The speaker greets listeners and recaps the previous week's topic on the armor of God. They emphasize the importance of fellowship groups and the need for spiritual guidance and protection. They discuss the constant attacks from Satan and the need to be fully equipped with the armor of God. They mention the danger of false teachers and false prophets and the importance of discernment in inviting speakers into fellowship groups. The speaker highlights the need for the fellowship groups to be in unity and to have a strong foundation in the Word of God. They explain the different pieces of the spiritual armor and the importance of prayer. They warn against bringing in strange fire and mention the attacks on the Worldwide Church of God from within. They stress the need to protect the body of Christ and to stay faithful to the Word of God. They reference 1 Timothy 4:1-3 as a warning against apostasy and following deceiving spirits.
We'll say greetings to all our brothers and sisters around the world on the Sabbath day, which we're just past midday here on the Sabbath down under, but blessings to you as the Sabbath comes to you. I'd like to recap on the subject from last week where we started it, and we talked about the armor of God, you know, do we need it? And we began with the scripture of 1 John 1, talking about what is true fellowship in the churches of God, whether it be the church, but particularly when we're concentrating on the group situation, fellowship groups, showing that, you know, really these are a blessing which have been with us in the CBCG, the Christian Biblical Church of God, virtually for as long as the church started.
In the initial days, of course, there were very few elders. Today we have a few more elders, and we still, because of the scattering of these groups In many of these locations, there are enough elders to be there as overseers and spiritual guides, and most of these groups will have a host. As Fred just mentioned in one of the articles which will be, which will post online, and you'll hear about that later, there are hosts. He said, you know, you can rotate these, but there are, they can be dangerous.
And so today's message is going to be rather strong meat for us, but strong meat is necessary for us to grow in the grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Because you see, not only are the churches of God, regardless of which other churches they are, and all the small groups, the fellowship groups, they're open to attack from Satan, the devil. Now, something we need to understand about Satan is that he does not rest. He does not sleep.
And as it says in Revelation chapter 12, you can read it there, where it says that he is before God constantly, day and night, and that's, of course, earth time, out there now at night. He's there in God's presence accusing you, accusing me to God of our sins. Now, we know what our backup here is. Our backup is, of course, the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of course, our repentance, our faithfulness to the word of God.
And most of all, as it says, the blood of Jesus Christ, that's got us come. However, if we are not fully protected with the armor of God, Satan can get into wherever our Achilles heel is. He can be snapping away, he's looking for chinks, he's looking for holes, he's looking for gaps in our armor. So we need to be fully equipped. On this message, we're only going to cover that briefly because it's such a large subject.
In fact, the entirety of the Bible is talking about our armor from God, Old Testament and New Testament. Even though we're not going to be looking into the Old Testament today, there's a multitude of references and statements. All we have to do is read the Psalms, and we can find many of the spiritual armor pieces that David had because David was a warrior. And Paul, who is our main exponent of these things, spiritual armor in the New Testament and the Book of Ephesians, here he was, chained to a Roman soldier and moving around attached to this Roman soldier while he was in prison.
And he became very familiar with some of the men in the soldier from time to time would take off some of his armor to relax or for other reasons, maybe to eat or whatever, we don't know. So Paul became very familiar with the armor of a Roman soldier, some of the most awesome soldiers, some of the most powerful, some of the most, what would you say, some of the greatest warriors that the world knew to that point in time.
And the Roman armies, they knew how to protect and they knew how to fight. So Paul used the physical to explain the spiritual. But then we'll go on, we'll talk about the warfare that we're in. And then I want to spend a lot of time just on the false teachers and false prophets. Now one of the problems in the small groups is, you see, in the Christian Biblical Church of God, we have got so much material, so much that we haven't really had the time to look into it.
If we were to spend the rest of our lives on what material is there already, we'd probably never be able to exhaust it all. There's just so much there to imbibe with that we just can't get to. So then why would we in a group want to invite in elders, ministers, speakers that we don't know, that have not been proved? Which is part of the doctrine of the Church of God. In any particular group across the first century it was a little different.
Today because we've got many splinter groups it becomes a little difficult. We have a lot of these so-called teachers moving from group to group. Should we invite them in? The answer to that is no, because we don't know them. And there's ample proof. Probably some people might say, well, but yes. Well, if there's a but yes, take it to God. Ask God to reveal to you and to show you. Because Satan is able to get in.
People who would normally on the surface, you know, looking at the outward appearance, wow, these are fine people. This man's a fine elder. But is he a satanic plant? So that's what we're going to have a look at. Now, again, as I mentioned, we'll miss that later. There is a video which I mentioned last week. Some had asked, you know, could we have the links for that? And they have been posted. So that will be explained how you can get to those a little later.
One is a video and one is a transcript. But the important point, the main point, the fellowship groups is John, the first book of John. Chapter one and verse one, which says that our fellowship is with the Father and Christ first. If we don't have that, we don't have a fellowship group. All we have is a social gathering. Because Christ is not going to be present. The Father is not going to be present. And if the Father and Christ are going to be present, do you think that we need to make sure that we take our shoes off or our sandals off, as we mentioned from Exodus, the third chapter, where Moses was told to remove his sandals because he's standing on sacred ground.
And we're in the presence of God, which we are here right now, because as we mentioned, wherever we are gathered together in the name of Christ, we've asked for his presence. And we're in fellowship with the Father and the Son. We're going to be here. And we're feeding us through the vine. The Father feeds Christ. Christ says, I'm the vine, you're the branches. And the lifeblood of the Holy Spirit and the blood of Christ is flowing through Christ the vine to each one of us.
If we have that, we have fellowship in the Father and the Son first and foremost. Then we can have fellowship with one another. So when we're in fellowship with one another in the presence of the Father and Christ, do we want to be brought in strange fire into the midst like the two sons of Aaron and have the fire of God and that sense came down from heaven and turn them into cinders and smoke? Sons of the high priest.
There was no fear of God. What is the fear of God? The fear of God is to love God's law, but to hate everything that is evil, corrupt, and polluted. And that is done, of course, by Satan, the devil. And on the other hand, Psalm 133 says, you know, what a blessed thing to be in the presence that says, you know, what a blessed thing it is, how great it is when we can come together in unity.
If we're bringing somebody in from an outside group to speak, and why would we do that when we have so much materials and volume, vast volumes of videos, of CDs, of books and booklets and articles and papers? Why would you want to bring somebody in that may well bring a strange fire? Somebody that would dunk women up? Because you see, all the elders in Christian Biblical Church of God have been proven by the brethren and by the other elders.
And they're known. These other people may have known them in the past. They may know the Word of God. They may be filled with the Word of God. But are they convented? Satan has the Word of God. He knows the Word of God. He knows everything about the Word of God. But is he converted? He can use the Word of God. He can preach the Word of God. He preached it to Christ, the one who wrote the Word.
And Christ's answer was, well, it's written. Slammed out him every time. Okay, let's get on to a scripture here. Let's go to look at the wolfish factor first. First, 2 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 3. And this is a scripture we've looked at a lot. You know, all the elders have been looking at this quite a lot of recent times. Verse 3, 2 Corinthians 10. For although we walk in the flesh, yes, we're flesh and blood, we're walking in the flesh.
As everyone else says, he said, although we are walking in the flesh, we do not war. So we are war. We are in spiritual warfare. And our spiritual warfare is not the kind of spiritual warfare you might read in Peter Wagner's books, and I've read some of them. I've read some of them. And as one minister who had attended all his classes told me at one stage, he said, it's very difficult to tell where spiritual warfare ends and demonism, Satanism begins.
You know, running around the world, driving Satan out by driving stakes into the ground. Yeah, where do you find that in scripture? But our spiritual warfare is different, and we can learn a lot about that. And the first thing, of course, we know is in our spiritual warfare, we must have God's armor, the spiritual armor that God gives to us. God supplies it. So we go to him for each piece of that armor. We'll have a brief look at that shortly.
We do not war according to the flesh, and we'll see a lot about the actions of the flesh when we get to the false teachers. So the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty. And we can stop and think about that term, mighty, and ask ourselves, how much power does God have? It's interesting, through the James Webb Telescope, they're finding now objects, or an object that is outside where the bohemian edge of the cosmos is.
So what is that? And some of the top scientists, cosmologists, say, we're going to have to completely rewrite the books on what we've understood about the universe. Are they going to find the universe is far larger than they believe it is? They thought, you know, could that be, maybe they've identified God's throne? We don't know. But the point is, the universe is filled with the mysteries of God. Man will never be able to search out the total mysteries of God.
You know, we will take just a tiny particle and look at that through this magnificent telescope, but it's only a tiny particle. What is the known universe? Continuing. But mighty through God to the overthrowing of strongholds. Now those strongholds was in. And it's vain imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and brings it into captivity. So everything Satan wants to throw at us, we've got the mighty power of God and Christ who sustains the entirety of the universe.
All that power is available for us to learn how to win the battle against Satan, the devil and all his agents, the false ministers, the false teachers, the false prophets, the false apostles will have to constantly battle against them. But some of the strongest opponents that he faced. I'm very similar to the ones that we face today, and that's Messianic Judaism. I mentioned this last time, but it's a contradiction in terms because Judaism is in total opposition to the word of God and to the law of God and to the Christian faith, the faith of the saints that is given to us throughout the Bible.
And that has been addressed quite a lot recently on the sermons we've been receiving on the Sabbath. Now Ephesians 6, we find that we have the armor and the armor is for our warfare. So let's turn to Ephesians 6 and just have a look at what this armor is all about. The 6th chapter of Ephesians, beginning around verse 11, well, let's go back to verse 10. Why will my brethren be strong in the Lord? Well, he's not the Lord strong toward us.
He wants us to be strong towards him. So how are we going to do that? And in the might of his strength. Yes, the might of his strength is available to us. We just have to be strong in the Lord. of his strength. Yes, the might of his strength is available to us. We just have to ask. We just have to read his word. We have to study his word. We have to pray on a daily basis, many times a day, constantly in contact with God as we go through our daily lives to put on the whole armor of God.
Why? Because we're all. And when we're at war as the soldiers of Christ, the saints of almighty God, there's no rest. Satan's not resting. He's attacking us day by day by day. Or can we not then also to be alert constantly? Absolutely. Absolutely. So put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Because we are not wrestling, fighting at war with Satan, the devil and all his human agents and all the demons against flesh and blood.
So in other words, human beings. We are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but those human beings are the agents of Satan. So we're fighting against those agents, but against principalities, against the powers, against the world rules and the darkness of this age, against the spiritual powers of wickedness in high places. And that includes world governments. That includes all the teachers of philosophy and all the various fake sciences. And they look at their information or knowledge inspired by none less than the chief of the demonic world, Satan, the devil.
This will take up the whole armor of God so that you may be able to resist. Yeah, this is why the armor of God, God gives us this armor to resist these attacks from Satan. That you may be able to resist the evil and have him work out all souls to stand, to stand before God. Stand, therefore having your loins cut about with the truth. So yes, there's a truth of God and we have the breastplate of righteousness and truth.
Once we know the truth, we understand what righteousness is. So these two are linked together. And having our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. You know, when Stephen was being stoned to him clear that he had his life prepared, he had his feet shod with the gospel of peace because it didn't matter what was done to him physically. He was at peace with God. And our feet need to be shod with the feet, correction, with the peace of the gospel, the glory of the gospel, the message of the gospel.
And with that, we're able to stand firmly on our feet, but also with our feet, we're able to make that forward movement as we walk in the spirit, as we obey the scriptural walking with that peace of God, no matter what happens to us, we have peace of mind. And, you know, you've read in Matthew 10, verse 28. More to be feared is not those who can destroy our bodies. The real fear is the one, God the Father, who can take our salvation from us for our obedience, Matthew 10, verse 28.
So our flair is to be with God, not men, they barely kill us. They cannot kill the immortality that God has promised to us. They cannot kill the spirit of God, which is connected with the healing spirit within us. They cannot kill that. Only God can remove that. Kill the body, yes, but that's it. Besides, always take up the shield of faith with which you will have the power to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
Again, that's good. It's interesting that David talks about shield of the pecular. And so we need the shield right up front, which will stop the arrows, which will stop the spears, and the fiery darts that Satan throws at us. But the buckle is just a smaller one, which was for inflating, you know, protecting the body close up. The big shield covers the whole body, but the little buckle, that little shield, is for that inflating when we get up really close with the enemy.
Maybe that enemy would happen to be one of Satan's agents. And of course, oh, that we need the word of God. The helmet of salvation, that's our hope of eternity. And the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. And who is the word of God? Well, that's Jesus Christ. The seventh one is found in the next verse, the seventh piece of armor. You might say, well, that's not really armor, but it is, because it links, it ties, it locks all the other pieces of armor together.
And this is prayer. Praying at all times with all prayer and supplication in the spirit. And in this very thing, being watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. And so we're not only using the armor to protect ourselves, we're using the armor, protecting that last piece for the protection of every one of God's children. And Paul, along with God, who also says, Paul was jealous for the brethren. If anyone were to snatch them away from Christ, and the elders of the body of Christ, the shepherds for the sheep and servants of the sheep, we have a jealousy to protect the sheep against these interlopers, against these agents of Satan coming in.
So let's have a look at some of these enemies of the body of Christ, enemies of the church, enemies of Satan. That really makes us, I believe, with the power and the spirit of God, very jealous when we see some of the fellowship groups allowing in strange fire. Because they can destroy the church from within. We saw in the 1970s, we saw the Worldwide Church of God attack from without, as we mentioned before, from the Attorney General of Southern California.
We were living in Ohio at the time, and I think the conference the next year, 78 or 79, 78 I think, the conference couldn't be held in Sardinia. But that attack came in, it was vicious. That was another story. But then that was from the outside. Then what began probably somewhere in the late 60s, 70s, 80s, and then 90s, particularly in the 90s, the attacks, which began earlier, probably in the 70s, were from the inside of the church.
And they totally destroyed the Worldwide Church of God from within. So if you're a host, and you're inviting somebody who is not a part of this part of the body, you could be responsible for bringing Satan, one of his servants, into the body. And you need to stop that. And the Brahmin and those groups need to approach you, or any host who does that. Need to approach you, or any host who does that. And if you have a worst but, then those faithful saints need to leave that group.
And the name Christian Biblical Church of God needs to be removed from that group, because it no longer is a part of the Christian Biblical Church of God. That's a fact. And that could be proved over and over again with the writings, particularly of the Apostle Paul, to those who are ministering with him. So let's turn to 1 Timothy 4, 1 Timothy the fourth chapter. So I say this is strong, but it's necessary, because we want to, and each one of us, has a role.
This is not just the elders. This is the entire body of Christ. Do you, do I, want to be protecting the saints, the fellowship, the love of God, the unity of God? Some of the stories that I've heard, it's just unbelievable that these things are happening, even though not really. But after what we've been through, that these things are still going on. But after what we've been through, that these things are still going on. And people having their faith, their trust, their belief in the Scriptures, according to the truth of God, they've been seduced away from that by this strange flyer, this being brought in by these interlopers.
And I understand that this will be controversial for some people, but again, the argument is not with any man. The argument is with the Word of God, which is the Scriptures, with Jesus Christ. So take your argument to him, if you have a yes but. But I don't think, if you come face to face with Jesus Christ, that you're going to ruin that argument. Okay, 1 Timothy 4. Now the Spirit tells us explicitly, beginning in verse 1, that in the latter times, some shall apostatize from the faith, and shall follow deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.
Hence, this is warfare, and we need the full armor of God. Speaking lies in hypocrisy, their conscience having been cauterized with a hot iron. Yes, they're probably involved in sexual sins or other things, spiritual adultery at the very least. When we look at some of these major mainstream Christian churches and we look at their leaders, what do we find? The most perverted sex that you can imagine. Well, no, there's a whole lot worse, but they are deeply involved in those events.
This is why I'm saying that we need to be very careful about what we say. We need to prove all things that we hear from the pulpit, like the Bereans. Just like the Bereans, because the Bereans, when they heard a message, and even this message today, you need to take it and check the Scriptures to see whether what is being said is in fact the truth, whether it goes along with the Word of God. And if it doesn't, then we don't have to accept it.
But if it does, then you have the choice, and the choice is yours to accept it or not. Speeding lies in hypocrisy, their conscience having been cauterized with a hot iron, forbidding, well, in his day, this is what it was. It was forbidding in marriage and commanding to abstain from meats. Different things today, same principle. All kinds of evil. Let's drop down to verse 4. In verse 6, what Paul is telling Timothy is, as he says here, is you are teaching these things.
Now, these things include everything that Paul has written to Timothy up until this point. Go right back to chapter 1 and verse 1. And also what is to follow. If you are teaching these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Jesus Christ, being nourished by the words of the faith and all the good doctrines that you have closely followed. How many men have been ministers in the previous church, the Worldwide Church of God, near the scriptures, great memories, great scriptures here, there, and everywhere.
But were they converted? You know, in the past we talked about the three days of wonders. Graduated one day, married the next, ordained the third day. No field experience. No chicken. Yes, these fine young men, business types. Oh, they will make a great presentation to the people. I can remember one story of one of the ministers who had been to a feast in the United States. And this young man had stood up in the congregation and he had lambasted the congregation.
And while these three men were actually in a private room, just taking care of their personal needs, this minister heard these two men saying, did you hear what the minister said? He said, yeah. He said, I heard the boy. Not exactly the result that we want, don't we, from one who is an elder, who holds the word of God precious, who wants to teach the word of God as it is written, the truth, and expound it, encouraging, exalting.
You know, yes, giving correction when necessary, but in order, because we love the people, because we're jealous for the people, we've heard the word of God. Because we're jealous for the people, we want them to see them separated from the truth. We'll allow anyone to separate them from the truth. So he says, I'll read that again. If you are teaching these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Jesus Christ, being nourished in the words of the faith.
That's what's important. We say no more travel logs, no more personal histories, no more personal stories. Preach the word of God, and they'll give its meaning. Numbers chapter 8, wasn't it? And of the good doctrines that you have closely followed, not all churches of God have the understanding of the doctrines that God has blessed us with. That's not a criticism of them, but hopefully when they come to the understanding, just the same as for Christian Biblical Church of God, if there's something we don't understand, and we haven't learned yet, that we're only humble enough to repent of anything that we have taught that's wrong, and to change readily and accept what God shows us through his word.
Through Jesus Christ. The good doctrines that you have followed closely. So all these men, how do we know if we are not seeing them on a regular base, how do we know that they're following the good doctrines? Because that's what we all have to do, following the good doctrines. But refuse profane and all wise fables, rather exercise yourself to godliness. Then he talks about physical exercise, and he said this is verse 9, this saying is faithful and worthy of full acceptance.
Now for this reason that we are laboring, and we are personally suffering reproach, because we have hope in the Lord, and we have faith in the Lord, and we are personally suffering reproach, because we have hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who are believers. These things man can teach. Paul was talking to Timothy, very strong words, he's emphatic. These things command. Why? Because they're part of the armor of God that will protect us from all attacks from Satan.
Do not allow anyone to despise you before your years. Timothy was a young man. Verse 13, until I come, devote yourself to readings, or to reading, to encouragement, and to doctrine, and do not neglect the spiritual gift that is in you. All right, let's turn now to the fifth chapter, and we want to read verses 22 through 24. And this is important. Do not be quick to lay hands on any man. Why? Well, we'll see that shortly.
Neither take part in the sin, the sins of others. See, we don't know. These interlopers, these strangers that either come here, or are brought in. Neither take part in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. Keep the fellowship group pure also. Verse 24, some man's sins open to public view, going before to the judgment, and some man's sins follow afterwards. So, we have somebody coming in that we don't know. How do we know there is not sin there? That's the point.
In a similar manner, also, the good works of some are not sin. Also, the good works of some are openly seen. Those that are otherwise cannot be hidden. All right, let's turn to the sixth chapter of 1 Timothy. Keep an eye on the clock so that we can get a couple of scriptures in here. We'll make sure we do read. Just read one scripture here, and that's down in verse 20. After all Paul says to Timothy, notice this, he says, Oh, Timothy, he's pleading with Timothy, he's encouraging him, he's exalting him.
He's encouraging him, he's exalting him. Oh, Timothy, guard the doctrine. Guard the doctrine which has been entrusted to you. Avoid profane, empty babblings and contradictions. These strangers, the strange ones coming in, they're going to bring controversy. They're going to bring contradictions. And that's because they're proud, they feel pride, the pretentious pride of the physical life. And they've got an agenda. Not all, but we're warned. Be on guard. Matthew 24, Jesus said, guard the door of your mind.
Avoiding profane, empty babblings and contradictions of false knowledge, that is called science. To which some who are personally professing these false views have blissed the mark concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen. The end of that chapter. Let's go to 2 Timothy, the fourth chapter. And this is one that we're all very familiar with. Again, just another warning. In the strongest of language, Paul teaching, instructing a younger elder. I charge you. You can't get anything much stronger than that.
Paul's charging you. Because behind Paul is not the mind of Christ. Behind Paul, Paul who gave up everything, who clung to nothing of this life that he might gain the resurrection, everything was an advantage to him. He says, I counted as so much done that I might gain Christ and the power of his resurrection. So here's the man saying, I charge you, therefore, in the sight of God, even the Lord Jesus Christ, who is ready to judge the living and the dead at his appearing.
Preach the word. And we have, as I said, we've got so much of the word in videotapes, CDs, in all of the literature, enough to last us more than a lifetime to exhaust it. Word, true, faithful, the words of eternal life. You don't have to go looking on the other side of the fence and find that when we get there, the grass and the flowers are all dried up. So we are looking for another one and another one and another one.
Verse three. Well, let me finish that. In the urgent of the season, out of season, convict, rebuke, encourage with all patience and doctrine. Why? We're fighting a battle against Satan who wants to take our eternal life away from us. Away from us. For there shall come a time when they will not tolerate sound doctrine. You know, you bring strangers in and you begin that process. According to that, I don't know us now. We'll listen to this very carefully.
We all need, you, me, we all need to understand this. For there shall come a time when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own lusts, they will accumulate. Think carefully about this. To themselves, a great number of teachers. Why? Having itching ears to hear what satisfies their cravings, like the Athenians. Oh, is this then, poor Paul, come and teach us something new. How about that also? Tell me the old, old story of Jesus and his disciples.
His passion, his sheer blood for our sins. Why would we want to hear something new? Or some new doctrine, some new prophecy? Let me read verse three again, because this is the crux of the issue. For there shall come a time they will not tolerate sound doctrine. Are you? Am I? But according to their own lusts, lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the presumptuous pride of the physical life, they shall accumulate to themselves a great number of teachers, having itching ears to hear what satisfies their cravings.
How about the Word of God? In its truth, in its simplicity, that is in Christ and him crucified, the hope of eternal life, of salvation. How about Colossians 3, setting our minds on those things above, if we're in Christ. Those things of the Spirit, not the things of this world. The things of this world. And they shall turn away their own ears. See, this is the danger. Bring in false teachers. Bring in strange fire that you don't know.
And they shall turn aside unto myths. One of the big problems, of course, in the church has been this messianic Judaism. It's a contradiction in terms. It's also an attempt to present this Jewish Messiah. They have, yeah, the Jewish Book of John, I think it is, advertised regularly on YouTube, trying to promote Judaism and the Jewish race. They've got to come to repentance the same way as the rest of the tribes of Israel and all the Gentile nations.
In fact, the Gentile nations rudely received. You look at Paul writing to many of the Gentile peoples, and they were fervent for the truth. They said, you'll be diligent in all things, enduring hardship. So they did the work with evangelists, okay? Paul says, verse 7, I have fought a good fight. Are we? Are you? Am I fighting a good fight? I have finished the course. I have the faith. I have the faith. Don't we want to do that so that when we meet the Father in Christ, we get our just reward and not judgment? Okay, let's go to Titus.
Now, there's so much more we could read in the Book of Timothy, but Titus chapter 1. And let's start in verse 4. Titus drew some according to the common faith, grace, mercy, and peace. And Paul just doesn't rattle those off just as, you know, just a common saying. He meant exactly what he was saying in every one of those words. Grace, mercy, the grace of God, the mercy of God, the peace from above the Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
He meant that was every ounce of his being from the very bottom of his heart as the statement goes to Titus. Verse 5, for this cause, he says, I left you in Crete so that you might sit in order. So an elder, as Titus was, was to set things in order. A host does not have the responsibility. In fact, by bringing in different speakers, he's actually usurping the role of a shepherd. And that's why to do so, he's causing a group to no longer be a part of the Christian biblical church of God.
They need to go their own way. Better that they repent. That's the goal. Repent, change, and return to the faith of the scriptures, which we can be certain of. It's interesting that God scattered the church, Worldwide Church of God, and yet there's a statement in marriage, it says, God has joined together, let not man put asunder. How about a little bit of change on that? What God has scattered, let not man try to reunite. Let not man try to reunite.
God scattered the church for a purpose. If God scattered it, don't you think it's his responsibility if he wants to bring it together again? Think about that. Yeah, that's my human thinking, reasoning, but I believe that is a biblical principle. God scatters it for a purpose. Isn't he the one that would reunite it? And if we're trying to reunite it, are we in fact working against God? Doesn't God want us to keep us in our individual groups like Revelation 2 and Revelation 3? Yes, they're all part of the church of God, but in a sense, that's a type of where we are today.
We've got these different groups of the church of God, and each one is separate, doing its own work, its own ministry as God leads them. But why would we want to bring them together if God scattered them? As I say, think on that. To set things that need to be done, and that you might obey in the elders in every city, as we mentioned last time, but then he goes on to get the conditions. You don't just obtain a man because of what it says here.
The man has to be qualified so they can lead the group. He has to be known by the group. He has to be approved by the group. The group must know him. And again, as I said, that's why Fred at this stage is exposing us to the rest of the church or exposing so that you get to know us and whether you can trust us or not. And God's spirit will help you and guide you on that, whether we're speaking the truth or whether we're not.
You may reject us as an individual, but if we're speaking the truth, you better accept the truth. That's one of the ways that we can hear speakers. Okay, let's go to Jude. And again, verse 4. Well, let's start a little bit. Verse 3. But I will personally, exerting all my diligence to write to you concerning the common salvation, I was compelled to write to you, exhorting you to fervently fight for the faith. Again, we need the hour of God to fight the battle of faith, which is a warfare against Satan, the devil, and his agents, which once for all times has been to live to the saints.
Once for all times has been to live to the saints. For certain men have stealthily crept in, and there may be an invite of it. This fulfills the principle. Those who long ago have been written about condemning them to this judgment, they are ungodly men who are perverting the grace of God, turning it into licentiousness, or maybe not yet. But continue to allow them to do their work, you know, the sins of some doesn't come out in the first count.
It takes a little time. Perverting the grace of our God, that is the work of Satan, working through these men, turning it into licentiousness, and I personally deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. They're against the lordship, the rulership of God himself. But I myself want to remind you, though you once understood this, that the Lord, after saving people out of the land of Egypt, the second time destroyed those who did not believe.
And it talks about the angels. Oh, dear. Okay. Talks about Sodom and Gomorrah, how God destroyed that. Let's pick it up in verse 8 for time. In the same way, also, these dreamers of filthy dreams are defiling the flesh, are declaring as enveloped the lordship of God, yeah, the pretentious pride of God, and so forth. Pride of the physical life, the vanity, the desire for control, the desire to be thought well of so they can bring in their personal doctrines, their personal teachings, and are blaspheming the divine powers.
That's what it comes to. Down to verse 10. As for these, whatever things they do not understand, they blaspheme. Yeah, the contradictions, the arguments, should not be in any of our fellowship groups. The truth is coming from God. The Father's coming from his word. We're being taught, whether it's by video, whether it's by an outpouring of the Holy Whether it's by video, whether it's by an elder in the presence, or whether it's by one of the men in the group who is sufficient and able to present the word of God in a faithful manner.
But what are the things that I understand by instinct as—notice this. This is what Paul's telling Jude. Oh, sorry, what Jude is saying. He calls them irrational, bricked beasts, using that as a synonym. Irrational, bricked beasts. They are corrupting themselves in these things. Woe to them, for they have walked in the way of Cain and forgain. They have horribly given themselves up to Balaam's diversion, compromised with the truth of God. Bring in a strange speaker. This is what they're going to do.
Bring in compromise. Oh, it's okay, you know. Yeah, that's what God's law says, but, you know, it doesn't really rule exactly the way it is stated there. And they'll perish in rebellion of Korah. Verse 12, these are—now notice this carefully, because this is mentioned in more than one place. They are subversive stains in your love feasts. Isn't that interesting? Feasting in person together with you. Isn't that interesting? So talk about your fellowship group. Potentially. I'm not saying that this is the way it is, but you have to check.
You have to prove it for yourself as a saint of the Most High God. Fearlessly they are feeding themselves. They are clouds without water, being driven by the wind. Wow. Apostle of Jesus Christ using these words. Isn't God, God of love? Yes, but he's also a jealous God. He wants to preserve us. That's why he offers us the armor. Come to me, he says. I'll give you the armor. I'll give you every piece you need so that you are protected from these types of these mentioning.
Clouds without water. They're long words to say, but you still end up spiritually thirsty, even starving. Being driven by the winds, trees of late autumn without any fruit, uprooted, twice dead. Who's he talking about? Agents of sin, false teachers, false ministers. Constant problem for the church. That's why we have to be aware. Jesus said, be on guard. Raging waves of the sea are always argumentative. And some of those that I've had dealt with, some of the strongest arguments come from those who have been trying to profess and to push this Messianic Judaism within the church of the living God.
And they'll do it oftentimes secretly behind the elders back so he doesn't see it. But there are faithful members who come and tell the elders that this is what's going on that they don't like. They want to be dealt with. Raging waves of the sea, casting up like foam, their own ignominious shame. Wandering stars. You're wandering from group to group. Or maybe we have them regularly. We have a regular speaker. Then are they part of the body of Christ? Why are they wandering? Why don't they have their own group and their own fellowship? They've had no name.
And teaching, encouraging, speaking to them. Maybe it's because they've been rejected there. Maybe it's because they're not welcome there. Think about that. For whom has been reserved the blackest darkness forever? Then he talks about Elijah's prophecy, how the Christ is coming, verse 15, to execute judgment against all and to convict all who are ungodly for all their works of evil, of evil and godliness, that they have piously committed all the hard things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
Now, look at this. This often explains what happens in these fellowship groups unless the fellowship is first for the Father and Jesus Christ. Because the fellowship is not for the Father and Jesus Christ, this is what will happen. These are complainers and critics who are walked through their own personal lusts while their mouths are speaking great, swelling words, flattering persons for the sake of advantage. But you, but you, beloved, great youth, remember the words that were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Because they said to you that in the last time there would be mockers. They would be selfishly walking according to their own godly lusts. These are the ones who cause divisions. So it shows you they're causing divisions where? Well, it's the context is the Church of God, as we saw earlier. They are psychic. In other words, they're with demons. You can see the explanation. But here, beloved, be blowing up your soul on your most holy face, praying in the Holy Spirit so that you shall keep your soul in the love of God while you are personally awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Yes, there's a comment there where it shows that these people actually come in and fellowship and one place it talks about with us is our love feasts. So we have to recognize. And as one scripture says, we must rebuke them and we must cast them out. We haven't gotten to that particular scripture today, but it's right there. Well, time's up, so we'll come to an end there. But the main reason here, this is a message, a strong message, yes, but scriptures that are essential to us.
Let's make sure that we're putting on the armor of God, every piece, prayer by prayer. Take that list before God on our knees. Let's ask him, you know, for those various armor pieces, truth, righteousness, the hope, and of course, most of all, the love of God. And finally, just remember this, is that each piece is put on with prayer, which is number seven. This is the seventh item God has given to us. They cement it, they lock it in, and they secure us so that no matter what fiery darts, what Satan will throw at us, cast at us, that we are totally protected in the arms.
In the love, and in the peace, and the grace of God. Okay, so we'll end there.
