Church Under Attack

1 John 2:18-27 Children, it is the last hour. And as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. By this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. However, they went out so that it might be made clear that none of them belongs to us. 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I have not written to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist: the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; he who confesses the Son has the Father as well. 24 What you have heard from the beginning is to remain in you. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he himself made to us: eternal life. 26 I have written these things to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you. Instead, his anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not a lie; just as it has taught you, remain in him.

I am speaking more of the global church today

though John is speaking to the church of Ephesus

we at FFC definitely have been, continue to be, and will be attacked

as long as we preach the gospel of Jesus

as long as we rely solely on the Bible

A Known Deceiver

1 John 2:18-19 Children, it is the last hour. And as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. By this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. However, they went out so that it might be made clear that none of them belongs to us.

Must learn to recognize deception

we battle against rulers and principalities

Satan can and does use people to lead others astray

John’s claim was that these people came from them

calls them antichrists, because they are against christ

we must be honest enough to acknowledge that those who do not know Jesus are antichrists

we cannot fall into the, “well, they are a good person.”

Jesus said that you cannot serve two masters

James said that friendship with the world, is enmity with God

Antichrists can be disguised

how often would we follow a known antichrist

came from the church

they look and sound like believers

anyone who attempts to take down a church

the bride of christ

reportedly from their own family

as members of the body of Christ, we are here to lift each other up, build each other up and

they can be charismatic speakers

there are a lot of really good speakers in the world that have really bad theology

they may have a great following, get a lot of amens

if their message is not based on scripture

in context, verse in the chapter, chapter in the book, book in the whole of scripture

this is why I encourage you to bring your bible every week…

Anyone who denies Jesus is an antichrist

1 John 2:22 Who is the liar, if not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist: the one who denies the Father and the Son.

this verse shows the unity between the father and the son,

John 14:7 If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

yet their distinctiveness also

that is the mystery of the trinity… one God in three distinct persons; father, son and holy spirit

this means that you cannot have the father without the son

any teaching or anyone who believes in anything about Jesus contrary

He is God

He is the messiah, anointed one, or sent one

He lived perfect

He died

He rose

He ascended

He is now advocating for us

He will return to gather the church to himself

any teaching must agree with all points or it is not the Jesus of the Bible,

if you believe in a different Jesus, you do not believe in the one true God

mormons believe that Jesus is a spirit child of Father God and his wife, as we all are, but that he is not God

JW believe that he is a god, but not the creator God

Muslims believe that Jesus was a great prophet

but he did not die, therefore did not rise, and certainly is not God!

to believe that he was not perfect means he was not the perfect sacrifice,

to believe that he did not die, is to believe that he did not rise,

and that there is no payment for your sins

A Confirmed Truth

1 John 2:20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.

Our anointing confirms

there is a debate on what “anointing” actually means

some say the Holy Spirit others say it is the teaching from the apostles that they believed

I personally believe that it is the Holy Spirit, I think that some people are scared of charismatic movement and worry about the implications of what that might mean

Ephesians 1:13 In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed.

I do not believe that those who do not claim that the Holy Spirit is the anointing that John is talking about, do not believe that we receive the Holy Spirit

the spirit confirms the truth to us

John 14:6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Galatians 4:6 And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!”

without the spirit we are evil and chasing after the world

v8 But in the past, since you didn’t know God, you were enslaved to things that by nature are not gods.

This anointing leads to confession

1 John 2:23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; he who confesses the Son has the Father as well.

Romans 10:9-10 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.

It is this truth that keeps us with the father

I am not saying that you can lose your salvation

but there are so many that believe something else, or never really confessed that Jesus is Lord

maybe gave lip service, never believed in their heart

but those that are anointed with the Holy Spirit will remain in Christ

how do we know that we have the Holy Spirit

here is where I will disagree with my charismatic friends

it is not the gifts of the spirit… that is not the evidence

I am not in full agreement with those that say the time of the gifts are done and gone

evidence all over the NT is referred to as fruit

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.

A Fulfilled Promise

1 John 2:25 And this is the promise that he himself made to us: eternal life.

v27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you. Instead, his anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not a lie; just as it has taught you, remain in him.

The promise of eternal life is fulfilled in Christ

It is finished

the covenant of God, to save a people unto himself

this is the promise of scripture

not things of this world,

not things to make you more comfortable in a place that you do not belong; this world

You need nothing else…

there is nothing else that you have to learn for eternal life

this passage is not saying that you do not need to learn more

those that we love we want to learn more and more about, grow closer to them

but we do not graduate to a higher salvation

some graduate college with a bachelors, others a masters degree and then there are those that have their doctorate

that is not the way it is with Christ

you have all that you need to know Jesus!

and those that know Jesus are saved!

Paul tells the Galatians, that even if an angel of heaven comes and teaches another gospel let them cursed...

that is what it would be if you add something to the gospel, a completely different gospel.

Have you heard the gospel, have you believed in a way that leads to confession that Jesus is Lord… may today be that day!

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