WEBVTT 00:00:05.206 --> 00:00:07.670 This is a good one for a certain reason 00:00:07.670 --> 00:00:09.998 that I want to try to draw out here. 00:00:09.998 --> 00:00:12.506 "I have a guy at my job..." 00:00:12.506 --> 00:00:16.579 This is coming from Ty. 00:00:16.579 --> 00:00:17.934 "I have a guy at my job 00:00:17.934 --> 00:00:20.348 who claimed to be a Christian..." 00:00:20.348 --> 00:00:23.095 past tense. 00:00:23.095 --> 00:00:25.169 I don't know that he's stopped claiming 00:00:25.169 --> 00:00:26.883 to be a Christian. 00:00:26.883 --> 00:00:28.364 "I believed him at first 00:00:28.364 --> 00:00:30.839 and accepted him as a brother. 00:00:30.839 --> 00:00:34.530 I started to see who he really was. 00:00:34.530 --> 00:00:37.604 After months, I rebuked him. 00:00:37.604 --> 00:00:40.912 His language and actions got worse. 00:00:40.912 --> 00:00:42.442 I voiced to him I didn't believe 00:00:42.442 --> 00:00:46.892 he was born again." 00:00:46.892 --> 00:00:49.422 (incomplete thought) 00:00:49.422 --> 00:00:53.311 And he references 1 Corinthians 5 00:00:53.311 --> 00:00:59.366 concerning avoiding people. 00:00:59.366 --> 00:01:02.509 "Even after this, he continues to try 00:01:02.509 --> 00:01:04.607 to converse with me." 00:01:04.607 --> 00:01:07.407 So basically, he's taking a 1 Corinthians 5 position 00:01:07.407 --> 00:01:10.776 with this guy not to associate with him. 00:01:10.776 --> 00:01:15.459 "How do you handle or avoid such a person?" NOTE Paragraph 00:01:15.459 --> 00:01:20.381 Now the question I want to ask everybody is this: 00:01:20.381 --> 00:01:24.371 Does Matthew 18 - 00:01:24.371 --> 00:01:26.052 where if somebody sins against me, 00:01:26.052 --> 00:01:26.977 I should go to him; 00:01:26.977 --> 00:01:28.290 and if they don't hear me, 00:01:28.290 --> 00:01:29.739 I should take two or three; 00:01:29.739 --> 00:01:30.967 if they don't hear me, 00:01:30.967 --> 00:01:32.792 I should take it before the church; 00:01:32.792 --> 00:01:34.279 if they don't hear us, 00:01:34.279 --> 00:01:39.460 we treat them like a tax collector; 00:01:39.460 --> 00:01:43.018 and then 1 Corinthians 00:01:43.018 --> 00:01:46.308 where you have somebody that sins - 00:01:46.308 --> 00:01:48.220 it's more overt; it's more public - 00:01:48.220 --> 00:01:50.000 it doesn't need to be dealt with 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:52.298 in more of a concealed, 00:01:52.298 --> 00:01:54.217 slowly-evolving fashion. 00:01:54.217 --> 00:01:56.649 It's so public 00:01:56.649 --> 00:02:00.021 that you put the person out of the church immediately. 00:02:00.021 --> 00:02:02.601 Here's my question. 00:02:02.601 --> 00:02:04.766 I recognize his question is 00:02:04.766 --> 00:02:07.061 how do you avoid a person 00:02:07.061 --> 00:02:08.401 that you work with? 00:02:08.401 --> 00:02:11.147 We can get to that in a moment. 00:02:11.147 --> 00:02:15.184 But the question I would ask is this: 00:02:15.184 --> 00:02:20.817 Should we even use Matthew 18 00:02:20.817 --> 00:02:25.422 and 1 Corinthians 5 in the workplace? 00:02:25.422 --> 00:02:28.715 Is that for the church? 00:02:28.715 --> 00:02:30.975 And life in the church? 00:02:30.975 --> 00:02:35.128 Should we carry that over to the workplace? 00:02:35.128 --> 00:02:41.403 Should we carry that over to school? 00:02:41.403 --> 00:02:43.998 Should we carry that over to the family? 00:02:43.998 --> 00:02:47.032 Should we carry that over to 00:02:47.032 --> 00:02:49.558 like the women's Grace House? 00:02:49.558 --> 00:02:51.227 Should we do that? 00:02:51.227 --> 00:02:57.400 Is that proper? 00:02:57.400 --> 00:02:59.864 What do you think? 00:02:59.864 --> 00:03:00.833 (from the room) 00:03:00.833 --> 00:03:02.896 What's his brother? 00:03:02.896 --> 00:03:08.973 Probably somebody who is a professing Christian? 00:03:08.973 --> 00:03:13.633 (unintelligible) 00:03:13.633 --> 00:03:18.176 Tim: Okay, so if we think about Matthew 18, 00:03:18.176 --> 00:03:20.645 it says specifically, 00:03:20.645 --> 00:03:24.027 "if a brother sins against you..." 00:03:24.027 --> 00:03:26.276 Then what's the whole point? 00:03:26.276 --> 00:03:28.411 Trying to gain your brother. 00:03:28.411 --> 00:03:29.524 Specifically - brother. 00:03:29.524 --> 00:03:34.444 In 1 Corinthians 5, the idea is 00:03:34.444 --> 00:03:37.236 anybody who calls himself a brother. 00:03:37.236 --> 00:03:41.584 So, what do you think? 00:03:41.584 --> 00:03:45.328 Here's the question I would ask. 00:03:45.328 --> 00:03:54.231 Okay, we are on the fringes of the Bible belt. 00:03:54.231 --> 00:03:56.635 If every single person 00:03:56.635 --> 00:04:01.816 who claimed to be a Christian, 00:04:01.816 --> 00:04:03.284 but didn't live like one, 00:04:03.284 --> 00:04:06.516 if we automatically disassociate ourselves - 00:04:06.516 --> 00:04:10.022 outside of the church - 00:04:10.022 --> 00:04:13.628 Look, if you go to your workplace, you go to your school, 00:04:13.628 --> 00:04:15.121 you go to the HEB you shop at, 00:04:15.121 --> 00:04:16.864 and you just start asking people: 00:04:16.864 --> 00:04:18.046 "Are you a Christian?" 00:04:18.046 --> 00:04:20.329 And then you start asking them about their life, 00:04:20.329 --> 00:04:24.163 do you know what you're going to find? 99.9% of the time, 00:04:24.163 --> 00:04:28.503 their life does not measure up 00:04:28.503 --> 00:04:31.823 to true biblical Christianity. 00:04:31.823 --> 00:04:34.320 And if you take those principles 00:04:34.320 --> 00:04:35.675 and you apply them, 00:04:35.675 --> 00:04:38.794 especially in a country like ours, 00:04:38.794 --> 00:04:40.405 you know what you're going to do? 00:04:40.405 --> 00:04:42.197 You're going to end up disassociating 00:04:42.197 --> 00:04:43.664 with all manner of people 00:04:43.664 --> 00:04:47.249 that you ought to be evangelizing. 00:04:47.249 --> 00:04:50.504 So I think we need to be careful, 00:04:50.504 --> 00:04:56.178 because I don't think we want to fall into that. NOTE Paragraph 00:04:56.178 --> 00:04:59.237 Here's one thing to think about. 00:04:59.237 --> 00:05:04.821 The church that we're in - 00:05:04.821 --> 00:05:07.201 I'll tell you this, we have an expectation 00:05:07.201 --> 00:05:10.297 that people that are within the walls of our church 00:05:10.297 --> 00:05:13.297 actually are people who have been 00:05:13.297 --> 00:05:15.866 exposed to the truth, 00:05:15.866 --> 00:05:18.433 and actually do have some idea 00:05:18.433 --> 00:05:20.344 about what it is to be a Christian, 00:05:20.344 --> 00:05:23.338 to be a brother or a sister in the Lord. 00:05:23.338 --> 00:05:26.933 There is massive ignorance out there. 00:05:26.933 --> 00:05:28.304 Now, I know this country 00:05:28.304 --> 00:05:29.518 is becoming burned over, 00:05:29.518 --> 00:05:33.853 and I know atheism (incomplete thought). 00:05:33.853 --> 00:05:37.026 But if you ask people if they're Christians, 00:05:37.026 --> 00:05:38.579 what do you think? 00:05:38.579 --> 00:05:41.317 What do you think if you walked up and down these streets, 00:05:41.317 --> 00:05:44.027 and you just started asking people one after another, 00:05:44.027 --> 00:05:45.299 "are you Christians?" 00:05:45.299 --> 00:05:47.330 What do you think a percentage would be 00:05:47.330 --> 00:05:51.400 that would say yes? 00:05:51.400 --> 00:05:53.079 Pretty high. 00:05:53.079 --> 00:05:54.640 Those are exactly the people 00:05:54.640 --> 00:05:56.727 that we should be being lights to. 00:05:56.727 --> 00:05:58.059 Those are exactly the people 00:05:58.059 --> 00:06:00.279 that what we want to do 00:06:00.279 --> 00:06:02.300 is we want to seek to help 00:06:02.300 --> 00:06:03.705 bring those people 00:06:03.705 --> 00:06:06.021 out of their ignorance 00:06:06.021 --> 00:06:09.426 and out of their darkness. NOTE Paragraph 00:06:09.426 --> 00:06:11.420 Here's the thing, 00:06:11.420 --> 00:06:13.906 the picture of Matthew 18 00:06:13.906 --> 00:06:17.596 is kind of like of two brothers 00:06:17.596 --> 00:06:19.247 who are close, 00:06:19.247 --> 00:06:21.754 in a church, 00:06:21.754 --> 00:06:23.084 and we lose a brother, 00:06:23.084 --> 00:06:24.610 because isn't that what we're trying to do? 00:06:24.610 --> 00:06:26.393 Gain our brother? 00:06:26.393 --> 00:06:27.628 How do you lose him? 00:06:27.628 --> 00:06:30.132 Well, because there's sin between the two of you. 00:06:30.132 --> 00:06:32.938 But the idea is you've got two people that are close 00:06:32.938 --> 00:06:37.276 and they're together in the same church, 00:06:37.276 --> 00:06:38.697 and they've sinned, 00:06:38.697 --> 00:06:40.563 and they're seeking reconciliation. 00:06:40.563 --> 00:06:42.370 If you think about the emphasis 00:06:42.370 --> 00:06:45.085 there in 1 Corinthians 5, 00:06:45.085 --> 00:06:47.039 we don't want the leaven. 00:06:47.039 --> 00:06:49.818 We don't want the leaven in the church. 00:06:49.818 --> 00:06:52.110 But you see, the truth is, 00:06:52.110 --> 00:06:53.663 the guy at work - 00:06:53.663 --> 00:06:56.058 we're not allowing him in the church. 00:06:56.058 --> 00:06:59.307 See, there's a whole difference here. 00:06:59.307 --> 00:07:01.818 It's not like the guy that you work with 00:07:01.818 --> 00:07:05.057 shows up and wants to talk to James and myself 00:07:05.057 --> 00:07:08.494 and he's wanting to join the church. 00:07:08.494 --> 00:07:10.019 That's not what's happening. 00:07:10.019 --> 00:07:12.012 It's not like we let him into the church 00:07:12.012 --> 00:07:13.730 and now this has happened. 00:07:13.730 --> 00:07:17.875 These are people that are outside. NOTE Paragraph 00:07:17.875 --> 00:07:19.009 And the thing is, 00:07:19.009 --> 00:07:22.817 yes, you could say, 00:07:22.817 --> 00:07:24.590 you know what? 00:07:24.590 --> 00:07:26.521 Leaven. 00:07:26.521 --> 00:07:28.710 That's influence. 00:07:28.710 --> 00:07:32.912 You could say that somebody 00:07:32.912 --> 00:07:35.342 is having an influence on you 00:07:35.342 --> 00:07:36.341 that's not good 00:07:36.341 --> 00:07:37.932 and you need to avoid them. 00:07:37.932 --> 00:07:40.227 But see, I would say that's true 00:07:40.227 --> 00:07:42.674 saved or lost. 00:07:42.674 --> 00:07:44.174 I mean, when I first got saved, 00:07:44.174 --> 00:07:45.429 I thought I could hang out 00:07:45.429 --> 00:07:46.497 with my lost buddies 00:07:46.497 --> 00:07:52.053 and I really did want to evangelize them. 00:07:52.053 --> 00:07:54.181 But you know where I was evangelizing them? 00:07:54.181 --> 00:07:55.845 In the bars. 00:07:55.845 --> 00:07:58.058 You look at that now and you'd laugh. 00:07:58.058 --> 00:08:00.544 But coming out of the lifestyle that I came out of, 00:08:00.544 --> 00:08:02.081 that wasn't laughable. 00:08:02.081 --> 00:08:04.689 I mean, that's what we did all the time. 00:08:04.689 --> 00:08:08.176 And that's where my friends were. 00:08:08.176 --> 00:08:10.355 And I wanted to tell them the truth. 00:08:10.355 --> 00:08:12.034 And I would say before the Lord, 00:08:12.034 --> 00:08:16.064 Lord, I'm only going to have two beers tonight. 00:08:16.064 --> 00:08:18.050 And I'd have four. 00:08:18.050 --> 00:08:19.859 Well, as much as I drank back then, 00:08:19.859 --> 00:08:21.361 that didn't get me drunk, 00:08:21.361 --> 00:08:23.324 but you know what? I didn't keep my word. 00:08:23.324 --> 00:08:26.203 So I'd come home grieved. 00:08:26.203 --> 00:08:27.786 And that happened enough times 00:08:27.786 --> 00:08:30.819 where I thought, you know what? 00:08:30.819 --> 00:08:32.436 I've talked to these guys 00:08:32.436 --> 00:08:34.727 and I'm not being a good influence on them. 00:08:34.727 --> 00:08:36.915 They're being a bad one on me. 00:08:36.915 --> 00:08:39.829 And I'd recognize I'm not capable 00:08:39.829 --> 00:08:43.436 of doing this anymore. 00:08:43.436 --> 00:08:45.742 But I think that's a big question to ask. 00:08:45.742 --> 00:08:48.614 Because that seems to be the issue - 00:08:48.614 --> 00:08:49.751 leaven. 00:08:49.751 --> 00:08:51.690 It seems to be the issue. 00:08:51.690 --> 00:08:58.181 (incomplete thought) 00:08:58.181 --> 00:09:04.071 And I think we need to ask that. NOTE Paragraph 00:09:04.071 --> 00:09:08.727 Is there a place to do what he did? 00:09:08.727 --> 00:09:10.320 You've got somebody telling you 00:09:10.320 --> 00:09:11.634 they're a Christian, 00:09:11.634 --> 00:09:14.292 and you're looking, watching their life 00:09:14.292 --> 00:09:16.521 and it doesn't seem to be very Christian - 00:09:16.521 --> 00:09:19.774 to say, "I don't think you're born again"? 00:09:19.774 --> 00:09:23.233 Do we have a right to judge people like that? 00:09:23.233 --> 00:09:26.272 Yeah, you better believe we do. 00:09:26.272 --> 00:09:29.438 Scripture says that we do. NOTE Paragraph 00:09:29.438 --> 00:09:30.775 Let me ask you this. 00:09:30.775 --> 00:09:33.932 Where does it say that we do? 00:09:33.932 --> 00:09:36.531 Where is there judgment shown in Scripture? 00:09:36.531 --> 00:09:37.302 (from the room) 00:09:37.302 --> 00:09:39.732 Judge a tree by its fruit. 00:09:39.732 --> 00:09:41.343 Tim: That's one place. 00:09:41.343 --> 00:09:46.524 Can anybody think of anywhere else? 00:09:46.524 --> 00:09:48.021 Or even where Scripture 00:09:48.021 --> 00:09:49.990 just dogmatically makes a statement 00:09:49.990 --> 00:09:51.156 about somebody? 00:09:51.156 --> 00:09:53.245 Now, we might say, that's God's Word 00:09:53.245 --> 00:09:55.315 and God has the right to make a statement, 00:09:55.315 --> 00:09:59.166 but I mean, the truth is 00:09:59.166 --> 00:10:00.942 sometimes it's God's men - 00:10:00.942 --> 00:10:02.427 yes, they're under inspiration, 00:10:02.427 --> 00:10:04.722 but they're making observations about the church 00:10:04.722 --> 00:10:07.951 and they're dogmatically making statements, 00:10:07.951 --> 00:10:10.704 such as... anybody think of any? 00:10:10.704 --> 00:10:11.705 (from the room) 00:10:11.705 --> 00:10:14.331 They told Simon, "your heart is not right before God." 00:10:14.331 --> 00:10:16.512 Tim: See, there's a situation right there. 00:10:16.512 --> 00:10:18.604 You've got Peter and he comes face-to-face 00:10:18.604 --> 00:10:20.738 with a guy who Scripture says 00:10:20.738 --> 00:10:22.646 believed and was baptized 00:10:22.646 --> 00:10:24.577 under Phillip's preaching. 00:10:24.577 --> 00:10:26.878 And Peter comes along and says, 00:10:26.878 --> 00:10:28.927 "You're going to perish." 00:10:28.927 --> 00:10:30.103 (from the room) 00:10:30.103 --> 00:10:31.778 He even said "your heart." 00:10:31.778 --> 00:10:34.448 It's like he judges the heart right there. 00:10:34.448 --> 00:10:36.348 Tim: Right. 00:10:36.348 --> 00:10:38.644 Can you think of anywhere else? 00:10:38.644 --> 00:10:39.623 (from the room) 00:10:39.623 --> 00:10:41.903 I'm thinking in the sense of Paul 00:10:41.903 --> 00:10:43.579 when he went to Galatia. 00:10:43.579 --> 00:10:47.911 There were these professing Judaizers. 00:10:47.911 --> 00:10:50.089 Tim: Yeah, there's these guys preaching 00:10:50.089 --> 00:10:54.118 error to the Galatians, and he's says 00:10:54.118 --> 00:10:57.943 some of the strongest things he ever says. 00:10:57.943 --> 00:10:59.668 They're talking about circumcision 00:10:59.668 --> 00:11:04.017 and he's saying some - 00:11:04.017 --> 00:11:05.184 in the vernacular, 00:11:05.184 --> 00:11:11.140 it was pretty rough language. 00:11:11.140 --> 00:11:12.669 You have John. 00:11:12.669 --> 00:11:14.257 He says they went out from us 00:11:14.257 --> 00:11:15.769 and they weren't of us. 00:11:15.769 --> 00:11:17.254 And he can make that judgment. 00:11:17.254 --> 00:11:18.748 He says if they were of us, 00:11:18.748 --> 00:11:20.656 they would not have gone out from us. 00:11:20.656 --> 00:11:22.199 And you know the reality is, 00:11:22.199 --> 00:11:26.010 very, very seldom does anybody 00:11:26.010 --> 00:11:28.480 leave our church who's genuine 00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:30.211 and goes off to another church. 00:11:30.211 --> 00:11:32.841 I mean, they leave because they don't like the church, 00:11:32.841 --> 00:11:35.558 they don't like the teaching, they don't like something. 00:11:35.558 --> 00:11:37.945 I'm not talking about a transfer or something. 00:11:37.945 --> 00:11:41.127 But they leave because they don't like something and they go off. 00:11:41.127 --> 00:11:44.724 Very seldom are they legitimate Christians. 00:11:44.724 --> 00:11:48.313 Most of the time, that reality is true. 00:11:48.313 --> 00:11:50.656 They went out from us because they weren't of us. 00:11:50.656 --> 00:11:54.578 You know, we can think of Matt. 00:11:54.578 --> 00:11:57.833 He left. 00:11:57.833 --> 00:11:59.761 At first, you hope the best, 00:11:59.761 --> 00:12:01.265 but as time goes on, 00:12:01.265 --> 00:12:05.209 he says he's not saved. 00:12:05.209 --> 00:12:07.479 That's what happens. 00:12:07.479 --> 00:12:10.054 But Scripture talks this way. 00:12:10.054 --> 00:12:12.663 Scripture talks about people that make shipwreck. 00:12:12.663 --> 00:12:14.307 Scripture talks about people 00:12:14.307 --> 00:12:17.178 who are not genuine. 00:12:17.178 --> 00:12:18.994 Scripture talks about false brethren. 00:12:18.994 --> 00:12:21.163 Scripture talks about those 00:12:21.163 --> 00:12:23.481 who are tares. 00:12:23.481 --> 00:12:26.629 It talks that way. 00:12:26.629 --> 00:12:30.268 And as far as us making judgments concerning it, 00:12:30.268 --> 00:12:32.349 I mean, look, there's oftentimes 00:12:32.349 --> 00:12:35.719 that the writers of Scripture are charitable. 00:12:35.719 --> 00:12:37.089 They're kind. 00:12:37.089 --> 00:12:39.341 I mean, Paul could look at the Corinthians, 00:12:39.341 --> 00:12:41.951 but he still said you need to examine yourselves 00:12:41.951 --> 00:12:43.816 whether you're in the faith. 00:12:43.816 --> 00:12:45.278 Why? Because some of them 00:12:45.278 --> 00:12:46.814 were demonstrating lifestyles 00:12:46.814 --> 00:12:53.347 that were questionable at best. NOTE Paragraph 00:12:53.347 --> 00:12:54.201 (from the room) 00:12:54.201 --> 00:12:55.542 I have a question for you. 00:12:55.542 --> 00:12:57.206 Do you think there's a difference 00:12:57.206 --> 00:12:59.436 between somebody who if you were to ask him 00:12:59.443 --> 00:13:01.950 would he call himself a Christian, 00:13:01.950 --> 00:13:04.179 but in a workplace wouldn't say that they are. 00:13:04.179 --> 00:13:06.773 They don't tell other people about their Christianity, 00:13:06.773 --> 00:13:08.351 versus someone who is very open 00:13:08.351 --> 00:13:10.665 about being a Christian and yet their lives 00:13:10.665 --> 00:13:12.857 don't reflect that? 00:13:12.857 --> 00:13:16.410 Tim: Well, I think the big deal with that 00:13:16.410 --> 00:13:19.056 is they dishonor Christ. 00:13:19.056 --> 00:13:21.790 They dishonor the name of Christianity. 00:13:21.790 --> 00:13:25.562 (incomplete thought) 00:13:25.562 --> 00:13:28.046 If you've got a genuine Christian in the workplace, 00:13:28.046 --> 00:13:29.457 and then you've got somebody 00:13:29.457 --> 00:13:30.734 who's a false Christian, 00:13:30.734 --> 00:13:33.423 and maybe they're even more vocal 00:13:33.423 --> 00:13:37.024 about telling people they're a Christian. 00:13:37.024 --> 00:13:39.636 I'll tell you this, 00:13:39.636 --> 00:13:44.161 we're just focusing down 00:13:44.161 --> 00:13:46.188 and narrowing down to the workplace. 00:13:46.188 --> 00:13:48.251 But the reality is the world out here 00:13:48.251 --> 00:13:49.979 is exactly like that. 00:13:49.979 --> 00:13:52.405 And the thing is 00:13:52.405 --> 00:13:56.209 that yeah, the world loves to say, 00:13:56.209 --> 00:13:58.829 "Aha! You're just like me." 00:13:58.829 --> 00:14:00.344 But you know what gets them? 00:14:00.344 --> 00:14:03.829 It's the guy over there that isn't like them. 00:14:03.829 --> 00:14:05.110 And you can go around 00:14:05.110 --> 00:14:07.353 finding all the counterfeit dollars all day - 00:14:07.353 --> 00:14:10.899 don't you have a counterfeit dollar in there? 00:14:10.899 --> 00:14:12.595 That's a true one. 00:14:12.595 --> 00:14:15.203 See, you can have a bunch of counterfeit money, 00:14:15.203 --> 00:14:17.594 but it doesn't negate the real one. 00:14:17.594 --> 00:14:19.865 And that's the problem. 00:14:19.865 --> 00:14:20.812 You know what? 00:14:20.812 --> 00:14:23.260 You go in a workplace, you go in a school, 00:14:23.260 --> 00:14:25.463 you go wherever you go, 00:14:25.463 --> 00:14:28.840 if you act the part of the real Christian, 00:14:28.840 --> 00:14:30.838 and you walk in the fear of God, 00:14:30.838 --> 00:14:31.886 and you're honest 00:14:31.886 --> 00:14:34.103 and you show integrity, 00:14:34.103 --> 00:14:36.004 you'll stand out. 00:14:36.004 --> 00:14:38.481 People see it. 00:14:38.481 --> 00:14:40.440 And they know. 00:14:40.440 --> 00:14:41.336 And they can mock 00:14:41.336 --> 00:14:42.946 and they can carry on 00:14:42.946 --> 00:14:46.421 about the false guy, 00:14:46.421 --> 00:14:50.817 but you are a thorn in their side, 00:14:50.817 --> 00:14:52.119 because they don't like it. 00:14:52.119 --> 00:14:53.855 Because it condemns them. 00:14:53.855 --> 00:14:54.838 That's the reality. 00:14:54.838 --> 00:14:56.672 It condemns them. 00:14:56.672 --> 00:14:58.931 When I got saved, 00:14:58.931 --> 00:15:02.521 my friends had to come up with explanations for it. 00:15:02.521 --> 00:15:07.520 Well, you know what they say. 00:15:07.520 --> 00:15:10.619 "This isn't going to last long." 00:15:10.619 --> 00:15:13.070 "He'll get over this." 00:15:13.070 --> 00:15:14.511 It's always something. 00:15:14.511 --> 00:15:16.704 (incomplete thought) 00:15:16.704 --> 00:15:19.420 The last time I was up there - 00:15:19.420 --> 00:15:21.644 one of the last times - 00:15:21.644 --> 00:15:26.028 and I had a group of the guys gathered around, 00:15:26.028 --> 00:15:30.807 I said uh huh... it's been 20 years, 00:15:30.807 --> 00:15:33.772 and I'm still following Christ. 00:15:33.772 --> 00:15:36.860 And they threw all their theories out. 00:15:36.860 --> 00:15:39.499 And I got to preach to them 00:15:39.499 --> 00:15:41.495 about being born again. 00:15:41.495 --> 00:15:45.832 And the thing is it's like 00:15:45.832 --> 00:15:48.358 they've got to come up with some kind of explanation. 00:15:48.358 --> 00:15:51.951 Because they know - 00:15:51.951 --> 00:15:55.128 they know something happened to me. 00:15:55.128 --> 00:15:57.632 And if you can't explain that away, 00:15:57.632 --> 00:16:01.630 (incomplete thought) 00:16:01.630 --> 00:16:03.660 Well, I think I'm okay, 00:16:03.660 --> 00:16:06.102 but something happened to him, 00:16:06.102 --> 00:16:08.784 and it didn't happen to me. 00:16:08.784 --> 00:16:14.533 And if that's the real thing, I'm in trouble. NOTE Paragraph 00:16:14.533 --> 00:16:15.532 (from the room) 00:16:15.532 --> 00:16:17.230 Brother, I had a text 00:16:17.230 --> 00:16:19.408 if you don't mind if I share it. 00:16:19.408 --> 00:16:21.021 It's 2 John 9, it says, 00:16:21.021 --> 00:16:22.851 "Everyone who goes on ahead 00:16:22.851 --> 00:16:25.113 and does not abide in the teaching of Christ 00:16:25.113 --> 00:16:26.335 does not have God. 00:16:26.335 --> 00:16:27.874 Whoever abides in the teaching 00:16:27.874 --> 00:16:29.459 has both the Father and the Son. 00:16:29.459 --> 00:16:30.717 If anyone comes to you 00:16:30.717 --> 00:16:32.302 and does not bring this teaching, 00:16:32.302 --> 00:16:33.986 do not receive him into your house 00:16:33.986 --> 00:16:35.285 or give him any greeting. 00:16:35.285 --> 00:16:37.471 For whoever greets him takes part 00:16:37.471 --> 00:16:40.215 in his wicked works." 00:16:40.215 --> 00:16:42.177 That might be more so teaching, 00:16:42.177 --> 00:16:45.022 (unintelligible) 00:16:45.022 --> 00:16:46.952 Tim: Well, that definitely is teaching. 00:16:46.952 --> 00:16:48.869 They're going on ahead. 00:16:48.869 --> 00:16:52.187 What they're doing is they're leaving behind 00:16:52.187 --> 00:16:54.437 this deposit of faith 00:16:54.437 --> 00:16:56.737 that's once been delivered 00:16:56.737 --> 00:16:58.362 to the people of God. 00:16:58.362 --> 00:17:00.353 And they're moving beyond that. 00:17:00.353 --> 00:17:02.776 You don't want to be innovative. 00:17:02.776 --> 00:17:05.141 This is the same truth that has been 00:17:05.141 --> 00:17:07.011 believed for 2,000 years 00:17:07.011 --> 00:17:11.891 and handed down. 00:17:11.891 --> 00:17:14.414 What I would say there 00:17:14.414 --> 00:17:20.065 is obviously that is the kind of thing 00:17:20.065 --> 00:17:25.847 where what you want to be sensitive to 00:17:25.847 --> 00:17:32.951 is somehow encouraging them 00:17:32.951 --> 00:17:36.656 or applauding them, 00:17:36.656 --> 00:17:39.846 somehow sanctioning what they're doing. 00:17:39.846 --> 00:17:41.657 If a Jehovah's Witness or a Mormon 00:17:41.657 --> 00:17:42.559 comes to my door, 00:17:42.559 --> 00:17:45.814 I will not shake their hand. 00:17:45.814 --> 00:17:52.974 But, if I had a flat tire and a guy pulled over 00:17:52.974 --> 00:17:54.892 and I became aware he was a Mormon, 00:17:54.892 --> 00:17:56.486 and he helped me fix the tire, 00:17:56.486 --> 00:17:58.413 and he wasn't there preaching at me 00:17:58.413 --> 00:18:00.657 about his false doctrine, 00:18:00.657 --> 00:18:02.933 I would shake his hand when I was done. 00:18:02.933 --> 00:18:04.866 Why? Because I'm not encouraging 00:18:04.866 --> 00:18:07.113 his false teaching. 00:18:07.113 --> 00:18:08.820 I think that's the issue there. 00:18:08.820 --> 00:18:11.663 I don't think it means 00:18:11.663 --> 00:18:14.679 that if you find out somebody's a Catholic, 00:18:14.679 --> 00:18:16.010 well, "oh, that's heresy! 00:18:16.010 --> 00:18:17.847 That's damnable! 00:18:17.847 --> 00:18:19.109 Mary worship! 00:18:19.109 --> 00:18:21.708 They believe in works. 00:18:21.708 --> 00:18:23.777 I can't shake your hand." 00:18:23.777 --> 00:18:27.303 I don't think that that's 00:18:27.303 --> 00:18:29.070 what's being called for there, 00:18:29.070 --> 00:18:30.596 but I think it's got to do with 00:18:30.596 --> 00:18:34.109 directly endorsing or encouraging their preaching. 00:18:34.109 --> 00:18:35.894 And when they're at your door 00:18:35.894 --> 00:18:38.977 wanting to speak it, 00:18:38.977 --> 00:18:41.899 assuming the best - 00:18:41.899 --> 00:18:43.684 just two days ago, 00:18:43.684 --> 00:18:45.338 a preacher showed up at the door. 00:18:45.338 --> 00:18:46.378 I saw this guy. 00:18:46.378 --> 00:18:47.376 It was strange - 00:18:47.376 --> 00:18:49.577 my office is out here on the front. 00:18:49.577 --> 00:18:51.169 And I'm looking out the window 00:18:51.169 --> 00:18:52.759 and a guy - 00:18:52.759 --> 00:18:56.845 now this field over here is contained. 00:18:56.845 --> 00:18:58.805 It's got fences all the way around it. 00:18:58.805 --> 00:19:01.813 So you don't come out of the middle of that field 00:19:01.813 --> 00:19:03.668 unless you purposely went out there. 00:19:03.668 --> 00:19:06.444 And there's a hill and there's trees out there. 00:19:06.444 --> 00:19:08.228 And I'm looking and a guy comes out 00:19:08.228 --> 00:19:10.571 from underneath the trees. 00:19:10.571 --> 00:19:11.979 What's this guy doing? 00:19:11.979 --> 00:19:13.978 And then he's making a bee line 00:19:13.978 --> 00:19:15.595 straight towards my front door. 00:19:15.595 --> 00:19:17.275 So I'm watching him, watching him. 00:19:17.275 --> 00:19:19.600 I thought yeah, this guy's coming to the door. 00:19:19.600 --> 00:19:22.102 So I run down and he's a preacher. 00:19:22.102 --> 00:19:24.393 And he was wanting to invite me to his church 00:19:24.393 --> 00:19:26.647 and I didn't ask him, 00:19:26.647 --> 00:19:29.736 what were you doing under the trees? 00:19:29.736 --> 00:19:32.445 But I told him we have a burden for the East side, 00:19:32.445 --> 00:19:34.016 and we go door-to-door 00:19:34.016 --> 00:19:36.308 and I got him one of the shocking DVD's 00:19:36.308 --> 00:19:38.664 and put it in his hand. 00:19:38.664 --> 00:19:40.312 I think I shook his hand. 00:19:40.312 --> 00:19:42.569 I don't know what he teaches. 00:19:42.569 --> 00:19:44.317 And we didn't really get into it. 00:19:44.317 --> 00:19:47.241 But I think there's a place for us to be kind. 00:19:47.241 --> 00:19:50.455 I don't think that the place of the Christian 00:19:50.455 --> 00:19:57.771 (incomplete thought) 00:19:57.771 --> 00:19:59.526 I don't think it's the place 00:19:59.526 --> 00:20:01.032 to come across to the world 00:20:01.032 --> 00:20:05.295 like we're sour, dour, mean. 00:20:05.295 --> 00:20:08.283 But, if somebody's dishonoring Christ 00:20:08.283 --> 00:20:10.235 and teaching another gospel, 00:20:10.235 --> 00:20:11.391 don't endorse it. 00:20:11.391 --> 00:20:14.228 Don't shake their hands. 00:20:14.228 --> 00:20:17.557 There's a place just to speak to them 00:20:17.557 --> 00:20:19.425 like Paul spoke 00:20:19.425 --> 00:20:21.433 because they're damning souls. 00:20:21.433 --> 00:20:24.327 You smile and shake the hand of the Mormon, 00:20:24.327 --> 00:20:25.923 what they are trying to do 00:20:25.923 --> 00:20:28.701 is take your neighbors to the pit with them. 00:20:28.701 --> 00:20:30.191 They don't believe that, 00:20:30.191 --> 00:20:36.463 but that's exactly what it is. 00:20:36.463 --> 00:20:38.080 So I would just say this, 00:20:38.080 --> 00:20:41.758 look, Christians, we live in the land 00:20:41.758 --> 00:20:44.698 of false professions galore. 00:20:44.698 --> 00:20:47.189 We need to be light in those situations. 00:20:47.189 --> 00:20:50.926 And I would not cut off association with people 00:20:50.926 --> 00:20:53.764 because somebody's got a false profession, 00:20:53.764 --> 00:20:56.608 you being real may be the very thing 00:20:56.608 --> 00:21:00.840 that God will use to open their eyes. 00:21:00.840 --> 00:21:02.975 And you being mean to them 00:21:02.975 --> 00:21:07.530 is not what does it. 00:21:07.530 --> 00:21:09.320 I mean, you think about it. 00:21:09.320 --> 00:21:10.674 You think about Jesus 00:21:10.674 --> 00:21:13.779 and His interaction with like a Pharisee. 00:21:13.779 --> 00:21:16.184 He'd go eat at their house. 00:21:16.184 --> 00:21:17.611 What was that saying? 00:21:17.611 --> 00:21:19.100 Did he know that they held 00:21:19.100 --> 00:21:21.151 to some kind of Judaistic error? 00:21:21.151 --> 00:21:22.611 Of course He did. 00:21:22.611 --> 00:21:25.245 Did He know they were lost? Yes. 00:21:25.245 --> 00:21:27.995 And He would even in His conversations with them, 00:21:27.995 --> 00:21:30.146 after they called Him out, 00:21:30.146 --> 00:21:32.344 said He had a devil, called Him a Samaritan, 00:21:32.344 --> 00:21:33.553 He was still saying, 00:21:33.553 --> 00:21:35.783 "I say these things that you might be saved." 00:21:35.783 --> 00:21:37.534 He's still showing a kindness 00:21:37.534 --> 00:21:38.914 and a compassion to them. 00:21:38.914 --> 00:21:40.654 He wouldn't endorse their teaching. 00:21:40.654 --> 00:21:43.055 Paul wouldn't endorse their teaching.