Here come the Anti-Christ

INTRO

Open your Bible to 1 John 2

If you are into sermon titles to know what the overarching theme of what we are talking about I’ve titled this message here from the anit-christs’. So this should be fun and to make sure it is a little fun because it will get pretty serious later I thought we would start this morning with a game. Don’t worry this game has no salvation value to you and it does have direct correlation to the message. But I found a video that is going to show 7 comparison videos of an AI video vs a real video. So before we watch it I need you to be honest about your score that has no purpose or value to you, just keep track of how many you get correct.

Read?

How many got all of them correct?

Now, this is not a message about AI, although that is important to discussed about how to not to get decieved by AI, but as I already said, this message is about the anti christs’. How do we know when the anti christ will come? How can we tell if there is an anti christ now? What are we supposed to do when we spot an anti christ? We need to have a filter, similar to when we see things created by AI, that alerts us of something that seems off. And thankfully John is going to show us that today in the text.

So let’s pray for our hearts to be ready to hear whay the Spirit is saying to the church today.

BODY

Let’s read the the Word of God this morning.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.

Okay, let’s stop. I know we did not cover a lot but there is a lot there that we need to flesh out so we can understand it. So let’s talk about this interesting and kinda scary word: Antichrist. What is John talking about and why is he saying there are antichrists? I thought there was just one that comes at the end of time? Well let’s look at the definition of Antichrist.

ANTICHRIST DEFINITION: Anti=instead of/against. Christ=anointed one.

So John says that we have heard there is a person that is against the anointed one but there is also multiple people who will be against the anointed one, meaning Jesus. We already have talked about this but this was what Gnosticim was doing. It was anti-anointed one because Jesus would then have to be a physical man to be anointed and be the son of God. They were against physical and so they created there own Jesus which therefore is an anti or instead of Jesus. There were anti Christ’s then, there are anti christ’s now.

Teachers that twist scripture to make Jesus into something that they want more than what Scripture actually says. There are religions that are anti-christs. Where there are coold with Jesus and think that his teaching and life is fine but the moment you call him anointed byt God and the son of God, people loose it man. It’s one of the ways to have a filter to know who is truly Christian. Anyone can bless God and demons even believe in God. But you bring of Jesus, the man from nazareth who was full God and fully man today, it is a dead give away. And because this is happening John says that we are in the last hour.

Now if John was saying we are in the last hour over 2,000 years ago, and here we are today, was he wrong? Or what is going on? Well according to scripture and the apostles the last hour is this definition.

THE LAST HOUR IS FROM THE TIME ASCENDED TO THE TIME HE WILL RETURN.

John says we know that this is the last hour twice, emphasizing the importance of knowing it is the last hour. And the reason we know that is because there are antichrists. So the people that are against Jesus are a testament to 1)Jesus being the truth Christ and 2) that we are in the last days. WE don’t have a lot of time to talk about this but I’ll put this screen up and this is in your notes of scriptures talking about the “last hour.”

This is from the ESV study Bible pg. 2,432

“The “last days” (the day of salvation 2 Cor 6:2) have already come but the “last day” (the day of salvation and wrath, 1 Thess 5:1:1—11) has not yet arrived. The following are equivalent expressions for the “last days” (the period of time between Jesus’ death and resurrection and the final judgement). More scripture on Last days/last hour/last times: Acts 2:17, 2 Tim 3:1, Heb 1:2 James 5:3, Jude 18, 1 Peter 1:20.

I appreciate how Daniel Akin who wrote in his commentary on 1 John says,

Exalting Jesus in 1,2,3 John Antichrist Has a Period of Time

The last hour evokes the sense of imminence and urgency in which those who follow Christ must live in throughout any and every age. We live in a time when antichrists (plural) are active. This activity will increase until “the Antichrist” comes at the end of the last hour. Jesus Himself warned us of all of this in

So John is not using a manipulative tactic because we talked last week about how we need to be eternally minded. Someone who does not realize it is the last hour does not have an urgency like someone who does. The picture of someone who knows that they are in the last hour is one who is prepared, not aimless and has a focus. They are not wandering around and just living their best life now. They know that they want to stay awake and be prepared for the return of Jesus and living in the truth rather than just accepting all truth as truth. So how do we know and understand who these ani christ’ are?

John continues to talk about these antiChrists and how we know them.

English Standard Version Chapter 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 it might become plain that they all are not of us.

These were people that John knew were in the gathering of Believers week to week, taking communion with them and now they have left. They are not in fellowship. Why? Because they do not believe that Jesus was the anointed one.

This is not like today where people leave churches because they don’t like it. This is people leaving the community of faith because they are not following Jesus, the physically resurrected, spirit giving Jesus who is alive. They have bought into an antichrist teaching like Gnosticism, Jehova’s witness, Mormonism, self help Gospel, New age, or whatever else that is anti Jesus. They left because they do not believe in a resurrected man named Jesus Christ.

Let me just say one thing about this in connection to last weeks message. Our desires (flesh, delight of the eyes, pride of procession) can manifest in church and even towards God. This can be seen in churches and why people leave churches and then become anti-christ. So instead of becoming like Christ who came to serve and not be served, we want to be served. While it is not exactly like what John is talking about here I think it is fair to talk about in our culture today where people can think that the church should be there to serve them instead of coming to serve, especially if they are a believer.

The overarching truth that John is showing is this, your belief about Jesus will either connect you to believers, or creation isolation and no fellowship.

But what about those who are in fellowship? This is what John says. Let’s read this together so I know you are all hearing it today.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.

I love this, John is saying that you are anointed by the Holy one because you know the truth. You are able to discern the truth by the Spirit of Christ. Let me give you a little background on this understanding of being anointed quick because I think it is worth your time and because John’s readers would have understood the depths that he was talking about too.

In the old Testament there was a ceremony for leaders and prophets who would be anointed by God, with actual oil, as the way to say that God would work through that person. This was a special calling and yet when Jesus came after he was resurrected he told the disciples to wait to be anointed from on high. The Holy spirit came upon the apostles and the Gentiles throughout acts because God promises that his Spirit would be on all people who believed in Jesus. That is the anointing that you and I have. Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth, which is Jesus, that is his main job, to exalt Jesus. He has been given you to lead you into all truth. There is no superior revelation, it has been revealed right here in the Word of God, in Christ Jesus. And when you follow His will and His Spirit, you follow Jesus to become more like Jesus.

Do you see how John is helping us become more like Christ? Little anointed ones, following the anointed one, to become like Him.

He is saying you are anointed so you can follow the anointed one. And when you follow the anointed one, you become more like the anointed one. You walk in fellowship with the Father and other believers. There is not an island Christianity.

So if there is a liar and a truth how do we know who is lying? How do we know that Ai from the real? verses 22 and 23 are our filter.

Verse 22 could read: “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the anointed one. He is the anti anointed one who denies the Father and the Son.”

This is the barometer for John and for us to know if someone is an anti Christ: Whoever denies the Son (Jesus as the Son of God) does not have the Father either, he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. So if someone is cool with Jesus but does not see Him as the son of God, he is anti Christ.

So with all this information I thought it would be good to ask some reflection questions for us to ponder now and even through the week.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Are you able to spot an AntiChrist?

We have more teachers, podcasts, sermons, blogs, blogs and whatever source of media you use out there that have a lot of voices. As a pastor and as a shepherd I keep asking you to get into the word, into prayer to know the truth so that I can pat myself on the back that people are reading the Bible? No, because there are wolves out there man. There are people trying to get your attention with a fake message that is anti Jesus. I can’t monitor and check all of your podcasts, books, reels, and sermons you listen to, nor should I. But you are anointed by the Holy one to know the Scriptures so that when you hear something that is off, you run. You don’t entertain it. Can you do that? It is important. It is also important to ask this hard question.

Are you an antichrist?

Wow, that is harsh Josh. Yes, it is a question hoping to get to the foundation and see what is under the hood. Are you following Jesus, who is revealed in Scripture and in truth? Or are you following a pastor only? Listen, I’ll be blunt, I’m glad if you like my messages but my biggest prayer every week is that these messages would stir you to get into the Word. To seek Him in prayer for yourself. Are you following Jesus through a person on Tick tock? Through a denomination? Through a parent? Or do you follow the anointed one named Jesus Christ who was fully God and fully man. You know him.

Josh, why are you asking us this? We are in Church, of course we are not antiChrists. John was writing to a church were people left. They literally had an elder who walked with Jesus physically and yet they were lead astray. Do not think that we are somehow superior or greater than to be sluggish and assume we are not capable of doing the same. But you know how you don’t become backslidden and fall into this deception? Be front slidden. Be on fire for the Lord. Don’t let complacency have a hold in you. And answer this second question honestly. It’s easy to say I am a Christian without having Christ be magnified in your life.

Are you living like it is the last hour?

Jesus says this is Matthew 24 verses 36-39.

English Standard Version Chapter 24

36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

As in the days of Noah. Everything was good yet a there was a man and a family that understood that something was coming. Noah, righteous Noah, lived differently than the people around Him because He understood something different. Now, I get it, this is a wrestle because what are we supposed to do here? Just lock ourselves in a bunker with water and ramennoodles until Jesus comes? No. I truly believe we are to be engaged in culture, to work, to play and enjoy the gifts that God has given us in this life. However, what did John say was evidence that we are in the last hour? There were antichrists. So because of people not telling the truth about Jesus we live in the last hour. So what would be wise of us to build in the last hour? An understanding of truth. Getting into the word. Oh come on Josh, don’t you have anything else to tell us? NO. Until I die or the Lord returns I will tell you to keep getting into the Word, and devour it so you can stand in truth. So you don’t get swept away by every passing culture trend. That you know Jesus. And if you get annoyed with it and never pick up your Bible because you have 100 excuses, that’s fine but I will stay faithful to tell you to get into the Word, fellowship with the father and live in the last hour with urgency and expectancy.

Whwn you read the word then you will be able to answer this question with joy.

Are you living anointed By the Holy One?

You have the Spirit of God. God has chosen you to put His Spirit in you. I don’t know about you but that is exciting. That pushes a lot of fear and insecurities away. That makes me grateful, thankful, ambitious for the Kingdom, wanting to become more like Jesus, wanting to spend time in prayer, wanting to repent of my sin, wanting to live by the spirit and not by the flesh. He has anointed you. He has given you Himself. Have you received the Holy Spirit in this way? Or are you unaware that the Holy one of heaven has poured out His oil on you? Are you unaware that this is the goal of Christianity is Christlikeness. To become like the anointed one in word, thought, deed. To serve like Christ, wherever, and whenever.

We need to be anointed with him, we need the Holy Spirit. We need this understanding. If that is your desire pray with me.