1. THE MESSAGE OF THE CHURCH
THE CHURCH IS THE
AND OF THE TRUTH —1 TIMOTHY 3:15
A. When people turn to the Church they should be able to
WARNINGS:
• MANY
• MORE
• MANY HALF-TRUTHS: IF YOU ARE REALLY SPIRITUAL AND GOD IS USING YOU, YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A
B. There is nothing in Scripture that says having
C. Sometimes having a lot of people means that you are compromising/ watering down the message of the
“… For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God… For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock…” —ACTS 20:17-38
D. The devil knows he cannot
“And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” —JOHN 1:5
E. So the devil’s different strategy is to
WE ARE
FOR WHAT WE SAY GOD WILL HOLD US
FOR WHAT WE SAY
“My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment” —JAMES 3:1
F. We will be held accountable, not for the
2. HERESIES AND ERRORS
SATAN KNOWS SCRIPTURE, BUT HE TWISTED THE TRUTH —MATTHEW 4:1-11
A. WARNING #1 – DOCTRINE OF DEMONS
1 TIMOTHY 4:1; 2 TIMOTHY 4:3-4; 1 JOHN 2:18-23, 4:1-3
“… test the spirits…” —1 JOHN 4:1-3
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons” —1 TIMOTHY 4:1
1) The prosperity gospel
“… yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich” —2 CORINTHIANS 8:9
2) Life does not consist of our
3) The great purpose in life is to be called a
B. WARNING #2 – DESTRUCTIVE HERESIES
2 PETER 2:1-22
HARSH JUDGMENTS —REVELATION 2, 3
C. WARNING #3 – FOOLISH FABLES/ ARGUMENTS
1 TIMOTHY 1:3-4, 6:3-5; 2 TIMOTHY 2:16-18, 23; COLOSSIANS 2:8
D. WARNING #4 – SELLING OF THE GOSPEL FOR PERSONAL PROFIT**
JOHN 7:18; 2 CORINTHIANS 2:17; 1 TIMOTHY 6:5; 2 PETER 2:14-17;
REVELATION 2:14
E. WARNING #5 – WISDOM OF THIS AGE (INTELLECTUAL SOPHISTICATION)
1 CORINTHIANS 2; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-5
a) 5 of the best books on
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•
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F. WARNING #6 – RELIGIOUS LEGALISM (JUDAIZERS)
BOOK OF GALATIANS, COLOSSIANS 2:11-23
THE RELIGIOUS SPIRIT IS ONE OF THE MOST
AND
SPIRITS AT WORK IN THE CHURCH TODAY
1) The focus of the religious spirit is on what you
2) what you DON’T DO vs. having a
3. EVIL DOES NOT ALWAYS LOOK EVIL
A. Western culture treats Satan as something very small or as if he does not exist. Other cultures treat Satan as if he was 20 ft./m., as if he was unconquerable. Both of those pictures are
GREATER IS HE (JESUS) WHO LIVES IN YOU THAN HE (SATAN) THAT LIVES IN THE WORLD
B. We have victory in Christ, but we must
4. OTHER PROBLEMS IN THE CHURCH TODAY
A. EXTREMES IN THE FAITH MOVEMENT
(Treating God as an
B. SNAKE-HANDLING PENTECOSTALS
(Misinterpretation of MARK 16:18 as a
C. THE SEEKER SENSITIVE CHURCH
(Lowers the bar and avoids talking about Jesus, God, the Bible because people might get
D. EMERGENT CHURCH
(They incorporate Hindu and eastern philosophies such as “it is all about the journey” and “there are
“I am the way, the truth, and the life…” —JOHN 14:6