And Jude 3 and 4 and will also be in Matthew chapter 7. In conjunction with this, I wanted to add kind of this sermon with it, and I think you'll understand why as I do this, but it's kind of dovetailing in with the idea of what we've been speaking through on the Sermon on the Mount. And so I wanted to add some of this information before I get into the passage there of Matthew chapter 7. This morning we had part two of our understanding the New Testament church. What is a church? Where did the church come from? And what is the responsibility of a church? And next week, Lord willing, on the Sunday morning, we'll look at the fact that churches had membership in the Old, excuse me, in the New Testament, not in the Old Testament. here in Jude 3 and 4 and then keep your finger there as well as Matthew chapter 7. But let's look at Jude chapter 3 verses 3 or Jude verses 3 and 4. There's only one chapter so Jude 3 and 4. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men. turning the grace of God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Turn with me also to Matthew chapter seven and verse 15. This is where we're gonna pick up, but essentially we're coming from the Jude passage this evening. But Matthew chapter seven, verse 15, beware of false prophets. which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? Even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire, wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. And as you think on these very things, we are living in a post-modern, post-Christian era, with a prevailing view of relativism. What do I mean by that? Well, if it's okay for you, then it's okay. What is okay to every person is okay. But I'm not talking, again, this idea that demotes all truth to an individual experiential framework, upon which our ideals are acceptable, even if truth reveals what I believe to be true as false. Some years ago, I had a discussion with a lab partner while I was doing some university studies, and he was a Jehovah's Witness. He'd been trying to convert me, and I refuted his arguments with the scriptures. He concluded with a statement like this, well, at least you have a faith in God. You see, that's a very dangerous statement. Because a faith in God's existence or the concept of God is not enough for a person to genuinely call themselves a Christian. Just because you can recognize there is a God does not mean you're a believer. Some people believe that all paths lead to God. Now, there's a spouse that as long as a person is religious, they're a good person, they're okay. Others may espouse that all churches that call themselves Christian, they're all the same, right? while others still think that all people are generally good. But to be truly a Christian, or for a church to be labeled a New Testament church, a church that abides by the Bible, there must be a foundation, an objective platform. You need a platform. Now if I'm gonna build a building, say for instance, if this building were to ever you know, down the road or whatever, a fire happened and the foundation here, you know, in this church, I wouldn't wanna just have a foundation, oh, maybe it's over there, maybe it's here, maybe it's gonna be downtown. No, I need to know where to pour the concrete. I need to know where to put the footers and where to put the, you know, all the studs and all that other stuff to put it to build the building. I don't want a foundation that's like, well, maybe it's here, maybe it's there. Where is the location of that foundation? Now, you're obviously not going to build a foundation that's floating in the air forever. Maybe they will down the future, but, you know, when you think about a foundation, you're thinking about something that's attached to a ground that has a geographical location. And as a Christian, your spiritual life must be upon a foundation that is not moving. That unwavering standard or that platform with which your faith builds is the Word of God. If you deviate from the Bible to another religious book as your doctrinal anchor, if you would, then you will compromise. You see, Hebrews 12, 2, looking into Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. My faith starts with Jesus and it's completed in Jesus. The beginning and the ending. He's the Alpha and the Omega. Ephesians 5, 23 talks about husbands love your wife, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. Ephesians 5, 23 will talk about Christ as the head of the church. Think about it at a locality. Just here as this church, our desire is to make Christ the head. He's the head. He's the one we follow. You're not following a man, you're following Christ. But as you look at this passage coming back to Jude, we're gonna look with me at 2 Peter 2. Why do I keep coming to this? And I understand we're in this passage as we're looking at the Sermon on the Mount, and it's just kind of where we're at as we've looked verse by verse in scriptures. But at the same time, this also relates with the Revelation series that we've been going through. How the Antichrist is going to come on, and people are going to worship him. He's going to have signs, he'll have miracles, he'll have all these things, and people are going to be given to following him. And in 2 Peter 2, verse 1. But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 2 Peter 3.3. just a little bit over, knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers walking after their own lusts. False prophets, to make a statement of a false prophet, what that statement means, absolutely there is truth, unequivocal, unchanging truth. Because to be false, there has to be a truth, right? True and false. So there has to be truth upon which these prophets are measured to be false. There's a standard with which falsehood is judged. Scoffers walking after their own lusts, Peter predicted that false teachers are going to come. And Jude would state that they've slipped in among you. and walking after their own lusts. And what happens here amongst these false prophets is that they have this, walking after their own lusts. Hey, you can serve Jesus and live however you want without consequence. But if you read the Bible, that's not the case. And what had happened in that day of Jude's time, and we still have it today, the idea of Gnosticism. It's an undeveloped form, and let me give you a little bit upon this. Here in an undeveloped form are all the main characteristics which went to make up later Gnosticism, which is an emphasis on knowledge which was emancipated from the claims of morality, arrogance toward unenlightened church leaders, interest in angelology, divisiveness, and lasciviousness. What is he saying here? People are concerned with all the knowledge, all the education, all the accolades. Now, I'm not dismissing education, but we can put such a preeminence upon so-and-so in all of their degrees. But if it disagrees with what we see in the word of God, it doesn't matter the degrees on the wall, it's wrong. Realize this, that a bunch of the apostles, and a lot of them who are fishermen and other tax collectors and some of the others, you do have Luke that was quite educated and the apostle Paul who was quite educated. So it doesn't matter, if God calls you in your life, you gotta follow that calling. But what we've seen is individuals with a lot of academics, they're using scripture so you can live your life however you want. In fact, the other day I was online, there was this particular preacher. And he was talking to his son, and they were talking about all these rock music albums. And then he says, I don't care if you grow up to be a Christian, but I want you to know who this rock artist is. A preacher said that, and I was just like, what in the world? I want my child to know Christ. Because eternity rests on that. Whether you know who a musician is, okay, how is that gonna affect them for eternity? I was just like, it just aggravated me. For someone who said, and so people elevate, so and so has all of these degrees. They conflict with the Word of God. Realize this, that the Pharisees and Sadducees had tremendous, tremendous academics, and yet they led a lot of people to hell. Does it matter what you believe? The tone of this letter demonstrates that the original recipients may have been Christian Jews of Palestine who were gathered into local fellowships. Charles Spurgeon once said that the new views are not the old truth in a better dress. But deadly errors, which we can have no fellowship, false doctrine is a deadly poison that must be identified, labeled, and avoided. Spurgeon also said, I cannot endure false doctrine, however neatly it may be put before me. Would you have me eat poisoned meat because the dish is of the choicest ware? If I gave you the best steak of your life, I mean, it's the biggest, fattest, juiciest steak But I'm going to tell you, there's a little bit of arsenic in it. Man, it is medium rare, juicy. Maybe you're like, medium rare, ugh. Anyways, however you want it cooked, OK? Big, fat, juicy steak ready for you to eat, but there's arsenic in it. Would you eat it? You'd say no. Well, why not? There's a lot of good stuff because there's some poison in it. And as Jude here, he's saying, please, please be careful. Contend for the faith. There's a singularity. There's a place with which I plant my feet. This is truth. And I'm not moving. You've got to settle in your mind what is God's word. And that's the message of tonight. Let's pray. Dear Heavenly Father, Lord, I thank you for this evening. Father, I thank you for your grace. Lord, I pray that you'd help me to preach this with accuracy, precision. Lord, I need your help. I don't mean to be as though we're better than anyone, but Father, you've given us the Word of God upon which to base and with which to live our lives. It's not that we are better, but Father, I just want to follow your way, the truth. Lord, may we stay steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the faith as the scriptures discuss. Lord, we need your help this evening. I love you. I pray that you'd help me in every word I speak, every thought that is brought forth. The Lord will glorify you what you have done. I love you in Jesus' precious name I pray, amen. He says something here in Jude 3. He said, it was needful for me to write unto you. There's a necessity, there's a pressure. Have you ever had someone that's maybe going a wrong direction in your life, and man, it's just tearing you up. And you know you have to say something. You know, for the sake of the well-being of the person whom you care about, you've got to say something. You're concerned with the direction they're going in life. And the Jude is saying, and Jude's a half-brother of the Lord Jesus Christ, but, and just in this passage, the danger is here, and it's trying to come into this church. And Jude is not gonna lie down. He loves Jesus. He's gonna take a firm stand on truth. He said, it's needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that you should earnestly, what is that, earnestly? I mean, that is with, you're just passionate, strongly appealed to. Please don't go this direction. He contends. That word contend, with which we don't like a lot of times, but that word itself necessitates an intense effort as if a battle is raging. And there is a battle raging. It's a spiritual war. John Phillips would say that earnestly contend here occurs only here in scripture. It means to contend about an issue as a combatant. The adverb earnestly is added to convey the intensity of the verb. When the great truths of Christianity are attacked, it is criminal to sit on the sidelines. Therefore, Jude sounds a call to battle. He starts to write a manuscript. He ends up instead with a memo. It's very brevity, being to its advantage. He starts to write theology, but he ends up hurling a thunderbolt, end quotes. He says, listen, there is the faith that we must be fully convinced in our mind this is truth. And the very beginning of this, as Warren Wiersbe would say, we must always speak the truth in love. And I resound that. We ought to. And the weapons we use must be spiritual. At the same time, we must dare to take our stand for the faith, even if our stand offends some and upsets others. We're not fighting personal enemies, but the enemies of the Lord is the honor and glory of Jesus Christ that is at stake. Fight the good fight of faith, end quotes. If truth is not defended, the next generation will never get it. If truth is not defended, the next generation will never get it. You have to determine in your mind what is truth. There's a popular, there's a book of history. and a volume with quite a few different authors and scholars called Crossing the Centuries. And an educated host of men and women gave the histories of various religious denominations then known in North America. Regarding the Baptists, this volume states, of the Baptists, it may be said they are not reformers. These people, comprising bodies of Christian believers known under various names in different countries, are entirely distinct and independent of the Roman and Greek churches. have had an unbroken continuity of existence from apostolic days down through the centuries. Throughout this long period, they were bitterly persecuted for heresy, driven from country to country, disfranchised, deprived of their property, imprisoned, tortured, and slain by the thousands, yet they swerved not from their New Testament faith, doctrine, and adherence. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter 11. Is this true? Is this, I want you to look with me at Hebrews chapter 11. Do we find a semblance of this in the scriptures? Now, when they mean, there's a long history, but the name Baptist was not some denomination that started in the 1600s. In fact, it started out as the name Anabaptist that was known by the enemies of people who were true believers through the centuries. They weren't always called Anabaptists. Sometimes they were Lollards, sometimes Paulicians, sometimes Cathari. They're different names through the years of people, what the enemies would say, you're this group. But overall, they would say doctrinally they're Anabaptists because they would recognize that the infant baptism was not scriptural, and so they would baptize people after salvation, and so they were saying, you're re-baptizing them. Ana means re, re-baptize. And so through the centuries, there were believers that would say, hey, I just want to follow the Bible. You get saved, you get baptized, and then you join the church and you follow Christ. As you think on these things, in Hebrews 11, verse 32, and what shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jetha, of David also, and Samuel of the prophets. who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight. The armies of the aliens, women, received their dead raised to life again, and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover, of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented. Of whom the world was not worthy, they wandered in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth. Christian today, as the Bible tells us, and history tells us, there were believers through the centuries that said, I believe in the truth of who Jesus is, who the Bible says, and I am going to stand on that, and if it costs me my life, so be it. But you have to determine in your life, what is truth? Is the Bible truth? Is the Bible worth it to live my entire life by? Many years ago, I was over in Victoria, BC, and we went to a wax museum, and it was much like, have you ever heard of Fox's Book of Martyrs? Any of you heard of Fox's Book of Martyrs? Have you ever read it? Oh, my soul. When you think, Fox's Book of Martyrs, it's a historical account of believers that said, I love Jesus more than I love my own life. that the gospel is worth it. I'm talking these are the real deal Christians, real men, real women. They didn't compromise. Is salvation really that important to get right? What if you deviate just a little, is that okay? He says something here that contend for the faith, a singularity. There's not a pluralism. He says the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. These are believers through the centuries. The battle is for the faith. What is truth? As you would find so famously said. I believe it was Felix there and Acts, the Apostle Paul. What is truth? Turn with me to 1 Peter 2, verse six. You see, Christian, if you're not settled on what is truth, what is the gospel? If this church says this, and this church says this, and this church says this, and this church says this, and they're all different, they could all be wrong. But if one of them is right biblically, then the others are all wrong if they're different. You can't, if two people are arguing about something, they could potentially both be wrong. But if one is objectively true, And the other one has a different opinion than they're objectively false. Objectively means without refute. I mean, you can argue all day long. But as you think on this, here's the battle. 1 Peter 2, verses 6 through 8. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found, and to praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Oh, that's chapter one, verse, chapter two. You're like, where is he? Let's try that again. Chapter two, verse six. First Peter 2.6. Wherefore also it is contained in the scriptures behold I lay in Sion a chief cornerstone elect precious and he that believeth on him shall not be Confounded and you therefore which believe he is precious but unto them which is which be disobedient the stone which the builders disallowed the same is made the head of the corner and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient whereunto also they were appointed and Jesus says, listen, the truth of Jesus is either going to be your source of rejoicing or that stone, that chief cornerstone of Jesus is gonna, it's gonna be the very thing you're offended by. It's gonna be the thing to destroy you, a rock of offense. You know what? Wiersbe says this, and I would agree with him. He said, in my own ministry, I would much rather encourage the saints than declare war on the apostates. And I give a hearty amen. But when the enemy is in the field, the watchman dare not go to sleep. The Christian life is a battleground, not a playground. You see, Christian, in your life, if the enemy is attacking the country, if the enemy is attacking, They've put an embargo, they've stopped all shipments into this country. We're not gonna sit back and be like, oh well, it'll be okay. If someone on Highway 6 was to put a blockade, and if they put missile launchers around so no planes could come into Thompson, that's a bad day. I guess there's gonna be a lot of hunting going on and fishing. Because nothing's coming in if they put a blockade on Highway 6. Are we going to sit around and be like, oh well, it'll be OK. No, you're saying no food's coming in. The stores are going to sell out. I mean, it's going to be a very catastrophic thing. It's pretty important. You see, life really is a war, it's a spiritual war, but most people don't believe this in their heart. Most people show by their priorities and their casual approach to the spiritual things that they believe we are in peacetime, not wartime. Why is it so important that you as a believer are in the word of God daily? I guarantee every day you're gonna have some type of attack. What is it that is gonna help you through that day? It's not just, well, oh, okay, it's a good thing to read my Bible, I didn't get around to it today. There's a spiritual battle that you are facing. We're in wartime. In wartime, the newspaper carry headlines about how the troops are doing. I'm reading something for you. In wartime, families talk about the sons and daughters on the front lines and write to them and pray for them with heart-wrenching concern for their safety. In wartime, we are on the alert. We are armed, we are vigilant. In wartime, we spend money differently. There is austerity, not for its own, you're not just willy-nilly spending your money if there's a war. There's strategic ways you spend your money. The luxury liner becomes a troop carrier. Very few people think that we are now in a war greater than World War II. greater than any imaginable nuclear war, few reckon that Satan is much worse enemy than any earthly foe, or realize that the conflict is not restricted to any one global theater, but is in every town and city of the world who considers that the casualties of this war do not merely lose an arm or an eye or an earthly life, they lose everything, even their own soul and enter a hell of everlasting torment." I'm telling you, Christian, There is a battle daily to destroy you. And if you're struggling in an area of your life, you can't afford, I can't afford a day without the leadership of my commander. I can't afford a day without hearing what God has for me. Look with me at Ephesians chapter four. That was the program for my grandmother's funeral. I'm so thankful for her. Ephesians chapter 4, verse 14. That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie and wait to deceive. But speaking the truth in love may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body into the edifying of itself in love. And the very idea here, he's talking of a church, a local body, the body of Christ, that local church, every part working together, Jesus as the head, following Christ, getting on board. keep the saints in courage, keep it hot with the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, one of the ugly tentacles of the Gnosticism is the idea that the average believer cannot discern the scriptures for themselves, or that once a person is saved, hey, there's once you're saved, live however you want, live without any rules, it's all okay. Now you can't lose your salvation, but you can sure lose that sweet fellowship with God. You can lose the peace and the joy of the Lord. In Deuteronomy 6, 17, many who espouse this errant philosophy, hey, it's okay if you missed your Bible today. Christian. In Deuteronomy 6, 17, you shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God and his testimonies and his statutes which he hath commanded thee. We don't just read the Bible because that's the good Christian thing to do. I don't just read it because I'm a pastor. When I'm reading the Bible, I'm reading it because I need to be encouraged spiritually. You need to be encouraged spiritually. Every day, there are things that you face on a moment-by-moment basis that could literally destroy the rest, when you're one decision away from ruining your life. In a conversation I had with a pastor, not some time ago, he said that trying to pinpoint the doctrinal tenets of the emergent church movement, the seeker-sensitive movement, is like trying to pin Jell-O to a wall. It's very fluid. It moves every wind of doctrine. It brings in the masses. You know what, did Jesus pray for his apostles to be removed from controversy? Look with me at John chapter 17. I know this is one of those deeper, heavier messages, but man, I want to embolden you. It's worth it to get in for Jesus. It's worth it. We just sang about the truths there in the hymns that we sang. I love to tell the story. Well, what's the story if the story's changing? Is it like a fish story? The fish is like this, you know? But in John chapter 17, verse 14, I have given them thy word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but thou shouldest keep them from the evil. Jesus says, listen, my disciples, they're gonna face some opposition. When I was getting, when I was, when the Lord called me to the ministry, my own family, some of my own family members, some have gone on but passed on, but some of them had really tried to encourage me to stay the course where I was at. Some of them tried to say, stay in the military, make your money, or go into engineering, make your money there. But look with me what these early disciples did. Acts chapter two, verse 42. You see, Jesus wasn't saying stay away from controversy. No, I'm not saying, there are some, some preachers, some people, some believers, that are, I mean, they're like caustic. They're toxic, and I'm not talking about creating arguments for argument's sake. We have to understand every person's at a different spiritual level. But as a whole, as a church, there is a body of doctrine, there is a body of beliefs with which we subscribe to the scriptures. We say, thus saith the Lord. Because if we're like, well, this day it's this, and this day it's this, well then where do you put your foundation? In Acts chapter 2, verse 42, And they continued steadfastly in, what does it say here? The Apostles' Doctrine, in fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers. There is an encouragement of one another, they do eat together, amen, that's Old Testament, that's New Testament practices, and in prayers, but there's also the doctrine. It is important that we know why we believe what we believe. Not just because I've told you, not just because your parents told you, not just because that's what we've always gone through. You need to know in the scriptures why you believe what you believe. Let's look at 2 Corinthians chapter 11. I know I'm going later tonight. Not later, it's still got a little while. But anyways, 2 Corinthians chapter 11. Verse 2. I hope with this message and my endeavor by God's grace is that you would walk away from this with a realization and some question. Why do I believe what I believe? What is it that I believe? Are my beliefs consistent with the scriptures? Again, I'm not saying that if we're right on the Bible that I'm any better than anyone else. It's not a matter of standards of being better than anyone else. Because if I go to that measure, then there's pride. And you can be right on doctrine and wrong in your attitude, and you're going to get humbled pretty quickly. Okay, so I'm not saying we're better, but I am saying I want to be true to what God has called us to be. 2 Corinthians 11, verse 2. 2 Corinthians 11, verse 2. This whole idea of these false prophets necessitates There are people that are trying to bring in beliefs that are not consistent with the word of God. That's what Jesus is giving warning about. 2 Corinthians 11, verse two, for I am jealous over you with godly jealousy, for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ, but I fear, lest by any means, as a serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. You know what? The simplicity of Christ is, listen, I'm a sinner. I need a Savior. I need my sins forgiven. And by faith, I ask Jesus to forgive me of all my sins and be my Savior. I simply believe that what the Bible says, that I'm a guilty sinner in need of a Savior. And I accept it by faith and ask him to forgive me. Is it enough to believe in Jesus in some very vague sense that divorces faith from any particular doctrine about him? Or is doctrine and the content of our faith really important? Scripture plainly teaches we have to be sound in faith. 1 Timothy chapter six. I'm almost done here for this evening. 1 Timothy chapter six, verse three. Over and over again, you'll find a reiteration or you'll find it repeated many times over in the scriptures. The faith, the doctrine, and you'll find this. Well, there's something with which we ought to study the scriptures and say, what is God saying? I remember one time I was in a class, I was in university, this is not when I was training for the ministry, it was my undergrad, and as I was there, I was at a liberal arts university, and the university said it was Christian, but it really wasn't. Anyways, in this theology class I had to take, the professor told us, he said, listen, when Jesus came to earth, he gave up his deity. I was like, excuse me? He didn't give up his deity. He didn't lose his deity. He was still God. So I raised my hand. I gave him a scripture passage. I definitely wasn't where I'm at today, but I raised my hand. He said, well, that's open to your interpretation. If the Bible is open to your interpretation, then that makes you the authority, not the Bible. God wants to bring us up to understand his word, not us bringing the Bible down to where I'm at in my understanding. Right? If the Bible's up here, and maybe I'm struggling to understand some concepts, I ought to ask God to help me understand the concept. Don't bring the Bible down, compromising it, watering it down, just so I can understand it in a compromised fashion, because then you've changed it. I'm not the authority over the Bible. My responsibility is to understand this book and to live by it. 1 Timothy chapter six, verses three through four. If any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome words, just by that statement, wholesome, there's an objective with which is unwholesome or which is wholesome, right? There's an objective truth. Two plus two equals four. We know that. that's absolutely true. Now I understand if you get it all the math and there's imaginary numbers and other things but we're not there. Even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ into the doctrine which is according to godliness. What does he say here? And to the doctrine which is according to godliness. There is a set of beliefs by the Word of God which will help you to be godly. Help you to look like Christ. Those beliefs directly affect how you live and your testimony before the world. Is it important? And I say yes. He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, where have cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness, from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. If any man teach otherwise, wrong doctrine will lead you to the wrong destination. Sound biblical doctrine is a necessary aspect of true wisdom and authentic faith. The attitude that scorns doctrine, I've had people, ah, well this is my experience, this is what I feel. If you make those statements, then you are the God and the authority, not the Bible. because your experience can never exceed the truth of the Bible. If it does, then you're the authority, not the Bible, not God. Does that make sense? I hope it does. The attitude that scorns doctrine while elevating feelings or blind trust cannot legitimately be called faith at all, even if it masquerades as Christianity, is actually an irrational form of unbelief. God holds us accountable for what we believe, as well as how we think about the truth He has revealed. All scripture testifies to the fact that God wants us to know and understand the truth. The content of our faith is crucial. Sincerity is not sufficient. Just because you believe it to be true does not mean it's true if it disagrees with God's word. You can be as passionate. My daughter sometimes, there's things that she'll be going through, or times in the past with myself, I remember there was one time I was certain I saw a Toys R Us store. Man, I saw some of the colors on the sign. I'm like, there's the Toys R Us store. Years later, I went by that very location where that store was, and it was like some totally different place. But in my mind, I was absolutely certain. To me, it was truth. There's Toys R Us there. I like Toys R Us. I still like it as an adult, big kid. But I went by there. I was fully convinced. It didn't matter how passionate and sincere I was. You can be sincerely wrong. In Christian, doctrine is so important. that God commands parents to teach it to their children. Ephesians 6, 4, and ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. He's saying, listen, bring your children up in the doctrine of the truths of God's word. First Timothy 6.12, fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou also called and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. The firm stance is always to be tender in disposition, but firm in conviction. Jesus would call the Pharisees hypocrites, liars, you know, vipers and snakes, and John the Baptist would do the same. He called them what they were. It's not. Well, that's how you see it, that's how I see it. What does God say? The problem today is we've adopted a philosophy of pluralism that says, well, I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. I'm not going to be rude. But truth is going to create a division. I'm not better. And what we've been called to do is to study. And so as you think on these truths this evening, I'm going to come to the invitation period. There's more to go, but I'm only halfway through tonight. Christian, does it matter that you contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints? Is the faith important? Is the gospel important? Can the gospel be tweaked? Can it be changed? Can there be a slight variable? You've got to determine in your mind, this is truth. It's okay to be objective. It's okay to be unmovable, because that's what God wants us to be. That's what God's call is to be. This evening, if you've never accepted Jesus Christ, if you go without receiving Him as your Savior this evening, and you were to pass away before you got home, the Bible says there is an eternity apart from God in a place the Bible calls hell. That's the truth. If you're a believer, is that important to you, to get that truth out? Christian, is it important that our church stands upon the word of God without apology? We're not rude, we're not mean, we're not better, but we stand without apology. Because if we move, we change our heading, and a lot of stuff changes. It's not always popular. But at the end of the day, the one I'm seeking to please is my Father in heaven. I'm gonna have Miss Pat come forward this evening. Are the truths of Christ real to you? Or are they just some philosophical ideals that are a good thing to live by? Do these doctrinal truths dictate how you live and act out your life? Or are they just an addition to my life and good things to have? Settle in your mind, what is truth? And as the Bible says it, live it. Man, and at the end of the day, when I finish my life, my race is run, and I stand before the Father, I stand before Jesus. I will be pleasing in His sight." So often we're driven into many different vices, addictions, because truth is what just feels good. If it just feels good. you're gonna go all over the place. As the music plays this evening, if you're a Christian, you can say, Pastor, I know I'm saved. There's a time in my life I profess faith in Christ. But maybe you're waffling, maybe you're like, ah, is this true, is this not? Figure out what the Bible says. And if you're saying, hey, I wanna learn more. Thursday night's a great time. Wednesday night's a great time. We've been going through the book of Galatians. There's a lot more you can learn. We're all learning. We've never arrived at perfection yet, but man, I want to, I want, it's the end of the day. I want to say, God, I've done with what the light and the knowledge that you've given me in your word. I don't want to corrupt it. It's not man's book. It's God's book. Don't compromise. Stand without apology. Stand in firmness. Jesus said it. It's true. Tonight, I want to ask you, number one, do you know Jesus as your Savior? If this was your last day on earth, your last hour of earth, do you know where you're gonna be in eternity? If you're, I hope so, I think so, I might be, I'd encourage you to settle it before you leave tonight. I'd love to sit down with the Bible and show you for sure. Christian, it's that important. It's a literal battle of spiritual warfare that Satan can ruin. each and every one of our lives. If a church compromises, terrible is the fate that will come. In just a moment longer as the music will come to a close, I trust as you're there in your seat praying and talking with God, resolve in your mind, I will not budge. Let's pray. Dear Heavenly Father, Lord, we thank you for this evening. We thank you for the clarity of the word of God. We thank you that you called us to follow the faith. the doctrine, or there's a singularity of truth. Father, help us to be true to that. God, help us to search with all of our minds, just as the Bereans would search the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. And there's times in our lives, Father, where it is possible or that we can be going a wrong direction, a wrong belief. And Lord, as you show us from the word, we receive it and we change course. Father, that we would stand upon the word of God. And Lord, sometimes we can lose friends over it. Sometimes we may distance ourselves from others. Now our attitude ought not to be that very separation, but it ought to be the truth. So Lord, I pray for each and every person tonight, help us to stand for right, to love you first and foremost. And God, as we go out, may we be an ambassador for Jesus. giving out the love and the hope of an almighty, redeeming Savior. I love you, Father. Thank you for your grace and mercy. In Jesus' precious name I pray, amen. God bless you. you