Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Evidence of Eternal Life Pt.6

Hallelujah! Amen. Let's turn to 1 John. We'll pick up where we left off this morning and just prepare our hearts for the Word to come forth, change us, illuminate our paths, the Scripture says through the Psalmist, that there would be no stumbling in our lives. The great peace that we have of the illumination of the Word of God gives us confidence that we'll finish this race, and he that endures to the end, the Scripture says, shall be saved; praise God.

First John, Chapter 2; we want to pick up where we left off this morning. We're talking about the different aspects of recognizing whether the life of God is, in fact, working in us. We were talking about the fact that we have to identify how we relate to the world and the world to us. The Apostle says in the fifth chapter, verse 13, of this epistle, this that He's written, that we might know that we have eternal life. That's what this epistle is all about. He says, Chapter 2, verse 15, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." It becomes pretty clear, then, that the line of demarcation is drawn here. He talks about the enticement of the world because he goes on and he says, "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." Very succinctly he draws this line. John says any thing that has to do with, as we ended this morning, with self-serving, with the self-life, is the indicator that sin is still dwelling in you as the dominant force.

That word, the utterance that came forth tonight, as it was talking about the word of death that comes to us. You see, this is what Christianity is all about. It's about calling us to the cross. So many people today are very glad to allow Jesus to go and die on the cross.

I was just watching a program on television this afternoon. It was a three hour special about the "real Jesus." They were talking about the historicity of crucifixion. A lot of people debated whether or not people were being crucified in Judea at that particular time. They were showing the archeological findings of foot bones with spikes that were still through them as many of us know that they were nailed into the body of the Lord Jesus. The Scripture says not a bone in His body was broken.

It's interesting that the nails, of course, were driven through the back of the heel, and that the feet were nailed this way. They weren't down through the top of the feet like many of the artists like to depict. They look at what crucifixion was really all about; and you see that many are trying to substantiate the crucifixion factor as to how the bones could be sustained here; and they showed different artifacts that showed that there was the nailing through of these particular areas of the hands. Others say that the hand extended just below the wrist, and that they would nail through the ulna and radius bones here in this particular area. They show how the hands could be pierced through the palm, and how they actually--what they would do was they would sandwich different parts of tree bark on one side or the other and drive the spikes through. It gave a much larger surface, so that there was no tearing. Then with the feet nailed, of course, all of the weight was there, and it wouldn't rip through the hands. They were just showing some of the aspects of the historical evidence and archeological evidence of crucifixion. People will admit that Jesus was crucified.

You see, Christianity is not just Jesus being crucified. The Scripture tells us very clearly that we have to be crucified with Him. Amen? You got to offer your life up. It's not just enough that He died for us. He died to enable us to die to self and to be crucified with Him, Romans 6 says. Then we are raised with Him, praise God, in this act of regeneration, as we're born again and the spirit man is infused with the presence of the living God.

The world has its particular perspective on what religion is all about. We realize that the Word of God reveals to you and I that what has to happen is, this "pride of life" has to be snuffed. The self-life is the thing that evidences that a man has not truly been born again, when self-life is dominant, when the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes always have to be satisfied. Then it's evidence that we haven't experienced regeneration because the Apostle said, "For me to live is Christ. It's no longer I that live but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." the Scripture says (Galatians 2:20). Here we are being admonished by the Apostle to walk into that death. When a man loses his life, the Master said, then we take it again. It's an exciting process that's taking place, but the world wants none of that; the sin that's in our members wants none of that.

The Apostle says to these Gnostics, who were still wanting to be right with God in their heart but live the same way everybody else did--They wanted to be right with God in their heart. They wanted the assurance that they were going to die and go to Heaven, but they wanted to run like all of the other people on the job. They wanted to pursue the same gods, the same goals, and use the same methods and still be right with God.--John says, "Can't do it."

In fact, James says it with even greater strength. Keep your finger here in John, and turn over to the epistle of James real quickly, just a couple of pages back. Look at Chapter 4 of James. He says in verses 2 and 3, "Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and [you] cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. [Then when you ask] Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask [improperly], that ye may consume it upon your [own] lusts." He's talking to the church about wanting God to come in and fulfill all of their worldly lusts, and he said it doesn't work that way. God is not your genie; He's your Lord.

Then he goes on, and he says, Listen, "Ye adulterers and [you] adulteresses ..." He's not talking about the sexual carnage that goes on in many churches today. It's amazing that the divorce rate is no different in the church than it is in the secular realm. The latest survey shows that your average fundamentalist church has the same divorce rate as the world. If you begin to look, tragically they have the same teenage pregnancy rates. It's the spirit of Gnosticism that we're talking about here, and churches are full of people that are no different than the world. The Word of God says that is not acceptable. We'll see that admonition to us here because we're children of light who serve the God of light in whom there is no darkness. How much? At all. There is no darkness at all. If you walk in the light as He is in the light, you have fellowship with Him, and the blood of Jesus cleanses you from all of your sin, the first chapter of 1 John says.

We're a people being called to the light. We're a people that realize that the world, the spirit of the world, has infiltrated the church. James says, and yet, you want to pray, and you want God to fulfill your worldly lusts. When he uses the term "adulterers" and "adulteresses," he's talking about spiritual adultery. He's talking about those who are being unfaithful to God, who are committing fornication and adultery with the god of this world, saying they have a relationship with God. Now, think about this, and Satan is the god of this world; 2 Corinthians, Chapter 4, lets us know very clearly.

When Jesus was being tempted of the devil, Satan took Jesus up on the mountain; and he said, these kingdoms and all of the power and the glory and wealth in them are mine and to give to whomever I want. All you have to do is bow your knee, and I'll give them to you. Christians are bowing their knee for just little parcels of it all the time. But, God's called us, and He said, "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you (2 Corinthians 6:17).

James 4:4 goes on and says, Listen, "Ye adulterers and ye adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." "Friends of the world" are not going to be blessed of God and won't know the great benefits of God's generosity. You see, this is what Calvinists say. They say what's going to happen is you won't lose your salvation; of course, you just won't get blessings. It doesn't matter how worldly you get, once you've confessed Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you can go out and commit adultery. You can go out and murder. You can go out and do drugs, and God just won't be able to bless you, but you're still His child. Now, I want to tell you what the Bible says, instead of what Calvin said. He said to be a friend of the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, to be a friend of the world does not rob you of the blessings of God. To be a friend of the world makes you an enemy of God. Clear, isn't it?

Here we are, and we look at this, and we say, "Hmm." Well, then, how do I reconcile the sin that occasionally occurs in my life when I submit to the lust that's in my members, the sin that's in my members? We know what the Scripture says. Every man sins when he's drawn away of his own lust and enticed, the Scripture says. Drawn away of his own lust and enticed is the process. Then when the enticing takes place, and it's conceived, it brings forth, then, sin. Sin, when it's finished, goes on and brings forth what? Death. To be a friend of the world is to be the enemy of God.

Friendship with the world--there's an interesting word there, the phrase prior to that, friendship with the world puts us at enmity with God. The word "enmity" means what? To be in opposition. Now, what does the Scripture say? If you draw nigh unto God, what does He do? He draws nigh unto you. But, if you resist God, what does He do? If you're at enmity with God, if you're in opposition to God, then God is in opposition to you. Guess who's going to lose? It puts you at odds with God. James says you might as well not pray. None of your prayers are going to be answered. You're asking amiss that you might consume it upon your own lusts. Your spirit is one of manipulation. You're trying to manipulate God for your own personal gain and to satisfy your own agenda. God says in the Old Covenant, when you have a heart like this, your offerings, He says, He'll take the dung of them and just put it right back in your face.

We understand, then, God's perspective on the world. God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we're believers, John says in this first epistle, then we're going to walk in an absolute pure light. We're going to be in absolute opposition to the world, the spirit of the world. What am I talking about? I'm talking about the seduction of Satan that he pulled on Eve. I'm talking about the temptation of Satan that went forth in the life of Jesus when Satan offered Him all of the kingdoms of the world, the power and the glory thereof. Everything that smacks of that, you and I should hate and oppose if the Spirit of God's living in us. Everything that has to do with the lust factor and the appetites of the self-life are an abomination to us.

Now, I'm going to clarify as we go on. I'm not just talking about having material things; I'm talking about pursuing material things. I'm talking about being an adulterer and an adulteress as it pertains to the world. That's when you know that you're not right with God. This "friendship," and this "fellowship" with the world. Can I ask you something? Do you have friends at work? How many of you have "friends" on the secular job that are not Christians? Let me see your hands. Anybody? Okay. You all know better than to answer that don't you? One person raised their hand, and we'll forgive him because he's only been saved for 24 hours. The term "friend" is a covenant term. We have acquaintances. We have people that we enjoy being around. See, a person doesn't have to be a Christian for us to spend time with them and to even enjoy their company in the secular realm, but the term "friendship" is something that's really limited to covenant relationships; the kingdom. You are my "friends," Jesus said, if you do what I've commanded you to do.

You see we can't have any "friends" that are not keeping the commandments of God. We can't have covenant with people that are not keeping the commandments of God. That's why believers can't marry unbelievers. We're not to be unequally yoked. There can't be friendship. How many of you know that before you get married, you ought to be friends? I don't mean friends like at a coffee house type thing. Isn't that the setting of that sitcom thing? I think I've seen that once or something years ago. Is it still on? What are they like now, eighty-something? If they ever roll it onto the learning channel, I might see some of the reruns. I don't watch network TV. You say, "Well, you don't watch the football games?" I have the "NFL Sunday Ticket." To be a "friend" of the world is to be at enmity with God. We have to be very selective in who we see as our friends and what commitments we're making in these particular areas. How subtle it is, and how strong that seductive spirit is to be caught up in the world's system.

He says to us, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world, the spirit of the world." It puts you at opposition with God. It makes you at enmity with God, the Scripture says. Love not. Hmm. Wonder if we could actually turn that thing around and say, "Hate the things of the world"? Yes. We realize, then, that as God is calling us into His presence, He's calling us into this walk in the light, that the first chapter speaks of, to where there's no darkness at all. The pursuit of that light is the evidence of eternal life working in us.

In one of the home fellowship groups, there was discussion about the fruit. There were some people who said, "Man, I--You know, I've been surveying, and I'm having trouble finding fruit." Want me to give you the greatest evidence of fruit in your life? Are you drawing yourself toward the light? Are you running toward the light? That's the greatest fruit a person can have in their life. The greatest fruit of being born again is to run to the light, and to let God reveal our hearts to ourselves to see what manner of man we really are.

The Apostle goes on here in this epistle. We realize the seductive power of the world, how subtle it is many times. You see, much of what goes on, and we shared this with you before, but much of what goes on in the world is "good." What happens is, people mistake "good" for God. Everything that is good is not God. The fruit that was taken of in the midst of the Garden was the tree of the knowledge of what? Good and evil. That which illuminated Eve and Adam's eyes, that were opened and that made them now as "little g" gods. That's what they became, and that was what their desire was. Satan seduced them and said, "You'll be as God. You'll be a god to yourself; the moment that you eat this fruit." Their eyes were opened, and they became little "g" gods. They were able now to understand good and evil.

Not everything that goes on in the world system is immoral, is inhumane. It can be "worldly good," but not "Kingdom good." Because everything that is Kingdom good has its origin in God. "There is none good but God," Jesus said. "Why call me 'good Master.' There is none good but God." There is no good that doesn't originate from God. "Willie Nelson's Feed the Farm Animals" or whatever thing they did, it wasn't good in the spiritual realm. It was good in the secular realm. It wasn't mayhem. It wasn't inhumane. We would then, therefore, secularly, call it "good." Now, if you look below the surface, however, if God isn't getting the glory, and man is, can it be good? That's the real issue.

Most professed Christians don't want to deal that black and white. Most Christians want to move in the same gray area that the world does. Most Christians don't want to walk in the light as He is in the light. Most Christians don't want to propagate the message that we received from the beginning: that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all; that thy Word is truth, and there is no other source of absolute truth but the Word of God. Let God be true, and every man a liar. We piddle around, and we're seduced by the world. We think, "Well, you know, they're good folks. That's a good project that's going on," all of these things. Be very careful, the Scripture says, that you're not seduced into that.

Many churches today are taken up with the big marches against abortion, and we want to oppose abortion and whatever else political involvement the church is involved in. We have no business involved in politics; we're ambassadors of the Kingdom of God. We're ambassadors of Christ. We're not representing America, but we're representing the Kingdom of God. Tragically, so many ministries today equate America with the Kingdom of God and seem to think that somehow America is God's land. I see nothing in the Bible that lays claims to America. God has laid claims to a little dust bowl over in the Middle East. Other than that, He deals with the entire world alike. His sovereignty rules over all nations, and the Scripture says they're just a drop in the bucket. Are we being seduced into the world for all of their spiritual campaigns, and anti-abortion? Can I? You know, we've talked about it before.

I've had Christian leaders--they really think you're strange. I've had pastors here locally, they say, "Don't you want to get on this political, this anti-abortion thing?" I said, "No, we're not to involve ourselves in that. We're to be out preaching the gospel."

I want to tell you how to stop people from aborting their babies: get them born again. If you get them born again, they won't kill their babies. If they're unsaved, and they're killing their babies, then that's good. Less people for us to mess with. You say, "Pastor, what are you talking about?" I'm serious. The best thing that could happen to those little babies is not being raised in that pagan home, praise God! Can you imagine? Just a free trip home without all the hassle. What a blessing. I wish somebody had sucked my head off. We get caught up in these things, and it's the world. What are we trying to stop? And we're going to try to legislate morality in the midst of a bunch of God-haters?

I can take time and show you that in the Scriptures, the Bible specifically gives us the same incidents. God nowhere said stop abortion or infanticide. God said, "When you go into those nations, and they're offering their children to the god Molech, and they're killing their children, don't you kill yours." God did not forbid them, nor did He tell His covenant people to forbid them, to kill their children; He said, "Don't you kill yours." Now, if that's what the Bible says about it, that's all I'm going to say about it. You can come up with all kinds of other little emotional or moral or social arguments you want. I don't want to hear it. Let God be true and every man a liar. God's Word speaks to it, and it's finished. You can get all of the moral and emotional involvement you want, but I'm not going to be sucked into the world. We're called to preach the gospel to the world. Amen?

Nowhere in the Scripture does the Bible tell us to take over the politics of the world or the economics of the world. It tells us to live in a parallel kingdom called the Kingdom of God. There are the kingdoms of this world, and they will one day become the kingdoms of our God and of His Christ; but until that time, we're running parallel. You and I are living in the kingdom of light, and they're in the kingdom of darkness. In their midst, God raises up rulers; and He brings them down. Don't you worry about having to get involved in politics. God will get whom He wants in whatever office He wants. He'll raise His Pharaohs up, and He'll pull them down. He'll raise up His Nebuchadnezzar, and He'll pull him down. He'll raise up His Dariuses and pull them down; praise God.

Now, you see the spirit of the world I'm talking about. Love not the world. See, this is stuff that the world's all involved in, and much of the church is involved in all of this. We're to be seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and what's going to happen? Every thing else that's necessary to life, Jesus said, will what? Be added unto us. Don't love the world; don't love the world; don't love the world. Don't use its methods. Don't worship its gods. Don't follow after its treasures. If you're born again, it won't have any power over you.

Chapter 5 of 1 John, verse 4, "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." Our faith in the Kingdom of God and the lordship of Jesus and the promises of God. You see, the world says, "If you don't do it our way; you're going to die. There's no way, man, if you don't join up on our team, you're not going to make it. Don't you know that the God you're serving, the King you're serving, is invisible? How do you know if He's there? Looks to me like you guys are losing. There's more for us than there are for you."

Remember, we saw in Scriptures the last time that became an issue? The prophet of God was standing there. The host of their enemies were before them. They looked around, and here they were without number; and you had one guy, the prophet, and one carnal associate. The associate said, "We're in trouble, man. Look at these multitudes." The prophet says, "Well, it appears that way, but don't you understand there's more for us than there are for them?" The guy goes, "Man, I don't know," as he comparatively thinks, "Hundred thousand, two-hundred thousand, versus one, two." He goes to the new math, and he's trying to work this thing out with the new math. It still looks like there's more over there. The prophet says, "God, open his eyes that he could see." All of a sudden, the eyes are opened, and on all of the mountains are the angels of God, the chariots of fire.

I want to tell you something, beloved. There's more for us than there are for them. Amen? They just can't see them. Where's your faith to overcome the world? See, this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. If there's not faith, if you can't see into the invisible realm, the spiritual realm, if the Word is not the source of truth to you, then you're going to get sucked up in the world. You don't stand a chance against that spirit. Everything in your flesh wants to do it the world's way. Have you found that out? Everything in our members, everything in our natural being, wants to join up with the world. Therefore, the Spirit man has to constantly be refreshed and built up with the Word of God and prayer, so that we can subdue, as the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. These two are the contrary, the one to the other, the Scripture says. "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world."

If you're born of God, verse 4 says, we're talking about whether you're born again. If you're born of God, what happens? Say it with me. Okay, you overcome the world. What does that mean? You overcome the temptations, you overcome the pressure to be like the rest of the folks. I'm talking about the Christians that are no different than the world.

See, most of us here know not to hang out with obvious pagans. It's those "professed Christian" pagans that cause us a little bit of trouble. See, the thing that they always want to use is this, "Hey, who do you think you are, man? You self-righteous, you think you're holier than thou?" "Yes. You're asking me if I think I'm holier than you? The answer is unequivocally, yes. Do you have any other questions?" "Well, you're so full of pride." "No. Pride is self-reliance; and I have no confidence in the flesh. You didn't ask me if I thought I was superior to you in the flesh. You asked me if I thought I was holier than you. Now, I'm probably superior in the flesh, too, but we won't get into that right now. The Lord our God is holy, and the Scripture says we're to be holy as He is holy. So, you're asking me, am I holier than you. Let me ask you a question. Are you keeping His commandments? How different are you from the world? I've come out from the world. I don't trust in the world, their philosophies. I don't live like the world does. I don't smoke, don't drink, don't chew, and don't run with girls that do, bless God. I've separated myself to the Kingdom of God. How are you different? Show me some fruit, because first John goes on and says, 'It's he that doeth righteousness that's righteous.' You want to understand something? I am overcoming the world. I'm overcoming the temptation to be drawn back to the way I used to live. You see, grace doesn't mean that you can live the way you always lived. The Bible says old things pass away and all things become new. The Bible says the things you used to love you now hate. The things you used to hate you now love. That's what it means to be born again. The world's drawing, but he that's born of God what? Overcomes he world."

Now, watch what he goes on to say. "...and this is the victory...even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world [verse 5], but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" It's no longer I that live, but Christ that liveth in me. There's no way to defeat the world except by Jesus living in you. There's no way to live victoriously over the world until you've died to self. "Holier than thou?" Yes, because I'm not any longer trusting in my own righteousness, but in a righteousness that delivers me from the power of the world.

Look at Titus, Chapter 2, for just a second. In Titus 2, the Apostle speaks to us here, and he's dealing with this spirit, as Titus is pastor of the Cretans. He said in Chapter 2, verse 11, I want you to understand "... the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men." It's available to everyone alike. Here's what grace does. Grace that brings salvation. Grace, unmerited favor, that brings wholeness, salvation, reliance upon God, has appeared to all men. "Teaching us that, [True grace and true salvation teaches us to do what? To deny] ungodliness and worldly lusts, ...[to] live soberly, righteously, and godly, [when we all get to Heaven. What's it say?] in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope..." Now, in this present world, we live soberly, righteously, and godly. How? By the faith of the Son of God, who lives in me.

It's very obvious then that the man that's born of God, see, doesn't wrestle with all of these things that we were just talking about. I don't wrestle with those moral dilemmas. The Word of God has answered them all for me. I don't have to wrestle with the acceptance of all of the treasures that the world holds up; all of the carrots that so many people are running around after. I don't have to bother with those things. I don't worry about those things, As I've shared with you, since I was born again. Now, I'm not talking about the flesh's desire. The flesh always wants more. My flesh is just like that. In fact, my flesh, I probably have a greater appetite than most people. You see, my flesh wouldn't be content with a Lear jet; I want a 747. Two of them. Seven; one for each day. I mean, why not? If anybody deserves it, I do. Arnold Schwartzneger has one; I should have one. Did you know Arnold Schwartzneger owns a 747? That dude's big, but he isn't that big! He was smart, though; he bought a 747. He leases it out, writes it all off, and one of these days, he's probably going to turn it into a jumbo home. I mean, where do you stop? There is no gratification for lust. It can never be satisfied.

In my members, I have the same appetite, and as I said, probably more than most people, and was pursuing it until I got born again. In the process, as I shared with you before, many times in my testimony, in the process, when I became born again, I never sought after anything material. That's all I was seeking after before I was born again. After I was born again, it was never an issue as God opened doors. Early on in the ministry, God opened doors for us to make conscious decisions by His leading to walk away from things that were material and things that were, in the eyes of men, "successful." We were able to live in those times of just faith and nothing material. You think back, and you think, "Praise God." Those were exciting times. You say, "Would you like to go back?" No, no, no. I've been poor and I've been rich, and rich is better, but the deceitfulness of riches will kill you. It's a hard thing for a rich man to enter into Heaven. One thing I can say, I never sought one thing that I have. I sought the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. That's why I apologize for nothing that I do happen to have.

You know, there are some people that are in ministry, God blesses them, and they're embarrassed or apologize. I don't apologize for anything God's given me. I refuse; I refuse to bring a reproach on my Father for His goodness to me. If you have trouble with it, that's your problem. You take it to God. Everything that I have, God has given me. Everything we have done has been based upon the Word of God, one hundred percent. Therefore, you can rejoice in that and you're free. You're able to move into the understanding, then, of what it means to deny worldly lusts, and you can proclaim it without any fear, embarrassment or contradiction coming back upon yourself, because it is the Word of God.

A lot of people who materially have a few things, almost get embarrassed or ashamed or afraid to preach against worldliness because they don't understand what it is. Worldliness isn't the stuff; it's the love of it. It's the love of money that's the root of all evil, the Scripture says. Godliness with contentment is great gain. Don't suppose, like the false doctrine that so many people are preaching today, that gain equals godliness, or the more spiritual you are the more material things you'll have. Those things don't go hand in hand. That's the world system. That's one of the heights of paganism.

As it crept into the church in these last decades, where people are preaching that if you're spiritual you'll be financially well off, that's the pagan world. It's the same philosophy. "If something's bad in your life, you must be doing something wrong; God's getting you." I want to tell you something. Because you're experiencing adversity in your life doesn't mean that God is punishing you. That's the way the pagans think. "Things are going good. They must be pleasing God. You must be right with God today." I'm right with God every day. Sometimes it goes well, and sometimes it doesn't; but He never leaves nor forsakes. The Comforter is present. Though I may be cast down, I'm not forsaken, praise God. The good man falls, but he rises up seven times. We don't allow circumstances--See, the world makes circumstances the barometer of your spirituality. No, the Kingdom doesn't. It's the diligent pursuit of His righteousness and His holiness, the light.

Watch what he goes on to say in this epistle. It's phenomenal. Go back to 1 John Chapter 4. We see, then, that the world has its standards, but grace teaches us that we're to deny worldly lusts. We're to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. It says, "You think you're more holy than I am?" "Yes." "Why?" "Because you're not denying worldly lusts; and I am." Not just the stuff; the spirit behind it, the god that's there, saying, "Bow, and I'll give you these things," like he did to Jesus. Jesus said, "Hey, it is written, thou shalt have no other gods before me." The spirit of the world. If you're born again, you're able to see through the facade. You're able to see through all of those cunning devices of the enemy that seduce and destroy us.

Chapter 4 of the epistle of 1 John, verse 4, "Ye are of God, little children, and [the Scripture says that we] have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world." "Ye are of God, little children." How do I know if I'm of God? Because the greater one that's abiding in me causes me to overcome the world system and the representatives of the world system. As the three Hebrew children were ten times wiser than what was produced by the king's methods, we overcome them because God's for us.

Now, you've overcome them, and then he says, now listen, "They are of the world..." (1 John 4:5). How do we know if somebody's of the world? He goes on. Look at the next phrase, "...therefore speak they of the world..." "Hail to the Redskins!" "World! That's the world, man. You're speaking of the world. Do you think the Redskins will ever get a quarterback?" That's beyond belief. Talking about the world is not talking about secular things. "Think it's going to rain?" "World, world!" It's that spirit that we're talking about. It's that seduction of the self-life and all that it promotes, and that's what they talk about. That's what they get excited about. Somebody turns on the local Christian radio station, and they're on one of their three-hour herb commercials. Man, people are pumped. "They're of the world, because they talk about the world." Let me ask you something. Are you as excited, or more excited, about herbs than you are the blood of Jesus Christ? When you're out promoting the latest diet, the latest fad, the latest whatever it is, that's something that's running parallel to faith, that's running parallel to the blood of Jesus Christ, that's running parallel to prayer, and the power of prayer, that's running parallel to the fellowship of the saints, what are you talking about with excitement and conviction and commitment?

They're of the world because they talk of the world, the spirit of the world, the things that oppose or are in direct enmity with God. I don't know about you, but when I turn on the local Christian station, and hear an herb peddler, it just ticks me off. I hate the things of the world. Nothing wrong with eating an herb, if you receive it with thanksgiving. Dear God, you can even put poison in your mouth from McDonald's with thanksgiving, and it won't kill you; eat any deadly thing.

We realize that when he talks about these folks that are of the world--now, remember, to whom this epistle is written. It's written to people that are what? In the church. He said, these people are among you, and I'm telling you who's really born again and who's not. This is how you find out. He goes on, he says, they went out from us because they were not of us. See, "They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world [verse 5], and the world heareth them." It makes sense, but what did we read this morning over in the Gospel of John? He said, "Lord, how are you going to speak to us, and the world not know?" He said, "I'm going to speak through the Word."

Do you want to know what the world cannot hear? [Holds up the Bible.] You know what's interesting? I was trying to quickly think of a Scripture that would give an example. What's real interesting is, just throw out any moral principle, and make it look like you thought of it; and people will say, "Yeah!" Then say, "Jesus says (the same thing)" and see what their response is. You see, if it comes from man, they hear it. If it comes from God, they resist it. That's what he's saying here, "You have to understand that the world hears their own." He speaks to us as he goes on into this next verse. He says, however, "We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; ["Us" who? "Us" that are walking in the light as He is in the light. We're to walk as He walked the epistle tells us. We are of God, and he that knows God hears us and] he that is not of God heareth not us." ["Us" who? "Us" that are speaking the Word of God. "Us" being contrasted with those who are speaking the wisdom of the world. Now, how do we know if we're born again? What are you talking about? What wisdom are you representing? Do you represent, as you're going out, "It is written? I'm an ambassador of Christ. I'm not building my own kingdom. I'm here representing the will of God, the purpose of God. It's not I that live, but Christ that lives in me." Those that are of God will hear us, he says. It's by this that "Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error" (1 John 4:6). By those that receive not just the creed, not just the dogma, but also the commitment to the truth of the true believer. How do you relate to the world, the things of the world?

Matthew, Chapter 16. We'll end with this before we go to the Lord's table tonight and fellowship with Him. Just so thankful for His blood and His broken body. What a privilege to celebrate the victory that's been won by His death and resurrection; and what joy the promise of His soon coming brings us. Matthew, Chapter 16. He starts off this great segment, and He says in verse 24, "...If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." As we get ready to take communion tonight, we're recognizing the death of the Lord Jesus on our behalf. He said, "This is my body that was broken for you. Take it, eat, and as often as you do, do it in remembrance. Do it in celebration of the victory won and the reward that's coming." Don't faint in your minds. Remember, every time when you hold that cup and bread in your hand, as we will tonight, that we're recognizing the broken body and the shed blood of Jesus. We're saying, "Jesus, thank You for the price that was paid. Thank You for the victory won in sin in my life. Thank You for reconciling me back and making me a child of God. Thank You for Your soon coming to receive me to Yourself that I'll be glorified, see You as You are, and be like You, praise God. I will not faint, because of this blood, because of this broken body; I will not faint, praise God." If we endure to the end, the Scripture says, we'll be saved.

Well, it's a daily cross bearing. You must, verse 24, deny yourself, take up the cross, and follow me. Leave the world. Leave the other kingdom. Become servant. "For whosoever will save his life [from the daily cross, whosoever refuses daily personal crucifixion, death to self-will, whoever subordinates to the self-life] shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life [purposefully choose the daily cross over the self-life, and kill self-will] for my sake shall find it."

Let me ask you a question, the Master says in verse 26, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?..." See, this is the real issue at hand, self-life, gain the whole world, all the material things, all of the personal gratification of accomplishments, of setting goals, of achieving them, of delighting in our own cunningness and our own strength, in our own ingenuity, in our own intestinal fortitude. Being able to boast in our gifts and our talents that cause us to be superior to others; success; the self-life. Sing with Ol' Blue Eyes, "I did it my way." What's it profit you if it costs you your soul? You see what He's contrasting here? As He's speaking to us, He says, Look, "...what shall a man give in exchange for his soul [verse 26]?" How do you know if you're born again? You put the right value on your soul.

Father, we thank You for the Word of God. We ask that as we just rejoice in Your presence tonight and thank You for the victory that's been won, as we celebrate that with Your broken body and Your shed blood, open our eyes and help us to appreciate the work done. That we would know that we are the children of God because we love the brethren, because we keep Your commandments, because we hate the world, and we run to the light. Finish the work, Father, and we'll give You the praise in Jesus' name. Amen.

Let's stand together as Gary plays. As the brethren come, we'll take this time and just celebrate the goodness of the Lord, and the victory won, the power, and the blood of Jesus. This body that was broken for us, that we rejoice that by His stripes we are a healed people, praise God. When we take that bread in our hands, we have that confidence that the victory's been won. His body was broken for us. He bore stripes that we might be healed. This broken body not only provides for our physical healing where we can say, "Well, praise God, I'm well, and I feel good." The broken body also is an indicator that it was an actual physical body that was able to live sinless, the incarnation. God became flesh, and in the flesh destroyed the power of sin. For what the law could not do because of the weakness of the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, in the likeness of sinful flesh, died and destroyed death. That bread that you hold tonight tells you that you can now live victorious over the sin that's in your members. That cup, 1 John 1 says, is the blood of Jesus that continually cleanses us from all sin. When we drink of this emblem of His blood tonight, we recognize the perpetual cleansing, because we're drawing to the light and we're having fellowship with Him. We celebrate the continual cleansing of the blood because, as you read on in that first epistle, if His seed remains in us, we cannot sin. What a declared victory we have in Jesus' name.

As we're served, as usual, everybody just hold the cup, the bread, and we'll partake together. If you're here, and you're a child of God, you don't have to be a member of any denomination or any local church. If you're a member of the body of Christ, then you freely take and celebrate the victory of the Lord Jesus. The Scripture says before you take, examine yourself; for if you eat or drink unworthily, you drink damnation to yourself. For that reason, many of you are sick and some even die. Examine yourself. If there are areas in your life, then repent; then let a man eat and celebrate the victory that's been won.

Let's sing this together as the brethren serve us, and rejoice in His victory. "For Thou O Lord art high above the earth..." Oh, we thank You, Jesus. Yes, Lord. Oh, just exalt Him tonight, and thank Him for the victory won. Glory to God. We delight in you, Lord. Hallelujah! Oh, we delight in You, Lord. We thank You for the victory that's been won. We exalt You, Lord, in the beauty of your holiness. Cause us, Father, to truly celebrate tonight the victory that's won because that seed abides, it remains in us. We're no longer dominated by sin. We cannot sin habitually. What a liberty because that Word, that's a lamp unto our feet, dwells in us. I've hidden Your Word in my heart that I wouldn't sin against You. It remains in us, and we cannot sin; for he that sins is of the devil, the Apostle goes on to say, for he's sinning from the beginning.

You know what you're doing tonight as you hold these emblems in your hands? You're serving public notice. That's what communion is, has another process, just like water baptism. You're saying, "I'm not of that world." We have meat to eat that the world doesn't know anything about; it's to do the will of our Father. I'm serving notice to the powers of darkness, to the prince of darkness, that I'm a citizen of the other kingdom. I trust in the victory won by that broken body and that shed blood. I serve notice, as I do, in remembrance of Him. Celebrate. What a great victory; what great promises that are about to be fulfilled. It's an exciting thing. What would a man give in exchange for his soul? Talk about the treasures! You know that these emblems that we hold here tonight are emblematic of "the pearl of great price." That, that you're holding here, the body of Christ, what value, what's this worth that that you're holding in your hands right now? What is that worth? It represents all power, and all wisdom. It represents the fullness of the love of God and the attributes of God. Jesus, the fullness of the godhead, bodily manifested. What would you sell that for that you're holding in your hands right now? There's some big offers being made. Some of us are selling out cheap. That which you hold here in your hand tonight, will you sell it for the promotion, the new house, the sexual gratification, or the fame? Satan will offer you anything to take this from you. But in remembrance of Jesus tonight I declare this is "the pearl of great price," and I sever all to obtain it. I value Your body. I value Your sacrifice. I value Your lordship above all. In remembrance of You, I recognize my personal death and Your resurrected power working in me. I say, "For me to live is Christ, and with thanksgiving, and in remembrance of You, I take of this bread in Jesus' name. Amen." Let's take together. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Glory to God. By faith, we overcome the world in this flesh, praise God, in this body. We present it as the very holy tabernacle of praise to God. This body, the temple of the Holy Ghost, we recognize and even now, anyone here tonight that's warring physically in the name of Jesus, just reach out by faith right now and receive your healing, because by His stripes and by that broken body, you are healed. Praise God.

Father, we delight in the victory that's won. We celebrate the victory won tonight in our bodies because of that body that was broken on our behalf. Hallelujah! We thank You for it, Jesus. All among us in the name of the Most High. Father, we thank You for the deliverance. We thank You, Father, for the healing of the heart disease. We thank You, Father, for the wholeness of the kidneys, Father. We thank You for the deliverance, even now, of arthritis. Lord, we delight in the victory that was won in the name of Jesus.

"My blood shed for you." If you walk in the light, you will perpetually be cleansed. I recognize, by faith, that I am clean by the blood of Jesus, and there is no other source. With thanksgiving for that victorious sacrifice, I just want to say thank You, Father, and I celebrate the victory won in Jesus' name. Amen. Let's partake together. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Let's worship Him. Just take a moment and thank Him for the blood of Jesus, that cleansing power that's affecting our lives. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin, the Scripture says. Thank God it was shed. Thank God He entered in once for all. Oh, we delight in it, Father. Let's sing it together, "Oh The Blood of Jesus." Just celebrate! Hallelujah! We thank You, Father, for the blood. The blood of God, the Scripture calls it. We thank You, Lord, that You bled, that You died, and You are worthy of praise. The precious blood of Jesus, the Scripture says, and we put that value upon it. It's precious to us, and it is our treasure. We just say thank You, Father, in Jesus' name. Amen. Praise God.

Before you go, turn to somebody, and say, "Walk in the light." Amen. Go in peace; God's love go with you.

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