My notes from Bro. Gary’s sermon on 3-18-12, Sunday morning

1 John 4:2-6 (especially vs 3)                  “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,  and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.  Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.  They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.  We are from God.Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”

• 1 Tim 4:1 – “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons”
• The devil produces counter-fits to seduce people to follow errors
• A TRUE BELIEVER OF GOD WHO REJECTS THE ANTI-CHRIST WILL:
  • ENBRACE THE INERRANCY AND SUFFICENCY OF SCRIPTURE
    • 2 Tim 3:16 – “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness”
      •  God has given it all to us & there is no errors It is ALL we need for our spiritual journey
• EMBRACE THE ALL KNOWING GOD OF THE BIBLE
  • The Bible reveals to us who God is
  • Jehovah Rapha – the God who Heals
  • People will agree that God is a God of love but they reject Him also as the God of Wrath and a God of Judgment (Sodom & Gomorrah)
  • You will either accept He is the God of the Bible of will accept the false god of this world that they make Him to be
• EMBRACE THE TRUTH OF MAN AS A SINFUL CREATURE
  • Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
  • Spirit of anti-christ philosophy says that people are basically good
  • There is none good no not one
  • Man was born with a sinful nature
• EMBRACE THE REALITY OF SATAN & HIS DEMONS
  • The devil is real and so are his demons
  • If we think that we are above attack we are full of pride and we are sinning and we ARE going to fall
• EMBRACE THE SINLESS SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST
  • Romans 10:13 “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”
  • Embrace the exclusive nature of the gospel message
  • Broad is the way that leads to destruction
  • Narrow is the way that leads to Heaven
  • Many ways to heaven is called Universalism and is a spirit of the anti-christ
  • Universalism is seeping its way into the Church
• EMBRACE THE REALITY OF HELL
  • 13 times Gehenna is mentioned – 12 times by Jesus and once by James (the tongue is like a fire)
  • Jesus preached more on Hell than on Heaven
  • Many modern theologians dismiss it – and that is a slap on Gods face
• EMBRACE MORAL PURITY IN AN IMMORAL AGE
  • The world says that anything goes
  • Ex 20:14 “You shallnot commit adultery.”  From this verse forward we are called to a life of purity.
  • Matthew 5:27-28 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
  • The Bible says you are not very wise when you choose to live immorally
  • You are headed for judgement by living immorally
    • Disease is RAMPANT – God protects you for a reason!
    • Unwanted pregnancy can be stressful and often the child is neglected or even murdered
      • England is currently trying to push for post-birth abortion
      • I want the truth of Jesus to change me!!
• Am I settling for second-rate Christianity?
• Am I seeking maturity/depth and becoming more like Jesus?
• Am I opposing cultural Christianity?
• Am I too concerned with appearing to be Christian rather than what is changing within me?
• Our faith needs to be REAL!! I NEED TO BE CHANGED BY JESUS!!
• We have to make a choice on who we think Jesus is
• We have to make a choice on the issue of the Spirit of God and the Spirit of the anti-christ