A warning of end time deception and the need to be separate. Maintain your communion with Christ by exercising discernment and closeness in your walk with Him.
[0:00] What communion hath light with darkness. Capture it today. The beauty of holiness. The wonder of separation.
[0:11] ! Because in separation we are honouring and exalting Him. We know that if we were to hold a glass of water and pour some oil into that water, there would be a separation.
[0:25] They will not mix as much as you might shake that water and oil. They will separate. They will gravitate to their different states. God does not tolerate sin. It's God's command to us to be a separate and a holy people unto Him.
[0:43] There's a command there, 2 Thessalonians 3 verse 6, to withdraw ourselves from those who walk disorderly, claiming to be Christians.
[0:54] Now, this term, walking disorderly, it's a military term. Yes, sir! It means a stepping out of rank. It means when everyone's going left, right, left, right, they're doing right, left, right, left.
[1:09] And they're heading off at a tangent. That's the sense of it there. They're marching contrary, out of line, out of step, doing their own thing. That's the sense of it. And we as believers, we don't want to march in an army that's all over the place.
[1:26] We want to be marching to the King's command, to our Commander-in-Chief's orders. And every Christian must separate from those who are walking disorderly, whether it be sin, immorality or doctrinal errors.
[1:41] We want to guard the purity of His church in faith and practice, in doctrinal purity. It says in Amos 3, 3, can two walk together except they be agreed? Of course not. We know they can't.
[1:55] And like that too, when God's truth is at stake, we cannot abide with those who are against God's truth. As a body of God's people, we need to be discerning and careful about who we're joining hands with.
[2:10] That door gets a little bit ajar and then it just gets wider and wider and wider. And that's the danger. We can't team up with those who deny Bible truth.
[2:20] No, we must reject them. Titus 3, 10. It's because we care about what God says, about the truth, about what we support, about those caught up in doctrinal error or error of practice, that we want to stand solid and strong, to seek to lead people into truth and to stand for biblical separation.
[2:45] Because people today, God's Word tells us that these things would be so. It tells us about a coming global deception, a massive religious brainwashing.
[2:56] In Matthew 24, it tells us in verse 24, For there shall arise false Christ. Deception is a hallmark. Many will be taken in. In Matthew 24, 11, it talks about many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many.
[3:12] The last days will be marked by this. Satanic seduction, religious confusion, devilish delusion. Our Lord urges, as he says, Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
[3:30] They might have the appearance, the veneer, the exterior, the show of being godly, yet they are ravening wolves, just wanting to sneak in and do damage.
[3:42] Colossians 2, 8, Paul says, Again, that word, beware, lest any man spoil you, take your prisoner through philosophy and vain deceit. Religious phonies alike to Christ's day are putting people under yokes of bondage.
[3:56] If they're biblically unsound, we should avoid them. And Paul warned in 2 Timothy 3, 13, that evil men and seducers would wax worse and worse. Peter also, in 2 Peter 2, 1, he says to teaching of false prophets, he refers to that as damnable heresies.
[4:14] Heresies or divisive teachings that are damnable, that will send people into hell. He warns that many will follow them. These false teachers, they make merchandise of God's children.
[4:25] Our people today, we're increasingly seeing this. Many of the TV preachers, that's teaching a load of triac. It's not biblical teaching. It's not truth. It's lies.
[4:37] And we're seeing this increasingly today, counterfeit Christianity. With the rise of charismatic delusion and apostasy. Where experience and emotion is elevated above divine revelation.
[4:52] For me to leave this Christ to die is gain. One day we'll have a sickness unto death or some other reason to die. And yet these faith preachers, these health, wealth and prosperity preachers will tell you, it's always God's will for you to be healed.
[5:07] And if you're not healed, you haven't got enough faith. Blame the victim. And I was reading it like Joni Erickson going to healing crusades in her wheelchair.
[5:18] And how at the close of the crusades, they were lined up. The wheelchairs were all lined up as they were all... They had to get out before the people on crutches got out.
[5:29] Because it's a lie! It's wrong! It's not true! These people are liars and they're hoodwinking and cheating and conning people with a lie!
[5:44] People talking about tongue speaking and a prayer language. It's not in here. It isn't in here. There's a counterfeit Christianity. It's on the rise.
[5:55] And it's predominating such that it's mainstream. I'm saddened to see churches that they've opened that little door. It's gone ajar. I think it's like this now.
[6:07] Where they've got Hillsong. And they've got all manner of entertaining music and thrashing drums. And the latest rock beat, Centre Stage.
[6:20] Churches that were formerly founded with biblical truth and with a biblical heart. Yet the door has opened such that they've gone astray.
[6:34] It just whets the appetite for more and more of the same. It's a substitute. It's false fire. Deep and dangerous error. Where emotion is centre stage.
[6:45] Where it's the feelings. It's the buzz. It's the warm and fuzzies that are taken over from God's word. Open mindedness now abounds in church circles towards unbiblical views.
[6:59] Open mindedness. You can get so open minded that your brain falls out. Where they're opening their minds to unbiblical views.
[7:09] The Lord Jesus talks about the leaven of the Pharisees. The leaven of false doctrine. It means there's a spreading. There's a permeating. It's like yeast in flour. It's just going to rise.
[7:20] Just so he needs an eensy weensy bit. It's going to impact the whole lump. And leaven must be removed. We mustn't mix truth with error. 1 John 4.1 Believe not every spirit but try or test the spirits whether they are of God.
[7:35] Paul warned in Galatians 3 He's talking to Christians. Who has bewitched you? Who has deceived you such that these seducing spirits have come and that you should not obey the truth?
[7:50] Foolish here in Galatians 3. It talks about one without reasoning. Without using their mind. Without exercising discernment. Christians today. Use your brain.
[8:01] Use your noddle. Put it into gear today. Exercise discernment. God doesn't want you to put your brain into neutral. We want to be receptive to that which is of truth.
[8:12] Not to any old thing. We need to be careful. And we are urged like the Bereans did to search the scriptures daily. To examine. To apply Bible teaching.
[8:23] To think it through in our lives. And discernment comes. Discernment comes as we bow to Christ's Lordship. As we let his Holy Spirit indwelling us.
[8:35] Help us comprehend spiritual truths. It says in 2 Corinthians 2 that the Holy Spirit will reveal to us his truth. He'll help us to understand it. To comprehend it.
[8:46] To discern it. In Romans 16, 17 it says, Now I beseech you brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them.
[9:01] Doctrine matters. Our teaching matters. Our biblical truth and doctrine is something we hold on to. By conviction it's not something we deviate from or weaken or dilute.
[9:12] Ask the Lord to guide you into purity of life. Don't settle for second best. Don't be part of the subtle slide away from truth. If you open the door, it just becomes wider.
[9:26] And that's what's happening where ecumenism is becoming interfaith. Interfaith. The Bible calls to the church, the called out. We're called out. We're to come out. It tells us that we should depart from iniquity.
[9:37] We should call on the Lord out of a pure heart. It says in 2 Timothy 2, The Lord knoweth them that are his, and let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
[9:48] And that's what we're going to do.