Good and Evil - Part 3
Well, good morning. I don't I'm sure some of you have probably noticed we've been having a little bit of technical problems with our computer and and I'm getting a recording to record for some reason and I fixed it a I thought a few times and it just didn't fix it. So I think I do have a fix for next week, but I wanted to record this over again. I probably am not going to remember every single thing that we talked about, but I'd like to go through just the scripture and give you the main. IDR core main message that I had going through this third or Romans 12:9 for the third time. I will as we took a another look at what it what does it mean to abhor? What is evil and specifically what what is evil if we're to be abhorred or disgusted by something after the Bible tells us that that should be true of us then we we really need to not just we need to understand it deeper than just a general term. But but what does it actually mean when the Bible says a boar with his evil? So let me read from Romans 12 9 through 13.
Make it here on the computer. Let love be genuine abhor. What is evil hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection outdo one another in showing honor do not be slothful in Zeal be fervent in spirit serve the Lord rejoice in Hope. Be patient in Tribulation be constant in prayer contribute to the needs of the Saints and seek to show Hospitality as prey. Father we thank you for your word. Father we thank you that your sovereign. That father you're you're in control and father even even with this computer problem bother you you work all things for the the good of those who love you and and God we we just trust that you have something good in that father. I thank you that as we Ponder your greatness as we Ponder your attributes father that you are infinite in your attributes. It's not just that you're loving but you're infinitely loving They are infinitely just that you're infinitely merciful. That you're infinitely good father. Open our hearts. I asked I pray that your Holy Spirit would Enlighten us or would help us to understand correctly and father. We pray that your holy spirit will apply your truth to our hearts that he would make them knew that he would help us to walk the way you want to to walk the way you've called us to walk father. We we thank you. We thank you for your word father. We ask today that you would draw us closer to you through it in Jesus name. Amen. Hey, man, well, if you remember, this is actually the third message over this verse what's taking so long to get through this versus it says if sometimes when you hike down a trail and they're they're well-maintained Trail is easy to hike down but at times and I've even experienced that because of lack of funding or or whatever the problem. Is there been some Trails where I go down they just they get overgrown and trees go across them and sometimes a weeds are so thick you almost need a machete to just chop through and to to clear the path again, and I believe that that's true of some of the even the English words that we read in this text because of our culture. That's what that's water down these words until the first week. We look Spa Berkeley at the word love This Greek word was a guy pay love. It's it's very different than what our culture would interpret as the word love. Our culture is very feeling based. It's very I guess I guess still at the all the saying it's the love that our culture understands is is a million miles wide in about a quarter of an inch deep. Once the feelings are gone. We feel like we can hit the road or maybe we can make an agreement with somebody and now we don't like them so our agreement over that's that's not the love of God. The love of God is agape. In fact, it has relatively nothing to do with our feelings and it's a matter of choice that we choose to love someone and we see that Illustrated for a mother towards her children children. Very bad one day and they can make their mother's day. I'm not a fun day and yet no matter how angry or annoyed she gets she still loves her children. She still they don't worry about not getting supper and pain and we went deeper into that a few weeks ago, and maybe I'll re-record those two. I'll I'll see what we need to to do there. The second week we looked at evil I specifically what is what is evil. We know the opposite of evil is good in that that word in self is used in this text says don't hold to what is good that word again is somewhat water down. We know scripturally that this word good means moral perfection. In fact, if you remember the man who came to Jesus and he said good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life and Jesus first starts immediately and correcting his understanding of you use this word. Good. You're not understanding what it means. He says, why do you call me? Good there is only one who is good, and that is God. Until we find moral perfection in God alone winner of the word around flippantly in our cultural. Someone says hey do you want do you want one of these cupcakes? And we say that it's a very watered-down and so the danger is only come to the text we can do the same thing. We can weekend in our mind that maybe even subconsciously because we've used it so much in the water down for him. We can say hold fast to what is Goodwell. What is good? Maybe it's somebody that that puts flowers on my doorstep on on Mayday York, if anybody does that anymore cuz all kinds of things that we can say is good. In fact, our culture would say a lot of things are good. And which in fact are not good there they are evil. And so when we come to hold fast to what is good. In essence it is holding fast to God holding fast to moral perfection that God is good that he is the only one who is good because he's a very just not that he's good. He is the he is good. It's not just that he is good or that he does good things but that his the the his very nature is good that he has morally perfect.
Casella's, we we understand that we understand that evil is the opposite of good that evil is if we if we think of God's moral standard The Ten Commandments evil is the opposite of I'm sorry. I let me rephrase. So if the Ten Commandments are good if the Ten Commandments are God's moral character, we know that God does not lie. We know that God does not steal most of which is impossible with impossible for God to steal because everything is his to begin with it's it's all his he can't lie because if he knows creation I used as he can look into my field and look at my my little stereo on the field and he can point out of them say that's a goat and he doesn't lie immediately my steer turns into a goat his he speaks. Things into existence so it's impossible for him to lie. But when we go to Evil is for the opposite of this so to lie is evil just steal is evil to murder. Even if our culture doesn't understand that to murder is evil. It's not just something bad going on downtown at Planned Parenthood. It is the very definition of evil of continuing on this week. I looked at evil is the opposite of last week evil was the opposite of good this week. We looked at evil is the opposite of Truth. We look at Hebrews 4:12 through 13 and says. Let me get that on that. I need to change it. So you guys can see for the word of God is living and active sharper than any two-edged sword piercing to the division of the Soul another spirit. Of the joints of the marrow and Discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart and no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him whom we must give an account then we find in 2nd Timothy 3 16 through 17. I'm sorry. I didn't do that. Well. All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching for reproof for correction and for training in righteousness that the man of God may be complete equipped for every good work. So we find that scripture makes a claim and I I believe this with all of my heart and I support this wholeheartedly but scripture is the word of God. It is breathed out. It is his word to us. I can't remember where the quote comes from. But somebody said if you want to hear from God simply open your Bible and read it. And then they continued and said if you want to hear God and an audible voice read your Bible out loud the scripture in the Bible that you hold in your hand is the very word of God it is as if he was standing before you and speaking face to face that is scripture and there are those in this world that would come against at and they would try to question that and in fact every false religion must start from that standpoint. If you remember in the Garden of Eden in the fall of Man, what does the serpent do? What's the very first thing he does is he says did God really say that? And that that quote from the serpent is still the same quote as that's repeated over and over by every false religion. That's the the beginning of their foothold as they say. Is that really God's word. Did he really say that are you sure it's not just mistranslated. Are you sure it just wasn't passed down too many times. Obviously, they're ignorant of how we got scripture because we know it wasn't a story specifically looking at the New Testament. It wasn't a story passed down for hundreds of years that a very early it was God use writers to write down God's word and it was copied immediately over and over and over again we have without a shadow. It could win in a court of law that those who were here during Jesus's time wrote the scripture that this is exactly what they are. We can through the copying of the scriptures and through comparing what's went from here and they are all throughout the world and we we bring them back and we find that these are very good copies it and sometimes he will say well there is a discrepancy between the two between not the two but the maybe a copy here in a copy over there. But the scrap the discrepancy is this that maybe somebody forgot maybe it's not a discrepancy in meaning. It's just a discrepancy and maybe they got writing too fast and they skipped a word or something like that and even that is fairly rare. So there is no reason to doubt that this isn't that the very word of God unless you're to do that unless you were to doubt God himself. So and I got to let down a little rabbit trailer, but God's the Bible you hold in your hand today though, the Old and New Testament the canonized scripture of the church. Today is the very word of God. In fact, it claims of that of itself that it is the word of God. And so my question then is what is evil. If we misrepresent God we misrepresent has word. I use the story in church of a little Brody I said, you know, if I started telling you that Brody's birthday was coming up and I just enjoy it came to me and said hey, I want to get Brody a birthday present. And I said, you know Brody really likes pink ribbons. End end but Brody doesn't really like pink ribbons and and then his birthday comes and starts to open his birthday presents and there's all these pink ribbons and he's like is this a joke and finally yeah somebody why do I have all these? Why did you guys get me these pink ribbons as well? Dug told us that your favorite thing is pink ribbons. Would I be a friend to Brody at the Pointe Brodie would be very angry with me. Why because I misrepresented him. And so if we go to the word of God and we miss represent God if we we twist the scripture to it to fit what I want or we are we just credit it just to build a new understanding that we might draw people away to follow us. We are the very definition of evil. in 2nd Timothy 4:3 through 4. We find this very thing it says for the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. So when we find and we find ourselves currently in a time where people
They really want to hear what they want to hear. They want to hear a message of God loves you. He is this this Grandpa and Heaven is wearing a sweater and he'll be there for you in times of trouble, but he just want you to kind of live however you want and if you need him, he's there on your shelf. You pull them down you open your Bible. You might get a few insper inspiring messages, but then you go back to your life and God just loves everyone and if you think it's loving then you do that and we find that even though I think maybe they're not intentionally doing this people don't put up with sound Doctrine or many people will not put up with sound Doctrine if you start to open scripture and show before them. What does the god of the one true God of the universe? What is he really like is he only love? Or is he just is he not only merciful but is he raffle? We started getting into these things. You should find that people. I don't want to listen too much. In fact it to even encroach on their lifestyle into say does God want you to do this. Does he want you to turn from this you'll soon find people will turn the other direction and not everyone thankfully God has called some to turn from their sin and Trust in Christ and he will put out a deep hunger within them to know the truth it to not just know how God can help them in this life. But how they can know this God how they could know him better if those people who have this deep desire to know the truth whether it rains on their parade or not, they they don't care about how it affects their life. They just want to know who God is and how they can know him better. In Acts, 20 28 through 30 scripture gives us warning specifically to church leaders says pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock and which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to care for the Church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure Fierce wolves will come in a not sparing the flock. And from among your own cells will arise men speaking Twisted things to draw way the disciples after them. This says that even people within the church building or or even within their Gathering that will rise up and wouldn't say they'll do it says they will twist things they will twist the scripture. They will take verses out by themselves and take it out of context with the rest of scripture and not Twisted into what they think or what they want or as in this time. And the early church and even all through today in the rise of gnosticism. They all say, you know, we had this secret message share the secret information that you need to know to to be closer to God. That's always this Gnostic idea. We think we only see in the New Testament what we see it today. We just don't recognize it as such we live right here next to Nauvoo. What is the claim of Mormonism? We have an extra revelation of Jesus Christ. We have the Bible as long as you translated the way we want to but we have our our extra books are extra knowledge that if you really want to know him to know these things Mormonism is the modern-day I'm dressing up of narcissism and gnosticism was evil and the early church and gnosticism is evil today, even if we dress up nicely in and do nice things for people the twisting of the truth of God is evil that was then it is today. Matthew 16 11 and 12 Says, how is it that you failed to understand that I did not speak about bread Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees then they understood that he did not tell them to Beware of the leaven of the bread but the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. So Jesus even while he's on Earth is already warning us that there is bad teaching that this this teaching is serious. He said Beware I'm whenever you see a sign that says beware what it's the catch our attention that something is wrong in Jesus's is pointing this out already and throughout history. There have been great men of God who ever eyes. Up and who have God has used them to bring us back to scripture. We think of the reformers and how the religious leaders of the time had kind of let us away from scripture and into and do other things I think about that one when were LED away from scripture or let away from truth if we let away from truth or lettuce or let away from what is good and we're led to what is evil. And today's American mainstream Christianity. We want to make peace with everyone we want to make peace with with all the religions. We want to say that we can work together because we believe in Jesus even though they may be calling someone Jesus. Who is the god of the Bible that just has the same day. We might believe some of the same things but we must be very careful Christ warned us to Beware of the leavening or beware of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. In fact today and in mainstream Christianity, there's a push to be reunited with a major world religion that the reformers broke us away from to bring us back to the truth of scripture and pack to mainstream Christianity wants to call Brothers. The reformers were very clear that the the leader that religion was Antichrist that it is not just a dumb just have bad ideas. He doesn't just he's not just thinking differently than we do but he is Antichrist he is evil. And today the question I have or what I would urge you is do you believe that do you believe the word of God? Do you trust what scripture says do you believe in? So strongly that to to break away from it or two manga litter manipulated. Do you see it as not just a slight but something that is very evil because that's what the reformers believed and that's what Jesus taught and that's what scripture teaches and that's what Paul taught are. We have we misunderstood what it means to love so much that that we now believe that the loving thing to do is to not disagree if a if a man was walking a blind man was walking towards the cliff Is a loving for me to to warn him to shout to yell to get his attention that I might tell him the error of the direction he's going or is it loving for me to say well, I don't want to offend them. He looks like he's having a good day and kind of all of the same boat. So I let him just walk down this path and fall off the cliff or even where she had to walk down this path towards the cliff and then he pup followers behind him who he drives off the cliff with him and we we look to ourselves we say, well, you know, I just don't want to be judgmental. I just don't want to ruin his day or upset or offend him that is evil. It's the loving thing to do is warn someone to to tell them that this isn't scripture what you are participating in what you were when you were being baptized for the dead what when your When you're putting your trust in and things outside of faith in Christ, it is not just a bad day. It's not just well, you know, they just believe something differently than I do but it is evil modern secularism is evil the things that are taught in the school system about, you know, just that there's I don't even know how much Avenue to go down. But that that it's a woman's right to murder her baby inside of her that it's it's it's okay for young boys and girls to get condoms handed out by the school and then to go run off and it's okay because you just do what's right. It's not right no matter how good you feel. How did it is evil? God wrote the scripture. I didn't it's my job to know who he is until line my life with him. It's not to change the truth to make myself feel better.
In Matthew 7 15 through 20. It says beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they're ravenous wolves, you'll recognize them by their fruits are grapes gathered from thornbrook bushes are figs from thistles. So every healthy tree Bears good fruit, but the diseased tree Bears Bad fruit a healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire that she will recognize them by their fruits. What fruit is the TV preacher sending out to you and maybe I think there's probably some good TV preachers out there, but I turned to TBN on once every few years or so and it doesn't take long for me to say this guy doesn't have very good fruit. He thinks we should buy him another jet Well, people are starving in Africa. He thinks we should buy him another jet. What what fruit what fruit are they and what do they show when they they open up scripture? Are they just giving you an inspiration inspiring message and then backing up with a couple of verses that are probably taken out of context is scripture Central is Christ Central or is all the shenanigans that gets people emotionally riled up Central. What kind of fruit are those your listening to bearing? 1st John 4 1 through 6 and says beloved do not believe every Spirit but test the spirits to see whether they are from God for many frost false prophets of the end of the world by this. You will know the spirit of God every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ Has Come From The Flash is from God. I'm sorry.
Is from God and every spirit that does not confess Jesus Christ is not from God. This is the spirit of the Antichrist what 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. So what was it that when we test the spirits? What are we did look for we see that you'll know the spirit of God every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ has come from the flesh is from God and every spirit that does not confess. Jesus is not from God. I think we can think into this a little bit. Is is your ministry is your life? Is it? revolving around the idea of confessing Jesus Christ I remember her thing to my brother brother Schneider who him the behold your God study talks about how we need a capernium revolution that in America. It's very easy for us to believe that or two. Maybe maybe we don't say it. But we we live our lives this way that that we are the center in and we have all these things also ribald revolving around us, whether it be our our entertainment in our job and in our church and our religion and all these things and they revolve around us, but as genuine born-again Believers, that's not correct that in any see that this way if if you are in the center and the church and your beliefs are revolving around you now All the sudden you you're not happy about. Oh, I didn't like the song today. We sing at church and my church just doesn't do this right in this. I'm not happy with the music which way they what color they painted the bathroom and we find all these things because it all revolves around us. What do we want to know? What do we like butt in a capernium rub Revolution, which is a worldly thing, but the peroneus is the one that suggested that the Earth was not the center of the universe that the Earth revolves around the Sun that apply to the the spiritual is God the center. When we come to the church, is it about worshiping God or is it about making us happy or or giving us a little extra push for the week or or whatever because it should be about worshiping God if I'm worshiping God I'm less concerned about the style of music and I'm more concerned with the words. So I'm singing. Is this worshipping God is this lifting him up? Am I hear hearing his word being expounded? Am I applying it to my life? Where am I here just to check a box and two to hear the word but I have real really no interest in and changing anything in my life. I'm happy with how things are that would suggest that you are the center and biblical Christianity is this that we turn from our sin and trusting Christ that he becomes all things to us. He becomes all precious and when hard things coming our life, we don't say God. Why are you allowing this? We say. How could I worship you in the circumstance? And I kind of went off on a rabbit Trail just a bit. But how do we know? That's our beliefs and those who are teaching us are from God. We know because they are lifting up Christ. They are not glorifying themselves and in a great speaking ability, but they are lifting up God's word and explaining it and applying it. so in conclusion include up, I might have talked more on this than that in church, but the conclusion is this that the word of God is truth. The word of God is good. To twist it to change it to to misrepresent it because it is good because it is God's word. It is exceedingly simple and exceedingly evil. We must come to the understanding that it's it's not just the 66 books of of God suggestions and and we can just kind of interpret it how we want but it is the 66 books of God's truth of his word and we must know it and we must stand for it. We must we must be ambassadors that truly represent our King. end this morning I would if you're not in God's word, if you're not reading if you're not pondering if you're not hiding it in your heart, you are leaving ourselves very open to being deceived by the enemy because the god of our culture the little G God that our culture likes very often is not the god of the Bible. The guy has a Bible is infinitely good we and I won't go into this but we looked at it as a family this morning with me at 2nd Corinthians 7:10. I think it was and how those who have worldly those who have Godly grief repent. They they turn from their sin and they trust in Christ has even that goes on to say they don't regret it that there is we might not see the Bible not present to us who got is in a way that our culture likes to serve present love in these different things. But those who come to know that God of the Bible the one true God of the universe if they repent and come to him. It's a scripture says they will not regret it. The world looks appealing but it's only because our flesh convinces us. So if you turn to Christ and godly sorrow and repentance of your sin and you trust in him God will change your heart and you will live a life and you will never regret it. So smart and inclusion on the first limit. Let me read verse 9. Once again, it says let love be genuine abhor. What is evil. Are we disgusted? Are we are bored? when people twist scripture of God are we does it just horrify us are we like sick to our stomach when someone says something that's not true of God. Or or do we just go along with our culture and and say well, you know, that's that's how they believe. The reformers called the leader of a false religion Antichrist. Because he twisted scripture he he he lead people away from scripture. Is that the same attitude that we have today do we abhor evil? Do we have horror the twisting of scripture? So what to say abhor what is evil hold fast to what is good? I would challenge you this week to let your love be genuine love those who don't love you back. Love your enemies. Love your wives and your children. I guess you don't love your spouse. If if you're a lady love your husband. Not just was feelings. But with action with commitment abhor what is evil stay away from it stay on stained from this world knowing God's truth enough that you know that you recognize evil when you see it. Let's pray enough. father thank you for Your word thank you that when you tell us to love. you demonstrate What Love Is I hear scripture says that while we were sinners Christ died for us. All we had nothing to offer. He went to the cross and took a punishment that not only will we not have to go through but that we will never be able to comprehend its severity.
Because of how good you are father to remind us to stand against evil.
Crossed your word that we might recognize evil cross to your word that we might lift up. What is good before a culture? That is evil. Father I pray that as your word says that we're not we never turn into. Christian's that people who don't love our culture or not love our culture. Not that we don't love the people that are in our culture. I pray that you would show up within a soul of that would cause us to proclaim the Forgiveness that can be found in Repentance and faith in Christ. What we abhor what is evil father give us the courage to step out and to love those who are trapped in it. Father I pray that you would bless this church that God you would draw us all closer to you everyday Jesus name. Amen. hey Manuel, thanks for listening glass. I know it's not really like a sermon and I kind of went off on a couple rabbit Trails. I didn't normally go through but pray that this blesses you and that God would use this to encourage you to to seek him through scripture. All right will sunshine and have a great day.