Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Let Us Draw Near Pt.4

I'd like to share a couple of the e-mails that have just come over from Africa just to keep you informed. A lot of exciting things are going on there. We have one from Brother Charles here, just rejoicing in the goodness of the Lord.

"I want to thank you very much for the increased monthly support for my family. It was a timely blessing. And thank you also for the money for the cement floors for the classroom and for the new kitchen. The faithful members have done the job satisfactorily. We were able to save a little on labor and cost (3,000 shillings) which we used to purchase a few of the needed textbooks for Discipleship Training. Thank you for the monies, also, toward the energy-saving jiko. [I have a feeling that's something they're cooking with.] We're going to have to add to this soon. [So, they're cooking a lot of vittles, I guess!] I'm very, very grateful for the support given toward the work of God in Kakamega.

Discipleship Training is reduced from 65 to 55 children, as some of the unfaithful parents have decided to move their children to free public education. Some of them have left the church. We, however, thank God for the faithful who have embraced the vision and are faithfully running with it. We believe the Lord will add others as we reach out into the community with an unchanging, uncompromised gospel of the cross of Jesus Christ. The message may or may not draw multitudes, but it will certainly draw the remnant. We rejoice in what God is doing for us and through us. We give Him all the glory.

P.S. This last Sunday we had 110 in the AM service, 79 in the PM service with four first-time visitors, and today we had 78 in our mid-week service."

Can you say "Praise God!" for that? It's exciting to see a church raised up where there wasn't one with the Word of God going forth, and (as we've shared before), especially in an area where they've said it's impossible to start a church. They said it just couldn't be done.

We have a letter from Ron, and he says,

"We're just rejoicing as this last Sunday reminds me of the book of Acts, beginning with worship practice, teaching, prayer, praise and worship, and doctrine. The gifts of the Spirit were in operation, souls being saved, and fellowship in breaking of bread in the Spirit, serving and loving one another, and God being glorified. Ten people came forward in response to the message, entitled "Fully Surrendered," which dealt much with resisting the enemy by our submission to God. Most of these were coming to be born again. Two that stand out were two young men from Uganda, who were staying by the church with their grandmother. They're in their late teens (maybe early twenties), Rastafarians. They were musicians that had come to Kenya to record music. While there, they had been mugged. And staying with their grandmother, she was admonishing them to come to church and hear the gospel. While in Kenya, they've experienced many hardships but have had grace extended to them. Someone invited them to our church, and they showed up this past Sunday, and for the first time (to my knowledge) gave their hearts to Jesus. The change in their lives is visible and their countenance enlightened, as I've observed them eagerly sharing and being ministered to until long after the services. Seeing the power of God instantly create someone's spirit and deliver them from the powers of darkness is an amazing miracle that we never cease to marvel at."

So, we're just rejoicing in some of the things that are taking place there, and a lot of exciting things are going on! Just continue to pray and believe God for the miraculous. It's going to take that, of course, to sustain them in this hour that we're in.

Let's turn to the book of Timothy; we want to continue with our study. We will be answering the question that some of you have asked out of Hebrews 6, concerning the impossibility of being restored after having apostatized and how that relates to the unpardonable sin. We will be speaking toward that renewal process that God's Word declares. We know that there is only one unpardonable sin, and the fact of the matter is: these in Hebrews 6 are on the verge of committing that sin. And this is where Paul is addressing them with great admonition, to where there should be fear and trembling. People out there that are playing with the grace of God and mocking the blood of Jesus have no guarantee that they'll be able to see their inheritance restored, though they seek it with tears just like Esau of old. You can't come if God's not drawing you. We can't allow backsliding to be seen as a light thing. We can't see a revolving door on the church, to where people can just go out, and play with sin, and embrace it, and then just come running back home anytime they feel like it. We have the message of the prodigal son, and thank God for the mercy and the grace of God! But we also have the admonition of the Scriptures that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God and that there is the searing of the conscience. There is the taking of men captive by Satan's will when they've apostatized and their minds have been perverted. It's a very, very dangerous thing to impose and presume upon the mercy of God.

We can't do anything about those that have left, but the reason for this message is to help us understand how to relate to them and, hopefully, see some fear put into our hearts. As Americans, we seem to think that it's our right to do what we want, when we want, how we want, and it has influenced a lot of people's response to the gospel and has actually perverted the gospel that's being preached in this nation. People in churches today have been led to believe that they can serve God on their own terms. And frankly, it's because the men of God (if you can call them that) have been making merchandise of the people, and all they're looking for is building their own reputations. The gospel is being preached for filthy lucre and, tragically, there's going to be a lot of blood on men's hands in the final days.

So, we want to talk about how we're going to relate to the backslidden and hopefully (as we said), cause a fear of God to rise in our own hearts. When we look at the subject matter as we go through this, it's going to be a number of sessions yet before we're through. I want you to understand the reasoning for why we're doing this right now. It's hopefully to protect us, to create a fear in our hearts, and to purify us as a people, because there's no way that we can allow in our midst that wedge of gold and those Babylonish garments that are the idols of the lusts of men. Most of the idols that we've been talking about are family members, relatives, and friends. So, we've looked at the biblical account as to who these people are, how we relate to them, and who our real family is in the spirit realm. We've shared that if you can't relate to that, then probably you're not walking in the spirit realm; you're probably not born again. If these things don't make sense to you, then there's a good chance that you yourself have not been regenerated, and you need to search your own heart and find out whether those things are true.

As we looked at some of the case studies, we made a reference in one of the sessions on Sunday that I want to reiterate. It was about the fact of Jesus coming and dividing homes (out of the Matthew 10 passage). Some people have responded and said, "You know, I've never seen it or heard it stated that way." It really struck home with a number of their hearts, and hopefully you heard it also. We were showing you that Jesus is a rock of offence to the world, and they hate Him. But don't forget and don't lose sight of the bigger picture. Mankind is lost. We have no rights. We're the enemy of God. As the children of Adam, we have as a race already once forsaken God and can, in our own individual lives, become twice dead (as Jude says). But so many of us, who are trying to protect relationships and the rights of family members and loved ones, have lost sight of his one major doctrine (and get this in your notes): You've forgotten the depravity of man. Somehow, we seem to think they're basically good. "My children are basically good. My husband [my wife], my friends--they're basically good." They are evil. Have you forgotten that? Any goodness that you saw in them while they were walking in the kingdom was the fruit of the mercy, the grace, the love, and the free gift of God. And when they have willfully turned back, as dogs to their vomit, they are the same vile and depraved individuals that they were prior. There is no good in them.

Now. if you want to put "good" down as certain moral actions or certain possibly moral ideologies, then you can apply humanism toward it, but you can't apply biblical righteousness toward it. Because (listen to me very clearly) if our righteousness is as filthy rags, then how filthy is our depravity? If in our righteousness, the best we can be is filthy rags, then how bad are we in our depraved condition, as these who have chosen to mock, reject, and deny the effectualness of the blood of Jesus, to embrace the vileness of Satan and of human nature, which is in absolute, total depravity and in defiance of a holy God? That's the contrast, beloved, that you need to see. These are not just your good little kids who happen to not want to be nice little Christians. These are God-haters, haters of mothers and fathers, without natural affection, truce breakers, and there is no limit to their vileness. Until you can see that, none of this makes sense to you, which means you yourself need to be enlightened.

As we go on in the study, hopefully we'll also ascertain whether or not certain individuals are responsible by the Hebrews 6 passage. So many people are trying to look for the loopholes. "Well, maybe they weren't really saved." They're trying to bail them out so that they can treat them like heathens and publicans, as is referred to in Matthew 18. I spent time today in going over the language very carefully in Hebrews 6 in the Greek. And reading some of the greatest Greek scholars (whether it's A. T. Robertson, Weis, or others), there's no question in the language in Hebrews 6 concerning those who have partaken, those who have tasted. I love the language there and how it relates to this. The Greek is saying that once you have tasted, you can never deny. Once there's been an illumination, it's an illumination forever. You can reject Him, but you can never forget Him. You can hate Him, but the illumination that you embraced goes on forever, and it will be that which judges and condemns you in the final day--your knowledge that you have willfully rejected. Powerful, powerful usage of the language in that sixth chapter!

So, for those of you who are thinking, "Well you know, my child [or whoever it might be that you're trying to defend] just didn't have a working knowledge." According to this passage, they had sufficient illumination. All things that pertain to life and godliness were infused into them, just like they were infused into the rest of us. The reason they didn't come to total maturity and were not able to stand is that they chose to reject that perpetual light that was working in them, just like it's working in you and me. The Holy Spirit is constantly wanting them to grow, constantly wanting to bring them victory over their flesh; and on a daily basis they deny it (and it's not easy to backslide), to the place where they finally can begin to choose against God, defy God, and to be raised back up to their depraved state, to the original sin of Adam. "I will be as God." That's the condition that these people are in. Anyone who willfully denies the knowledge of God has chosen to embrace the original sin, the original lie, that Lucifer brought upon man.

So, that's a little bit of an overview of where we've been and a little idea of why we're studying what we're studying. It's nothing new; you can go back into the ancient church. The Montanists were a people that were very strong in denying that anyone who apostatized would ever be allowed back into the church. Under no circumstances was anybody who left be welcomed back. On the other side of the spectrum was the Catholic Church. They were very willing to allow these back, though there would not be a re-baptizing in the lives of these individuals. Now, remember what the issue was back then. The issue was, of course, the persecution. People were dying for the sake of Jesus. And many of the apostates would deny Jesus publicly and openly to save their own necks, and then when the pressure left, they wanted to come back. But the Montanists said, "You're not coming back, man! We stood; you defected. You're not worthy to be here." Of course, our issues today are much larger. Our issues are whether we can have people over for Thanksgiving dinner or go to the mall with them--you know, the real serious things of Christianity! The day's going to come, beloved, when the church is going to be back in that same position.

Now right here, there are people among us--I don't know who you are; you might not be here tonight. But it's very obvious that people that have gone out of our ranks, and we're a source of entertainment, I think, for some of these people. I've shared with you that there's a group of them that meets periodically. I don't know if you realize it, but some of them park across the street here on Sunday mornings to count, and see who's here, and what's going on. There's somebody here in this place (one or two people) who's in constant contact with these folks. They know stuff before some of you know it! I don't know who you are, but it'll be discovered. The deacons were talking about it last night. They said, "There's a spy here among us." And there is, but who cares? I mean, we're not keeping anything secret; everything we do, we put on the Internet! We're sure not trying to hide anything. If you want to know what we believe and what we're teaching, go on the Internet. The message is right there; we're not trying to hide anything. That's what's humorous to me, that people are sneaking around. If you have any questions, ask! We'll tell you; we don't have anything to hide. You're the ones preferring darkness.

Beloved, the point that I'm making is this. The lines of demarcation and the decisions that are being made now are decisions that bring discomfort, but pretty soon they're going to bring death. So, we need to come to grips with who's committed in our midst. If determining who's committed in the midst of the believers isn't important, then why do you think God would have put in the Ananias and Sapphira story? In a community such as this, it's very important to know who's part of the vision and who's committed to what God is doing--especially when we get to the circumstances (we're not there yet) like in the book of Acts, when they had all things in common. There were people that were taking but were not contributing. That's not acceptable. I don't know why we're experiencing what we're experiencing right now. It's going to be interesting to see exactly what Father's doing. But He could be preparing us for an interesting day with the instability in our world. And as quickly as things happen, beloved, just stop and think. As quickly as things happen, how quickly could this take place, to where there would be a political change that would not allow the free distribution of the gospel like we have it today? And then what are you going to do? What are you going to do when it becomes against the law and we're imprisoned for speaking some of the things we're speaking and for doing some of the things we're doing, like corporal punishment with our children, etc.? When that becomes against the law, and these same people that are in our midst (the spies that are here) go out and tell the government, they're going to come and take some of us away. Then we can sing that song, "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha Ha!" (That's for you people old enough to remember; you don't know what I'm talking about if you're not at least 25.)

These are some of the reasons that we're sharing these things. It's to prepare your hearts for the persecution that's coming and, at the same time, for us to have the right perspective of how vile these people are who are willfully denying the Jesus we love and Who died for us and them. It just grieves my heart to watch these lives out perpetually mocking the blood of Jesus Christ through their rebellion, and then watch people chase them, and cater to them, trying to keep them from experiencing hardships, wanting to embrace them and fellowship with them just like they did before they crucified Jesus afresh. Let me ask you something, and you need to get this picture in your mind. If your child had the nail and the hammer in their hand, and it was in their power to crucify Jesus--to kill Him, to mock Him, to torture Him--and in your sight they did that, and then asked if you wanted to go to the mall shopping with them as soon as He gave up His last breath, would you go hang out with them after killing your Jesus? That's what Hebrews 6 says they're doing every day afresh. How real is He to you? How lovely is He? How holy is He when they count His blood an unholy thing? That's what we're talking about. So, let's spend a little bit more time and see if we can clarify some of these things, and hopefully by seeing the purpose behind this, it will help you.

Now, I don't know how many times we have to say this. It came to me in the deacons' meeting last night that some of the people among us were asking about the teaching where we made the comment about the scriptural passage in 1 John, "They went out from us, but they were not of us..." Are we saying that anybody who does not attend Calvary Temple is not a Christian? To ask that question isn't just a question of motive, it's a grave misunderstanding of doctrine. To be confused enough to think that is to not understand the doctrine that we teach. I'm just kind of amazed that would still be something that somebody would possibly think. Of course the body of Christ is far greater than any one local fellowship! Are we saying that anybody that leaves Calvary Temple is a backslider? You can't make an all-inclusive statement like that, but I think the majority that have left have left because of that very reason--because, they've backslidden, because they're apostates. To leave here to go to a fellowship with a higher standard, I think would be acceptable if it were done in the wisdom of God to where you were going to contribute to a body that was in need of your gift. To go to a church that has a higher standard than ours so that you can be blessed is selfishness. It would be flesh; it would not be the Holy Spirit leading you. The Holy Spirit will never lead you in selfishness or self-exaltation. The Holy Spirit could very easily have someone leave this fellowship or another fellowship for the good of the body of Christ. But the Holy Spirit does not lead people around for their casual conveniences or natural preferences. He put us in the body as it pleases Him. The local church is not a club. We are members of the universal body of Christ. You can't just pick and choose. Beloved, we have to see that we're not living by fate. You're put in places by the Holy Spirit. The problem is that we don't believe that. The church is a club. The church is a convenience. I'll use a phrase that was on the literature of another church: "The Church is a hospital for hurting people." It is not! The Church is the body of Christ, the dynamic representation of Almighty God, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

So, to answer the questions that some in the natural would ask, let me ask you this about the definition of backsliding. If you leave one church (and since we're talking about Calvary Temple, if you leave one church, Calvary Temple) to go to a lower standard, would you say that is backsliding? Of course it is! To go down, to go backwards, to digress, to leave a Spirit-filled church to go to the Methodist church, where they want to ordain homosexuals, would you say that's backsliding, anybody? Why is it that I left? We don't have the time to go into the motives of a lot of people, but the point we're making is this: apostatizing means a departure from the truth, from the light. It's a departure from sound doctrine, biblical methodology, and normative Christianity. That's apostatizing; "apostasy" just means "a departure." Who's an apostate? Anybody who departs from sound doctrine. It's very simple. Anybody, then, who for any reason leaves sound doctrine for their own comfort or ease, to whatever degree--now remember, there are different degrees of apostatizing. There's the departure from sound doctrine that can ultimately lead you into total, absolute denial, to an abject, backslidden state to where you're living lasciviously. You're mocking openly the gospel of Jesus Christ, defying His doctrine, and mocking His church. But that's the final state of an apostate. It begins with the departure from sound doctrine, and it can manifest in any degree of separation. So, it's very important for us to understand that. Just like depraved man can have different degrees of apparent morality, so apostates can have different degrees of apparent religiosity (you can't call it Christianity). They still go to church, they have the religious jargon, and they're absolute lords of their life.

So, as we try to get through the practical parts of these, let's see if we can go to some of the doctrinal now and show you that this is, of course, nothing new. Have you found Timothy yet? In 1 Timothy 1, we find Paul saying this, beginning in verse 6. "From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; [You'll find that this is one of the common things: teaching those things that they know not, the Scripture says in another place. These people all elevate themselves to teacher status, that they know the doctrine of God, that they are more rightly dividing the Word than others who have been their counselors or teachers prior. There's that in common because that's part of what the spirit of the apostate is.] understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm. But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God." And then he mentions a couple of guys that have moved into this position. As you read on in the chapter, he says, "Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; [whom we're having over for Thanksgiving dinner] whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme" (verses 19-20). So, we see here that these are a people who desire to be teachers of the law, but understand neither what they say nor whereof they affirm, a people thinking of themselves more highly than they ought to think.

Chapter 4 goes on, and the apostle says to Timothy, "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart [apostatize, backslide] from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." Now, what are these "doctrines of devils"? Is this occult magic? Is this poltergeists? What are these doctrines of devils that we're talking about? What kind of doctrine do you think devils would spin? Well, let's not be ignorant of Satan's devices. First of all, Satan comes as an angel of light. Is Satan going to come into the church and say, "Okay, everybody curse God!"? That doesn't work really well as a rule. He comes as an angel of light. Now the doctrines of devils have one source: the devil. What is his doctrine? Here's his doctrine: "Thou shalt not surely die. Defy God; you won't die. Usurp; you won't die. Has God said? You won't die. That's not rebellion; it's just a difference of opinion. You won't die. Unity--let's embrace the Catholics; let's embrace the Muslims. After all, there are many paths to God." That's what the world's doctrine is putting on us. Doctrines of devils are of that same spirit that you see in the garden, and behind them is the same spirit that you see in Isaiah when Lucifer is exposed in the 14th chapter. "I will ascend above the throne of the Most High." It is idolatry. It is placing self as the object of why everything else exists. "This world revolves around me and mine." Every decision is made in light of that instead of the glory of God, the holiness of God, and the eternal purposes of God. God says, "I want to share with you everything that I have in My creation, but this one thing you can't do: don't eat of this fruit." And Satan says, "God's holding out on you. The moment that you eat of that fruit, your eyes will be opened; you will be as God. You've got to come out from under that authority. God is trying to hold you down. He uses all kinds of other things. He uses husbands; He uses parents; He uses pastors. People are always against you. You have your rights. You just need to defend yourself and do what's right for you!"

Doctrines of devils--the compromising of the Word of God to appease the self-will of man. I don't care how it's being preached. I don't care if the name of Jesus is attached to it. I don't care if Scripture is being quoted. If we're not producing fruit for the glory of God, we're worth nothing but to be cut off, cast aside, withered and burned, John's gospel teaches. But you don't hear much teaching on that. You don't hear much teaching on the judgment of God. You don't hear much teaching on the cross. You don't hear teaching on submission and subordination to authority (parents, husbands, etc.). You don't hear any of that. What you hear is the "I gospel," the "self-helps gospel," and the "feel-good-about-yourself gospel." That's the doctrines of devils. And it's all being done in the name of Jesus; it's all having His name attached to it. It's taking Scriptures and twisting them to the glory of man.

So, Paul speaks to this young pastor, Timothy, and he says, "Now, listen. In the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy." These people know what they're doing. Those who have apostatized, some of your children--let me tell you something: they were not plucked out of Jesus' hand. Do you understand that? No man, nothing, can pluck us out of His hand. (Can you say "Amen" to that?) They departed. They willfully chose to deny His lordship. They chose their flesh. They chose their will. They received the same Holy Spirit, the same gospel of grace, the same illuminating truth that you and I have, that every day lets us know the need to depend upon Him, that every day causes us to crucify ourselves so that the flesh becomes weaker and the spirit becomes stronger. Every one of us is aware that sin is in our members and that we can potentially sin. And because of that, we're preparing ourselves, and adorning ourselves in the armor of God, and washing ourselves with the water of the Word. And these people, frankly, choose not to. They are not victims. Once we understand that, we can begin to appreciate the depravity of man.

So, many of these pastors, teachers, and counselors are not people that are misled and don't fully understand the doctrine. They got where they are the same way these people did, and they are speaking lies in hypocrisy. (Now, who is the father of lies? The devil.) They're hypocrites, play actors; they know that they're not right with God, and that's why the love of Cain is in their hearts. The love of Cain says, "If I can kill those people that are serving God and doing right, it'll justify my wickedness. Their offering is accepted, and mine isn't. I know it's not, and therefore I hate them." Jesus said, "If I had not come and done the will of God in your midst, then you wouldn't be in your sins. But because of My obedience, you know you're a sinner. You know it can be done, but you're choosing not to do it, and that's why you hate Me." Isn't that what Jesus said? And that's the same way people respond to people like you and me who are choosing to do the Word of God. It heaps condemnation on them. Every time they see you, it's evidence of their hatred, their weakness, and their defeat. Somehow they've got to make you go away to prove they were right. And that's what the battle is all about. That's why they hated Jesus. So, when you understand that they hated Him first, you realize they're going to hate you if you're doing it.

These people are not passive; they are very active. And they don't have to be handing out tracts on "How to Apostatize." They're not necessarily having to hand out tracts. These are people that are boasting in their new liberties of self-will. They're boasting in their conquests and their lasciviousness. They're relishing in the temporal rewards and pleasures of sin that come for a season. And in all of that, they're trying to entice others, as we'll see in the second epistle of Timothy. These are a people lying in hypocrisy, "having their conscience seared with a hot iron."

One of the things that we said the other night should have stood out to you, and I want to reiterate it. Somebody apostatizes. So what do we do? We're going to try to help them out, right? We want to get them back into the church, so we run to them and ask, "What's wrong? What's the problem?" "Well, you know, the problem is: I was parked in the Pastor's parking space, and somebody came and said something to me. And I don't think that the pastors ought to have reserved parking anyway! And I don't think that." (This didn't happen; I'm making this up.) And you say, "Well you know, you need to understand that these are certain things that are done. The reason for the pastors' reserved parking is that Pastor Scott is getting so old now, and he needs to get closer to the building." And we start trying to make excuses for why things are done so that we can somehow convince them that their rights were not infringed upon. We shared with you that the real issue is their hatred for Jesus. The real issue is that the things of God are spiritually discerned. If their conscience has been seared, if they've come to this place where they've defected, where they no longer are responding to the Truth (the Word of God), then you're not going to win into the kingdom them through any secular, carnal, or emotional enticement any more than you can entice anybody into getting saved in the first place. There's the tendency to cater to the flesh in many of these people and to try to somehow soothe the natural hurts. We've shared with you that those aren't the issues, beloved. Those are the smoke screens of an evil heart, of a vile mind, and of a hatred for the blood of Jesus Christ. Those are smoke screens for people who will not bow their knees and pull down their idols of self-will. To see these circumstances as anything less is going to bring confusion in your mind and surely make you ineffectual if you ever hope to be an instrument used to pluck some of these as brands from the fire at a later time.

Turn over to the second epistle of Timothy for just a second, chapter 4, and we'll see a reference made in verse 14 back to Alexander, that same guy. We see the response that God has toward apostates and the response we're supposed to have. We are not to have a spirit of vengeance or vindictiveness. We take no delight in the death of the wicked. We take no delight in our enemies stumbling and falling. These are people we want to see freed from the power of sin. These are people that have been taken captive again by Satan. These are people that God loves, and we need to hope for their restoration. But, at the same time, these are people under judgment, and we're not to in any way say anything less about God's wrath or God's vengeance than He says.

Paul had a good attitude toward it, and this is the attitude I've taken: "...the Lord reward him according to his works." The point that I want to make is this. When you get people like that--who have done you much harm, who are actively trying to oppose the gospel--what is your attitude toward them? Your attitude is, "The Lord reward them according to their works." There's a law of sowing and reaping. There's nothing that can be done in the natural to avert the judgment that's coming to them. It could be slow; it could be rapid. It is sure. And what we saw last Sunday was that we don't want to become a partaker of those things. We're not going to bid them Godspeed. We're not going to get involved in trying to call good evil and evil good, as we try to justify the behavior of loved ones and then begin to partake of the justice of God. And some of you who are allowing this back into your homes are inviting the judgment of God into your house. The blood is no longer on your door posts; the death angel will not pass you by. You need to be careful, those of you who have opened your homes back up to these haters of God.

It's very important that we understand the magnitude of what's being spoken. He says in verse 2, "Preach the Word." We've seen some of the context in these epistles. He's talking to a pastor. He's talking to a people that are going to be facing apostasy. There are going to be people defecting in these last days. There are the false doctrines that are being propagated. There's the persecution in the church. So, you have persecution externally from the civil authorities. You have false doctrine from these seducing spirits, the doctrines of devils that are being preached, those that are speaking lies in hypocrisy. All of this is going on in this church. And here's this young pastor thinking, "Dear Lord! What do I do?" And Paul says, "Here's what you do. Preach the Word; just tell them the truth." "Preach the word [because His sheep know His voice; they'll know the truth when they hear it]; be instant in season, out of season; [and coddle, compromise and make easy the way--Oh, that's the American version! Let me read this one here] reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine..." You see here again, we're talking about sound doctrine. This becomes the issue, beloved. The issue is not all the other things that we said are smoke screens. Listen to me. If you ever do talk to anybody in this state of departure, those that are given over to reprobate minds, those that have seared their consciences, you're wasting your time. How do we know if they're there? By how they respond to sound doctrine.

Backsliding is a process, just like sanctification is a process. People don't just backslide instantly. You can be overcome and sin instantly, but you don't backslide. When you sin, when you're overcome, when there's a presumptuous sin, when sin takes occasion, you can sin instantly. But what happens? You're smitten. Your heart breaks. You immediately are broken. You cry out to God. There's godly sorrow. There's a carefulness that rises up. There's a return to the light. Then the response is duller the next time you sin, and now you begin to no longer say, "I'm the man," but you begin to say, "They're the man; I've sinned because of them." You begin to justify your action. You begin to question whether that's the true application of the Scriptures in this situation. You're in a backsliding process. The key, beloved, is sound doctrine. Are you studying to show yourself approved? Do you know the truth when you hear it? Do you know what God expects out of you? Do you know how to recognize a backslider? Do you know how to recognize if you're backsliding? You should. There's no reason to have been around here for years and not understand it.

Look at what it goes on to say. They will not endure sound doctrine, "...but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears." This is one of the things that is held very common among apostates. Most apostates do not run back out and start drinking, and sleeping around, and doing drugs again. Most apostates just find teachers that will tell them what they want to hear. They'll find somebody that will justify their actions. Like Saul, they want someone who'll play the harp so that they can be soothed, so that those demons that are raging in them can be momentarily calmed down. They know they're going to hell now, but they want somebody to tell them they're going to heaven, that they're right, but they know. The liar knows he's lying. The Scripture says it this way: deceiving and being deceived. They're all using each other. That's the world's system; that's how it works.

"And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." This is another thing that's held in common by apostates. There will be a zeal and a pursuit for fables that's far beyond anything they had for the truth. They will give themselves more to justifying themselves and their carnality and their false doctrine than they ever gave to pursuing the truth. "But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."

We see, then, that this is not something that's new to our day. This is something that's been common among men and in the church from its origin. Paul makes it very clear how you handle this. What do you do with Alexander and Hymaneus? You turn them over to Satan. Your response to them is, "I have no response. The Lord reward them according to their works." Hebrews 6 and Hebrews 10 tells us how God is going to reward them.

Turn to Jude for just a second, and let's finish with that for tonight. We got pretty far sidetracked, but I want you to get a feel for these people. Jude (very likely the Lord's brother), having doubted and then been illuminated, talks about the common salvation and the need to earnestly contend for the faith in verse 3. Put that in your notes: earnestly contend for the faith. There's a fighting to keep this thing pure. Sound doctrine doesn't just stay in place; it has to be contended for. There's a warfare. There are constantly people trying to delude and pervert the truth in our midst. All of these epistles were written to the churches. These are people that are seated here tonight. There are people here at all different degrees of pursuing the Lord Jesus, His glory, and His honor. There are people in the church that are tares and those that are leaven. There are those that are wolves. They're all here. And he said we're to contend (look at verse 4), "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, [and here again is one of the keys to the apostate] turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness" (emphasis added). They overemphasize grace at the cost of justice. They overemphasize grace at the expense of the truth of the Word of God. They will not let the Word be the final authority, and the teachers that they've heaped up to themselves will not use the Word as the final authority. They'll quote the Word sometimes and then say, "But you know, you've got to let the Spirit lead you" and "God understands how hard this is." They'll compromise everything from commitment to attendance, to honoring the Lord in giving, to humility and subordination in the home, in the church, or whatever it is. There's always compromise made for the individual's self-will. And he says they've crept in, they're ungodly men, they turn the grace of our God into lasciviousness and, by doing that, they're "...denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ."

Then he goes into the teaching of backsliding (and I'm not going to get into that right now; we may hit it at another time). Can people who were once right with God actually fall away and be lost? Of course, the Scripture's very clear on that. He said, "[Don't forget]...how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not." They were unpersuadable; they were a people that murmured and mocked. Then he comes down and he begins to tell us who these people are and a little bit about their character. "Likewise also these filthy dreamers [I love the wording that Jude uses; it just doesn't get any clearer than this] defile the flesh, despise dominion, [Check and see what these people have in common. They despise dominion; they will not have anybody over them, period! It can be done "in your face" or it can be done through manipulation, lying, conning, deceit, weeping, womanly wiles, ineptness, or whatever. By any means possible, they will get their way. They will have no one over them] and speak evil of dignities." They put themselves on a level with everybody, including God. They are the ultimate authority in the universe. Then he gives a little example. He says, "Man, even Michael the archangel, in all of his authority, didn't have the opinion of himself that these people have!" "But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain [killing their brother because his offering was good and acceptable, and theirs wasn't; it's amazing how you can see that in the majority of apostates. Now here's a key; look at it] and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core." You remember Korah and Dathan, those who opposed Moses. In your notes, get this word, "gainsaying". A common denominator in an apostate is a gainsaying spirit. It literally means "to say against, to oppose or to contradict." To say against, oppose; they're always the odd man out. "This doesn't apply to me. No, I don't agree with that. I don't think that's right. That shouldn't have been done. How come they're doing that? Why?"

Jude says, "These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear. [They're taking as long as they can get something out of it. They never contribute, for] clouds they are without water, [They have nothing to give; they're takers, parasites. They have no commitment, or stability, or root in themselves, for they're] carried about of winds [They're carried about by every wind of doctrine]; trees whose fruit withereth, [and now] without fruit [John tells what to do with those that are fruitless. This is powerful; look at this] twice dead, [What a tragedy concerning an apostate! You were dead in trespasses and sins, then liberated by the love of God and the free gift of salvation. Your eyes were blinded by Satan, and God brought illumination; He pulled the scales off. He infused you with life; He infused you with love. While you were a sinner, He loved you and died for you. He sought you; you didn't seek Him. He became sin, that you might be made righteous, and then you choose to reject Him and die again. Twice dead--once because you had nothing to say about it (because you were born into Adam's family), and twice because you chose to defy the name of Jesus and deny the effectualness of His blood, despise it, and tread it beneath your feet as an unholy thing.] plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars [outside the purpose of God, outside the order of the universe] to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever." Is that descriptive or what? They're cast into outer darkness, where there's weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth.

He says in verse 17, "But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves [They went out from us because they were not of us], sensual, having not the Spirit." You sow to the flesh, it's destruction. You sow to the spirit, it's life. Sensual, having not the Spirit--tragic. What's held forth for them? Blackness of darkness.

Look back at verse 15, and I want you to see how many times the word "ungodly" is used. "Un-" doesn't just mean "un-cola!" "Un-" as it is used here means not only "without," but "in opposition to, anti-." To deny and become "un-" is being spoken of those who had partaken and have cast off. They are without now by choice, by defiance, by rejection, and by hatred. "To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of [personal] advantage" (emphasis added).

That's what we're talking about. I don't think it can become any uglier than Paul and Jude make it. I don't think the contrast can become any more stark. I think we've truly minimized the consequences to those who have defected. This is not a club. This is a willful severing of a member from the body of Christ that openly and perpetually brings shame to Him. Every breath they draw is a mocking of His life. How do we respond to that? The Scriptures are very clear. You turn them over to Satan; you put them out of your midst. Old Testament: they are dead; they no longer exist. How hard is it to see members lost out of our family and Jesus coming to split up homes? Of course, we've been accused of doing that. Yes, Jesus has been responsible, and I've been pleased to work with Him in seeing homes split up. I view it this way. I'll leave you with this illustration. A house, home to a family of five, is on fire. You run in and offer liberation for all five. Two choose to come, so you grab two, and you carry them out. You've divided that family. Three perish in the fire, and two were saved by the grace of God, the mercy of God. I thank God that I was separated from my family, as they've gone on to perdition, and I've embraced eternal life! Where's your allegiance?

Father, we thank You for the Word of God. We ask that You'd make real in this hour the purifying of Your body and the preparation for Your soon coming. We trust that You would put in our hearts a zeal and an anxiousness to know more of Your glory, and to taste of Your goodness, and to give ourselves to bearing fruit to Your holiness. And to those that would mock You and despise You, we ask that we would respond with Your same response. You said that You would mock them when their calamity came. You said You hate their sin, and You hate them in their sin, and we say "Amen." By that same Spirit, give us the same hatred for sin and love of righteousness. We ask it, Father, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Let's stand before the Lord. As Gary plays for us, just take a moment and let the Holy Spirit encourage your heart in this hour. Some of you are having to deal with loved ones. I had some of the teachers come and say that since one of these young people that's left has been brought back into the home, the younger child in school has noticeably gone downhill. It's not worth it. And we're not just talking about the welfare of this younger child. We're talking about the holiness of God, the glory of God. We're talking about your own life and how you respond to your Lord and Savior. We're not just talking about behavior; we're talking about relationship. Are you going to worship that young person, that adolescent, that rebel, that God-hater, over the Jesus that died for you? Are you going to watch them crucify Him afresh, watch Him beaten beyond recognition, mocked of man, hung on a cross, bear the sins of the world, cry out in agony, "My God, My God! Why hast Thou forsaken Me?" and see them do it, and then embrace them? As for me and my house. How dare we, and call it love? Because of our self-love and our unwillingness to take up a cross and die to our own emotions, we say that we love more than God does. "Oh, I'm just loving them, because God doesn't. God's way is too harsh. God doesn't understand. God's not making provision. God's not doing it in a way that I can comprehend. God's not doing it in a way that's easy for them. So I will love them, since God doesn't." All you're doing is taking up the hammer, putting another hand on it, and joining them in crucifying Him through your rejection of the love of God.

Forgive us, Lord, that we don't love You more. Open our eyes that we could see Your glory. Bring us to our senses that we can embrace Your fragrance and taste Your goodness, and that we could see the stench that surrounds us, as they return to their vomit. Make it real, Father, we ask in Jesus' name.

Let's sing it together, "I stand in awe." Oh, thank You, Jesus! Sing it one more time; let's just worship Him in it. Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Lord, help us to understand that every one of us has the same opportunity of being daily washed, daily cleansed, daily empowered, and daily illuminated. All things that pertain to life and godliness in Christ Jesus have been provided us, and we're a people seen by our pursuit. We're not all expected to produce the same volume, but the same percentage. We're to produce the best we're capable of. We're to produce in direct correlation to what we've been gifted with. We're to be producers based upon the call and the placement. So, we come, we submit ourselves, and we say, "Father, make us the best we can be for Your glory, in Jesus' name. Amen."

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