Prove the Truth

Life for us to turn over to a scripture in 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 21. This is a very short scripture, and yet it has something that is very meaningful for us and for our Christian lives that we need to follow and to continue to follow along the way in our lives. Very short little verse, 1 Thessalonians 5, verse 21.

The new King James translation says, Test all things. Hold fast what is good.

Now, the old King James says, Prove all things. Hold fast what is good.

And so today I would like for us to expound on this passage a little bit and to see its importance in our Christian lives. If you ever wonder why we have so many denominations, they all profess to get their teachings from the Bible. There's the Catholic Church, the big mother church out of Rome. There's the Eastern Orthodox Church over in Turkey, Constantinople, and 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 is truth? And today, in our climate the last 10 years, we probably, all of us, have heard a lot of ideas, some of them very different, and frankly, I've heard some that are rather strange. Where those ideas come from? Do they have scriptural support? Well, we do need to prove all things, and we need to continue to do that along the way.

We need to open our Bibles and study it. That's the only way that we can prove all things, to open our Bibles and not only read, but to study, and to have a strong foundation of Bible knowledge. How strong is your foundation of Bible knowledge? Are you pretty knowledgeable of the Bible? Have you made some thorough studies into different topics? Do you need...is your foundation weak? Do you need to shore it up? Well, prove all things. Prove what is truth, and what is truth? Well, let's go to John 17 and verse 17. Jesus answered that question. What is truth anyway? In John 17 and verse 17, Jesus said, in verse 16, He said, they are not of the world, talking about us, talking about the church, not of the world.

And I hope all of us feel very different than the world. I do. I don't feel this is my world. This is not the world I would take pride in or want to be a part of. Jesus said, we are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Verse 17, sanctify, which means to set apart as holy, sanctify them by your truth. You know, the truth does set us apart, and it does make us holy. Thy word is truth. So the truth is found right here in the Bible. And Jesus said in John 10 and verse 35, let's read that verse also, John chapter 10 and verse 35, if He called them gods to whom the word of God came, and He added that little statement, and the Scripture cannot be broken. Brethren, God's Word is so solid, so sound, that it cannot be broken. You can break it, and it will break you. And the world is breaking God's Word, and they are being broken. Look at the world. We're in sad shape. Individuals are, as well as nations, as well as the whole world. So God's Word is truth, and the truth of God stands up strong and solid, and we cannot break the truth of God's Word. So there's no wonder that Jesus said, and we read that in Matthew chapter 4 and verse 4. Let's turn there also, that we are to study God's Word, and that we should have a good base of Bible knowledge.

In Matthew chapter 4 and verse 4, He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone. We can't just live on the physical things. It doesn't work. We need more than that. We need something spiritual. And He went on to say, Man shall live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. So we are to live by every word. And you know, God has written a big book. He's inspired a very big book here. And to live by every word in this book is going to require a lot of reading and a lot of study, not just reading only. So we encourage everyone, including our young people, to study God's Word. Begin early. Take our Bible study course. Take some of our booklets, which also very thoroughly discuss scriptures on a topic. And lay for yourself a good foundation of Bible knowledge. Here's the truth. It cannot be broken. It's the way that works. And we want to know what it says, then, in this book and to live by it. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy chapter 3 that every word in this book is inspired. God has inspired every word in this book in its original language. We have to sometimes go back to the original language, the Hebrew in the Old Testament and the Greek in the New Testament, to establish something. But in its original language that God inspired it, the Bible is pure. It is unadulterated. It's the second of our fundamental beliefs in the United Church of God. The Word of God is authoritative. It is powerful. It is truthful. It cannot be broken. 2 Timothy chapter 3 and in verse 16, all scripture is given by inspiration of God. It has all been inspired by God. God used many, many different authors over the ages to write the Bible. Many different personalities come into play. Sometimes you can even see the personality of the writer coming through in the Bible. There are different personalities that come into portions of scripture.

Yet God has worked in them all. He worked through Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Ezra, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, those prophets. In the New Testament, he worked through Matthew and Mark and Luke and John. Their personalities come into it, into their writings. Yet God used different people at different times, different personalities. The story of the Bible is solid. The scriptures cannot be broken. It is truth because the same God inspired all these different men of God to write down the scriptures. Paul said, all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable.

It is good, then, profitable for us. For doctrine. Doctrine is simply teaching, true teachings, for reproof, to certainly set us on the right track and even to a correctness, as it goes on to say, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. So God's Word is inspired and it is profitable. Now, this not only includes the New Testament. So many people want to say, well, you know, I don't put as much stress upon the Old Testament.

I don't think any of us do that. But people in the world, many times, do not put as much stress upon the Old Testament teachings. And yet, let's notice what Jesus said about the Old Testament scriptures in Matthew chapter 5 and verse 17. Matthew chapter 5 and verse 17. He said here, Matthew 5, 17, do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets.

And that's exactly what so many people do think, that Jesus came to destroy the law and the prophets. He said, do not think that. I did not come to destroy, but to fulfill. And the Greek word for fulfill means to fill up to the full, fill up to the brim. Jesus came then and here in the Sermon on the Mount, He takes laws. He says, you've heard it said that you are not to look on a not to commit adultery. I say that you are not to look on a woman to lust after her in your heart.

He fills that law up to the full. So adultery can take place right in the heart and mind. It does not have to be the literal physical act. So Jesus did fulfill or fill right up to the top the law. And what about the prophets? Jesus gave prophecies that had not simply not been given in the Old Testament.

The Olivet prophecy is a good example. That information in the Olivet prophecy simply he added to what we find in the Old Testament. He even quoted portions of the Old Testament, but added to it. He filled it up. And by the time we include the book of Revelation, which is the revelation of Jesus Christ, then Jesus Christ filled up the prophets. He filled up to the full then the law and its full spiritual intent and meaning.

And he filled up to the full the prophets as well. So Jesus said he didn't come to do away with the law or the prophets, but to fulfill, to fill up to the top. When we turn over to Acts chapter 24, we find the Apostle Paul, the one that people misquote so often to say the law was done away. The Apostle Paul himself saying that he believed the Old Testament writings. He believed them fully, the things written in the law and the prophets.

Matthew, pardon me here, Acts chapter 24 and verse 14. Acts 24 and verse 14. 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 in the prophets. So the Apostle Paul believed 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 Scriptures if we are to live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

So God's Word, which is truth, which cannot be broken, all inspired of God, where does it begin? It begins in the book of Genesis chapter 1 and verse 1. What is it in? It ends in Revelation chapter 22, and I don't have the exact number of the verse, but it ends at the end of the book of Revelation. So that's God's Word, and we are to live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. That's a lot of reading, a lot of study when you think about it.

It's going to take more than just casual reading and study. It's going to be a lifetime project, in fact.

In spite of all the hours and hours and hours of study we all have done, there's so much more that we yet need to learn and deepen and broaden our knowledge and understanding. God's Word truly is a lifetime adventure, but it's important to be proving all things to ourselves as we have that solid foundation. And to tell you, the ideal way it works is that you have a good, solid foundation at the time that you are baptized. Now, I think we can say that maybe some have not had quite as solid a foundation, and if that is the case, then go ahead and shore up your foundation. That can be done. But it certainly does help to have a building that is on a good, solid foundation that cannot be shaken. When things come along like 10, 11 years ago, and certain things were being said, no longer necessary, like even this day, the Sabbath, then we have such a foundation that we have proven the Sabbath, and we know that the Bible consistently upholds the Sabbath from the time God rested on this day in Genesis 2, and all the way through the Bible. In the Old Testament, there's no question about the Sabbath. Then you come to the New Testament and you find Jesus keeping it, and then you come to the New Testament church. They were keeping it. And then you go to a verse like Isaiah 66, 23, and in the millennium, when Christ is reigning on the earth, all flesh will come to worship God from one Sabbath to another. And so consistently through the scriptures, there's the Sabbath. Plus, there's no proof towards Sunday that people want to, where they have their, most churches have their meetings. There's no proof. There are eight places in the New Testament where the first day of the week is mentioned. Eight verses, and none of those eight verses gives any indication whatsoever of a change on the Sabbath. So we have such a solid foundation to build on. Nobody's going to come along and say, well, you don't have to keep the Sabbath, not when you have that kind of foundation.

But we do need to prove all things and hold fast what is good. Why did Paul have that admonition? You know, the reason is that so many try to twist and misrepresent scripture.

And that's why we have so many denominations. That's why we have so many differing teachings and ideas in the world, because so many do twist and misrepresent the scripture.

Now, one area of scripture that is grossly misrepresented and twisted are the writings of the Apostle Paul. Let's turn over to 2 Peter chapter 3. And Peter warned about that, and he himself had Paul's writings, obviously, and had read them. And Peter himself admitted that some of Paul's writings were a little bit difficult and hard. He admitted to that. Let's read it here. 2 Peter chapter 3. And let's begin in verse 15. 2 Peter chapter 3 and verse 15. An account that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation. God is very patient, very long suffering, very forbearing. We can learn a lot by following God's example of long suffering and patience and forbearing. The long suffering of our Lord is salvation, as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you. That's very likely that Paul was at his time, that Paul died slightly before Peter. Peter was going to die shortly after he wrote these words, but Paul was probably dead. And Peter apparently had all of Paul's letters in his possession, because he says, the apostle Paul, according, our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles. Notice that. Peter had them. All his epistles speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand. So Peter admitted that some of Paul's writings were hard to understand. And he went on to say, which those who are untaught and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. I tell you, this is a loaded verse. Some areas of Scripture, then, can be hard to understand. We'll get to one portion today that's a little bit hard to understand in 1 Peter chapter 3. But I think we can understand probably what Peter had in mind. So Peter's not without an area, at least, where he's difficult to understand, too. We'll see that today. But Paul, in some areas, was hard to be understood. And notice that the untaught and the unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the rest of the Scriptures. Peter was obviously equating Paul's writings at the level of Scripture. We'll get into that in our study of 2 Peter later on. Peter was very interested in canonizing, making a part of the Scripture. God was using him. And so Paul's writings here are put up at the same level as the rest of the Scriptures.

And so brethren, we don't want to do that, do we? We want to prove and test all things, but we want to be honest and fair as we do it and not twist in any way the Scriptures to our own destruction. Verse 17 goes on to say, "'You therefore beloved, since you know these things beforehand, beware,' here's the warning to us, "'beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked.'" And so God doesn't want you or me to fall from our own steadfastness. He wants us to recognize then when people twist or misrepresent the Scripture.

There's so much in the Bible about what we're talking about today, and it all comes down to proving all things and having a good solid base of Bible understanding and knowledge, never twisting, never perverting the Word of God, never misrepresenting it or mishandling it, being careful with the Word of God. One verse says, trembling at the Word of God. Let's go to Galatians chapter 1. It's not a new thing, what we have what we've been able to observe in our time. It's not new at all. They were doing it back in in Galatia, back in Paul's time, and it's happened all down through history that that mankind has had difficulty staying on track with the truth. And brethren, one of the struggles the Church of God has had down through the ages, not just in our time, has been to recognize and resist error and be able to stay with the truth of the Bible, of God's Word. And that is a continuing struggle for for God's people. Stay with the truth. Prove all things. Don't get off track. Don't be led away with the error of the wicked, as Peter said. Galatians chapter 1 and verse 6, Paul said here, I marvel. He really was amazed that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel, to a different gospel, which is not another. You know why? Because there's only one good news. There's not, there are not two. Just one gospel to a different gospel, which is not another. But there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.

And so some of the people there in Galatia were already listening to them, and were being affected by it. We're being troubled by those who came with another gospel, which is not really another at all. Let's read some other verses. We're warned then to not let this happen to us.

In Acts chapter 20, Acts chapter 20 and verse 29, Acts chapter 20 and verse 29, I guess we could begin in verse 28, therefore all is talking to the elders at Ephesus. Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the church of God. There'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, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Savage wolves come into a flock of sheep from without. They have never been a part of the flock. A wolf has always been outside. He's never been a part of the flock. But Paul said savage wolves, people from outside the church, are going to come and not spare the flock. But notice in verse 30, he warned about from within. So, brethren, I think we also see that down through the years, 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, from within, men shall rise up, speaking perverse things. And why? To draw away the disciples after themselves. And he says, therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. So, brethren, you know, this sermon today on prove all things is so that we then can watch, and we can be alert, and we can have a solid foundation. Nobody could ever sway us. We're immovable, unshakable. In 2 Peter 2 and verse 1, 2 Peter 2 and verse 1, we just find so many verses in the Bible then, warning about those who would twist God's word, misrepresent it, not handle the word of God properly. In 2 Peter 2 and verse 1, and this whole chapter here is a pretty strong chapter. This is a strong indictment toward false teachers, false apostles and prophets. Verse 1 says, there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you who will secretly bring in destructive heiresses, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

And many will follow their destructive ways. Many people go along with these false teachers. Many will follow their destructive ways because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. This whole chapter is a strong indictment toward anyone that would teach anything other than the word of God. Anyone that would would mishandle the word of God. Jude also wrote about this in Jude verse 4. Jude, the book of Jude, verse 4. We might even begin in verse 3. Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to right to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. He found it necessary to contend for the faith, for certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation. Ungodly men, who turned the grace of our God into licentiousness and denied the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. So certain men had crept in, certain false teachers. And he goes on down to say in verse 18 how they, verse 17, remember the words that were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. How they told you that there would be mockers in the last time. Jude is basically basically quoting from 2 Peter on this. How they told you there would be mockers in the last time. Who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons who cause divisions, not having the spirit. So there are many, many warnings in the Bible that we must prove all things and make sure that we are not being led away by someone that is misrepresenting or twisting. Paul writes about our time today. So it should not be surprising that it has happened down through the ages and it continues to happen today. That there is misrepresentation and twisting of the Scriptures. In 2 Timothy chapter 4 and verse 1. 2 Timothy chapter 4 and verse 1. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing in his kingdom. Preach the Word. Preach the Word of God. And let there be verse after verse after verse in the Word of God that points out what we are to do. Don't interpret. Don't misrepresent or mishandle. Preach the Word. Be ready in season and out of season.

Good times and bad times. Convince. Reduc. Exhort with all long suffering and teaching. These are admonitions to Timothy, a minister of God. Verse 3. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. But according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers. They will appoint teachers for themselves.

And because they're not enduring sound doctrine, they want to hear what they want to hear. That's what it means, the itching ears. They want to hear what is appealing to them. And they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things. Endure afflictions. Do the work of an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry. So, brethren, we want to improve all things, don't we? We want to hold fast what is good. We don't want to be among those who do not endure sound doctrine.

God certainly warns us not to be deceived in 1 Thessalonians 5, 21. All things hold fast what is good. Let's go back to Paul's time, 1 Timothy chapter 1, 1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 3.

1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 3. As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine. You know, God's church is to be unified in its teaching. Charge some that they teach no other doctrine. Nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies. Some of the people at that time were into that, which caused 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 sincere faith. And that is in verse 7, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk. In the King James, I believe, says, vain jangling, to idle talk and vain jangling. Some have turned aside. Verse 7, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. What conditions, you know, then we find to be conditioned also today. And so we have to prove all things and we have to be careful.

Notice in verse 19 of this first chapter, verse 19, having, well, verse 18, 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.

Part of the good warfare is to have a solid foundation of Bible knowledge, prove all things. Verse 19, having faith and a good conscience which some having rejected, yes, some had rejected God's truth, had gone a different way, which some having rejected concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme. So apparently Paul had to just ask them not to come to church anymore because they had gone off in a different direction. They were teaching other things and causing division in the church. So the Bible has a lot of warnings, and I think it shows that one of the struggles of the people of God down through the ages has been to maintain the truth, to not be let off into error. You know, you could very easily begin to have a little pet idea. Some people have a pet idea, then they fall in love with it, and you could do that. You could have a pet idea and fall in love with it, and suddenly that becomes the truth to you. And off you go in a direction other than the truth of God. You want that to happen. Or if you hear someone that has a pet idea that he's fallen in love with it, you don't be swayed by it. And let's go to 1 John chapter 2 in verse 19. I just believe at one time or another we're all going to hear some things that are not sound doctrine. I think we're going to hear some ideas and thoughts that are not sound doctrine, and some prophetic speculations. That's one area that people sometimes get off. They have these speculations that they come up with, and I just have an idea that sometimes these are voiced.

And I just have an idea that at one time or another we're all going to hear something that is not sound doctrine or maybe a prophetic speculation. 1 John chapter 2 in verse 19.

Verse 18 says, Little children, it is the last hour. As you've heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many Antichrists have come by which we know that it is the last hour.

They went out from us. That is that. And obviously then they left fellowshiping with John and the church. They went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would have continued with us, but they went out that they might be made manifest that none of them were of us. So, you know, that happens.

Sometimes people do go off in their own direction. They leave and no longer worship with us.

In 1 John chapter 4 in verse 1, John further warns that we are to try the spirits. It's not just either what someone says, but there's sometimes a spirit or attitude behind what is said too. This is also discerning that where a person is coming from. 1 John chapter 4 in verse 1, Beloved, do not 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 that people would be careful then that they would see where someone is coming from. And you know, where should someone be coming from? He should be coming through the front door. He should become what you see is what you get. There's nothing that's hidden back here. No small print, you might say. It's all there in big print. And you can read it. You can see.

And God's Word is being handled carefully. And we're striving not to say anything that is outside the bounds of what God's Word indicates. A carefulness with the Word of God. I think you're going to be able to see if someone seems to have a certain doctrine that he is trying to push. And that attitude will be there. So we are to test not only what is said, but also the spirit behind it. Test the spirits. And how? Well, let's read also 2 John 7 while we're here. How do we test the spirits? Well, in just a moment, we're to prove all things. In just a moment, we'll read a verse on that. But in 2 John 7, he goes on to say in verse 10, How do we test the spirits? Well, let's turn back to an Old Testament verse now, Isaiah 8 and verse 20. Isaiah 8 and verse 20.

Verse 19. I'm always skipping. I should put down one verse before verse 19 to start there. When they say, Do you seek those who are mediums and wizards who whisper and mutter? Should not a people seek their God? Obviously they should. Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? Obviously, no. Verse 20. To the law and to the testimony. If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them. So, brethren, it comes down to speaking according to God's Word. And you know, speaking according to God's Word is then representing what the Scriptures say. It's not adding a personal twist or interpretation onto it. It's going right down the line and not going off to the right or to the left one little bit. We begin to go off to the right or to the left of the Scriptures, then we're in danger. We are to stick right with the Scriptures. Now, you know, I think you'll find that United Church of God is very careful in its writings. Read the book of Revelation, Unveiled. There are some possibilities given on some of the... and there are obviously many areas that we indicate that we don't really fully understand how this will be fulfilled. And there are two or three explanations, possible explanations given for the messages to the seven churches. Are there church eras? Is this just messages to the churches back then? Is it messages for God's church down through the ages? You know, our booklet explains those possibilities and things that are difficult to understand. It's okay to say, well, this is a possible understanding. Or here are several possible understandings of this Scripture. That certainly is not twisting the Word of God when we openly state these possibilities that have been brought, you know, even others have mentioned as well.

We do try to be very careful. I think you'll find that in not getting off on a little lamb or twig, but to stay right on the trunk of the tree and the good solid branches of the truth. And those areas that we don't fully understand just to admit and bring out maybe what it could possibly mean. We'll do that with 2 Peter chapter 3 today. That difficult passage there bring out the two possible ways that could be understood, the difficult Scriptures in that chapter. So certainly it's not wrong at all to put out the possibilities of how a difficult Scripture can be understood. But, you know, it would be wrong just to come along and have a dog understand. That would be going beyond until God chooses to give us more understanding, going beyond what He's given to us. So we do need to apply Isaiah chapter 8 and verse 20, constantly proving all things to ourselves and holding fast of what is good. And how do we do that? To the law and to the testimony, to God's Word. If someone does not speak according to this Word, it's because there's no light in Him. So we need to stick right with the Word of God.

Now there are some strange and false doctrines that can circulate around. Let's go to, as we've already been reading verses, to recognize any ideas that are kind of maybe pet ideas that people do believe in that come our way. And we just need to certainly never be affected by it, by any doctrine that is strange or not sound doctrine. In Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 9, of course, in verse 8 it says, Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, today, and forever. Do not, verse 9, do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines.

So various and strange doctrines that can circulate around. We're warned not to be carried about with these strange doctrines. It is good that the heart be established by grace, and back at that time certain foods, I guess, apparently not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them. So the Apostle Paul writes about that and strange doctrines that some people had. And we have an example of a strange doctrine in 2 Timothy chapter 2. 2 Timothy chapter 2, this is a very strange doctrine. And yet, you know some people believed it. Some people went along with it, were affected by it. That's the sad part. 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 16, Paul says, But shun profane and vain babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. So, you know, there can be profane and vain babblings. We want to avoid that because it just leads to more, to worse things. And verse 17, their message will spread like cancer. Some of these things can spread like a cancer. It gets started small and then it gets bigger. Hymenaeus and Theletus are of this sort. Paul even names a couple who have strayed concerning the truth. They had left. They departed into error. They strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past. The resurrection has already taken place. They believe. That's a strange doctrine. That's not according to the Scriptures at all. That the resurrection has already passed. And notice the last part of verse 18. Unfortunately, they overthrow the faith of some. Some were not solid enough in Bible knowledge and Bible understanding. I don't think anybody here would be that way if I came to you and said that the resurrection is already past. I don't think you'd be deceived by that one. But could you be deceived by something else that somebody throws at you? Some other strange or various doctrine? Well, this sermon is to say, have such a good solid foundation of Bible knowledge and understanding from Genesis to Revelation that nobody could come along and sway you with some strange or other doctrine than what we read about here. And Paul goes on to say in verse 19, Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands, the solid foundation of God's Word, which cannot be broken. Thy Word is truth. And so what we should do then is brought out in verse 14. And that is, well, verse 15, be diligent to present yourself approved to God a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth. It is obvious from this verse then that you could wrongly divide the Word of truth. The Word of God could be wrongly handled, wrongly divided. You know, we have said that the Bible is like a jigsaw puzzle. The whole Bible is a big jigsaw puzzle. Within this jigsaw puzzle are little portions of Scripture, different doctrines. Take the Sabbath, take the Holy Days, other doctrines. And you have to put all the pieces together. You find things about the Sabbath all the way through the Bible, things about the Holy Days all the way through the Bible, and you have to put it together properly. All of us have put a jigsaw puzzle together. There are times that you can put a piece in a place that it seems to fit. That seems to be where it belongs. You notice, though, it doesn't seem to be a perfect fit, but it seems to be right. The colors and shapes and everything fit. And yet, you later come back and find out that piece did not actually fit there.

You ever done that? I have done it. And so, you know, sometimes the Bible, being like a jigsaw puzzle, and it's written here a little, there a little, you do have to put it all together. And as Paul says, rightly dividing the word of truth. So that's what we want to do. We do want to rightly divide the word of truth. In Ephesians 4, the whole church, then, is admonished to be growing together, to be speaking the same thing as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 10, and growing spiritually. The church here is described as a unit that is united, and that is growing, and together as one body. And he says in verse 13, Ephesians 4 and verse 13, till we all come to the unity of the faith. And you know, if we stick closely to God's word, we're going to be pretty united, aren't we? We're going to be all saying the same thing as Paul admonished. Till we come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro, and carried about, how? With every wind of doctrine.

So we should be so strong and solid in our proving all things in Bible knowledge that we simply are not children anymore. We cannot be carried away with every wind of doctrine. And notice it goes on to say, by the trickery of men.

When someone has a pet idea, it will be presented to you. You can be sure in a subtle manner.

It will be done very subtly, very cleverly, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness by which they lie and wait to deceive.

Cunning craftiness by which they lie and wait to deceive.

Goes on to say in verse 15, but speaking the truth and love that we may grow up in all thanks to him who is the head Christ.

I tell you, we can be so solid in our Bible understanding that the trickery of men and the cunning craftiness by which they lie and wait to deceive, we'll see right through it.

First of all, you'll pick up on the approach. The approach is not right. The attitude is not right. You'll test the spirits if they be of God. The right spirit is going to come in the front door. It's going to be a following right along with God's approach and God's attitude and his way.

The wrong way is going to be, I think you'll pick up on it. So, we are to avoid every wind of doctrine and those who sneak in and lie and wait to deceive. So brethren, again and again, we're warned to not let this happen to us. Prove all things.

God's church has in the past and continues and will in the future continue to say, don't believe me, believe your Bible. We will not be afraid to cry aloud and spare not. We'll not be afraid to say what we're saying today. We'll try to say it in a right way. But we do prove all things according to the Scriptures.

So, you know, God's servants do have to cry out loud and spare not. But there's a right way to do that. And so the Scriptures just warn us. And some of the same things that God's people down through the ages have faced, of course, we face today. Where's the foundation of the truth?

Turn to 1 Timothy 3, verse 16.

The very pillar in the foundation is the church.

In 1 Timothy 3, verse 16.

I'm sorry, verse 15. 1 Timothy 3, verse 15. But 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 the ground, the foundation of the truth. So God's church is the pillar and the foundation of the truth.

And I have tried to keep that in my mind down through the years. There have been times that there has been a new understanding about something.

And, of course, when the change in understanding was explained, you still have so many of the ideas you had before, that you have to give yourself a little bit of time to understand the new teaching. You know, Pentecost, for example, at one time we met on Monday. We sincerely thought that was the day we should have Pentecost. But that came to, we came to see that it actually should be on Sunday. And so, you know, you get locked into something like a Monday Pentecost, and you have to give yourself time. But I've tried to always give not myself the benefit of doubt, but the church. And to believe that God is guiding, that He is guiding and directing the human leadership at the top levels.

And so, that's important to have confidence that God is leading and guiding those in top responsibilities. I can assure you that we have a very mature leadership at the top level of United Church of God.

And we have men that take their responsibilities very seriously, and they don't want their own will or their own understanding or their own way. They want the will of God.

So decisions that are made, and they do make judgments and decisions, are made as led by God's Holy Spirit.

It's like the New Testament church about circumcision. When that decision was made in Jerusalem, the church in Antioch accepted it.

They were looking to Jerusalem and that conference for God's will to be revealed. And when that was brought back to them, they accepted it. Now, there may have been a few, I don't know, that may not have. It's not indicated that any did not. But there could have been some elsewhere that, you know, other than Antioch, there could be some that did not want to accept that new understanding. That's certainly possible.

But should we not give the church of God then the benefit, and then study and read? And as far as Pentecost, for me, I came to understand that completely. I didn't have a problem studying into it. I never wanted not, you know, to change or to understand it. Just sometimes it takes a little bit of time then when something is different to check into it. That happens for all of us.

But with an open study of the Scriptures, we come to see and to understand.

God's ministers will always say, prove all things. Let's look at the Scriptures. What did the Scriptures say?

God's ministry will strive then to represent the truth.

Sincerely, honestly, we will strive to not mishandle the Word of God. Please turn to 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 2.

2 Corinthians 4.

As always, I'm going back one verse earlier, verse 1.

Therefore, since we have this ministry, Paul says, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.

But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the Word of God deceitfully.

Obviously, that can be done, walking in craftiness and handling the Word of God deceitfully. But by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

There's the approach of God's church.

God's church is not crafty, sly, doesn't use any trickery.

It doesn't handle the Word of God deceitfully.

So, brethren, you know, you can look at our booklets and those, Mr. Armstrong, in years past. And you're just like the Ten Commandments, or like the Sabbath, or like the Wonderful World Tomorrow. And you'll just find verse after verse after verse in the Bible, so that it leaves no doubt as to what the Scriptures are saying. The Scriptures don't, you know, leave us in doubt when we study all the Scriptures on a topic.

And so we then did prove these things to ourselves. We proved the reward of the saved is not going to heaven.

We proved the soul is not immortal. The dead are really dead. We proved the resurrections.

We proved that there's no eternal torment in hell, no ever-burning hell fire. You know, all of us are convicted about all of those things. We proved that God is not a Trinity.

But how did we prove all these truths?

We were challenged. Look in your Bible. See if that's what your Bible says. That's what we're continuing to say. Always prove. Study your Bible. Have a good foundation of Bible knowledge and understanding. God's ministers will certainly play a role there. How can they hear without a preacher, Paul said in Romans chapter 10. So, when you hear different ideas and doctrines, some of them pet ideas that are floating around, then certainly be aware and do not be led away. Some of the strange ideas that have come forth, like Passover being on the 15th, that's come forth in the last decade or so.

Pentecost also not being counted, but always being on the same day of the third month. That's an idea that I've heard.

Some identified the one that led the church astray in the early to midnight as the man of sin.

Well, you know, that also is a personal idea. One idea that came recently, that I heard, is that the resurrection of the righteous will take place on Pentecost. And then between Pentecost and Trumpets, there will be a marriage, and I think up in heaven, I think is one idea that some had. And then after that marriage and the wedding supper, then Christ and the saints will come back down to the earth on the day of Trumpets. So you can hear a lot. The Bible doesn't support this. A lot of strange and odd ideas that can circulate around.

The Scriptures simply state that no man knows the day or the hour. We don't know that Christ will come back on the Feast of Trumpets. That is the day that his feet will land on the Mount of Olives. We have speculated that it's logical that Christ would come back on the day of Trumpets, but that's not ever been the official teaching of the church. Because we simply don't know. You know, if Christ chooses to, and the Father wants him not to come some other day than the Feast of Trumpets, then the Father knows.

So what should we do? Rather than we should prove all things, we should carefully read and study the Scriptures.

We should tremble to misrepresent God's Word. That's what it says in Isaiah 66 in verse 2.

Recognize error and falsehood.

Ideas that are contrary to the doctrines that God has given to his church.

Certainly be aware of anyone that tries to subtly affect you or sneak in a false doctrine. Have a solid foundation of Bible knowledge where you can see through that.

Down through the ages, and if you studied the messages to the seven churches, God's church has had a constant struggle to hold on to the truth and not to be led away into error. If you read the message to the seven churches, you will find that some were being affected by the doctrine of the Nicolaitans.

Others were being affected by the doctrine of Balaam.

False doctrines were affecting God's people. You'll find that in the messages to the seven churches.

These were false pagan teachings of the world, and some of the church members were actually giving in and believing. So, dear brethren, what I'm saying today is be so well grounded in Bible knowledge and Bible understanding that no one will be able to ever shake your faith or your belief.

You have all the basic knowledge and understanding of doctrines and what you are to believe, what you are to do. Also, of prophecy. And just how far we can go in prophecy and where we can't go any further without speculation. We need to know where to draw the line there.

You will hear faults and strange ideas at times. Resist them.

Hold on to what you've been given and prove to be true.

Many scriptures say to abide in that which you had from the beginning. Yes, abide in the truth. And beware of anyone that comes with a strange doctrine or another wind of false doctrine.

The truth is what we want. And Jesus said in John 8, verse 32, it is the truth that will make us free.

The truth really does set us free.

Remember 1 Thessalonians 5, 21 then. It applies as we go on in the years ahead. Continue to prove all things and hold on. Abide in the truth of God's Word.