We're back in our 1689. We had went through part three, some of it, so I just wanted to read through and then get back to where we're at. Point number three, article 26 on the church. We made it through the purest church under heaven are subject to mixture of error and some have degraded so much that they have ceased to be churches of Christ and become synagogues of Satan. When the 1689 was written, when the Westminster was written, all through the Protestant Reformation, all through that time, you had these people that were in the Roman Catholic Church and they were tied into the church as priests and whatnot of all different types and stripes. they were hearing truth outside of the church, outside of the visible church, the Roman Catholic Church. they were hearing truth from the Lawlords and the Waldensians and the Wyclifites and they were hearing the Hussites and all those people that were following after these people that would hear the truth of the Word of God. They would get a Bible for themselves. When the printing press, Gutenberg Press, was first created, the very first thing he said he wanted to do was cause the plowboy to know more about the Bible than the Pope. You know, that was his goal. They wanted every single person to know the word of God. And that was the generation after generation after generation of those outside of the Roman Catholic Church. But you have to realize that inside what is called the Roman Catholic Church, which was pretty much a predominant worldwide church, everyone was under the leadership and authority of the popes, the cardinals, the priests, the fathers, all these people, and none of them were allowed to have a Bible. So it was canon, it was law that if you had a Bible, you would die. You either gave it up or you were a dead person. They would not allow it. It was law. There was a group of Christians that were, they were called the Valdwa people, the people of the valley. they were constantly on the move away from the Roman Catholics who were militant at the time. This is in the 14, 1500s. They're militant at that time, and they are going around and destroying every single bit of opposition that they can. And come around to 1500s or so, you had these little outcroppings of the valley people who would write Bibles, and it was their mission to study and memorize the Bible so that they knew it perfectly. Their mindset was, we need to know the scripture so much so that we can give an answer for any question of the hope that lies within us. we can sit here and write out for you what scripture is and give you what we know of the scripture and word for word and it was their common practice. Many of the people even would make practice of their children knowing by certain ages, knowing books of the Bible. The priest and the teachers and the pastors of those times would know the entirety of the Bible or massive portions of the Bible that they could just sit and quote. And so they were the enemies. They were seen as the enemy of the church because divine authority, divine rights of teaching, divine instruction, and divine ability to interpret the word of God rested in the church of Rome, in the Pope, and in the teachings from Rome. That's where it stood. And today, by the way, just in case anybody thinks the Roman Catholic Church is our friends today, it is still canon law, according to Rome, that if you are a Protestant and if you believe in scripture, sola scriptura, if you teach sola gratia, if you teach the five solas of the Reformation, if you teach grace without works, if you teach these things, you are anathema, an enemy, and they do not hold you as a Christian. They do not hold you to be biblical. You are an enemy and seen as an enemy and they will use you in any way. So what we're talking about here is a group of people who have come out of this Reformation point where you had Zwingli and Luther and Calvin and Melanchthon and all these other men of God who were in the Roman Catholic Church and who heard the truth being proclaimed. Even Luther that you guys don't know why Luther nailed the 95 theses, right? It wasn't because he was sitting there one day and he saw the Bible and said look at that Romans 1 18 The just shall live by faith what? It didn't just show up on his mind and he's like look But he didn't see it until after it was exposed to him and You see, he wanted. Yeah, well, see Prince Friedrich, who was his benefactor, was the prince of the region. The king was his nephew. So he's the regent, the prince of the region. He wants to defend his pope and defend his church from Wycliffe. He says to the smartest man he's ever met, Luther, I want you to go read his stuff and debunk everything that Wycliffe says. So he starts studying everything that Wycliffe has written or said or everybody that everything knows about him. And he starts looking into what Wycliffe had heard. You guys know who Wycliffe was, right? Wycliffe was a priest in the Roman Catholic Church. He was at his church, and he was preaching, and one of the Valdois people came in and gave him a Bible, and he says, this is forbidden. And the man sat down with him and taught him of the gospel and of Christ. And from that moment on, he could not quietly sit by, and he constantly was proclaiming the truth, the word of God. He was excommunicated from the church. And as a result, he stood up and he says, I'm going to preach and teach and powerful man of God, powerful. I mean, you know his name. He's so powerful. That's how that's how strong these people were. Throughout history, we know this man because he was so powerful and he was the he was the driving catalyst behind Luther having heard the truth. because Luther reads about righteousness and holiness coming from God alone. And he's having such struggle within himself because the Roman Catholic Church is teaching us that the salvation and righteousness comes from the sacraments and from doing those sacerdotal things. And so from doing all this work that the Roman Catholic Church says to do and being obedient to the church and not from the scripture, but from to the church. Fast forward to people are writing the 1689 Second Lenten Baptist Confession. You have all of these things going on and they place in this section, the purest church under heaven are subject to mixture of error or mixture and error. And some have degraded so much so that they have ceased to be churches of Christ and had become synagogues of Satan. And the thing that they put in here, the reason I'm saying all this to you is that what they put in here is discussions about Babylon the Great, about the great harlot church. If you go back and you look at Luther and Zwingli and Calvin and Melanchthon and all of the men of old that talked about what the harlot was, if you look at the scriptural definitions of the harlot, it was the mother church, the primary church, the foundational church that sprung forth all the great false teachings of the world. And it comes back to that Babylon, back to if you can trace it all the way back to Genesis at this big tower of Babel. And it goes from there and you can trace it forward all the way up to the Roman Catholic Church. It's no joke. You can do it. And in the book of Revelation, you can actually see that this church is identified as the church that's filled with fine purple and scarlet and its robes and the way it dresses and figures itself with the desires and the things of the world. So you go through and you look and you see in Revelation 18 too, if somebody wants to read it. What that saying there is, it's so descriptive. Of every type of wickedness and depravity and every type of false teaching Every hateful bird and every unclean thing. It's a it's a cage. It's a it's it's a giant cage of wickedness It it shows freedom that there's flight. That's the birds There's flight and you think there's freedom in it, but it's not it's a cage of wickedness and what they're saying here is that this synagogue of satan is from of old. It is Babylon the Great. It is generationally the mother of harlots. It's the mother of false wickedness, of paganism, of false teaching. It's the very, very progenitor of all wickedness and false teaching in the world. The mother of harlots. It is fallen. It is fallen. And what I have to point out to you is this. What they're looking at with Luther and Zwingli all the way up to the 1689 Confession is they looked back and they saw that the Roman Catholic Church is the Antichrist. It is the beast. It is the false teachers. It is the this. They said this is the warning of God. This is where the Antichrist comes from. They even said that the Pope is Antichrist. as they kept having Pope after Pope after Pope, they would lay that mantle on them and say, this is Antichrist, look at what happens, this is Antichrist. Not that this one individual person is the Antichrist, but that his lineage, the Antichrist will come out of the mother of harlots, the Babylon the Great, this great wicked church. By the way, do you know where the Amillennial and Postmillennial and all those positions came from? The counter-reformation. The Roman Catholic Church brought in these ideas and they said, no, no, no, no, no, that all happened in 70 AD. All of this stuff happened in 70 AD. Jesus returned in 70 AD. He gave us the mantle and he told us to do all these things in his name in 70 AD. And all of this happened and we're to build up Christ's kingdom and we're supposed to be doing this. And these reformers, they're trying to destroy what God is building and they, are these evil birds. They are these wicked ones. You know what the common thing is? I see it in all of this. And it's been done in other ways. It's been done to oppress people of color in this country. It's been done to oppress women. They weren't allowed to read. And, you know, the early Catholic Church did not allow the common folk to read the scriptures. They did Mass in Latin. People went to Mass and didn't even understand it. Because they were hearing it in a language they didn't even speak. That's how the church is indoctrinated and the false church has been allowed to. And I guess what I was talking about was what is so important, especially for you younger children. It's so important that you learn to read and that you read so that you can read the scripture and study it You know, was it 2 Timothy 2.15? Study the word, be a workman, be not ashamed, so that you know the word of God for yourself. So that when, because it's everywhere. I mean, that's why we're meeting in a living room, is because we can't find a church where we can worship culturally normal, if you will, because there is so much false teaching that they just preach from the pulpit that, and people don't get this out and read it. And that's, I guess that's, I guess I wanted to make sure that the kids understand why this is so important to your crazy parents is read, study, read, because what the world's gonna tell you is wrong. You know, the thing you have to think about is there are many people who are Roman Catholic who do not understand the doctrines that they're under. They don't. It doesn't stop at 1689 or 1644 or 1513 or 1511 or 1481. It doesn't stop and I'm giving you specific dates of things that have went on in history. It doesn't stop in the 500s. It doesn't stop at 350. All these times when the Church of Rome was brought into play or the you know, this person or that person did this thing or that thing, these people did these things. It doesn't stop. See, what's going on here is I'm telling you that when you get up to 1689, it didn't end and the Roman Catholic Church didn't walk away and say, oh, everything's fine. They opened the doors up and every hateful bird went flying out of the cage. everyone went flying out of the cage. If you look at 2 Timothy, it tells us that in the last days people will have itching ears and be lovers of themselves. They will have itching ears and they will heap to themselves false teachers because that's what they want. I'm pretty sure it was Paul Washer, but I could be wrong, but I think it was Paul Washer who said that Joel Osteen is not the plague that has hit the people at that church. He's what that church wanted. You have to understand that Joel Osteen is famous and popular around the world, not because he's such a great teacher, an expositor of the word of God. The Roman Catholic Church is not what it is today because all of its people are doctrinally literate. The Roman Catholic Church is what it is today because its people are ignorant of the Word of God. In 2 Thessalonians 2 it says it right here. Somebody read that. 11 through 12. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie. that they all might be damned into who believes not the truth, but has pleasure in righteousness. Unrighteousness. Make sure you get that one right. For people that really have a hard time with God damning people and committing them to unrighteousness and keeping them from hearing the truth and being saved, this passage is very clear. It's definitive on that issue that God doesn't save every single person. It's not his purpose to do that, okay? But it is his purpose to save his elect, his sheep. In 2 Thessalonians 2, it says, for this cause, God shall send them a strong delusion so that they should believe a lie that they all might be damned, who believe not the truth. Those that reject the truth, who have willingly rejected the truth are going to give themselves over to, and this is at a specific time, giving themselves over to wickedness and the lies. But today they're doing the same thing. We see people after people, the Southern Baptist Convention, the Methodist Church, the Presbyterian churches, every denomination giving themselves over to every type of hateful wickedness there is. You talked about racism. We have this issue in the Southern Baptist Convention that says that we need to do the critical theories and talk about intersectionality and the truths behind all this stuff. It's all based upon evolutionary practices and thought. It's all based upon the fact that we are all racist. That's what all of these theories say. If you're a black lesbian woman, you are the most oppressed person in the world, and you have all these points of intersectionality. Imagine if you're a black, transvestite, lesbian, white person who identifies as black, you'd probably be better off on that level. We don't accept white people that identify as black. See, I don't even know the whole levels. But here's the point. Here's the point. The gospel has nothing to do now with what it means to be a Christian. It's how you identify along the intersectionality scores and how much reparations and repentance you're willing to do for being who you are or for being a sinner saved by grace and all of these things. This is that hateful bird that's flying out of the nest. All these false teachings flying out into the world that are coming out from the mother of harlots. But it doesn't matter. I mean, at the end of the day, it doesn't matter if you are not saved through faith and belief and repentance. That's why in the church, it is so important that we believe doctrine. We believe theology. We believe the word of God. We study to show ourselves approved. We work together to expose error, to call out sin, to call people to repentance. Because every single bit of this is antithetical to the gospel. There's only one church and that is a gospeled church. You can't be a part of the body of Christ unless you've been gospeled and brought into his kingdom his way. Amen? You agree with that? You can't do it. But we have seen, and they say, that there are so many that have degenerated and destroyed themselves, and they cease to be called churches of Christ and have become the synagogue of Satan. Think about what that says. You profess to be Christians and show yourself as Christian, and yet the very things that God says a church is, you will not do. You won't call for discipline. You won't call for correction and instruction. You won't call for holiness and righteousness. You won't call for a separation from the things that God calls sin. You won't call for a separation from the world. You don't call for the gospel to be proclaimed in every nation, all the highways and hedges. You stifle the gospel. And that's what all of this is, is a replacement or a stifling of the gospel that, in all honesty, that would would allow us or open us up, give us an opportunity to do everything but worry about the souls of our fellow people in the world. You see, you're a white guy and because you're a white guy, an old white guy, you're part of the patriarchy. You're one of these wicked men who oppress people all over the place And if you don't recognize it, it's because you're a hateful, wicked oppressor. It doesn't matter who you are. The oppression Olympics comes along and says, I'm more oppressed than you are. And if you want to be a part of Christianity today, you have to identify with these groups. The greatest way to get out of this stuff is for reparations. Everybody sell everything they have and give it to whatever group you want to give it to. not as an axe but as in socialism because you are the enemies of Christianity and to prove that you truly are not anymore that you're truly of the faith you must humble yourself before the intersectionality police before the you know the socialism gospels and all these different things and what I'm going to tell you is this We are now looking at Revelation 18, 2 coming to light. We are now looking at 2 Thessalonians 2 coming to light in our generation. It came to light in another generation back in the, you know, 15, 1600s. It's coming light in many other generations. And in our generation, we are beginning, I won't say beginning, we're in the midst of seeing this and the outcome is the great apostasy. the outcome will be an outpouring of apostasy that has just, it's overwhelming. So what is it that identifies what a true body of Christ looks like? It goes on, it says, nevertheless, Christ always has had and always will, to the end of time, have a kingdom in this world made of those who believe in him and make professions in his name. What does it mean to be a part of the body of Christ? Well, let's look at Matthew 16, 18. Gary, you want to cut? Sure. And I saw also unto thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against thee. They'd wish they'd done 16 and 17. It's not saying upon Peter he's going to build the church, because that's the Roman Catholic position. He's actually saying upon the truth of what Peter said, that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. I'm going to build my church upon my own name, upon my own foundation. He is the foundation, the chief cornerstone. He is the one that starts the church, that has built the church, that brings the church to existence. In his blood, he establishes it. His blood is the mortar that has brought that church into existence. Does anybody want to read Matthew 16, 17? 15 says, he said to them, but who do you say that I am? And Simon Peter replied, you are the Christ, son of the living God. And Jesus answered him, blessed are you, Simon Barjona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Think about what it's saying. In context, it's not saying, Peter, you're the rock. is saying, Peter, who do you say that I am? And Peter answers, you are the Christ, the son of the living God. Upon that truth, I will build my church. Do you see that? It's a natural outflowing from one to the other. Upon the truth that you just stated, the Christ, the son of the living God, I will build my church. in Psalm 72, 17. Well, you guys want to grab that? His name shall endure forever. His name shall be continued as long as the sun and moon shall be blessed in him. All nations shall call him blessed. Good job. His name shall endure forever. You did very good, by the way. his name shall endure forever his name shall shall be continued as long as the sun and men shall be blessed in him all nations shall be called blessed that was the promise that God gave to Abraham that in your seed all the nations will be blessed your seed being being the definite article of talking seed Christ okay this is talking about in Christ In Psalm 102, 28, who wants to grab that one? The children of thy servant shall continue and their seed shall be established before thee. The children of thy servant shall continue, thy servant being Christ. This is speaking again of God. The children of your servant, God, the Bible tells us is clear that Jesus Christ is the the perfect servant of God. He was did the will of God. He did the things that God commanded as as both God and man. He did those things which none of us could do. And he established his church, which is his children, the children of your servant. and their seed shall be established before thee." Their spiritual lineage shall be established before thee. Question for you, how do you become part of this lineage, this seed? Is it because you were born into it? or because God specifically calls you out and saves you. In the Old Testament, we saw this covenantal relationship that you're Israel because of genetics from Abraham onward. You see, actually, I'm sorry for not from Abraham, but from Isaac onwards, who became Israel from that time onward, all of Israel is Israel. And in that group of Israel, you had those that truly believed in the Messiah to come, and those were the truly elect, the true Israel. But they had to believe individually, not nationally. We see this idea that's being taught today that we can go back and have covenant families like there was this covenant family of Israel. But if you go back in the Old Testament, what did Abraham do when it was counted for him a righteousness? He believed God. It wasn't that he was born into a family. It was that he believed He was granted faith. He was told truth and the truth of the gospel brought him to salvation That gospel truth was you're gonna out of your your line. There was going to be a seed that will be the savior That's how we become a part of the body of christ It's not through all of these extraneous things. It's not through all this weird hoop jumps that we say we can do today. Those are not part of the of the true teachings of the Word of God. Revelation 12 17 and we're going to finish it up. Of course that's Revelation chapter 12 and it's just direct discussion about the entire life or entire time of Israel All the way through of all of Israel. You can look at it in two different ways the woman can be Israel the wife of God known as the woman and It can be Israel, the wife of God, or you can actually look at it also as saying specifically being Mary and her son. But if you and because there's people that look at it in two different ways. Because you have first of all you have that Israel went and they were cast out and went into Egypt and were brought out and then also you had Mary and Joseph who were who were told to flee went to Egypt when we're brought out so both of them see see a Parallel that passage could be both pointing to both of those issues but it's always pointing to the testimony of Christ and Let me see. From there, we're gonna go to point number four. We'll talk about that one next week. If anybody else has anything they wanna talk about, pray about, think about, we'll spend some time doing that. Dear Lord, thank you so much for our time. Thank you for the fellowship that you've given us, our time together. Lord God, we just love you and praise you. We wanna thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts for giving us just the opportunity to be together. as the body of Christ, just coming together to worship you and to learn of you, to understand more and more about who you are and what you've done to save your people. Lord, we see your hand working throughout generation after generation. If we look back and we study to show ourselves approved and we can look in the scripture and we can see those things that you have done in mighty, mighty ways, Lord, to bring truth to us. We can identify the false teachers. We can warn about all of those that would seek to destroy and corrupt us. And Lord, you've given us the tools to guard our hearts against the lies of the devil and the wickedness of this world. Help us, Lord, as we live our lives this day to do everything for your glory and praise. In Christ's name we pray, Lord. Amen.