1 John 2.18-27 The Antichrist

Read 1 John 2 for responsive scripture

Antichrist

Have you ever been scammed? The truth is that many of us have been scammed at some point in this life.

I could tell you of story after story of people who have talked to me about being scammed. From an internet deal gone wrong to a phone call from a fake friend to some pretending to be the IRS. I really believe that every two months I get a call with a story of a scam that costs someone between $50 to $5,000 and they all break my heart. The one that I will tell you is of my good friend Art Eshleman who gets a call “Grandpa, Grandpa!” And Art responds James is that you. Yes Grandpa its me James I need to be bailed out of prison and I don’t have any money please don’t tell mom dad or my wife I don’t want anyone to know.” Art marches down to the bank to get money. PRAISE GOD Art was Art. And would tell everyone everything. He explains everything to the teller who says hey this sounds like a scam and calls the manager. But as you know it usually doesn’t go so well. I will say this if you have been scammed. DON’T BEAT Yourself up. Look around this room and you will definately find other people who have been scammed. AND! This is more important. If you haven’t been scammed Don’t you dare sit there and say those stupid people. How could they be so dumb. You ever heard that scriptural proverb pride goes before the fall. If that is your attitude maybe you will be calling me next week because you have been scammed. The devil and his minions work over time in this world.

The last two weeks we spoke about Worldview! That is important

The ruler of the world is Satan.

John 14:30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me.

You remember we need to change our thinking so that we no longer think like our old Father the Devil the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes the pride of life. Love not the world nor the things that are in the world. Well it’s at this point that John recenters his teaching to the babes in Christ those who are new to their faith, but I think that that this teaching has meat for all of us His first topic of Conversation is about anti christ but before we understand this we have to look at the history of antichrist.

What in the “world” is the seed of the serpent?

Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.

This passage is always brought up to point to Jesus. It is called the protoeveanglica or the first hint of the gospel that would come through Jesus. GREAT!!!!! But what is all this I will put enmity between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. I get it JESUS is the seed of the woman who is bruised for our iniquities and crushes the head of the serpent. HALLELUJAH PRAISE GOD AMEN! but what is the seed of the serpent?

This starts the seed wars.

Daniel 2:41–44 Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.

Let me tell you this is some scary bible stuff. The antichrist topic is. It relates to Genesis 6 the sons of God took daughters of men and their were fallen ones giants born to them. I don’t really know what that means. I’m sure someone will tell me later, but they really don’t either. It has to do with Abraham the battle for him to have have a child and the same happens to Isaac it Pharoah killing all the jewish boys and the death angel killing all the firstborn in egypt. It is David and Bathsheba and the constant attack on the Davidic King line. It is when Jesus is born and Herod trying to kill all children two years old and under. I believe that it is still alive and well today. It is the reason the Jews are almost annihilated in the concentration camps in Germany and why they are the most hated people group in the world today. It also plays into the fact that the seed of the serpent the antichrist is an important topic. I don’t think the devil really knows who the antichrist will be. Because he doesn’t have the same divine sovereign omniscience that the Creator does.

The Antichrist is coming to the world.

Revelation 17:7–11 But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. The beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.”

I want to be clear before we begin this chapter. God sent His Son Jesus as the Christ to give His life an atonement for you and me. Jesus is the perfect spotless lamb of God. He died on the cross to save you from your sins. He rose again to give you the power of sin. He is the way the truth and the life. He is the Light of the World, He loves the World, and He is brings Life to the World. This “AntiChrist” I don’t have and this is not the Bible study to look at the book of Daniel and Revelation and many other places in the Bible in depth look at the actions of the antichrist that is a different study. But in these verse we see the Beast “Who is personally the opposite of Jesus” He is the seed of the serpent or the see of the world He deceives the world (Jesus brings the truth) and those not written in the book of life follow him. He comes from hell (the bottomless pit) not heaven. and will return there. He in this passage alludes to his counterfiet resurrection and his reign in which he leads people to perdition Which is eternal damnation or spiritual ruin. Utter destruction. His kingdom is temporary but Christ’s is eternal. But you know what I see in that passage. The Devil I don’t think knows who the antichrist will be yet. It’s not like there is some baby Adolf Hitler out there being groomed for the right time. Only the Father knows when Daniel’s seventieth week will start when the rapture of the church will happen and when the marriage supper of the lamb will occur. The devil who is a lot more intelligent than you can’t figure it out neither can you so don’t try to figure it out. Just let God work it out, I heard someone say this about eschatology which is a fancy word for saying prophecy. It never works out how you want or think it will. But on the other side of it you see how God was right word for word and His plan is always better than yours. Trust it! You won’t regret it.

Now lets get into 1 John 2 get ready because we are going to bounce around the chapter to try and organize John’s letter for our study this morning that is why I wanted to read 1 John 2 in scripture reading because we are going to be jumping around so much

In the last days, antichrist will be at work.

1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.

During the last days the antichrist knows that his time is short and that he had better get to work so he is out there trying his best to deceive the world and I think of the words of Jesus. We are going to be talking about antichrist today because there are four verses in the entire Bible that use the word antichrist they are in 1 John 2.18 , 2:22, 4:3 and 2 John verse 7. Even though that doesn’t mean that these are the only verses that talk about this topic I believe it is a topic from start to finish. From Balaam in the book of Numbers, to Korah, to Baruck in the book of Jeremiah, to BarJesus in the book of Acts. To Rabshaken in the book of Isaiah They are all people who spoke the exact opposite message to the message of Jesus in the Bible. Do you know who any of those people are? If the answer is no, that is kind of a good thing. Because their purpose was all to lead people away from faith in God.

The antichrist wants to deceive you.

Matthew 24:24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

The devil would love to get his antichrist’s into the church to deceive you to lead you away from the truth and we are going to talk about exactly what that is. But if we hold on to a couple of things. Greater things that Jesus left us all topics that John talks on in this book as a way to combat the enemy you can succeed. Including the security we have in Christ (Eternal Security, The Holy Spirit, the overwhelming love of God and fellowship with Him God’s Grace and mercy) all these things will help combat the evil one.

We are still living in the last hour.

1 Peter 4:7 But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.

All the New Testament writers. EVERY SINGLE ONE! I went through the list. I am about to give a lot of them said that they were living in the last days. The last days of the world started when Jesus rose from the dead. It ends when He comes back and touches down in His second coming. I know it has been 2,000 years but don’t read this verse to say. Jesus is coming back on Christmas 2025! It just means that Jesus return the rapture of the church is imminent it could happen at any time. Any time at all, He is at hand! He could come today. This verse is not for us to set a date. It is for us to know that Jesus could come at any time and guess what we are 2000 years closer than John was. And I long for His appearing. It could be tomorrow it could be today! I hope it is today MARANATHA We see a world that looks 9 months pregnant maybe even overdo for the return of the LORD but like a child being born from the womb it will happen in His time. Not ours. Look at all the following verses, they talk about the last days and the spirit of antichrist

The Spirit of Antichrist comes in the form of demonic activity.

1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,

That makes sense that is what everyone thinks of when they think of the antiChrist. Demons are real and they work behind the scene to bring deception to the church.

The Spirit of Antichrist comes in the form of temptation.

2 Peter 3:3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts,

It reminds me so much of the book of Judges. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. The scoffers of this world will try and deceive you that sin is ok that morality is relative. That from the beginning Satan’s message: You can question God’s authority

The Spirit of Antichrist comes in the form of mocking your faith.

Jude 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.

Where is the sign of His coming will be the message of the day. Jesus can’t save you that book isn’t real. People have been talking about the return of Christ for 2000 years. People always set dates and it never happens. That is one reason we aren’t date setters. We are warned not to set dates. It will be just like in the days of Noah. They mocked his message. They scoffed at his preaching until the ark door was shut and the rain came and it was too late. You ever been to Noah at sight and sound when that ark door shuts you just have tears running down your eyes for those left behind don’t follow the mocking of the antichrist. Know the real deal today.

The Spirit of Antichrist will even come in the form of wealth.

James 5:3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days.

You can not serve to master you can not serve God and Money. A lot of people will never enter heaven because they care more about the dollars or gold in their pocket than they do about having a relationship with Jesus Christ.

The PERSON Antichrist is coming but 1 John 2 is also talking about the many antichrists false teachers the spirit of antichrist that will be prevelant in the last days. I don’t lose sleep about the Antichrist. I won’t be here to see him! But I am concerned about the spirit of Antichrist in the last days that is prevelent in the world today the same spirit of antichrist that john dealt with.

1 Antichrist denies fellowship.

1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

The antichrist spirit. Notice how in verse 18 the word antichrist is plural. Verse 19 talks about these antichrist that come into the church and try to get the church of track. But they are not of the church and it’s message. They will ruin the church.

2 Antichrist denies God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son.

1 John 2:22–23 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

This is the message of the anti christ in the new testamenet. Anyone who is leading the church away from the truth of God’s word. Is the spirit of Antichrist. I will tell you this. If you come here to church this is what you are going to hear. All men are sinners. Jesus is the virgin born son of God equal with the Father. He died on the cross to pay for your sins. He rose again to conquer sin death and hell and if you recieve his gift of salvation heaven is your home. I am amazed that I have heard that from people in church that we hear that too much. I have heard that all my life. Talk about politics. you beat the holy spirit to death. Well it’s that kind of talk that is responsible for literally beating Jesus to death and I will not be silent about the gospel.

3 Antichrist deceives

1 John 2:26 These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.

Deception runs rampant you need to know the truth. The truth is found in this book. Not on the internet. Not on Fox News or CNN. Not from the school from elementary to the college level. Not even in some churches. But only when you open the book.

3 Antichrist Antidotes (The Holy Spirit, Eternal Security and the truth)

Next week we are going to look at those three things

1 The Holy Spirit

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

2 The Truth

1 John 2:21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

1 John 2:26–27 These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

Do you notice the Holy Spirit is the source of truth

3 Eternal Security

1 John 2:24–25 Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.

That is my outline for next week. I just this is a heavy topic. I believe that the church needs to be on guard against the antichrist. We need to be aware of him not obsessed with him. We also need to know the answers to Him.