Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Preserving Sound Doctrine

Amen! We are going to be starting a new series, as I was saying just before we were gone last weekend, but I may have to push that back a little bit. I want to address a couple of things. That’s one thing interesting about the pastoral ministry; you don’t just get to teach messages. You have to teach the flock and tend to the flock, minister to where we are. We’ve been in a situation here; things have been going really well. I think we’ve had some of our best months as a fellowship in the moving of the Spirit of God; a true purging in our midst and preparation for the coming of the Lord. Aren’t you glad He’s coming back soon? Amen! "And every man that has that hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure."

We are living in an environment where in the last days iniquity is abounding. Scripture says, "The love of many." He is talking about the church, not the world. They’ve never had a love. The love of many is going to wax cold. Coming down the stretch, the one thing we have to guard, beloved, is "Let no man steal your crown," amen? It’s a day of fighting for our first love and not losing that first love that God has given us. Just that thankfulness for the price paid. While we were yet sinners He loved us and died for us.

God’s been moving in our midst. It’s been a great spiritual refreshing in our midst. Because of that, the devil decided to leave and never bother us again. [Laughter] But unfortunately, we’ve had numerous issues that we found coming home that have occurred in the last week or so. The enemy trying to move in our midst and we shouldn’t be surprised by that. We’re not in any way ignorant of his devices, amen?

There’s a war going on. We’re constantly battling for souls and for the lives of our brothers, sisters, our children, and need to contend, in the process, for the faith. Part of what we’ve had to deal with we’ll be addressing a little bit tonight. I’m going to have to address some in meetings. We’ve already been in numerous meetings and they are going to continue. There are two different things that we’re dealing with, primarily. There’s nothing unique. It’s always basically this subject matter. One is in the area of doctrine, sound doctrine, the need of understanding how God has established His church and the divine order that He’s placed.

Jesus put in His church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, for what purpose? To perfect the saints to do the work of the ministry, so that there could be a mutual edification. We realize that ministries have [arisen] in our midst. He set deacons in the ministry so they could tend to the people. So that the apostles could set themselves apart to prayer and to doctrine, the ministry of the Word of God and the establishing of those. The admonition to know those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord. The fact of Paul establishing very clearly the need for them to know his manner of life. They knew the traditions that he had set before them. So this is part of—and that’s not what I want to get into teaching in depth.

This is the wisdom of God. There is a divine order. In the process of all of that as God has established ministry gifts, ministries emphasize different aspects. We are very careful, as you know, over the years. We’re not quick to separate or divide ourselves in how we would recognize the universal body of Christ. It’s not like the other day. I was in the other room and I heard Greer answer the door. These people were going door-to-door, so you know who that could be, right? It’s either somebody from Calvary Temple or a Jehovah’s Witness. I heard her talking to these people and they said, "You know we are living in a day of affluence. We just wanted to talk to you about what the Bible says about money." I heard that and I stepped up to the door and began to quote Timothy 6 to them and let them know that we had a good understanding of what God said about money. I let them know that the New World Translation they were using is a fraud, and that they are heretics and a cult and that we would really like them to get to know the reality of the lordship of Jesus. They went away.

We’re not talking about that. We are talking about those who name the name of Jesus. Brothers and sisters that are in our midst that don’t believe everything, necessarily, exactly the way we do that are part of the body of Christ. Men that I have great respect for, who are ministers of the gospel, that I don’t see things the way they see it in the Scriptures. That’s why I don’t attend their churches. So that’s the thing that I want to share.

We’ve had those among us, and it’s been going on for awhile, that have tried to bring another doctrine. I’ll address that specifically later. That’s not acceptable. God put me here to lead, to set doctrine. If you believe something else, go start your own church. Let God call you, and understand how the order works. Go somewhere else. But you are not going to try to bring another doctrine in our midst. This is the thing that we’re going to address in just a moment.

But the other thing we are dealing with is not just a doctrinal impurity to where verses are being used, but another gospel based upon a lifestyle. The living as if there is a "gray area." Jesus said, "I would that you’d be hot or cold." We’ve taken a lot of time in these last years to talk about the grace of God and the mercy of God and the longsuffering of God. But we’ve made it very clear, as Paul did by the Holy Spirit, that this grace necessitates good works. So we are going to speak toward that a little bit and address the fact that we cannot allow in any way a lukewarmness, a mediocrity. "I would that you be hot or cold." I want to be as hot as I can get, amen? I am not settling for anything less in my life, or in this pursuit that we have as a community, than the best we can all be for Jesus. So that’s what we are looking for.

I want to address a little bit so that we can understand the spirit of the age that we’re in, and what this doctrine of antichrist is. "Antichrist" is not a denial of Jesus; it’s a lack of submission, a lack of obedience. It’s an opposing and presenting "other than" Christ as an alternative lifestyle. (We hear a lot about alternative lifestyles.) And tragically, Christians think that there’s an alternative lifestyle where there can be "the Savior" without "the Lord." That’s false doctrine and we can’t live accordingly. "If you call me Lord, you will [say it], "keep my commandments, [Praise God!], and they will not be grievous." So we want to talk about a couple of those things.

It’s not going to be a prolonged study. I want to get into that study that the Lord’s been directing us to of walking in the spirit of grace. That’s what the topic’s going to be. It’s going to be a teaching on walking in the spirit by grace, and not a legalistic, works-oriented, but Christ working in us. He works in us to will and do His good pleasure, praise God, lives of obedience. Why? Just because we want to glorify God. Not because we are afraid of going to hell, not because we have reputations to keep, not because we’re going to miss out on blessings, just to honor God. Just because we know who He is in all of His majesty because we’re thankful for the price paid and what He’s done in our lives; the love that He had for us while we were sinners, while we were His enemies He loved us, died for us, reconciled us and will finish the work that He has begun in us. Can you say, "Thank God!" for that? This process is going on.

Let me just share a couple of things with you real quickly and see what we are talking about, the requirements that are necessary. Turn to 1 Corinthians 5. We just want to talk about the need to address this spirit whether it is doctrinal impurity or moral impurities in our midst. We’ve had to deal with a number of isolated cases; you always do over time as years go by, with moral issues in our midst. It’s one of the topics addressed very distinctly in the Scriptures, something that we have to guard ourselves against, this lust of the flesh, "moral" not being just sexuality. We’ve addressed the spirit of covetousness over the last number of years here. We’ve talked about the vanity of the pursuit of things and vain glory and reputations.

We’ve also had to deal with and spend a good amount of time dealing with the guarding of ourselves in this age especially against sexual immorality, the lust of the eyes, the need to make a covenant with our eyes, the need to realize that it’s not good for a man to touch a woman. We talked about touching them physically. We talked about touching their emotions. We’ve talked about giving our hearts away. Being careful to guard ourselves in those areas so we don’t get ourselves out of the order that would put us in a position of taking fire into our bosom and thinking that somehow we’re the exception to being burned, guarding ourselves. But when it does manifest in our midst it has to be addressed.

We are not going to be speaking of any offenses that have occurred here that have to be specifically addressed publicly, so relax a little bit. That’s always a rough time. But things have been dealt with privately, and people who have had to be addressed. Very frankly, lives here in our midst have been scarred and will never be the same until corruption takes on incorruption and they receive a new body and every tear is wiped away. There are consequences to lascivious living, to giving license to this spirit of the age that we’re warring against, winking at it and thinking that somehow we can embrace it and not be burned, that we can live in its midst and not be vexed as righteous Lot was. Are you aware that we are living in Sodom? This is a nasty world that we are living in right now, the society that we are in, this hedonistic society, this lust, insatiable lust for pleasure and the gratification of our members, the gratification of our sensual desires, of our egos. We’ve been called to a kingdom of purity and humility and the need to guard ourselves. The need to realize that sin is not without consequence.

Of course one of the great passages, we just talked on it not long ago, was seen in the life of David. The mercy of God and the ability to forgive as God forgave and the brokenness and the heart cry of Psalm 51 where he cries out "Oh God, create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit in me. Father, please don’t cast me from your presence." I related it before. I don’t know about you. There’s nothing; there’s nothing that strikes greater fear in my heart than to think of that one passage as he cries out, and I know the cry of my own heart, "Take not thy Holy Spirit from me." Can you imagine living without the Holy Spirit in our lives? The knowledge of the lordship of Jesus, that we’re right with our Father.

We’re just right with Father! We know that He loves us always, but to know that I’m right with Him, that my life is pleasing Him. His love for us, many times, is shown in chastisement, isn’t it? There are consequences. The Lord chastens those that He loves. We talked about our hearts of thanksgiving, "For everything give thanks." Are we thankful in the moments of our chastisement? Do you thank God? "Lord, thank you for loving me." Of course it’s grievous for the moment, but in works in us what? The peaceable fruit of righteousness.

God loves us! David, as we realize his life, taking ease instead of being at war. That’s kind of what I want to talk about tonight, that tendency to take ease when we should be at war. "I would that you’d be hot or cold." Now He’s not saying, "I want you to be cold." He’s saying, very clearly, to us in that passage of Scripture, "I only recognize light or darkness." So David, having decided to take a little ease on his own flesh, to kick back, "After all, I’ve been busy about Father’s business. I’ve done some good things. Surely God will recognize all the good things I’ve done for Him. I’m the sweet psalmist of Israel. I’ve sung praises on the back side of the desert. I’ve known the anointing of God. I’m the man after God’s own heart." We know that’s the conclusion, I’m just drawing some conclusions of who he is. "I’m the one who danced before the ark. I’m the one that released the stone that took down the enemies of God. Surely God will take all of this into consideration in my life. This is just a slip, it’s not who I am."

You know the reality of the fact? It’s not who David was, amen? But beloved, look at the progression of, first of all, taking ease, rewarding ourselves, the path of least resistance, the casual look, the lust, the fornication, the murder, and then the judgment of God. There is not a "winking" at sin. The law of sowing and reaping is very real. We all know it in our lives. David falls on his face and begins to cry out to God for mercy, for the sparing of the life of the child, but prior to that it’s very obvious. We can have all of our theology right. We can say all the right things. David made the right judgment when Nathan brought him the example, didn’t he? Isn’t it amazing how we can see it in everybody else’s life? Isn’t it amazing how we can be absolutely horrified by injustice and unrighteousness in everybody else’s life? How clear it is until it’s affecting me. You know the conclusion, really, "Thou art the man. Thou art the man."

In all of our lives we face these particular cycles. We are not always faced with consequences to this magnitude in our lives, but we’ve all known the chastening of the Lord, the love of God. We’ve all wept before Him when we realized we broke the heart of God. We despised and tread beneath our feet the blood of Jesus by our willful sin.

You see, if you’re a Christian, you can’t sin and just blow it off. You can’t sin and just 1 John 1:9, "Well, I confessed my sin and He’s faithful and just to forgive me. Hey, I’m forgiven, man, just back off! That was yesterday’s sin." Of course God forgives us and of course God is merciful. To whom? The repentant. I’m not going to get caught up on this. But true biblical repentance, godly sorrow, it’s the heart of God, not how it has affected men. The heart of God has been broken! We’ve minimized the blood of Jesus in our lives and so casually want to live without consequence.

I am so glad that the handwriting of ordinances against us has been blotted out, that our sins are cast into the sea of forgetfulness behind God’s back, removed as far as the east is from the west. Beloved, that removal is in the final judgment. "My sin is always before me." The pain—there are sins that I’ve committed in my life and consequences that I’ve paid that I’ll live with. Not a day goes by that I don’t say, "I can’t believe that I could have done that to the heart of God."

I’m not talking about getting under condemnation because "There is now therefore no condemnation to those of us that are in Christ Jesus," amen? I’m talking about an awareness of who we are, knowing our own hearts, knowing the capability that we have of bringing a reproach on our holy, merciful, loving Father. You know for me, wounding His heart once is enough, after having come to know the love that He has.

You know, the sins that I have committed in the past of magnitude, in God’s justice, are no greater than the very, what we would label as "very minimal" offenses. How about a momentary anger in traffic? Anybody ever been there? Sin is sin. Guilty of one, guilty of all. It’s just like murder. It’s just like adultery. But there are certain sins that have greater consequences, they go on.

David, crying out to Father, and he’s saying, "Lord, spare the child." We know the story. When the child dies, David rises up and anoints himself and said, "I was just believing. I know God’s heart and He’s so merciful. Perchance He was just going to allow me this joy." But we come to the conclusion that the Lord gives, and the Lord takes, that the judge of all the earth does right. So we rise under the chastening hand of the Lord and bless His name and call Him good, amen?

But there are consequences. The child died and the sword came into David’s home and never departed. How carefully do we need to guard ourselves from the sin in this world and this society? One wrong decision and it will affect you for the rest of your life. I didn’t say you were going to go to hell. I said there’s sowing and reaping. There are consequences. God continued to bless him. God continued to use him. But he always knew, ever before him. Why would we want to put ourselves in a position that could cause that to happen to us or to our children? Let’s stay in the battle. Let’s stay out about Father’s business and not get caught up in the cares, in a society of Christian mediocrity.

So how do we deal with these things? In 1 Corinthians 5, "It’s reported commonly that there’s fornication among you." Now we are seeing here that this is something—it didn’t mean that everybody was committing fornication. It was that this was going on, people knew it, now what’s going to be done about it? "It’s not even named among the gentiles that one should have his father’s wife. But, you’re puffed up. You should be mourning that he that has done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I truly as absent in the body, present in the spirit have judged already as though I were present."

Now, what’s He talking about this person being removed from their midst? It’s very obvious. This is a person that’s not exhibiting, what we know in Corinthians is required, a godly sorrow, that clearing of ourselves, that jealousy for the restoration of the glory of God. The removing of myself from anything that would even appear that I’m doing what I used to do!

But we’re in a spirit where we want to just hang out and say "Hey, what’s the big deal here?" There’s a spirit in our midst and in our society today. Where’s the jealousy to make it so clear that I am absolutely horrified, offended, by my offense of God that I will not associate, be identified, in any way with what caused me to break the heart of God? Where is that spirit? His rebuke to the Corinthians was this. "You guys are just still going on. You’re saying, ‘But look what we’re doing that’s good here! We’re talking in tongues! We’re having miracles! People are being healed! Look at everything we’re doing that’s good. Come on, we’ve got one problem; what’s the big deal?’"

I’ve told you that we’ve got a couple of things that we’re addressing here. I’m talking about three specific, separate situations that we’ve had to deal with in the last week. They all come from this same basic spirit, this same root, of a lack of fear of God. The fear of God, being a jealousy for the glory of God, a one hundred percent stepping back and taking back the ground that was lost, putting on the armor of God. Resist the devil and watch him flee, praise God! What have we given back that we had taken? Not as an accounting system, as David could have done, "God, look at all the things that I did for you," but a motivation of it ever being before me. "You know what? I’ve got a glimpse of my heart. I have finally come to grips with what I am and it scares me. Because of that I will flee the appearance of evil, I will shun…"

The spirit today of self-serving and hedonism and our rights is so strong. As the spirit of antichrist comes in the same way that Lucifer came in the garden; "Oh, has God said? You won’t surely die. Surely this is acceptable. God understands." Paul says, "What’s wrong with you guys? Here’s what you should do [verse 5], deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that, [say it], the spirit might be saved." You administer chastisement, the justice of God, the judgment of God. Carnality says, "Oh, that doesn’t seem fair. Why is it so hard?" Why aren’t we more jealous for God, amen? Not feeling sorry for the poor guy who just got turned over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the—what’s the motive behind all of this? That the spirit might be saved. What are we more interested in?

In one of the situations we’ve just—one of our deacons had to talk to a mother of one of these people. Her heart is broken. The natural compassion for a child is tough. That’s all understandable and a great empathy with that. But a jealousy for the holiness of God and the glory of God, because it’s not about the momentary ease of the loved one that we might have, it’s that the spirit might be saved, amen? That’s our motivation. That’s the jealousy that we have.

We’ve had to address this situation. I’m going to have to share the individual’s name at the end of the service so that you’ll know exactly the judgment that’s been made and where we are at this particular time. See that the whole motive is for the salvation of the soul. Feelings got hurt? Maybe. "I don’t understand it all." We spent a long time a few services ago talking about the fact that we’re not always going to understand what God is doing. But if we apply the Word it’s going to come out right, amen? Because God’s good, God’s just, God’s wise.

You see, we’re told how to respond to these situations. We’ve got a map. We’ve got a rule book that we apply and there are no exceptions. We’ve had to apply the Word of God in this young man’s life, very merciful. He was propagating false doctrine as it pertains to eschatology. There’s a "different" understanding of the Scriptures and there’s a false doctrine. See, some people will believe differently but its not false doctrine. False doctrine, as we were sharing with you on the teaching of eschatology, has to do with how we "see" the Scriptures. When you begin to apply the Scriptures allegorically—this is not an allegory! "Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost," amen? This thing is God-breathed. This is a literal statement that uses allegory and typology that are very clearly represented and understood. That’s when it becomes error. That’s when it becomes false doctrine.

There was an address, the person then comes back and begins to propagate some more things. Pastor Jeff went to him and said "Look, we told you—[this is a novice thinking of himself more highly than he ought to think]—we told you, ‘Sit down, be quiet, and learn.’ Don’t slip through the cracks. You know that I wasn’t just saying ‘eschatology.’" So another thing comes. So you give them some grace, right? You reprove them again and you give them instruction. Then it happens the third time.

It pertains to confusion among some of our young adults and our youth. My job as the shepherd, Pastor Jon was teaching on it the other night. I was listening to him. (See, when these guys are teaching, I’m on the Internet, I’m listening. He did such a good job; I might have to give him a raise.) He was teaching on "The Lord Our Shepherd." The Chief Shepherd who leads all of our lives and His undershepherds all represent Him in the same way. We don’t only carry a staff, we have a rod. The sheep and the lambs are to be protected from the predators, doctrinal predators and moral predators. The Scripture makes it clear it’s not to be once named among us; amen? Now it occurs, but it can’t occur and not be addressed. That’s what Paul is speaking toward here, our need to deal with these things.

So he says, "Turn them over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh so that the spirit might be saved." He goes down in this fifth chapter, read down a couple of verses, and look what it goes on to say. He’s talking about this problem. He wants to expand it and say, "We’re not talking just to the uniqueness of this particular sin." He said, "I want to show you that we are not talking about just sexual immorality. I’m talking about the spirit of living separate from the lordship of Jesus, of bringing impurity, defilement, deluding and leaven into the body of Christ. Here is how I want you to address this. I wrote you in the epistle [verse 9], not to company with fornicators. I’m not talking about the fornicators of the world."

We’ve talked about this before. We don’t go jump up on the desk at work and rebuke people for partying and committing fornication. They’re doing what they’re supposed to do. They’re of their father, the devil, and so whatever life it is that they’re living and whatever vice it is that they embrace—some people are very, very pure sexually in their lives, but they cheat on their income taxes! They will rob you blind in a business deal. They’re liars, they’re covetous, they’re fearful, they’re envious, they’re harboring bitterness, they’re slothful. Sin is sin!

He goes on and says, "I’ve told you not to fellowship or company with fornicators. I’m not talking about the world. I’m talking about the church, the people that are in your midst that say they’re of the same vision, the same heart, that they embrace the same doctrine, but they’re living by their own standards." What am I saying? You can’t live by a different standard than is set for the community and be a part of it. If you have a different standard, go find the people that believe like you do. But we don’t believe in mediocrity. We believe in holiness and in purity of pursuit and in striving, "Pressing toward the mark, the prize, the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Do we fall short? Of course! All of us do! But what happens? We get up seven times. We don’t despise those that are bringing reproof and instruction to righteousness. We embrace them and say, "Thank you, praise God!" We are going in the same direction you are and two are better than one, amen? That’s why we need each other to pursue the common goal of Christlikeness and holiness.

He goes on and says in verse 11, look at it, "I’ve written unto you not to company—if any man that is called a brother." Now see, there’s the clincher. Anybody that says, "I am a Christian," anybody that says, "I’m part of the household of faith. I am a believer," you put a target on your chest! Not only is Satan going to resist you and try to destroy you, but now you’ve invited all other believers to be iron, sharpening you in your life. We’re no longer seeking our own but we’re seeking the good of those that are around us. We are living for others and not ourselves. That’s what Christians are, that’s what we do. We prefer others.

Paul, addressing this says, "Listen to me very clearly. If you’re going to call yourself part of the community, you can’t be a fornicator, either sexually or doctrinally." We’ve talked about that a lot in the past. There is as much said about spiritual adultery and fornication as there is about physical. "Those among us that say they are part of us, Christians, brothers, and they are covetous, idolaters, railers, [that just means speaking defamation of others and bringing reproach to the Word of God], drunkards, extortioners, with such a one do not eat. Now those that are on the outside, leave them alone! But those that are within, [What are we supposed to do, verse 12? What’s it say?] They that are without God judges, therefore [the one who doesn’t receive the judgment, the reproof, the rebuke, the instruction, the repentance, the turning away from, the despising, as David did, the horror of the revelation of our hearts], then put away from among you that wicked person."

So we begin to see the "commonness," the community of the church. We need to begin to make distinctions as to what kingdom we’re of, as well as what community. From the doctrinal perspective—I’ve taken more time than I planned on in this particular part. But let me give you a couple of things for your notes. That has to do with the moral aspect of our lives, our behavior, and our real ideologies. You see the problem is many of our ideologies, many of our lives, are not lived in conjunction with our doctrine. That makes us what? Hypocrites. "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisee." The guy that can quote the Word, speak the Word, recite it back, be in agreement with you on everything from evangelism to tithing. "They go across the seas to make converts and are two-fold. They won’t go in, and don’t allow others in. Living lives other than those that are commendable, submitted to Jesus, and become stumbling stones, make them two-fold the children of hell they are," moral and doctrinal. Matthew 7, verse 15, of course we’re all very familiar with this. He says, "Beware of false prophets." Be very clear that you don’t get caught up in doctrine that’s contrary to the common faith. I’ll give you a "for instance." Hold onto that and go over to Titus with me for just a moment.

In Titus 3:10—this is why, for the next thirty days, at least, you’re not going to company with this individual because he’s been seen as a heretic in our midst. The greatest heresy is this: not the fact that there are questions asked. We should all be as noble as the Bereans, amen? We want to search the Scriptures and find out if these things are so, praise God! But the straining at gnats and swallowing camels, of taking different, very, very obscure—and the irony, and I’ll just share this with you very clearly. The irony of so many of these novices and young people—there is another individual that we are going to have to address but we can’t now because they’re not here—the problem with novices and the thinking of themselves more highly than they ought to think is very interesting. You will strain at gnats and swallow camels, deal with all these obscure things, and think that you have unique thoughts. "I found something in the Scriptures!" It’s been there for two thousand years, people have been arguing these things.

But you want to know something you can’t argue? "Obey your mother and father," amen? You want me to give you something you can’t argue? "Obey those that have the rule over you." Is there any debate on that? You’ll find that most of these heretics want to propagate the mystical, the obscure. The common denominator is the obvious is not lived in their lives, the commonness of the edification of the whole, the community, the pursuit of others instead of self.

So Paul, when he’s writing here in Titus, makes this kind of a comment. It’s very interesting. Look at the context of it, if you would. Go to Titus, the second chapter. He says, "The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, godly in this present world, looking for the blessed hope. The glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from sin and purify unto Himself a peculiar people zealous of good works. These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority and don’t let anybody despise you." Then he goes on and says, "Here’s what I want you, as believers, to do. Don’t speak evil of the dignities and don’t be brawlers. Don’t be causing trouble. Be gentle, be meek unto all men," he starts the third chapter off. "It’s after the kindness and love of our God and Savior that has brought to us the understanding of God’s free gift of redemption. It’s not by works of righteousness which we’ve done, but according to His mercy He saved us by the washing of regeneration, the renewing of the Holy Ghost."

We are a people justified by grace, not by works. "We are heirs of the hope of eternal life and this is a faithful saying. These things I will that you affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works that are profitable to all." Now we are talking about order. We’re talking about morality. Now look what we are talking about: our doctrine. "Avoid foolish questions, genealogies." We’ve taught on this before. I won’t go into it right now. But this setting apart of ourselves, trying to become special because of our genealogical association back to Moses or whoever it might be. Or trying to find our Levitical place of the priesthood, that makes us unique and that makes us special and spiritual. He says, "Avoid the foolishness of the obscure. Stop trying to promote yourself in the pursuit of genealogy. Don’t be involved in contentions and striving about the law."

The comment was made by those involved in this situation—we always use the exaggeration don’t we?—"I cannot find anybody at Calvary Temple that will discuss the Bible with me!" What they’re saying is, "I can’t find anybody that will waste their time dealing with foolish and unlearned questions and hours and hours about straining at gnats and swallowing camels. All I get is people saying, ‘That’s not right. The Bible says...’" We are not to sit around and argue and contend over theology. We are to edify one another, not with the obscure, but with very obvious truths of the Bible like, "Why don’t we love one another," amen? "Why don’t we prefer others better than ourselves? Why don’t we bear one another’s burdens? Why don’t you obey your mother and father?" So we see, then, that the common denominator of these heretics is they want to dispute, debate, and argue.

Paul wasn’t arguing! He made it very clear to Titus to set this thing in order. Put a stop to all of this so that there wouldn’t be confusion. "Foolish and unlearned questions, avoid. Knock off all the contentions and strivings about the law, for they are unprofitable and vain. A man that is a heretic..." Now what is a heretic? A heretic is a self-willed individual who causes division by personal doctrine, private, unique, different than the fellowship as a whole, of what God has worked and established in His order of placing apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Someone that thinks they know better. Someone that’s got great revelation beyond who God choose, appointing self as the expert.

"A man that is a heretic after the first and second admonition reject." The word "reject" means avoid, shun and refuse to entertain them. "Knowing that he that is such is subverted," that just means overthrown. Satan has taken them captive at his will, as the Scripture teaches us in the Pastoral Epistles, Paul, speaking to Timothy. "Satan has taken you captive. You are just prey. When you get out there on your own, you’re going to be destroyed. There is no new thing under the sun." These things have been argued for two thousand years." You know what? Basically what he’s saying is, "You’re not going to solve it! And that’s why I’m not… If they haven’t solved this thing in two thousand years I’m not going to figure out all these hard questions." We have everything given to us clearly that pertains to life and godliness in Christ Jesus, amen? "The foolish and unlearned things, just avoid them," he says, don’t get caught up in these things. They’re subverted; they’re overthrown by Satan, and sinneth, being [what’s it say?], condemned of themselves." They brought their own judgment, their own condemnation.

So it’s a very scary thing to be found in those particular areas. "Beware of false prophets. Reject the heretic." Second John 10 says, "Do not bid god speed to those that are involved in another doctrine that’s not of the common belief in your midst." You see, there can be another doctrine. The guys down the road, they can be Christians. What they’re doing and their application may not be exactly what we’re doing, but we don’t go in there and try to set them right. They’re following what the Spirit of God is leading them to do. He’s talking about allowing the spirit to bring division, and confusion, and disorder. That’s not acceptable. So he says, "Don’t bid god speed to these people. Don’t receive such a one." It’s very clear that doctrine is an issue.

Does that mean that everyone here has to believe to every jot and tittle the same, exact way? That’s impossible! We’re all at different stages of spiritual growth. We can’t all see and comprehend the same things. So what do we do? We’re patient. The strong bear the infirmities of the weak. We’re not quick to judge those in our midst. We recognize that there is divine order and authority that deals with disorder and sin. It’s not up to us. It’s not up to me to run around and set everybody straight. But I do speak to the things that are commonly known among us and practiced, and the standards that are here. That’s the responsibility that we have. When you get to the place that all of this in your thinking and understanding gets to where it’s not just a small thing here or there, but it’s totally contrary, then you get to go away! But you never promote it and bring confusion and accusation because we know who the accuser of the brethren is.

So we need to guard ourselves against this spirit. Part of that is this day that we’re living in, this spirit of independence. "Everybody’s equal! We all have the same say. We all have our rights." Beloved, that’s in the world’s kingdom, not in God’s kingdom. The children don’t have the same say in the house as mom, like the world does. Mom doesn’t have the same say in the house as dad does; that’s the world’s kingdom. Which kingdom are we of? What are we pursuing? What are we promoting as a people?

You see, in these things of family order, people look at us in this fellowship and they think we’re whacked! If you believe differently than that then you shouldn’t be here because that’s our doctrine. That’s what we believe. We believe that the head of the woman is the man. We believe that children are to honor their father and mother in the Lord, and that’s the common faith. To set other doctrine and other standards is unacceptable. It’s disorderly, and it will be addressed and dealt with.

Beloved, whether it’s in our daily lives, our pursuits, our treasures, the more common we become, the greater our spiritual strength and the more the Spirit of God is going to be able to move in our midst. We were seeing a great move of God in our midst about six weeks ago. I want to tell you something, our commonness is breaking down in some areas. I would encourage each one of us to look at our own heart and say, "Where am I in the pursuit of the glory of God, the kingdom of God, the eternal treasures, and the personal preparation of my life?"

Don’t worry about anyone else! All you need to do to bring commonness—all you need to do is take care of you because the doctrine is the same for all of us. If we’re all taking care of our lives and preparing ourselves for the coming of the Lord Jesus, there will be the unity and the commonness that the Spirit of God needs for us to see the miracles that we need to stand in this day. To see some of the people among us who are hurting, and not only hurting, lives, literally, lives in the balance, that we need to be in prayer for and intercession. Taking up spiritual weapons and setting out against the enemy. Children who are being seduced by the world’s system and enticed by all of the glamour of the world. We need to stand in the gap and tell them, "You’re not like the world. You’re not going to live that way in this community. There is no mingled seed, a jealousy for the glory of God.

Father, make it real. Cause our hearts to be challenged, a jealousy for the common faith, one God, one Lord, one baptism. Not winking at any of the offences around us, but speaking the truth in love that we might be edified. We pray for Your glory. We pray for Your visitation. We ask You for illumination, not for somebody else, Father, for me. Don’t ever allow me to forget what manner of man I am! Never let me forget that though I am the chief of sinners, you can make me into Your image. For that I say, "Thank you, Father," in Jesus’ name, amen.

Before you go, turn to somebody next to you and say, "We’re contending for the faith!"

Praise God! Amen! Go in peace. God’s love go with you.

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