Spiritual Influences (Part C)

Approval of the world is not our standard for spiritual truth is the Bible. If you want the world's approval. Then don't uphold Scripture don't preach if you want God's approval. Then you stick to the word you preach the word in season and out of season you convicted and rebuke, and exhort with all long-suffering and teaching. This is our way this is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of first John, please stay with us after today's message here. More information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. Today we continue our trek through the book of first John chapter 4 with Pastor Rick is study today's called spiritual influences. John says I was there that says know what happened. So the decision is up to the individual who is going to believe John the apostle, or these Johnny-come-lately.

Now we been over that going through this letter of John's to the church, but there's no setting denial.

Christ was not born of the virgin see this is a big problem to this more to Christmas then more. There's more to the birth of Christ in Christmas, taking the going to take a chance to beat up on Christmas is not my my purpose I can do it later if you'd like, but not right now. If you deny the virgin birth and you saying the prophets of the Old Testament and the apostles of the New Testament. A raw the liars or their incompetent and therefore all of God's word is now destabilized and untrustworthy in the mind of the one who falls for that and this is why many of those who are the intelligent ones. The liberal theologians have come along and said the virgin birth did not happen. John is dealing with it with these gnostics.

They were a menace in the first church and they were determined to bring to their side as many as they could. And you know when God told the Jews. I don't want you getting familiar with those for God's because a form of familiarity breeds sympathy, sometimes contempt, sometimes sympathy and that sympathy brings familiarity by necktie tolerance and acceptance, and the next thing you know you're with them and we watched it in the universe is almost all the seminaries are compromised almost every single seminary, if not all of them in this country can forget about Europe have on their staff, professors teaching young men coming to learn so that they can enter pulpits and teach the word of God. The professors do not believe that the word of God is infallible, not every single professor, but that you got one and you know about it is way too much and that's what's going on and that's what we seen so many pastors now coming out of seminary entering pulpits and teaching lies in teaching heresies and making everybody feel that their loved while doing it.

How do you do that how do I love you by attacking God's word and saying it's not true. This Satan did this to Eve and we should be aware of these things are not tolerant of them.

When a loved ones are family members may side with them. We are not supposed to give in, not an inch and so the net result again. Is this insidious teaching that the virgin birth was a lie.

When Jesus said what do you think about the Christ, whose son is he see the gnostics at Dulles and listen to us, not the apostles listen to us.

Mark's gospel speaking of the man Jesus gave his eyesight to when he heard that it was Jesus of Madras. He began to cry out and say Jesus son of David, have mercy on me. There was a birth it was according to the prophets. It was foretold, it was predicted by God. And it happened, and yet these folks were determined to tell others that it did not happen and that part you can say okay I get that part. The part I don't get is that people will be leaving them. How do you choose these guys over the over the apostle John, would that maybe this is why God let John live so long, basic move of Satan, but real and very serious, and the day has come when we have apostate assemblies more and more calling themselves Christians with Christ left out another prophetic word of Scripture we know. When Jesus said to the church at Laodicea unit C of the word. The word means the people's church, not the Lord's church the people's church, they vote on everything over that place and the people to like it that it doesn't happen. And so Jesus says to that church. Behold, I stand at the door and knock exam on the outside edge and be inside but you locked me out and that's an illustration of these assemblies that are calling themselves Christians with Christ locked out ordaining perverts to lead flocks discarding with the Scripture clearly teaches about everything they don't like. So as I mentioned, familiarity with Antichrist breeds that sympathy that we don't need to have their other sympathies we can invest ourselves in that are meaningful this thing. One of them in the menace of secular the secularized nation of Christianity, one of the great menaces is rationalistic thought this newfound influence to slow it used to be a slow, secularized nation.

What I will do for those of you men not familiar with the word secular. It's of the world worldly influence, not scriptural, contradictory to Scripture. Many many most of the times and this secularized nation of the church is no longer slow Internet is spend this up for us is happening everywhere like a percolator, a coffee pot more and more it's becoming difficult to find a church that just simply stands up and says we believe in all of the Scripture. And I'm telling you, if I were visiting the church and they didn't believe it.

I would stop visiting it instantly. I hope I would do so in the heads of many lies remain unchecked and unchallenged, and what happens when a lie remains unchecked and unchecked saving of poison ivy.

Whatever the vigil even though it takes over its invasive by nature and is not enough is certainly not advised to grab hold of it and pull it out. You gotta know what you're doing is going to get it.

I learned that the hard way.

I have been in the pulpit were poison ivy because I'm a professional. You've never noticed it, but inside I was going all you thought I was making points. She's being emphatic anyway. Too much information. The I'm sorry. So we have produce new kinds of assemblies.

These false this false Christianity and for many, many Christians because the lies are being challenged. They sort of just concentrate on things that are pleasant friends and family has now become more important than doctrine in place. My family what you have for my teams about the book of John Mike and get that at home yet pizza and what I will always get what I need hours of babysitting I don't want them to come and learn the truth. They Mike? Lifestyle choosing the Churchill example Christianity without truth without Scripture without genuine worship without God without Jesus Christ more interested in social approval than pleasing God. And so Paul said now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and the doctrines of demons because there's influence spiritual influence and you better pick up on it when it's happening to preach the wrong Jesus is to not preach Christ at all, but some hell born rendering in order rendering is false representation in this case, verse three and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God. And this is a spirit of antichrist, which you have heard was coming and is now already in the world. Doctrinal fact is what he's getting to now as I'm standing here talking about these things, thinking about all the Satan is getting away with in churches I have to guard my own spirit that I don't get self-righteous, get the Eliza complex. I'm the only one to discharge the other one is about the need about is true but not smart.

But we have to guard against that because Satan is a master at adapting to our response. You think he's retreating will, he may be so that he can regroup and attack again and so if if you say yeah I know over churches doing this. I hate wealth. Of course that's not what we're promoting. We don't want that response we want strong disdain for the tactics of the enemy, but we've got to still remember their real people being subjected to this nonsense and the only way were going to reach them is to genuinely care to care enough you know II believe you really can't pray long term for someone in or something unless you care in this. You genuinely invested in the fight and to do that you going to have to have love because love listeners won't do that event that I can say is stay attached to something but lovely. Gotta work at the prayer for instant spread takes work. If it didn't, we would doubt Sunday morning prayer would be lonely.

Would people. Prayer is hard work, especially when you don't see the results. Well, we gotta stick with this and every spirit does not verse three confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God. And so there it is again. In contrast to the previous verse. Believers believe he is come visit these gnostics they were denying the virgin birth.

Of course, in which was shutting down all the other Scripture though if you don't care for that you like to change because now they become the authority on what is God and what is not, not the apostles who words assigned this duty to the church so you still hammering their influence and infiltration and were glad there are some who do not deny the virgin birth, and yet they are anti-Bible. Nonetheless, these are headquartered in the Vatican.

They tell you they believe in the virgin birth, but you better not open that Bible up. That's for them to do or not to do so. Satan, of course, has a flavor for everyone.

How can anyone claim to be a child of God and remain in spiritual fellowship with someone who denies the virgin birth. I don't know how to do that if you're telling me I'm a Christian. I love Jesus Christ but I don't believe in the virgin birth, and I'm going to say back to you then. I don't know what Jesus Christ you believing in good but I do know it ain't the one I believe in from the Bible and that's what John is saying just to say they deny that is come in the flesh have nothing to do with these people. The spirit of antichrist.

Second Timothy chapter 4 Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words. Paula say where the apostles and is pleased shutting us out.

You think Paul is saying, but keep going to church with him. He is really not a bad guy sometimes when he makes just a wonderful turkey casserole. Sorry so I sometimes one of those kind of thoughts to spiritually influence from the heavens telling me to try this one and and then laughing for anyway. Paul's point was Alexander. He did wrong to Christians because of doctrinal thing and Paula say you watch that guy.

He is not a friend is a foe.

I've turned them over to the Lord to get serious about these people and we are to be serious to and so continuing. Here in verse three says that this is a spirit of antichrist and antichrist is always satanically energized, there are different degrees of course there is them will come to the. The actual person who will be the consummate antichrist, however long before the coming of the Lord.

We are to be focused on saving souls. God may send the rapture before he sends revival there will be a revival after the rapture you if you want to say: a revival. Technically it's not, but there will be this great movement of's of the salvation of souls after the rapture, tribulation saints, but what about now before the rapture of the church. The delay is so that we can share the gospel that we can win souls. That's what the delay is all about know I had 120 years delay so that he could preach, and I believe that there were those who were converted in Noah's day. They may have died before the flood very, very possible, why, why would I not believe that but may we crave converse more than escape. May we understand that this is our role, but there is a personal antichrist coming is evident from the old and New Testament.

Second Timothy.

Paul says this, but no one deceive you by any means for the day will not come unless the falling away comes first, the falling away as the apostasy of the word in the Greek the apostasy of the church. The apostate church will degrees into the great tribulation age, the true church will be gone and that he continues he says the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition. That is the antichrist. He will be again the greatest anti-Christian anti-Jew, the world has ever seen and not only will antichrist be revealed and be accepted and enjoyed. He will be cherished by the world. We are witnessing right now probably for the first time since I guess the Reformation this global anti-Christian, anti-Jewish behavior. It is global. Again, the Internet is bringing that about at a rapid pace. The Christ hating culture is, you know, we don't see it too much work. We are kinda removed and somewhat suburban environment would go to the cities and you'll see it it up.

It'd be in your face and it is a it is here and we should be very mindful of this. He says what you have heard was coming and is now already in the world. The satanic influence here. He says the spirit of antichrist has been predicted and that the spirit of antichrist is present, the figure himself is not yet revealed to this day. So Satan's influence is so serious that he took 1/3 of the heavenly host with him is pretty big stuff you and I can do that nobody else can do that. Second Corinthians chapter 4. Speaking of Satan is the god of this world. He says who's mind, the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. If someone were to say to you what you what you hear for what you and what you living for what your life why you even alive. What is your answer. Well my earlier days. One of my goals in life was to eat as many twisters as I could eat but I've satisfied that Mr. Tripoli guy anymore, but of course the answer is for Christian is to save souls and to be part of keeping us fit to save souls.

It's a group effort. Verse four. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them because he was in you is greater than he was in the world, the supremacy of Christ. Now John gets to, as illustrated again with the snow surface being gobbled up by by the serpents of Aaron Aaron's rod and don't may we not forget that we are the children of God we have overcome the influence of the devil, that's what he is saying you have overcome them, that the influence of the world which is engineered by of course the enemy sometime Satan appears to be invincible. God says he is not my purposes are in it, and do you need to work through it the year ago.

Deuteronomy 2929 the mysteries of God. There are those mysteries of God that on for us, and there are others for us to find out God is bigger than the world's devil made religions regardless of whatever name they're called by of course to us all of them are every single one of them comes out of help first really is 1020. Rather, the things that the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.

Going back again to being separate from those who preach that the Bible and in spiritual fellowship memo get me wrong, you may have a coworker and doesn't believe any of this stuff and that's one thing it's another thing to sit down and pray with somebody and let them pray to donate. They don't share these essential doctrines he says because he was in you is greater than he was in the world. Greater stronger better is God can't stay long on this kind of reverse. You don't have to. You read it you got it you don't need a pacifist, and now this means you know what it means. I will illustrated from the Scripture and King Hezekiah's day when the people were faced with the Assyrian invasion which is serious stuff.

Here's the preaching at that moment, for there are more with us than with him, with him is the is an arm of flesh, but with us Yahweh our God to help us fight our battles and the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah that second Chronicles 32 verses seven and eight. I have my Stephen speech ready and am still working on it.

Should the day come when we don't have a Donald Trump in the White House to protect help protect our rights and they want to march in here and arrest or more to us. I have my speech ready. Stephen is given as the template for that. Stephen never saw the stones as they were stoning him is too busy preaching. He was too busy interceding. He was too busy being like Christ in the face of death, who hated Christ. Romans eight says the same verse were almost out of time and all speed up because we are going to have to finish verse six.

I hope you can make it.

Romans eight to go along with who shall separate us. Partly that's diverse Marine but greater is he who is in you than he was in the world and the world. He was in the world is Satan. His influence who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation, under stress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword. Stephen said no.

Then I can separate me, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Beautiful words from God to us. Verse five they are of the world. Therefore they speak of. As of the world and the world hears them. Well here's the consequence world hears them. There are those people that are energized by Satan directly.

They are the devil's children and then there are those that are just pretty much those of an unregenerate un-regenerated Christlike nature. That's the word I want unregenerate and unborn again. They just have a natural way about them that is lost and not do not say, but God through Christ because he threatens he threatens the policies of the pleasures and the philosophies of the world. We are hated for that because he does this through us.

Christ influences humanity not only through direct action of the Holy Spirit, but through the Holy Spirit influencing his people, and this is something that we rejoice in the world applauds Kane hates that's Abel brought a blood sacrifice. They think it's disgusting.

The cross is that blood sacrifice we preach Christ crucified to the Jewish stumbling block to the Greek foolishness.

While I have so much here that I would like to say verse six we are of God, he who knows God hears us. He who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth in the spirit of their means to say that Jesus gave the apostles the authority to teach his doctrines above all other human beings. John 1720. I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in me. There the approval of the world is not our standard for spiritual truth is the Bible. If you want the world approval then don't uphold Scripture don't preach it. If you want God's approval. Then you stick to the word you preach the word in season and out of season you convict you rebuke and exhort with all long-suffering and teaching.

This is our way and these these things remain. We have to make a choice we have to choose sides going to serve the Lord or not. By this we know the spirit of truth in the spirit of error. The unseen influences of God or the unseen influences of error about God. They are visible to those who are watching a close with this our spiritual influence must be through the authority of Scripture alone and we should be very satisfied. Those were not satisfied with that restless and reckless students word of God.

It is sufficient.

Thanks for tuning in to cross reference rate cross reference is a ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia. If you'd like to learn more about this ministry, we invite you to visit our website cross reference radio.com find a number of teachings from Pastor Rick available there.

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