0:00:10.575,0:00:13.635
This one comes from Matthew.

0:00:13.635,0:00:15.177
"Denominations.

0:00:15.177,0:00:16.612
There's lots of them today.

0:00:16.612,0:00:19.177
It's frustrating finding the truth.

0:00:19.177,0:00:21.616
Is everyone wrong?

0:00:21.616,0:00:22.836
There's only one truth.

0:00:22.836,0:00:24.241
One interpretation.

0:00:24.241,0:00:25.446
One right answer.

0:00:25.446,0:00:28.779
How on earth do you find it?"

0:00:28.779,0:00:32.331
Think that's a good question?

0:00:32.331,0:00:34.273
The thing I would say to Matthew,

0:00:34.273,0:00:36.225
is Matthew, for one, I'll tell you this,

0:00:36.225,0:00:37.979
you don't find it in denominations,

0:00:37.979,0:00:40.147
and you don't find it in men.

0:00:40.147,0:00:44.670
Basically,

0:00:44.670,0:00:48.400
what is the source of truth?

0:00:48.400,0:00:53.074
Jesus Christ says, "Sanctify them...

0:00:53.074,0:00:54.656
by Your truth.

0:00:54.656,0:00:59.105
Your Word is truth."

0:00:59.105,0:01:01.918
That's where we have to go.

0:01:01.918,0:01:05.291
John 8:31, "Jesus said[br]to the Jews who had

0:01:05.291,0:01:07.761
believed in Him,

0:01:07.761,0:01:10.895
'If you abide in My Word,

0:01:10.895,0:01:14.534
you are truly My disciples.

0:01:14.534,0:01:17.342
And you will know the truth,

0:01:17.342,0:01:19.698
and the truth will set you free.'"

0:01:19.698,0:01:23.003
How does anybody come [br]to know the truth?

0:01:23.003,0:01:25.191
I mean, if you don't [br]know what the truth is,

0:01:25.191,0:01:29.481
how do you come to know it?

0:01:29.481,0:01:31.161
You go to God's Word.

0:01:31.161,0:01:32.735
What happened?

0:01:32.735,0:01:34.460
You go to Acts 17.

0:01:34.460,0:01:36.951
Who was noble?

0:01:36.951,0:01:38.278
You know what I would have

0:01:38.278,0:01:39.952
Connie put on the calendar?

0:01:39.952,0:01:42.383
That this is called the [br]Berean Bible Study.

0:01:42.383,0:01:44.936
You know why I wanted[br]it to be called that?

0:01:44.936,0:01:47.206
Basically people that searched[br]the Word of God;

0:01:47.206,0:01:49.556
they were noble and they[br]searched the Word of God

0:01:49.556,0:01:53.955
to see if these things were true.

0:01:53.955,0:01:56.728
That's how we're going[br]to find truth.

0:01:56.728,0:01:58.705
Listen,

0:01:58.705,0:02:01.934
the reality is that you can come across

0:02:01.934,0:02:05.324
Methodists, Lutherans,

0:02:05.324,0:02:07.589
you can come across Presbyterians,

0:02:07.589,0:02:09.219
you can come across Brethren,

0:02:09.219,0:02:11.709
you can come across Congregationalists,

0:02:11.709,0:02:14.750
EV Free people

0:02:14.750,0:02:17.882
that have truth.

0:02:17.882,0:02:19.385
And you can come across a lot

0:02:19.385,0:02:22.958
of Baptists who don't[br]have much truth.

0:02:22.958,0:02:26.827
You know, we can get all[br]hung up with denominations.

0:02:26.827,0:02:28.717
And of course, the Catholic church

0:02:28.717,0:02:30.610
likes to say, "Well, they[br]all broke away from us.

0:02:30.610,0:02:32.348
That's why there's [br]so many of them.

0:02:32.348,0:02:34.277
We were the true church[br]in the beginning

0:02:34.277,0:02:37.261
And there's all this multiplicity[br]of denominations.

0:02:37.261,0:02:38.438
We're only one.

0:02:38.438,0:02:40.462
And then you have all [br]these denominations

0:02:40.462,0:02:42.218
because they broke off from us."

0:02:42.218,0:02:43.286
That's not true.

0:02:43.286,0:02:45.195
And basically what [br]all the denominations

0:02:45.195,0:02:46.698
prove to us, is that you've got

0:02:46.698,0:02:48.045
a lot of different people

0:02:48.045,0:02:50.178
interpreting a lot of different things

0:02:50.178,0:02:52.058
in the Bible, in a whole lot[br]of different ways.

0:02:52.058,0:02:53.107
And you say,

0:02:53.107,0:02:54.853
well, how am I supposed to know?

0:02:54.853,0:02:56.633
If you've got these [br]people over here

0:02:56.633,0:02:57.990
that interpret it that way;

0:02:57.990,0:03:00.318
and these people over here,[br]that interpret it that way.

0:03:00.318,0:03:02.646
These people over here, [br]interpret it that way.

0:03:02.646,0:03:05.779
Well, I can tell you this.

0:03:05.779,0:03:07.260
There are some basic essentials

0:03:07.260,0:03:10.117
to the Gospel that if you believe,[br]you'll be saved.

0:03:10.117,0:03:13.757
Even if you're off on other parts.

0:03:13.757,0:03:15.226
Folks, wouldn't we agree,

0:03:15.226,0:03:16.884
there are Presbyterians in heaven

0:03:16.884,0:03:18.893
that got it wrong on baptism.

0:03:18.893,0:03:20.483
Right?

0:03:20.483,0:03:21.705
Congregationalists.

0:03:21.705,0:03:24.270
We might say there that [br]they got it wrong over here.

0:03:24.270,0:03:27.933
But there are those that[br]got it right enough.

0:03:27.933,0:03:29.458
Folks, I'm reading right now

0:03:29.458,0:03:33.029
about some Lutherans that [br]had a whole lot right.

0:03:33.029,0:03:34.493
And I've read before about

0:03:34.493,0:03:38.481
some Methodists that have[br]a whole lot right.

0:03:38.481,0:03:40.221
And bottom line,

0:03:40.221,0:03:41.938
how do we determine right and wrong?

0:03:41.938,0:03:43.860
It's not by the denominational label

0:03:43.860,0:03:45.772
that somebody holds.

0:03:45.772,0:03:46.731
It certainly isn't,

0:03:46.731,0:03:48.761
you drive down the road [br]and you see a sign

0:03:48.761,0:03:50.578
that says "Baptist" [br]and you can say,

0:03:50.578,0:03:52.271
"Oh, well, they've [br]got the truth."

0:03:52.271,0:03:55.542
How do you know?

0:03:55.542,0:03:57.859
The Apostle John said this,

0:03:57.859,0:03:59.944
he says "test the spirits."

0:03:59.944,0:04:02.371
How in the world do you test the spirits?

0:04:02.371,0:04:05.014
Paul speaking to the Thessalonians[br]said the same thing.

0:04:05.014,0:04:06.053
Test everything.

0:04:06.053,0:04:07.799
Hold fast to what's good.

0:04:07.799,0:04:09.266
Or, hold fast to what's true.

0:04:09.266,0:04:10.629
How do you know?

0:04:10.629,0:04:12.466
How do you know [br]what to hold fast to?

0:04:12.466,0:04:14.522
You've got to be like the Bereans.

0:04:14.522,0:04:16.255
What happened?

0:04:16.255,0:04:19.454
What was it that the Bereans did?

0:04:19.454,0:04:21.002
They searched the Scriptures.

0:04:21.002,0:04:23.667
But what did they search the [br]Scriptures to do?

0:04:23.667,0:04:27.468
What in the world even possessed[br]them to search the Scriptures?

0:04:27.468,0:04:30.518
Well, they had heard teaching, right?

0:04:30.518,0:04:33.238
They sat under teaching.

0:04:33.238,0:04:34.965
They'd heard somebody preach,

0:04:34.965,0:04:36.753
and then they went [br]to the Word of God

0:04:36.753,0:04:38.256
to see if it was true.

0:04:38.256,0:04:39.390
You know what?

0:04:39.390,0:04:41.712
I call this Berean Bible Study,

0:04:41.712,0:04:44.344
because I hope that you folks

0:04:44.344,0:04:47.176
are going to be folks that[br]are going to know the Bible much.

0:04:47.176,0:04:48.306
Jesus Christ said,

0:04:48.306,0:04:51.834
"You will know the truth, and[br]the truth will set you free."

0:04:51.834,0:04:53.374
How do people know the truth?

0:04:53.374,0:04:56.456
They know the truth when [br]they're taught of the Spirit.

0:04:56.456,0:04:59.304
They know the truth when [br]God opens their eyes to realize

0:04:59.304,0:05:03.430
that certain things are true.

0:05:03.430,0:05:07.262
I suspect that God gave us

0:05:07.262,0:05:12.734
enough difference

0:05:12.734,0:05:15.904
to test our love.

0:05:15.904,0:05:18.006
To test our graciousness.

0:05:18.006,0:05:21.622
You know what Jesus Christ said?

0:05:21.622,0:05:24.826
You know, some of the disciples[br]came to Him one day

0:05:24.826,0:05:30.475
and said, "Lord, we told these people[br]over there to stop."

0:05:30.475,0:05:32.493
Why?

0:05:32.493,0:05:34.369
Because they weren't with us.

0:05:34.369,0:05:37.568
In other words, another denomination.

0:05:37.568,0:05:38.345
Right?

0:05:38.345,0:05:39.406
It's just like that.

0:05:39.406,0:05:42.718
They went, Lord, they weren't with us.

0:05:42.718,0:05:45.467
We're the in group.[br]We're the in crowd.

0:05:45.467,0:05:47.175
And see, we tend to think that.

0:05:47.175,0:05:48.770
Most people think,

0:05:48.770,0:05:51.117
we've got the truth.

0:05:51.117,0:05:53.141
Very few others do.

0:05:53.141,0:05:55.933
And what did Jesus say?

0:05:55.933,0:06:01.479
He said look, if they're not against Me,

0:06:01.479,0:06:03.301
then what?

0:06:03.301,0:06:04.573
If they're not against us,

0:06:04.573,0:06:08.035
they're with us.

0:06:08.035,0:06:11.792
It is a sad fact

0:06:11.792,0:06:16.584
of those who do bear witness to the truth,

0:06:16.584,0:06:18.929
now that's not to say there's a whole lot,

0:06:18.929,0:06:21.345
but it's interesting how we[br]write certain things up.

0:06:21.345,0:06:22.754
Can I tell you something?

0:06:22.754,0:06:25.491
When George Whitefield preached,

0:06:25.491,0:06:27.050
anybody know what denomination

0:06:27.050,0:06:32.481
he was affiliated with?

0:06:32.481,0:06:37.063
Whitefield never sought to start

0:06:37.063,0:06:39.831
a denomination.

0:06:39.831,0:06:42.401
He pretty much pledged himself

0:06:42.401,0:06:44.689
to the Anglican movement

0:06:44.689,0:06:45.979
Whitefield and Wesley

0:06:45.979,0:06:47.889
came out of Anglicanism.

0:06:47.889,0:06:49.845
Now Wesley made definitely

0:06:49.845,0:06:51.809
more of a concerted effort.

0:06:51.809,0:06:54.077
And you know we have [br]the Wesleyan Methodists,

0:06:54.077,0:06:56.420
the Arminian Methodists that came

0:06:56.420,0:06:59.359
more out of Wesley's efforts;

0:06:59.359,0:07:00.880
and then more of the Calvinistic

0:07:00.880,0:07:03.631
Methodist movement came out of

0:07:03.631,0:07:08.539
those that God raised up in Wales,

0:07:08.539,0:07:10.031
like the Daniel Roland's,

0:07:10.031,0:07:11.814
the Howell Harris's.

0:07:11.814,0:07:18.494
And then also the George Whitefield's.

0:07:18.494,0:07:25.278
You know, Anglicans. Anglicans!

0:07:25.278,0:07:28.028
Do you know that the Baptists

0:07:28.028,0:07:30.305
would discipline their members

0:07:30.305,0:07:35.846
if they went to hear Whitefield preach?

0:07:35.846,0:07:38.945
I had a man that I highly respect

0:07:38.945,0:07:40.384
tell me he would not allow

0:07:40.384,0:07:44.252
George Whitefield in his pulpit.

0:07:44.252,0:07:47.925
Why?

0:07:47.925,0:07:49.299
You know what?

0:07:49.299,0:07:51.802
Can I tell you something?

0:07:51.802,0:07:55.563
In the first and second [br]Great Awakenings,

0:07:55.563,0:07:57.895
the Calvinistic Baptists were

0:07:57.895,0:08:01.092
largely passed over.

0:08:01.092,0:08:02.272
It's historical.

0:08:02.272,0:08:03.796
You can read about it.

0:08:03.796,0:08:05.551
Why?

0:08:05.551,0:08:08.637
For that very reason right there.

0:08:08.637,0:08:10.474
They would discipline their members

0:08:10.474,0:08:13.065
if they'd go listen to Whitefield preach.

0:08:13.065,0:08:15.182
The Spirit of God rested upon Whitefield.

0:08:15.182,0:08:17.180
Multitudes were being converted.

0:08:17.180,0:08:19.233
The Spirit of God rested upon John Wesley,

0:08:19.233,0:08:22.896
as much as a lot of Calvinists [br]don't want to admit it.

0:08:22.896,0:08:25.792
And the Baptist churches [br]were disciplining

0:08:25.792,0:08:27.197
members if they'd go.

0:08:27.197,0:08:28.323
By and large,

0:08:28.323,0:08:30.601
in the first and second Great Awakenings,

0:08:30.601,0:08:33.833
the Spirit of God passed [br]over the Baptists.

0:08:33.833,0:08:36.446
Isn't that shameful?

0:08:36.446,0:08:39.747
And you know what's likely to[br]happen today?

0:08:39.747,0:08:42.107
If revival breaks out in this land,

0:08:42.107,0:08:44.130
I'm not going to say it might not happen

0:08:44.130,0:08:45.705
among Calvinistic Bapists,

0:08:45.705,0:08:47.935
but what if it broke out among Lutherans?

0:08:47.935,0:08:49.818
What if it broke out with Methodists?

0:08:49.818,0:08:52.846
Would we even know?

0:08:52.846,0:08:54.376
What if true revival broke out

0:08:54.376,0:08:56.680
among the charismatics?

0:08:56.680,0:08:59.521
Would we even know?

0:08:59.521,0:09:03.384
I just watched a video -

0:09:03.384,0:09:05.469
just a little part of it last night,

0:09:05.469,0:09:10.095
like the first five minutes.

0:09:10.095,0:09:14.095
Some guy did a message on

0:09:14.095,0:09:16.413
charismatic Calvinists.

0:09:16.413,0:09:19.658
Just bitter and hateful.

0:09:19.658,0:09:20.831
You can see it.

0:09:20.831,0:09:27.353
It's one of the most popular videos

0:09:27.353,0:09:30.649
on sermonaudio.com right now.

0:09:30.649,0:09:32.559
You see that kind of thing.

0:09:32.559,0:09:34.702
If revival broke out among charismatics,

0:09:34.702,0:09:37.129
I can tell you that guy [br]preaching that message

0:09:37.129,0:09:41.656
wouldn't even know.

0:09:41.656,0:09:44.132
Brethren, bottom line,

0:09:44.132,0:09:46.301
if we see something that seems to be

0:09:46.301,0:09:47.171
a move of God;

0:09:47.171,0:09:49.786
we see something preached out there,

0:09:49.786,0:09:51.162
we need to test the spirits.

0:09:51.162,0:09:52.867
Not by the denominational label,

0:09:52.867,0:09:55.404
but by "thus sayeth the Lord."

0:09:55.404,0:09:56.918
Go to the Word of God.

0:09:56.918,0:09:59.404
You know what, if they love Christ,

0:09:59.404,0:10:00.884
I think we should be stand,

0:10:00.884,0:10:03.410
I think we should be willing [br]to spill our blood for

0:10:03.410,0:10:05.301
our convictions regarding baptism

0:10:05.301,0:10:06.560
and the Lord's Supper.

0:10:06.560,0:10:10.945
We ought to be willing [br]to die for our convictions.

0:10:10.945,0:10:13.344
But the fact is,

0:10:13.344,0:10:14.736
we'd have to admit,

0:10:14.736,0:10:16.466
that people have [br]had different ideas

0:10:16.466,0:10:17.659
about the Lord's Supper

0:10:17.659,0:10:18.817
and about baptism

0:10:18.817,0:10:21.633
that are in heaven now.

0:10:21.633,0:10:23.354
And I know there [br]are some Baptists

0:10:23.354,0:10:27.203
that don't like to admit that.

0:10:27.203,0:10:29.934
Folks, look, there are a lot

0:10:29.934,0:10:31.730
of different ideas out there,

0:10:31.730,0:10:33.054
but I'll tell you this,

0:10:33.054,0:10:35.967
who's the pillar and ground of truth?

0:10:35.967,0:10:38.078
The church is.

0:10:38.078,0:10:39.115
And so you know what?

0:10:39.115,0:10:40.910
Even though there's [br]a lot of differences,

0:10:40.910,0:10:42.734
there are good churches out there,

0:10:42.734,0:10:44.360
and they are [br]few and far between,

0:10:44.360,0:10:45.832
as I've told people lately

0:10:45.832,0:10:47.349
that I've counseled to,

0:10:47.349,0:10:50.444
and people over the Internet and by phone.

0:10:50.444,0:10:54.160
Look, I think behind [br]any decisions you make

0:10:54.160,0:10:57.319
about receiving Christ,

0:10:57.319,0:11:02.719
I think next to choosing [br]the right spouse in life,

0:11:02.719,0:11:04.347
the third most important decision

0:11:04.347,0:11:06.759
you can make in life

0:11:06.759,0:11:09.750
has to do with what church you go to.

0:11:09.750,0:11:11.912
I believe that you should choose

0:11:11.912,0:11:14.067
where you live, where you work,

0:11:14.067,0:11:16.152
based on what church [br]you're going to go to.

0:11:16.152,0:11:18.290
Where you're going [br]to raise your children,

0:11:18.290,0:11:20.581
based on where a good church is.

0:11:20.581,0:11:21.675
Because I'll tell you what,

0:11:21.675,0:11:23.694
it will have a lot to do with your life.

0:11:23.694,0:11:30.691
It will have a lot to do [br]with your fruitfulness.

0:11:30.691,0:11:35.127
But we need to be testing them.

0:11:35.127,0:11:36.398
Listen to this,

0:11:36.398,0:11:38.111
you know this - Revelation 2:2

0:11:38.111,0:11:41.215
Jesus said this of the Ephesian church,

0:11:41.215,0:11:43.883
"I know your works; your toil,[br]your patient endurance;

0:11:43.883,0:11:47.036
how you cannot bear with those[br]who are evil,

0:11:47.036,0:11:48.749
but have tested..."[br]Look at that.

0:11:48.749,0:11:51.907
"...but have tested those who[br]call themselves apostles

0:11:51.907,0:11:57.025
and are not, and found them[br]to be false."

0:11:57.025,0:11:58.408
How do you test?

0:11:58.408,0:12:01.924
How do you test somebody and[br]find them to be false?

0:12:01.924,0:12:03.384
I'll tell you what Jesus said

0:12:03.384,0:12:05.466
about false prophets.

0:12:05.466,0:12:08.422
You've got false churches;[br]you've got bad doctrine.

0:12:08.422,0:12:09.529
Jesus says this,

0:12:09.529,0:12:10.848
"Beware of false prophets.

0:12:10.848,0:12:12.394
They come in sheep's clothing,

0:12:12.394,0:12:14.956
but inwardly are ravenous wolves."

0:12:14.956,0:12:19.416
How did He say we'll recognize them?

0:12:19.416,0:12:20.958
By their fruits.

0:12:20.958,0:12:22.208
I'll tell you this,

0:12:22.208,0:12:24.982
where you find unholy living,

0:12:24.982,0:12:26.443
you've got bad doctrine.

0:12:26.443,0:12:29.073
Guarantee you.

0:12:29.073,0:12:30.979
You want to know what's[br]most important?

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What are the doctrines that[br]are really essential?

0:12:34.603,0:12:38.771
Let me just throw some off the top.

0:12:38.771,0:12:43.565
Listen, the devil attacks [br]primarily in two places:

0:12:43.565,0:12:45.968
The person of Christ.

0:12:45.968,0:12:48.012
And the work of Christ.

0:12:48.012,0:12:48.969
Guarantee it.

0:12:48.969,0:12:54.463
And it's Christ. [br]He is always the issue.

0:12:54.463,0:12:56.282
So you want to look for good doctrine.

0:12:56.282,0:12:58.575
You want to look for good church.

0:12:58.575,0:13:00.772
I don't care what the denomination is.

0:13:00.772,0:13:02.300
You're looking for a church that

0:13:02.300,0:13:04.941
is really a pillar, a ground,

0:13:04.941,0:13:06.238
a buttress of truth.

0:13:06.238,0:13:07.675
You're going to go in there,

0:13:07.675,0:13:09.861
and you're going to look at[br]these two things.

0:13:09.861,0:13:12.297
What do they do with Christ?[br]His person?

0:13:12.297,0:13:15.305
What do they do with Christ - His work?

0:13:15.305,0:13:19.779
Guarantee - the devil [br]attacks in both places.

0:13:19.779,0:13:22.243
You've got false doctrine?

0:13:22.243,0:13:23.963
What are they doing?

0:13:23.963,0:13:25.025
Oneness doctrine:

0:13:25.025,0:13:28.060
The Father is the Son.

0:13:28.060,0:13:31.841
Rejection of the deity - the JW's.

0:13:31.841,0:13:34.094
He's not God.

0:13:34.094,0:13:39.175
There will be some rejection[br]in His person.

0:13:39.175,0:13:42.477
The devil always goes after[br]the glory of Christ.

0:13:42.477,0:13:45.756
He wants to chop it down somehow.

0:13:45.756,0:13:47.104
And then the work.

0:13:47.104,0:13:48.834
What about the work?

0:13:48.834,0:13:51.370
Anywhere where there's works?

0:13:51.370,0:13:53.806
Run for your life!

0:13:53.806,0:13:55.987
Because it's damnable.

0:13:55.987,0:13:57.727
Because the only Gospel that saves,

0:13:57.727,0:13:59.809
is the Gospel that is 100%

0:13:59.809,0:14:02.708
based on the merits of Jesus Christ.

0:14:02.708,0:14:06.656
That doctrine of justification [br]is essential.

0:14:06.656,0:14:08.355
We are justified by faith

0:14:08.355,0:14:10.992
aside from any works of the law.

0:14:10.992,0:14:13.020
And anytime people want to add to it,

0:14:13.020,0:14:16.119
whether it's - you've got to be baptized;

0:14:16.119,0:14:17.888
you've got to speak in tongues;

0:14:17.888,0:14:19.969
they add anything whatsover,

0:14:19.969,0:14:21.795
no matter how pretty it might sound,

0:14:21.795,0:14:23.491
if they're adding anything

0:14:23.491,0:14:25.002
to the merits of Jesus Christ,

0:14:25.002,0:14:26.733
run from it like the plague.

0:14:26.733,0:14:27.997
But I'll tell you this,

0:14:27.997,0:14:31.416
where they make much of Christ,

0:14:31.416,0:14:32.995
and much of the work of Christ,

0:14:32.995,0:14:37.632
though they may go [br]wrong in many things;

0:14:37.632,0:14:40.473
they're with us.

0:14:40.473,0:14:41.892
They're with us, folks.

0:14:41.892,0:14:44.697
Where Christ is the sole basis

0:14:44.697,0:14:48.729
of our acceptance with God.

0:14:48.729,0:14:50.317
Where Christ is made much of,

0:14:50.317,0:14:51.867
where He's exalted,

0:14:51.867,0:14:54.917
and where what's said of Him [br]in the Scriptures

0:14:54.917,0:14:56.888
is said of Him by that church

0:14:56.888,0:14:58.681
or by that preacher,

0:14:58.681,0:15:01.018
they may go wrong in things like baptism;

0:15:01.018,0:15:03.556
they may go wrong in things like[br]the Lord's Supper;

0:15:03.556,0:15:04.963
they may go wrong

0:15:04.963,0:15:08.349
and their ecclesiology may be off

0:15:08.349,0:15:09.632
and they may have problems

0:15:09.632,0:15:15.432
with regards to their cessationist views

0:15:15.432,0:15:22.382
or non-cessationist or various[br]works of the Spirit...

0:15:22.382,0:15:35.390
Test the spirits, brethren.