We've been in the book of Romans around two years, I think, and it's been an awesome time.
We've learned a lot of really great truth together.
I'm kind of coming to a close on this.
So Paul has talked about how awesome our great salvation is in Christ.
He's told us that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone and nothing else.
And now he's kind of wrapping up the letter to the church at Rome.
And he throws out some things here at the end that are really, you want to ask, why did he kind of like end this way?
Look at verse 17 of Romans 16.
We're going to read our text for this morning.
It says,
I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught.
Avoid them.
For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites.
And by smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the hearts of the naive.
For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you.
But I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent to what is evil.
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Just pray with me.
Father, I'm overwhelmed and thankful to be here this morning with your people, the church.
Those who have been bought with the blood of Christ.
And I pray that you would help me communicate well this morning in a way that would only bring you glory.
This isn't about me.
It's not about anyone here.
We were made for you, Lord.
And I pray that I know that I can sometimes rely too much in myself or not rely enough in you.
And I pray that you would just fill me and control me and allow me to speak the words of life that we just sang about.
That men have died for throughout the centuries to preserve translators and people that love you.
So God, just find us faithful this morning.
In Christ's name, amen.
Amen.
So, throughout Scripture, throughout the Old and New Testaments, but particularly what we're going to look at a lot this morning in the New Testament,
there are sober warnings against those who would teach a gospel contrary to the one that they had received.
False teachers, false prophets.
False.
What we need to understand is that there are no new truths from God.
There's no new revelations from God.
No new morals, whatever.
Like what God has taught throughout the centuries, there's nothing new at all.
God is not changing things.
He's not up in heaven at the moment saying, I wish I got something else into this book.
He's not doing that.
That's a puny, pathetic God.
But throughout the Scripture, there are all kinds of warnings to look out for, be on the watch for false teachers,
those who would attack the truth of the gospel.
And so we're told as believers to examine everything carefully under the Word of God
and to almost develop like a sixth sense for when something is not right and something is untrue.
So we're going to have just maybe five places to turn other than our main text,
but hold your place in Romans 16 so you can flip back.
Return to Mark 13.
We'll just look at some words from Christ.
Mark 13, verse 21.
And some believers have been fooled into thinking, well, I have the Holy Spirit, so I'm good.
Like whenever something is not true, the Holy Spirit is just going to tell me it's not true.
That's not true.
Jesus said in John, when he's talking about the Holy Spirit, he said,
He will remind you of everything that I have taught you.
He will remind you of the things that I have put into your heart.
And so you have to ask the question, well, if you don't know what Christ said,
how can the Holy Spirit remind you?
And it is possible for even genuine believers to believe lies and to believe false teachings.
And we're going to see that right here.
Mark 13, verse 21.
And then this is Jesus talking.
He says,
And then if anyone says to you,
Behold, here is the Christ.
Or behold, He is there.
Do not believe Him.
For false Christs and false prophets will arise
and will show signs and wonders in order to lead astray.
If possible, the elect.
See that?
So even God's people can be deceived by false teaching.
But take heed.
Behold, I have told you these things.
I have told you everything in advance.
Like I have told you.
So look out for this stuff.
And in Hebrews 13, it says this,
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings.
Like it's just this constant theme.
There's actually two books in the New Testament
that are completely dedicated to apostasy and false teaching.
That's the book of Jude and the book of 2 Peter.
Totally dedicated to like exposing false prophets
and warning us that they will be coming.
So a second place to turn today.
Flip over to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5.
And we're going to kind of look at what we're called to do as believers
in light of this storm of false teaching and false doctrines that are out there.
We're going to talk about some later in the message.
So, in light of that, believers are called, I should say commanded,
to use discernment in everything that they read and everything that they hear.
And this is what, verse 21, chapter 5.
Very simple, it says,
But examine everything carefully.
Hold fast to which is good.
Abstain from every form of evil.
And these words there, examine,
it means to like to make a distinction,
to analyze, to test,
to prove, like you would like precious metals,
and to deem worthy, to scrutinize.
That's what this means.
So, how many of us actually do that
when we read and when we listen
to things outside of the Word of God itself?
We need to learn to discern truth from half-truth
and truth from error.
One of the best vehicles of false teachers
is not to just teach you an all-out lie,
but to teach you a lie sprinkled in the midst of some truth
under the guise of familiar language and jargon.
And the writer of the Hebrews
also gives very sober warnings about this.
He said,
he pleased with them
not to depart from the truth that they had received.
And in chapter 2, he says,
Therefore, we must pay much closer attention
to what we have heard,
lest we drift away from it.
And in chapter 5,
he actually classifies those who are spiritually mature
and those who are not spiritually mature.
The distinction he makes is
the mature will be able to discern
from good and evil.
Pretty interesting.
That's like what he says.
So, this is what he says,
But solid food is for the mature,
for those who have had their powers of discernment
trained by constant practice
to distinguish good from evil.
See that?
Like this, their senses have learned
like something doesn't smell right here,
something is not right about what this guy is saying.
This is not true what I'm reading
or hearing on TBN or whatever.
So, what matters
is that we're called to be discerning
in all that we read and hear as believers
and to guard the gospel.
If I had to have a title this morning,
that would be it.
Like guarding the gospel.
Paul told Timothy,
Guard the good deposit
that was entrusted to you.
Hold it dear and protect it.
Philippians 1, 9 says this,
It is my prayer
that your love may abound more and more
with all knowledge and all discernment
so that you may approve what is excellent.
And so be pure and blameless
for the day of Christ.
So he prayed like that they would have discernment
to approve what is good,
what is evil,
what is true,
what is false.
So, but messages like this
can come across
harsh, I guess,
and unloving.
And I really want to just take just a second
to explain to you my motive
and my desire.
Recently,
some of you know,
like I was diagnosed with some skin cancer
and I had to go through some things,
but everything looks good now.
And I've had other health issues in my past.
So,
I have just an illustration for you.
Some of the college students
might have actually heard this before.
But,
let's say,
you know,
one day you were,
noticed something wasn't right,
like you felt something weird going on
in your body.
And so you go to
the hospital
or to the clinic
or whatever
and to see one of your best friends
is actually the doctor there.
And you go with your family
and you go with your children
and you just expect
to just kind of run some quick tests
and be out by lunch.
Now,
you've already gone to the doctor's office
and done that.
That's the only thing you look forward to
is getting out and eating.
So,
so you're there
and the tests are on
and you're sitting in the waiting room.
Meanwhile,
your friend is in the back
and he gets the results
from your test.
And he sees
that you actually
have the worst type of cancer
that's out there.
And unless he does something
soon
and you start going through treatment,
you're going to be dead
really fast.
So in that moment,
he has a choice.
He can say,
well,
man,
if I tell him this,
this is going to ruin his day.
It's going to ruin his week.
It's going to ruin the rest of his life,
probably.
I'm going to make his wife cry.
I'm going to make his children cry.
If I go out there
and I tell him the truth
about his condition,
well,
I don't want to make him upset.
So I'm just not going to do it.
Is that the loving thing to do?
No.
Like,
love
would compel him
to go out there
despite of what this friend
may think about him.
and it would compel him
to tell him the truth.
You have cancer.
Because he,
even though it's hard for him
to tell him the truth,
he loves him
and is fighting
to save his life.
Right?
That's what truth is.
And that's what love does.
It's the nature of love
to warrant against those
for harm,
for those that it might hurt,
you know.
Two,
so I just want you to know
that I have no hidden motive
this morning.
Turn to Ephesians chapter 4
real fast.
And this kind of sums up
my attitude.
word.
It's the nature of love
just to protect
those whom it loves.
Okay,
Ephesians chapter 4
go to verse 14.
And this is Paul talking.
And here we go.
We just kind of read over this stuff
and don't think much about it.
But,
it says,
he's praying for them
in this prayer.
And he says,
so that you may no longer
be children
tossed to and fro
by the waves
and carried about
by the wind
of doctrine,
by every wind of doctrine,
by human cunning,
by craftiness
and deceitful schemes.
See that?
So he says,
that's children
who are tossed around
by every wind of doctrine
that's out there.
But then it says,
rather,
speaking the truth in love,
we are to grow up
in every way
into him who is the head,
into Christ,
from whom the whole body
joined
and held together
by every joint
with which is it equipped.
With each part
that's working properly
makes the body grow
so that it builds itself up
in love.
So,
my desire is like
to warn you
and say that
there are many winds
of doctrine out there.
I love to study
church movements
and church history.
I bore a lot of people
with that
day after day
when I talk about it.
But,
I'm not interested
to know
that the mainline
Protestant
denominations
in the U.S.,
I could say in Europe too,
who once started
very conservative,
very,
you know,
Christ-centered,
gospel-loving,
you know,
people
who held the Scripture
in high regard
and said it was
the Word of God.
Most all of the
mainline denominations
have departed from that.
Most of them.
Here in the U.S.,
the,
like,
I'm not speaking
for every
type of person
who's in this denomination.
I'll start with the Baptists
because we're Baptists.
Southern Baptists
have,
overall,
thankfully,
as kooky as we can be
about some other things,
we've held on to
the authority
of Scripture
and we've held on to
the inerrancy
of Scripture
and Christ being
the only way
to God
and salvation by grace.
We've held on
to those things.
But there are
many different things
that have split off
of Southern Baptists.
Different liberal
theological groups
and,
but some of the
mainline denominations,
some of the
mainline Lutheran
denominations,
mainline Methodists,
have all abandoned
those things.
But definitely,
there are conservative
Methodists and Lutherans
out there
who don't,
you know,
tolerate that
at all
and say,
no,
that's not
what we believe.
So,
we have to
take heed here.
I don't want you guys
to believe every false
teaching this out there.
And as it says,
the goal here is love,
not rebuke.
It's like,
to show you like,
if you're a parent,
you have a child,
they're doing something
going to harm them,
you're going to like
yank that out of their hands,
right?
That's what the loving
thing to do is.
So,
out of our text in Romans,
I believe I have just
five questions
we're going to look at.
So,
flip back to Romans,
chapter 16.
Some of you know
I have respiratory issues
and I'm not breathing
well this morning,
so,
just bear with me.
Okay,
so the first
question we're going
to ask from our
text
is,
what is the mark
of false teachers?
what's the mark
of false teachers?
We see this in verse 17.
I appeal to you,
brothers,
to watch out for those
who cause divisions
and create obstacles
contrary to the doctrine
that you have been taught.
Avoid them.
So,
Paul's not talking
about minor
quarrels here,
about the carpet,
or about
little
Bible stories
that,
you know,
whatever.
He's talking about
serious deals
that can cause
divisions in a church.
And,
he says to watch
out for them.
And he says
their distinction is
they're going to teach you
like a gospel
contrary to the one
that you've heard.
word.
And so,
like,
watch out.
And,
like I said,
we have a few places
to turn this morning,
but scripture
interprets scripture.
You need to support
what you're arguing
with the other scripture.
So,
flip to
2 Timothy,
chapter 4.
2 Timothy,
chapter 4.
See,
the gospel has been
passed down
throughout the centuries.
It hasn't changed.
It's been a relay
of truth
for all time.
And,
this is Paul
talking to Timothy
who is himself
a pastor.
So,
verse 1
of chapter 4.
He says,
I charge you,
Timothy,
in the presence
of God
and of Christ Jesus
who is the judge
of the living
and the dead
and by his appearing
in his kingdom.
Preach
the word.
Not a word
or a good word.
Preach the word.
God's word.
He said,
be ready
in season
and out of season.
Reprove,
rebuke,
exhort
with complete
patience and teaching
that for the time
is coming
when people
will not endure
sound teaching
but having itching
years,
they will accumulate
for themselves
teachers
to suit their
own passions
and will turn
away
from listening
to the truth
and wander
off into myths.
So,
people who find
the truth of God
hard to handle,
those go somewhere
else.
They'll go and
listen to a teacher
who will tell them
what they want
to hear.
Tell me
how man-centered
things are.
So,
instead of
submitting to God's
truth,
they find teachers
that will help
them,
you know,
appease what
they want
and the spirit
of the age,
I guess you could
say in a lot
of ways,
what culture
would say.
So,
the mark of false
teachers is
they teach a gospel
contrary to the one
that's been passed
down throughout the
centuries and the
one that this
testifies to.
The second
point,
flip back over
to Romans.
The second
question is,
what is the
motive of
false teachers?
Okay,
and we see this
in verse 18.
It says,
for such
persons do
not serve our
Lord Christ
but their own
appetites.
So,
false teachers
serve their own
appetizer.
What this
means in Greek
is literally
your belly
which means
like the
things that
your flesh
may crave.
John Piper
said here,
behind the
plausible speech
and smooth
talk of a
gentleman,
gentlemanly,
he said,
demeanor is
idolatry and
the idol is
the belly,
the appetite
for food
or sex
or human
approval.
Behind the
serious false
teaching,
we almost
have to
find out
these aren't
just intellectual
mistakes.
These are
worldly passions
that come
from an
enslaving mind.
So,
like we,
false teachers
have a
different motive
other than
to glorify
Christ.
They want
man to
approve
them,
they want
popularity,
they want
money,
power,
etc.
And I'm
going to
read
something
from 1
Timothy
to you
that kind
of explains
this.
Paul
talking
again,
he says,
if anyone
teaches
a doctrine,
a different
doctrine,
does not
agree with
sound words
of our
Lord Jesus
Christ,
in the
teaching that
is in
accordance with
godliness,
he is
puffed up
and conceited
and understands
nothing.
He has an
unhealthy
craving for
controversy and
quarrels about
words.
And it
says that
they,
he goes
on to
say that
he does
this because
he hopes
it will
give him
great gain.
He hopes
that teaching
these things
contrary to
the gospel
will be a
means of
gain.
So,
they have
some hidden
motive,
it's not
to glorify
Christ.
And you
always can
tell,
because men
who do
want to
glorify
Christ will
always tell
you,
if I'm
out of
line,
tell me,
like let
what I've
said be
tested here,
because false
teachers don't
like scrutiny.
They'll say,
just stay
away from
me,
and don't
scrutinize
me at
all with
that stuff.
So,
you know,
I,
there's so
many,
this question
could go on
and on,
this next
one,
but what
is the
method of
false
teachers,
is the
next
question.
What is
the method
of false
teachers?
In
verse 18,
it says,
by smooth
talk and
flattery,
they deceive
hearts.
See this?
Smooth
talk and
flattery.
The word
flattery is
eulogia.
Does that
sound familiar?
Like a
memorial service?
A eulogy,
to give a
blessing or
to give
praise to
someone.
So,
in a bad
sense,
like they're
giving you a
blessing,
they're telling
you what
you want
to hear.
And then in
smooth talk,
it says,
this word
means like
simple,
pleasant,
plausible
words.
They're not
trying to
trick you
on the
surface.
It doesn't
come across
that way.
False
teachers
don't get a
big crowd
by being
rough and
harsh and
rambling.
They get it
by being
nice guys
and by
appealing to
the
sympathies of
culture.
So,
throughout
history,
false
teachers have
been kind
of like
that.
One guy
from
336 A.D.,
Arius,
he was a
part of the
Arian heresy
in the
Council of
Nicaea.
He denied
the divinity
of Christ.
And listen
to what
this one
historian
kind of
explains what
he's like.
He says,
he was a
bright,
energetic,
attractive
fellow,
the kind
of citizen
whom any
rotary club
would welcome,
singing sea
shanties in
the dockside
pubs,
and teaching
Bible stories
on Wednesday
night.
This was an
immensely popular
man.
His story
reminds us
the heresy
does not
blunge in
us into
unbelief.
We are
seduced.
He was a
gentleman.
His morals
were above
reproach,
and he
distinguished
himself by
his unfailing
courtesy.
These are
what false
teachers look
like.
They're so
good.
They're
attractive
even.
So,
we're told
to avoid
them.
Listen to
what Jesus
said in
Matthew 7.
He said,
false
teachers,
false
prophets
will come
to you
in sheep's
clothing,
right?
But he
said,
but inwardly
they're
ravenous
wolves.
So,
they appear
attractive and
good on the
outside,
but inwardly
they are
not.
So,
they're very
tricky.
I listen to
some of these
guys.
So crafty
with how they
play with
words and
play with
ideas and
flip questions
on people.
So,
then the
next question,
fourth
question,
who is
the prey
of false
teachers?
Okay,
so who do
false teachers
like to
prey on?
And according
to our text,
in verse 18,
it says the
naive.
And this
means the
harmless,
someone who's
fearing no
evil from
anybody,
and they
distrust no
one.
They don't
suspect anyone's
up to
mischief.
And I
want to
submit that
I wouldn't
say this about
our church
in general,
and I'm
thankful for
that,
but overall,
the church
in America
statistically
has an
intense
doctrinal
shallowness.
They're a
mile wide,
an inch deep
on what they
believe.
And they
seem to be
concerned about
learning the
bare minimum
of the
Bible.
They content
themselves with,
I'm not against
devotional books,
I'm just against
bad devotional
books.
Reading one
verse in a
paragraph is
not going to
get you through
your day.
That's not the
nourishment for
your soul.
What if you
just ate,
you know,
like one
biscuit in the
morning that
was supposed
to get you
through the
day?
Like that's
not really
good.
So because of
the doctrinal
shallowness
that exists,
the naive
or just easy
parade for
false teachers.
Like I
had a good
friend who
just bought
into some
recent new
books that
are out
there.
And he's
an awesome
dude.
He really
does love
the Lord,
but he
doesn't have
a very solid
foundation
biblically yet
for what is
true and what
is false.
false teachers
have to do
is just
like say a
little bit of
Christian jargon,
refer to a
single verse
maybe in
scripture.
I love how
Joel Osteen
loved to say
this is the
word of God
and then he
doesn't refer
to it the
whole rest of
the time.
So see,
it's just
tricky.
Use one
word,
just use
Christian jargon,
crack a few
jokes,
and then be
passionate and
then people
were just
like,
they just
can't,
they don't
know what
to do.
Like they're
just sucked
right in.
Like in,
whether it's
biblical or
not,
if someone
is hip and
cool and
has Christian
jargon,
a few jokes
and they're
passionate,
that's all
it takes.
I mean,
that's really
it and
it's sad.
And so,
we're probably
going to get
a little more
personal here.
We've been
speaking very
general for
the most
part.
But,
I want
to submit
to you
that I
have,
in the
past,
believed some
things that
were not
biblical.
Thankfully,
they didn't,
they weren't
things about
salvation or
anything like
that.
But,
how many of
you love the
Christian
bookstore?
When you
go to the
Christian
bookstore and
the Christian
music's playing
and you see
all these nice
people walking
around,
you're just
kind of,
like,
man,
this place
is awesome.
I remember
thinking that
when I first
became a
Christian.
And,
so,
we need,
though,
to understand
that whenever
we go into
the Christian
bookstore,
there's a lot
of junk in
the Christian
bookstore that
doesn't belong
there at
all.
Like,
they'll have
Brian McLaren
here,
Mac Claren,
and then John
MacArthur
right beside
each other.
And,
those two
guys,
no way.
Like,
one believes
the true
gospel and
one doesn't.
And,
you'll know
which one
he really
does.
So,
but,
due to the
church's
lack of
biblical
theology and
doctrine,
the word
doctrine is not
a bad word.
It's in the
New Testament
16 times.
So,
deal with
that.
But,
I know some
people are
like,
don't give
me doctrine,
don't give
me theology,
let's just
talk about
how much
Jesus loves
us.
And,
they don't
understand.
These are
things that
scripture talks
about that we
learn well and
that we still
instill into
our hearts.
so,
good Christian
books will
always lead
you back
to the
scripture.
That's
something
Martin Luther
said a
long time
ago.
I love
like a
book like
John Piper.
You look and
he has like
12 pages in
the back that
are just
scripture
references and
just clear
Bible teaching.
And,
so,
I have a
quote here
by a guy
named Nathan
Benowitz.
He says,
outside the
local church,
there is
probably no
place in the
community with
more spiritual
influence than
the local
Christian bookstore.
For many
believers,
books provide
the primary
supplement to
what is heard
on Sundays.
But,
just because
something is on
the shelf
doesn't mean
that it's
doctrinally
accurate or
spiritually,
beneficial.
After all,
biblical discernment
is not just
for sermons.
It also must
be applied to
chapters and
articles.
And,
even the
bestsellers are
not above the
scrutiny of
scripture.
Like,
how dare some
of these guys
say that their
book is above
the book that
God himself
wrote.
And,
so,
I want to
communicate this
as kindly and
as humble as
I am.
This is like
the doctor
walking into
the office to
tell you that
you might have
eaten some
stuff that
might kill
you,
okay?
And,
something needs
to be done.
I have read
this book,
and as someone
who has gone
through a lot of
suffering in his
life,
this book brought
me no comfort
at all.
It made me
sad.
God,
and,
just as a
little thing
here,
this isn't
the time to
go through
like a large
book review
on these
things.
I'm going to
say a few
things about
them,
and if you
want to talk
to me later,
you can,
and I also
have some
things if you
want to,
to go and
read about
each one of
these books.
But,
there's so
many out
there,
but I
picked two.
So,
how many
have read
the book,
The Shack?
You don't need
to raise your
hand,
but just ask
yourself the
question.
I've read
the book,
it's a fiction
book,
but he seeks
to kind of
explain God's
relationship to
human suffering,
and it's an
emotional book,
it's even sad,
and like
emotionally,
it'll just pull
you right in,
and see,
there it is,
there's like
the biblical
shallowness of
our culture,
like it just
pulls us in
emotionally,
and we just
go throw out
like whatever
this says,
and we're just
pulled right in,
and it's a
fiction book,
and I want to
make just a
statement here,
the majority,
a lot,
excuse me,
I'll say a
lot,
a lot of
people out
there,
they don't get
their theology
from the Bible,
they get it
from Christian
fiction,
right?
And the
problem is,
you can't
just say,
well,
it was just
a fiction
book,
and he
didn't mean
for it to
be like a
systematic
theology,
or anything
like that,
but the
problem is,
people don't
read it that
way,
they get
like what
they believe
about God
from those
books,
and anybody,
regardless of
who you are,
you're held
accountable for
how you try
to portray
God,
whether it's
to a child
in a fiction
book,
or whether
it's to
grown adults,
like God
will hold you
accountable,
God cares
about how
he's seen,
and how
he's viewed,
there was a
Puritan named
William Ames
a long time
ago,
and he was
a loving,
kind pastor,
the people
loved him,
he spoke the
word of God,
and ministered
to the
laws,
and after
one of his
sermons,
the guy
said,
pastor,
you are so
precise in
what you say,
the Puritans
are known for
their precision
on what they
say,
they'll tell you
20 things they
don't mean,
before they tell
you 20 things
they do mean,
and,
but his
response was,
sir,
I serve a
precise God,
that's like
what he said,
so,
but in this
book,
real quickly,
there was this
guy named
Mack,
and his
daughter was
brutally
murdered in
this shack,
and he
receives an
invitation,
that ends up
being from
God himself,
to go back
to the shack,
and for,
and in the
process,
he meets the
Trinity there,
Father,
Son,
and Holy
Spirit,
but they're
not,
they're
portrayed by,
you know,
African-American
woman,
and an
Asian woman,
and Jesus
actually plays
himself as
the Middle
Eastern man
in the
book,
so,
it's a
book that
really does
muddle the
sovereignty of
God,
it butchers the
Trinity,
and it's a
bad understanding
of salvation,
and I've done
my research on
William Young,
I don't,
I don't hate
this guy,
I feel like
terribly sorry
for him,
alright,
so here's
just a few
things out
of this book
that I saw,
and one is,
in regards to
the Trinity,
okay,
people are like,
I read this and
now I understand
the Trinity,
but no,
it says,
page 96,
it says,
when we three,
this is one of
them talking,
when we three
spoke ourselves
into human
existence,
as God,
the Son,
we became
fully human,
the Father,
the Spirit,
and Jesus
were together
at the cross,
and together
they were
crucified,
what?
No,
the Son
became manifest
in flesh,
the Father
didn't,
the Holy Spirit
did not,
who was
crucified on the
cross,
was the Father?
Nope,
it does this
all throughout
the book,
it gets the
roles of each
member of the
Trinity all
mixed up,
and that is
not glorifying
to God at
all,
and then when
it comes to
the understanding
of sin,
and punishment
of sin,
and judgment,
Jung carries
like an extreme
universal point
of view,
and he slips
it right in,
time and
again,
so this is
Jesus talking,
and he says,
this is what he
says,
I'm the best
way any
human can
relate to
Papa or
Sarayu,
well,
Father and
Holy Spirit,
to see me
is to see
them,
the love you
sense from me
is no different
from how they
love you,
so now Jesus
is the best
way to relate
to the Father,
in English
language,
the best way
means that
there are
other ways,
okay,
and in
regard to sin,
he said this,
this is,
this is Papa
talking,
he says,
I don't need
to punish
people for
sin,
sin is
its own
punishment,
devouring
you from
the inside,
it is not
my purpose
to punish
it,
it is my
joy to
cure it,
oops,
see,
sounds nice,
right,
but then,
this is page
120,
he says,
man,
I cannot
send any
of my
children
to an
eternal
hell just
because they
sin against
me,
your
understanding
of God
is wrong,
I am not
the one
who will
condemn
most people
to an
eternity
of torment,
and throughout
the book,
he uses
children,
the word
children,
as everybody
in the
world,
he is not
referring to
the believers,
scripture is
clear,
if you don't
have Christ,
it says the
wrath of
God remains
on you,
and the
true children
of God
are those
who have
Christ,
and that is
it,
it is not
a general
thing at
all,
and so,
God is not
going to
punish sin,
it is not,
what does it
say here,
he says that
most people
will not,
it is not
my purpose
to condemn
anybody,
well,
broad is
the path
that leads
to destruction,
and many
will find
it,
right,
like there's
this idea
there,
so there's
so much
in this
book,
but as
someone who's
been through
suffering,
he really
does,
like,
just destroy
God's
sovereignty
over suffering,
and like,
if you take
away the
sovereignty
of God,
you have
zero
comfort,
zero,
what's God
going to do,
he can't
protect you
from anything
at all,
and he
carries an
open theistic
point of view,
which you can
look up later,
but it's,
God is
reactive to
situations,
he's not
ordained
situations,
so,
man,
don't get
your theology
from this
stuff,
and pray
for this
guy,
okay,
and,
another
one,
this is just
the second
one,
this would
just be
a Bible
exegesis,
if we
didn't just
explain,
and touch
home on
some things,
but a
very well-known,
popular book,
a guy that I
actually used to
read a little
bit of,
and enjoyed
some of the
stuff,
but he's
taking just a
dive off the
deep end,
and he needs
prayer as
well,
but the
book is
called
Love
Wins,
a book
about heaven,
hell,
and the fate
of every
person who
lived by
Rob Bell,
and Rob
Bell
traditionally
has some
good stuff,
some good
teaching,
but just
he ever
slowly just
started kind
of slipping
off what
straying from
the doctrine
he had
received,
straying from
the gospel
that he had
believed.
He's a
mega church
leader,
but basically
he's saying
that hell
is something
that we
create for
ourselves
when we
reject God's
love,
and hell
is like a
present reality.
He's saying
that the
suffering and
stuff that we
go through in
this life is
hell,
but it's
not compared
to what is
to come,
but he says
that at the
end of the
day,
hell won't
be forever
because God
is going to
have his
way,
and love
wins,
and one
day,
all people
will be
reconciled
to God
regardless,
either in
this life
or the
next,
they're
going to
be
reconciled
to God
again.
There will
be no
eternal
torment
of the
lost at
all,
and I
rarely,
I've heard
Rob Bell
interview,
I've read
a lot of
his stuff,
I've rarely
seen someone
so crafty
with words,
he's so
good,
like he
twists and
turns things,
he uses
really good
Christian
jargon,
so if
you have
read the
book or
want to
just be
aware of
this,
readers need
to pay
attention to
the idea
of hell
he describes,
and he
does actually
bring up,
you know,
Jesus is the
only way,
but not in
the way we
would explain
that at all,
not the
biblical,
orthodox,
historical way
that's been
taught forever,
whatever,
so pay
attention to
those things,
remember,
bad theology
usually sneaks
under the
guise of
familiar language,
he used
200 pages
to kind of
sneak in
little things,
and so,
in general,
this isn't
a new thing
at all,
this teaching
could be
summed up
with a
minor difference
or two,
in his case,
under what
is called
universalism,
which means
that one
day,
again,
all people
will be
saved,
there will
be no
one in
hell,
it carries
a few
different
ideas,
but everyone
is savingly
loved by
God,
and is
reconciled
to God
already,
because of
what Jesus
has done,
it says
because of
the wideness
of God's
mercy,
people of
other religions
even,
will somehow
find their
way into
heaven one
day,
and initially,
it says
that despite
some people's
rejection of
his love,
these people
are still
loved by
God,
and will
one day
be with
him in
heaven,
so it's
this idea
that one
day,
we're all
going to
be there
regardless
of what
goes on
in this
life,
if that's
true,
why are
we sending
missionaries
out to
die brutal
deaths with
the gospel,
if love's
going to
win,
let's just
sit here
and chill
out,
not go
do anything
for the
sake of
Christ
worldwide,
this is
not true,
scripture,
Matthew 25,
out of
Jesus'
own mouth,
this is about
the judgment,
the last
judgment,
he says,
many will
go astray
into eternal
punishment,
eternal punishment,
says,
but the
righteous into
eternal life,
turn,
I'll show you
one,
turn to
2 Thessalonians
chapter 1,
I don't
know like
what is
clearer
than this,
and go
to verse
5,
2 Thessalonians
chapter 1,
verse 5,
and this
is scary
stuff,
it says,
this is the
evidence of
the righteous
judgment of
God,
that you may
be considered
worthy of
the kingdom
of God,
for which
you are
also
suffering,
since indeed
God considers
it just
to repay
with affliction
those who
afflict you,
and to grant
relief to you
who are
afflicted as
well as
to us,
when the
Lord Jesus
Christ,
here it is,
the second
coming of
Christ,
okay,
when the
Lord Jesus
is revealed
from heaven
with his
mighty angels
and flaming
fire,
inflicting
vengeance on
those who
do not
know God,
and on
those who
do not
obey the
gospel of
our Lord
Jesus,
they will
suffer a
punishment of
eternal destruction,
does that sound
temporary?
Like that says,
eternal destruction,
away from the
presence of the
Lord,
and from the
glory of his
might,
when he comes
on that day
to be glorified
in his saints,
and to be
marveled at by
all who have
believed,
because of the
testimony,
their testimony
you have
believed.
So,
wow,
like what's
clearer than
that?
The Lord
hates sin,
but guess
what?
Like he just
as equally
is merciful
and gracious.
Like you
don't know
what the
love of God
is until
you've
experienced
how much
you've
been forgiven.
And we
want God
to be a
God who
hates sin,
and we'll
destroy it
one day,
and we're
thankful that
he has
provided a
way for us
to be
reconciled
to God.
In Revelation,
it says that
those who
are cast
into the
fire will
be tormented
day after
day,
forever and
ever.
That's exactly
what it says.
There's no
temporary thing
there at all.
So,
to just be
aware that
that stuff's
out there,
pray for
these men.
This isn't
something to
laugh about
at all.
And like I
said,
this wasn't
meant to be a
full book
review.
I come
and talk
to me
later.
I have
some things
you can
look at
on each
one of
those.
But those
are just
two that
are really
mainline out
there.
We forget
that up
here in
Dahlonega,
North Georgia,
Christ's
family.
We are
blessed to
hear really
good Bible
teaching every
week.
So,
this goes
back to
Romans again,
the last
point here,
and we're
closing it
up.
Romans 16,
go to
verse 19,
and this
is the
last question.
What is
Paul's
encouragement
to the
church in
Rome?
In
verse 19,
he says,
Paul rejoices
that the
church in
Rome,
in his
time,
was well
known for
battling
false
teachings.
things.
They did
such a
great job
at it,
and he
was thankful
for that.
He's like,
remain that
way,
be able to
stay wise
in what is
good,
innocent to
what is
evil.
So,
he says,
stay that
way,
but then
he gives
him an
encouragement
and says,
one day,
God will
soon crush
Satan under
your feet.
We will
triumph with
Christ in
the end,
and we
will see
him brought
low.
This is
very unlike
the church
at Galatia,
and this
is where
we're going
to close.
But,
I do
invite you
to turn
to this
if you
like.
It's
really a
great text,
and it'll
be good
to kind
of sum
up
everything
we've
said
today.
Galatians
1,
verse 6.
The church
at Galatia
had done
the exact
opposite of
the church
in Rome.
They were
allowing,
you know,
false
teachings
to come
in,
particularly
the Judaizers
teaching that
obeying the
law was a
part of
being saved.
So,
verse 6.
He says,
I am
astonished
that you
are so
quickly
deserting
him who
called you
in the
grace of
Christ,
and are
turning to
a different
gospel.
Not that
there is
another one,
but there
are some
who trouble
you and
want to
distort the
gospel of
Christ.
Alright,
so he's
like,
he's
blown away
that they're
believing this
stuff,
and it
happened so
fast.
Then listen
to this,
he says,
but even
if we
or an
angel from
heaven
should
preach to
you a
gospel
contrary
to the
one we
preached to
you,
let him
be accursed.
Wow,
like he even
threw himself
in there.
If we come
back later
on and
say,
hey,
something
different
going on.
But then
he says an
angel from
heaven,
like who
wouldn't
believe an
angel from
heaven?
If Gabriel
came and
said,
hey,
there's
another
way,
right?
Y'all know
that like
several major
world religions
out there
were started
that way.
Islam,
Mormonism,
claiming to
see angelic
beings that
preach the
gospel contrary
to the one
received.
It says,
let him be
accursed.
And that
word,
in Greek,
it means to
be cut off
completely.
He's saying
here that it
is better
for that
person who
is distorting
the gospel
to be
cut off
from God
altogether
than for
him to
go on
deceiving
and teaching
other people
things that are
going to lead
them to
destruction.
That's what
it means.
Verse 9
says,
As we have
said before,
so I say
again,
If anyone
is preaching
to you a
gospel contrary
to the one
you have
received,
let him be
accursed.
For I am
not seeking
the approval
of man.
And for am I
seeking the
approval of man
or of God,
or am I
trying to
please man?
If I were
still trying
to please
man, I
would not
be a servant
of Christ.
Okay, like
the gospel,
there's no way
to dress it up
and make it
sound good to
people initially.
They have to
understand that
they have
cancer.
They have
to know
that they're
dead in
their sin.
They're
separated from
God.
But we
have a
loving,
gracious,
love does
win, by
the way,
but not
the kind
referred to.
The
unconquerable
love of
Christ can
save us
from our
sin.
And about
this text,
this is
something John
Calvin said
about this
text, and
like it's so
Christ-centered,
so glory of
God-focused.
He said,
it is better
that the
whole world
should perish
and be
consumed
than for the
gospel to be
perverted.
We must
cling with
strong affection
to the
gospel and
not allow
anyone to
corrupt it.
Like, it's
better for us
to perish
than for the
gospel to be
distorted.
That's how
much he
exalted the
gospel.
That's how
much he
cared about
it.
So, I
just pray
that we
would be
careful in
what we
read and
what we
hear.
We would
take it to
heart and
we would
guard the
gospel,
guard the
glorious
gospel that
we've been
entrusted
with.
Grace
alone,
faith
alone,
and Christ
alone.
So, let's
pray together.