The Fifth Column

Mainline and nomination facts are well known abortion as is common place inside the church is outside fornication is as expected, between single adults inside the church is outside pornography is as rampant inside the church as outside divorce as commonplace greed as rampant gossip as unbridled homosexuality as condoned and even encouraged adulterers are moving on repetitively and unchallenged among the assembly state behavior fine with religion as long as it's empty and devoid of the truth during the tribulation as Satan brings the world together under one world leader he'll also bring the world together under one world religion of false religion that leads to destruction. This is wisdom for the heart with Stephen Devi on today's broadcast Stevens continuing through his series from revelation called Antichrist and the many faces of today's lesson is called the fifth, online of our study of the antichrist. I found especially interesting. John will follow up that phrase with the phrase a few verses later will you will say this I have not written to you church, because you do not know the truth but because you do know and because no why is of the truth. So who is the liar but the one who denies Christ Jesus is the Christ.

That is the Messiah God in the flesh. This is the antichrist, the one who denies the father and son John writes about those who left the church.

He writes about those apostates who deny the truth of Christ.

He writes about those who say eventually you know we never did by and all that stuff and were out here and they deny the Lord with their lives. From that point forward, even worse, if there's something worse than somebody leaving as an apostate, are those apostates who deny the truth but remained in the church they provide.

This fifth column. Then there masquerading, there there actually on the enemies side there in the league with him there, preparing the way for falsehood and deception. They vote in church meetings. They serve on Deacon board.

They may even be in the pulpit there.

The fifth column.

They are shepherds and those would be the worst of all, then those in leadership who lead the sheep astray. This was Paul's warning to the Ephesian elders when he said to them, be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, why because from among your own selves that is within the assembly.

Men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them another word for perverse.

You might think of as some kind of immoral thing. It isn't the extra folk can be translated to simply twist or distort. They say distorted. They say twisted thing they they sound right. They sounded true to you.

Think about it. Five or 10 seconds later they but they are actually twisting the truth and distorting its meaning.

As we said before, they use the same terminology that we use, but they use a different dictionary. I agree with one author wrote that it doesn't take much effort to see we live in a generation of surging apostasy.

Paul wrote to Titus. These are they turn away from the truth that is there defiled and unbelieving. They profess to know God, but by their deeds. They deny you these are the ones that Paul is warning the church of every generation. This fifth column from within the collaborate with the enemy there watering down. Perhaps the gospel maybe that's their their stick or they denigrate the mission of the church in the nothing more than let's just be offensive in our presentation with means we never present the gospel because the gospel does offend. In fact, well just let everybody have a God of our own choice and you have an whichever way you want to get the world will finally accordingly. John will reveal the laws finally be unified in one global government in one global economy and as were about to see it in one global religion. It will begin with the acceptance of every God and every religion. In fact, the inclusive religion will be the state-of-the-art way and anybody that doesn't believe that would be some exclusive prude who really isn't very tolerant and who might that be where we gather today in this room that's who we are. That's who they are.

Everyone will have a God in this day and every God will be validated. However, halfway through the tribulation were going to see the happy days of every God will will more into only one God and that God will be the antichrist and you will either worship him or die. Those who of course enraptured will go through this. Those who come to faith in Christ death after the rapture will have to make that significant decision of whether or not Phil where the mark of the beast and will get there in our next session. This is a challenging day, which I believe may very well be setting up for the emergence of the antichrist. All we have to do is observe the distinction of the lack of among professing believers since condoned sin is endorsed. Whatever lifestyle you want to have whatever behavior one act out whatever doctrine you want to believe whatever you want to toss out whatever you think God may want to believe the Bible all that the church doesn't seem to be disturbed. One of our Shepherd seminary graduates told me some time ago that he righted his new church beautiful building congregation waiting for them first weekend he got a phone call on Friday night before he was to preach his first sermon at this now. His first church phone call was from a man outside the church was trying to reconcile with his wife who was inside the church and he was in the midst of writing a letter that he hoped would appeal to her heart and he wanted the pastor to be with him.

He felt he was closely want to get the words right and so he asked in the past would be with him and he was so excited he told me because my first week, and I want to get to be involved in the reconciliation of of of the marriage. We met with a man. Later that that night he realized that there wasn't quite what he thought back to you realize how deeply troubling the situation was evidently his wife wasn't interested in reconciling with them at all.

In fact, she already moved in and was living with another man who was also attending that same church and everybody. Evidently the church knew about it.

Small church pastor also came to find out that the man she was involved in was actually a leader in that church. In fact, he would discover that this man was the chairman of the pastoral search committee that had called him the pastor and it was his first weekend I deny some of the change this text, but in every mainline denomination factory and I well know whether we wanted tonight or not the facts of the evangelical church are in doesn't seem troubled that abortion is as commonplace inside the church is outside of fornication is as expected, between single adults inside the church is outside that pornography is as rampant inside the church as outside divorce as commonplace greed as rampant gossip as unbridled homosexuality as condoned and even encouraged adulterers are moving unrepented Lee and unchallenged among the assembly. They profess to know God deny them with their deeds. That's apostate behavior. There is apostate belief which is the second course characteristic the church at large.

Comparing itself to apostate belief would have to admit it is throwing overboard historic biblical pre-and post-Reformation doctrine, which is biblical. It is now considered intolerant and out-of-date doctrine is not overtly denied as much as it is discreetly distorted, twisted ever so slightly at times redefined no apostate, whatever.

Probably I don't think it up in an evangelical church and announced I Jesus Christ. From here on out. No, what he will do is deny that Jesus Christ is God incarnate that the resurrection doesn't have to be literal. The apostate will not deny that Christ exists but he will deny that Christ is exclusively God our Savior, if ever we needed to be alerted is today is heavy on my heart.

I don't want to get to the entire paragraph in Revelation 13, but let me just a few more words because I'm not done yet.

I think this is so needed today. The closer we moved to the end of the church age. The more the plethora of false teachers. There will be Christ warned. He said there are very many false teachers. Many antichrist. Many people against Christ and it will lead to the introduction of the antichrist and the final deceiving profit spiritual leader preacher who will endorse the Christ: reason to you in a minute and and and in a matter of 42 minus world will be worshiping the antichrist is a house in the world did that happen so quickly because there's 1/5 column already at work in the true church is rapture and all that's left are people things are many gods anyway and are ready for verse 11 we left off in Revelation chapter 13 then I saw John's way of saying I have a new vision new vision from God. Then I saw another beast coming up out of your eye, you might notice if you look at verse one. There is a beast mention here the first beast of the antichrist study that section already and he came up out of the sea universe, one that I saw beast coming up out of the sea, probably a reference to the Mediterranean. Since the antichrist will come from the revived Roman Empire surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. The second beast now done in verse 11 is called later in Revelation 19 the false prophet or the false preacher and he John says I saw him coming up out of the earth interesting to me. The word translated earth can be simply translated land in Matthew's gospel chapter 2 verse 10 we read of the land of Judah in verse 20 of Matthew chapter 2 we read of the land of Israel. This has led some Bible teachers, evangelical scholars to propose that the false prophet will be Jewish to come up out of the land they know you might say all know and you know were negative. All of this but you might merely say there's no way Jewish man would ever promote a one world religion that would accept Buddhists and Muslims in Christians will happen to have my study. A copy of an interview somebody sent me last month with a leading Rabbi Israel chief Rabbi who said I could eat is my dream to create a united religious nation. I couldn't help but think of Revelation chapter 13, he went on to explain that since Abraham is the father of of of all three major monotheistic religions embraced by the majority of the human population that's Islam, Judaism and Christianity that connection the fact that we all go back to Abraham. OSUs Abraham that was already a crisis.

I got Abraham and let our connection to Abraham be the foundation for dialogue and a united world religion to Jewish men speaking Rabbi, you're probably thinking there's no way in the world of Muslim is ever going to follow to I just happen to get this week but journal.

I subscribed to call the friends of Israel, and in this month's edition and a big splash one page in a picture of the King of Saudi Arabia in the article which I couldn't help believe fit well within this movement, which maybe setting stage humans even in our generation, for the coming one world religion.

This King of Saudi Arabia sees a devout Muslim and that that nation is I guess you could call them the most intolerant nation on the earth through the Muslim or or or or you will breathe your dead while he had a conference in Spain convene that conference was claimed to be an historic conference historic for one thing, because it was a conference on religious inclusive is him and Muslims normally are at those conferences right while they were here. It was led off by this King who got up and spoke on the need to connect and to be in unity there. At this meeting were Hindus, Buddhists, seeks Zoroastrians but it is or not people who follow Zorro if you're wondering they are there smaller sack of monotheists who believe in an uncreated God named Mazda.

That's right. Those of you to drive a Mazda in deep trouble. You like to know what 300 religious leaders convened in Spain in this Muslim king got up and said this and I quote, we all believe in one God who sent messengers for the good of humanity in this world and the hereafter." In other words, we find common ground and are my theism and in the name of monotheistic unity. Let's just combine get along. John records here in chapter 13.

The rise of a powerful, demonically inspired preacher prophet who will rise with pseudo spiritual leadership notice just further vision and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a Dragon reference the two animals. The metaphor here could be the lamb reference to him counterfeiting Christ VLAN must assure that's it.

We know the antichrist will pull that off. He will be the pseudo landing in Thailand antichrist. I think this is probably language it takes the reader back to Matthew seven were Jesus Christ alerted his audience saying listen there many false teachers. To come to you and Erica need to rest in lambswool or limbs clothing, so to speak and be dressed in wool.

That's part of their disguise dressed as harmless. She but underneath he says they are rapping us walls and they are gonna rip you apart.

Now think of it this is part of the deception. Nobody's afraid of a lamb lands scare people there innocent there there there harmless their gentle and throughout Scripture.

They are ceremonially clean. This man is going to have all the religious boxes check is to be a perfect gentleman, but then note John adds here that he he spoke as a Dragon that ties into the language of Satan throughout this exposé. Satan is called the Dragon so he looks like up like a llama. He's in his 70s harmless. He smoothly is outgoing but when he speaks, he reveals his partnership with the enemy, Satan will work like no fifth column ever work behind the scenes, ultimately aiding the one who destroyed millions of people who surrender to this false side and I thought you know false prophets are like that. I think they often appear meek and mild harmless positive and kind of the perfect gentleman. They offer hope and solutions to the problems troubling men and women, yet they are the voices of hell whether they realize it or not. Matthew seven till this summer 90 minute realize it will be standard for crisis as early never knew when they speak they speak the words of Satan, the false prophet under his power will come like a lamb speaking false, deceptive words of comfort as you promise suffering tormented human race experiencing the wrath of God that all will be well. One scholar, FF Bruce called him the minister of propaganda. In reality, he is in partnership with the devil himself. What you do_not only his partnership with his passion.

Verse 12 this is the anti-spirits passion.

He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence, that there are some believe that he is the antichrist of the text flirting indicates he is exercising the authority of the attic is in the presence of the crazies are to separate individual. Others believe that this false prophetess is not really a man. He's just in ideologies. Babies of false religion of some sort or or maybe he's an institution, trouble with that is that you don't have institution shall have ideologies cast into hell.

Revelation chapter 19 verse 20 reveals the terrifying finality that the beast and this profit will have me read you what he says the beast is seized along with the false prophet perform signs in his presence in these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.

This is therein for such a short space of time, the false prophet will act with great passion and act with this primary objective to accomplish what ever swelling and he makes the earth and those who dwell in it. That is, the earth dwellers is a consistent reference to unbelievers. He will make the earth dwellers worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed reference to the simply put in his passion is to preach the prophesy about a one world religion and why that makes sense, and he will then call us the voice of humanity that will ultimately exalt the area Christ and worship him he will literally function as one who seeks to glorify the son of perdition.

See the false Trinity in here you see the anti-Trinity represented in these three Dragon the antichrist and the false prophet listen to these contrasting descriptions were given in the Bible. The Holy Spirit exalts Jesus Christ. John 15 the anti-spirit or the false prophet exalts the antichrist. The Holy Spirit reveals divine revelation gives us illumines divine revelation. John 1613, the anti-spirit is an instrument of satanic revelation. The Holy Spirit seals the believer to God forever. First John three the anti-spirit will also seal their followers forever bringing about their doom. The Holy Spirit builds up the body of Christ on seven 3070 anti-spirit will build up those who follow after the Holy Spirit enlightens mankind with God's truth John 1417 the anti-spirit will deceive mankind with Satan's lie so just as Satan will counterfeit God the father, the antichrist will counterfeit God the son, the false prophet will counterfeit the Holy Spirit you have this anti-counterfeit Trinity, Satan, the first person acts as God the father, so to speak in and having this plan and scheme, the second person, the son of perdition, which carries out as it were his father's scheme in the third person anti-spirit who seeks to glorify the son of perdition, bringing worship ceiling those followers forever. Listen, the anti-Trinity is going to sound a lot like deceivers of every generation and they are in our generation quoted from some of them already. Rob Bell another emergent church leader interviewed in a suppose evangelical magazine anatomy.

Bell said, listen to this. I quote of the church is preached horrible messages about being left behind, and that this place is going to burn. These are toxic messages that are against the teaching of Scripture.

I wonder how long it evinces the red second Peter three but the Irving Herndon and those apart from Christ being due. But he said this, these messages are against the teaching of Scripture which states we are connected to God. We are connected to the earth, we are connected to each other. Your relationship with God is tied into your relationship with the soil and then he says, go back to Genesis. So I did. In Genesis, we discover the original sin so the males are connected to God. But in deep trouble. We we saw mankind's spiritual death for disobedience connection is broken, but we saw God's initiative as he took the lives of tunas and animals in row data, many with their skins, thus picturing blood atonement and the fulfillment of the coming final sacrifice for us the seed of the woman promised in Genesis.

The suffering Messiah who will crush the serpent's head in final victory.

That's what you find in Genesis go back to Genesis and you have the introduction of Satan and sin, and atonement, and grace, the promise of the coming Messiah was in your relationship to God.

Today my friend. If you have one is not tied to the soil is tied to a Savior and he's your only hope. And anybody who tells you otherwise is a false teacher speaks the dragons language of lives. Fifth column unbelievers within the church to promote unity at the expense of truth to cast their vote to make the church in a more tolerant of those disbelieve the Scriptures, whether clambering after according to Revelation.

As we will even see further and another study, it will be trivial will be superficial. It will be self-promoting.

It will, it will be flawed and most importantly it will be temporary. The last 42 months and then lead straight to the gates of hell, but an assembly committed to the truth of God's word truth of God's person revealed in the Scriptures can can be that body of people that enjoy the unity of part of the unit unity of purpose and unity of compassion and love that only in this assembly between assemblies of like faith, who also believe in the singular, atoning work of Jesus Christ in this infallible and the record of Scripture which gives to us, even the end of the age.

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