Witness Tampering (Part B)

Right spirit is to do what the witness does assemble worship and pray encourage you to the word preach Christ every chance we get, and the world is not like that. Too bad style message that's Christianity, not intending to be rude, but because Satan has blinded them and they opt to do nothing about that blindness.

They are guilty. 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 Mark, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching today. Pastor Rick will continue his study called, witness tampering in Mark chapter 9 all worn in acts chapter 20 in verse 29. One of the great passages of Scripture is on his way to Jerusalem to be persecuted for Christ and his warning that the believers who work so hard to develop to disciple is just for I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.

Then he says this also from among yourselves from the church that you attend after I'm not here to stand guard on your behalf because all of course was given to the church, he himself has given some to be. He goes on to say, and from among yourselves, men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves messing with the witnesses.

How do you know how do you draw away from Christ. To me, my ministry John the apostle, he orders this to the church as his beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. While the apostles were still living who were dealing with these people.

So there we see them upholding Scripture the right way to the flock. Appealing to their faith saying to those who attended their churches. I know you got problems which you also have a mission and you're supposed to do them both at the same time one is not supposed to stop because of your mission impossible to stop because you got problems in your life you're still called to be a loving you still called to tell what you've seen in Jesus Christ.

So again, this is not a prohibition against validating ministry, but instructions against having the wrong spirit.

Go unchecked continues in verse 44 he who is not against us is on our side is very basic but we need to hear it come from the mouth of Christ, the impossibility of neutrality. You can't be neutral with Christ loud ill you know he's all right. He is one of the prophets, you know there are others to your other with him and against anybody else's who claims to be equal with him or your you're not. Jesus said this himself. He was not with me is against me and he who does not gather with me scatters abroad each individual should be saying to themselves what is that mean gathering with Christ because I'm not. Gathering with Christ. Am I guilty of making a mess of things, scattering abroad man is in no sense against Christ and his word is for him, someone begins to disagree with him. I'll think that's right it was wrong and he really doesn't believe the Lord warned in Matthew chapter 7. Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my father in heaven.

So when he makes these claims, Christ does.

As we look back again at verse 39 do not forbid him. For no one who works a miracle in my name can soon afterwards speak evil of me or he who verse 40 is not against us is on our side and then couple that with Matthew seven. Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my father in heaven. It's all tied in all connected New Testament is inseparably click connected to the Old Testament and vice a versa.

We love that it is so so we get the verse 41 continues.

He says forever per apartment for whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ. Surely, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward is pretty powerful and that he saying is he said someone is tis is ministering to you being kind to you blessing you because of me is pretty powerful. Imagine if I said that while somebody does a favor for you because of me, then you know they will lose their reward in heaven may be lesser elements of truth and that for us not in the absolute as it is here with Christ and what is this because you belong to Christ heart after God hardened the heart that is interested in God what he has to say no matter what that Daniel McDaniel open the care what the world is saying I don't care what they going to do to me. I have this personal relationship with Yahweh and I'm going to maintain this personal relationship with Yahweh, and if they throw me to the lions. I will probably be eaten what it will be a meal. Someone with a personal relationship with Yahweh and the lions will love it course that didn't happen. God protected him.

We read these things in the Bible we love them were drawn to them until it's our turn to face pressure you know verses like this. He is God is not given us a spirit of fear, how many Christians do not hesitate to be afraid, but of love.

How many do not look to love and of a sound mind. How many don't.

How many conduct themselves as though they lost their mind. These are questions that we cannot just ignore verse 41 again because you belong to Christ, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. First Corinthians chapter 15 for I delivered to you. First of all that which I also received that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures that Paul is saying is the Scriptures that validated all take that away. You got some serious questions.

He continues Paul does and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures something as incredible as the resurrection. Paul says it's gotta be connected to God.

It's got to be part of his program.

Otherwise you run the risk of "being in Deuteronomy 13 God says you going to have people to do some extraordinary things, but of that leading you away from me, you being tested and it is the devil is doing the testing.

We want to find out what happens after that. James says this if you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scriptures, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. You do well.

So get my point. These men were witnesses of Jesus Christ and his life. They were witnesses of Scripture as we are because they believed in Christ is saying, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward for adhering to the things of the Messiah of the Christ as rewards afterlife taking care of the servants of Christ. That's with this verse 41 is saying. For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ to Shirley I did you. You will by no means loses rewards Inchon might be saying wait a minute I think of that guy cup of cold water. I was about to give them a knuckle sandwich but Christ now addresses it. John says and incidentally this is the only time in the synoptic Gospels Matthew Mark and Luke we hear the voice of John Justice. Side note, give course of gospel John changes the verse 42 continues along with all of this is connected. This entire passage section that would considering that we just stood and read is all connected together. None of it is fragmented. All of it has is it started off with their self seeking, and it's just developed around that verse 42, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. So he's going back to the lesson that John interrupted with his Lord of since you mentioned this whole thing about striving Avenue we we found somebody Chino and and now now Christ is returning back to what he was saying before, John had the made the Lord aware of what they had said to the person who was casting out demons and so Christ goes back to the innocence, but whoever causes one of these little ones interest picture not only innocence but harmlessness very severe.

When we consider as we move forward the defenseless hostilities today are hurled at believers, largely because we follow Christ and not them we care nothing for their policies that violate God's word. For example, the murder of the unborn. They don't care about the innocent unborn how you don't get any more innocent as a human being and harmless as the unborn. They don't care for the unborn is not going to care for me and not even going to care well for each other and so I should not be surprised that I meet with those who were confrontational because the gospel comes along and says no this is the gospel basically you're going to hell for your behavior but the good news is you don't have to go what is offensive about the part about the gotta change my lifestyle to line up with Jesus Christ and they don't believe it because they want to do what they do.

Once you wound their petty feelings you make an enemy out of people in the world who are passionate about doing the things that Christ forbids all right except that again in these days we live and we never thought well I don't know about never but persecution does seem to be ramping up one of the just come and arrest me and get it over with because apart from his sisters wants to charge him. No, not wait for it arteritis provoke this thing. But that's not the right spirit, right spirit is to do what the witness does we assemble, we worship, we pray, encourage each other. You hear the word we preach Christ every chance we get, and the world is not like that. This, too bad that style message that's Christianity, not intending to be rude but because Satan has blinded them and they opt to do nothing about that blindness. They are guilty. Jesus said it this way in John nine Jesus said to them, if you were blind, you would have no sin. Now you say we see therefore your sin remains point is, once you we have the gospel and once we share in their guilt is on them or the opportunity to be saved.

John chapter 15 if I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin, because he has spoken. We deliver the word we take these moments of Christ dealing with unbelievers in his time and apply them to us dealing with unbelievers in our time is so hard so difficult to get someone to see the light and anything you no matter how many screwball things they do, how much they make a ruling of themselves. You just to listen is just one step towards Christ change all of this for you instead of doing that. They vilified us first. John, if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. What is that mean the truth is not in me. What is the consequence of not having the truth then me as I become a liar. I become a liar before the God of creation build up before the throne of God become someone who is dishonest in the presence of God. What is he supposed to do it that what is a pure gospel do it. Someone refuses the evidences is laid before them. We surprised about the fraudulent funeral hysteria that has blanketed the planet for the first time since Babel, the entire planet has been forced to lockstep is no way you can go someone is not looking for you to wear a mask. Nowhere on earth. They do this you wait till the chip comes readily and I grace as you know what now you going to get the chip and if you don't not going to be just denying you service kill you. We see it happening right in front of our eyes to this day, what are we supposed to do stand firm preach the word in season and we had nothing else to give the world worth giving them then got everything else those destroyers darken the halls of learning those professors and this is interesting thing you can't miss that the universities are spewing out anti-Christianity anti-Scriptures and yet their Christian running to their defense. Why you picking on them final pick on you defend them like that will be picking on you, be dealing with you the sit in the seat of the scornful. How many Christians that many children will grow up in Christian homes go often universities just to become unbelievers because of their professors.

People who they look to learn things from learn how to sit in the seat of the scornful. Same with the seminaries. Almost all seminaries are corrupt. If you asked me name one that's not. I couldn't do it is gotta be one out there somewhere is always a remnant with the Lord. Then they send out their disciples to the workplace to challenge those who dare say I don't believe in those things that disagree with the Lord Jesus Christ.

God says if you mess with the little child's faith. It'd be better if someone tied a transmission around your neck enter you into the sea to be better. Someone tied a washing machine around your neck and through you into the ocean you ceasing listen let me tell you something want to mess with the fate of the innocent.

Whether the little children or adults. If you mess with their faith is not going to go well for you. You will drown in judgment and so he's laying this language out to them that you can never forget. And yet there are people still doing this they know this person, they still mess with the faith of the innocent.

So again, how many university professors, especially them signed up for this particular judgment how many parents have signed up for this particular judgment. How many people in the workplace have signed up because they go against Jesus Christ and they want to attack the faith of others and cause them to stumble and fall flat on their face and how many fall for the undoing of the faith. Romans 14 verse 13 resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or cause to fall in our brother's way. He's talking about Christians.

How much worse it is in the world when it trying to put stumbling blocks in the way of believers. They do believers fall for Romans chapter 1 wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. I don't know why I think this congregation from what I can understand. I think we get it, but I also know there's a lot that don't get it. They don't see how complete it is how necessary it is not to back away from this Scripture alone idea. Some of you have to learn the hard way the younger ones you just can't take the word of of the righteous for you.

Gotta go out there and make arrest a wreck of your life and then come back and take me.

Hopefully you come back and then take a skip that step be righteous from the beginning.

What's this talk about depression and use my missing something. I was a youth once a lot of anger and have to expression so that anger, though in the Marine Corps just poured gasoline on that figuring me now you have these drill instructors get through with you in any way to get out of the fleet you gonna really be an angry man was so looking back at their life. So what what what I have done if I had just adhered to Christ was raised to love Jesus Christ. Why did I walk away many of you men and women you are Naomi's two other men and women, of course, make it fit a meeting women are Naomi's to the girls not to become Samuel's view men to other men become this influence mess will be looking at the life of Saul.

Saul had Samuel. He threw it all away. It took just the way to the point we would've killed Samuel so you young man. You young women when not be bold in Christ. When a take that energy and be bold in Christ. Why not get the answer said one of the first steps to growing his submission to the right authorities. The world gets this I maybe I remember in the you know in the military up on the walls, body and spirit.

I surrendered hold to harsh instructors and received the soul.

What I don't agree with that but I understand the mindset and why was on the wall because they understood that they were going to make progress. Submission was necessary where we in Christ are supposed to know that for them and was supposed to know it better. And that's why we get the end of this this verse as we student read a moment ago Christ blended with have peace with one another. There is a hierarchy. There's nothing wrong with that.

There is a chain of command and like there's nothing wrong with these things.

If the leaders be normal leaders. These are very good things for for all of us. So when Jesus says it would be better again in verse 42 for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.

That should make anybody say what I want to make sure this is not was going to happen to me. Luke 10 verse 16 he who hears you hears me and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.

There is a chain there is a link to the throne of God and you can either be on that link. Part of that link or not of it. When I think about the use hear you for 13 years old and up in your in the sanctuary. Do I have to say.

Do you understand what I'm saying is I happen to think is very simple. I go out of my way to keep the syllables at short, in a language that everybody can understand what my son was three or four years old. Instead of reading him about a little children stories I go verse by verse with a understood all because it was my responsibility to get him to understand all at the time he was reading as I was reading the state and read/write through the Gospel of John, and when I got to words of a newly witnessed dental ideas and concepts that others move past them or explain them. I think that the word of God is very understandable and as far as you hearing the pastor preached I don't look at anybody. When I preach. I look at the corners of the room and we would be terrible, terrible, talking about adultery is on the right, at somebody's logo think I'm picking you out. Maybe because I wear the spectacles you can't tell my eyeballs a focus but I'm telling you that the corners of the room. I want you to get God's word. You won't have any excuse you won't be able to go out to the world and say well I never heard that before. I did know God said that no will be the other way around. You heard it you had a choice your encouragement.

People who loved and cared for you when you gonna do it all all have one millstone, please. You go have I almost had my had one live lug around for years I would Christ like the Pilgrim's progress he had that burden on his back. I had the transmission tied around my neck speaking which we got time. I can get the rest of this frequently is a story about these three teams in the walking around and they see this transmission out in the field and they pick up the transmission. First, they come across a well old well and they see this transmission list for the transmission in the well. So the three of them get the transmission up in a letter over the well drop in and out the corner of their eyes. They see this goat running towards them faster than they've never seen a goal or any other animal. Running the lives right into the well and is scratching their heads in the farmer they see a farmer coming in from say you boy see my goal. Mr. you will believe in your goat came roaring past is right that we are running faster than any animal we've ever seen one before, so that's impossible. He was chained to a transmission using the three dummies wouldn't notice the change that's how we are in life we were groomers knowing we don't notice things that would cause damage, forgo running as fast as he could, because being told under anyway I did and I didn't intend to tell that joke I told you before, I love telling maybe you get it again next play way of this. Again, not disconnected. He says if your hand verse 23 if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched. Move thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Mark cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com once you're there you'll find additional teachings from Pastor Rick. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast. When you subscribe will be notified of each new edition of cross reference radio. You can search for cross reference radio on your favorite podcast app that's all we have time for today, but we hope you'll join us next time.

As Pastor Rick continues to teach through the book of Mark Rocky on cross reference radio