The Importance of Sound Doctrine

Brethren, doctrine is very important. You know, divergence of different doctrines. In other words, of different teachings. It's one of the causes of various different churches. Obviously, it's not the only reason why they are different churches. There are many other causes, for instance. I was badly treated. Therefore, I'll start my own church.

And that kind of goes towards a little bit of lack of humility. But I'm not me to judge. I'll give you another example. Use the grace of God as a means to make money. You may think that does not happen. Well, it does happen. As I go into different countries, there are organizations out there that are basically set up to make money. And you have this leader, which is very wealthy, taking away that money from people that have nothing. So, making money out of Christ's and God's grace, I don't think it's looked at by God with very pleasant eyes. That's for sure.

So, there are various reasons of different churches. But today, I want to concentrate on one, which is the importance of sound doctrine. And to start, I'd like you to turn to 1 Timothy chapter 5.

We're going to be going through quite a bit in Timothy, so you might want to keep a marker there in 1 Timothy. But let's start in 1 Timothy chapter 5 verse 17. He says, Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. We have to work and labor in the doctrine. The word for doctrine in Greek, Yah, is word 1319, d'dashkalia, which means teaching or instruction, that which is taught. So, ministers and elders have to be careful with laboring with the teaching to be correct, to be accurate, and mainly the teachings of Jesus Christ. Because Christ is the word, so he spoke the word in the Old Testament, he spoke the law, and he amplified the law in the New Testament. So the teachings of Christ are basically the basis of the early church, the Church of the Apostles, was basically based in Christ's teachings, which obviously is what he taught in the Old Testament, and how he corrected any malinterpretations that were occurring at that time, putting them back, as Mr. Armstrong used to say, back on track and amplifying the law.

These principles that Christ gave were accepted by the believers in that early church, and as we know, the Apostles were committed to teach that true doctrine, and they died for it.

Look at 2 Timothy chapter 3, 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16. Whoops. 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16. Sorry, I couldn't find it because I was in Titus. I said, what?

It says, all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, profitable for doctrine, for D'Lashkalia, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. That the scripture, God's Word, and at that time, brethren, the scripture actually was the Old Testament. At that time, they didn't have the New Testament. That was still being developed and written. So, all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for teaching. And, yeah, we have, not only that the teachers, as we saw earlier in 1 Timothy 5, that they have to teach the right doctrine. Yeah, is saying that us, as the disciples, have to follow that right doctrine. We have to adhere to it and put it in practice.

Well, what we find is that a lot of people say, well, we believe in the Bible. Well, we really have to believe in the Bible, but yeah, it's a problem. They were not reading or doing what is called Eromanutica, the study of interpreting the Bible correctly. So, there are proper ways of studying the Bible. Look at 2 Timothy 2, verse 15. 2 Timothy 2, verse 15. If I remember correctly, that was mentioned a week or two ago in church. And it says, Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. We have to correctly handle it correctly and put a little bit yeah, a little bit there, and we've got to study it. No specific word is of private interpretation. We've got to take one bit yeah, one bit there to put it all together, to actually get the full understanding of what it's meant. Now, we know the story in the New Testament at the time of the Apostles. We read that when Paul went from one area to another, we read in the story in Acts 17 that he went to Berea. So, let's look at Acts 17, verse 10, when he went to Berea. Acts 17, verse 10, because those Bereans were very careful with the study.

So, it says, Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. You see, they had been in Thessalonica and they were basically, you know, there was a riot there. And so, when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, verse 11, in that they received the word with all readiness. So, they received the word, the instruction that was being given by Paul, as given to him by Christ, Christ's teachings. But they then, says, searched the Scriptures. You know, they searched the Old Testament daily to find out whether these things were indeed so.

So, it says they were more fair-minded or more noble, more careful in analyzing the Scripture. And then we see in verse 12, Therefore many of them believed. Why? Because they went and rightly divided the Scriptures and studied carefully. And also, not a few of the Greeks. Prominent ladies, you know, it was ladies very successful in business, in a society. They were prominent, they were well-known ladies, and they became Christians. They believed. Verse 13, and Yah is the point. Once you pick up a little bit of the truth, and it kind of gets into your mind and into your heart, you have to plow it. In other words, work with it. You know, think of it like in the field, you've got to like take the seed and put it nicely in. You've got to work with it. You can't just leave it there. You can't just open up the ground and put the seeds and leave it. You know, because the birds are going to come and eat it. You've got to kind of work with it, and you've got to do something with the seed.

Because the birds are going to come and eat it, spiritually speaking. You've got to do something with a little bit of knowledge you received, and you've got to kind of digest it and hide it in your heart and protect it and handle it as prizeful, as valuable as a precious pearl. Otherwise, the enemy, Satan, is going to go there and try and take it out. And that's exactly what happened in Berea. But when the Jews from Thessalonica heard or learned that the Word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred the crowds. Why didn't those Jews go to Timbuktu instead? Or whatever. They went deliberately to Berea. Why? Because the Word of God was there. Whatever God's Word is being done, or wherever God's work is being done, Satan is going to go there and try and stir it up and break it out. And that's what they were trying to do and stir it up the crowds. That's what Satan tries to do.

You see, Satan is going to try and work with the little bit you've learned and to take it out. You know, the parable of the sower, you know, the seed was on the side, by the ground, and by the stony ground, and whatever, and in good ground. Let's look at that. But just one first section there, which is Matthew 13. Matthew 13. In Matthew 13, we got verse 3 and 4, it says, And then they spoke many things, then he Christ spoke many things to them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside. In other words, you put the seed and you didn't cover it up. You didn't do whatever you should do. And therefore, the birds came and ate the seeds. You know, you have planted whatever you've planted. You leave it overnight. It will all be gone tomorrow. The birds will come and have taken it and they had a feast. The analogy is, if we, when we received God's Word in our hearts, we must not leave it kind of unprotected. We've got to do something with it. Otherwise, Satan is going to go there and pluck it out. Now, let's look at the example here in verse 8. He says, But others fell on good ground and healed the crop. You see, because some didn't work the seed and others worked the seed and took careful with it and watered it and took care of it and maybe put scarecrows there or whatever he is, put things to get, protect the seed. We have to do the same thing, brethren. Look at verse 19. Look at verse 19. So he's now explaining the parable of the sower and he's explaining the specific first one here. And when anyone hears the word of the kingdom, of the kingdom, of the kingdom of God, and does not understand it, why? Because you don't understand that it's precious, that it's good, you're not working with it, you're not working the ground and protecting it. Then the wicked one, you know, it was the birds, the wicked one, comes and snatches away what was sound in his heart.

It was sound in his heart. This is he who received the seed by the wayside. So it wasn't just kind of somewhere there. It actually got into his heart.

But he didn't protect it, he didn't cover it, and when questions and doubts came, he said, whoa, whoa, whoa, but this is important. I'm pricing it. I better study more. I better look at it. He didn't. He allowed it open. And what happens? Satan takes it out. They didn't work carefully. They didn't analyze the scriptures carefully, because this is the principle of life, really, Christ's teachings, the principle of life. Don't take it lightly. He says, oh, well, I'm going to leave it there, because Satan is going to come with doubts. Like he went to the Bereans, they came from Thessalonica, and they came there to stir them up to take it away. Once you learn the truth, there's going to be people saying, don't do that. I remember when I first learned the truth. I remember I was in, in fact, there was a training at that moment in the South African Air Force. I was just kind of learning. I was there. I was studying. And then some people saw that I was studying and said, what are you doing? I'm reading the plain truth. Oh, oh, don't read that. I said, why not? Well, because they'll take you all the way, out, whatever it is, in different ideas. I said, oh, is that so? Then I better read more.

I mean, that had a different reaction in me, but I guess it's my carnal mind. Don't tell me not to do something, because I'll want to do it. So, but anyway, obviously, we all have to work and work with our carnal minds and get the bad out and keep the good. But yeah, it was a good point that God said no, and inspired my thoughts to say, no, let me look at it more carefully. I'm just not going to believe what He says. I'm going to look it for myself. I'm going to prove it myself. And so we have to divide correctly the scriptures. We have to analyze. We have a brain. God's given us a brain. He planted the seed in our hearts. Now we've got to use our brain carefully to work with it and work that seed. We've got to do that. Otherwise, Satan will go and take away what's in your heart. How many of you, and you don't have to put hands up, but just think about yourself. How many of you, once you started hearing the truth, you had somebody that came to you and says, don't do that, don't listen to that, don't do it. How many of you has happened? You probably, all of you are going to say yes, because that's what happened in Berea. The Thessalonic, the Jews from Thessalonic came there and stirred them up. That's Satan's way. He wants to go there and take the seed away from your heart. That's what Christ said here. So why did Christ therefore speak in parables? Well, he spoke in parables, so they wouldn't understand. What? Well, look at here in Matthew 13 in the same section, because when he gave them the paddle of the sower, then they didn't get it. So they asked him, why are you speaking in parables? Look at in verse 10. And the disciples came and said to him, to Christ, why do you speak to the crowds, to them in parables? And he says, because it's for you to understand, but not to them. What? And look at there. Therefore, verse 13, he says, therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing, they do not see.

Hearing, they do not hear, nor do they understand. Now, if God is calling you, God will open the veils of your mind to start understanding it. And you will have to follow that lead. You will have to take the initiative to say, let me protect that seed and analyze it carefully. Look at verse 14. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled. Hearing, you will hear and shall not understand. Seeing, you will see and do not perceive.

For the hearts of those people have grown dull, their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I would or I should heal them.

What?

Doesn't God obviously want to heal people? But the problem here is, if they understood and they actually not practicing it properly, then God later on could not exercise mercy on them. And therefore, He needs mercy to them, because He knows they're not quite ready for it, allows them to hear it as a witness, but not to take action, so that later on, when they will be called, He can exercise mercy on them, because they did it in ignorance. Let's look at Isaiah 28. Look at Isaiah 28. It's very interesting reading where it's quoted from. Isaiah 28, and that's verse 7, starting in verse 7. Isaiah 28. But they also have erred through wine, through intoxicating drink. Now, one thing when we read the Bible, we actually have to read not only the physical many times, but we've got to read the spiritual.

What is the wine, spiritually speaking, of this world? What is the intoxicating drink of this world? Lies, fake news, particularly in doctrine. That's Satan's tactic. A little bit of truthia and a lot of lie, and makes you think, that is true. Why? Makes you drunk, makes you confused, makes you, you don't know what's the truth or what's not. You are being intoxicated with this intoxicating drink, which is a mixture of truth with lie. The priest and the prophet have erred through false doctrine. They are teaching intoxicating drinks, spiritually speaking. They are swallowed by wine, by this false doctrine. They're out of the way through intoxicating drink. They er envision, they stumble in judgment, for all tables are full of vomit and thawth.

It was they full of faufliness, of false doctrine.

So, verse 9, to whom will God teach? To whom will He teach knowledge? And whom He will make understand the message? Those just weaned from the milk, those just drawn from the breasts.

In other words, it's people that are humble, but on the other side, they're prepared to do something about it. They're teachable. They're teachable. Because precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, yad a little, dare a little. It was rightly dividing the word of truth. A little bit yad, a little bit dare, you divide a bit yad, and you plug it and put it together.

To understand better what a scripture says.

So, that's who to whom will He teach? And then He goes on in verse 11 and says, for if stammering lips and another tongue, He'll speak to those people. To these people, who are these people? These are the disobedient people. These are the ones that are disobedient. He'll speak to them.

To whom He said, this is the rest. Yeah, when they came out of Egypt, He said, yeah, it's a promised land, and they disobeyed. They disobeyed. You may cause the weary to rest. And this is refreshing, but they were not here. They did not obey. God pulled them out of Egypt, gave them opportunity to rest in the promised land, and disobeyed. So, what it is, they all, for the next 40 years, they all died in Egypt. The next generation, yes, went to the promised land, but not them.

But the Word of God was to them, precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, yad a little, then a little. You see, you rightly divide the Scripture with God's Spirit, and wow! One plus one is two. You wrongly divide the Scripture, and you go completely off the map. And that's why God is saying, hey, the Scriptures are a bit yad a bit there. If you are obedient, bingo! If you are disobedient, you're going to read it wrong, and you got wrong. And that's what he says, that at the end of verse 13, that they may go and fall backwards and be broken and snared and caught.

In other words, the disobedient ones are going to fall, are going to be, are they going to go wrong? Brethren, right, correct teaching and doctrine is very important. It's very important. And believe it or not, that's the reason why there is the United Church of God. It's because of doctrine, because we're held on fast to the doctrine, the teachings. Look back again to the words of Christ, Matthew 15. Matthew 15, verse 7 through 9. Matthew 15.

Christ is talking about Yah. In the context, you read in verse 1, then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, why did the disciples transgress the transition of the elders? And then in verse 7 says, hypocrites. You guys are a bunch of hypocrites. Now, if somebody comes to you and asks you something, and if you tell them plainly in the face, you are a hypocrite, I think that's very courageous. I think that's very courageous. You probably would not say that bluntly.

And in this today world, they say, why are you judging? Or whatever it is. But Christ was not, quote unquote, politically correct. He said what had to be done at the right time. He knew because there was a time when he had to keep quiet. On the day of his death, he kept quiet. Otherwise, they wouldn't have killed him, and then we would not have a savior. But there were other times where the time was appropriate, and he let them have it. And he says, you bunch of hypocrites. Well did Isaiah prophesy about you saying, these people draw near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. In vain, they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commands of man, not God's commandments. They're teaching bad doctrine. They're not teaching sound doctrine, not the commandments of God, but the principles of man. That's why he says, why are you breaking the tradition of the elders? Well, they had created traditions which were not according to God's law. There's nothing wrong with tradition if they are according to God's law, but when traditions are against God's law, and you are following that because it's traditions of man, then that's a problem, because that's not sound teaching.

They were teaching, let me just call it jokingly, fake doctrine. That's what we're teaching. Look at Matthew 7. Matthew 7 is at the end of the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5 through 7 is the Sermon on the Mount, and right at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, in verse 28 and 29, he says, and so it was when Jesus had ended these sayings. You know what? Jesus had finished the Sermon on the Mount. Right? The message is finished, and like for instance, you go out and talk to people. Then the people were astonished at his teaching.

They were astonished at his teaching. The word teaching is the daché, which is teaching sound doctrine, and it says, yeah, it says, for he taught them as one having authority. The teachings, the one he taught, the principles, and that's what we're going to follow, Christ's teachings. He taught them as having doctrine. In other words, he didn't quote, well, you've got to read this. He says, I tell you, or you people say, I tell you. It wasn't saying it was authority, because he is the Word of God. He spoke with authority.

So we have here, he was teaching sound doctrine with authority. Just a little earlier, before that, in the same chapter, we read a section which is very important, which is, for instance, in verse 21, starting in verse 21, Matthew 7, verse 21 through 24. It says, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, Jesus, Jesus, I love you. Not everyone that says that shall enter the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven. But he who does God's will, he that obeys God's commandments. Interesting, yeah, because some people say, oh, well, we've got to obey Christ's commandments, not God's commandments. Well, Christ is here saying, you've got to obey God's commandments. You've got unless, but he who does the will of my Father. You cannot enter the kingdom of God unless unless you obey God's laws. Verse 22, many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? Haven't we preached? And we said, we are Christians, we're preaching. Have we not cast demons? You have all these churches where people fall on their backs and things like that. Ah, we're casting demons, you're doing all these things. And done many wonders in your name. And then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. Not going to turn there, but you know, for instance, probably off my heart, 1 John 3 verse 4 that says the breaking of God's law is sin. Sin is the breaking of God's law. It's lawlessness. That's what it is. It's very clear.

And then continuing in verse 24, therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine, and thus them, are liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock. Not just a rock, the rock, which is Christ. So this is, we gotta do, not just yep, we gotta put it to practice. We gotta do.

Now, it's interesting. It talks about wise men. You know, you talk about who's wise.

Who's wise? Psalm, I think it's Psalm 111, it says the one that keeps God's laws. I can't remember the verse now. He's the wise. You talk about the ten virgins. Five were wise. Five were not wise. So, he that hears this and really does it. He's a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Let's move on to, back to 1st Timothy chapter 1. 1st Timothy chapter 1. You see, what happens is people are not teaching sound doctrine and when you teach sound doctrine, what happens? They come to you with an argument. They come to you and say, yeah, but, and they've got this all human reasoning, which are basically called human reasoning apart from God. Now, there's nothing wrong with human reasoning if it is within God's laws. But the problem is people are very clever and they're very clever to work around to disobey God. So, human reasoning apart from God is dangerous, very dangerous. And the problem is because it's such good reasoning, you get caught with it. It's such good reason you get caught with it. So, let's look at 1st Timothy chapter 1 and we're going to start in verse 5. And it says, now the purpose of the commandment is love. Well, some people question about what is the commandment and yeah, what do you, some people say, no, the purpose of this letter is love. So, the specific purpose statement of why I'm writing this letter is love. Okay, but the purpose of God's commandments anyway is love, isn't it? The law is love. Love towards God and love towards man. So, the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience and from sincere faith. It was genuine, genuine. And continue in verse 6, from which some have strayed. What do you mean, strayed? It means they were in it, but they got out of it. It means they were in the church of God, but they got out of it. They strayed. And have turned aside to idle talk. Idle talk. Vain babbling. Things that are not right. Idle talk. Let's look at verse 7. Therefore, these people become designing to be teachers of the law. And they say, oh no! And they're so clever. They're so sophisticated. They really are clever. And if you don't really, if you're not really careful, they're going to get you big talk. They're really going to get you big talk. So, it says, they desire to be teachers of the law, but they don't understand. He says, yeah, understanding neither what they say, nor the things they affirm. They don't know what they're talking about.

One of the things they do in this world is what? They convert God's grace into an excuse to break the law. Oh, you saved. Once saved, you always saved. Now, that's okay. Oh, it's beautiful reasoning, quote-unquote, between inverted commas. But it's fake. It's false. It's incorrect.

So, we've got to analyze these carefully, you see, because they, as it says, yeah, understanding not what they say. And then it says, verse 8, because we know that the law is good. There's nothing wrong with the law. It's good. If we use it correctly, if you use it correctly, yeah, you can use every law incorrectly.

You can abuse the law. You see, in dictatorship top countries, and you see, some statements of likely that I heard on TV, which I was amazed to hear. I never would have thought that I would hear statements like that in a country like the States.

Those are dictatorial comments that people do. I would have never seen that. You would have believed that in a dictatorial country. But people are saying things that you take that in a different context of religion, and that is very serious, very serious. And so the world is being conditioned to accept these things, and then they'll bring others. You want to be very careful. So, continuing in verse 9, knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous person. In other words, if you are righteous, you don't need the law to say, don't lie. If you are righteous, you don't need the law to say, don't steal, because that's your character. You're not going to do it. So you actually don't need a law. True. What? You don't need to tell you, don't commit adultery, if you are faithful. You're not going to do it. You see, the law is not for the righteous person, but the law is for the lawless, insubordinate, for the ungodly, for sinners, for the unholy, and profane, for murderers of fathers, and murders of mothers, for menslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites. By the way, that means lesbians, and things like that, and homosexuals. Let's call a spite a spite. And for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine. Sound doctrine.

If it's not true, if it's fake, if it's false, if it's a little bit of truth, with a little bit of lie, it's bad. You know, I have a bottle of water here. Now, if I was given a bottle of water, which was pitch black, full of dirt, I'm sure that I would not drink it. Right? But if I'm given a bottle of water, that I look at it, looks good, but it's got a drop of arsenic, it's only got a tiny drop of arsenic.

Otherwise, it looks good. It'll kill me. That's the danger also with doctrine. You can have doctrine which looks beautiful, but all he has is a little drop of poison, and it can kill you spiritually. That's the danger that we have. That's the danger. And you know, brethren, now that people know more about the truth, now that there's more and more possibilities of people reading the Bible, and Satan now has to kind of outsmart this with more, quote-unquote, spiritual technology to deceive us. And you know what? He's going to do it. He's going to do it. That's why I'm giving the sermon today, brethren, for us to be aware that it's going to come a time that is going to be so clever that even the very elect could be deceived, and we're going to go into that a little later. So we'll continue back here on the train of thought. It says, we gotta be careful not to get away from sound doctrine.

Look at a little bit later in chapter 2, verse 3 through 6.

It says, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. You see, people don't want the truth. People don't love the truth. People don't have a love for the truth. Continue reading. For there is one God and one mediator being God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all to be testified in due time. It's very important for us to understand who is God and who is Christ.

That's very important. The world doesn't get it. The world doesn't understand. And it says, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle. I was appointed. I do not appoint myself. I do not say, I'm now the new minister. I'm now the new whatever, and I'm going to start my own church after me. Who's got the right to do that? It says, I am speaking the truth in Christ, and I'm not lying. A teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. He teaches in faith and truth. We have to love the truth, brethren. The truth has to be key. Look a bit lighter in chapter 6. Again, still, 1st Timothy, chapter 6. Look at verse 3. If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine, it was to the teaching which accords to godliness.

He is proud, knowing nothing, but he's obsessed with what? Disputes and arguments over will. And how much do you see that? People having human reasoning and arguing about words. And you can be talking to them about the danger of human reasoning, and half an hour later, they will say, yes, yes, yes, and half an hour later, they're reasoning!

It's unbelievable. I've seen it many times. Reasoning apart from God. It is as if it all went over the head. And that argument about words from which come envy, strife, reviling, suspicions, useless wranglings of corrupt men, of corrupt minds, and destitute of truth. Destitute of truth. Do we love the truth? Do we love the truth? We suppose that Godliness is a means of gain. We suppose that Godliness is a means of gain. From such, withdraw yourself.

Be careful. Some Bibles delete that statement. Some manuscripts delete that statement. From such, withdraw yourself. It is an instruction. It is in a Bible. It's in the majority of the Greek manuscripts. But there are some, namely the Alexandrian manuscripts, that delete that statement. Be careful. When you read certain Bibles, you might not read that. Any kind of you read and read and you're not reading, what is there? Which says, from such, withdraw yourself. And just before that, people think that religion is a means of making money. Really. We've got to be careful. And there, that's why in that context, that's why it says in verse 9, but those who desire to be rich, you ought to read it in the context. If you desire to make money out of religion, if your desire is lost, any type of lust is wrong, of course. But if you want to be successful, you want to do well, it's okay. God wishes that you prosper and be good health, says in 2nd Peter. But when you desire to be rich, how? By twisting and making fake false religion, be careful. That's reading in the other context, because that's what it is. And it says, those people fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts, which drown men to destruction and perdition. Because these lusts, really in the context, I know that a lust for money is wrong. I'm not denying that, but I'm just trying to bring a deeper meaning here, that when your desire for money is put into religion, it's even more dangerous.

So, look at it later in verse 20, same chapter. O Timothy, O Timothy, guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called science, or knowledge. Avoid those contradictions of knowledge. Yeah, these people are very knowledgeable, but they're contradicting themselves. And you say, what is this? Be careful. And then continue in the second epistle of Timothy in chapter 2 verse 14. Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord, not to strive about words to no prophet, to ruin the eras. Why? Because they're distorting the truth. And that's when it says, what we read early on, be diligent to rightly divide the world of truth. Be diligent. And then verse 16, But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness, and their message will spread like cancer. Cancer. That's why it says, avoid it, because it'll spread like cancer. Verse 18, like the example of people there, and it says, Who strayed concerning the truth. They did not love the truth, saying that there is, and they're saying different things, whatever they said at that time, whatever people say today.

So we have to be careful. Look at verse 23. Look at chapter 4, verse 1 through 3.

We have to all be ready, always, when somebody asks a question, we're going to be ready. We are going to convince, rebuke, exhort, with long suffering and teaching. In other words, we gotta teach with love, with balance. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. They will not endure sound doctrine. Sound doctrine is important, brethren. It's the deviation from the truth. That's what it is.

The fake doctrine is deviation from the truth. So sound doctrine is important, because you don't want to deviate from the truth. You see, because these people, they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires. Why? Because they have itching ears. Wow! You want to hear the lightest little, little news, the lightest little bit of gossip, the lightest bit of thing, whatever, or the lightest understanding of who's the beast, or when, when will the two witnesses, and who are the two witnesses? Oh, I know the two witnesses are. Oh, I know is the false prophet. You know, and people want to hear these things. Oh, you know, I've seen there's going to be an asteroid coming, and it's going to destroy, and that asteroid is going to come, and that is what is in Revelation, whatever it is, 15 or whatever, I can't remember, whatever that is, there's this asteroid, and whatever it is, it's one of the seven lost plagues, bang, whatever it is, that will make the waters better, whatever it is. So they will say, well, I know what that is, and the eyes, pictures, and how the earth will look, and look at us! We've got itching ears. You've got itching ears. You know, brethren, there are three types of people, okay, that's a generalization, but there are three types of people on the way to the kingdom. Think about it. One is the explorers. You know, you think the first they came into the states, they found America with the explorers. They were exploring. Explorers, biblically speaking, they got itching ears. They want to know new things. They want to find out new things. They're explorers. They want to satisfy their intellectual curiosity and all the exciting new things. It's that vanity of knowledge, vanity of, I was there, I've done it. Then there's the tourists. You know, you've been a tourist. Maybe you've gone somewhere as a tourist, you know, you kind of dress casually, and you both, well, I've been into this place, and I've been into that, you know, check mark, I've been, yeah, I've been all these places, yeah, I've got, you've got the tourists. They want to, they want to see, they want to be, they want to learn about it, because they got a touristic interest, right? Oh yeah, I studied that already. Oh yeah, that's very interesting. Yes, and I read this as well, and I read that, and yeah, well, have you read this? Why don't you read this other book, or this other thing? Well, it's all those tourists. You know, they're involved. They are involved, but they're not committed. They're just tourists. And then, the third type, there's the pilgrims. And the pilgrims, they patiently come and settle and stay in the way. They stay in the day. They cultivate. They work day to day. They're living the way, and they're always examining themselves to see, am I doing the right thing or not? You know, make sure, because I'm here to stay.

We've got to be careful. You know, you know the story about the egg, or rather the chicken that laid the egg, is involved. But that cow or whatever animal that has got the meat on the barbecue, that is committed. So, are we involved or are we committed? You know, we've got to give our lives. That's what it is. We've got to give our lives. And so, continuing our reading in verse 3, it says, because they have itching ears, they heap for themselves teachers, and they will turn the ears away from what?

The truth. And be turned aside to fables. They turned aside to fake stuff. That's what it is. That's what it is. Brethren, there's going to be a big heresy. Yes, some may say, well, the heresy happened already in 95. Yes, maybe it has happened already. I don't disagree with that. But I have the strong feeling there's going to be something even worse to come.

I might be wrong. But turn with me to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. We're going to read from verse 1. It says, Oh, how many people have said that? You know, there's many religions that say that. Anyway. Let no one deceive you by any means, for the day will not come unless the turning away a big apartment, unless the falling away in a was heresy or apostasy comes first. Now, people say, well, that has already happened. Don't deny it. It's happened in 95. You know, there were over 100,000 in the church and now it's a spring.

I don't deny that. But I am thinking that maybe something bigger is even going to come. I might be wrong. But anyway, it says, and the man of sin is then revealed, the son of perdition. Brethren, there's going to be a big heresy that is going to deceive people. It's going to deceive people big time, big time. You know, we know we live in a time where brethren in the church, in the church, are being conditioned to kind of say things that they shouldn't say.

You know, like we heard a sermon at, I think it was last week, about you having that, what was the word? Your narrative. Yeah, you have your narrative. You have your story that you painted. And a lot of it is causing people to say things that are unkind in the internet, one towards another, unkind. And what is happening is we're getting kind of used to not literally with a hand, but with words, we're kind of smacking one another in the face. In other words, we're offending people, in particular, offending brethren in the church from brother to brother, sister to sister.

We've got to be careful, brethren, because we're being conditioned to this. And then it's going to get worse. It's going to get worse. And when it gets worse, what happens is the love of manning gets cold. It will get colder. And we've got to be careful, brethren. We really have to be careful. Let's continue reading in 2 Thessalonians. Now let's read in verse, starting from verse 4. So, this man of sun is revealed, the son of perdition, in other words, the false prophet will be revealed, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he's God.

Imagine there's going to be a heresy. Let us guy is super duper, big hero, and everybody's going to believe. Now, when it says everybody, let's now grant it. I'm speculating now. Speculating. So, the degree of authority is zero. Okay? Zero. But anyway, I'm speculating. Imagine that the pope, the pope, imagine now, he accepts moderate ideas from Muslims. Imagine that he accepts moderate ideas from all other religions. It's not very difficult to think because the Catholic Church has always accepted syncretism, you know, incorporating ideas. So, he accepts all that. So, the majority of the people are going to say, voila!

And then it says these things. And next thing is got tremendous power given to him by Satan. Power that will amaze you. That you cannot think that it could happen. Now, I'll give you an example. I'll give you an example. Again, I'm still speculating, okay? But I'll give you an example. A year ago, would you believe that we would be planning for a feast this year the way we're planning? Would that ever cross your mind? Ever? You always say, best feast ever, best feast ever. What are you looking forward to?

I hope it's going to be a good feast, but we don't know what's going to happen. And usually, the worst part, the trials come just before the feast, right? So, if the trials come before the feast, the real trials haven't even yet come. Wow! Now, what I'm saying is, you and I could not think, even six months ago, that the world would be like it is today. This came suddenly. You know, by the way, you know, in Revelation chapter 1 verse 1, it says, the eyes of the revelation of Jesus Christ tell you the things that are shortly to come to pass.

Look at that word shortly. That word shortly means, could be translated, will come to pass very quickly. You see, because that was 2,000 years ago, so it wasn't shortly, but it will come very quickly. This whole thing that has happened now, happened very quickly.

The Christ says, Behold, I come quickly. You know, this is going to be sudden. It's going to be so big, so big, it's going to blow your mind and my mind. You are not going to say, it's impossible. I, six months ago, I could have not envisaged things that leaders of this nation are saying. I could not have envisaged they would say things like that.

Imagine that power with miracles, with awesome miracles, how people will be deceived. People will be deceived like you and I just cannot grasp it. It's bigger than what you can think, brethren. It's going to be big, big.

So, continue reading. We are reading, I think we, let's read in verse 7. In verse 7, For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Yeah, the ministry of lawlessness, yeah, there's things there, well, you don't have to obey God's law, etc. There's a ministry of lawlessness is already at work. Only He, who now restrains, will do so until He's taken out of the way. You see, there is maybe an angel or an angelic being from God holding Satan back. And his demons back. And when God says, now is the time, He says, no man knows the time, the father knows the time. And God says, now is the time, and through Christ says, all right, angels, you that are holding back that, don't hold back anymore. These demons, these spiritual powers will come out of the abyss with such power that will blow your mind. It says, He says, yeah, verse 8, and then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and will destroy it. The bratner's coming. It will be right at the end. It's Christ's coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the workings of Satan. In other words, He will not be detained anymore, will allow, will be allowed to do things that will blow your mind. What He'll do, He says, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish because they did not receive the love of that. Truth.

Sound doctrine is important, brethren. Sound doctrine is important.

This being Satan will come of such power. And you know, in Revelation 12, it says that there'll be a war in heaven, and it'll be thrown down, and he knows time is short. That's it! He's not detained anymore, and now he's gonna go mad. Mad! You and I have not seen anything like that.

Is sound doctrine important?

If we are not holding to the truth, we're gonna be deceived. That's why I say, I speculate, that I think this is going to be a lot bigger than what happened in 95. Granted, I'm speculating, but I think there's a strong possibility, based on this, that it will be very big. And look at Matthew 24. Look at Matthew 24. You know Matthew 24. We all read that, so let's look at Matthew 24 verse 22. And it says, and unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved. It was unless that period of great tribulation will be cut short, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days will be shortened. Okay? For the elect's sake, you know, it was the power of those days. Yeah, the great tribulation will run for three and a half years, as we can look at Revelation, etc. But before that, a year before, there'll be the heavenly signs, and God will diminish that. It will shorten that, shorten its effect. But look at verse 24. Look at verse 24. For false Christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive. I don't think 95 was the fulfillment of this, with great signs and wonders to deceive. I think that is still coming. I might be wrong. But it's my job. If I'm wrong, okay, if it doesn't happen, well, good. But if it does happen, at least I've warned you. I've cried aloud, and I've warned you. And it says, And if possible, even, and some translations have, the very elect, not just the elect, the very elect. Look, in verse 22 says the elect. In verse 24, it says the very elect, which means that some elect will be deceived. Which means that some elect will be deceived, because it's going to be so deceitful. We've got to be careful. That's why it says in Revelation 12, he deceives the whole world, and he's going to be thrown down full of anger, because he knows his time is short. What I'm saying, brethren, that it's going to be very big. It's going to be very, very big. And we have to love the truth. We have to love sound doctrine. There's a lot of false doctrine out there today, brethren.

Do we have an immortal soul? You know, you know that. Can you defend that? Can you prove that? A lot of people say, oh well, we go to heaven. Well, he's up there looking at me, or whatever it is. Can you prove that? There's so many things about the Sabbath. You know, there's so many things. Really, you know them. You can list. I listed, yeah, maybe a dozen things, or even more. But I don't have to list them to you. You know, there's a lot of deception. But what I really want to emphasize to you, brethren, is that we need to love the truth. We need to stay close to the Bible. Yes, the important of prophecy is that we become better people. Yes, we've got to be better people, but we must love the truth. Otherwise, we're going to be deceived. This is going to be big, brethren. This is going to be really big. We have to love the truth. Sound doctrine is very important, will affect your eternal salvation.