0:02 Good morning. Are you surviving? Amen. Amen. Hardly.
0:09 My voice is hardly surviving. And so I, I ask you to be patient with me. I might not be as dynamic as I would like to be. I'm gonna hope that and trust that the Holy Spirit will, use this, weakness for his glory. Let's pray one more time.
0:28 Our brother prayed, but let's pray one more time and ask and invoke the Holy Spirit's help. Lord, we thank you this morning that you have sustained us in our sleep. And Lord, that you have awoken us for another day, a day to experience your mercies. And Lord, we thank you for the mercies that are known in the truth being provided to us. Thank you that at our disposal, we have the fullness of your revelation.
0:56 All that we need to know concerning you and what you desire from us is right before us. Lord, we borrow the words of the apostle Paul. And boasting in our weakness, we can do so because in our weakness is your power made known in perfection. And so let that power be known. In the delivery of this message, in the reception of this message, Lord, continue to guide us through this series on deception that we may be a people of truth, people confident that we are in the light.
1:33 This is our request, Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen. We live in a cruel world. Jesus prophesied that it's only gonna get more cruel. I can't think of anything more cruel than being deceived, than being told something with the preface that it is true, with the veneer that it is legitimate, only for it to be false, and not just false with a neutral consequence, but false with the intention of destroying you and me.
2:06 And, I hope you feel the gravity of the warnings in the New Testament about the dangers of deception because it is multifaceted. In other words, deception is all around us, and it is so near that it is in us. In other words, if you consider where deception comes from, it should, in a holy way, frighten us. Because scripture says that the very thing that is in your heart is incredibly deceptive. In other words, never mind deceiving people, never mind Satan, right, who is in Revelation known as the deceiver of the nations.
2:53 If you were left to yourself on an island with no one else, you would still be susceptible to deception. Consider that. If you were just left on your own, you can still fall prey to deception. And so if my heart can deceive me, and there are ambassadors of Satan who want to deceive me, and if there is Satan himself who wants to deceive me, where's my hope? I can't look in.
3:25 I can't look out. And even if I wanna look at a different realm, there is a whole realm, invisible realm that hates me because I'm created in the image of God. The only hope is God himself. The only hope is to look up and to see how we can be protected from those around us and even from ourselves. And so I draw your attention to one verse, one verse in Galatians six verse three as we continue our series on the Bible's warnings to Christians about how they can be deceived.
3:59 Galatians six verse three, one verse, and I wanna show you by reading this verse how important it is to consider the context so that we can know the full meaning of a text or any statement found in the bible. One of the greatest dangers that you and I can do in our relationship with the word is take a single verse and create a doctrine out of it. That's how cults are started. Right? Galatians six three reads, for if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
4:37 If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Now I'm sure you can imagine that if you pluck this verse up and hold it in the air without considering its roots, it can mean a thousand things. And that is why you and I have to understand the context to see exactly what this means. And when you just read the verses before, you will have a laser precise clarity of what this statement is trying to teach us about deception in a particular way. So look at verse one.
5:14 Paul writes to this church. Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
5:43 This snapshot of the bible gives us, some kind of preparation of what we're gonna hear tonight, because what we're gonna hear tonight is how you and I can discern between true spirituality and empty religion. That's an important thing to get clarity on. And I wonder how surprised some will be when we see the standard that God has, the emphasis that God has on what true spirituality looks like. You you might be shocked because because it's actually much more simple and achievable than what our own imaginations have conjured up. Like, if I say spiritual Christian, what comes to mind?
6:25 Right? Well, what does that person look like? What how does that person live? Is he a hermit? Does he wear certain things?
6:32 Does he sound in a certain way? Maybe to an extent. But when you see what the Lord demands of us in our pursuit of of spiritual health, holiness, and godliness, you will actually be more encouraged than discouraged. And we get a glimpse of that. We get a little peek into what true spirituality looks like.
6:54 And and it there'll be a sigh of relief because it's not in your ability to or write the scriptures, it's not your ability to win thousands of souls or pack out stadiums. It's right here in verse one. It couldn't be any more clear. Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual. So he's calling out the spiritual.
7:17 It's possible to be a spiritual Christian, it's possible to be a carnal Christian, and Paul says, I'm addressing the spiritual in the churches of Galatia. You who are spiritual, what what does a spiritual person do? They feel the call and the necessity to participate in the ministry of restoration. That's what a true spiritual man does. That's what a godly woman does.
7:43 They feel and act upon the need to look at a brother or sister who has fallen into sin and then to make whatever effort is necessary to pick them back up. Is that what you think a true spiritual person is? I don't think Paul is speaking about being gentle and tolerating about those who are deliberately stubborn and persist in disobedience. Jesus tells us what we do with a person who claims to be a Christian and does that. He says treat them like a gentile.
8:14 Treat them like a tax collector. They wanna persist in their sin and don't repent, then there is a different measure. But the word that Paul uses here is caught. Is it not? If anyone is caught and the idea there is is somebody who has suddenly fallen into transgressions, somebody who was captivated by a specific sin in a way that they did not think would happen to them.
8:37 It wasn't some premeditated thing. It was something that almost caught them by surprise. And what the holy spirit is saying is those who are spiritual, look at somebody like that, who has a heart for God, who is soft towards the Lord, but something happened, something swayed them away. And all for a sudden, they they got into something that they know grieves the Holy Spirit, and they know ruins their testimony. And the spiritual, listen to this, compassionately deals with them and sees it as a great priority to bring them back to a true and sincere walk with the Lord.
9:18 That's amazing here because when he says, you who are spiritual should restore, that word restore is precious. It's the very same word that is used. And when Jesus walked on the shores of Galilee and he saw these two brothers, James and John, They were what we're told in Mark, they were mending the fishing nets. And when Jesus saw them and the Holy Spirit says they were mending their nets, he says, follow me. The same word for amend to repair is the same word as restore here in Galatians.
9:53 And I think Jesus saw something in those brothers that he longed to develop in a spiritual way, the wisdom and the patience and the care that is required to fix something in the physical is what the Lord longs to develop in his disciples as we are each called to handle people's hearts. And so he's not just looking for because you and I think, oh, yeah. Spiritual person is is somebody who fishes for souls. True. But don't forget that he highlights the fact that a spiritual person is someone who also mends them and nurtures them and cares for them.
10:27 And through their words and their counsel and love, puts a bomb on their wound and brings them back to a place of strength in the Lord. He says, you are spiritual. If you really wanna determine somebody's spirituality, more importantly, if you really wanna evaluate your own spirituality, ask and answer this question this morning. What am I compelled to do when I learn of a Christian that I know who has failed? What's my reaction?
11:00 What do I feel in my soul? Shun them? Shun them? Reject them? Or how about maybe participating in an apparent restoration when you just really want juicy details about the situation?
11:20 How about spreading it to some people because for some reason, there's some exhilaration in being the person who has the latest and the newest about somebody else. The spiritual, their hearts are moved to say, what can I do, man, to pick you up? Hey. I heard about it. I I I I saw it.
11:43 What do you need from me to help you? I'm here for you. That's a spiritual person. And we see that Paul is addressing his people. And then he expands his instruction in verse two.
11:58 Look what he says in verse two. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Remember, this is still in connection to verse one. What does this true spiritual Christian look like? Well, they bear burdens.
12:12 So they're they're able to identify the things that are weighing other Christians down, and that could be anything from a a temptation that was gnawing at them, that can't be easily shaken off, to a trial, as we heard yesterday, that seems to just drain them from any encouragement. And then once you identify that, you in your heart, through your fellowship, through your your your counsel, whatever it is, to say, how can I make this lighter? How can I make this lighter? Do you see how simple spirituality is? You see how wonderfully achievable it is?
12:46 Do you see what the Lord looks for from his people? To be able to see burdens, practical burdens, spiritual burdens, and say, how can I make this a little lighter? How can I be able to infuse in you some strength to be able to continue to carry this cross? And with this background in mind, we have a clear vision of what Paul means in verse three. If anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
13:19 Pay attention. Shake it off. It says here, if anyone thinks he is something, meaning, if anyone thinks he is spiritual, when he is nothing, meaning, when he does not see the importance of lovingly restoring a fallen brother or consistently being around and for believers to help them carry their burdens, you're deceived. You're deceived. That's what he's saying.
13:49 You think you're something in your spirituality, but you're actually nothing because you don't see the you don't see the need to care for a fallen brother or help their burdens be a little lighter, then in reality, you're deceived about your own spirituality. Now that that's not going to mean much to the person here who's not even saved. I'm not speaking to those who are not saved this morning. But to those who have a desire for holiness, keep in mind the direction that the Lord is pointing us into. And our Lord Jesus provides a perfect example, one of his teachings, when he brings up what a false righteousness looks like.
14:27 When he teaches about the Pharisee and the tax collector who go into the temple to pray, and he says this, you don't have to turn there, but he says this in preparation to teach on that. He says in Luke eighteen nine, if you're taking notes for references. He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, who trusted that they were righteous, but listen, and treated others with contempt. Here's how you know that your righteousness is illegitimate. I'm not talking about your positional righteousness because of what Jesus has done.
15:01 I'm talking about your practical righteousness in the name of Jesus. Your righteousness, if it is coexisting with contempt for others, is futile. It's flawed. It's empty. Especially if your contempt is for those who are supposedly weaker spiritually, like a tax collector in this context, who could not even look to heaven but beat his own chest and says, I'm not worthy.
15:30 Have mercy on me. I think that's frightening. I think it's frightening that you can actually and I can actually believe I am something when in fact I am nothing. And one of the ways that you and I know that we are nothing is how our righteousness, our spirituality translates in practical service to other people. And how we view other people, especially those who might not be on the same caliber of your theology or your your practice.
15:59 I see the opposite in one of the disciples of Jesus Christ. I see the complete opposite attitude in a very subtle way with one of the disciples of Jesus Christ. You remember John the beloved who wrote that prized gospel, the gospel of John? Most Christians are familiar with how John addresses himself, how he, in humility, veils his identity in a very in a very special way throughout the gospel. What what does he say about himself?
16:24 The disciple what? Whom Jesus loved. I love that. People joke, oh, look how John is speaking about us. No.
16:30 No. John had this confidence. In the heart of Jesus, there's a love for me. Imagine living like that. The reason why you're so fluctuating in your love for the Lord is because you're focusing on your love for the Lord.
16:45 If you just focus on his love for you, you'll have a glorious motivation to continue to serve him. The disciple whom Jesus loved. The disciple whom Jesus loved. And I love that because in humility, he doesn't want to bring his identity to the spotlight, especially with associations of his success. I mean, as simple as him beating Peter to the tomb.
17:07 Like, yeah, I beat him. I'm not gonna say it's me though. The disciple. Right? Whom Jesus loved.
17:13 He even goes far to say the other disciple. The other disciple. You'll never see John referring to himself by name. And he wants to put Christ there in the forefront of the reader's mind. He wants to exalt Christ and so he he just tries to hide in the background.
17:27 He wants to be accurate. He wants to say that he was a witness, but he veils his identity. He veils his good works. He veils the fact that he was the only one that stood before the cross when all the others scattered and went home. And yet, at the same time, I argue that there is one place where I believe John tries to make his identity a little bit more clear.
17:50 There is one place in the entire book of John where he gives a strong indication. He gives a a greater clue that it is really him, and it's in it's in a place that you wouldn't suspect. It's in a place that you wouldn't think. It's it wouldn't be in a place that you would put a greater emphasis on your identity. Would you like to know where it is?
18:14 Go to John 21. The last chapter. And it's not just because it's the last chapter, it's because of what that last chapter teaches. John 21 verse one. After this, Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea Of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way.
18:43 Simon Peter, Thomas called the twin, Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee. And two other disciples were together. Who are the sons of Zebedee? James and John. And no other place in the gospel of John will you see a reference to the sons of Zebedee.
19:05 The only place where you'll see the sons of Zebedee mentioned in John is here. Right here. And he says the sons of Zebedee with the knowledge that those who read would have known who the sons of Zebedee were. You can have a wider speculation with the disciple whom Jesus loved, but if if if you knew who Zebedee was, you knew who his sons were. And what I find so heart stirring is that John and the Holy Spirit obviously led him and backed this up.
19:40 John chooses to make the strongest reference to himself at the lowest point in his walk with the Lord. Because in John 21, when Peter, with his natural leadership abilities, says I'm going fishing, everybody's like, you're going we're going okay. Peter's going. We're gonna go. He just had that magnetic pull.
19:59 And so they go back to do what Jesus called them from. They went back fishing. Now fishing might not be a sin in your eyes, but in their eyes, this is what Jesus called them from, to to turn away from so that they could pursue fishing of men. And yet, at this low point, not knowing where to go next, not knowing how to handle this whole resurrection thing, Peter says, you know, I'm just gonna go back. And some of the disciples follow, including who?
20:25 The sons of Zebedee. What do you learn from this? What do you take from this? Here's what I take from it. Humility is not boasting in your failures.
20:33 I'm a sinner. I'm this. I'm I'm a wretch, and and that's just an empty way of really boasting about your righteousness in some sense. But spirituality, humility is being conscious of our weaknesses and being mindful of how we are equally capable of falling into sin just like anybody else. So this disciple whom Jesus loved, in a more obvious way, wants to show, yeah, even me, the same disciple who put his head on the bosom of Jesus came to a place where I went back to what Jesus called me from.
21:12 And that's exactly what Paul is communicating back in Galatians when he says, you are spiritual, restore him who has been caught up in transgression, caught up in sin. He says, keep watching your on yourself, lest you too be tempted. In In other words, every time you face a brother or sister who's fallen to sin, right there in that moment is a lesson for you that you are able to fall in the very same sin that this brother is being disciplined for. And so it's a call to humility. It's it's a call to reality of what we are capable of.
21:45 And and when you walk with that revelation, that that is what opens up your arms to be more loving and more accepting and more patient with those who actually fall even if they fall before you. And I wanna say this that if you feel like you're in that place, and and I'm not saying this is about everybody, but this is a particular mindset. There are some people who in their spirituality cannot find themselves to relate to those who are weaker than them. Cannot find themselves fellowshipping with those who might not have an astute or accurate understanding of systematic theology or who may not seem to be interested in the things of God with greater depth like you. Whatever the case may be, you have people who pull themselves away from common folk Christians, so to speak.
22:30 I'm not talking about carnal Christians. I'm talking about Christians who don't grow as fast as you might have grown. And here's my question. What's the point of your strength? If that's you in this place, let me ask you this question.
22:41 What's the point of the spiritual muscles that you've developed over the years and maybe quicker than other people in your life? Like my dad used to say to me and my brothers, whenever we would help him with some physical work, whether at his work or at home, he would always jokingly say, alright. Let's see what your gym time has brought you. Come on. You can't lift it?
22:59 You're tired already? He's like, you don't have to go pay for the membership. Just come here. You can do it for free. I won't charge you.
23:06 And that's the same for spiritual strength. What's the point of your spiritual strength? What's the point of reading all those books? What's the point of listening to all those sermons? What's the point of memorizing?
23:15 What's the point with evangelizing on the streets when nobody else evangelized? What's the point? What's the point? Here's what Paul says in Romans fifteen one. We I love that.
23:25 Was was Paul proud? No. He but he says, we who are strong, we, including me. It's not it's not an arrogant thing to be aware of your spiritual strength. We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak and not please ourselves.
23:46 So if you feel like you have this unusual insight, unusual connection with the Lord, if you distance yourself from a local church because they don't seem to be as strong as you, even if you think that you have more insight than the pastor who preaches every single week, if you feel like you have more depth in the scriptures and you remove yourself from the local church, you're no different than the Pharisee. But Paul says if you're truly strong, you're drawn to those who are weak, and you want to bear their weaknesses. You wanna lift them up. You wanna inspire them. You wanna be in their presence.
24:22 You wanna encourage them. Don't walk in there arrogantly. Hey. Paul said we are strong. I'm strong.
24:26 I'm here to help. Don't do that, please. But come with humility. Come with like John like attitude, aware of your own weaknesses despite how how much your head is filled. And bear the failings of the weak.
24:44 What Paul is saying here, and this message is gonna be too too long. What Paul is saying here in Galatians goes beyond what we just heard, and we're gonna elaborate more on what true spirituality is tonight. There is another dimension to the deception in verse three that is more subtle than what I just said, and this is where I think more of you can relate if we're honest. Listen. We can be deceived about being in the will of God, not only by refusing to extend grace, your presence, your help to a fallen brother or to people around you, but by also refusing to receive the help by those that God has called to minister to you.
25:34 By failing to receive. Where do I get that thought from? Back in verse two. Bear one another's burdens. In other words, every single one of us have burdens.
25:48 No exception. We all have them. And some days are lighter than others, but each of us have challenges. Each of us face persecution in different ways. Each of us have our own private wars as saints.
26:02 But Paul says you're not called to carry those alone. You're not called to walk this thing alone. So you see the deception is two part. One, the refusal because of a sense of superiority to come to other people because of self importance. I I'm I'm too busy.
26:22 I'm too concerned. I have too much going on in my life to meddle in your affairs. Paul says, you think you're something when you're actually nothing, and you're deceived. But secondly, the deception can also be known in self reliance, not self importance. And so you distance yourself because you believe that you yourself walking solo on the narrow path is possible without consequences.
26:57 So here's who I'm addressing this this message to. Listen very carefully because I know the people who are part of Maranatha Bible Church who are here. And there are a lot of new faces. I don't know you. I don't know where you're from.
27:10 I don't know where you're coming from. I know that you're here. So I wanna say to those who constantly feel and fall into the temptation of isolating yourself from other believers, and who walk long stretches of time without meaningful, intentional, and accountable interaction with serious disciples of Jesus Christ, this is for you. So I'm speaking to those who are not committed members of a local church, who have not communicated a covenant with a local assembly to say, I am here to be accountable, and I am here to offer accountability with this pocket of God's people in his grand kingdom across the globe. I'm speaking to those people.
28:00 I'm also speaking to those who might have who might have quieted their conscience by becoming a member, but your membership is not seen in practicality. So you come to the service barely. Barely. But there is no sense of your presence in an intentional fellowship that is provided either by the church or with saints outside of the walls. I'm speaking to those who when they do feel an overwhelming burden, they they don't they don't stay with the saints.
28:34 They remove themselves from the saints because of one, either shame, or two, because of this weird notion, I don't wanna put my burden on people who already have battles to face themselves. Let me let me tell you this. If you are there, that kind of train of thought is laced with self deception, laced with it. Now I'm not speaking to those who are having difficulty finding a local church because they wanna obey the scriptures, and they wanna find God fearing elders and God fearing people. I know that that is that is something I've heard from across America with emails and messages.
29:11 Where can I find a I'm not speaking to you? I'm speaking to those who are actually comfortable with, at best, in your mind, doing church online. This is what Paul would say to you. Ready? If you knew this, this is what he would say to you.
29:29 You think you're something when you're actually nothing and you're deceived. You're deceived. If you wholeheartedly believe and this is even for people who have who might have some association with our local church by name only, but it's not real. What I mean is if you wholeheartedly believe that you are perfectly fine without having a community of godly people that you engage with, then know that you are in danger. And my prayer is not for you to do anything more than leave this place with a personal plan?
30:09 Like, what changes do I need to make? What do I need to do to ensure myself that I can escape this deception that does not show the severe consequences immediately? And how can I make myself, by the will of God, convinced that I need I need godly people in my life? Deception is like sin, and I'll tell you how. Deception is not satisfied with keeping you at one level of deception.
30:39 Sin is not like you can't be like, I'm gonna sin, and I'm gonna stay right here. I'm just gonna keep to this sin, and I'm gonna manage the consequence. It it never works. Deception, just like sin, will always seek to pull you deeper. And just like sin that opens ways for nuisance, deception when you believe one false thing leads you to believe sequential false things.
31:02 And so Satan is extremely clever Because before he can get you to be deceived about this thing, he gets you to be deceived about this thing. He's very, very clever. Now people who, like, talk down to Satan, that's actually anti biblical. That's anti biblical. Michael the archangel himself would not even dare rebuke Satan directly.
31:24 He said, the Lord rebuke you. All these people that run around on platforms, and they speak down to Satan, even even Michael would not do that. That's a very dangerous attitude. There is a level let me say this, and I hope you understand what I'm saying. A level of respect that we need to have even for evil spirits.
31:43 Not respect like I venerate you. Respect of the potential harm that they can bring about. Right? You've heard the term respect the ocean. My mom used to always say that.
31:51 Respect the ocean. Don't just walk in there and play. You can be pulled in at any moment. So there should be that level of awareness, and that's how Satan works. Before he can get you to be deceived about a b c d e f, whatever, he brings you to the first point, and then he lets that deception do the work.
32:07 It's almost like a leech that just latches onto you, and just give it a little bit of time, and it'll suck the life out of you. And here here's how he does it with what I'm presenting to you today. Because Satan is aware of the effectiveness of what I'm trying to tell you more than most believers are. So let me present to you just one thing, which will be emphasized more on tomorrow when we're going to learn about maybe five, six ways of being deceived proof. Look at Hebrews chapter three in one verse and verse 13.
32:33 Very famous passage. Hebrews three thirteen. Here's what the author says, but exhort one another every day, as long as it is called today, then none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Deception is everywhere in the New Testament. Deceive here, deceive here, deceive there.
33:03 Here's what he's saying. Be careful. Sin can deceive you. And this will be discussed in further detail, but the spirit of God through this verse shows us something so insightful, and that is this, that a particular protection against this heart from becoming crystalized and numb and deadened to my involvement with sin cannot be separated from a abiding in an environment where I am experiencing external exhortation continually. He could have said exhort yourself every day.
33:43 And that's what people think that this just means. Exhort yourself every day. He's not saying that. Exhort one another every day because your heart and mind was designed to be in need for others to continually and regularly speak to it in order for it to remain soft and sensitive. And if you don't believe that, you you you did what Galatians six three that when you think you think you're something when in fact you're nothing and you're deceived.
34:14 If you don't think this is a real thing, you'd be amazed to know how many Facebook and Instagram evangelists and prophets out there have who are not connected and submitted to a local church. This is not being limited to having somebody correct us every once in a while. It's it's beyond that. It's being in the presence of people who have holy speech. It's being with those who sing praises to God, and you hear that over you as you join them in song.
34:45 It's about conversations you have with people about Jesus. It's about having that cup of coffee with a brother or sister across that table, and you're hearing the testimonies of what's happening in their workplace, what's happening in their marriage, what's happening with their children. And here you are being encouraged and excited to remain on that faithful path of service because the same God who's doing it in their lives can do it in mine. It's having your heart exposed to Christ exalting exhortation whether that's directly given to you one on one or being in an environment of people who cannot help out of the abundance of their hearts to give glory to God. Satan knows the power of this.
35:26 He he knows it. And every time I read this verse or I quote this verse, I cannot help but bring up to myself and to others of the insight of how quickly our hearts can become deceived by sin. Exhort one another how often? Is that hyperbolic? Is that poetic?
35:47 Is that exaggeration? Or is that an insight that tells you and me that all it takes is 24 for your heart to become hardened by sin? Like all it takes is after this weekend for you to get home and Monday night be deceived by sin. No matter what kind of preaching, no matter what kind of invitation, no matter what kind of insight, we are in need of continual, consistent fellowship with people. And some would say, well, I am exhorted every single day.
36:21 My favorite preachers are on YouTube, and, it's working just fine for me. Preaching is good. Preaching is important. But you know what's amazing? This is for you spiritual people.
36:33 Okay. Here's what's amazing. Paul says that each one of us in first Corinthians twelve seven have been given a measure of the spirit for what? For the common good. That each of us has been given a manifestation of the spirit for the common good.
36:49 So here's what that's saying. God has not given you individually all that you can know about the spirit. God, again, has designed it in such a way that if you wanna know the manifold manifestation of the Holy Spirit spiritual people, listen up. You love the Holy Spirit. Right?
37:08 You love the manifestations of the spirit. Right? You wanna know more of the spirit. Right? Then you are dependent upon the spirit who has deposited unique manifestations in each believer.
37:21 What that means is every time I step into the local assembly, every time I step into a fellowship of believers, what I can expect is that the Holy Spirit will manifest in sister Jenny, and manifest through brother Joe, and manifest through Sally, and manifest through Doug. And in that environment, can I know greater heights of the experience of the spirit, and God in his wisdom made it in such a way that you could not know those manifestations if you do this thing solo? So you get preaching on YouTube. That's one manifestation of the spirit through the gift of speaking. And even in that, you are limited through that screen because Paul himself knew that I can only impart the fullness of my gift when I come to you, Romans.
38:11 I don't wanna just write to you. I wanna come to you because in this, how many of you have known? I've heard this. Brothers, we're we're blessed by the messages online, but there's difference when we're in person. Well, yeah.
38:21 That's biblical. So Satan knows the full power of this. So what does he do? Well, he deceives you from point a. You're good.
38:33 You're something. You can do this without others. You can make your commitment a peppered thing. It can be stretched out. It does not have to be constant.
38:48 It does not have to be committed. It does not have to be life on life. You are something. Oh, yeah. Or how can you show up?
39:00 You keep failing. You keep messing up. You're an embarrassment. You're in shambles. You're gonna be a burden.
39:09 The pastor's already busy with so much. What do you think is gonna help you? You've already talked to so many Christians about the issue. You think they wanna hear the issue again? It's been eight months, man.
39:20 Just keep to yourself, get better, and then go back. Okay. Yeah. That's true. And Satan is there salivating at his mouth because he knows I got him here.
39:34 Just a little bit more time until the deceitfulness of sin will harden their hearts. And I got him where I want him. Do you see how clever he is? But Satan knows that we are social creatures. Does he not?
39:51 You know that you're a social creature. So if he can't convince you to do solo, you know what he'll convince people to do? He'll convince you to believe that any company is good company. First Corinthians fifteen thirty three. Do not be deceived.
40:08 Bad company corrupts good morals. I wonder if I were to ask 10 people in this room what bad company looks like, what answers we would get, I think the general consensus, unfortunately, would be, yeah, bad company are those drug using, gang affiliating, club dancing people. And that is part of it, but you'd be surprised to know what the apostle Paul had in mind in the category of bad company. And the only way you can know, just like with our first verse, is when you see the context. What's one Corinthians 15 all about?
40:46 All you have to do is get an idea in verse 32, the verse right before. What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? He's not talking about literal animals. He's talking about what people are capable of when they have no conscience. When you deaden your conscience, you can become like an animal.
41:03 And he says here, if I fought with the beast at Ephesus, if the dead are not raised if the dead are not raised, if believers are not resurrected, then what? Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. The whole chapter of first Corinthians 15 is Paul teaching about the bodily resurrection of the believer. For some reason, these Corinthians got duped into believing that as believers in Jesus Christ, we do not have this resurrection thing. It kinda stops at a certain point.
41:32 And Paul sought to correct that, and he gives the list of implications of not believing in that. And how did the Corinthians come to this point? Well, at at some point, they begin to entertain the presence of those who taught otherwise, of people who came in and propagated the idea through philosophy, through human wisdom that it doesn't make sense for us to have bodily resurrection and for us to know life beyond this life. And here's the thing, theology, whether it's good or bad, cannot be divorced and how it influences your behavior. That's why we gotta straighten ourselves to the word of God because something as as grand, as eventful as the resurrection of our bodies can have direct influence on the way you live day to day.
42:20 Paul says it. If if we don't believe this, let's party. What is this all about? Let's just eat. Let's just drink.
42:29 Let's just do vacations all the time. Let's just make our lives about the food that we explore. Let's just do all of this stuff and forget about it. Zero investment in the kingdom of God. No resurrection.
42:40 No future reward. No future kingdom. Let's just enjoy this life. And all of that stems from a group of people that influenced the Corinthians to say there is no resurrection. And that is the context in which Paul says bad company corrupts good behavior.
43:00 Here's how you can word it. Do not be deceived. You ready for this? This might shock you. If you regularly entertain the company of those who live without a concrete belief in the resurrection, it could ruin you.
43:17 I don't think the danger for the modern Christian is being allured by those who teach otherwise about the resurrection. I don't think that's the threat. I think the greater threat for the common believer today is to associate with those who don't practically live out as though the resurrection was real. Huge difference. No?
43:40 Have you heard the term practical atheism? That in theory and confession you believe there's a God, but in practicality you live as though he doesn't exist? You can do that with the resurrection. You can, in theory, in your statement of faith, believe in the resurrection, but practically, you don't believe with with view the revelation in view that there is a future time coming where there is a life more real than this life. And to be listen to this.
44:09 This is the this is the definition of bad company. Not the drug using, club going, gang affiliating, heroin shooting, casino going person. No. No. No.
44:18 No. No. Bad company can be simply those who do not live with an eternal mindset that frames their living. So here's what I think happens. Here's bad company, the list.
44:34 It just filled up, didn't it? It just filled up, didn't it? I didn't say it. The bible said it. And so what's the threat here?
44:44 That your Christian life can be deducted, can be reduced to doing exactly what Paul warned about if we live with the thought that there is no resurrection. Your listen. Your life is just about eating. Your your life is just about living from one event to the next, and that's the height, that's the ceiling of your excitement. And there is absolutely no inclusion, no thought, no plan, no investment into the eternal kingdom of God.
45:17 And all it takes for you to get there is just to be with that group of people long enough, who might even attend meetings like this, but outside of this world movable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. So knowing, believing that my labor is not in vain. Why? Because there is a resurrection. There is a time that I will meet a resurrected Lord.
45:44 He will look at me with piercing eyes and unless I have a renewed mind and a new renewed heart, I would be like the prophets of old and barely stand unless the spirit of God picks me up every time. That's what's coming. Knowing that your labor is not in vain, knowing because you have a future reward in mind, This is what I will do to you today steadfast. You know what that means? You're not swayed by emotions.
46:07 Like, a bad breakup will not cause you to give up on Jesus. That's a very practical way of looking at it. The the the report of sickness afflicting your family member will not cause you to press the eject button. You're still steadfast. Why?
46:23 Because the resurrection in view. Steadfast. Immovable. Immovable. Just like you're just there.
46:32 You're like concrete in the will of God. Like, you're you're like you look at the world. You're like, there's literally nothing that this world can offer me. And how can I make my life about just eating and drinking and doing and this and that when there's a resurrection ahead of me? Immovable.
46:50 And here it is, always abounding like richly invested in the will of God. Richly invested in the work of God. Like your life orbits around serving the Lord. Like that's your priority. Not out of duty, out of great joy and even more joy knowing that there is a resurrection that will evaluate.
47:09 And and beyond me just being saved, I'll get this, rewarded for the service that God empowers me to do. Isn't that fascinating? I always use the example of the father who was lifting a couch and the little boy, his little son comes and says, daddy, can I help you move? He is, like, four years old. What is he gonna do?
47:26 You know? Okay. I'll you will help me, and I'll reward you. If you can help me, I'll reward you. And here's the son putting his little hands on the couch doing absolutely nothing.
47:36 And the father is lifting it with all of his strength. And afterwards, just because the son had the tenderness to volunteer, the father rewards him. That's a picture of you and me serving Jesus Christ. We wanna serve the Lord. You and I do not have the strength to be able to do it with any fruitfulness.
47:53 So God empowers us. He strengthens us. He gives us. He anoints us and then he rewards us. How can you not abound in the work of the Lord knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain?
48:10 If anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he is deceived. And this is two ways of thinking falsely that you are something. One, that you're superior to others, so you distance yourself or you you're there but you there's a arrogance or you are somebody who thinks that there is no value in the body of Jesus Christ. That you have no need for ministries to be active apart from you but towards you. If that is you, and I'm speaking more about the latter, may I exhort you in this final messages, this final words.
48:51 Pray desperately for a healthy, holy, local church. You'd be amazed to know how God can open your eyes to things that are very close to where you are today, and God is extremely patient with the process of being able to identify that body. You'd be amazed to know how God will move heaven and earth for you to be in the right place with the right people. But when you do look and when you do pray, yes, although the company of people should be as Paul described because of the resurrection, but also know that not everybody is on the same level. And so do not look for a church filled with Apostle Paul's.
49:27 I think some people are so critical of the local church that even if the church was filled with Apostle Paul's, they'll still find something to criticize. Like, I don't like the color of the walls. It's distracting me during worship. Something like that. The carpet is just it's rough on my shoes.
49:45 Because even if you are somebody who thinks it is strong, don't think the church is about you receiving something, though that is something we need to believe. But believe that as a strong person, there are weak people who God calls you to help with their failings. Here's my call. It's very simple. Don't be a Christian who lives on conferences.
50:04 Don't. Like, if this is the only experience and expression of fellowship with other like minded believers, you're doing it wrong. It's it's not gonna help. You're you're you're stifling your spirituality and and you're actually hindering the the fullness of what your ministry can offer the members of Jesus' body. Be serious about the local church.
50:29 I remember when I first got saved, my attitude was not the same as I'm presenting to you today. I I I just didn't see the value of the local church. To me, it was like you have a sea of people who are dying and going to hell, and you wanna hear two sermons a week? Like, get out. Like, half a sermon at most.
50:47 Let's go. And so the Lord taught me in a very, very practical way by putting me in the position of being in a local church that I see the incalculable value and riches that are found in imperfect people who love a perfect savior that come together continually. And I praise God that he opened my eyes early. And sometimes, the only way you can know it is when you just dive into it with faith. All that we do is in faith, including what I'm presenting to you today.
51:21 Some of you here do not go to church because you have a bad taste in your mouth about church, especially those who come from a Middle Eastern background. I get it. I understand. The frustration is real. And I say that as a middle eastern person.
51:40 But don't let Satan deceive you. Don't let him trick you. Don't let him have you swimming in this ocean by yourself. Get on the boat with other believers. That is your safety.
51:56 That is your provision from heaven. That is God's way of getting you to know total maturity in his will. And so know this, God will bring you somewhere if you desire it. That's his will for your life, and you'd be amazed to know how to do it. I'm I'm not saying he will do this, but he could do this.
52:13 He might give you a job in another state, and it's not because of the job. A preacher said, and I'll and I'll end it here. He said, don't look for the church that is closest to your house. Look for a church that is closest to the Bible. Ain't that wonderful?
52:31 My rant is complete. I'm done. I hope your heart is stirred with the limited insight that we had today though, even one insight from the word of God is plenty for our soul. Let's pray and ask God to help us with these truths. Lord, we thank you that we do have a conference like this.
53:06 But this conference is not an end in itself. Thank you for the local church where we are to be dedicated and committed to. And so what happens here only fuel our devotion to the people that you've called us to be devoted to. Lord, for those who are tempted to think that they are something, either in their self importance or their self reliance, may that deception be broken today. May we see that there is a call for us to offer something to others, and there's even a call for us to be humble enough to receive from others.
53:48 Lord, for those who are struggling to find a local church, would you make a way where there seems to be no way? And Lord, would you help them in the meantime still be committed to a body of believers, though maybe few, to love and worship you, to know the softening work of external exhortations that our hearts are desperately in need of continually. Lord, we pray for pastors to be raised up in this time. Faithful men of God, faithful men of God who will just do what the Bible says, who will structure their churches the way the Bible says. We ask, Lord, that you raise up elders.
54:27 We ask, Lord, that you would raise up leaders who would be able to provide true local congregations that people can feed off of, that people can settle down in and raise their families with. Lord, we don't we don't have a strategy apart from you supplying these things to us. And so we look to you. You are the great shepherd. Lead us to the right under shepherds.
54:57 And Lord, we just ask that you would help us be patient. You would help us be truly spiritual and not removing ourselves because of the failings of those around us but the opposite, drawing closer to those who fall for this is the law of Christ. Lord, we love you. May this fellowship be true and sincere. Would you bless our food as we eat together and continue to be in our midst as you have been up to this point.
55:27 In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Let's stand and sing to the Lord.
