Welcome to anchor Baptist church. It is time to get started this morning for our first hymn
We have a handout rather have Jesus brother Eric has those if you need one just raise your hand
We'll hand out these I'd rather have Jesus
Handouts I'd rather have Jesus in your handouts rather have Jesus starting there on that first verse
I'd rap this time will open with the only father we thank you for this day for another opportunity to gather together
If it you give us for the service that everything would be done decently in an order
That you would once again just continue to open our ears and our hearts to the message and prepare our hearts
For the message that pastor has for us and of course fill him with your spirit as he preaches your word
These things we pray in Jesus name. Amen for our next song go ahead and grab your
Pimples we will turn to 210 wonderful grace of Jesus
Don't forget to sing in parts there in the chorus men on the upper. Excuse me men on the lower part and
women on the upper
210 wonderful grace of Jesus to one zero
210 singing right there starting on the first
November who was already decorated for Christmas in their house. I bless you guys see that hand. That's I'm talking about the rest of you
I just hate Christmas. No, just kidding
We do have on the inside our service times listed Sunday morning at 1030 Sunday evening at 430 and our Wednesday Bible study through
Proverbs at 7 we also have all of our soul winning times listed there below and of course
We have our special Saturday rally where we have a short soul winning sermon and a song to get you fired up and filled
With the spirit and then we go out into the community and preach the gospel below. We have our year to date soul winning
Statistics great job so far this year. We also have our upcoming events
This upcoming Saturday is our Pacific Islander soul winning push in Enid, Oklahoma
Which I think is about an hour and 30 minutes away. I've never been there, but we're gonna check it out this weekend
We're meeting at the apartments that are listed there on the right and we're gonna go soul winning from noon to 4 p.m
And then we'll have a nice dinner afterwards
So if you come out and work for us spiritually, we'll make sure to feed you at the end of it
we do have also November 16th is our men's preaching night for the evening service and
I was gifted a great little gun last time that shoots these little water pellets
So instead of a timer, you know, if you go over the timer
You'll just feel a little shot on your body to know that it's time to stop preaching
So I'm excited to use that so go ahead and try it, you know preach over you will get shot
It'll be real fun
November 22nd is the Oklahoma City Soul Winning Marathon and that of course is for our one year anniversary
And it's gonna be a great weekend. I know a lot of people from Texas are gonna be joining us
So we're expecting to have a packed house for both soul winning and that weekend. So it'll be good to see everyone
November 23rd, of course, pastor Jonathan Shelley will be preaching both services
So definitely come and join us for that great weekend celebrating one year as anchor Baptist Church
Then November 26th. We have the pie fellowship after our Wednesday evening service
December 5th is a fellowship event going to the Chisholm Park in Yukon and just enjoying the Christmas lights out there
December 12th is the ladies Christmas party December 19th Christmas caroling and December 31st
Our New Year's Eve party, which as always will be immense preaching night with food and games and fellowship
Up till midnight or as long as you can hang it that evening
we do have our information there for our online visitor card and our QR code for giving and
Just wanted to remind everyone again someone used this out soul-winning yesterday
And it's a great tool on the back of our invites
There's those two QR codes one is for the Bible way to heaven the other one signs people up for our email list
And you can just have them fill out that information right there, and it automatically signs them up
You don't have to send me email addresses and me update it late later
You can just do it right there as soon as you press submit it reroutes to our YouTube channel
And you could just make them hit subscribe right there so we can keep in touch with people
On the back of course is our prayer list and a place for notes if you have any
Additions to our prayer list just email me, and I'll be happy to add that for you
That's gonna be it for announcements. Let's go ahead and go to our third song
our third song in your hymnal number
223 rings of living water
223 223 rings of living water 223 there on the first
a day
Two
Plates are being passed turn if you would to Ephesians chapter number four
Ephesians chapter number four chapter four
prisoner of the Lord seats you that you work worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called with all
Loneliness and meekness with long suffering for bearing one another in love
Endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace
There is one body one spirit even as you are called in one hope of your calling one Lord one faith one
Baptism one God and father of all who is above all and through all and in you all but unto every one of us is given
According grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high
He led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men now that he ascended
What is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth he that?
Descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens that he might fill all things and he gave some
Apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers
For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ
Till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God
unto a perfect man under the measure and
In the stature of the fullness of Christ that we henceforth be no more children
Tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slide of men and cutting craftiness
Whereby they lie and wait to deceive but speaking the truth in love may grow up in him
Unto him into him in all things which is the head even Christ for whom the whole body
the whole body fitly joined together and
Compacted by that which every joint supply is according to the effectual working in the measure of every part
Make it increase of the body under the edifying of itself in love this
I say therefore and testify in the Lord
They henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind having the understanding darkened being
Alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart
Who being past feeling have given themselves over to lasciviousness to work all uncleanness
With greediness, but you have not so learned Christ
If so be that you have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Christ in Jesus
That you put off concerning the former conversation the old man
Which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind
That you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness
Wherefore putting away lying speak every man truth with his neighbor for we are members one of another
Be angry and sin not let not the sun go down upon your wrath neither give place to the devil
Let him that stole steal no more
But rather let him labor working with his hands the thing which is good
That he may give to may have to give to him that needed let no corrupt communication
Proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying
That it may minister grace unto the hearers and grieve not the holy spirit of god
Whereby you are sealed under the day of redemption
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice
And be kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as god for christ's sake hath forgiven you. Let's pray
Our gracious lord thankful to be gathered here together. Thank you for the beautiful weather
Men we're at ephesians chapter number four and we'll start reading in verse number ten the bible says
He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens that he might fill all things
And he gave of course we know from verse 10 that he is talking about jesus jesus is giving something it says
And he gave some apostles
and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers
For the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of christ
Till we all come in the unity
Of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of god unto a perfect man
Unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of christ that we henceforth be no more children
Tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness
whereby they lie in wait to
Deceive so here we have the bible explaining to us that jesus christ himself gave these certain positions
In the new testament church, especially some of these at the beginning of the new testament starting
And so as of course we as baptists, we know this that church is a real institution. It's not some paper tiger
It's not some game. It's not some man-made institution
Jesus the one who descended and ascended is the one who gave us all these different positions and it has a function
It's for the perfecting of the saints, right?
So the purpose of church is edifying the saints, you know getting us fired up about soul winning to fulfill the great commission
It's we don't believe in this seeker sensitive type church where all the church is about is is, you know
Preaching to the unsaved in the room. That doesn't make sense, right?
God gave us these ministers for the perfecting of the saints
But what I want to preach about this morning is this system of theology this moniker
That's used to describe something called the five-fold ministry
Now the five-fold ministry is kind of like I said, it's this description of theology
That's held to by people called new apostolic reformed. Has anyone ever heard of new apostolic reformed churches?
So if you've ever heard of bethel church in california, they're the ones that are really big into you know
Sign up for our class and we'll teach you how to do miracles
We'll teach you how to cast out devils
You know
They're really into speaking in tongues and they're really into having the office of an apostle and that five-fold ministry comes from the five
Titles that are listed in verse number 11
And he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers
So this system of theology would hold that all five of these offices exist today
So they wouldn't necessarily have a pastor leading their church. They would have like a chief apostle
Leading their church. So the title of my sermon this morning is this five-fold ministry exposed
I want to explain to you why this is a bad idea
Why you know apostles do not exist today in the new testament?
But let me just give you a little more background of what this is
This is an article taken from crosswalk.com and the title is called. What is the five-fold ministry?
I'll read this for you
The idea of five-fold ministry comes from ephesians 4 11 through 13 the phrase five-fold ministry is a relatively new phrase
You'll be hard pressed to find historical references to a five-fold ministry
One of the first references I can find is that of edward irving in
1824 frank viola gives us an apt summary
Irving began teaching that the five-fold ministry of apostles prophets evangelists pastors and teachers
Had disappeared from the church and was in need of restoration
Which when I read this I immediately thought of joseph smith
You know the the founder of mormonism because he taught the same thing that man the church has got corrupted
And we lost these offices and he needed to go revive it
And you know a five-fold ministry mormonism would fall into this because mormons have
Apostles they have profits where they teach that their mormon president their mormon prophet
Actually gets direct revelation from god and can speak new scripture
And of course joseph smith wrote the book of mormons, which to them is new scripture
So this would fall into new apostolic reformed extreme charismatics and also the entire religion of mormonism
I think would fall into this
It says
According to irving the restoration of these ministries would usher in the millennial kingdom of christ on the earth
Irving and his followers began the catholic apostolic church in 1832
Its chief purpose was to restore the five-fold ministry and usher usher in the millennial kingdom the church ordained 12 apostles
Who were to be the last day's equivalent of the original 12 whom jesus appointed?
This teaching has experienced various waves often connected with charismatic revivals
The most recent iteration is found in the new apostolic reformation circles this movement in line with irving
Believes that the office of prophet and apostolic governance
Is being restored in these last days the basic idea of five-fold ministry is that all the gifts
Mentioned in ephesians 4 are still active
And necessary for proper governance of the church today apostols are to govern
prophets to guide
evangelists gather
pastors guard and teachers ground
The argument then is that without these gifts being exercised within the church, then the church body will suffer
So I hope you kind of get the idea of this method of thinking that exists today and granted
It's not you know, super widespread but for example Bethel Church is actually really well known and I've ran into the disciples of Bethel
Church when I lived in Texas when I lived here because they have this online marketing of like hey come in here the modern-day
Apostles come and learn how to do the sign gifts that the Apostles did today and when it comes to like a theological debate
This is known as
Cessation ism versus continuation ism. Has anyone ever heard of these phrases before?
Okay, a few of you so cessation ism teaches that the gifts that the Apostles were given to do laying on of hands and just
Miraculously healing people, you know
Authoritatively just casting out devils with your word
You know the gift of speaking in tongues things like this
We would say that those gifts ceased with the death of the Apostles and that those gifts do not exist today
That I you know, I cannot get direct revelation from God
I cannot you know drink something deadly or get bitten by a poisonous beast and somehow feel no harm
But the Apostles could those were real gifts no doubt about that, but I would say our church is firmly
Cessationist saying like those things are done
Continuationists believe that today there are Apostles there are prophets and that they can do these
Miracles not by praying and asking God to do them
But that some man can just get up and you know
Just hit you with this coat and heal you of your broken back or heal you of your cancer and all these you know
Revival healing services you drive down the road and you see those churches saying like healing service at 9 a.m
Right, and they'll just pretend and claim that they are healing people
Miraculously, you know, I do not believe in continuationism. I think that's a false doctrine
I think you should avoid any church or preacher that believes this
But let me just prove this from the Bible go to Acts chapter number one
Number one this morning. There are no more apostles on earth today
So this kind of you know is a big deal for your new apostolic reformed movement while you're saying we need to you know
Revive these offices. Look, they don't exist on earth today. And that's for a reason. Let's look at Acts chapter number one verse 15
It says and in those days
Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples and said the number of the names together were about 120
Men and brethren this scripture must needs have been fulfilled which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before
Concerning Judas which was guide to them that took Jesus for he was numbered with us and had obtained part of this ministry
Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity and falling headlong
He burst asunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out and it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem
In so much as that field is called in their proper tongue a seldoma that is to say the field of blood
For it is written in the book of Psalms
Let his habitation be desolate and let no man dwell therein and his bishopric
Let another take now keep your place in Acts chapter number one and turn to psalm
109 and we'll get the quote from psalms that this is referring to but we saw that word
Bishopric being used in Acts chapter number one. That's not a word we really use in our modern vernacular
But I'll tell you that word means office right and we're gonna see that in psalm 109
So he's saying let his office another take psalm 109 verse 8
We know this is about Judas is let his days be few and let another take his office, right?
So that's using bishopric and office interchangeably. So he had a real office
Let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. Let his children be continually vagabonds and beg
Let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places
Let the extortioner catch all that he hath and let the strangers spoil his labor
Let there be none to extend mercy unto him neither
Let there be any to favor his fatherless children
Let his posterity be cut off and in the generation following let their name be blotted out
Let the iniquity of his father's be remembered with the Lord and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out now
Honestly, I read all that just to show you that the Bible is a pretty gnarly book
You know we because we read Psalm 109 and some people like well, how do we know this is talking about Judas?
Well, you go to Acts chapter 1 and it's quoting Psalm 109 and in Psalm 109
He's saying hey, let another person take his office and then he's just giving all these imprecations to Judas saying
Hey, don't even forget the sins of his mama, right? That's just that's just extra
But that's what the Bible says go back to Acts chapter number one Acts chapter number one
So he's saying hey we had Judas he took part of our ministry
We need to have another person take his office in verse 21
Wherefore of these men which have notice company with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us
beginning from the baptism of John
Notice this unto that same day that he was taken up from us must one be ordained
To be a witness with us of his resurrection
So as they're going to replace Judas because Judas absolutely was one of the twelve
Apostles he was ordained by Jesus Christ to be an apostle now
Of course Jesus knew from the beginning that he was the devil and that he was going to betray him
But he still had that office and when Peter is considering hey, how are we going to replace Judas?
How are we going to ordain a new apostle?
He says that hey someone has to have been that it says unto that same day that he was taken up from us
Must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection
So in order to replace Judas and be an actual apostle you have to have been an eyewitness of
The resurrection, you know Jesus Christ the resurrected Jesus Christ and to have seen him taken up
That actually has to have been the case. Why well because as Christianity is getting kicked off
God found it important to have credible
Eyewitness accounts of the resurrection of Jesus Christ because God is not just asking people to follow blindly
The account of the Bible the account of Jesus Christ
You know blind faith is actually not what Christians are called to do people will accuse us of that. Oh, you just have blind faith
No, he actually had credible
Eyewitnesses who saw the risen Lord Jesus Christ and that was very important for the office of an Apostle
Because it just gives credibility to their story is the fact that there was multiple witnesses that saw Jesus resurrected
You know, it'd be one thing if this is like a brand new religion
The New Testament Christianity is getting kicked off and who are the witnesses a bunch of people that didn't even see Jesus
You know, that wouldn't be as convincing. But what's convincing is that there was actually a lot of evidence that Jesus rose again from the dead
It's not some fantastical, you know tale that's being told. It's actually real
It's actually a good witness story. It says in verse number 23 and they appointed to
Joseph called Barsabbas who is surnamed Justice and
Matthias and they prayed and said thou Lord which knoweth the hearts of all men show whether of these two thou hast chosen
That he may take part of this ministry and Apostle ship
from which Judas by transgression fell that he might go to his own place and they gave forth their lots and the lot fell upon
Matthias and he was numbered with the eleven apostles now today
I don't think it's a good idea to make your decisions in life by casting lots
But you know what the Apostles they did see the risen Lord Jesus Christ
They did have special miraculous powers that God gave them to allow them to do and so one of the
qualifications of the new Apostle they had to have seen the risen Lord Jesus Christ and
Every single Apostle you see in the Bible was picked and ordained by God where it's not just you know
I'm calling myself an Apostle
You know some voodoo African weirdo in Africa is calling himself an Apostle and saying he's gonna do these you know miracles
No, God actually chose the twelve Apostles. God chose Matthias and God eventually chose the Apostle Paul
We read about that in the New Testament go to 1st Corinthians 15
Let's talk about Paul a little bit because I submit to you that Paul was the last
Apostle and since Paul there has never been another Apostle and there never will be another Apostle and my view and and I'll prove
This my view is that if anyone calls themselves an Apostle that is just a sure bet that they are a false prophet
That they are evil that they are liars that they are manipulating simple people because look it sounds good
I mean doesn't sound good to show up at a church service and all your pains and your body will be fixed and all your chronic
Illnesses will be fixed and you know what you're gonna get to speak this special heavenly prayer language
I mean real sounds real exciting, but it's not real. It's fake 1st Corinthians 15 verse 1 Paul says this
Moreover brethren I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you
Which also you have received and wherein you stand by which also you are saved if you keep in memory
What I preached unto you unless you have believed in vain what I believe he's saying
There's hey, you know
If I ask you what it takes to get to heaven and you tell me a completely different answer
Than the gospel that I preached unto you. You must not have remembered it. You must have not believed the correct things
That's what he's saying by believing in vain
He says because verse 3 4 I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received
How that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day
According to the scriptures see that's the gospel and if you ask someone what it takes to get to heaven and Jesus doesn't even come
Out of their mouth the death burial resurrection, you know, Jesus dying for our sins isn't even mentioned his resurrection is not even mentioned
You know that person's not believing the right thing and it's funny today you go out soul winning and you ask people
What does it take to get to heaven and Jesus never even passes their lips?
And it's like you're not saved. Your first answer is be a good person repent of my sins live a good life
Oh do apostolic signs. Okay, you've believed in vain. You're not believing the right thing
Notice what he says in verse 4. I'm sorry verse 5. He was seen of
Cephas then of the 12 after that he was a scene of above
500 brethren at once of whom the greater part remain unto this present but some are falling asleep
So notice the historical the historical record of the resurrection is very strong
I mean imagine in a court case today if you had
500 witnesses that saw someone do something, you know saw someone commit a murder
500 witnesses are a lot and why is he doing this? He's like he's allowing people to challenge the historicity of the gospel
He's allowing people to say go check these things out
You don't have to believe this by blind faith because guess what the greater part of this 500 remains to this very day
He's saying go ask them if they saw Jesus Christ rise again
He says after that he was seen of James then of all the Apostles verse 8 is key
And last of all he was seen of me also as of one born out of due time
So does the Apostle Paul fit the criteria that we read in Acts chapter number one for an apostle?
Yes, he does. Why because he saw the risen Lord Jesus Christ
He said last of all he was seen of me as one born out of due time
He's saying like I barely made it I barely was there
You know to see the risen Lord verse number nine for I am the least of the what?
Apostles now he has a humble view of himself
He says let him not meet to be called an apostle because I persecuted the Church of God
So he is an apostle, but he has obviously a very humble view of himself because before he was saved
What was he doing?
Persecuting Christians, you know sending people to their houses and arresting them and sending them to their death and just persecuting them
Severely, but you know what?
He is an apostle because of the fact that he saw the risen Lord Jesus Christ
And he was chosen by Jesus Christ to have that mission verse 10
But by the grace of God I am what I am and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain
But I labored more abundantly than they all yet
Not I but the grace of God which was given with me go back to Ephesians and go to chapter number two Ephesians
Chapter number two so the Apostle Paul he fits the criteria. He saw Jesus risen
He was chosen by Jesus. Of course. He has a very humble view of himself. He's doing this by the grace of God
He's got a great attitude. Look at what else what else it says in Ephesians 2
Verse 18 for through him we both have access by one spirit unto the Father now
Therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the Saints and of the household of God
Verse 20 is key and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets
Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone
So the Bible likens the kingdom of God the Church of God the work of God
To like a building project and Jesus Christ is that chief?
Cornerstone meaning he's that stone that starts the building project you lay that chief cornerstone
Then you could start building everything else around that now the foundation that's what's laid first, right?
You're not gonna put down a foundation and then throw up walls and then put more foundation on top of the walls
That doesn't make any sense, right? So what was the beginning of the New Testament Church?
It was this the foundation of the Apostles and prophets
What is a prophet a prophet is someone who actually is speaking by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost
Holy men of God spake as they are moved by the Holy Ghost those people the prophets and the Apostles and of course Jesus himself
Those are the chief cornerstones, right? This is why I believe when Jesus is talking to Peter
He says thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my church?
I actually do think that is talking about Peter the Catholics love to throw that in our face like oh, that's Jesus establishing a pope
He never said pope pope doesn't exist in the Bible
But you know what does exist is you have lively stones you have rocks you have the foundation
Laid by the Apostles and prophets, but of course Jesus Christ is the rock all caps
He's the chief rock. He's the chief cornerstone, but you know what the Apostles and the prophets
They are rocks too
And they are the foundation of the New Testament Church and that actually makes sense because as scripture is being written
It makes sense to have these men who could testify and corroborate the word of God
by their eyewitness and
Able to perform these miracles to confirm the fact that they are of God now today
We don't need that because we have something called the Bible
We have all of scripture right here, and you know what God does not want to just continuously
Give people a sign because without faith it is impossible to please him and God is not going to come into your bedroom and say hey
It's me Jesus, and I really did rise again, and if you call upon me, you're gonna be safe
That's not how it works, but you know what he was gracious enough to give us lots of signs
Lots of miracles that were done during that foundational period of Christianity
That's why it says that we're built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets go to 2nd Corinthians chapter number 11
2nd Corinthians chapter 11 look at verse 13 of 2nd Corinthians 11. It says for such are
false
Apostles deceitful workers
Transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ, right? So they're not real Apostles. They're fake
They're transforming them into like the appearance of being an Apostle of Christ
It says and no Marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light
And of course we hear we know the Bible we know how false prophets work false prophets are not going to get up and say
I'm a false prophet. I'm a devil we love Satan
you know the effect of false prophets are gonna be the ones that try to get as close to the Bible as they can and
What is something that's in the Bible Apostles are in the Bible, but guess what they don't exist today
They don't exist today
And like I said, there's all these people out there that would love to be lied to and would love to be manipulated
You know as far as what these churches do because again, it sounds good. It sounds good to get everything healed
It sounds good to be part of you know
The miracles being done and the pastor has this special connection to God the Mormon prophet has this special connection to God
And so it makes people feel real special
But really what it is is it's wicked covetous false prophets that want to make merchandise of people, right?
Kenneth Copeland one of the richest pastors in all of America
you know this guy is like this where he believes in all these signs and miracles and he gets up and talks about how he
rebuked COVID-19
And he rebukes tornadoes on his private airstrip. I mean he got up and said, you know, oh, yeah
I've been rebuking tornadoes on my airstrip for 40 years. Oh, okay. You've just been rebuking tornadoes
Why don't you go to Oklahoma then?
Why don't you come here during tornado season and help people out and you know, this is how you know
It's a fraud is because Jesus Christ. I mean you could not keep the multitudes away from him
He was pre and here's the thing Jesus was not saying hey give me a thousand dollars and I'll give you ten thousand
Jesus wasn't saying hey, you know come to me and just all your problems will go away
No, he's saying like hey take up your cross daily. He's saying deny yourself. Jesus is constantly preaching hard messages
He's constantly rebuking people. He's constantly making people so angry that they want to kill him
Yet he still has these huge followings because he's the real deal
These people are fake because guess what if there was one of these new apostolic churches in Oklahoma City today
Where the pastor could literally cure your cancer. Let me tell you something
There would be people flying into that church from all over planet earth
The pastor would have time to do nothing else but to heal people because there's all sorts of suffering people all over the world
What it is is it's a joke. It's a fraud. It's fake and oftentimes
They'll even do like little schemes where they'll have visitors, you know fill out their card. Hey, what's your prayer request?
Oh, you know, I've got back pain and then the pastor be like, so God just told me that you have back pain, right?
But it's really you filled out the card you gave it to the ushers
The usher told the pastor before the service and then people like oh this man is of God. He's a miracle worker
He has a direct connection with God. It's all a joke. It's all scam real Christianity is what the Bible says
It's not this over-the-top weird fake miracle working garbage go to mark chapter 16 mark chapter number 16
So I think we've proved number one that apostles do not exist today. The last apostle was Paul number two
I want to say this apostolic gifts were temporary
Apostolic gifts were temporary mark chapter 16. Look at verse 17
It says and these signs shall follow them that believe in my name shall they cast out devils?
They shall speak with new tongues
They shall take up serpents and if they drink any deadly thing
It shall not hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover now all the things that Jesus is listing right here
The Apostles actually did but guess what? Can any of us today just go out and
Authoritatively just with our our voice just cast out a devil. No, we can't now
I believe you could pray for someone and God can do that
I believe you could get someone saved and have the Holy Spirit move in I believe that but I can't just walk up to
People and do that if I could I would be in Portland all day every day and I would make a YouTube channel
And I would get millions and millions of subscribers because it would be you just so much work to do there, right? Okay
Speaking with new tongues. We'll talk about that in a minute taking up serpents drinking something deadly and it not hurting them
We'll see a story of Paul having that happen to him
Laying hands on the sick if you've read the book of Acts that's constantly happening with the Apostles them recovering
Verse 19 so then after the Lord had spoken unto them
He was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God and they went forth and preached everywhere
the Lord working with them notice this and
Confirming the word with signs following
Amen, why were the signs given? Why were these apostolic miracles and powers?
Given to the Apostles it was to confirm the word because guess what when Jesus ascended up into heaven
The book of Acts was not physically penned down yet. Those events had not yet taken place
Romans first Corinthians Ephesians all these books of the Bible had not yet been written down. So what did God do?
He gave the Apostles these signs these abilities to do miracles for what purpose to confirm the word of God
Now explain me. Do we have the word of God today? Yes or no. Yes, we do
So if we have the completed Canon of Scripture, then why would we need to still confirm it with signs?
It's already been confirmed. The Apostles already confirmed the word. We already have it today. It's done
It does not make sense for us to be able to have those powers today because again the people who claim this kind of stuff
They're not doing these powers and saying like I really want you to just believe the Bible because of these powers
No, they're just saying like I really want you to give me money. I want to start this healing college and you could pay us
Money to learn how to do miracles, you know, they think that the gift of God can be purchased with money
I seem to remember a story like that where Peter rebuked someone for having that mentality
But that's what this new apostolic reform movement does first Corinthians 12 if you'll turn there first Corinthians chapter number 12
You know now that we have the Word of God today, you know what God expects us to do
He expects us to just believe it. Yes. He was gracious. He gave signs
But Jesus also said a wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, you know
You read Luke 16 and the rich man in hell
He's like man send one of the prophets to my family members and tell them tell them about me being here
Tell them about everything and he's saying hey, they have Moses and the prophets
You got to hear them
And if you don't hear them, you're not gonna hear the one rise from the dead first Corinthians 12 verse 7
Let's read about some of these gifts
but the manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit with all for to one is given by the
Spirit the word of wisdom and to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit now
I do believe that the Holy Spirit today can give someone a gift to where they're just good at learning wisdom
Where they are good at getting knowledge to another faith by the same spirit to another now
Here's where I would say this doesn't exist today the gifts of healing by the same spirit to another the working of miracles
to another prophecy to another discerning of spirits to another diverse kinds of tongues to another the
interpretation of tongues skip down to verse 27 it says
Now you are the body of Christ and members in particular and God hath set some in the church notice this first Apostles
Secondarily prophets thirdly teachers after that miracles then gifts of healings helps governments diversities of tongues
So to me it kind of seems like he's saying hey
This is something that's temporary because God gave first the Apostles and these prophets thirdly teachers
But notice verse 29 are all Apostles
He's saying hey is every single gift that I'm listing right here just for every single person
No, some of them are for the Apostles only that's why I saying hey are all Apostles
No are all prophets. No are all teachers. No are all workers of miracles
No, have all the gifts of healing. No, do all speak with tongues. No do all interpret
No, but notice this but covet earnestly the best gifts and yet show I unto you a more excellent way
Look, there's nothing wrong with wanting the Spirit of God to give you a certain gift
And I think that the Spirit of God still does give people spiritual gifts today
But are all gonna be Apostles though are all gonna have apostolic gifts are all gonna have gifts of healing
Are all gonna have gifts of tongues
No, but why don't you just covet earnestly the best gifts and yet show I unto you a more excellent way
You know, I believe that God can give someone the gift of you know, being really good with administration
The Bible talks about the gift of administration
Someone could be very good at organizing things and they're very type a and they just have a mind
That's good for that kind of stuff, you know, that could be a gift that's received from God
Someone could have the gift of prophecy not in the sense of getting divine revelation
But maybe God just allows someone to be good at preaching the Bible right teaching the Word of God
The Bible talks about being apt to teach
I believe the Holy Spirit of God can give you wisdom and give you knowledge and help
People understand the Bible having that gift to teach, you know
The gift of being comforting to other people the gift of being discerning having wisdom
I do believe that the Holy Spirit of God can give us diverse gifts today
And we should covet earnestly those best gifts, but you know what?
We should not act like we're apostles because we're not we should not pretend like God is giving us the power of healing
Because he doesn't not saying that God can't still do miracles today and heal people he absolutely can and he does
We've prayed for people's cancer to go away and it's gone away, you know
We've seen miracles done but guess what not by my power and not by your power by the power of God
Let's talk about the gift of prophecy. Let's go through each of these
I'm gonna read for you while you go to first Corinthians 13 first Corinthians 13
I'm gonna read a few passages for you the gift of prophecy
Second Peter 121 says for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man
But holy men of God spake as they are moved by the Holy Ghost the gift of prophecy does not exist today
Why because we have all of scripture and if someone says to you
Hey, God told me and they're not quoting a Bible verse
They're lying or they're deceived one of the two and I do think you know people get overly emotional
They're around all these emotional type churches where they're constantly talking about you
just know ask God to speak to you God's gonna knock on your heart and speak to you and
Sometimes I think people can self-delude and actually believe that God has spoken and said something to them, but you know what?
There's also
Really really wicked evil people that will blatantly lie and just say like God told me this you know
How about David Koresh the false prophet that was involved in the branch Davidians in Waco, Texas?
You know he says that he is Jesus Christ that he's a minister of God
He's like hey God told me for you to give me all your wives and all your daughters, right?
And so these evil stupid wicked people the branch Davidians were giving their children and their wives
Over to David Koresh because they believe that this guy had the gift of prophecy you see how this could be abused by the way
Stop defending the evil as hell branch Davidians really pisses me off when conservatives and libertarians have the dumbest most
NPC take on Waco I've ever heard
It's like I can't believe the ATF came those people should be wiped off the face of the earth
Those people are evil following a man that calls himself Jesus Christ. Now, of course, the children are innocent victims
100% but this guy got up and he was constantly preaching about how they're gonna have an end-of-the-world
Confrontation with the government maybe because you're doing so much evil wicked disgusting stuff that you knew that would happen
Self-fulfilling prophecy, right and everyone gets upset because the ATF came after him
Why don't you get upset with the fact that there is pedophilia happening there?
I don't care what branch of the government or what federal agency comes after them. That's the one and only time
I'm siding with the ATF. Oh the ATF burn that I don't believe for a second that they did
I believe that those branch Davidians burned themselves because look how diluted and sick and evil those people were again children
Different story they're innocent victims, but you know what you should be aware of someone that claims to have the power of prophecy
Maybe someone's standing up and saying I am Jesus Christ
Should be a little bit of a red flag for you to go somewhere else and a lot of times people get the preaching that they
Deserve because how stupid do you have to be to actually believe that this long-haired?
Gross guy is worthy of your wife and your daughter evil those people are burning in hell by the way
I went to Waco. I went to that area and it is one of the creepiest places ever because it's still staffed to this day by branch
Davidians and all over inside the church all over the wall
It's just like this giant worship session to David crash and all the employees are like continuously defending him and talking about you know
How he was righteous. It is this creepy dark evil place
Evil evil place. I'm gonna quote for you another verse one of my favorite passages here
Hebrews 1 1 God who had sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time passed unto the fathers by the prophets
Hath in these last days
Spoken unto us by his son whom he hath appointed heir of all things by whom also he made the worlds
God today is not speaking to us by direct revelation. We are not getting you know apostolic prophecy
We have the Word of God and if you're gonna say God said then you need to quote a Bible verse
Otherwise, where does it end? Okay, you might think it's okay to go to your really liberal non-denom
Charismatic church where the pastor gets a little word of prophecy and you might think that's funny and cute
Okay, but then what about the entire religion of Mormonism that that has a another testament of Jesus Christ
Where he got new revelation from God?
Okay, Mohammed is getting new revelation from the angel creating the religion of Islam
How do you know it's fake because of Hebrews 1 1 because of the Bible teaches that apostles don't exist today
The Bible teaches that prophecy doesn't exist today
you know why is the Antichrist gonna be able to deceive so many people because people don't understand this because I don't care what
Miracles or what signs real or not someone is doing if they're saying something contrary to the Bible
We should reject it
The Antichrist is gonna be so deceiving and so convincing to people because he's gonna be doing great signs and power
And lying wonders that are going to be tricking people really though
There's no excuse because God gave us the word God gave us the word to test these things
I told you to go to 1st Corinthians 13 verse number 8 notice. This is really important
Charity never faileth, but whether they be prophecies
They shall fail whether there be tongues notice they shall cease
Whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away for we know in part and we prophesy in part notice
But when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away
Look the Apostle Paul is prophesying in part. He's being filled with the Holy Spirit of God
He is getting revelation from God
He is speaking the words of God by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit
But did he speak in part or did he speak this whole entire Bible?
No
He prophesied in part and the Bible saying charity never fails love will always exist love will always go on but you know
What prophecies they fail they shall fail. You know what that means. It will stop it will end, right?
So the gift of prophecy the Bible saying is that will end someday love will never end charity never fails
But the gift of prophecy you better believe that will fail whether there be tongues
They shall cease whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away for we know in part and we prophesy in part
But that when that which is perfect is come don't we have the complete word of God now, that's what perfect means
Complete whole entire lacking nothing when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away
See, we don't need those gifts anymore. We don't need the gift of prophecy
We don't need the laying on of hands because we have what is perfect. It's already been established
It's already been verified and now what you see is what you get
And if you don't believe this God's not giving you a sign go to Acts chapter number two act chapter number two
So we talked about the gift of prophecy and how I believe that that has ceased today
Let's talk about the gift of tongues act chapter number two verse one and when the day of Pentecost was fully come
they were all in one accord in one place and
Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting and there
Appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire and it sat upon each of them
now I missed this during the Pentecostal service where the passers going around and screaming and yelling and foaming at the mouth and
Barking like a dog and making all these weird sounds and fake languages
I I missed the part where the split tongues means like a cloven tongue the split tongue
Descends and sits upon him and it says cloven tongues like as of fire
I've never seen the YouTube video of Kenneth Copeland doing that
I've never seen the YouTube video of the African voodoo weirdo, you know false religion heretic having this happen to them
But this is what happened when the gifts of gift of tongues was given in the Bible
Verse number four and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost notice and began to speak with other
tongues as
The spirit gave them utterance the phrase
Speaking in tongues doesn't exist. You can't find it anywhere in your Bible. People say oh, do you speak in tongues?
Oh, we speak in tongues at our church that phrase doesn't even exist in the Bible. They just use that man-made phrase
Here's what it says. This is that they speak with other tongues. What is a tongue?
It's a language when I go soul winning and I switch from English to Spanish
I am now speaking another tongue if I speak German. I'm now speaking another tongue
I did not suddenly start speaking gibberish or this secret coded
Heavenly language that only these apostolic pastors can understand. No, that doesn't that doesn't exist
That's not real verse 5 and there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews
Devout men notice this out of every nation under heaven now when there's people from every nation under heaven
Wouldn't it be an awesome gift to be able to speak their language because I learn languages and guess what learning language is hard
it is very very difficult some people have like more of a
Ability than others I think and while the gift of tongues like this
I don't think exists today some people can just have an affinity for learning languages and do a really good job at it
I think that exists
But man, how awesome would it be to just fly to any country in the world and you can just speak their language
Like I think of all the gifts that the Apostles were given
I think this is the coolest one by far even cooler than the healing just to be able to preach the gospel to someone
In another language that you didn't even learn is amazing
it says verse number six now when this was noised abroad the multitude came together and were confounded notice
They're confused. Why because they heard everyone barking like a dog and rolling on the ground and foaming at the mouth
No, they're confused. They're confounded
They were in awe because they heard every man speak heard them speak in his own language
Right now
Here's the thing if me and brother Cameron got on a plane and went to I don't know China and
Cameron's just like all of a sudden he's walks up to these Chinese guys. He's like
I don't know how I would be confounded
I would be very confounded because I'm like what the heck he doesn't speak Chinese like and everyone's just like totally understanding
He's you know, you got the big crowds of Chinese kids. He's just getting them safe. I would be confounded
I'd be like, this is amazing. This is a miracle wouldn't you be right?
Well, if you just saw me all of a sudden start speaking Korean you'd be like what is going on or French?
I mean, you would know that's a miracle because I would never want to learn French. It's a horrible language
All right, if it's all the sudden pastor, I was just speaking French you'd be like I'm confounded
This is amazing. And and again, it's not that you're just speaking another language
It's that these men never learn these languages
It was that the Holy Ghost gave them this gift this ability because guess what God speaks all languages
Sorry, Hebrew roots weirdos only God speaks the heavenly, you know Hebrew language and the Greek language
No
God speaks all languages and the Holy Spirit of God could give someone the ability to just be able to speak any language
Incredible and they were all amazed and marveled saying one to another behold
Are not all these which speak Galileans, right? It'd be like Cameron in China. Is this guy not an Oklahoman?
It's like what is happening right now. They're they're just amazed and how here we every man in our own tongue
Wherein we were born. Where does this say man? How are we hearing this amazing heavenly prayer language?
How are we hearing this insane gibberish?
No, he's just saying we hear the languages that we grew up speaking that we learned notice all of them
Carthians and Meads and Elamites the dwellers at Mesopotamia and in Judea and Cappadocia and Pontius and Asia
Phyrrigia and Pamphylia in Egypt and in all the parts of Libya about Cyrene and strangers of Rome
Jews and proselytes Crete's and Arabians. We do hear them speak in our tongues. Notice the wonderful works of God
What was the purpose of this spiritual gift?
It's because as Christianity is getting started, you know, God's just kicking this thing off
It helps ignite the the continents of this earth with the gospel when men can just speak any language
I mean think about even today even today with all the technology that we have all the AI translation services
This would still be a huge
Advantage for us to be able to go to any country we want and just start preaching the gospel to them in their language
Without even having to learn look that's what this gift was where people get this idea of a heavenly prayer language
It is complete nonsense
There is zero truth to that claim. There is no such thing as a heavenly prayer language all of these Pentecostal
Freaks and five-fold ministry weirdos are complete frauds and yeah, I say some of them are probably demon possessed
Look, I think a lot of them are just charlatans liars frauds making stuff up
But some of these people you look at them shaking and like having strength and speaking like with other voices
That sounds a lot like demon possession in the Bible. And so I want to stay far far away from that
You know, it's really cool when someone can learn a language and preach the gospel
It's not so cool when people are running the aisles and hitting each other with their coats and foaming at the mouth and barking like a dog
That's not cool. That's not Christianity. That's complete garbage go to 1st Corinthians 14. We'll see some more
Instruction and here's the thing what you have to understand. This will really help you understand the book of Acts the book of Acts is
Not a church instruction manual just realize that the book of Acts is the act of the Apostles of Jesus Christ
It is a historical book that is telling us what the Apostles did how they kicked off Christianity
But it is not an instruction manual saying do this
Hey, let's have a church service and and pray that tons of fire lands on our head and we start doing this
This is just what happened. But you know, what is the church instructional manual first Corinthians?
Because Paul is addressing this church that has all these problems and issues and he's telling them how to fix it
So this actually is our instruction manual in verse 1
It says follow after charity and hey desire spiritual gifts, but rather that you may prophesy
So hey gifts are cool spiritual gifts are cool
But the Apostle Paul he puts the preeminence on this preaching because sometimes prophecy means divine revelation
Sometimes prophecy means preaching of future events. Sometimes prophecy just means to preach the gospel or to preach anything
Hey rather you may prophesy for he that speaketh in an unknown tongue
Speaketh not unto men but unto God why for no man understandeth him
How be it in the spirit he speaketh mysteries
So again, God speaks all languages if I got up and started speaking German this morning God would understand
But you would not understand that's what this is saying
But he that prophesied or preach he that preaches speaketh unto men to edification and
Exhortation and comfort. What is the purpose of preaching?
It's to be understood so that you can edify people he that speaketh in an unknown tongue edify it himself
But he that prophesied edify if the church now if you take tongue as meaning an actual language
This makes sense because if I start preaching in a language, you don't understand
Hey, I could receive edification from what I'm saying and what the Bible saying God understands what I'm saying
But you know what the people do not he that prophesied he that preaches in a way
He could be understood. He actually edifies the church now take the Pentecostal view of tongues the you know
New apostolic reformed view of tongues. How does screaming, you know gibberish edify anyone?
How does that help anyone get closer with God?
How does that help anyone understand the Bible more understand doctrine more exhort people to do more for God?
It does none of those things so you could tell it's a fraud
It's not matching what the Bible says verse 5 I would that ye all spake with tongues
Notice that word with again
I would that you all spake with tongues
But rather that ye prophesied for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues except he
Interpret that the church may receive edifying
So look he's saying I I would that you guys spoke other language of their languages. That's great
I love it when soul winners learn other languages and can go to Mexico and preach the gospel and
Can run into the Spanish speakers in OKC and preach the gospel
But you know what's just most important is that you just preach the gospel in what in whatever language you speak when it comes to
Church hey, wouldn't it be cool? You know if I could go to another country and preach in their language. Yeah, that would be cool
I'm not there at this point
But what's most important is that I'm just speaking in English to people who are English speakers and understand what I'm saying
That's actually what's important
He's like I would that you all speak with tongues not saying I would that you all had this weird heavenly prayer language
Verse 13 go down to verse 13
It says wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret
now I've seen people that are with me so far in this doctrine, but then they go to this verse and they say well
This is kind of weird because if you're speaking in another language
Why would you have to pray that you can interpret that language?
But that's just a misunderstanding of the word pray because pray simply means to ask and when you pray in the Bible
You're not always praying to God sometimes you can be asking another person
So if someone comes to our church and they are preaching their pastor from another country, they're gonna preach in different language
you know what they should do they should ask me if there's an interpreter if there's someone that could interpret that message and
When you have a church service where there's you know, very multinational all these different languages
It makes sense for them to be like, hey, you know, I'm gonna preach in German
Can I get a German interpreter up here that actually makes sense that actually lines up with what we've been reading so far
Look at verse 18. I think my God I speak with tongues more than y'all yet in the church
I had rather speak five words with my understanding that by my voice
I might teach others also than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue again
This does not match with the Pentecostal view of tongues where they're speaking ten thousand words of gibberish
Gibberish of an unknown language Paul says I'd rather speak five words that can actually be understood
You know, this is a serious rebuke to this type of a church service
Here's another verse look at verse 34 explain this Pentecostals
Let your women keep silence in the churches for it is not permitted under them to speak
But they are commanded to be under obedience as also say at the law. Hey, how come in these Pentecostal churches?
It's always a bunch of women getting up and speaking in tongues to the pastor showing up and putting the microphone up to her
Oh, thank you sister. Praise the Lord. That was great. Wonderful. Really the Bible says let your women keep silence in the churches
So even if your stupid interpretation of tongues was correct, which is not how come you have a bunch of women doing it?
They're to be silent according to the Bible
But again, these people just want to take one verse out of context with what it means and ignore the rest of the New Testament
And this is why you need to read your Bible go to Acts chapter number three
Let's talk about the gift of healing the gift of healing
Acts chapter 3 verse 1 says now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer
Being the ninth hour and a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple
Which is called beautiful to ask alms of them that entered into the temple. So this man he's not some homeless bum
He's someone who's literally lame. He can't walk. He's got issues with his body
He's asking alms from people who's seeing Peter John about to go into the temple asked and alms and Peter
Fastening his eyes upon him with John said look on us and he gave heed unto them expecting to receive something of them
Then Peter said silver and gold have I none but such as I have give I be in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth
rise up and walk and he took him by the right hand and lifted him up and
Immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength and he leaping up stood and walked and entered with them into the temple
Walking and leaping and praising God and all the people saw him walking and praising God. What an awesome story
This is an incredible miracle to have someone that was lame from his mother's womb
This guy's never walked or at least never walked properly
He has no strength in his ankles in his bones and Peter just looks at him and says in the name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth rise up and walk and just boom he leaps up. He leaps up. He gets strength in his ankle bones. He leaps
He jumps and praises God. Look, this isn't some sort of fake trickery magic trick deal
This is a real miracle and people will falsely accuse us saying oh you Baptist don't believe in miracles. Oh, I believe in miracles
I believe this was a real miracle. I believe that this really happened
I believe that the Apostles really have this gift
But you know what if this existed today we would know about it because if I you know if I had this gift
I mean couldn't I do a lot of good by going down to the VA and you know the tens of thousands of looted
Afghanistan and Iraq veterans that had their legs blown off that are lame that are disfigured that are injured that have
Scalding in their lungs and just say in the name of Jesus Christ be healed if it was that easy
Why aren't people doing that because it doesn't exist notice you have to come to their church in their controlled
Setting with their lights and shows and smoke and trickery and all that stuff for them to be able to do it
But they can't just go out in public and do that stuff because they'd be shown to be the frauds that they are now
Here's what we can do today go to James chapter number five because again, I do believe in miracles today
I do believe that God can perform miracles today
I do I mean anything you could think of God can make that happen
God can do above all that we can ask or think
He can do exceedingly above beyond all that we can ask and think so don't falsely accuse us saying we don't believe in miracles
Oh, we do but this is how verse 14 is any sick among you
Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him
Anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. So notice does this say hey, are you sick?
Well have your pastor just cast out the sickness from you have him just declare you better
No, what are you gonna do the elders are going to pray and when it talks about anointing with oil
I do believe that when it says is any sick among you that this is like a very severe, you know
Super bad sickness not like you got kovat or you got you know
The cold or something like that
but like I even know many of my pastor friends for someone who's like on death's door someone who's like really sick that they
literally will anoint people with oil and pray because here's the thing just because
Pentecostals and caribis asthmatics take things way too far doesn't mean that we need to like get uncomfortable with what the Bible says either
Here's what the Bible says is someone sick call for the elders
And let them pray over him anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord
I would do this if someone needed this I know other pastors that have done this
But this isn't some sort of like miracle just with authority casting out sickness from someone and just you're healed that doesn't exist
You're praying notice verse 15 and the prayer of faith shall save the sick
What is healing these people prayer to God God's praying that or God's healing them and the Lord
Shall raise him up and if he had committed sins, they shall be forgiven him
See this actually is normal and makes sense and isn't some sort of deranged freak show
Where if someone's really sick pastor praise and guess what God will heal them
God can revive their issue verse 16 confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that you may be healed the
Effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. So look we
We can do miracles today not by our own power but through the power of God through his healing power
It's not us anything in our bodies or our authority or our words that could do anything
But we can simply ask the Almighty to come and work for us on our behalf and he can fix that issue
He can heal he can revive he can do whatever he wants to do
So again, don't just say like because we're not Pentecostals, then we just have to avoid certain verses in the Bible like this
No, I'm not afraid of that verse. I like that verse. I think we should pray for each other. How about authoritative?
Exorcisms go to Acts chapter number 5 Acts chapter number 5 now again
This would be pretty cool when when we were being protested for three years at steadfast
I would have liked to have had this power to be able to just walk up to you know
The screaming wretches out there and just you know exercise them of their demons
Look at Acts chapter 5 Acts chapter 8 verse 5
Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them and the people with one accord gave heed under those things
Which Philip spake hearing and seeing the miracles which he did notice for unclean spirits crying with loud voice
Came out of many that were possessed with them and many taken with palsy's and that were lame were
Healed go to Ephesians 1 as you turning their acts chapter 16 verse 16 says that it came to pass as we went to prayer
A certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us which bought her master as much gained by sooth saying
The same followed Paul and us and cried saying these men are the servants of the most high God
Which show unto us the way of salvation and this did she many days but Paul being grieved turned and said to the spirit
I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her and he came out the same hour
I mean that is a pretty cool miracle
That's not just you know him praying and asking God to help this person. He just looks at her
It says I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. This was real
This really happened and hey, this is awesome. Let's preach about I mean, it's cool
But you know what is cringe and weird and annoying is the Pentecostal moms on Instagram
Whose kids heard something in the dark and then she walks in the room
Just I command the evil spirit in this room to come out of our room in the name of Jesus Christ
Ah, and I just it's like that's not real. That's fake. That doesn't happen today
Here's what we can do look at Ephesians 1 verse 13 in whom you also trusted
After that you heard the word of truth
The gospel of your salvation in whom also after that you believe notice you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise
How is it that you could cast out an unclean spirit in someone today?
Well, hey pray for them preach them the gospel and if they get saved
Guess what? The Holy Spirit's moving in and any unclean spirits are moving out save people cannot be possessed. That is not a thing
Let's look at another one go to Acts chapter number
28 what about receiving harm or receiving no harm from poison?
We read in mark 16 how Jesus said that those that believe would be able to the exact word
He said is take up serpents and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them now again
This is for the Apostles
I do not recommend you go and try this today to go take up a deadly serpent and there's been tons of these fake people
These fake pastors that have literally died from trying to prove that they're of God by taking up dangerous serpents
Acts chapter 28 verse 1 and when they were escaped then they knew that the island was called Melita by the way
This island exists today. It's called Malta and it would be a cool place to go on a mission trip someday
I don't know if we're gonna be able to but it's it's on my heart
So we'll see Malta Melita and the barbarous people showed us no little kindness for they kindled a fire and revived us
Everyone because of the present rain and because of the cold
So Paul was just shipwrecked off the island of Malta the barbarous people receive him. They take him in it's raining
They make a fire for him verse 3 and when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire
There came out a viper out of the heat and
Fastened on his hand. So this deadly snake pops out of the fire and bites him on the hand
And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves
No doubt this man is a murderer whom though he hath escaped the sea yet vengeance suffereth not to live
Notice and he shook off the beast into the fire and felt no harm. Oh, you guys don't believe miracles. No, I do
I believe that Paul was bitten by a venomous snake that would have hurt me that would have hurt you that may have killed us
But Paul just shook that thing off and felt no harm. That is what I believe that happened
but you know what I also believe that if I were to do this today or if these weird Pentecostals were to do this day and
They were to get bitten by venomous snake that they would keel over and die because these gifts do not exist today
They were temperate and again
What was the purpose to confirm the Word of God when Paul shows up to the island of Malta or Melita?
Especially in his day and age
do you think that they were you know having the internet where they could read the gospel and and hear videos about the gospel and
No, all of a sudden just Paul was there and he's their shot
He's their shot of hearing the truth of the gospel and doesn't it add to Paul's message that this happened to him like add to
His credibility. Yes, it does. And so that's what these gifts were for last point
Go to second Peter chapter number one second Peter chapter one
And and this last point is really gets at the heart of our disagreement between
Cessationists and what we believe cessation ism really gets at the heart of
Baptist versus like these Bethel Church weirdo type these extreme Pentecostal types number three is this we believe that scripture
Trump's experience and when I say experience I really mean perceived experience because obviously the Bible always matches reality
But you know what our experiences can sometimes be biased and what you think you experience is not always necessarily the truth, right?
This is why police, you know, they'll get a call saying oh there was five shots
But then video evidence shows there was 20 shots, right?
Because experience is not is sometimes subjective but the Bible is always true, right?
Your experience that you have at church at a healing service could be one thing
But if the Bible says something different, we always go with the Bible above our experience
Second Peter 1 verse 16
He says this Peter says this for we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
But were eyewitnesses of his majesty for he received from God the Father honor and glory
When there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory
This is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased and this voice which came from heaven
We heard when we were with him in a holy mount. Keep your place there. Go to Matthew 17
What is this talking about? It's talking about the mount of transfiguration and Peter is saying look
I we're not following cunningly devised fables. We didn't get tricked by some convincing story. He's saying look I was an eye
Witness of the majesty of Christ Peter literally saw the transfigured Jesus Christ Matthew 17 verse 1
and after six days Jesus take at Peter James and John his brother and bringeth him up into an high mountain apart and was
Transfigured before them and his face did shine as the Sun and his raiment was white as the light and behold
They appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him then answered Peter and said unto Jesus Lord
It is good for us to be here
If thou wilt let us make here three tabernacles one for thee and one for Moses and one for Elias
You got to love Peter's goodwill here where he's just trying to be a servant. He's like, hey, it's kind of cool that we're here
Let me make three tabernacles for you and for Moses and Elias
but of course Jesus is so much greater in importance and might and majesty and glory than those men that he's kind of putting his
Foot in the mouth in his mouth a little bit because notice what happens it says in verse 5 while he yet spake behold a bright
Cloud overshadowed them and behold a voice out of the cloud would said this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased
Hear ye him. Hey, it's not about Moses and Elijah. You know what Moses and Elijah did
They were witnesses to Jesus Christ to him gave all the prophets witness, right?
Speaking of Jesus and when the disciples heard it they fell on their face and were sore afraid now
I don't know about you that would be a pretty convincing experience if you went through that go back to 2nd Peter 1 if you were
On the mountain Jesus is like hey, let's go up to the mountain and he gets transfigured into his glorified state before your eyes
And his face is shining like the Sun and his clothing is white like the light and you know
You say something kind of dumb and all of a sudden the voice of God the Father comes and corrects you saying like hey
This is my beloved son in whom I am. Well, please hear ye him
That's a pretty convincing experience and guess what this experience trumps anything any Pentecostal any new apostolic
Reformed any Bethel Church could even dream of this was the real deal this actually happened
But you know what he said of this experience in verse 19
He says we have also a more sure word of prophecy
Whereunto ye do well that you take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place
Until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts don't don't miss what he's saying right here
He's saying look
I'm not following a cunningly devised fable when I told you about the glory of the Lord that really happened
We were eyewitnesses of his majesty. We saw the transfigured Lord, but he says guess what we actually have a more sure
Word of prophecy now your experience can be pretty sure it can be subjective
But it also can be sure and you say even more than that experience that I had is the certainty of the Word of God
And that's really the crux of the argument when it comes to our view on sensation ism is that we just say hey
You know what the Bible trumps your experience the Bible teaches that to be an apostle
You have to have seen the risen Lord Jesus Christ and guess what you haven't done that so you could call yourself an apostle
But we're always gonna go with what the Bible says
We know that the gifts that the signs that were given were given to confirm the word of God and they're done
They have ceased they are over can miracles still happen through prayer through the power of God
Yes, they can but not by my hand not by my word of authority
And so what does it come down to is that we're just gonna trust what the Bible says and you know what?
Spiritual Christianity is it's actually just believing the Bible
We'll finish here on first Corinthians 14 because these these churches man, they're all about being super spiritual now
They don't read the Bible but boy a boy do they want to get spiritual with their heavenly prayer language
Do they want to get spiritual?
You know spending hours in prayer doing the healing services and doing all these magic tricks and miracles and all this stuff
And they talk about how spiritual they are
But look what the Bible says it means to be spiritual in first Corinthians 14 specifically the chapter about tongues
It says if any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you
Are the commandments of the Lord, you know
If you want to be spiritual here step number one is believe everything that the Bible says
This is why as Baptist we elevate the Bible so highly
Because Jesus is the word and if Jesus is gonna be the head of our church
We have to put the word of God at the head of our church and you ought to be careful and beware of any man
That gets up and says I'm Apostle so-and-so. I'm gonna do these miracles. I'm gonna do these great signs and lying wonders
It is a complete fraud and we actually need to be people that read the Bible every day so that we could be
Aware of these types of tricks, you know, no one's gonna be able to come into this church and pull something like this
It's just not gonna happen. You know, if we had an immense preaching night and someone started speaking gibberish
No one's gonna be tricked by that. They're just gonna be dragged off drug off the stage, you know, that's it
but you know what there's churches all over this community and all over America and all over the third world, especially
Where poor simple people who need help are being taken advantage of here's how we actually help them is we love them enough to go preach
The gospel. Hey, it's great if you want spiritual gifts, but you know what rather that you may prophesy
Why don't you focus on that spiritual gift first?
Why don't you focus on the command of preaching the gospel?
And it's so funny to me how these Pentecostals want to focus on these gifts that don't even exist today
Meanwhile, they don't even preach the right gospel. What do they preach repent of your sins for your salvation?
It's like how do I know that these are people of false religions that they're false prophet. It's like well
There's no apostles today. There's no more apostolic gifts today and you're preaching a false gospel
I think it's pretty safe to say that you're a hell-bound heretic
So, you know what you need to be you need to be a Baptist you need to read the Bible
That's what's gonna keep us safe. Let's pray Lord. Thank you so much for your word
I pray that every single person here would take heed to your word to read it daily to meditate on it to allow
your word to shape our beliefs and
The administration of our church and just everything that we can do in life
I pray that you help us to submit our will to yours through your word
And I pray that people just wake up to the fraud of this five-fold ministry these extreme charismatic
False Apostles that are out there
I pray that people would just seek the truth and that she would lead us to them out soul winning
We'd be able to get them saved and help them become a Baptist in Jesus name. We pray. Amen final
Hymn this morning in your hymnals number four hundred eight
loyalty to Christ him number four hundred eight four zero eight
loyalty to Christ
408 we'll sing there starting on the first
Boy