The Gathering Storm

Well, thank you, girls, for that very moving and inspiring special music. You know, God created music, and we don't always have to have words. The music, in a sense, has a message all its own. It's part of God's creation. And that's not an easy thing to do with what they just did. Any of us think so. We can try it after services and see what comes out.

But thank you for sharing your gifts and talents and honoring God and performing today with special music.

You've probably seen a lot of changes in the last few decades here. Those of us that have been around for a while have got some great hair. I've seen things change in the culture of our time. And in a sense, we're really living in unprecedented times in our lifespan, in our lifetime, for those of us that have been around for a while. And it just seems like things are coming fast and furious out there in our nation and in our culture. You probably are familiar with some of the stories of things that have happened.

People that, for conscious sake, you've probably heard the story of the florist that didn't want to necessarily sell flowers to a gay couple or a lesbian couple or a homosexual couple that wanted to get married for conscious sake. And they've been taking the task for that. You've probably heard some of these things. Maybe someone who's a photographer that wanted to decline from that type of a situation found themselves in the middle of a big debate and difficulties.

There's other stories out there, too. I don't know if you've heard this one, though. This one that came to my attention recently about a pharmacy in Washington state. It's a pharmacy that kind of is a combination of a grocery store that also has a pharmacy. So the pharmacy is a part of its business. The grocery part is part of the business. And I'm going to read a little bit here from the Alliance Defending Freedom publication that came out here. I guess I don't have a date on it, but probably within the last 12 months or so, they tell a story here about the owners. I'm going to quote here from this article. It says, I didn't even know what Plan B was.

Says Ken's oldest son, Kevin, who became president of Stormans Inc., when his father retired in 2007. But here's a son that's taking over the business, in a sense, in 2007. He says, I didn't even know what Plan B was.

As president, Ken is ultimately responsible for everything sold in the grocery stores and the pharmacy that is owned by his family. But he's not intimately familiar with every product, particularly the medications that are sold in the pharmacy.

The morning after abortion pill wasn't even on my radar, he says. I got a call from a customer saying, why don't you carry this product?

I said, I don't know. Let me call our pharmacist and find out. The pharmacist told him that no one had asked for Plan B before, so they didn't stock it. So, Kevin called the customer back.

I guess Kevin is the son here of the father. So, Kevin called the customer back. We can't stock everything he explained to the customer. And so, like any pharmacy, we stock a sample of what our patients need and want and ask for.

The customer acknowledged that. But something in the customer's tone troubled Kevin, who began doing some research into what exactly Plan B was.

And I realized, he said, it was not a product that I could, in good conscience, sell.

Because it really stopped a fertilized egg from implanting. And when an egg's fertilized, that's life." Kevin had no way of knowing that his moment of discovery and decision was a turning point for the family's business and the family itself.

Or that it would precipitate nearly a decade of legal turmoil and political onslaught that would have them fighting for the survival of their stores and their legacy in a community that they had served since Ken's father, Ralph, founded the company in 1944.

I started getting more and more phone calls about the product and why we didn't carry it, Kevin says. I made it clear that it was not a product we were going to carry, that we would refer them to another pharmacy. More than nearly 30 pharmacies sell Plan B under Washington law. Pharmacists have always been free to refer patients to other stores for products they don't stock themselves, whatever their reason for not stocking.

What the storemen's didn't realize was that the phone calls were no accident.

Their stores were being test-shopped by abortion activists determined to force them to sell Plan B pill.

But it became clear that the storemen's wouldn't do that. The activists unleashed their deluge. They called for boycotts of the stores and picketers flooded the grocery store's parking lots, blocking the main entrance, disrupting traffic, yelling and chanting. Local papers began running articles, including letters from state legislators denouncing the storemen's.

Olympia, Washington, is the state capital of Washington, Olympia. And some of those legislators left their offices to come down and join the protests.

We were really concerned about physical violence happening because of just the nature of the signs and the aggressiveness of the group, Kevin says. The family hired security guards, but customers began avoiding the stores and sales plummeted. You can imagine.

Now, I'm skipping ahead in the article for time's sake, and I know I'm going to have a time issue.

This is an attorney for the storemen's who wrote this in the article. In every state, a pharmacist is permitted to refer a patient for all kinds of reasons. Business reasons, economic convenience, or religious, says the attorney wagoner. That's a standard national practice in pharmacies, with one exception.

Washington.

Washington, back in 2005, and we'll talk about this in the article, but Washington got off base here in my reading.

Washington allows pharmacies to refer for almost unlimited reasons, she says, but in practice, they single out and ban religiously motivated referrals.

This happened in 2005, two years before this whole thing happened, so the owners didn't know about this. In 2005, this is how it came about, the Washington director of Planned Parenthood met privately with her former co-worker, Christine Gregor, then the new governor of the state of Washington, urging her to force pharmacists to dispense early abortifacient drugs, even if the drugs were readily accessible elsewhere, and even if dispensing them violated the health care provider's conscience. The governor obliged, calling on the state board of pharmacy to adopt a rule that would ban religiously motivated referrals in practice.

To the governor's dismay, the board unanimously passed a regulation that continued to allow religiously motivated referrals, so it didn't work.

And religiously motivated referrals are endorsed by major medical and pharmaceutical organizations.

including the American Pharmacists Association. So, the governor called for a revote, this time threatening to remove board members if necessary. She also urged Planned Parenthood to prepare the new regulation for the board's consideration. The board began to buckle, but prior to the final vote, the governor replaced board members anyway, with new members chosen by the pro-abortion groups.

Facing the first board investigation of a referral in 40 years, none of this had ever come to any trial, 40 years' time, this is the first board investigation of a referral in 40 years, and the threat of losing their pharmacy license, the storments realized, I guess this is their first referral in 40 years, the storments realized that they had three choices.

Number one, ignore their faith and sell plan B.

Number two, close their pharmacy.

Or number three, file a lawsuit.

The pharmacy is a significant piece of our business, Kevin says. It runs about 20% or so of the sales of that one store.

If that pharmacy goes away, there's a likelihood that the store doesn't make it.

And carrying the product wasn't an option.

So it became a business decision. We've got to bring this lawsuit. This is what we have to do to stand up for our beliefs. This is what we have to do to stand up for our company.

We're talking about the Constitution, about the freedoms that were guaranteed to us first by God, then our country and our state. And we decided, yes, our country means enough to us. Our God means enough to us that we're going to do this.

We're going to stand.

Let's turn over to Ephesians 6 and verse 12. Ephesians 6 and verse 12.

For then, sometimes we don't always think about it. But one thing that we do need to keep in mind is even though it may not always seem like it, we're in a war. We're in a war. We've always been in a war. Since we were born and came out of the womb, we have a temporary ruler, Satan the devil, that wants to destroy us. It is at war with us. We are his enemy.

Anything that God is trying to build, he is trying to destroy.

And though it may not seem like it, we're in a war. We're in a battle. Let's look at Ephesians 6. We'll pick it up here in verse number 12. Ephesians 6 and verse 12. For we don't wrestle against flesh and blood. That is inspired, breathed by God. Our enemy, the battle we face, the wrestling match we have, is not against flesh and blood. It's against something much more powerful. It's against principalities, against powers, against rulers of the darkness of this age. Our war is against the rulers of the darkness of this age. So thankfully, those rulers are going to be replaced when Christ returns. But he hasn't returned yet.

And against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places, verse 13, therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day. And having done all to stand.

God wants us to stand.

Verse 14, stand therefore, having girded your ways with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness.

So we're in a war. And as time is going on, we've seen things accelerate in our culture. Let's turn over to 2 Timothy chapter 3. 2 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 1.

In one of his comments about the end of the age, and which eventually is going to be a reality, it's going to come, the apostle Paul made a comment that there would be perilous times.

What he's talking about is there will be times of stress and peril at the end of this age before the return of Christ. And we, indeed, in a sense, are living in some very stressful times as we watch, even in the United States, a slow moral revolution that's taking place, that's turning many things upside down. What's wrong seems to be looking like right, and what's right seems to be looking like wrong.

Stories like we just read about the pharmacy in Washington state. And you may remember a while back, hearing about the Boy Scouts of America, that they had to come out with a long-awaited ruling on whether or not they were going to allow gay scouts to be in their organization. I mean, that was just something that they did not allow throughout their entire history. And they had come right up to the point of looking at that long-held position of this issue, and then they buckled. They didn't stand.

They buckled. And they came out with a decision, essentially, to allow members of the Boy Scouts to be openly gay.

And this, and many, many other events that are happening in our culture right now, are watershed events, and there's going to probably be more like them. I think I've mentioned before, once this Pandora's box is open, it seems like it can't be closed.

And I think that's important for us to understand.

When I use the term watershed, I don't use it lightly. It's like a massive flood.

You know, what's taking place in our culture is like a massive movement, like a giant river that's overflowing its banks, and it's powerful, and it's wiping away morality and a traditional approach to living, and a culture that we've had since the establishment, at least in our nation, of about 200 years ago.

And any organization, or any business, any organization like the Scouts, or a business, or even to be like a church that's in the way of this tidal wave that's sweeping over the country, is going to either buckle or stand, because it's coming. This sweeping away of physicians on morality that have been held for such a very long time.

That's the reality right now of what's taking place.

And why the Apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy chapter 3, we'll pick it up here in verse 1, as he talked about these days at the end of the age, know this, that in the last days, perilous times will come.

Or stressful times. Men will be lovers of themselves, it says in verse number 2.

Now, there are several points that Paul mentions here, but just the first one is enough to note and understand when he said that men will be lovers of themselves.

And really, that's beginning to talk about our entire culture. We're being swept away by a culture of individualism. Whatever is right for the individual, whatever is important to the individual, doesn't matter how it affects anybody else.

That's what is now becoming the way.

But in state after state, as legislation has legalized same-sex marriage, marriage between homosexuals, then we are seeing this individualistic approach in what individuals want to do. Not what's good for the community, not what's good for the nation, not what's good for society as a whole.

Not what has been longly held and taught by an institution like the Boy Scouts, or even a major religious institution within the country.

It's what is right for the individual.

Men will be lovers of themselves. And this is what's taking place.

So what do you do about it? What do I do about it? First of all, we have to understand the tidal wave that is going over us, and quite frankly, that it's probably not going to be turning back anytime soon.

It's going to continue to grow worse and worse, as other prophecies speak to.

One point Paul makes in this whole discussion is later down in verse number five, and he says, actually, it is in verse five, that from such people turn away.

From such actions, from such ways of life, from such attitude, he encourages his readers and to us today, God is saying, turn away.

Don't get caught up in it. Don't understand what you can do, I suppose, in your own individual way, is to stand up for what's right.

To stand for morality. To stand for God's way and for his law, not to compromise in our own life.

That, in the end, is going to be what's left for each one of us. I think it just comes right down to it at the end. And that is what God's Word tells us.

To understand our times, but also to understand what is important for each of us as we stand before God.

The title of the message is, today, is the Gathering Storm.

The Gathering Storm.

You may recognize that phrase, the Gathering Storm, from Sir Winston Churchill. And in the first volume of his history of World War II, the great British statesman looked back at the storm clouds that had gathered in the 1930s, and that's the Nazi menace was building.

When Churchill bravely warned of a war that would determine the destiny of human dignity and liberty for probably untold millions of people.

Now, we're not facing that same Gathering Storm, but we are now facing a battle which appears to be building.

You know, this, when I'm about to quote, is something that was spoken over 30 years ago, at the time, I believe, was Ronald Reagan president at that time? Yes, I haven't done my math, but the U.S. attorney at that time was the General Edward Meese. You may remember that name, some of you long-timers. U.S. Attorney General Edward Meese said, he warned this, he said this, and I quote, there are ideas which have gained influence in some parts of our society, particularly in some important and sophisticated areas that are opposed to religious freedom and freedom in general.

In some areas, there are some people who have espoused a hostility to religion that must be recognized for what it is and expressly countered.

It needs to be stood up to. In other words, is what he's saying, unquote.

Furthermore, what I hope to do here in the time that we've got left in the message here is to remind us that we're in war. We are in a war. We're not wrestling against flesh and blood, but we're wrestling against spiritual powers of darkness, rulers of darkness, and we need to focus on what is true. What is the truth? And to be in guard as our enemy can attack us and does attack us in many ways.

We've seen our enemy right now attacking in a way through the culture of our day. Religion in particular. And I suppose indirectly then it's affecting the church of God as well, because we are religious people. Thus, in a way, attacking the church from the outside.

But as history has shown, our enemy has also attacked the church of God from the inside.

And of course, when he pulls out all the stops, it may be from both outside and inside at the same time simultaneously. So what can we do? Let's turn over to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse number 21.

1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse number 21. This is a short scripture. It has something that is very meaningful for us and for our Christian walk and our Christian life. There's something here that we need to follow and continue to follow as we go along the way. It's a short, little short verse here. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse number 21. We'll read this from the New King James Version. It says, "'Test all things and hold fast to what is good.'" I think the old King James says, "'Prove all things and hold fast that which is good.'" Let's spend a little time on this passage. See its importance in our life as a follower and disciple of Christ. Have you ever wondered why are there so many denominations? Ever wondered that? They all profess to get their teaching from scripture. There's the Catholic Church, the Big Mother Church out of Rome. There's the Eastern Orthodox Church over in present-day Turkey, Constantinople, formerly known as Istanbul. There are hundreds of Protestant denominations and churches. All of them claim to get their teachings from the Bible. And yet their doctrines are different. And sometimes they're totally different. So how can we know what the truth is? And today, in our climate, you know, in the Church, United Church of God, 22 years, you know, from 1995. We're into that now since 95, 22 years along the way, we've probably heard a lot of ideas. And some of them are very different. And frankly, some of the ones that I've heard are a little bit strange. Where do the ideas come from? And where is the scriptural support? We do need to prove all things. And we need to continue to do that along the way. We do need to look at our Bibles, and we do need to study them. That's the only way we can prove all things, is to open our Bibles, and not only read, but to study, and have a strong foundation of Bible knowledge. I'll ask myself the question as I ask you, how strong is our Bible knowledge? Are we pretty knowledgeable? Have we made thorough studies on different topics in the Scripture? Or is our foundation maybe a little weak? And maybe needs to be shored up. God says to test or prove all things. Prove what is true. What is truth?

Well, let's go to John 17. John 17 and verse 16. Jesus answered that question, what is truth anyway? John 17 and verse 16. He's praying for His disciples, for you and me, and so we would come in another generation, another age. John 17 verse 16, He says, they are not of the world. And He's talking about us. He's talking about His disciples. The disciples of Christ talking about the church, not of the world. I hope all of us feel very different from the world. I don't feel like this is my world. I hope you feel the same. This is not the world that I take pride in or not the world that I want to be a part of, ultimately. And then Jesus says in verse 16 here, they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify. Sanctify means to set apart as holy. Sanctify them by your truth.

The truth does set us apart. And it does make us holy. Your word is truth. So the truth is found here. It's found here in the pages of Scripture, right in the Bible. Let's go over to John chapter 10 verse 35. Just a few pages over to John chapter 10 and verse 35. Let's read that Scripture here as well. Jesus speaking here, He says, if He called them gods to whom the Word of God came. And then He adds this little statement, and the Scripture cannot be broken. Brethren, God's Word is so solid, so sound, it can't be broken. You can break it, I suppose, but it will break you or me. And the world is breaking God's Word. And they are being broken on the installment plan. Look at the world. We're in sad shape. They've changed someday, but this is the reality. It doesn't matter whether it's individuals as well as nations. So God's Word is truth, and the truth stands up as strong and solid. We can't break the truth of God's Word, or it will break us. So it's no wonder that Jesus said, and I'll just, oh, we can turn over to Matthew chapter 4 verse 4. I've got a lot of scriptures today, so sorry about that. Matthew chapter 4 verse 4. Let's take a look at that here.

It's no wonder that Jesus said, we read this here in Matthew chapter 4 verse 4.

Tells us how to live, or to read it, or to study it, and have a good base and foundation of Bible knowledge. Matthew chapter 4 verse 4, but he answered, and he said, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone. Pretty familiar scripture. You can't just live on physical things. It doesn't work. We need more than that. We need something spiritual. Then he goes on to say that man shall live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. So we're to live by every word of God, and it's a pretty big book. He has inspired a very large book, and to live by every word is going to require some reading and some study, not just reading only.

So that's why we encourage everyone, including our young people, to read and to study the word, to begin early, to take a Bible study course, take some other booklets, which very thoroughly discuss various topics of scripture, and to lay a good foundation for ourselves. And it's the truth. It can't be broken. It's a way that works. Let's go over to 2 Timothy chapter 3, verse 16. I could refer to that. I could refer to it, but if you've got time to turn over there. That's where Paul said that every word in this book is inspired.

It's inspired. God inspired every word of this book in the original language. Now, sometimes we have to go back to the original language, whether it be Hebrew in the Old Testament or Greek in the New Testament to establish something. But in its original language that God inspired, the Bible is pure and it's unadulterated.

It's the second of our fundamental beliefs in the church. The word of God. And it's authoritative. And it's powerful. And it's truthful. And it cannot be broken. So it says there in 2 Timothy 3, 16, that all scripture is given by inspiration of God. It's been inspired by God himself. And God has used many authors over the ages to write the scriptures, to write the Bible. Many different personalities come into play. And sometimes you can even see the personality of that writer coming through in the Bible. There are different personalities that come into play in various portions of scripture.

And yet God worked through them all. He worked through Moses. He worked through Joshua. He worked through Samuel, Ezra, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Ezekiel, the prophets, the minor, major. And in the New Testament, he worked through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, other personalities. And we see their personalities coming through in their writings. And yet the same God inspired them all to write. But God used different people at different times with different personalities.

The story of the Bible is solid. Scripture can't be broken. It's the truth. Because that same God who inspired all these different men wrote down, then Paul wrote it down, that all scripture, all of it, is given by inspiration of God. And it's profitable. It's good and profitable for what? For doctrine. Doctrine is simply teaching, true teachings. For reproof, to set us on the right track, to correct us if we're going to stray.

For correction, it says. For instruction in righteousness. God inspired it for all of those reasons. Now let's go over to Matthew chapter 5 verse 17. So God's word is inspired. And it's profitable. Now this not only includes the New Testament, and so many people want to say, yeah, we stress that.

We don't stress so much the Old Testament. But I don't think any of us do that, because we believe the scripture that Jesus said that all scripture, Old and New Testament, is what we are to live by. But sometimes people in the world stress the New Testament over the Old Testament. But let's notice what Jesus said here in Matthew chapter 5 and verse number 17. He says, don't think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets.

But that's exactly what many people think, that he came to destroy the law and the prophets. He said he don't think that. He said, I didn't come to destroy, but I did something different. I came to fulfill. Now the Greek word fulfill means to fill up to the full. We talked about that in one of the Bible studies. You know, that when the another place that that Greek word is used in Matthew, it's talking about they're out there where Jesus says cast your net on the other side of the boat. And then when it was full, it's the same word here as when he says, I didn't come to destroy, but to fulfill, to fill it up to the brim.

Jesus came then and here on the Sermon on the Mount, he takes a law and says, you've heard that it's wrong to commit adultery, but I say that you are not to look on a woman to lust after her in your heart. He fills that law to the full, doesn't he? So adultery can take place right in the heart. It can take place right in the mind. It doesn't have to be a literal act. It doesn't have to be a physical act.

It's what Jesus is instructing us here. So Jesus fills it right to the top. This meaning of the law is up to the full, really where it was intended to be all along, but he's helping to clarify what this law really meant. And what about the prophets? Jesus gave prophecies that added to what had been said in the Old Testament. The Olivet prophecy, which was touched upon in the sermon.

It talks about that. It's a good example. That's found in Matthew chapter 24. He simply added to what we find in the Old Testament. He fills it up to the full. He didn't destroy what they did. He just clarifies. He makes it more clear. He fills it up to the full. He adds things that they didn't have. He even quotes portions of the Old Testament. He even verifies that Daniel was a prophet.

When he says, you know, as Daniel the prophet spoke, he verifies that Daniel truly was a true prophet of God. And by the time we include the book of Revelation, which is the revelation that God the Father gave to Jesus Christ, that he gave to John, Jesus Christ fills up these prophecies to the full. He's the one that was qualified to open the seals. One of the reasons he came. To fill things up to the full. Not only the law, but the prophets. Filled it to the full. So Jesus didn't come to do away with the law and the prophets, but to fill it to the full, up to the top. Let's go over to Acts chapter 24. Acts chapter 24, where we find the apostle Paul, the one that people misquote to say that the law was done away. The apostle Paul himself says that he believed the Old Testament writings. That he believed them fully. The things that were written in the law and the prophets. Let's notice verse 14 of Acts chapter 24. Acts chapter 24 and verse number 14. He says, but this I confess to you that according to the way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets. Boy, did Paul believe in the Old Testament? They should live by what was written there? Absolutely. So the apostle Paul believed in the Old Testament scriptures, and we need to study the Old Testament scriptures and be familiar with them just as we do the New Testament, if we were to live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. So God's word, which is His truth, which cannot be broken, inspired by Him, where does it begin? It begins in Genesis chapter 1 verse 1, and it ends Revelation chapter 22, the last verse, 21 of Revelation 22. So that's God's word.

We're happy to live by every word of it, if we're to be a disciple of Christ. That's a lot of reading, though, isn't it? Pretty thick book. It's a lot of reading. It's a lot of study when you think about it. It's going to take more than just a casual reading. It's going to be a lifetime project for as long as we live. Now, how solid is our foundation? You know, that's something we'll have to answer to God personally and individually. How solid is our foundation? If we're not sure if it's that solid, well, God gives us the time. You know, He gives us the instruction. You know, there's time to begin to build a solid foundation. A solid foundation that cannot be shaken. You know, when some things happened in 95, 22 years ago and certain things were being said, even about the day that we are worshiping today about the Sabbath, that it was no longer necessary to observe the seventh day and keep it holy. You know, that's hard to believe that we came to that point. We came to that point 22 years ago as part of the worldwide Church of God.

Then we need to have a foundation and we've proven the Sabbath. We've gone through the scriptures and we know that the Bible consistently upholds it from the Old Testament to the New Testament. We've proven it starting in Genesis chapter 2. You know, all the way through the Bible.

So things to be thinking about that we need to prove these things and to hold fast to what's good. What is good? Why did Paul have that admonition? To test all things or to prove all things and hold fast to what is good. You know, the reason is that so many have tried to twist or misrepresent scripture. There's a lot of it out there and that's why we have so many denominations.

So I have so many different teachings that are out there in the world and ideas that are out there because so many do twist and misrepresent or wrongly divide the scripture.

No wonder we have scripture that is grossly misrepresented and twisted are the writings of the apostle Paul. Let's go over to 2 Peter chapter 3. 2 Peter chapter 3. Peter warned about that. Peter himself had Paul's writings. He read them. He read his epistles. He even said that they were scripture. He admitted that some of Paul's writings were difficult and hard to understand. 2 Peter chapter 3 and verse number 15. 2 Peter chapter 3 and verse number 15.

It says, "...and consider that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation." Aren't we blessed that God is patient and very long suffering and He forebears with us for a long time. We can learn a lot by following His example of long suffering and patience and forbearing.

"...and consider that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation." He's hung in there for us, you know, in order for us to be part of His family.

"...as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all of his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which some things are hard to understand." So Peter admitted that some of Paul's writings were hard to understand. And then he went on to say this, "...which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the scriptures." Not just Paul's writings, but even the entire Bible. You know, this is really a loaded verse here. Some areas of Scripture, then, can be hard to understand. We know that. And notice it says that there are two groups of people. They're the ones that are untaught and they're ones that are unstable. They twist to their own destruction as they do the rest of the Scriptures. So Peter, for one thing, is obviously equivocating Paul's writings with the level of Scripture. Brother, we don't want to do that, do we?

You and I don't want to twist Scripture to our own destruction. We want to prove and test all things. We want to understand what the truth is and to prove it. And to set a good foundation.

We want to be honest and fair, though, as we do it and not twist in any way Scripture to our own destruction. Verse number 17, you therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware. You know, God loves us so much, He continues to give us warnings over and over again, as a father that loves his children does. He teaches and says, warning, you know, there's certain things you should be cautious about. He says here through Peter, beware. So here's a warning to us, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked.

So God doesn't want you or me to fall away from our own steadfastness. He wants us to recognize when people twist or misrepresent the Scriptures. Now, there's so much in the Bible about what we're talking about today that I'm not going to have time to cover all the Scriptures here. And it all comes down to proving all things and having a good solid base and foundation of biblical understanding and biblical knowledge. Never twisting, never perverting the Word, never misrepresenting it, never mishandling it, being very careful with it. And one verse talks about, you know, we tremble. You know, when I come up here, I have a pretty big responsibility when I stand behind this lectern that I speak the truth of God and rightly divide the Word, and so do the other men that come up here to speak. We have a very big responsibility. Let's go over to Galatians chapter 1. Mankind has often had difficulty staying on the track when it comes to the truth.

Let's notice that from the Scripture. Galatians chapter 1. It's not a new thing that we've had difficulty with. It's not a new thing that we've been able to observe just to have it in our time. It happened back in the first century. This is something that's been going on since the truth actually came out in the first century. So let's see what was going on back in Galatia, back in Paul's time, and this type of thing has happened all the way down through history. Brother, one of the struggles of the Church of God has been down through the ages, not just in our time, has been to recognize and to resist error, to be able to stay with the truth of God, of the Bible. It's a continuing struggle for God's people to stay with the truth, to prove all things, to not get off track, to don't be led away astray by error, as Peter stated. Let's see what it says here in Galatians chapter 1. Let's pick it up here in verse number 6. Galatians chapter 1 verse 6. He said, I marvel.

He said, I am amazed. I am sitting here dumbfounded that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you. So God the Father is the one that opens up our eyes, and Paul is saying, I marvel that you are turning away so soon from the Father, from Him who called you in the grace of His Son Jesus Christ, and you're turning not only away from God, the Father, but you're turning to a different gospel, which is not another. Why? Because there's only one gospel. There's only one good news. There's not two. There's only one. Good news about a coming Kingdom of God, what He's doing. He says, but there are some. There's some people out there who are troubling you, and they want to pervert the gospel of Christ. And some of the brethren were listening to them. They were listening to them, and they were being affected by it, and they were being troubled by those who came in with another gospel, which really isn't another gospel at all, because there is only one. It's a false gospel, a false doctrine. Let's read some other scriptures. Again, we're warned because of the love of God, and we can be thankful for the warnings ahead of time. Let's take a look at what God inspired Paul to talk to the elders in Ephesus about. Let's go over to Acts chapter 20. Acts chapter 20. I'm really flying through this, so I've got too much information.

Acts chapter 20 and verse number 28.

Paul is warning them.

Do not let this happen to them, and the same for us. Don't let it happen to us. He's talking to the elders in Ephesus. Acts chapter 20 and verse 28. Therefore, take heat to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God, that's the name of the church, the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood.

For I know this, that after my departure that savage wolves will come in among you, and they will not spare the flock. Now, savage wolves, they come to the sheep from without. They've never been a part of the flock. The wolf has always been from the outside, never been a part of the flock. So Paul warns about savage wolves people from outside of the church that will not spare the flock. But also notice verse 30 that he also warned him about from within. So we've seen that brethren over the years for those of you that have been around for a while. Even some from within have come up with different ideas and we have to be alert to that also. Verse 30. Also from among yourselves. So now we're talking about from within. Men will rise up and they'll speak perverse things, things that are not right, that are not truthful. And why do they do it? Because they're wanting to draw away disciples after themselves. They want a following. It's all for them. It's selfish, and it doesn't matter how it affects the congregation. It doesn't matter how it affects the church of God. I want this. That's the motivation. Speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after themselves. Therefore, watch and remember that for three years he spent a lot of time. I didn't cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. God must have revealed something that was going to happen. And he just, you know, he just was shedding tears because of what was going to happen in the future. And that's why he warned them because he loved them. So, brethren, God would have us to prove all things. To watch, to be alert, have a solid foundation where one could never sway us in order for us to be unmovable and unshakable. In 2 Peter chapter 2 verse 1, let's go over there. 2 Peter chapter 2 and verse number 1.

You find so many verses in the Bible warning about those who would twist God's word or misrepresent it and not handle it properly. It's a pretty strong chapter here. Strong indictment against false teachers, false apostles, and false prophets. Let's notice 2 Peter chapter 2 verse 1. All these things were beginning to happen even in the first century. 2 Peter chapter 2 verse 1. But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow them. Not the few. Many will follow their destructive ways people will go along with it. Some of these false teachers and their teachings. And many will follow their destructive ways because of whom the way of truth is going to be blasphemed. You know, this whole chapter is a strong indictment against anyone of us who would teach anything other than the word of God or who would mishandle it. Let's go over to Jude chapter 1 verse 3. I guess there's only one chapter in Jude, so we'll go to Jude verse 3. Second to the last book of Scripture and then New Testament. Jude. It's before Revelation. We'll read verse 3.

Jude is speaking to me in writing. He says, beloved, I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, but I found it necessary. I had to change course. I had to do something different. I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to con earnestly contend or contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. You know, most of the truth was given in the first century. It was once for all delivered to the saints. He said he found it necessary to contend for that faith. Verse 4. Why? For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation. God knew this would happen. Ungodly men who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and they deny the only Lord God for into the Father and our Lord for into the Son, Jesus Christ. So certain men crept in. False teachers. He goes on to say in verse number 17, But you beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, how they told you there would be mockers. That was a warning back then too.

Judah's basically quoting from 2 Peter. How they told you that there would be mockers in the last time would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. It comes back to it's about them. Something they want. Either they want to do something that's not according to God's word, or they want to have a following. They want to be in charge. Something along those lines.

They want to make have disciples. Notice what God speaks plainly about this in verse 19. These are sensual persons. They cause divisions. They don't bring about unity. They cause divisions and they don't have God's spirit working in them. So there are warnings here in the Bible that we have to prove all things, make sure that we're not being led astray by someone who is misrepresenting or twisting scripture. Let's go over to 2 Timothy chapter 4 verse number 1. 2 Timothy. I know a lot of scriptures here, but I think they all tie into the subject. 2 Timothy chapter 4 and verse 1. Paul's writing about our time today. It should not be surprising that this has happened down through history, and it continues to happen today. This misrepresentation and twisting of the scriptures. 2 Timothy chapter 4 verse 1. I charge you therefore before God. Paul has the authority to do this. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom, preach the word. Preach God's word.

Don't interpret. Don't mishandle. Don't misrepresent. Preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and teaching. These are admonitions here, actually, to Timothy, who's a minister of God from Paul. Verse 3. For the time will come when they won't endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires. So now it becomes individual for them, because they have itching ears. They will heap up for themselves teachers. They'll find somebody that believes like they do, or teaches like they are becoming to believe. They will appoint teachers for themselves, because they're not enduring sound doctrine. They want to hear what they want to hear. That's what it means to have itching ears. They want to hear what is appealing to them. Verse 4. And they will turn their ears, notice, away from the truth.

And they're going to be turned to a side to something that is not true at all. It's a fable.

But you, be watchful. Be on guard. Have a good sound foundation, in other words. You be watchful in all things. You endure afflictions. Do the work of an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry that God has given to you. So, brethren, we want to then prove all things, don't we? We want to hold fast to that which is good. We want to hold on to the truth. We don't want to be those that don't endure sound doctrine. God certainly warns us not to be deceived, as he told us in 1 Thessalonians 5, 21, to prove all things and hold fast to what is good.

Let's go to 1 Timothy. We're in 2 Timothy, and let's go back to 1 Timothy.

1 Timothy chapter 1. Pick it up in verse number 3. 1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 3.

We'll go back to Paul's writings here in 1 Timothy chapter 1 verse 3.

He says, As I urged you, when I went into Macedonia, remaining emphasis that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine. God's church has to be unified in its teaching. He says, charge some that they teach no other doctrine. Timothy had that authority to do that. Don't teach that. Don't preach that. Don't talk about that. 2 Timothy chapter 4. Nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies. Some of the people of that time were into some of this. What does it do? Where does it lead? It causes disputes rather than godly edification, which is in faith.

Now, the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from a sincere faith. Now, notice verse number 6. From which some have strayed, and they've turned aside to idle talk. I think the old King James says in verse 6, for which some have swerved, have turned, have swerved aside and turned to vain jangly. Vain jangly.

Notice verse 7. They desire to be teachers. They desire to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.

So the conditions then are not unlike what they are today. We need to prove all things. We have to be careful. Let's jump to verse 18 here in 1 Timothy. Notice verse 18. Notice verse 18. It says, this charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare. We're in a war, aren't we?

Part of the good warfare is to have a solid foundation of Bible knowledge and to prove all things. Verse 19. Having faith and a good conscience which some have rejected.

Some have rejected the truth of God. They've gone a different way.

Some have rejected concerning the faith and have suffered shipwreck. It leads to destruction.

None of us want that. And he gives a couple of examples here of whom Hymenaeus and Alexander, who Paul says, I had to deliver to Satan that they learn not to blaspheme. Apparently Paul had to ask them not to come to church anymore because they'd gone off in a different direction. They were teaching other things and they were causing division in the church. So the Bible has a lot of warnings and I think it shows one of the struggles of the peoples of God through the ages have been to maintain the truth. Our enemy wants to destroy from without and from within whatever works.

And one of the struggles of the people of God down through the ages have been to maintain the truth and we're giving that responsibility to carry it to the next generation. We're not always going to be here. This is for our kids and our grandkids if there's enough time going forward. So the Bible has a lot of warnings. It shows here that if we're not careful we can be led into error and we can sometimes be easily affected by somebody's idea, a pet idea. Some people can have a pet idea and then they can begin to fall in love with it. You or I could do that and it ends up becoming the truth to us. We go off in a direction other than the truth of God and we don't want that to happen. If you hear of somebody that has an idea that they're falling in love with, be careful that you are not swayed by it. Let's go to 1 John chapter 2 verse 19. 1 John chapter 2 verse 19. I believe that at one time or another we're going to all hear some things that will not be sound doctrine. We're going to hear some ideas and thoughts that are not sound doctrine. We possibly will hear prophetic speculation. That's out there, too. 1 John chapter 2 verse 18. Little children, it's 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's the last hour. They went out from us. Notice that. They left the fellowship of John and the church. John, who was with Jesus for three and a half years, day in and day out, they left that fellowship. This is during the life of John. 1st century. They went out from us but they were not of us. 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. So it happens. People leave the church. They go off in their own direction.

They leave and they no longer fellowship and worship with us. 1 John chapter 4 verse 1. Let's go over there. 1 John chapter 4 verse 1. The apostle John also further warns us that we are to try the spirits. To try the spirits. It's just not what somebody says but it's the spirit or attitude behind what is said. That's also a part of discerning where a person is coming from.

1 John chapter 4 verse 1. Beloved, don't believe every spirit but test the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets have gone out into the world. And so John is writing to a people that says they should be careful regarding people to see where these people are coming from and where should someone be coming from. Well, they should be honest and be forthright and coming through the front door. If they've got a different idea of something that we don't believe, we have a process. All things are to be done decently in order. We have a process where somebody comes and they write it up, they present it to me first, then it goes to the regional pastor, then it goes to the doctrinal committee, then it goes before the council of elders, and then it comes before the entire general conference of elders. And before something can be changed, there's a lot of things that are in place.

What you see is what you get. In a sense, nothing is hidden. It can be seen. It's done honestly. It's done according to the way that God would have us to do it honorably.

We're not striving, in a sense, about some of these things. So we have a carefulness with the Word of God. I think you'll be able to see if someone appears to have a certain doctrine that they're trying to push. I think you'll perceive that, and the attitude will be there. So we are to test not only what is said, but the Spirit that's behind it. Test the spirits. Let's go to 2 John chapter 1 verse 7. 2 John chapter 1 verse number 7.

How do we test the spirits? We'll talk about that in a moment. The first of us notice 2 John chapter 1 verse 7. For many deceivers have gone out into the world.

And it talks about those that can deceive themselves. It's not a good thing to get into. For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves that we do not lose those things that we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him nor into your house nor greet him. For he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. So we're not to expose ourselves to someone that comes with another doctrine, another teaching that is definitely in contradiction with what we understand to be true. How do we test the spirits? Let's go to Isaiah chapter 8 and verse number 20. Let's go back to an Old Testament verse. Isaiah chapter 8 and verse number 20. It says, to the law and to the testimony, if they don't speak according to this word, it's because there is no light in them. So, brethren, it comes down to speaking according to God's word, speaking according to the scriptures, representing them correctly, not adding a personal twist nor an interpretation, or going right down the line, not going to the right or the left, even a little bit. We begin to go off to the right or the left, then we begin to get in danger. Stick with the scriptures. I think you'll find in the United Church of God, we're not perfect, but we try. If we're like in the book of Revelation, sometimes we talk about what are these different churches represent. Are they generational? Are they, you know, are they just written to the people of that time? Was it for us? Were there various church, uh, uh, eras? You know, we speculate, but we point that out that this is just speculation. We're trying to understand, but these are speculation. We talk about possibilities, but we tell them it's speculation. We don't know for sure.

It's okay to say we don't know that this is a possible understanding.

That certainly isn't twisting the word of God when we openly state that these are potential possibilities. So if someone does not speak according to this word, it's because there's no light in them. So we need to stick with, write with the word of God, because there are some strange and false doctrines out there. Let's go over to Hebrews chapter 13. Hebrews chapter 13 in verse number 8. Hebrews chapter 13 in verse number 8. They can circulate. They're out there.

Be aware. God is warning us through the writer of Hebrews here. Hebrews 13 verse 8, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Then he says in verse 9, the writer says, don't be carried about with various and strange doctrines. Various and strange doctrines can circulate. We're warned not to be carried away by those. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who've been occupied with them. So the writer of Hebrews writes about some whose heart was beginning to be established with foods, which isn't profiting those who had been occupied by that doctrine of foods. This was a strange doctrine that some people had. It was affecting people. Let's go over to 2 Timothy chapter 2. 2 Timothy chapter 2. We have another example of a strange doctrine here. Very strange one, yet some people believed it. Some people went along with it. Some people were affected by it. That's a sad thing. 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse number 16. It says, but shun profane and idle babblings. Where do they lead? For they will increase to more ungodliness. There can be profane and idle baddlings, and we should avoid them, because it just leads to more and worse things, to ungodliness. Verse 17, and that message, their message, will spread like cancer.

Some of these things are like cancer. It starts small, and it gets bigger and bigger. It starts to destroy the body. He lists a couple of people here. Hymenaeus and Phileas are of this sort. Notice verse 18, who have strayed concerning the truth. Now, I'll bet you couldn't convince them of that. They had strayed concerning the truth. They had departed into error. They have strayed concerning the truth, saying, there's no other. The resurrection's already passed. It's already passed. Brother, this was a profane thing. You know what God speaks about profane is a strong word.

This was profane and idle baddling. Strange doctrine. Not according to the Scriptures at all.

And notice it says, saying that the resurrection is already passed, and they have overthrown the faith of some. Some believed it. Some were not solid enough in the Bible, understanding and having a knowledge and a foundation that they would succumb to a particular false doctrine. Now, you and I may say, well, we wouldn't be deceived by that one. That's one I've got figured out pretty well.

But what about the next one that comes along? What about the next one? Some other strange doctrine.

Brother, the main reason for the message is to encourage us to have a solid foundation of the Bible and the Scriptures and the truth of the Scriptures, that no one can come along and sway us with some strange ideas or thoughts. Verse 19, nevertheless, despite the fact that some were overthrown, verse 18, the solid foundation of God stands. Always will. Always has.

Let's go back to verse 14 here. Verse 14 in the same chapter, remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit. All it does is it ruins the hearers. There's nothing good that comes from it. Be diligent to present yourself, approve to God. That's who we ultimately answer to. A worker who doesn't need to be ashamed. We don't want to have destruction. We don't want to stand before God ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. That suggests it can be wrongly divided. First Timothy chapter 3 verse 15.

Where's the foundation of the truth, brethren? Where does God say it is? Where's the foundation of the truth? Let's go to first Timothy chapter 3 verse 15. We're going to see here that the very pillar and foundation of the truth is the church of God. It's the church of God. First Timothy chapter 3 verse 15. All righty to Timothy says, if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. The church is the foundation of the truth. God's church is the pillar and ground or foundation of the truth. Here's what Albert Barnes' commentary says about this verse.

Paul reminds Timothy, quote, that the truth of God, that revealed truth which he has given to save the world, was entrusted to the church, that it was designed to preserve it pure, to defend it, to transmit it to future times, and that therefore everyone to whom the administration of the affairs of the church was entrusted should engage in this duty with deep conviction of his or her, I'm adding her, responsibility, unquote. Pillar and ground. They're architectural words. The word pillar means a column such as that by which a building is supported. It means the church is the support of the truth as a pillar is the support of a building. It sustains it amidst the war against it. The natural tendency for it to fall, the assaults which be made on it, it preserves it when it would otherwise fall or tumble into ruin. It's the same with the church. It's entrusted with the business of maintaining the truth of defending and against any assault, assaults of error, and making sure that it gets transmitted to future generations. The word ground means a basis or a foundation.

The proper meaning of the expression would be that truth is supported by the church as an edifice is by a pillar of the other, that the truth rests on the church as a house rests on a foundation.

It is that which makes it fixed and stable and permanent and that which securely stands amidst the storms, that which it renders it firm when systems of error are swept away as a house that's built on the sand. The meaning then is that the stability of the truth on earth is dependent upon the church of God. It's a pretty big responsibility. I know I'm taking you over time. You wrap this up.

For then how firm and strong is our foundation?

A Bible knowledge and understanding the truth. You know, we all have an example. We all have a responsibility. An example of the warning from Scripture and a responsibility. So what I'm trying to say, so many words, is that God would have us to be so well grounded in the Bible knowledge, the Bible understanding, the truth of God, that no one would be able to shake our faith.

You and I will stand any gathering storm and having done all to stand as it says in Ephesians chapter 6.

So let's remember 1 Thessalonians 5, 21, Galatians chapter 5. It applies as it did then. It applies now and it will apply in the years ahead to continue to prove all things, hold fast to the truth of God's Word so that we'll be available for future generations.