Contend for the Faith

This is leading the way with Dr. Michael. You sat recently, Dr. Yousef, prompted by the Holy Spirit, initiated a season of ministry growth for leading the way is called vision 2025 now to be clear, this is not a campaign for leading the way to build buildings or expand the business side of the ministry primary drive for vision 2025 is to see more than one million people come to know Jesus in a personal way through the various channels of ministry at leading the way. Part of vision 2025 is Dr. Yousef's commitment to participation in more events worldwide. Recently he spoke with a gathering of pastors in Brooklyn, New York.

These pastors are on the front lines of spreading the gospel.

Equipping believers to reach their communities for Christ. So we want to share his challenge to contend for the faith with you because Michael's encouragement to these pastors is valuable to anyone who possesses a desire to reach those around them with the love of Jesus wherever the Bible believing believers Christian leaders abandon biblical truth. There is a vacuum that is created and where the vacuum is created. There are two powerful forces but am already to fill the vacuum militant secularism and militant Islam and very authorized in Europe, the United States and with those little is the largest I'm seeing history repeating itself the hidden enemy is a professing Christian who denies the heart of the Scripture who refused to preach the authority of the word of God. Those who find it very friendly to say all this to be to have just one word for salvation, one of the five that each generation.

Each generation of Bible believing Christians have to face different challenges in different battles literally for the survival of the truth. Today is also the ferocious battle in the church that we are facing in the church's universalism and the denial of the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ statistics office statistics have shown that universalism has leapt from the mainline denominations and have gone to many of these evangelical denominations now I am not completely whether to statistics about when you're continuously seeking the study after study after study after study showing that between 50 to 60% of so-called evangelicals no longer believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation that Jesus is on the right of the father. When you see the continuously we as faithful pastoralism, and in the ministry. We need not only we brought Jeremiah Webb that we need to go weeping on our knees on behalf of the church not only must Bailey commit ourselves and recommit ourselves to the Lord under the calling and to the calling of proclamation of the truth but to each other, we must contend for the faith, even at the cost of our lives brothers and sisters. I want to tell you the devil has convinced many of us. Many of us in the churches by what Dr. JI Packer friend of mine, a professor of theology in Vancouver calls hot tub. Christianity, the devil has sold us a bill of goods which allowed us to think about our comfort and leisure are popularity our acceptance security are penchant for maybe larger larger crowds. Basically, head of proclamation of the truth. Satan has convinced her slowly but surely. Standing for the truth and be tolerant of sin.

We talk about tolerance, but little about tolerance of sin, we have removed a better language of the Bible into the heart of Christianity. So much so the churches are now filled with the unsaved and the uncommitted and the unconverted, and we wonder why we wonder why our country is in the message. Sin my fellow servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are in the mess we ran because many of us in the pulpits have seized the fungal from that place of privilege and say versus the Lord versus the Lord.

We have turned our pulpit center stage as an and our churches into theaters and we have turned the congregation to audience events have been used to say we come singing just as I am and will leave just as we can. My fellow servants of the living God. Unless we repent and turn back to the Lord and cried to him for mercy for supernatural power and strength will continuing this downward spiral and I'm here to encourage you. I'm here to lift you up to the half brother of the Lord Jesus exhorts us only one chapter personal one chapter personal thesis contend for the faith that once and for all entrusted to the saints contend for the faith that there is a call on your life and mine is to contend for the faith that means that we don't water down.

We don't sugarcoat it. We don't dilute it. Strength we don't modify Scout. We don't breakfasting so we don't smooth it over or under the guise of relevance take away its demands. What is that faith, which we have to contend for that was entrusted to us that we earnestly must stand for and die for it is the act of believing and experience has power of transformation. It is the totality of the truth. It's the unfolding of God's revelation is the preaching.

Truthfully what is found in the book of God. It is a proclamation of God's provision of only one way for salvation.

Not too many ways. Only one way. History teaches us that whenever misguided Christians of professing Christians try to keep the book open maybe for a new revelation of some sort and will be equally with authority as those spot of the Holy Spirit writer. When that happens that culture is annihilated, not just week and I want to give examples with Mr. manometer historian you know when the gospel was preached in the early days of the church and spread so fast. The country of my birth like Egypt. My ancestors they were sun worshipers God Ra. There were polytheistic, worshiping many gods but one the Jews from Alexandria who were in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and then heard the gospel and they brought it back to Alexandria and began to preach and then followed by the apostle Marco came and began to preach in Alexandria and he was actually dragged to death within a matter of less than 100 years, 85% of the population vanquished not only that but the gospel spread throughout North Africa talk about Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Jews 90% of the population are all Christians. There was estimates and facts on Augustine comes from Algeria mother we know this or not but there was estimates that there are $5000 is in one state that is not 5000 churches. That's hundreds of thousands of churches throughout that region, and then camera movement called the multimers movement in the church. This was a second century heresy, but then was popularized by woman in north Africa by the name Marcella basically the bottom line of this heresy says, among other things, that Bible is an open book. It's not closed Canon. It is open that God can speak with the semaphore today serves others as he did back then.

So Paul and Peter and John and James and and and those who inspire the Holy Spirit to write the book of God is not a closed book, so I want you to imagine with me in the middle of the 600s. In the 700s when the hordes of Muslim invaders came blistering from Arabian desert into North Africa proclaiming our they found a warm bosom in the church of North Africa this… See what God is telling us he maybe bring us a new revelation and thus within a matter of a few years.

These tens of thousands of churches turned into mosques, that is history, my beloved friends. You cannot tell me that history is not repeating itself, distributing itself now in the United Kingdom alone and I have an office there and have a minister that I love the United Kingdom and not just hurt for them but in the last 20 years. There were 500 churches.

The close now. At the same period of time 427 mosques were built at the same period of time that the only history does not repeat itself. It is time for us to be forewarned because that's happening not just in Europe and Canada and United States and that is why today more than ever we must refuse to be intimidated by the enemies of the cross, we must lovingly say the truth is that truth is the truth. Let them call us what they will let them call us intolerant, let them call us bigots. Let them call us narrowminded. Let them call us unloving.

Let them call us what they want to call us but we must say with the apostle Paul in Galatians chapter 1 verse eight. Even if we are an angel from heaven, should preach a gospel other than the one that was preached to you, let him be eternally condemned. This is leading the way and you can listen to Dr. Michael used to challenge Christian leaders, including you to contend for the state. When the time that having an audience of one occurs words well done. You can listen to this message again, you can share with your pastor. Just click on the lesson you go to LT U.point we also have a video of this message like you're on our site.

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Now let's rejoin Dr. you sent in today's teaching the day we have preachers away big black Bibles, but they never tell you what's inside the book you and I must. He their exhortation of June to contend for the faith contend for the face contend for the faith Judas telling us that this place that is entrusted to us.

We had better be good and faithful trustees. We had better be good and faithful custodians that we must hand it to the next generation unmolested unmodified and on messed up with the never forget our Christian prayers were accused by room for being intolerant me tell you a little bit of history bear, I know that to member Rome tolerated all kinds of God's, the more guards the merrier men of this Christian said he would found this garden and Jesus all wonderful adding to the list, but the one thing they could not tolerate those pesky Christians who insisted there is only one God and this one true God came from heaven, and he died on the cross to pay for the wages of sin of everyone who believe in him and, more importantly, he rose again in the power of his omnipotence physically, probably rose from the dead on the third day from the great and that one day the clouds are going to rollback like a scroll and he's coming back to judge the living and the dead because of their intolerant these Christians affect the hungry lines that were in boiling oil. They were lit up as candles to light up Nero's Garden Palace. Why, because they wanted to deliver to us that faith that was delivered there were contending for the faith. From my beloved friends, universalism and the denial of the divinity of Jesus Christ and the denial of the authority of the Scripture is the battle cry of our generation. We had better not lose that battle. I know when I'm going to lose it because I read the last chapter says we win not lose. We do not allow anything to comes in the way gets in the way to entice us. We do not to allow the praise of men to deceive us. We allowed not the flattering of those are in the media bias off. We do not allow him the longing of for acceptance by society and by the culture to make a cell birthright. Nothing should make us all souls setting up for a pot of soup. The reason we do not contend for the faith once delivered to all the saints is because we have ceased to love the word of God. We really have.

We have ceased to trust in God's promises we have placed our confidence in Dr. what about the smell funguses for workmen super doc says that in order God. I hear it all the time so also says I don't care what they say. What does the word of God say I know the arguments on the know them all.

I know them too well. Christians are being accused of being angry all the time Christians are being accused of yours again.

Some things are not or anything Christians are accused of being negative, Christians are accused of being hateful.

I'm not denying that the some people who give Christianity a bad name.

I know that I know that but listen to me. You and I are for the truth.

The truth is this love is our only weapon compassion is, and the word of God is our soul, desiring eternal salvation for others is the only motive that we have for living and serving a man in I'm telling you about loving the world garden, spending time with God. I got a come clean with when I started the church. I was so busy church was growing fast and I was so busy running around running around running around. I mean I go for breakfast, lunch and dinner appointments in between. I and I thought I was the best thing since sliced bread was busy.

I was serving him was not anything wrong and then I got hit with double pneumonia I could move for two weeks they want to hospitalize Mrs. no I know what God is doing yours to get my attention and he did and I cried. Hot tears and goddesses listen to me now that I got your attention. I can do all of this without you I can do even more without you. How can you minister to anyone without ministry to me first everyday and I sat there and I wept and I wept in our blessed Lord, how can I minister is the first decision made not one single morning appointment.

If somebody said I can only meet you.

I said I'm sorry I'm meeting your boss at that time the ties of the day belongs to the Lord in praise, worship and adoration study of his word and in ways I couldn't even expect in ways I could never think about.

I can imagine that 25 years ago right after this experience with the Lord and the Lord was blessing and the losses I wanted to preach the truth and I don't want you to worry about numbers and so I was pushing my heart out one Sunday and none unbeknown to me.

There was a young pastor in the church have given me was very successful stream of successful and few weeks later he want to meet with any wanted to help this poor immigrant preacher you know just want to help them out and is of Michael on the Telluride now in your face preaching will not build you a great church and I thought about this long and half if you do need to stay positive.

Get away from the negative things about sin and repentance. I understood exactly what is trying to say and I would be lying to you if I didn't say I was thinking about. Just remember this a little bit but then I sensed the Lord speaking to me in one of those mornings he said I would rather you show up in heaven with a handful of people who come to know me through the saving power of my son Jesus tens of thousands of people who would come to be entertained and the cursing from hell. As of Lord I'm sorry and not become another turning point in my life. And yes archers grew and grew. Thousands of people, not all the never Sunday a glutton for punishment because he only going to get in your face preaching no and I know many of you here know exactly what I'm talking about you exactly what he talking about someone will be discouraged because of that, maybe, been criticized because you preaching the truth of what he got on the forgiven Dallas, Texas, a plastic, held my hand both hands.

He said I was up all night struggling because the pressure on me to come so often the message was so great and are screeching similar message. Not this one but similar message about the importance of preaching the truth is it all night. I was up and praying us of Lord is given your word. Give me a word. Give me a word and he comes, as I wasn't going to come to this lunch, but he shows up. So God gave your word he said I'm going to preach until I die had been hugged domestic God bless you and he will bless you many of you been faithful preachers of the gospel. Many of you because of that faithfulness. You are the star and you criticize your tact, but I wanted to think this morning with me. You can close your eyes. If you want to think of the audience of one. You know what I mean by the audience of one. Everyone of us are going to have the audience of one.

One day when you have that audience of one with Jesus. Think about hearing from his precious lips, well-done lover, well done good and faithful servant. Verse four of Jude getting close to the end. Don't don't don't don't let me lose you. Malignity is not to get get through before I do. Raise your hand.

But in June is one chapter verse four. He said certain man whose condemnation was written about long-ago have secretly slipped in among this and the word Jude uses here is this who sneaked into the church. In fact, the word command stealthily or smoothly, or undercover.

It's a word is used of an alligator who lies still at the riverbank perfectly still and without causing as much as a ripple slips into the water. These people appear to be kind and gentle all so sweet this week, but inwardly they are full of deception.

Outwardly, they are gifted and articulate, but inwardly the desired self worship.

Outwardly, they appear compassionate inwardly they are self-serving. Outwardly they appear also relevant to the culture but in reality they have provided the grace of God, and they turned it into a lice.

Remember, this grace is not a license to sin. Grace puts us on racism on these in gratitude to God for his grace beyond measure.

Grace causes us to hate sin particular sin in our lives. I had sin in my life now that I'm older than I've ever had to sin before Grace causes us to hate what God hates grace causes us to blush. When we sin not explained away. Grace leads us into purity not perversion of the truth of the gospel and so my fellow beloved pastors and teachers, and ministry colleagues contend for the faith that was once delivered contend for the faith contend for the faith safe with content.

Jessica said again, because soon and maybe sooner than any of us might think we going to hear from the lips of the master those magnificent words, well-done. You notice he did not say much done hello as we judge everything on the DSM much done and said well the welder good and faithful servant good and faithful servant. May that be said of everyone of you.do you sense message was recorded at a recent event in Brooklyn New York. We challenged a gathering of local pastors to contend for the faith in the communities where they serve. Reaching more souls for Christ likeness are just one part of Michael's commitment to reach more than a million people with Aladdin and grace of Christ in the next several years. It's part of leading the raised vision 2025) kingdom growth that is learn how you can partner with Dr. you sat to reach more than 1 million souls for the gospel speak to a ministry representative at 866-6264 356.866 626-4356 or the website again. LTW.org, LTW.word there is the music that tells me it's time to go to make a point to join us next time. Right, for leading the way this program is provided by leading the way with Dr. Michael passionately proclaiming and compromising truth around the world.

Dr. you sent is the founding pastor of the church of the apostle and if your area worship with us Sundays at the church of the apostle