

If you're not battling pride, you're reading the Word enough. You're not examining yourself enough, because we're all doing it. Because it was the sin of Satan. It was like the first sin. And it's the primary sin that I know for sure the primary sin that I'm not again guys it's primary are you you bring it is Christ delivering you from it from it Are you are you are you get under your feet?

Are you confessing your sin even when it makes you look bad? Are you confessing your pride? Secondly, why do people go? Why do people leave? Secondly is the truth is offensive.

Now, I've heard this this several times that if you put sheep food on a goat, the goat will eat it from time to time, but then eventually goat is going to be sick of it. And they're not going to be able to put up with the sheep food anymore. It wants goat food. And so in fact, inside the church, when the truth is preached from pulpit, When the truth is proclaimed among brothers and sisters and brothers and sisters, it will be increasingly and increasingly and more and more increasingly effective to those who are not born again. And what is the truth?

The truth is the Word of God. As we dig into the Word of God and as we expound the Word of God, those who are not born again will not say, this contradicts what I've done, this contradicts my lifestyle, therefore I must repent and bow my knee to my King and my Savior." That's what a Christian does. That's what a big unbeliever does. But those who are born again, those who wrote will say, this is offensive, and they come to a point where they say, I can't stand to listen to this anymore. Why?

Because the truth is offensive. And in fact, if you're a pastor of a lukewarm church, the best thing that you can do is to stand pulpit and read the Word of God and expand the Word of God week after week after week. Because it will begin to do what Scripture says that it will do. It will begin to cause some to go out. It will begin to illustrate who is it that is genuine believers.

The truth is a fiv. And why is it a fiv? Because if the truth is offensive, and we know in John 1 the truth is Christ, then the word word Christ, Christ is offensive. False converts get tired of hearing about. They get tired of Bible study.

Now Imagine if you had the person you love, the month over for your house supper. And every night they're there to sup with you. And you have sup, sup, and then Often times after supper, even if it's something unsure, we get the Bible out and we read a little bit and talk about it for a little bit. But imagine if you just have a guest. And every day at supper they come over and you eat.

And at some point you say, I love guests more than anything in the whole world you know what I just just get it tired hearing over there Adam I just get tired of hearing from them. Do you love that guest? And so, and so, and false converse, they begin to say, well, you know, we don't have to the Bible every day. No, Do we really? Can we just get together and have fun?

Do we have to? I mean, can't we go to your house? Can we play volleyball all night? And do the Bible study the next day? Why?

Because the Bible study is the highlight. We get to appear at our guest, our beloved guest, our beloved Savior. We get to appear into his face. We get to see him for who he is. You saved us.

How do we ever get tired of it? How do we ever get tired of studying and reading and no knowing crust? A volleyball fun. My daughter really liked playing volleyball. In fact, I bought her a volleyball last week because she Has decided that she really likes volleyball But but it's minuscule compared to Christ.

It's minuscule. Everything that we have is minuscule compared to Christ. Now, can we get together as believers, believers fellowship and have fun? Absolutely, we can. But if it ever gets to the point where well, I'm just tired of hearing about the Bible.

I'm tired of hearing about Christ. They're some who claim to be shins, and they get sick and tired about salvation. Why? They don't understand how amazing it is. They don't understand how good it is.

They don't understand that it is the very most important thing in the entire world to them. And to know what Christ has done for us, to hear it over and over. I'm saying if you've been saved for a hundred years, it should still grill you to hear your cry proclaimed. Because He is everything. He is all that.

He is everything. And what he has done is so amazing that a hundred years of studying it non-stop in the Bible would even get us a glimpse of how glorious it is, a glimpse of how good it is, a glimpse of how much we should show gratitude to it. And yet, it wasn't the false converts Well, I'll worry about that last week in the sermon Why are you you always talks talk a Bible can't we just we just about global warming without the Bible Can we just talk about about sitting to the government and masks and all that? Can't we do that without the Bible? I mean, we have scientists.

Christ is bigger than it all. The word Christ in the beginning was a word. In the beginning was Logos. He was Christ, since the beginning was Christ. If you have come to know Him, It's impossible to turn away.

When I was young and when I went to biology, this is saying that we talk about very much and it was completely wrong. Because we had to try to figure out how to how to reconcile this problem of knowing that there are those who raise hands, do these things and yet they go into the world and act just like the world. They cheat on their wives, they divorce them, they do this, they do that. They're just like the world. And how can we really reckon that?

And within that, and because of this false soteriology or this false understanding of salvation, we have to start to become apollos to our errors. And the Apollogen said, well, obviously there must be backsliding going on, because who could come to know Christ and do these things? They're obviously backsliders. And yet I tell you this morning, if you come to know Christ, you cannot turn from Him. Because you will know Him truth.

And as we see here in 1st John, that truth is the pivotal hinge right here, that you know the truth. Those parted did not know the truth. They taught a lie. They believed a lie. It was a very small deviation.

They taught about Christ. They taught that He was even the Son of God, and yet they pervert Scripture to a point where there was a dividing line there that they no longer believed and trust in the Christ that was taught in Scripture. Now we know that in Gnosticism, that line was to separate the physical body from the spiritual body and say, well the physical body can send all of it at once because God said save the spirit. We go to heaven, you know, in our spirit and in our body. So live however you want.

This is contrary to the scripture Fact is so so contrary It's not a different Christ and because they taught Christ they were not born again they didn't know him and because they weren't born again and didn't know him it was they simply they didn't have to back backs that they were already there they just went a different direction and look on Calvin and said he said those who follow way have have never thoroughly and do with the knowledge of Christ, but only had a slight and padding taste of it. So they only only knew a morsel. And so often that taste and that morsel is so offensive that they begin to build a house around something, they begin to build their strut around something else because that taste wasn't good. And so again, be true that those in the world will hate Christ. So, brothers and sisters, if what this is teaching is true, if it means that if you come to know Christ, you will not fall away, and if you haven't come to know Christ, you can still be amongst us, but eventually you will fall away, for what?

That should strike a fear into us. And was she asking the question, the question, well then how do we endure? And we're getting the answer here, 1 John, 24-27, Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. Let me read it again. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you.

If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too, too, abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that made to us eternal life. Let's come to verse 24 again. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. So the first key to endurance, let what you heard from the beginning, the word, the prophets, the apostles, Let it abide in you.

Let it live in you. Does the word of God live in you? Or sister, does it live in you? Not do you visit from time to time, But does it live in you? It's a buying and Secondly continue any one of 26 are these things to you about who are trying trying to do you?

But the anointing that you receive from him abides in you and you have no need that anyone should chew. But as his anointing abides or teaches you about every about everything, it is true and is no no lie, just as it has taught you to abide in him. So suddenly we get we get the other we get the other end of it. One, we have to abide in the treasures. Secondly, we have the Holy Spirit.

When does one get the Holy Spirit? When they repent and put their trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. If you truly begin, the Holy Spirit resides in you. And you must ask these two things. If you remember in Romans 12, I think it is, I was singing in the song, That the Holy Spirit transforms you by the renewal of your mind, He transforms you as you do your part.

And when we clear back to Romans 8, we're talking about the sovereignty of God in the Bible, but also the responsibility of man. We find this thing here over and over through Scripture. The responsibility of man is to abide in the text. Abide in scripture. And then in cooperation, then the Holy Spirit teaches you.

He teaches you. He gives you understanding. So much so that look this text says, this text is 27 about the perspicuous scripture. And that's just a big word that says that anybody that God has given to read scripture can understand it. That it's not just a pastor up front that is blessed with the ability to study the Word of God more than probably other people have the time and ability to.

It's not that he can understand it, but that God said everyone understand it, that's in Christ. If you have the Holy Spirit, you can understand it. Whether you're 80 years old, 40 years old, or 12 years old, you can understand the Word of God. Now maybe you will understand some crazy deep things about some stuff. I am far far in someone of great understanding.

But you will understand it enough to know Christ. You hear me, young people? God has given you the ability to understand the scripture. I hear young people, adults, all kinds of people say, well I don't know Bible, I gave up on that, I just don't understand. Oh, well either you're lying or God is lying.

I'd say you're lazy. You're just not trying. You know why? Because I've been given things I don't understand and somehow can put the Chinese death together at the end. Sometimes I have help from my wife.

But I open... Use would think it's silly. I do if I something on my car or I've got a YouTube video video. Sometimes it's even to find where you put it when she'll wash your stuff. I don't think I know that sounds silly.

But if you can understand how to change oil in your car, you can understand scripture. Why? God said so. Now how can you not understand it if you're not not embraced? So you go to Scripture and you're trying your best to understand it and it's making no sense to you.

One, come to your path. I would love to guide you and maybe point you to where to start and these things. But if you come to me in a couple of weeks, I might give you an assignment. I like to give assignments. I'll send you that.

And I'll Read this, read this, read this. Come back and let's discuss it. And you come back and you say, I don't understand any of it. Okay, we need to talk about salvation then. If the whole is not something here.

And how do you know Christ? How can you be saved? You draw near to him. Go to the book of John, read it, and draw near to him. Say, I must find you.

I must come to know you. And I think, I can't, it was RCC scroll, but one of the great men and men have said, if you turn to Christ and you seek Him with your whole heart and you don't find Him, you will be the first. So how do we endure? One, we abide in the word of God. And two, the Holy Spirit guides us.

Now look at John 10, and this is my last text, John 10 28-30. This morning when you search your heart, and you know that you know Christ, this is some of the most comfortable scripture and all of the Bible what Jesus says he said he said I give them eternal life we say it again I give them eternal life and will never perish and no one will snatch them out of my hand. Father who has given to me is greater than all and no one is able to snap him out of my Father's hand. I, the Father, are one. If you are embraced, this is why this is comforting.

If you know Christ, and if you're anything like me, I begin to examine myself, and I begin to say, I have no idea how God could have anything to do with me. Because I am a wretched. He has changed me. I still am wretched. And I appreciate him as I should.

And I don't pray as I should. I don't read the text as I should. And I fall so often. And I analyze attitudes even on Sunday. And I analyze my attitudes and how I talk to people, how I this or that, and I ask God why, why, what's with me?

I don't know why he would save me. I deserve it. But this is what Christ said. He said, if he gives me eternal life, I will never perish and no one will snatch me out of his hand. You know who I'm scared of the most snatching me out of his hand?

And me? Because if you could sit against God out of his hand, you absolutely do it. Your flesh would do it in a heartbeat. Praise God that he gives victory over flesh because if he didn't I'd be the biggest fool you will listen to this week because I don't deserve week because I don't deserve this. I don't deserve to stand here.

I'm a wretched chidman. The more I get, the more my flesh wants to be lazy. I am rich. I don't deserve salvation. And if he'd give it to me and he could in and I could lose it I would lose it but if his salvation is a good get if it's he who changed arts and if it's he who draws me and if it's he gives me eternal eternal And if it's He who grabs me, grabs a hold of me and holds on, then no one will be able to snag me out, even myself.

Brothers and sisters, This is amazing. This should leave us indebted for the rest of our lives. If God would save us, and if He would not save us, but hold to us. If I would start away from the path, he would discipline me and shake me and cause whatever calamity to come upon me to keep me in my senses, keep me on the path. He is so good.

This morning, I understand with this text, I've also been mangled by false religion and mysticism. And when we begin once again to separate the physical part of us with the spiritual part of us and we say well God has me in his hand and so I'm to be saved and we put the same one once they always say they try to then impute back into this Gnosticism and say I can live however I want because God's going to keep me in His hand. Brothers, if you believe that, you are a victim of false religion, you are a victim of Gnosticism. I have had pastors tell me that. I've had pastors tell me I'm saved.

Me that. That pastors tell me, well I'm saved. I've watched men who claim to be staying for God, cheat on their wives. And if I was 18 again, or whenever I was, I would have told that guy to us that he is a wicked heathen and he does not know who God is. He doesn't know if he's a pastor or not.

And again, we come to this is what John is trying to battle. Don't be led to a false religion in the world that is blaming it day and night. Don't be led to by them. Don't find a false Christ. If you stand before a foregone one day and you know a false Christ, you will die.

I for eternity. You will spend eternity in hell because a false Christ cannot save you. Turn to the one true God of scripture. The glorious thing of all this is Christ. That when he was on the cross, when he was being crucified, the wrath of God was being poured out upon him for your sins and my sins.

This also was part of it. That it's that wrath he took that would cause God to love me. That would make me lovable. It's not me that's lovable, lovable as Christ. That would cause God to claim me as his adopted child.

That would cause God to punish me, but to diploid me. As a loving fatherhood, men, if you're punishing your children, you're out of line. Because there's a difference between punishing and disasciping. Amen? If your kids break the rules and it's just punishment, you're deceived.

Now I'm not saying that cycling can't involve chopping wood and doing hard work and doing these things. But if there is this punishment, you're missing it. Why? That's not how God is. Not for his children.

God doesn't punish you. Never. Now you might say, well I went through, I've stumbled and I've done so that and I'm suffering for it, if you're suffering for it, but it's discipline, it's not punishment. It's good for us to suffer. Amen.

It's God keeps you. We come back just a little bit and into that a little deeper than I thought I would, but inside the church, it's God who keeps people. And if people, I'm telling you, people have broken my mind. Pastors have stomped my heart. I'll tell you even today that there is a man whom I see very very, I think he has taught so much and I can't stand that the change of course in his ministry, and I'm not, he's not done anything heretical, but there were men of God whom I trusted, who left their wives.

God hates wars. He hates it. How could I be his servant how can I be his child held I would do what he hates Simply because because I think they're not happy happy What did Happy no, this is man-centered ID Amen And God blessed us truly happy? You can be by went went a hole in one at the golf golf today. God says you will be truly happy follow him But our world doesn't know blessed It just says gonna be happy if you get the late X-Posts.

And at all emptiness, my children and I, somehow we got family and I somehow got talking about his name, Robin Williams, the comedian or funny guy, and how many voices he can make and can talk about silly things at home. Talk about these voices he can make. You and I would look at somebody who is very successful, had a lot of money, famous. Everything that the world promises you, that if you get it, you will finally be happy. And what was his fate?

Suicide. Why? Because most of the time when you get there you find out it was a lie. God says you can be really happy. He offers true happiness.

Sometimes it's not till we go to be in kingdom sometimes true true happiness the Christian is being burned at the stake but what is what is so many famous martyrs what we do when they are they are burned a They weren't even shouting in pain, they were singing hymns to God. As the Apostle Paul counted a joy, a beating for Christ. That's the opposite of what Robin Williams would tell you, or what the world told him. Why do we chase it? How do we endure?

We obey God's word. We trust Christ. We repent and trust in Him. We make Him our Lord. Lord means our supreme commander.

We do do what He says. He is the one who calls the shots. In fact, if we come to Christ, He is the very meaning of our life. He is all that's about. Amen?

Amen. Heavenly Father, thank you again for your word. Father, as we read the Gnosticism of mystery Babylon religion that we found in the old test at the enemy's rearranges and bring back to the front burner again. We see in your your work that all of those who don't know you and don't know your word will be deceived. They'll be deceived because they are slaves and their flesh will convince them that you will find happiness if they will do just what the flesh flesh is.

And it's true for over and over, a hundred percent of the time, that those who follow the flesh, This happiness will find themselves in destruction. Will find themselves in mis-mis. Your word says there's a way that seems right to man and ends in destruction. Questions were reminded that we follow the way of the world, the ways of man. We end in destruction and yet father your word says if we come to know you if we come to have a real glimpse of self-cust If we come to come to truly know you we could turn our backs because we understand the value of you of this treasure.

We would sell everything that we had to buy this field to dig up this treasure as your word says and that treasure is Christ. Father help us to see the value of you of Christ. Help us to understand there is wheat and there's tares. I think in the testament of even the prophets. As some prophets would say, come to us because we also are prophets.

And yet these were women. Father let us keep our eyes and our mind filled with your word let us know it father that we might not be deceived that we might not humble into a to a trap the wicked one other help us I pray in Jesus name. Amen.