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[0:00] Proverbs 23, if you've got your Bibles. Proverbs 23. Just some thoughts about the post-truth world.

[0:11] ! That's what we're calling it nowadays, the post-truth world that we're living in. And it is post-truth. Truth has gone missing. Truth is lost. Truth is at stake.

[0:24] And Proverbs 23, 23 tells us, Buy the truth and sell it not. Also wisdom and instruction and understanding.

[0:34] Buy the truth and sell it not. Also wisdom and instruction and understanding. Truth is at stake. Truth is at stake.

[0:45] I know just this last week, Julie was telling me she had someone knock at her door. Two wonderfully smiling people.

[0:59] A woman and her daughter, neatly dressed. Smartly dressed. They were a credit to their religion. And they had their papers and the Awake magazine. And they had lots of kindly things to say.

[1:12] Very generous, kind and nice people. But truth was missing. Truth was missing in the content of their literature, in the content of their witness.

[1:26] It was lost. It was missing. It was sadly lacking. And truth is at stake. Many claim truth, but lack it. And truth, what is it? How do we know what is true?

[1:40] What to believe? Who to believe? Truth. Proverbs tells us, get a hold of truth. Get a hold of this truth. The truth of wisdom, of instruction, understanding.

[1:53] The truth is a precious commodity. It's rare. And it's getting rarer. It's scarce. And getting scarcer.

[2:03] We're living in a world where, many say, truth is relative. Relative. In other words, I have my truth, and you have your truth.

[2:14] It doesn't matter that they're not the same. But truth is what is true. What is true? That is what matters. And there is truth.

[2:28] Absolute truth. Even in a world that says there is no absolute truth. It's all relative. It's all airy-fairy, wishy-washy, changes as much as you might change your socks. You know, truth is not like that.

[2:41] It's fixed. It's unchanging. And yet we're living in this world where it's all relative. Relativity. In other words, our world sets its own morality.

[2:54] Depends what the government of the day says is moral. What the government of the day says is right. Or approved. Or legal. No. It's not right.

[3:07] It's not right. It's right that I'm saying that it's not right. It is wrong. Amen? Isn't it? Some things are wrong. Deadly wrong. Fatally wrong.

[3:18] Eternally wrong. But truth does not change. Yet we're living in this world. The world sets its own morals, its own values, according to its own reasoning.

[3:28] Man's reasoning. They call it situational ethics. So it depends what situation you're in. You might do something and it's true that day, but it's not true this day.

[3:40] Situational ethics. So you can decide what's right. Man chooses his own moral code. As if there's no one to answer to.

[3:51] That's how people live, isn't it? That's how the world lives. That's how people think these days. Depending on what the man thinks is right at the time. That's how people are now.

[4:04] The post-truth world. Everybody's using that phrase now. It's amazing. Yet God calls the way of some error. There is what's called truth and error.

[4:16] There's two aspects. Some folks are taking this pathway of error. Taking the track that is wrong. Deadly wrong. James 5.20 it says, Let him know that he which converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins.

[4:38] You know, folk are witnessing in our church on a regular basis, personally and corporately together, in public, in private, in different fashions and forms, by giving out leaflets and literature, by word, and by public witness down at the local shops.

[4:55] And sometimes you just say, there is right and there is wrong. There is truth, the gospel, and there is error. That which is contrary.

[5:07] In the word it says, Proverbs 14, verse 12, There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

[5:19] Seems right. Right. You know, there's times where in the word it says, that the men did what was right. Right. In their own eyes. In their own eyes.

[5:31] But it was wrong. And so, likewise, there is a way that seemeth right. It seems right. If it, you know, it feels right, it must be right. It doesn't matter if God says it's sin.

[5:44] It feels right. But, how could it be so wrong if it feels right? There's songs like that, isn't there? It's not about whether it feels right, or it seems right. It's whether it is right, or wrong.

[5:56] And this tells us how to tell. The difference. So, many folk are sincerely believing their own truth. And they are dangerously wrong. But the great news for all of us is that, the truth is out there.

[6:10] You know, there's a kind of phrase like that, isn't it? The truth is out there. Yeah, it's here. The truth is out there. It's here. We can hold it in our hands and believe it. Every word.

[6:21] And the Lord wants His people to know the truth. It says in 1 Timothy 2 verse 4, Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 1 Timothy 2 verse 4.

[6:33] Now, not only can we know the truth, but when we do, it liberates us and frees us. It releases us. In John 8 verse 32, it says, And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

[6:46] The truth shall make you free. Our world is at a crisis point on many fronts, I put to you. And so, I'm looking at the crisis for truth.

[6:57] The crisis for truth. In three dimensions. The crisis for truth, and why we so desperately need the truth. We're going to look at the crisis for truth, as regards sin, as regards false doctrine, and as regards false Christians.

[7:17] And then, the answer for our crisis for truth. Firstly, the sin crisis. There's a crisis called the sin crisis.

[7:28] Today, you know, some have said, the greatest crisis, facing Australia, is that moral imperative, of climate change.

[7:40] Some say, that's the be all and end all. Climate change is the greatest crisis. Some say, it's terrorism. Terrorism. I believe, the greatest crisis, facing our nation, is the crisis of godlessness.

[7:58] Godlessness. Godlessness. A moral crisis. A sin crisis. And something we don't often think of.

[8:11] The media is not telling us the truth. We're living in a world of misinformation. People are prisoners. Prisoners to a system of deliberate law.

[8:23] Lies. And the media, thinks if we hear something often enough, we will come to believe it. That's what Hitler used, that technique.

[8:34] Didn't he? Tell them, tell them, tell them. It's wrong. Yeah, it's wrong. But just keep telling them, and then they'll believe it. And, multitudes followed him, because of his, repeated, message.

[8:52] False, as it was, they still believed it. And, we're living in this time, as I said, Romans 3, verse 18, there is no fear of God before their eyes.

[9:03] It's like they're wearing blinkers. They shut out the fear of God. They just want to do what's right in their own eyes. But in Proverbs 3, verse 7, it says, be not wise in thine own eyes.

[9:16] Fear the Lord, and depart from evil. Don't be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord, and depart from evil. Go God's way.

[9:27] So, the truth is, there is a judgment. There is a heaven. There is a hell. And, I'm quoting authority here. Authority. Authority. Not mine, but his authority.

[9:39] Because I have it in his book. Final authority. Final authority. Absolute truth. Yet, in the world we're living in, it's like, people don't believe there's absolute truth anymore.

[9:53] In 2 Timothy 3, verse 1, we're told, for the time, this note also, that in the last days, perilous times shall come. Perilous times shall come.

[10:04] We're warned that. It's prophesied that there will be a breakdown of morals, of society, of the world as we know it. Truly a sin crisis.

[10:14] When you see, some of the things paraded before us in the media of late. You know, men getting deformed, and parts cut off them, so that they'll, and parts added to them, so they'll pretend to become a woman.

[10:31] And vice versa. And you think, the sick, sick state, of our world. That then they celebrate, such a, a vile thing, and parade it, and, and promote it, and applaud it, and put them on the front pages, of magazines.

[10:48] And you think, what a sick generation. A, a breakdown of moral society. A sin crisis. That's what it is. And, we have to question, where are we getting our truth from?

[11:03] Where are we getting it from? Where are our children getting it from? It's a fact that, some have, found, as they've researched this, that the average 20 year old, in the US, has spent just about, two full years, of his or her life, in front of the television set.

[11:27] Two years out of 20. What a, a large amount of time. Full time, two years. In front of the TV. And, friends, that, reality is, that, TV programs, program people.

[11:49] There's a programming, there's a brainwashing, there's a mind numbing power, that can happen. And, we've got to, learn how to use the off button. Don't we? It's controlling, it's shaping, it's programming, and, it's affecting our beliefs, our perceptions, our views, such that, we're getting bombarded.

[12:10] And, we've got to filter that. We've got to stop that. We've got to, substitute that. It's something that's going to be wholesome, and good, and healthy for us. And so, there's a whole generation.

[12:22] We are the TV generation. Probably more so, the social media. I know, that there's good and bad, of such things. Of course, we've got to filter things. We've got to, put some, guards around us.

[12:37] We've got to put some, firewalls, as it were, to stop certain things coming in, and, trying to, avoid that.

[12:48] To, not be desensitized to sin. Because, that's what we're bombarded with. Amen. It's a reality. We know that. That's what we all know. And, the change agents are teaching our children, in the schools as well.

[13:03] And so, as Christian parents, there's a real, huge, weight on us, to, to try to counteract. That which the world, would program our children, which can be contrary.

[13:15] Now, Christian schools are a good option. There's, options out there, for Christians, some home school, that, they want to, mount a guard.

[13:26] They want to put a wall, such that their children, can be, encouraged, in truth. And so, we can, guard, those young minds, that are so easily, shaped, and molded, and changed.

[13:40] Because, there's a social engineering, going on. And, you know, I'm a product, of the secular, education system. I never went to anything but. But, friends, there's, need to be guarded.

[13:52] We need to guard, our children. The change agents, have got their agenda, and they're fully added. And, you see what's going on, in recent media, press about, safe schools.

[14:05] You know, it's sick. People have got, we've got to be, we're really on our guard. Could it be, that we are becoming, conditioned? I believe it could be.

[14:16] And, as Christians too, we're not immune to it. We're getting the same messages, through the media too. Such that we can, likewise, become slaves, to a police state, ultimately.

[14:28] If it goes to the ultimate end, you know, big brother, you could see such a thing happen, even in our nation. We're living in a world, where there's global governance, that, has got its agenda.

[14:40] I saw a recent story, about some, HQ for the, the, the, the UN, police, or something. There's some, big move going on there. There's more and more, of that, centralising, that globalising, of everything.

[14:55] And we're in this world, that's in crisis. And the ones, who are the puppet masters, pulling the strings, have got no regard, for the truth, of God. We're living in, a world where, the highest truth, the highest truth, is what they call, tolerance.

[15:10] That is the highest truth. We're measured by that. If we're intolerant, then, it's a shocking, terrible thing. And, and we, as Christians, are regularly lampooned, and laughed, and scorned at.

[15:26] While, meantime, immorality, and nudity, is flooding the airwaves, the media. It's everywhere. There's a real war, on real freedom. Now, thankfully, I was just, Julie and I, and mum, were on the way to church here, and we saw a big sign, said, ye must be, born again.

[15:44] Now, some, some Christian, has got a Bible text there, and great big words, near a petrol station, on the way up here. So, that's a blessing. There are some people, who are proclaiming the truth, against the flood tide, of evil.

[15:58] But, we're, we're living in this world, where the powers that be, are themselves, controlled by secret societies, and dark forces. These are things, behind the scenes. And we know that, often times, the Hollywood movie producers, and the ones who control, the media stations, and outlets, and papers, have got a godless agenda, that's, driving them.

[16:21] It's, almost like, and I'm, I'm using this kind of, colloquial phrase, guardedly, but it's where the lunatics, are in charge of the asylum. That's what's going on, because, the ones who, really got no clue, how to govern, are governing us.

[16:37] That's what's going on. No matter what, political persuasion. You know, they're, they're two wings, of the same bird, is what some people say. Labor, and liberal, and whatever else in between, two wings of the same bird.

[16:50] It's almost like, you can't tell the difference, between what they stand for, because, some who claim to be, conservatives, are, against, what, we as decent, godly Christians, would know, is truth.

[17:06] They're against the truth, and they're for, the perversion, that is, pervading, our world. Some are saying, maybe, ultimately, with nanotechnology, you know, with these tiny, little, computer gadgets, that, humans will be merged, with technology.

[17:25] People are playing God, these days, aren't they? With all of these, new fad things, where, there's all kinds of, experimentation going on. You wonder, where is it going to end?

[17:35] Such that, there's all manner, of things that could happen. So, the truth is, people of God today, the world is in trouble, that we're living in. And there's little hope, from the powers that govern us, of getting things sorted.

[17:49] Because the real problem, the crisis, is not climate change. It's not, the security, of our nation. But the real crisis, this is the sin crisis, that underlies, and, is the ultimate, reason, why, our nation is in peril.

[18:08] And we need the truth, because of the sin crisis, number one. Secondly, we need the truth, because of the crisis, of false doctrine. As I say, there's, there's lovely people, knocking on our doors, and some people, open wide their doors, and their hearts, and their minds, to these messages, that are false.

[18:26] False doctrine, false teaching. You know, I know, amongst the, our Swahili brethren, Swahili speaking brethren, there's people that, that come, and they bring them, a new world translation, in Swahili.

[18:39] You know, I can understand, people wanting to have, a Bible, that speaks in their native language, but the new world translation, is deadly.

[18:51] It's, the Jehovah's Witness Bible. And this is what's happening. And they're coming in, bringing their literature in, and people well meaning, and without, maybe, care, are receiving such things, without question, and end up, right off track.

[19:07] And these people are, cunning. You know, there's a whole propaganda machine, that is running the kingdom, hall. You know, the, watchtower. There's a whole, massive, production system.

[19:21] And, they put us to shame, people of God. You know, I, one, one night, I happened to have some, spare time, and I, I snuck into, a kingdom hall. And, on the stage, there was two people there, acting out, as the one witnessing, and the one witnessed too.

[19:42] They were training their people. Training their people, to witness. No wonder, they are so good at it.

[19:53] They're so good at witnessing, for their false God. And friends, there's a crisis, of false doctrine. It's a crisis, people of God. We need to get a bit of gusto, a bit of guts, and a bit of get up and go, a bit of gumption, to go, with the gospel.

[20:11] Do what we can. Train yourself up, in sound, solid doctrine. And, don't be afraid to share it.

[20:23] Open your mouth. God will fill it. God will give you the words to say. But, 2 Timothy 3, 13, it says, but evil men and seducers, shall wax worse and worse. It's going to get worse, it's saying.

[20:33] They're going to grow worse and worse. Evil men and seducers, deceiving and being deceived. People are not our enemies. They are themselves deceived. They need Christ.

[20:46] They need the gospel truth. They are deceiving and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.

[20:57] Friends, this is as good as it gets. It tells us to expect it to get worse. It shall wax worse and worse. Evil men and seducers expect them.

[21:09] They're going to water down the gospel. The church is going to be changed. And the truth is going to be abandoned. 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 3.

[21:21] Paul warns the Thessalonians. He says, Let no man deceive you by any means. For that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first.

[21:32] There will be a falling away first. And that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. It's telling us of the timing of the Antichrist coming. The Antichrist will come, but first there shall be a falling away first.

[21:47] That's what's going to happen. So let no man deceive you. We're living in such times, in these times, an age where there is a crisis of truth. You know, I've spoken recently of Amos 8, 11.

[21:59] These days come, saith the Lord God, that I will stand a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, and from north even to the east.

[22:11] They shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not find it. How sad it is. I know folk have got Christian TV, and that can be a good thing.

[22:22] You've still got to filter that. Amen. You've still got to filter what comes through the gospel radio, the gospel TV programs, because there's a famine in the land.

[22:35] They'll run to and fro to hear the word, and they won't be able to find the word of the Lord. Acts 20 tells of teachers coming in like savage wolves. These are, you know, I don't know if you've ever seen a wolf close up.

[22:49] You might have seen a photo of one or maybe a film of one with their fangs and their, you know. I know as a young boy, we went on a little tour in a van, and we went to a wildlife park, and I was in the back corner of the van with the window open, I think from memory, and my sisters alongside me in the back of the van, driving through a wildlife park where the wildlife runs free.

[23:15] You know, it's just running free all around you. Lions and bears and tigers and whatever. Different things such as that. And we were just driving along, my dad driving along, and then suddenly there's this, whoa, there's an animal there just about poking his head in the window of the van.

[23:35] And it was a, what was it? A camel. It was a camel. And it was frothing at the mouth. There's just all this froth coming out of the mouth, and it was chasing hard after us. And so I think my dad sped up to try to get away, and there's this camel just frothing at the mouth, just trying to lunge into the vehicle to bite us.

[23:54] And I'm getting a bit off track here, I'm just trying to illustrate savage wolves. I got close to a savage camel, that was bad enough.

[24:05] But there's savage wolves, amen? There's fierce wolves, they're coming out, and the Bible says that they will be, Acts 20 tells about them being like savage wolves. Who are these people?

[24:17] Could be prosperity preachers. Prosperity preachers. The prosperity gospel is a heresy. The charismatic movement. All of the weird stuff, wacko stuff, people believe it.

[24:30] God told me this, God told me that. Some new doctrine, some new fad. Let's jump on the next bandwagon. That's what it's like nowadays. Right and wrong cannot agree, we cannot compromise.

[24:41] Friends, we have to say that's wrong, and that's right. We have to say, this is truth, and we measure everything by this. By this alone. There's a preacher who said this, the word doctrine is found 55 times in the Bible, 49 times in the New Testament.

[24:59] And this does not include other ways that the same word that underlies it, the Greek word didache, or some variation of it, is translated in different ways. It basically means doctrine or teaching.

[25:11] So some 50 odd times, and it's got the sense to be sound, the soundness of teaching that comes from God.

[25:23] And doctrine. In some quarters, they say, oh, don't preach doctrine, it's divisive. We don't preach doctrine here, it's divisive. Someone might get upset, and walk out, and get offended.

[25:37] Oh, you're going to tread on my theological toes, and it might hurt, and it might disagree with you. But really, doctrine, what it means is the teaching of the Bible. The teaching of the Bible.

[25:49] We need the teaching of the Bible. Because Christianity is an empty shell without doctrine. Doctrine, it means teaching. And so, the Bible specifically warns us as believers not to become involved in false doctrines.

[26:05] Now, we have folk come and go in our church, and sometimes we come, have some come peddling false doctrines. They come and sit alongside us in the meetings, and hand out pieces of paper, and pass on little messages here and there, to try to infiltrate, and propagate, that which is contrary to sound doctrine.

[26:28] Now, I'll give them this quarter, that a lot of what they say is true. A lot I can agree with. It's just that tiny little bit of error.

[26:40] But if it's truth mixed with a tiny bit of error, it's error. So, people have got, got to be careful of that. Now, that's not to say we can't exhort and encourage one another, we can't disagree in a spiritual way, and we can't have differing viewpoints amongst us.

[26:57] That's natural and normal. That will happen. But we're talking about doctrines that are contrary to sound doctrine. And 1 Timothy 4, verse 1 to 2, it says this, Now the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, speaking lies in hypocrisy and having their conscience seared with a hot iron.

[27:24] Doctrines of devils. Wow! This is not just a different viewpoint. This is not just a different slant, a different facet of the truth. This is a doctrine of devils.

[27:37] This is a doctrine that is devilish, that is demonic. So, this is the time and day we're living in, the latter times. So, we need to be cautious, I put to you.

[27:50] It's the Word of God that we need. That's ultimately it. I know there's, I know in correspondence to someone lately saying we just need the Word of God. And, you know, there's folk amongst us who love the Word of God and want to recite it and memorize it and declare it.

[28:08] The Word, pure and simple. That's what we need. We've got to get back to the pure and simple, undiluted Gospel. That's what it says. The established church is getting in all sorts of bother.

[28:23] In many ways, it's been derailed because it's lost the track of the truth. You know, there's some things going on that are just kind of accepted now. Now, women have ministry.

[28:35] Let me just, let me just say this as a lead into this. I'm not discounting women. We've got many godly women in this church. We've got many godly ministries that our women are actively part of.

[28:48] And we, we absolutely encourage that. We're seeing in some quarters, though, where women are taking a, a leading role, a very much a leadership role.

[29:04] And the Anglican church, Australia has become the 15th of the Anglican churches, provinces around the world. At the time, it was 38.

[29:15] There's probably more since this quote. But, to approve women bishops. Women bishops. Now, women can give pastoral care. Women can give pastoral counselling to other women.

[29:27] Women can teach other women. But women are not to be in a leading role over a church. It's not scriptural. Because it's contrary to many scriptures.

[29:40] churches. And so, yet, in some quarters, they just accept this as, this is just accepted, without thinking, well, is it scriptural? That's what matters. Women can find ministries that women can excel in, and thrive in, and bless us with.

[29:55] And we want that. But there's some ministries that are not scripturally in accord for women. As someone has put it, half-truths equal full lies.

[30:07] Half-truths equal full lies. There's many Christians in many churches, and in many different areas where they might differ from us. And that's not to say they're wrong, but there are certainly some evident areas where there's great error going on.

[30:26] It's more about the gospel message. It's more about the, it's more about the emphasis. It's gone completely skew-wiffed from the scriptures. So, I put to you today, we need the truth because of the sin crisis.

[30:40] We need the truth because of the crisis of false doctrine. Another one, the third one here, is the crisis of false Christians. False Christians. We need the truth because there's a crisis of false Christians.

[30:52] Matthew 7, 15, our Lord says, beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. They're not ravening camels, they're ravening wolves.

[31:04] And they're going to be looking like sheep. looking all nice and Christian. But they're going to be false prophets. And so, sadly, we've got churches filled with false Christians.

[31:17] Pulpits filled with false Christians. Now, there could be some false Christians amongst us here. People can put on a front. People can use all the Christianese, all the Christian language, and bluff, and hide the fact that they're not truly saved.

[31:35] don't make that mistake. Please don't. Seek God and pray and receive the gospel. Receive the Lord as your saviour. Don't put on a front and pretend because there's no pretending to him, to whom we have to account.

[31:50] And it's get right now, get right with God now. Sadly, we don't always get the truth down at the local church. There's a preacher who said this, while they're waiting, this and that, the Christodolphians down the road have got a regular radio program, and some have tuned into that.

[32:11] I know at times in our library bookshelves, there's sometimes little things that sneak in, that people are reading, and they drop things off there, or drop things at the back here, and it could be like the world tomorrow, whatever it be, the church of God, there's all sorts of weird and wacko things, very glossy, colourful, attractive, very catchy, and interesting material.

[32:37] But you've got to be careful. It's like even when you go down to the second-hand bookstore looking for a Christian book, and you look at, who's that produced by? Oh, the signs. What's it called?

[32:48] The signs, the signs publishing, which is Seventh-day Adventist. You know, you've got to watch for everything. Who's it produced by? Where do they stand? And then we can discern truth from error.

[33:00] Don't believe everything you hear. People of God, not everyone's telling us the truth. So not everything that claims to be true is true. Think of what the Bible says.

[33:11] The Bible speaks of a number of false things, false gospels. False gospels. There's actually going to be a gospel, a good news, that is false. Galatians 1.

[33:23] Paul says, if an angel comes from heaven and tells you this gospel, that's contrary, that's different, don't believe him. Don't have a bar of it. False doctrines.

[33:33] Again, we talked about that. False messiahs. There's people who, I was reading lately, there's some peculiar cult that thinks that Prince Philip is someone that they should worship.

[33:47] It's bizarre. I can't believe it, that someone would actually believe that Prince Philip is someone who revere, as someone to revere, a venerable person, like a god of sorts.

[34:04] And you think, how sad it is that someone would fall to such a thing. And then you see some of the weird cults, the weird cults around the planet earth today. People believe this stuff.

[34:16] They just follow along with it. They don't think, well, does it line up? That's what matters. Does it line up? False messiahs, false prophets, it tells us, false teachers, false evangelists, false rituals, false gods.

[34:35] We know that there's a scripture that talks about God hates church, where it's a solemn assembly, a reverent gathering, where it's contrary.

[34:50] Even when it could be a pleasant people, there's gatherings of people who reverently gather, and God says, I hate the sound of the solemn assembly.

[35:05] I hate what you're doing, because you're offering those sacrifices in an inappropriate way. So there was that times where God hated that. And so there's false churches, there's false gatherings where it's contrary.

[35:20] there's a false righteousness where we see the Pharisees, the righteousness was false, it was just skin deep. And so we have to question everything and use this as the measuring stick.

[35:37] So how much better if we could have something real to turn to, instead of all those false things, and we have it, the assurance of good authority on his good authority, the one who says this, he says, sanctify them, make them holy through thy truth.

[35:53] Thy word is truth. John 17, thy word is truth. And Paul tells Timothy, study to show thyself, study to show thyself, approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

[36:11] That's 2 Timothy 2.15. Now some Bibles that take out the word study, it's in there, study, study, study. There's a good study to make.

[36:26] Friends, think of the word it tells us in 1 John 4, that there is two spirits. Some people think, oh, they're very spiritual, but the Bible says there's two spirits.

[36:38] It tells us in 1 John 4, the spirit of truth and a spirit of error. So at all times we've got to be conscious of that, to be wide awake, to be alert. What's going on?

[36:49] What's really happening? And exercise that discernment. You know, discern me, discern this. Is it right? Is it scriptural? Are we doing what's scriptural? And that must be our constant question, that we want to glorify our God, our King, our Sovereign, our Lord, our Master, and so we must serve rightly.

[37:10] There's a phenomenon taking over churches today, and it's called the emergent, emergent or postmodern church, and they're using a lot of language that the New Age movement uses.

[37:21] They're using words like this. Now, I possibly have used some of these words, because it's almost ingrained in us now. It's like you hear these words, these phrases all the time.

[37:31] But the point I'm making is that these phrases, these words that the emergent postmodern church is using are the same words that the New Age movement have popularized, like paradigm shift.

[37:46] change agent, transformation, new order, new order, enlightenment, personal development, self-actualization, synergy, contemplative, mystic, transformed life, meditation, spiritual disciplines, assumptions of an old and a new paradigm.

[38:11] Forget the old, you want the new paradigm. Awakening, new consciousness, wholeness. Now some of these words sound quite nice, kind of catchy buzzwords.

[38:23] Fact is the churches are being transformed and in some churches they scarcely open a Bible. It's about the preacher's visits and dreams and visits to heaven and visions and some wacko idea that is just totally not in here, that it just wants to expound some new teaching that's contrary and such that the seeker-friendly churches where everything's got to be really comfortable.

[38:48] Don't give them anything that's discomforting. Don't give people anything that might jar them or provoke them. God forbid that God will prick some hearts, that God will convict and that someone might get really broken up over their sin and want to get right with God.

[39:07] Don't talk about holiness. It might make some people feel uncomfortable. We might actually say some things are sin. You might upset somebody preacher. You might lose some people if we say that.

[39:21] Yet it's like everything's toned down and comfortable such that you can't say anything that would be a bit discomforting anymore. It's all about making it easy.

[39:32] But some things are really the new age movement cleverly disguised. It's like there's a program out that was popular some years ago and Julie and I got a DVD from someone to promote this and it's called The Secret.

[39:49] Don't know if anyone's seen that? It's called The Secret. Excuse me, you can see it on the internet. Not that I'd recommend it. But it's called The Secret and it's got all these new age gurus that are kind of saying these things about self-development and self-consciousness and improving yourself.

[40:07] and some of these kind of self-help gurus can be helpful to your self-esteem and maybe to improve your outlook on life.

[40:21] But at the core, at the foundation of it is new age. It's new age. It's not God. It's the old lie of Genesis repackaged. The old lie. The new age is really the old lie.

[40:33] So friends, but the good thing is, the truth, the truth is worth fighting for. In Jude 1-3 it says, Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and to exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

[40:55] Now there is something worth fighting for. There's something worth bleeding and dying for. There's something worth sacrificing your life for if you're called to it. The truth.

[41:06] That's what happened in church history long ago. They didn't go with the flow. They went with God up in the flames. Friends, we've got to get such that we've got that faith once delivered unto the saints that nothing's going to bend us or move us from the truth.

[41:27] Another trend in the churches today is called liberalism. Liberalism. Now Christianity teaches that Jesus Christ is God. God manifest in the flesh.

[41:39] 1 Timothy 3.16. Liberalism teaches that Jesus was a good man. And God was with him in a special way.

[41:52] And we can best know God by looking at Christ. But they don't say he is God in the usual sense. It's a Christian biblical sense. Christians. They've missed that. And Christianity teaches that man has fallen into sin and can only be redeemed by the Saviour, by the death of Christ on the cross for our sins.

[42:12] There's only one way to be saved. That's what Christianity says. Man is a sinner. He needs a Saviour. Christ the Lord. Liberalism says that man is getting better all the time.

[42:24] And that the Lord's life and death should inspire us, but it does not save us. Now I was watching some recent video clip of some preacher, it's a very popular one, Andy Stanley.

[42:37] And he was almost discounting the creation account. He was saying it doesn't matter whether it's myth or not. It's not myth, it's truth. He's trying to discredit the Bible effectively.

[42:48] I was shocked to hear this. And he's one of the popular preachers around in America, certainly. So Christianity teaches that the Bible is uniquely the word of God. It's true in everything that it affirms.

[43:00] Liberalism says the Bible is an elevated book, but it's got errors, both of facts like the flood, which never happened, they say, of theology, like the just anger of God against sinners, not to mention the role of women, the need of corporal punishment of children.

[43:17] The Bible's a little bit, take it or leave it kind of thing. That's liberalism. That's another trend. Another area is subtle change is seen in music in churches.

[43:28] Now, again, music, there's arguments and views that can be put about what music is right. But here's what one person has written here about the subtle change, the subtle change in music in churches.

[43:46] And it says, music fits women's tastes. This editor says in his article, he says, create an environment where men can worship.

[43:58] He tells us how Reformation hymns spoke of battle, blood and victory. But today's praise songs are mainly love songs to Jesus. The lyrics grow more romantic by the day and they have the same breathless feel as top 40 love songs.

[44:15] Hold me close. Let your love surround me. Bring me near. Draw me to your side. I'm desperate for you. I'm lost without you.

[44:25] Let my words be few. Jesus, I'm so in love with you. Now, the article goes on.

[44:36] Think of the mental gymnastics that must take place inside a man's subconscious mind as he sings lyrics like these. He's trying to express his love to Jesus, a man who lives today using words no man would dare say to another.

[44:51] set to music that sounds like the love songs his wife listens to in the car. Maybe there's a place for such songs. But in the corporate gathering we want to be preaching and teaching the solid Bible truth.

[45:08] And it's like there's a kind of this feminising of the church in some quarters. And again, I'm not against women. People might think, oh, he's having a women here.

[45:19] Not any of that. I'm just saying that the church has almost been feminised and emasculated. So men don't want to go to church. Men don't want to go to a church where they're singing these soppy, airy-fairy songs.

[45:37] It's an effeminate kind of thing. But the Bible is very, it's masculine and feminine, isn't it? It blesses men and women.

[45:48] And men don't have to be ashamed to express their love to the Lord Jesus. But there is a certain robustness, there's a certain strength of character, there's a certain godly manhood that is lacking in some quarters.

[46:04] And another crisis in the church is because it no longer seems to care much, much less fight for the faith. faith. I read an article that said there's a president of one of the renowned Bible seminaries in the USA.

[46:23] It was renowned, I believe. Fuller Seminary, it's a well-known one. And Richard Mao was president of Fuller Seminary, and one day Richard Mao spoke at the Mormon temple in Salt Lake City, and he apologised on behalf of the evangelical church for labelling them as the cult they are.

[46:44] He apologised to the Mormons. This is a Bible teacher apologising to the Mormons. What is going on? That is tragic.

[46:55] That is tragic. And so we see also this growing move to bring the Protestant church back under the mother church, the Roman Catholic church. Now I know sometimes I do talk about these things and people think, oh he's bashing this and bashing that.

[47:10] I'm not meaning to sound a negative person here. I'm simply telling you the facts. What's going on? And we need the truth because of the sin crisis. Our world is in a crisis.

[47:22] It's the sin crisis. We need the truth because of the crisis of false doctrine. You can't get good solid Bible teaching in many places now. We need the truth because of the crisis of false Christians.

[47:35] There are such that they are professors but not possessors of the faith. It's like our Lord says, they're going to cry, Lord, Lord. They're not saved. They never knew me, he said.

[47:46] It's not like they were half a Christian. They were a zero Christian. They never were a Christian. They never knew me, he said. Don't be in that boat. Don't be a false Christian. Be a real one.

[47:57] A real one. While you've got time, trust him. Trust him now. So notice these trends away from the truth. It's evident in the emergent truth, church, liberalism, the trends in music, the emasculating of the church and the move back towards Rome.

[48:13] It's happening all over. Yet the word urges us that we should be valiant for the truth. There's that manly word, valiant for the truth.

[48:24] We need men and women to rise up as a mighty army, to be valiant for the truth. Jeremiah 9, verse 3. Excuse me. So just to draw to a close now, we've seen the crisis of sin, the crisis of false doctrine, the crisis of false Christians.

[48:43] What is the answer for our crisis? The answer for our crisis is Christ. He is the answer in every crisis of life. Now you might be going through where the rubber hits the road for you, you might be going through a tough time right now.

[48:57] Whatever your crisis, the answer for your crisis is Christ. Here's the answer. In every crisis, we can rely on the faithfulness of God. And we can turn to God's truth, and you don't have to wait until 10 o'clock or whatever time you come to church.

[49:14] You've got it 24 by 7 by 365. In the pages of this book, between the covers of this book, you can turn to God's truth at any time and find that completeness, that wholeness to overcome.

[49:27] Not by some self-actualization, not by some mantra that you repeat, or some mystic experience, or in some quarters where you might think that you might have an angel come to the service, and the preacher says, there's angels here, and there's gold dust, and there's feathers, and there's jewels falling on you, and come and get your anointing from me, as I lay my hands on you, and impart to you.

[49:54] You don't get it from a man, you get it from God, direct, amen. I had a lady ring me through the week, and she was used to the Roman Catholic confession system, and she rang me and said, preacher, I can't get a hold of my father, and I need to confess, and I was humbled that she would call on me, and I said, look, I can guide you as you pray to God about it, and she said, I don't know how to pray, how sad, and I said, I'll pray for you, and so I prayed for her.

[50:27] What a sad situation. I felt for that dear lady. I tried to show my love to her, I tried to point her to Christ as the one she can go direct to, direct to, not through a man, not through some confession, and she confessed her sin, which was quite a mild one, and I thought, well, she was really meaning well, she was meaning well, and the Bible does say, confess your faults to one another, so I'll open the door to the confessional later, but no, really, we don't need to do that, people of God, go direct, there's one mediator between God and man, but it did humble me to think that she would want to come and confess her sin, something was acting on her, she wanted to get it right, and I prayed for her to get it right, we need to get it right, people, we need to get it right, but don't come to me, go to God, direct, go to him, let the truth of God, let the God of truth enter your hearts and minds and change you, when we face those critical issues of life, we can find the truth, it is out there, it's in here, it's no longer missing, the absence of truth, the truth is at stake, people of

[51:34]  God, but you have it here, I can only urge you to seek God through his word, I saw a little meme, there was kind of a pun, a kind of joke, and it was, I think it's the Babylon Bee or something where it kind of put some, kind of, how do they put it, a sarcastic kind of picture about someone, and it had a picture of a Christian who was deep in prayer, he was trying to find the will of God for his life, and the Bible was closed, he was praying, praying for God's will, but his Bible was closed, and the point was, God can tell him, if he just opened his Bible, not far from New York City there is a cemetery, where there's a grave that has in scribed a book, and there's a grave that has a grave that has a