Because we can discern spirits.
What does that mean?
Does it mean like, there's a spirit of immorality in this church?
I can decipher the fact that there's a spirit of immorality.
No, that's foolishness and folly.
Okay, look at Revelation 2, what it says here, Revelation chapter 2, verse 2.
This is a praise that God gave to the church of Ephesus.
Now we understand that the church at Ephesus had its issues, okay?
They had left their first love, you know, they weren't soul winning, but they had good
things about them, and look at verse number 2, it says, I know thy works and thy labor
and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil.
And thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not, and has found them liars,
and has borne and has had patience, and for my name's sake, has labored and has not fainted.
Go to 1 John chapter 4.
So we see this church here, they couldn't bear the people who are evil.
Look, that's the kind of attitude we want to have in our church.
I cannot tolerate any evil person.
I don't, not in my personal life, but especially not in the church.
No reprobates allowed, no evil wicked people allowed here, I don't care what kind of comments
you put on YouTube, you're not welcome.
Point blank.
Why?
Because we don't, we don't tolerate that.
We want to be like that, and it says, and has tried them which say they are apostles
and are not.
So what is he saying?
They've proven them, okay?
So they've tried those who claim to be these apostles and prophets, they tried them, they
tested them, they've proven them, and then they found them to be liars.
Now look at 1 John chapter 4 and verse number 1, Beloved, believe not every spirit, but
try the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets are granted unto
the world.
Now what does it mean to try?
It doesn't mean like, you know, okay, yeah, this is heresy right here, yeah, okay.
You know, you know, immorality over here, that's not what it means.
Try means to test, and it means to prove, okay?
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God, verse 2, every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ
is coming to flesh is of God, and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is coming
to flesh is not of God, and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that
it should come, and even now already it is in the world.
So according to these verses, what does it mean to try them?
It's based upon what's coming out of their mouths.
You see what I'm saying?
So if someone's confessing that Jesus Christ is coming to flesh, they're confessing that
with their mouth, you can, by trying that spirit, the spirit is referring to that which
is coming out of their mouths, you can tell if that person is of God or not.
Now if they deny that, then you can automatically say, okay, this person is not of God.
You're trying, you're discerning the fact that this person is not of God, okay?
The Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians, chapter 5, verse 21, prove all things, hold fast that
which is good.
Go with me if you would to, go to 1 Timothy, chapter number 4.
So what does it mean to discern the spirit?
It means that when you're talking to someone, based upon the words that are coming out of
their mouth, you're trying them, you can discern what they believe.
Now at a basic level, this is important when you're out sowing, right?
You know, if you knock on the door and they say this, you know, you say, hey, my name
is so-and-so, I'm from Paper Word Baptist Church, I want to give you this invite to
our church.
You go to church anywhere.
They say, yeah, I go to the Mormon Tabernacle, you know.
The basic understanding of trying the spirits can say, okay, this person is not of Satan.
Based upon that, you know, confession.
So look, if someone tells you they're a part of any kind of church other than a Baptist
church, automatically you can just roll into the Gospel at that point.
You don't have to say, so what do you think you have to do to be saved?
It doesn't matter because they're part of the Mormon Tabernacle, they're not going to
give you the right answer.
So by trying the spirit that's coming out of their mouth, because remember, Jesus even
said of his words, what, my words, they are spirit and they are life.
So guess what?
On the flip side of that, there is an evil spirit that comes out of people's mouths.
It's the words that are coming out of, it's the confession that's coming out of their
own heart.
So if someone says, well, I'm a Catholic, you know, you don't have to say, okay, well,
you know, so what do you think you have to do?
You think it's by grace through faith?
You know, no, you could discern, okay, this person's not saved.
No, obviously if they say, I'm coming from a Baptist church, then you have to probe a
little more to try the spirit and say, okay, what would you say you have to do to get to
heaven?
And if they give you the right answers, you're trying that answer, then you can obviously
tell, okay, this person is saved or they're not saved, okay?
Now that's at a basic level, but it also works even in the church.
When you meet new people or when you're talking to people and they're telling you of their
experiences or what they believe, you're trying the spirits.
You're discerning what they believe, okay?
Now don't have this attitude, this police attitude in our church where it's just like
you're going around trying everyone.
What do you believe?
Tell me what you believe.
Do you believe that Jesus is God, you know?
No, just in casual conversation though, we ought to always be alert, right?
When we're talking to people and the words that are coming out of their mouth will reveal
who they really are.
Because the Bible tells us, now the spirit speaketh expressly, look at verse number one,
and in the light of time, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits,
and look what it says, and doctrines of devils.
So seducing spirits works in tandem with what?
Doctrines of devils.
Doctrines mean what?
What does doctrine mean?
Teaching.
So the seducing spirit is synonymous with that doctrine of devils.
Well, people will be seduced and the Bible also tells us the way people are seduced is
with faint words, okay?
The Bible also says, a good man out of the good treasure of his heart, bringing forth
that which is good, and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart, bringing forth
that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaketh.
So what does it mean to be able to discern?
Well, first, the way you get is by just being a Christian for a while, reading the Bible,
you know, being around other Christians, so you can discern phrases and words and what
people say.
This is the problem with a lot of even old IFP churches.
They don't discern anything, they have no discernment whatsoever.
Anybody can come to their church believing anything they want, and they just accept everyone
and they don't try any spirit.
You know, they got this guy who's a repent of your sins, straight false prophet, wolf
in sheep's clothing.
And what did they'll tell you?
Well, he's just a little off on salvation.
He's a good guy, though, because he bought me a $50 gift card.
They're good at trying that, huh?
They'll try that gift card.
They're like, call that company, see if there's really $50 on there.
I want to prove all things, hold fast that which is good.
But you know what, they don't prove all things from the people who are giving it to them
who are trying to pervert judgment.
These people believe false doctrine to come into the churches, you know, they'll say,
well, I believe in Jesus.
Yeah.
Okay.
Yeah.
He's a little off on some things.
No, you have no discernment whatsoever.
Okay.
You don't know how to try the spirits, you don't have any discernment to be able to determine
if this person is a legitimate, Christian, safe person.
You know, they'll say, well, you know, I believe it's interesting to Jesus, but you also got
to turn over a new leaf.
You know, the salvation will make you work.
You know, you have to work after you get saved.
You know, a lot of old IFP churches will be like, okay, that sounds about good.
You know, I don't really agree with that last part, but yeah, it's fine.
No, it's not fine.
You need to get some discernment about yourself and try that spirit that's coming out of the
guy's mouth.
You know, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth, the speaker.
So what does it mean to discern spirits is the ability to basically pay attention to
what people are saying.
When you're paying attention, you're listening to the doctrines that are coming out of the
mouth, and you can discern that, okay.