WEBVTT

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 Why do you believe and live like you do?

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 What's the strongest influence in your life?

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 Another way to ask this,

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 what caused you to adopt the personal values,

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 morals that you live by today?

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 You know, most people make decisions about what they believe

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 and how they live according to one of three sources of authority.

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 One is their personal experience.

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 A lot of people just do what they feel like doing.

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 Or they base their decisions based on what has worked well in the past,

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 their experience.

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 Some people base their morality, their values on what we'd call cultural norms.

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 That's really what everybody else believes and does.

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 Another way to say that, it's just what everybody else is doing.

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 They follow the crowd.

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 And then the third source of authority is some kind of external source of authority.

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 For Christians, that would be the Bible.

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 For other religious people, it might be some other authoritative book.

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 But the truth is, all of us in this room,

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 we're sometimes influenced by each one of those sources of authority.

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 Sometimes you just do things because you feel like it, don't you?

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 And it's not even right, but it's how you feel at the moment.

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 And sometimes we all sort of get caught up in what everybody else is doing,

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 and we just follow the crowd.

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 It's the easiest way.

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 And then, as Christians, there are hopefully many times

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 that what we do is intentionally an attempt to be obedient to what the Bible says.

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 What most consistently influences you?

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 Or who most consistently influences your decisions

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 about what you believe and how you live?

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 Here are some questions.

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 They'll help us all to decide.

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 What are you doing with your money?

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 How do you spend your time?

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 On what basis did you make the decision on how,

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 in a general rule, you spend your money and your time?

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 What led you?

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 What leads you to do that?

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 What are you teaching your children and grandchildren about priorities?

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 About morality?

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 About their faith?

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 And other things that matter most.

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 What are you teaching them?

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 And we teach a lot of things.

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 Don't get me wrong.

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 But what is your source that you're drawing from

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 to influence those who are looking to you

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 and soaking up what you say and do?

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 What or who is having the strongest influence on you,

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 the way you think, what you believe,

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 the way you live right now?

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 We're involved in the study of how God wants us to live in this world

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 until we see Jesus face to face,

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 which is going to happen when we die, the moment we die,

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 or when He returns to this world, if we're alive at that time.

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 We're in 2 Peter chapter 3,

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 and please, if you would turn back there,

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 because we're going to focus on one particular verse this morning,

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 verse 17.

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 We're continuing our study of this series

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 about how to live till we see Jesus.

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 Today we're going to continue to look at what we started last week,

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 our responsibility to guard against the influence of false teachers.

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 And also, we're going to be looking at our responsibility

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 to maintain strong and stable biblical beliefs.

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 Let's look at 2 Peter chapter 3,

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 beginning in verse 13.

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 Peter is moving from what he's been talking about in this chapter 3,

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 about the second coming of Jesus,

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 into how he wants to encourage his readers to live until they see Jesus.

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 I hope most of you remember,

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 before we got into this series,

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 we spent four weeks looking at what happens after we die,

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 what happens after a Christian dies.

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 And so now,

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 we're in the fourth week of looking at

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 how do we live until then.

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 And Peter is giving us some good counsel.

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 Begin in verse 13.

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 But according to his promise,

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 we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth

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 in which righteousness dwells.

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 Therefore, beloved,

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 since you are waiting for these,

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 be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish,

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 and at peace,

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 and count the patience of our Lord as salvation,

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 just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you,

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 according to the wisdom given him,

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 as he does in all his letters

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 when he speaks in them of these matters.

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 There are some things in them that are hard to understand,

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 which the ignorant and unstable

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 twist to their own destruction,

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 as they do the other scriptures.

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 You, therefore, beloved,

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 knowing this beforehand,

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 take care

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 that you are not carried away

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 with the error of lawless people

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 and lose your own stability,

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 but grow in the grace and knowledge

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 of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

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 To him be the glory

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 both now

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 and to the day of eternity.

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 Amen.

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 Peter's telling us

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 how

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 one day

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 we can look Jesus

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 in the eye

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 without fear,

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 without regrets.

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 The Bible is trying to tell us

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 when it talks about the second coming

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 and these kind of things,

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 as sure as we're alive right now

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 and you look around

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 and you see one another,

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 one day everybody's going to see Jesus.

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 We can be prepared

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 when that day comes

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 not to be scared to death,

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 not to have so many regrets

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 of what I should or shouldn't have done,

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 but Peter's telling us some things

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 that will help us to be ready

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 to see him

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 have a smile on our face.

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 Let's look at him.

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 We've been challenged

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 to get serious about our character,

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 to make the most

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 of God's patience,

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 and last week we looked at

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 stay on guard

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 against false teachers.

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 I want you to look

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 one more time

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 the latter part of verse 16

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 or the second sentence

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 in 16

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 and verse 17.

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 He's talking about

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 staying on guard

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 against false teachers.

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 There are some things in them,

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 Paul's letters he's talking about,

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 that are hard to understand,

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 which the ignorant

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 and unstable twist

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 to their own destruction

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 as they do the other scriptures.

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 You, therefore, beloved,

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 knowing this beforehand,

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 take care.

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 Most translations say,

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 be on your guard,

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 that you are not carried away

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 with the error

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 of lawless people

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 and lose your own stability.

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 We looked mostly

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 at verse 16 last week,

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 so I want us to focus

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 more on verse 17 now.

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 The warning is clear.

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 Look at it.

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 He's saying,

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 don't be carried away

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 by those who twist scripture

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 to support erroneous teaching

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 and lawless living.

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 We need to understand.

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 Whenever someone twists

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 what is obviously

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 the clear meaning of scripture,

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 they are turning

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 the truth of God's word

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 into false teaching.

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 That's why

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 they are described here

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 as teaching error

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 in verse 17.

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 Now, Peter also points out

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 that these people

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 who are doing this,

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 they are lawless people.

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 He has described them

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 in detail in chapter 2.

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 In fact,

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 that's what chapter 2 is.

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 It's a description

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 of false teachers,

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 what they believe

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 and how they live.

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 Now,

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 he describes them

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 as not only teaching things

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 that are contrary

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 to God's moral law,

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 but they live

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 immoral lives openly.

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 I want you to look

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 at some of the phrases

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 he uses to describe

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 these immoral people.

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 I'm quoting from chapter 2

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 and I'm using here

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 the New Living Translation.

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 He's talking about

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 how they are

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 immoral people.

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 Look at these verses.

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 They're evil teaching

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 and shameful immorality.

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 Those who follow

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 their own twisted

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 sexual desire.

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 They commit adultery

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 with their eyes.

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 They lust.

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 And their desire

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 for sin

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 is never satisfied.

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 These people

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 are not just

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 immoral people.

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 They're arrogant.

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 They are in people's face

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 about it.

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 Look at it.

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 These people are proud

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 and arrogant,

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 daring even to scoff

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 that supernatural beings,

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 angels,

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 without so much

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 as trembling.

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 They talk flippantly

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 about angels

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 as if they're on their level,

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 I think is the idea.

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 And then the next verse,

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 they love to indulge

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 in evil pleasures

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 in broad daylight.

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 Most normal,

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 most normal people

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 of whatever stripe

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 have enough

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 shame about them

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 to hide

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 their sinful behavior.

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 I mean,

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 we do that,

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 don't we?

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 When we are going

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 to do things

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 that we know

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 are not right,

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 we don't want

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 everybody to see it.

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 we're ashamed.

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 We'd be embarrassed.

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 But Peter's describing

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 people who claim

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 to be Christians now.

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 They are so blatant

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 in people's face

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 in the way

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 that they live,

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 they do it

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 in broad daylight.

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 They don't care.

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 Their goal

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 was to entice others

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 to join them

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 in immoral living.

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 Look at it.

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 They lure

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 unstable people

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 into sin.

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 With an appeal

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 to twisted

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 sexual desires,

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 they lure

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 back into sin

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 those who have

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 barely escaped

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 from a lifestyle

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 of deception.

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 Now,

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 as bad as all

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 that is,

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 that's not

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 what's so dangerous.

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 What is most

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 dangerous about

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 these false teachers

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 is that they claim

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 to be Christian

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 teachers?

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 They were

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 in the church

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 or had been

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 in the church.

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 They didn't

00:12:21.620 --> 00:12:23.000
 ignore Scripture.

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 They did something

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 worse.

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 They claimed

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 to be teaching it,

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 but they twisted

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 the meaning

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 of God's Word

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 to support

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 their erroneous

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 and immoral

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 teaching.

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 They were

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 what Jesus

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 described

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 false prophets

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 as in the

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 Sermon on the Mount.

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 They were

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 wolves

00:12:44.500 --> 00:12:46.040
 in sheep's

00:12:46.040 --> 00:12:46.740
 clothing.

00:12:48.879 --> 00:12:49.340
 Now,

00:12:49.980 --> 00:12:50.639
 look back

00:12:50.639 --> 00:12:51.500
 at verse 17

00:12:51.500 --> 00:12:53.019
 at the specific

00:12:53.019 --> 00:12:53.740
 warning

00:12:53.740 --> 00:12:54.700
 that's being made.

00:12:56.560 --> 00:12:57.820
 I put it in bold,

00:12:57.940 --> 00:12:58.800
 the first part of this.

00:12:59.420 --> 00:13:00.580
 Take care

00:13:00.580 --> 00:13:01.379
 that you are

00:13:01.379 --> 00:13:02.259
 not carried

00:13:02.259 --> 00:13:03.060
 away

00:13:03.060 --> 00:13:04.639
 with the

00:13:04.639 --> 00:13:05.139
 error

00:13:05.139 --> 00:13:06.400
 of lawless

00:13:06.400 --> 00:13:06.759
 people.

00:13:08.680 --> 00:13:09.200
 Now,

00:13:09.240 --> 00:13:09.420
 I want you

00:13:09.420 --> 00:13:09.680
 to think

00:13:09.680 --> 00:13:09.980
 about

00:13:09.980 --> 00:13:11.180
 how are

00:13:11.180 --> 00:13:11.680
 most

00:13:11.680 --> 00:13:12.420
 Christians,

00:13:13.660 --> 00:13:13.980
 how do

00:13:13.980 --> 00:13:14.500
 most Christians

00:13:14.500 --> 00:13:15.440
 go astray?

00:13:18.860 --> 00:13:19.680
 When you

00:13:19.680 --> 00:13:21.220
 do things

00:13:21.220 --> 00:13:21.620
 that you know

00:13:21.620 --> 00:13:22.100
 are not right

00:13:22.100 --> 00:13:22.580
 before God,

00:13:22.620 --> 00:13:22.820
 when you

00:13:22.820 --> 00:13:23.160
 disobey

00:13:23.160 --> 00:13:23.800
 God's Word,

00:13:25.180 --> 00:13:25.860
 how does

00:13:25.860 --> 00:13:26.140
 it come

00:13:26.140 --> 00:13:26.520
 about?

00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:27.780
 Excuse me,

00:13:27.920 --> 00:13:28.180
 please.

00:13:28.179 --> 00:13:30.199
 Do you

00:13:30.199 --> 00:13:30.539
 wake up

00:13:30.539 --> 00:13:30.939
 one morning

00:13:30.939 --> 00:13:31.359
 and think,

00:13:32.079 --> 00:13:33.299
 I think

00:13:33.299 --> 00:13:33.859
 I'll just

00:13:33.859 --> 00:13:34.539
 defy

00:13:34.539 --> 00:13:35.179
 God

00:13:35.179 --> 00:13:37.019
 and lie

00:13:37.019 --> 00:13:37.379
 to my

00:13:37.379 --> 00:13:38.019
 wife

00:13:38.019 --> 00:13:39.439
 about what

00:13:39.439 --> 00:13:39.659
 I'm going

00:13:39.659 --> 00:13:39.859
 to do

00:13:39.859 --> 00:13:40.139
 today?

00:13:41.879 --> 00:13:42.199
 Do you

00:13:42.199 --> 00:13:42.500
 ever wake

00:13:42.500 --> 00:13:42.799
 up one

00:13:42.799 --> 00:13:43.039
 morning

00:13:43.039 --> 00:13:43.319
 and just

00:13:43.319 --> 00:13:43.659
 think to

00:13:43.659 --> 00:13:44.059
 yourself,

00:13:44.599 --> 00:13:46.079
 I am

00:13:46.079 --> 00:13:46.439
 going to

00:13:46.439 --> 00:13:46.859
 try to

00:13:46.859 --> 00:13:47.319
 ruin

00:13:47.319 --> 00:13:47.819
 my

00:13:47.819 --> 00:13:48.399
 good

00:13:48.399 --> 00:13:49.039
 friend

00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:50.120
 with

00:13:50.120 --> 00:13:50.799
 slander,

00:13:51.519 --> 00:13:52.259
 with

00:13:52.259 --> 00:13:52.719
 gossip?

00:13:53.719 --> 00:13:54.339
 You don't

00:13:54.339 --> 00:13:54.699
 do that,

00:13:54.740 --> 00:13:54.919
 that's

00:13:54.919 --> 00:13:55.339
 crazy.

00:13:57.019 --> 00:13:57.359
 No,

00:13:57.360 --> 00:13:58.220
 normal

00:13:58.220 --> 00:13:58.639
 person.

00:13:58.720 --> 00:13:58.980
 If you

00:13:58.980 --> 00:13:59.519
 do wake

00:13:59.519 --> 00:13:59.779
 up and

00:13:59.779 --> 00:13:59.980
 think

00:13:59.980 --> 00:14:00.220
 those

00:14:00.220 --> 00:14:00.460
 things,

00:14:00.519 --> 00:14:00.680
 there's

00:14:00.680 --> 00:14:00.899
 something

00:14:00.899 --> 00:14:01.180
 wrong

00:14:01.180 --> 00:14:01.500
 with you.

00:14:03.139 --> 00:14:03.659
 It's

00:14:03.659 --> 00:14:04.180
 not just

00:14:04.180 --> 00:14:04.519
 that you're

00:14:04.519 --> 00:14:04.980
 not a

00:14:04.980 --> 00:14:05.399
 Christian,

00:14:06.620 --> 00:14:06.919
 there's

00:14:06.919 --> 00:14:07.759
 deep

00:14:07.759 --> 00:14:08.539
 problems

00:14:08.539 --> 00:14:10.200
 in you.

00:14:11.980 --> 00:14:12.680
 What we

00:14:12.680 --> 00:14:12.980
 do,

00:14:13.860 --> 00:14:14.300
 we don't

00:14:14.300 --> 00:14:15.180
 intentionally

00:14:15.180 --> 00:14:16.580
 rebel

00:14:16.580 --> 00:14:17.259
 against God,

00:14:17.320 --> 00:14:17.560
 we don't

00:14:17.560 --> 00:14:17.960
 sit around

00:14:17.960 --> 00:14:18.500
 and plan

00:14:18.500 --> 00:14:18.740
 it.

00:14:19.740 --> 00:14:20.279
 The way

00:14:20.279 --> 00:14:20.659
 most of

00:14:20.659 --> 00:14:20.919
 us go

00:14:20.919 --> 00:14:21.399
 astray

00:14:21.399 --> 00:14:22.720
 is we

00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:23.159
 get sort

00:14:23.159 --> 00:14:24.080
 of carried

00:14:24.080 --> 00:14:25.240
 along

00:14:25.240 --> 00:14:27.259
 based on

00:14:27.259 --> 00:14:27.600
 how we

00:14:27.600 --> 00:14:28.080
 feel at

00:14:28.080 --> 00:14:28.460
 a moment,

00:14:29.460 --> 00:14:30.980
 based on

00:14:30.980 --> 00:14:31.460
 what other

00:14:31.460 --> 00:14:32.419
 people are

00:14:32.419 --> 00:14:33.340
 doing.

00:14:33.720 --> 00:14:34.159
 Maybe we

00:14:34.159 --> 00:14:34.419
 want to

00:14:34.419 --> 00:14:34.820
 follow the

00:14:34.820 --> 00:14:35.580
 crowd or

00:14:35.580 --> 00:14:36.019
 other people

00:14:36.019 --> 00:14:37.620
 are tempting

00:14:37.620 --> 00:14:39.340
 us and

00:14:39.340 --> 00:14:39.779
 we just

00:14:39.779 --> 00:14:40.860
 go along

00:14:40.860 --> 00:14:41.379
 with them.

00:14:43.799 --> 00:14:44.519
 Sometimes we

00:14:44.519 --> 00:14:45.000
 do things

00:14:45.000 --> 00:14:46.659
 because it

00:14:46.659 --> 00:14:47.060
 just seems

00:14:47.060 --> 00:14:47.659
 like doing

00:14:47.659 --> 00:14:48.440
 this thing

00:14:48.440 --> 00:14:48.980
 that I

00:14:48.980 --> 00:14:49.220
 know it's

00:14:49.220 --> 00:14:49.700
 not right,

00:14:49.779 --> 00:14:50.000
 but it

00:14:50.000 --> 00:14:50.340
 seems like

00:14:50.340 --> 00:14:50.539
 it'll be

00:14:50.539 --> 00:14:51.039
 the simplest

00:14:51.039 --> 00:14:51.500
 thing to

00:14:51.500 --> 00:14:51.680
 do.

00:14:51.820 --> 00:14:52.100
 It'll be

00:14:52.100 --> 00:14:52.500
 the easiest

00:14:52.500 --> 00:14:52.960
 thing to

00:14:52.960 --> 00:14:53.159
 do.

00:14:53.159 --> 00:14:53.959
 it'll

00:14:53.959 --> 00:14:54.259
 cause me

00:14:54.259 --> 00:14:54.600
 the least

00:14:54.600 --> 00:14:54.839
 amount

00:14:54.839 --> 00:14:55.439
 of trouble

00:14:55.439 --> 00:14:58.360
 to say,

00:14:59.039 --> 00:14:59.519
 speak this

00:14:59.519 --> 00:14:59.919
 lie,

00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:02.059
 to be

00:15:02.059 --> 00:15:02.899
 deceptive,

00:15:04.179 --> 00:15:05.019
 to not

00:15:05.019 --> 00:15:05.559
 do what

00:15:05.559 --> 00:15:06.159
 I said

00:15:06.159 --> 00:15:06.419
 I would

00:15:06.419 --> 00:15:06.639
 do.

00:15:09.199 --> 00:15:09.759
 I want

00:15:09.759 --> 00:15:10.139
 to back

00:15:10.139 --> 00:15:10.360
 up.

00:15:10.819 --> 00:15:11.059
 This is

00:15:11.059 --> 00:15:11.459
 how we

00:15:11.459 --> 00:15:12.079
 do because

00:15:12.079 --> 00:15:12.360
 this is

00:15:12.360 --> 00:15:14.759
 how super

00:15:14.759 --> 00:15:15.079
 saint

00:15:15.079 --> 00:15:15.539
 Christians

00:15:15.539 --> 00:15:15.799
 do.

00:15:16.799 --> 00:15:17.339
 The human

00:15:17.339 --> 00:15:18.019
 author of

00:15:18.019 --> 00:15:18.600
 the passage

00:15:18.600 --> 00:15:18.939
 we're

00:15:18.939 --> 00:15:20.699
 reading is

00:15:20.699 --> 00:15:21.079
 Peter.

00:15:23.159 --> 00:15:23.600
 Most of

00:15:23.600 --> 00:15:23.819
 us in

00:15:23.819 --> 00:15:24.199
 this room

00:15:24.199 --> 00:15:25.339
 know how

00:15:25.339 --> 00:15:25.959
 he gave

00:15:25.959 --> 00:15:26.339
 in to

00:15:26.339 --> 00:15:28.480
 fear and

00:15:28.480 --> 00:15:29.240
 denied that

00:15:29.240 --> 00:15:29.699
 he even

00:15:29.699 --> 00:15:30.480
 knew Jesus

00:15:30.480 --> 00:15:31.159
 three different

00:15:31.159 --> 00:15:32.719
 times on

00:15:32.719 --> 00:15:32.980
 the night

00:15:32.980 --> 00:15:33.579
 Jesus was

00:15:33.579 --> 00:15:33.980
 arrested.

00:15:35.299 --> 00:15:35.740
 But that's

00:15:35.740 --> 00:15:36.240
 not the only

00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:37.839
 time Peter

00:15:37.839 --> 00:15:41.079
 stumbled and

00:15:41.079 --> 00:15:43.500
 fell morally,

00:15:43.819 --> 00:15:46.259
 spiritually as

00:15:46.259 --> 00:15:46.879
 a man of

00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:48.720
 Christian

00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:50.079
 leadership.

00:15:50.080 --> 00:15:53.360
 Peter stumbled

00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:53.660
 on one

00:15:53.660 --> 00:15:54.220
 occasion by

00:15:54.220 --> 00:15:54.680
 giving in

00:15:54.680 --> 00:15:55.080
 to peer

00:15:55.080 --> 00:15:57.100
 pressure and

00:15:57.100 --> 00:15:57.620
 acting

00:15:57.620 --> 00:16:00.220
 hypocritically in

00:16:00.220 --> 00:16:00.740
 front of some

00:16:00.740 --> 00:16:02.280
 young Christians.

00:16:05.160 --> 00:16:05.980
 Peter not

00:16:05.980 --> 00:16:06.639
 only did it

00:16:06.639 --> 00:16:07.960
 and other

00:16:07.960 --> 00:16:08.740
 Christians not

00:16:08.740 --> 00:16:09.460
 only did it,

00:16:10.660 --> 00:16:11.660
 but Barnabas,

00:16:11.820 --> 00:16:12.740
 another well

00:16:12.740 --> 00:16:13.700
 known respected

00:16:13.700 --> 00:16:14.580
 church leader in

00:16:14.580 --> 00:16:14.879
 the book of

00:16:14.879 --> 00:16:17.040
 Acts, he

00:16:17.040 --> 00:16:18.820
 joined Peter in

00:16:18.820 --> 00:16:20.860
 the crowd and

00:16:20.860 --> 00:16:22.040
 acting hypocritically.

00:16:22.540 --> 00:16:23.000
 I want to show

00:16:23.000 --> 00:16:23.280
 you what I'm

00:16:23.280 --> 00:16:23.640
 talking about.

00:16:23.700 --> 00:16:23.900
 It's in

00:16:23.900 --> 00:16:24.580
 Galatians chapter

00:16:24.580 --> 00:16:24.920
 two.

00:16:26.100 --> 00:16:26.800
 The problem

00:16:26.800 --> 00:16:27.800
 was Peter and

00:16:27.800 --> 00:16:28.340
 some other

00:16:28.340 --> 00:16:30.640
 Christians and

00:16:30.640 --> 00:16:31.760
 then Barnabas,

00:16:32.600 --> 00:16:35.540
 they were at

00:16:35.540 --> 00:16:36.400
 one point

00:16:36.400 --> 00:16:38.560
 engaging in

00:16:38.560 --> 00:16:39.160
 just normal

00:16:39.160 --> 00:16:39.560
 Christian

00:16:39.560 --> 00:16:40.420
 fellowship with

00:16:40.420 --> 00:16:42.180
 non-Jewish

00:16:42.180 --> 00:16:42.660
 Christians,

00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:43.460
 Gentile

00:16:43.460 --> 00:16:43.980
 Christians.

00:16:43.980 --> 00:16:44.100
 Christians.

00:16:45.100 --> 00:16:45.700
 But some

00:16:45.700 --> 00:16:46.899
 more Jewish

00:16:46.899 --> 00:16:47.860
 thinking Christians

00:16:47.860 --> 00:16:48.639
 came to that

00:16:48.639 --> 00:16:50.440
 area and

00:16:50.440 --> 00:16:51.340
 Peter and

00:16:51.340 --> 00:16:51.680
 some of the

00:16:51.680 --> 00:16:52.180
 others thought

00:16:52.180 --> 00:16:53.259
 they're going

00:16:53.259 --> 00:16:54.200
 to be mad at

00:16:54.200 --> 00:16:55.000
 us, they're

00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:55.519
 going to think

00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:56.379
 that we're less

00:16:56.379 --> 00:16:57.120
 than what we

00:16:57.120 --> 00:16:58.259
 ought to be by

00:16:58.259 --> 00:16:59.200
 mingling with

00:16:59.200 --> 00:16:59.820
 the Gentiles.

00:17:00.139 --> 00:17:01.039
 So Peter and

00:17:01.039 --> 00:17:02.019
 Barnabas, they

00:17:02.019 --> 00:17:02.680
 withdrew.

00:17:04.779 --> 00:17:05.539
 And what Paul

00:17:05.539 --> 00:17:06.700
 says, they were

00:17:06.700 --> 00:17:07.339
 being hypocrites.

00:17:07.440 --> 00:17:07.900
 Look at it.

00:17:08.640 --> 00:17:09.120
 He says, but

00:17:09.120 --> 00:17:09.819
 when Cephas,

00:17:09.900 --> 00:17:10.240
 that's another

00:17:10.240 --> 00:17:10.799
 name for Peter,

00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:12.420
 when Cephas came

00:17:12.420 --> 00:17:13.480
 to Antioch, I

00:17:13.480 --> 00:17:14.560
 opposed him to

00:17:14.560 --> 00:17:16.140
 his face because

00:17:16.140 --> 00:17:17.440
 he stood condemned

00:17:17.440 --> 00:17:18.420
 and the rest of

00:17:18.420 --> 00:17:19.220
 the Jews acted

00:17:19.220 --> 00:17:20.180
 hypocritically along

00:17:20.180 --> 00:17:21.340
 with him so that

00:17:21.340 --> 00:17:22.420
 even Barnabas was

00:17:22.420 --> 00:17:23.660
 led astray by

00:17:23.660 --> 00:17:25.240
 their hypocrisy.

00:17:27.360 --> 00:17:28.220
 Now I want you

00:17:28.220 --> 00:17:31.700
 to think, Simon

00:17:31.700 --> 00:17:34.539
 Peter, the leader

00:17:34.539 --> 00:17:35.880
 of the apostles,

00:17:38.160 --> 00:17:40.140
 Barnabas, he is

00:17:40.140 --> 00:17:40.779
 the one who

00:17:40.779 --> 00:17:42.080
 actually mentored

00:17:42.079 --> 00:17:44.859
 Paul, got Paul

00:17:44.859 --> 00:17:47.679
 involved in

00:17:47.679 --> 00:17:48.639
 teaching and

00:17:48.639 --> 00:17:50.059
 having influence.

00:17:52.439 --> 00:17:53.720
 Peter and

00:17:53.720 --> 00:17:55.679
 Paul, or Peter

00:17:55.679 --> 00:17:58.619
 and Barnabas, they

00:17:58.619 --> 00:17:59.899
 got caught up in

00:17:59.899 --> 00:18:00.379
 the crowd.

00:18:01.099 --> 00:18:02.079
 They gave in to

00:18:02.079 --> 00:18:02.799
 peer pressure.

00:18:04.379 --> 00:18:05.699
 They got carried

00:18:05.699 --> 00:18:06.179
 away.

00:18:07.299 --> 00:18:08.359
 They sinned.

00:18:09.419 --> 00:18:09.939
 They were

00:18:09.939 --> 00:18:10.879
 hypocritical in

00:18:10.880 --> 00:18:11.360
 front of a lot

00:18:11.360 --> 00:18:12.160
 of young

00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:13.720
 Christians, so

00:18:13.720 --> 00:18:14.480
 much so that

00:18:14.480 --> 00:18:15.500
 Paul called

00:18:15.500 --> 00:18:16.500
 them out publicly

00:18:16.500 --> 00:18:17.120
 over it.

00:18:19.120 --> 00:18:19.900
 If that could

00:18:19.900 --> 00:18:20.540
 happen to those

00:18:20.540 --> 00:18:22.680
 guys, that

00:18:22.680 --> 00:18:23.140
 could happen to

00:18:23.140 --> 00:18:23.660
 us, can't it?

00:18:24.740 --> 00:18:25.360
 We can get

00:18:25.360 --> 00:18:26.100
 carried away

00:18:26.100 --> 00:18:28.620
 more easily

00:18:28.620 --> 00:18:29.140
 than them.

00:18:30.520 --> 00:18:31.240
 I think the

00:18:31.240 --> 00:18:31.860
 reason why many

00:18:31.860 --> 00:18:32.880
 individual Christians,

00:18:33.380 --> 00:18:34.080
 churches, and even

00:18:34.080 --> 00:18:36.580
 denominations have

00:18:36.580 --> 00:18:37.700
 rejected the truth

00:18:37.700 --> 00:18:38.200
 of Scripture

00:18:38.200 --> 00:18:38.920
 concerning such

00:18:38.920 --> 00:18:39.900
 things is human

00:18:39.900 --> 00:18:41.920
 sexuality and

00:18:41.920 --> 00:18:44.100
 marriage is

00:18:44.100 --> 00:18:44.580
 due to their

00:18:44.580 --> 00:18:45.900
 being carried

00:18:45.900 --> 00:18:46.759
 along or

00:18:46.759 --> 00:18:49.180
 carried away by

00:18:49.180 --> 00:18:50.600
 the error of

00:18:50.600 --> 00:18:51.279
 false teachers.

00:18:52.960 --> 00:18:53.680
 It didn't

00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:54.340
 happen overnight.

00:18:55.700 --> 00:18:56.740
 The two most

00:18:56.740 --> 00:18:59.800
 about-faces that

00:18:59.800 --> 00:19:01.360
 has taken place in

00:19:01.360 --> 00:19:03.380
 this generation in

00:19:03.380 --> 00:19:05.600
 terms of churches,

00:19:05.860 --> 00:19:06.519
 denominations,

00:19:06.519 --> 00:19:07.460
 individual Christians

00:19:07.460 --> 00:19:09.000
 turning away from,

00:19:09.139 --> 00:19:10.160
 rejecting the clear

00:19:10.160 --> 00:19:10.960
 teaching of Scripture

00:19:10.960 --> 00:19:11.879
 about human

00:19:11.879 --> 00:19:12.759
 sexuality and

00:19:12.759 --> 00:19:13.279
 the institution of

00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:13.579
 marriage.

00:19:14.879 --> 00:19:15.660
 Nothing has been

00:19:15.660 --> 00:19:16.720
 quite like this in

00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:17.359
 this generation.

00:19:18.059 --> 00:19:19.039
 The about-face, the

00:19:19.039 --> 00:19:19.599
 change has taken

00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:19.980
 place.

00:19:20.639 --> 00:19:21.119
 But I want you to

00:19:21.119 --> 00:19:21.379
 know it didn't

00:19:21.379 --> 00:19:21.980
 happen overnight.

00:19:22.819 --> 00:19:23.359
 It happened over

00:19:23.359 --> 00:19:24.339
 many years.

00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:26.200
 As Christians

00:19:26.200 --> 00:19:27.519
 started twisting the

00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:28.539
 truth of Scripture

00:19:28.539 --> 00:19:29.779
 about these issues

00:19:29.779 --> 00:19:32.440
 to make the church

00:19:32.440 --> 00:19:35.980
 less offensive to the

00:19:35.980 --> 00:19:36.400
 culture.

00:19:37.599 --> 00:19:38.759
 This twisting of

00:19:38.759 --> 00:19:40.500
 Scripture evolved

00:19:40.500 --> 00:19:41.599
 into the rejection

00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:43.720
 of biblical

00:19:43.720 --> 00:19:46.360
 authority and

00:19:46.360 --> 00:19:47.759
 replaced it with

00:19:47.759 --> 00:19:49.000
 no authority.

00:19:49.740 --> 00:19:50.480
 Do what you want

00:19:50.480 --> 00:19:50.799
 to do.

00:19:51.900 --> 00:19:52.680
 So now instead of

00:19:52.680 --> 00:19:53.140
 looking at what the

00:19:53.140 --> 00:19:53.980
 Bible teaches about

00:19:53.980 --> 00:19:55.279
 homosexuality and

00:19:55.279 --> 00:19:56.360
 same-sex marriage,

00:19:56.940 --> 00:19:57.740
 we have some

00:19:57.740 --> 00:19:59.220
 Christians, we have

00:19:59.220 --> 00:20:01.099
 some churches, we

00:20:01.099 --> 00:20:02.160
 have some entire

00:20:02.160 --> 00:20:04.980
 denominations that are

00:20:04.980 --> 00:20:06.759
 looking at what the

00:20:06.759 --> 00:20:09.839
 culture says and

00:20:09.839 --> 00:20:10.860
 calling that normal.

00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:12.620
 They're looking at

00:20:12.620 --> 00:20:13.500
 what people say they

00:20:13.500 --> 00:20:16.779
 feel and let that be

00:20:16.779 --> 00:20:17.940
 the determining factor

00:20:17.940 --> 00:20:19.120
 about what they

00:20:19.120 --> 00:20:19.500
 believe.

00:20:20.839 --> 00:20:21.620
 Now to make matters

00:20:21.620 --> 00:20:22.720
 worse, some of these

00:20:22.720 --> 00:20:24.559
 liberal churches still

00:20:24.559 --> 00:20:26.160
 claim to believe in the

00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:27.240
 authority of the Bible.

00:20:28.660 --> 00:20:29.500
 I want to give you a

00:20:29.500 --> 00:20:31.200
 specific example of a

00:20:31.200 --> 00:20:32.200
 church that's done this.

00:20:32.200 --> 00:20:33.920
 It's First Baptist

00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:34.960
 Church of Greenville,

00:20:35.080 --> 00:20:35.680
 South Carolina.

00:20:37.039 --> 00:20:39.019
 Now, I want you to

00:20:39.019 --> 00:20:39.819
 understand I'm not

00:20:39.819 --> 00:20:40.660
 picking on them.

00:20:41.819 --> 00:20:43.460
 I'm not singling them

00:20:43.460 --> 00:20:44.220
 out for any particular

00:20:44.220 --> 00:20:44.680
 reason.

00:20:45.220 --> 00:20:46.620
 I'm using them as an

00:20:46.620 --> 00:20:47.819
 example because they

00:20:47.819 --> 00:20:50.019
 have come out publicly

00:20:50.019 --> 00:20:52.440
 in the Greenville News

00:20:52.440 --> 00:20:54.700
 on Channel 4, WIFF.

00:20:54.700 --> 00:20:56.539
 They put it in their

00:20:56.539 --> 00:20:58.980
 documents, these

00:20:58.980 --> 00:21:01.420
 erroneous teachings

00:21:01.420 --> 00:21:04.100
 about these issues.

00:21:05.140 --> 00:21:06.279
 Here's the examples.

00:21:06.880 --> 00:21:07.660
 As a part of their

00:21:07.660 --> 00:21:09.360
 current mission statement

00:21:09.360 --> 00:21:10.779
 that is listed on their

00:21:10.779 --> 00:21:11.880
 website, you can go and

00:21:11.880 --> 00:21:13.720
 see it today, they

00:21:13.720 --> 00:21:16.900
 state this, we believe

00:21:16.900 --> 00:21:17.980
 in the authority of the

00:21:17.980 --> 00:21:18.240
 Bible.

00:21:19.080 --> 00:21:20.319
 In their church mission

00:21:20.319 --> 00:21:21.460
 statement, they have this

00:21:21.460 --> 00:21:23.299
 sentence, we believe in the

00:21:23.299 --> 00:21:24.319
 authority of the Bible.

00:21:25.099 --> 00:21:27.099
 Yet, in an article that

00:21:27.099 --> 00:21:28.339
 was in the Greenville News

00:21:28.339 --> 00:21:30.299
 on August the 4th, 2015,

00:21:31.259 --> 00:21:33.180
 the church's senior pastor

00:21:33.180 --> 00:21:35.000
 is quoted as saying this,

00:21:36.480 --> 00:21:38.180
 there's no family value

00:21:38.180 --> 00:21:40.559
 system in the Bible that we

00:21:40.559 --> 00:21:42.220
 would lay into the 21st

00:21:42.220 --> 00:21:42.599
 century.

00:21:43.639 --> 00:21:45.019
 He's more clear in the next

00:21:45.019 --> 00:21:45.319
 statement.

00:21:45.859 --> 00:21:46.879
 What we believe about

00:21:46.879 --> 00:21:49.019
 marriage and family is

00:21:49.019 --> 00:21:52.259
 culturally driven, not

00:21:52.259 --> 00:21:54.359
 biblically driven.

00:21:55.599 --> 00:21:58.099
 There's a quote from the

00:21:58.099 --> 00:21:59.879
 pastor of Greenville

00:21:59.879 --> 00:22:00.819
 First Baptist Church.

00:22:02.099 --> 00:22:04.420
 Now, that article in the

00:22:04.420 --> 00:22:05.920
 Greenville News also

00:22:05.920 --> 00:22:07.799
 pointed out church policies

00:22:07.799 --> 00:22:09.599
 about these matters.

00:22:10.180 --> 00:22:12.079
 And I'm quoting, today,

00:22:12.299 --> 00:22:13.720
 First Baptists can perform

00:22:13.720 --> 00:22:15.000
 same-sex marriages.

00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:18.960
 And the next one is on

00:22:18.960 --> 00:22:20.220
 their website, one of

00:22:20.220 --> 00:22:20.980
 their documents.

00:22:22.200 --> 00:22:24.059
 And members, no matter

00:22:24.059 --> 00:22:25.759
 their sexual orientation,

00:22:26.519 --> 00:22:27.799
 can serve in leadership

00:22:27.799 --> 00:22:30.460
 roles and can be ordained

00:22:30.460 --> 00:22:31.740
 as ministers.

00:22:33.660 --> 00:22:34.700
 Now, I want you to hear

00:22:34.700 --> 00:22:35.140
 what I'm saying.

00:22:36.940 --> 00:22:40.279
 Any church that claims to

00:22:40.279 --> 00:22:41.880
 believe in the authority of

00:22:41.880 --> 00:22:49.300
 the Bible, but rejects what

00:22:49.300 --> 00:22:50.940
 the Bible actually teaches

00:22:50.940 --> 00:22:54.960
 on these issues, that church

00:22:54.960 --> 00:22:56.540
 is guilty of twisting

00:22:56.540 --> 00:22:59.300
 Scripture and teaching error.

00:23:01.300 --> 00:23:02.560
 I don't care if it's a

00:23:02.560 --> 00:23:03.140
 Baptist church,

00:23:03.260 --> 00:23:03.960
 Presbyterian church,

00:23:04.100 --> 00:23:05.160
 non-denominational church,

00:23:05.280 --> 00:23:05.900
 Episcopal church,

00:23:06.040 --> 00:23:06.500
 Methodist church,

00:23:06.760 --> 00:23:07.740
 any church.

00:23:07.740 --> 00:23:14.660
 It's also true about any

00:23:14.660 --> 00:23:16.160
 individual Christian teacher.

00:23:18.599 --> 00:23:20.319
 Anyone who teaches anything

00:23:20.319 --> 00:23:23.859
 that openly, clearly,

00:23:24.279 --> 00:23:26.779
 blatantly contradicts what

00:23:26.779 --> 00:23:30.799
 the Bible teaches, that church

00:23:30.799 --> 00:23:31.799
 does not believe in biblical

00:23:31.799 --> 00:23:32.279
 authority.

00:23:34.120 --> 00:23:36.160
 That church is rejecting

00:23:36.160 --> 00:23:37.320
 biblical authority and

00:23:37.320 --> 00:23:38.279
 biblical truth.

00:23:39.720 --> 00:23:40.980
 And that church is guilty

00:23:40.980 --> 00:23:42.759
 of teaching error.

00:23:44.580 --> 00:23:47.100
 They're guilty of providing

00:23:47.100 --> 00:23:48.740
 false teaching.

00:23:50.420 --> 00:23:52.019
 Now, we as Christians,

00:23:52.720 --> 00:23:54.740
 we're being told by Peter that

00:23:54.740 --> 00:23:56.600
 it's our responsibility to

00:23:56.600 --> 00:24:00.640
 stay on guard against such

00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:03.600
 false teachers to make sure

00:24:03.600 --> 00:24:05.420
 that we don't get carried away,

00:24:05.420 --> 00:24:06.840
 get caught up in

00:24:06.840 --> 00:24:10.500
 their false teaching,

00:24:10.820 --> 00:24:12.200
 their erroneous teaching.

00:24:13.200 --> 00:24:14.720
 A person can get caught up

00:24:14.720 --> 00:24:16.600
 in a church or among

00:24:16.600 --> 00:24:17.940
 Christians like that because

00:24:17.940 --> 00:24:18.980
 a lot of them are your

00:24:18.980 --> 00:24:19.640
 friends.

00:24:20.860 --> 00:24:21.880
 You love them.

00:24:23.800 --> 00:24:26.220
 You have a history with them.

00:24:29.220 --> 00:24:30.580
 It doesn't matter.

00:24:31.279 --> 00:24:32.360
 We have a responsibility

00:24:32.359 --> 00:24:35.579
 not to get caught up in,

00:24:35.699 --> 00:24:37.179
 not to be carried along

00:24:37.179 --> 00:24:41.000
 by such false teaching.

00:24:41.000 --> 00:24:44.939
 If you're a parent with

00:24:44.939 --> 00:24:45.879
 children still living in your

00:24:45.879 --> 00:24:48.059
 home, or if you're someone

00:24:48.059 --> 00:24:49.699
 who has influence over

00:24:49.699 --> 00:24:52.939
 children, period, you need to

00:24:52.939 --> 00:24:54.079
 make sure that you are teaching

00:24:54.079 --> 00:24:56.479
 them the truth of Scripture

00:24:56.479 --> 00:24:59.119
 to help them to develop

00:24:59.119 --> 00:25:01.219
 biblically sound beliefs and

00:25:01.219 --> 00:25:02.639
 values because if you don't do

00:25:02.639 --> 00:25:03.459
 it, nobody will do it.

00:25:04.859 --> 00:25:05.919
 I want to stress that.

00:25:06.979 --> 00:25:09.439
 If you are a Christian with

00:25:09.439 --> 00:25:10.339
 children in your home,

00:25:10.439 --> 00:25:11.759
 grandchildren, if you're a

00:25:11.759 --> 00:25:12.539
 Christian who has influence

00:25:12.539 --> 00:25:15.439
 over young people,

00:25:16.439 --> 00:25:19.459
 they are not going to hear,

00:25:19.579 --> 00:25:20.639
 they're not going to be taught

00:25:20.639 --> 00:25:22.339
 from the world

00:25:22.339 --> 00:25:26.279
 biblical values.

00:25:26.679 --> 00:25:27.899
 They're not going to be guided

00:25:27.899 --> 00:25:29.259
 in terms of what they should

00:25:29.259 --> 00:25:31.159
 believe about God and the

00:25:31.159 --> 00:25:31.939
 things of God.

00:25:32.659 --> 00:25:33.399
 Moral living

00:25:33.399 --> 00:25:37.099
 by anyone outside

00:25:37.099 --> 00:25:40.240
 of Bible-believing

00:25:40.240 --> 00:25:42.439
 Christians, Bible-believing

00:25:42.439 --> 00:25:43.059
 church.

00:25:43.579 --> 00:25:44.519
 But if you're a parent,

00:25:45.279 --> 00:25:47.159
 grandparent, you are the

00:25:47.159 --> 00:25:49.399
 first, you're the primary one

00:25:49.399 --> 00:25:50.480
 that God's going to hold

00:25:50.480 --> 00:25:52.500
 responsible for teaching them.

00:25:54.240 --> 00:25:55.500
 It's good to teach your

00:25:55.500 --> 00:25:57.019
 children how to fish, how to

00:25:57.019 --> 00:25:57.299
 hunt.

00:25:58.680 --> 00:25:59.700
 It's good to teach your

00:25:59.700 --> 00:26:00.720
 children how to play ball.

00:26:03.220 --> 00:26:05.220
 I have worn out my shoulder

00:26:05.220 --> 00:26:07.380
 playing football, throwing

00:26:07.380 --> 00:26:08.200
 football with Will.

00:26:08.880 --> 00:26:09.920
 I don't have any regrets.

00:26:10.099 --> 00:26:11.259
 I just take a lead and keep on

00:26:11.259 --> 00:26:11.599
 doing it.

00:26:11.680 --> 00:26:12.360
 I love it.

00:26:12.360 --> 00:26:16.700
 But I also, as his

00:26:16.700 --> 00:26:19.360
 grandparent, want to teach him

00:26:19.359 --> 00:26:21.219
 things that matter a whole lot

00:26:21.219 --> 00:26:22.919
 more than football.

00:26:23.979 --> 00:26:25.439
 Things that are a matter of

00:26:25.439 --> 00:26:27.219
 life and death, eternal

00:26:27.219 --> 00:26:28.279
 values.

00:26:29.579 --> 00:26:30.819
 And you need to want to do that

00:26:30.819 --> 00:26:32.159
 with anyone that you have

00:26:32.159 --> 00:26:32.779
 influence over.

00:26:33.319 --> 00:26:36.119
 We are responsible not to be

00:26:36.119 --> 00:26:37.899
 led astray and then to teach

00:26:37.899 --> 00:26:39.459
 those we have influence over

00:26:39.459 --> 00:26:40.500
 not to be led astray.

00:26:40.500 --> 00:26:43.640
 We are called as Christians,

00:26:43.720 --> 00:26:44.599
 remember what Jesus said in the

00:26:44.599 --> 00:26:45.720
 Sermon on the Mount, we are

00:26:45.720 --> 00:26:48.880
 called to be salt and light in

00:26:48.880 --> 00:26:49.460
 this world.

00:26:49.759 --> 00:26:50.859
 We're called to be salt and

00:26:50.859 --> 00:26:52.480
 light to everyone in our circle

00:26:52.480 --> 00:26:53.640
 of influence.

00:26:54.200 --> 00:26:55.200
 We need to do it in the most

00:26:55.200 --> 00:26:57.240
 loving way we can, the most

00:26:57.240 --> 00:26:59.160
 positive way we can, but we need

00:26:59.160 --> 00:26:59.640
 to do it.

00:27:00.240 --> 00:27:01.660
 And if we don't do it, no one

00:27:01.660 --> 00:27:02.079
 will.

00:27:03.759 --> 00:27:06.440
 Before we leave verse 17, we

00:27:06.440 --> 00:27:07.640
 need to note the warning that's

00:27:07.640 --> 00:27:09.580
 directed at sound, mature

00:27:09.580 --> 00:27:10.440
 Christians now.

00:27:10.520 --> 00:27:10.980
 Look at this.

00:27:11.920 --> 00:27:13.259
 He's saying in effect, don't let

00:27:13.259 --> 00:27:14.980
 anyone undermine your doctrinal

00:27:14.980 --> 00:27:15.560
 stability.

00:27:15.800 --> 00:27:16.420
 Look at the verse.

00:27:17.120 --> 00:27:17.860
 Take care that you're not

00:27:17.860 --> 00:27:18.980
 carried away with the error of

00:27:18.980 --> 00:27:20.540
 lawless people and the next

00:27:20.540 --> 00:27:23.000
 part's the new part, bold, and

00:27:23.000 --> 00:27:25.060
 lose your own stability.

00:27:25.700 --> 00:27:26.840
 The idea is not that a true

00:27:26.840 --> 00:27:27.580
 Christian can lose their

00:27:27.580 --> 00:27:28.080
 salvation.

00:27:28.220 --> 00:27:28.860
 That's not what he's talking

00:27:28.860 --> 00:27:29.360
 about at all.

00:27:30.560 --> 00:27:33.700
 True faith, true saving faith

00:27:33.700 --> 00:27:34.900
 will continue.

00:27:35.960 --> 00:27:37.380
 Saving faith is a gift of God.

00:27:37.380 --> 00:27:38.380
 It's a work of God in a

00:27:38.380 --> 00:27:38.860
 person's life.

00:27:39.120 --> 00:27:40.320
 And so when God does this

00:27:40.320 --> 00:27:41.960
 work to save someone, to

00:27:41.960 --> 00:27:44.260
 grant faith, God's going to

00:27:44.260 --> 00:27:44.620
 continue.

00:27:44.720 --> 00:27:45.480
 He's never going to give up on

00:27:45.480 --> 00:27:45.900
 that person.

00:27:46.180 --> 00:27:47.320
 Paul points it out in a good

00:27:47.320 --> 00:27:50.040
 clear way in Philippians 1, 6.

00:27:50.100 --> 00:27:50.560
 Look at it.

00:27:50.900 --> 00:27:52.020
 He says, and I am sure of this,

00:27:52.100 --> 00:27:53.880
 that he who began a good work

00:27:53.880 --> 00:27:55.900
 in you will bring it to

00:27:55.900 --> 00:27:58.000
 completion at the day of Jesus

00:27:58.000 --> 00:27:58.500
 Christ.

00:27:58.980 --> 00:28:00.940
 A person that appears to be a

00:28:00.940 --> 00:28:02.240
 Christian, a person that starts

00:28:02.240 --> 00:28:04.500
 out maybe looking like they're a

00:28:04.500 --> 00:28:05.560
 Christian, but then they just

00:28:05.560 --> 00:28:05.920
 quit.

00:28:05.920 --> 00:28:08.900
 They renounce their faith.

00:28:09.340 --> 00:28:11.279
 Or they just turn away and walk

00:28:11.279 --> 00:28:12.539
 away from any kind of commitment

00:28:12.539 --> 00:28:13.380
 and start living like an

00:28:13.380 --> 00:28:13.840
 unbeliever.

00:28:14.440 --> 00:28:15.840
 They're demonstrating that their

00:28:15.840 --> 00:28:17.820
 so-called faith was not real.

00:28:19.000 --> 00:28:21.539
 John describes such people in his

00:28:21.539 --> 00:28:23.580
 first letter, 1 John 2, verse 19.

00:28:23.700 --> 00:28:24.140
 Look at it.

00:28:24.740 --> 00:28:26.680
 They went out from us, but they were

00:28:26.680 --> 00:28:28.120
 not of us.

00:28:28.759 --> 00:28:30.880
 For if they had been of us, they

00:28:30.880 --> 00:28:32.100
 would have continued with us.

00:28:32.240 --> 00:28:33.560
 He's talking about false teachers.

00:28:33.559 --> 00:28:35.039
 He called them little antichrists.

00:28:36.559 --> 00:28:38.579
 But they went out that it might

00:28:38.579 --> 00:28:42.299
 become plain that they all are not

00:28:42.299 --> 00:28:43.299
 of us.

00:28:46.279 --> 00:28:48.259
 He's saying not that such people

00:28:48.259 --> 00:28:49.119
 lost their salvation.

00:28:49.399 --> 00:28:51.159
 He's saying they never were saved.

00:28:52.359 --> 00:28:53.700
 But true Christians can become

00:28:53.700 --> 00:28:54.259
 unstable.

00:28:55.299 --> 00:28:57.259
 We saw how Peter and Barnabas did.

00:28:57.259 --> 00:28:59.819
 But by the grace of God, they

00:28:59.819 --> 00:29:00.980
 bounced back.

00:29:01.879 --> 00:29:03.000
 They got off.

00:29:03.339 --> 00:29:06.519
 They fell momentarily into hypocrisy.

00:29:08.519 --> 00:29:10.019
 But God brought them back.

00:29:10.019 --> 00:29:13.879
 I know some men who went to seminary

00:29:13.879 --> 00:29:15.839
 with a strong belief in the

00:29:15.839 --> 00:29:18.460
 inerrancy of Scripture back in the

00:29:18.460 --> 00:29:22.200
 1970s and early 80s.

00:29:22.759 --> 00:29:25.200
 But they came out denying that the

00:29:25.200 --> 00:29:28.319
 Bible is God's Word without error.

00:29:31.259 --> 00:29:33.019
 Back in those days, Southern Baptist

00:29:33.019 --> 00:29:34.980
 seminaries, they were liberal.

00:29:36.079 --> 00:29:37.839
 But by the grace of God, all of that

00:29:37.839 --> 00:29:39.519
 has changed and they are solidly

00:29:39.519 --> 00:29:41.059
 biblically sound today.

00:29:41.339 --> 00:29:42.980
 You can't teach there and not believe

00:29:42.980 --> 00:29:44.059
 in the inerrancy of Scripture.

00:29:45.159 --> 00:29:47.939
 But some of those men, they went in

00:29:47.939 --> 00:29:50.579
 doctrinally sound and they fell away

00:29:50.579 --> 00:29:53.419
 from their belief in real biblical

00:29:53.419 --> 00:29:54.000
 authority.

00:29:54.139 --> 00:29:56.019
 And some of them never came back.

00:29:57.039 --> 00:30:00.980
 They preach a watered down Bible.

00:30:00.980 --> 00:30:05.500
 I know Christians, individual Christians

00:30:05.500 --> 00:30:09.380
 in the pew, who never questioned the

00:30:09.380 --> 00:30:10.819
 truthfulness of the Bible.

00:30:12.539 --> 00:30:15.960
 But when their child came out as gay,

00:30:16.799 --> 00:30:19.819
 or their marriage got hard, or they

00:30:19.819 --> 00:30:23.200
 started making a lot of money, or they

00:30:23.200 --> 00:30:25.279
 developed close friendships with liberal

00:30:25.279 --> 00:30:30.059
 Christians or unbelievers, they changed

00:30:30.059 --> 00:30:33.759
 some of their views on moral issues.

00:30:35.879 --> 00:30:38.399
 They either ignored or twisted the

00:30:38.399 --> 00:30:44.099
 Scripture to fit their changed values.

00:30:44.099 --> 00:30:50.899
 I want to stop here and say, if I've hit a

00:30:50.899 --> 00:30:53.319
 sore spot with you, I want you to thank me.

00:30:55.919 --> 00:30:58.399
 It could be that you think to yourself,

00:30:58.519 --> 00:31:00.519
 there was a time when I was totally

00:31:00.519 --> 00:31:02.339
 committed to where the Bible speaks, God

00:31:02.339 --> 00:31:02.879
 speaks.

00:31:05.279 --> 00:31:06.099
 But I've wavered.

00:31:08.379 --> 00:31:09.379
 I've drifted.

00:31:09.380 --> 00:31:14.080
 I've fallen away from being truly sound in

00:31:14.080 --> 00:31:15.400
 what I believe and how I live.

00:31:16.580 --> 00:31:18.940
 If God's made that clear to you and that's

00:31:18.940 --> 00:31:21.840
 bothering you, thank God because that's His

00:31:21.840 --> 00:31:23.300
 way of calling you back right now.

00:31:23.540 --> 00:31:26.380
 Confess your sin of betraying Him and His

00:31:26.380 --> 00:31:26.800
 Word.

00:31:28.820 --> 00:31:32.040
 Renew your commitment to God and His

00:31:32.040 --> 00:31:35.560
 authority as expressed through His Word.

00:31:36.820 --> 00:31:38.060
 Do that right now.

00:31:39.380 --> 00:31:41.120
 But we all this morning need to listen to this

00:31:41.120 --> 00:31:43.980
 warning from God's Word and stay on guard.

00:31:45.240 --> 00:31:47.660
 There's always going to be something,

00:31:48.140 --> 00:31:50.720
 someone, certain things in your life,

00:31:50.840 --> 00:31:52.160
 certain things that you experience,

00:31:52.440 --> 00:31:53.580
 certain ways that you feel.

00:31:54.420 --> 00:31:56.160
 You're going to be tempted to be carried

00:31:56.160 --> 00:32:02.460
 along by false teaching and fall away

00:32:02.460 --> 00:32:08.300
 from a true commitment to the absolute

00:32:08.299 --> 00:32:11.220
 truthfulness of God's Word.

00:32:12.659 --> 00:32:14.720
 We're going to come back next week and see that

00:32:14.720 --> 00:32:17.940
 the best way to avoid being led astray is to stay

00:32:17.940 --> 00:32:22.599
 focused on a growing relationship with God.

00:32:23.039 --> 00:32:25.000
 And we're going to look at what all that involves.

00:32:25.000 --> 00:32:28.140
 But now I want to ask you one more time.

00:32:28.779 --> 00:32:30.640
 Who or what is influencing you?

00:32:32.259 --> 00:32:32.680
 Really?

00:32:34.019 --> 00:32:35.299
 What's influencing you?

00:32:35.559 --> 00:32:37.559
 Is it your personal experience?

00:32:37.960 --> 00:32:38.799
 How you feel?

00:32:39.740 --> 00:32:42.099
 Or is it cultural norms?

00:32:42.339 --> 00:32:43.440
 What everybody else is doing?

00:32:43.920 --> 00:32:45.339
 What the crowd says?

00:32:45.339 --> 00:32:55.059
 Or is the teaching of Scripture really the number one source of authority in your life?

00:32:55.759 --> 00:32:57.519
 I want to encourage you right now.

00:32:57.799 --> 00:33:03.619
 Make sure that you are standing firmly on the truth of God's Word

00:33:03.619 --> 00:33:06.099
 when it comes to what you believe and how you live.

00:33:06.099 --> 00:33:10.319
 And if you will do that day by day,

00:33:10.899 --> 00:33:14.079
 not question God, but question yourself and other people,

00:33:14.859 --> 00:33:18.179
 you will not be carried alone.

00:33:19.319 --> 00:33:20.779
 You will not fall.

00:33:21.879 --> 00:33:23.339
 God will keep you safe.

00:33:23.439 --> 00:33:27.000
 He'll keep you secure as you remain close to Him

00:33:27.000 --> 00:33:31.439
 and obedient to His authoritative and truthful Word.

00:33:32.139 --> 00:33:33.039
 Let's pray together.

00:33:33.039 --> 00:33:39.839
 Dear God, help us now to just see what it is,

00:33:40.200 --> 00:33:43.960
 to see clearly, understand what we are allowing,

00:33:44.059 --> 00:33:45.079
 what we're turning to,

00:33:45.559 --> 00:33:50.879
 to influence us and guide us in what we believe and how we live.

00:33:53.480 --> 00:33:57.519
 Lord, help us to see that we can love people

00:33:57.519 --> 00:34:01.099
 and disagree with them.

00:34:03.039 --> 00:34:09.900
 We can care about people but not be carried along by their twisted views

00:34:09.900 --> 00:34:12.900
 of truth matters.

00:34:15.840 --> 00:34:17.699
 Help us, Father, to be more concerned

00:34:17.699 --> 00:34:21.380
 with what you say

00:34:21.380 --> 00:34:24.759
 than what the world says.

00:34:24.760 --> 00:34:29.440
 Show us how we should respond to you.

00:34:30.800 --> 00:34:31.880
 Help us to do that.

00:34:33.140 --> 00:34:34.640
 Let's just, in an attitude of prayer,

00:34:35.700 --> 00:34:38.040
 obey God as He speaks about our commitment,

00:34:39.320 --> 00:34:40.780
 our being carried away if we are.

00:34:41.380 --> 00:34:42.880
 I'd be happy to pray with you during this time

00:34:42.880 --> 00:34:45.040
 if you come during the next few minutes.

00:34:46.160 --> 00:34:47.860
 But listen and obey the Lord.

00:34:47.860 --> 00:34:50.680
 God penalty