Amen. All right, we're there in Philippians chapter number three, and of course on Sunday mornings we've been going through a series called Rejoice, and it's really been a verse-by-verse study through the book of Philippians, kind of like we do on Wednesday night, verse-by-verse study.
We've been doing it on Sunday mornings through this book of Philippians. And Philippians, of course, is a book of joy. It is a book about learning to rejoice.
The word joy and rejoice are found over and over and over again throughout this book.
Every time we've opened up this book through the study, I've reminded you that the book of Philippians is a book of joy, and it's a book of Jesus, and it's about having joy and the joy that can be found in Jesus.
In this passage, and what's interesting about Philippians is that it's a very positive book.
The last several weeks as we've been walking through chapters one, two, and now chapter three, we have been seeing a lot of positive things that the Apostle Paul has said.
I would say that the book of Philippians is the most positive book that Paul wrote as far as he's not dealing with a lot of problems, not dealing with a lot of issues.
It's not like 1 and 2 Corinthians or Galatians. It's a very positive book, and as a result, it's been a very positive series.
However, today we get to the part of the book that is negative, probably the only part of the book that is negative, and we'll spend two sermons on this.
I'll preach on it this morning, and I'll either preach on it tonight, or I'll preach on it next Sunday morning, but we'll spend two weeks in this negative part of the sermon.
Then we'll get into chapter four, and it gets positive again, and we'll continue through that.
Notice there in Philippians 3 and verse 18, remember throughout the book he's been telling us to have joy, to rejoice, to have contentment in the Lord.
Then we read these negative words, Philippians 3 and 18. He says,
Notice this phrase,
This is not a section of the book that is a joyful section. It's not a section of the book that is a rejoicing section.
The reason I believe the apostle Paul brings it up is because this can be an attack to our joy.
This can bring a stop to the idea of rejoicing. He says,
What the apostle Paul does in this passage is he brings up the enemies of the cross of Christ.
He says,
He brings up these enemies, and what we're going to do this morning is look at the classification of the enemies of the cross of Christ.
Either tonight or next Sunday morning, we'll look at the characteristics of the enemies of the cross of Christ.
Because what Paul does is he gives us three classifications or three categories, if you will, of the enemies of the cross of Christ.
Notice there in verse, go back to Philippians chapter 1, if you would, and look at verses 1 and 2.
When we got into Philippians, I kind of went over verses 1 and 2 quickly, and I told you that we would come back to it, and we're coming back to it now.
Philippians 3 and verse 1 says,
Notice verse 2, he says,
He brings up these three classifications or these three categories of the enemies of the cross of Christ.
He tells us,
Then in verse 18 he says,
In verse 18, he identifies these as the enemies of the cross of Christ.
In verse 2, he gives us the classifications or the categories,
In verse number 19, he gives us the characteristics of these enemies.
He says,
Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.
So for this morning, we're going to really focus in on verse number 2 and look at these enemies of the cross of Christ.
Now, here's what's interesting. The apostle Paul is writing the book of Philippians from being in bonds, from being in a cell or being under house arrest.
And he's writing this book of Philippians to the church in Philippi, and he wants to warn them, he says.
He says, I want to warn you about these enemies of the cross of Christ.
And he identifies three groups. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
What's interesting is that the apostle Paul identifies for us who his enemies were in the first century.
Because remember, Paul is living in the first century. He's living 2,000 years ago or whatever that number was.
And he's living in that first century, the first time that the local New Testament church has gone forth and has been started and churches are being started.
And of course, the events of the book of Acts have taken place.
And he wants to let them know that in the first century, when the local New Testament church had got its inception through the Lord Jesus Christ and got its promotion through the apostles and specifically through Paul.
He says, there are some enemies you need to be aware of.
So I want you to notice, if you're taking notes this morning, I'd encourage you to write these things down on the back of your course of the week.
There's a place for you to write some things. Just kind of a Bible study.
Who were the enemies of the cross of Christ during the life of Paul?
Who were the enemies of the cross of Christ during the first century?
Well, notice the first group he tells us of. Look at verse 2.
Beware of dogs. That sounds like a sign you'd put on your fence or something.
Beware of dogs. But it's from the Bible. Beware of dogs.
He says the first group that I want you to beware of or be aware of or be weary of is this group that he refers to as dogs.
Now who is he referring to? Go with me, if you would, to the book of Deuteronomy.
In the Old Testament, you have Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.
Now let me just warn all of you dog lovers.
You're probably not going to like me by the end of the sermon or as we get through this.
And I'm sorry. You love dogs and I love you. But God doesn't like dogs.
I don't know how else to break it to you.
There's no good reference in the entire Bible of dogs.
Now I like dogs. I got a dog. But every reference in the Bible of a dog is a negative one.
The only reference in the Bible that slightly seems to be positive towards a dog is in Ecclesiastes when it says that it's better to have a living dog than a dead lion.
And that's really the most positive it gets with dogs.
And you say, why is God so negative towards dogs? Well, he uses that term as an illustration for a group of people.
You say, what group of people? Deuteronomy 23, look at verse 17. Deuteronomy 23, verse 17.
He says, there shall be no horn. I want you to notice in verse 17, there are two categories of people that he's referring to.
The first one is what the Bible calls a horn. Now sometimes people get offended when you use that word.
They say, you know, you shouldn't use that type of terminology from the pulpit.
But I would remind you that we are reading the holy word of God.
And the word of God is pure and there's nothing wrong with using biblical words.
Deuteronomy 23, verse 17. And if you don't like, and you say, well, I don't like that word.
Okay, well then don't be one. If you don't like it so much, if you think it's so disgusting, then don't be one.
There shall be, he says, no whore of the daughters of Israel. That's the first category, a whore.
Then the second category, nor a sodomite. Do you see that? Now what is a sodomite?
The word sodomite comes from Sodom and Gomorrah. And of course the idea there of homosexuality.
That's what we would call it today. He talks about these two categories.
He says, there shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel. And then the second category, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.
Now notice verse 18. In verse 18, he goes back and repeats these two categories.
He says, thou shall not bring in, number one, the hire of a whore. That goes with the first category in verse 17, no whore.
He says, I don't want a whore around the house of God and the things of God.
And he said, I don't even want you to bring the hire of a whore into the house of God.
He says, or the price of a dog.
Now in verse 17 he gave us two categories, a whore and a sodomite.
In verse 18 he gives us the same categories, the hire of a whore and the price of a dog.
You say, what is a dog? A dog is a sodomite. It's a homosexual. That's what they're referred to throughout the Bible.
He uses the terms interchangeably. He says, thou shall not bring the hire of a whore or the price of a dog into the house of the Lord thy God
for any vow for even both these are abominations unto the Lord thy God.
Here's what's interesting is that in the ancient world, Moses writes the law and he, under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost,
says, hey, we don't want a sodomite. And then he says, we don't want a whore here, we don't want a sodomite here.
He says, don't bring the hire of a whore and don't bring the price of a dog.
And he uses the word sodomite and dog interchangeably. You say, I don't think that we should call them dogs.
Well, you know, the Bible calls them brute beasts. The Bible calls them animals.
The Bible says what they do is unnatural. Now here's what's interesting.
What's interesting is that if you were to ask the Apostle Paul, and by the way, Paul is not in a bad mood.
In the book of Philippians he's happy. He's saying, rejoice, be happy, rejoice in the Lord, learn to be content.
And he says, but there is one thing I have to remind you of, one thing that's kind of sad,
one thing that I have to remind you of, even weeping, he said, there are those who are the enemies of the cross of Christ.
And if you asked Paul, if you were able to go to heaven right now and sit down with Paul and Paul,
say, Paul, who were the enemies of the cross of Christ in the first century? Who were they?
He would say, well, the first group I got to warm you up, the first group I got to tell you of,
he says, beware of dogs, of sodomites, of homosexuals. Here's what's interesting.
In the first century, the enemies of the church of God, the enemies of the cross of Christ were homosexuals,
were dogs, sodomites. You say, what's the second group? Well, go back to Philippians chapter 3.
You'll think of that red sign with the white words, beware of dog, you'll see that differently from now on, every time you see it.
I'm thinking of putting one out in front of the church building. No dogs allowed. Beware of dogs.
Philippians 3, 2, beware of dogs, and he says this, beware of evil workers.
He says, there are enemies of the cross of Christ, there are people who have persecuted us in the first century, 2,000 years ago.
You say, Paul, who are they? He says, number one, the sodomites, the homosexuals, the dogs.
He says, they are the enemies of the cross of Christ. Then he says, there's another group, you say, what is it?
He says, beware of evil workers. Beware of evil workers.
Go to 2 Corinthians chapter number 11. 2 Corinthians chapter number 11.
You're there in Philippians, if you go backwards, you have Ephesians, Galatians, 2 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians chapter number 11.
And let me show you the second group that was the group that was attacking the apostle Paul.
He says, beware of evil workers. Evil workers. You say, what is an evil worker?
And there is a little bit of debate on that and people have different thoughts in regards to that.
I'll give you my thoughts and what I believe the evil workers are based off a cross reference and based off just the context of the New Testament, 2 Corinthians chapter number 11.
Do me a favor, when you get to 2 Corinthians, put your ribbon or a bookmark there or something because we're going to leave it and we're going to come back to it.
2 Corinthians chapter number 11 and verse 13. 2 Corinthians 11, 13 says, for such are, notice these words, false apostles, then he says this, deceitful workers.
Now, in Philippians 3, 2, he said evil workers. In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul, who is the same writer, says deceitful workers.
I believe he's referring to the same group here. A group of workers. Now, all throughout the New Testament, Paul references workers in a positive way.
He talks about his co-laborers, his fellow workers. He says those that labored along with him in the gospel.
In fact, later on in the book of Philippians, he's going to talk about the women that labored with him in the gospel.
Here, he talks about workers in a negative sense. He says there are some workers that are working towards a negative thing.
He says beware of dogs, beware of evil workers. Well, who are these evil workers?
I believe that it is the same group that he refers to in 2 Corinthians 11 who he calls deceitful workers.
Now, who are these deceitful workers? Look at verse 13 again. For such are false apostles.
So they are people who say they are apostles, but they are not. They're false apostles.
Now, what's an apostle? An apostle is a position of spiritual leadership.
We don't have apostles and prophets today, but just like we have pastors and deacons and evangelists,
it's someone who says they have a position of spiritual authority when they do not.
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
Then he says this and no marvel. He says this does not not be something that you marvel about or is surprising to you.
He says for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
So who are these deceitful workers or who are these evil workers?
They are what we would call a false prophet, a false preacher, a preacher that is not real,
a preacher that is not actually preaching the Word of God.
So if you and I got to sit Paul down and say, hey, Paul, listen.
We have a lot of enemies today as a local New Testament church in the 21st century.
We have a lot of enemies, a lot of people that attack us, a lot of people that we have to fight.
And I'm curious, Paul, who were the enemies of the cross of Christ in the first century?
And if we got to sit down with Paul and ask him that question, he would say,
well, the first group I got to warn you about is the homosexuals, the dogs.
We say, huh, that's interesting. So you're fighting the dogs back then.
So you're fighting the sodomites back then. So you're fighting the homosexuals back then.
Well, who else, Paul? Who else was an enemy of the cross of Christ in the first century?
He would say, well, you should beware of evil workers.
What do you mean by that, Paul, evil workers? What are the deceitful workers?
Well, who are the deceitful workers? They are the false apostles.
They are the false prophets. They are the false preachers.
So Paul identifies for us a second group of evil, of the enemies of the cross of Christ.
They are the false prophets. Then he identifies for us a third group.
Notice what it is. Look at Philippians chapter 3, verse 10.
Keep your place in 2 Corinthians. We're going to come back to it.
Go back to Philippians chapter 3. Look at verse 2.
Beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers.
Then he says this, beware of the concision.
Now the word concision means to cut or to cut off.
And the idea here is about identifying a group that identifies themselves through their concision or their circumcision.
Now notice he says in verse 2, beware of the concision.
And then in verse 3, he gives us a compare and contrast.
He says, for we are the circumcision.
Now Paul here is a Jew who is speaking to Gentile believers and he says, we are the circumcision.
You say, how can that be? Well, there is neither Jew nor Greek.
There is neither bond nor free. There is neither male nor female.
But we are all one in Christ Jesus.
See the Bible says that we, you say, I thought the Jews were God's chosen people.
Well, in the New Testament, the Bible says there's been a change.
There's been a replacement made.
He says, for we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.
He says, we are the circumcision which is different.
He said, it is a contrast from the concision.
He says, beware of the concision.
Who's he talking about? He's talking about the Jews.
If you were to ask Paul, who are the enemies of the cross of Christ in the first century, he would say, the Jews.
In fact, people don't like you saying this.
People don't like you preaching this.
They'll call you anti-Semitic.
And look, I'm not anti-Semitic. I'm not a racist.
We don't have any issues with Jewish people.
We think Jewish people should be treated like any other people.
They're sinners on their way to hell and they need Jesus Christ to save them.
But today, we live in this Christian society that wants to make, you know, all the other religions are bad.
Islam bad, Buddhism bad, you know, all these other false religions bad.
But for some reason, Christians today want to take the false religion of Judaism which rejects Christ as Savior and try to say, oh, well, they're different.
Well, look, the Bible says that God is no respecter of persons.
Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me.
Let me tell you something. That includes the Jews.
The Jews do not get a special pass into heaven just because they are descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Or they tell us they're descendants of Isaac, Abraham, and Jacob.
Everybody must be saved through the Lord Jesus Christ.
And people don't like you preaching this or teaching this or saying this but let me tell you something.
You cannot read, you cannot read the New Testament without coming away with this idea that the Jews were the enemies of the cross of Christ in the first century.
Go to 1 Thessalonians chapter 2.
1 Thessalonians chapter 2.
If you can find the T-books, they're all clustered together.
1 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy and Titus.
1 Thessalonians chapter 2.
1 Thessalonians 2.14, you say, you know, the Jews were the enemies of the cross of Christ.
1 Thessalonians 2.14, the Bible says this,
For ye brethren, this is Paul again speaking,
For ye brethren, this is Paul speaking to his brothers and sisters in Christ,
His brothers and sisters in Christ in Thessalonica, which are Gentiles.
Notice what he says to them.
Now look, people don't like you preaching this or saying this, but look, you may not like hearing me say it,
but can you at least be honest with yourself and look down at your King James Bible and tell me that the Bible says anything different than what I'm about to show you right now.
1 Thessalonians 2.14,
For ye brethren, Paul speaking to the church of Thessalonica,
became followers of the churches of God, which in Judea are in Christ Jesus.
He says, For ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as...
Now notice, he's telling the church in Thessalonica, you have been persecuted by your countrymen,
he says, in the same way, even as they have of the Jews.
Here's what he's saying.
He's saying, the churches in Thessalonica have been persecuted by their countrymen
in the same way that the churches in Judea have been persecuted of their countrymen, the Jews.
Look at verse 15.
Who both killed the Lord Jesus?
Now look, you ask the question, who killed Jesus?
People get offended.
You say, who killed Jesus?
And you say, the Jews.
You're anti-Semitic.
The Romans killed Jesus, not the Jews.
Well, if you ask Paul, who killed Jesus, verse 15.
Look, are you reading the same Bible I'm reading?
Last part of verse 14, even as they have of the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus
and their own prophets and have persecuted us.
Didn't the Romans kill the Jews?
Absolutely, but understand this, that they were manipulated by the Jews.
In fact, Jesus himself said, he said that they have the greater sin.
They have the greater sin to deliver him to be killed.
He says, who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and have persecuted us
and they have pleased not God and are contrary to all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles
that they might be saved to fill up their sins all the way.
Notice, for the wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.
For the wrath has come upon who to the uttermost?
The Jews.
He says, the wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.
You say, why?
Because look, when you do not believe on Jesus Christ, the Bible says the wrath of God abideth on you.
What do the dispensational Christians tell you today?
Oh, no, no, we've got to bless the Jews.
The blessing of God is upon the Jews.
Well, you must not be reading the same New Testament I'm reading
because the one I'm reading says that not the blessings of God are upon them.
The wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.
The wrath of God is upon them.
The wrath of God is upon them just like it is upon the Muslim, just like it is upon the Buddhist,
just like it is upon every unbelieving so-called Christian in America.
If they don't believe on Christ, the wrath of God is upon them, not the blessings of God.
But if you ask Paul, who are your enemies?
You say, well, the Jews killed Jesus and their own prophets and have persecuted us, Paul says.
Go to Romans chapter number 11.
This is a big one.
People don't like this one.
So let me just beat this horse down.
Let me beat this dog down so that it won't get up again.
My goal is, look, my goal is not that you like my sermon.
My goal is not that you agree with my sermon.
You don't have to agree with anything.
But my goal is this.
For me to show you so much scripture, you can't argue it.
Now 1 Thessalonians 2 is pretty clear.
Who are the enemies of the New Testament church?
The Jews.
But let's take it even further.
Romans 11.
Look at verse 25.
Romans 11 verse 25.
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery,
lest ye should be wise in your own conceits,
that blindness in part have happened to Israel.
Now notice, Paul here is speaking about Israel and the fact that they're blinded
until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.
He says God rejected Israel.
He says they are blinded.
He says and God chose the Gentiles.
Now that's the context.
I'm not going to read the entire passage for sake of time.
I want you to look down at verse 28.
But before we read verse 28, let me just make this point.
The apostle Paul is actually defending the Jews in this passage.
He's defending the fact that they lost the covenant.
They lost the blessings.
But that God is no respecter of persons and that we should not glory in that.
Then he says this in verse 28 about Israel.
Right?
Because verse 25, that blindness in part has happened to Israel.
He's talking about Israel.
He's talking about the Jews.
Romans 11, 28.
As concerning the gospel, they, who's they?
He's referring to Israel.
Who are enemies for your sakes?
So according to Paul, who were the enemies of the gospel?
It was the Jews.
Who were the enemies of the cross of Christ?
It was the concision.
The Jews.
They are enemies for your sake but as such in the election,
they are beloved for the Father's sake.
Go to the book of Acts if you would.
Acts chapter number 13.
Acts chapter 13.
Keep your place there in Romans and just go back to the book of Acts.
Acts chapter 13.
Acts 13.
Look at verse 45.
Acts 13 verse 45.
Just to make sure.
I don't know.
I was watching John Hagee and he said that the Jews are great.
That the Jews don't even have to believe on Jesus.
That the Jews get a free pass into heaven.
In fact, I was watching every TV preacher on TV and they all say the same thing.
Well, they're false prophets.
They're evil workers.
They're deceitful workers.
They're false prophets.
And no marvel for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
They're lying to you.
You say, I don't know.
Well, I just showed you in 1 Thessalonians that Paul said they were the enemies of,
they killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets and have persecuted us.
He said that the church in Thessalonica has suffered like things of your own countrymen even as they have of the Jews.
I showed you in Romans 11 that he says that blindness in part has happened to Israel.
And then he says that Israel as concerning the gospel, they are our enemies for your sake.
But as touching the election, they are beloved for the Father's sake.
Now Acts 13 verse 45.
Let me show you again just to make sure you understand this.
Throughout the New Testament, the enemies of the cross of Christ were the Jews.
Acts 13, 45.
This is Paul on his missionary journeys.
Paul going out to start churches and notice what happens over and over and over again through his missionary journeys.
Acts 13, 45.
But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy.
Paul's getting a bunch of people saved and when the Jews saw the multitudes of people getting saved,
they were filled with envy and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul contradicting and blaspheming.
Look at verse 50, same chapter.
Acts 13 verse 50.
But the Jews stirred up the devout and honorable women and the chief men of the city and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them out of their coast.
Go to Acts 14.
Look at verse 2.
Acts 14 verse 2.
But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and made their minds evil-affected against the brethren.
Go to Acts 17.
Look at verse 5.
Acts 17 verse 5.
But the Jews, which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the base of sword and gathered a company and set all the city on an uproar and assaulted the house of Jason and sought to bring them out to the people.
Go to Acts 17.
Look at verse 13.
But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came hither also and stirred up the people.
Go to Acts 18.
Look at verse 12.
Acts 18 verse 12.
And when Galileo was the deputy of Icheae, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul and brought him to the judgment state.
Do I need to keep going?
I can show you more.
I can show you more verses where they keep attacking Paul, accusing Paul, fighting against Paul.
Do you understand why Paul said, hey, the Jews are the enemies of the gospel?
Everywhere he went, the Jews, they're even following him.
He leaves Thessalonica, goes to Berea, and they follow him there.
And they made insurrection.
They stirred up the people.
They set the city in an uproar.
They made their minds evil-affected.
Here's what I'm saying.
You say, pastor, why are you preaching this?
Because we're going verse by verse through the book of Philippians.
And the apostle Paul, for whatever reason, said, hey, I've got to warn you.
I've got to warn you.
There are groups that are the enemies of the cross of Christ.
Now, we as intelligent New Testament people would say, OK, Paul, well, you're writing in the first century.
That was like 2,000 years ago.
So I'm curious, Paul, who were the enemies of the cross of Christ?
And he said, well, there's three groups.
There's three groups.
And we would say, because we've got enemies too, Paul.
In the 21st century, there are groups that attack us also.
There are groups that persecute us also.
There are groups that seek to put cities in an uproar against us also.
There are people that lie about us also, Paul.
So I'm curious, in the first century, in the first century, who were the people that were the enemies of the cross of Christ?
And he said, well, they were dogs.
You mean homosexual sodomites?
Yes, yeah.
The dogs, yeah.
They were beware of dogs.
And he said, beware of evil workers.
You're talking about the deceitful workers, the false prophets?
Yeah, the false prophets are the enemies of the cross of Christ.
You say, who else, Paul?
He said, well, the concision.
You're talking about the Jews?
He said, yep, the Jews.
They're the enemies of the cross of Christ.
Here's what's interesting.
The same groups that were the enemies of the cross of Christ in the first century.
Let me read this verse for you.
You don't have to turn there.
In fact, you go to Romans, if you would.
Romans chapter 1.
Ecclesiastes chapter 1 and verse 9.
You go to Romans.
I'll read to you from Ecclesiastes 1, 9.
Here's what Ecclesiastes 1, 9 says.
Listen to this very carefully.
The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be.
And that which is done is that which shall be done.
And there is no new thing under the sun.
You know, the Bible says that the way that things have been in the past are the same
way that they're going to be now.
And the things that have been done are the things that will be done.
And he says there's no new thing under the sun.
And here's what's interesting.
When we sit down with the apostle Paul, right, reading one of his letters over 2,000 years
ago, written in the first century, he says, let me warn you about the enemies of the cross
of Christ.
Who are they?
The Sodomites, the false prophets, the Jews.
He says, these are the enemies of the cross of Christ.
Here's what's interesting.
The same enemies of the cross of Christ in the first century are the same enemies of
the cross of Christ in the 21st century.
You say, who are the enemies of the cross of Christ today?
Let me think.
The LGBTQ?
Let me think.
The false prophets?
Let me think.
The Jews?
The anti-Christ Jews?
Here's what's interesting.
The enemies of the cross of Christ in the first century are the same enemies of the
cross of Christ in the 21st century.
You say, are homosexuals our enemies?
Are you paying attention?
Romans chapter 1, if you would, you know these verses, but let's look at them.
Romans 1, look at verse 26.
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections.
It's about sodomy.
It's about homosexuality.
Now, how does God feel about it?
Love is love.
Isn't that what the Bible says?
No, actually the Bible says that it's vile.
Gave them up unto vile affections.
For even their women to change the, notice these words, the natural use into that which
is against nature.
It's against nature for a male to be attracted to another male.
It's against nature for a female to be attracted to another female.
It's against nature for a human being to be attracted to an animal.
It's against nature for an adult to be attracted to a child.
These are not natural sins.
These are against nature.
And likewise also the men leaving, notice the words, the natural use of the woman,
burned in their lust, one toward another.
In case you don't, you miss it, men with men, dogs, working that which is unseemly
and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to
a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient.
The Bible tells us the word reprobate means rejected.
Now look, here's the problem.
This is why people don't like this type of preaching.
They spend more time watching the television than they do reading the word of God.
And the media brainwashed me to think that they were just these nice people.
Okay, but you say you're a Christian, right?
You say you're a Bible believer.
So let me give you a challenge.
Show me in the Bible where the Bible ever says something positive.
Man, you didn't like it when the Bible doesn't say anything positive about dogs.
Let me tell you why.
Because it doesn't say anything positive about sodomites.
All it says is that they're molesters, they're rapists, they're violent.
Read the Bible and show me a passage where God says, oh, there was this one.
His name was Will and he lived with this lady, Grace, and they were funny.
Show me that in the Bible.
You know what you'll find in the Bible?
They're vile.
They're violent.
They're wicked.
They're disgusting.
It's unnatural.
Let me tell you something.
Sodomites are not neutral and they are not our friends.
Romans 1 29, being filled with all.
Look, this is what the Bible says.
They are filled with all.
What are they filled with?
All unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness.
The word malicious means desiring to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on others.
Full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity.
The word malignity means to speak evil or harmful things.
Whispers, backbiters, haters of God.
Despiteful means spiteful or malicious.
Proud, boasters, inventors of evil things.
Disobedience to parents without understanding.
Covenant breakers without natural affection.
They lack empathy, implacable.
They will not be appeased, unmerciful.
This is how the Bible speaks about them.
They're not our friends.
You say, are they the homosexuals or are they the enemies of the cross of Christ?
Well, if you ask Paul, he would tell you they were the enemies in the first century.
And as I look around in the 21st century, you know what I see?
I see churches that preach against the dogs getting protested.
Where do these protests come from?
LGBTQ?
And you say, well, yeah, but they get mad because you preach about them.
Well, Paul preached about them, and I'm trying to be a follower of Jesus or a follower of Paul.
Paul said, follow me as I follow Christ.
You said, but pastors, aren't you afraid that if you preach about him,
people are going to walk out during the service.
Let me tell you something.
When I get up and say something negative about homosexuals,
and I say it's disgusting, and a male gets up and walks out, I say good.
If you don't think it's disgusting, we don't want you around.
If you don't think it's just the most vilest barf, dog barf that you can think of,
then there's a false prophet down the street for you.
Why do our churches get protested?
Why did our church get, in 2016, that major protest?
I'll tell you one thing, because of dogs, because of the LGBT.
Why was First Works bombed because of dogs?
Why do we have problems with our landlords because of dogs?
Why do we get negative media attention because of dogs?
Why do our YouTube channels get deleted and our videos get taken down because of dogs?
Why do donation services like PayPal cancel our account?
Because of dogs.
So Paul says, hey, let me tell you something.
Let me just warn you.
Let me warn you.
There are enemies of the cross of Christ.
You say, Paul, really?
Who are they?
He says the dogs, sodomites, homosexuals.
And then Solomon said, there's no new thing under the sun.
And fast forward 2,000 years later, we're like, hmm.
The dogs are the enemies of the cross of Christ.
Then he says, false prophets.
You're there in Romans.
Go back one book to the book of Acts.
Here's what's interesting.
The false prophets are closely associated with the dogs.
There's different types of dogs.
There's the sodomite dog.
There's the false prophet dog.
In Isaiah, I won't take the time to show you this morning.
We'll look at it tonight or next week.
Isaiah, the false prophets are also called dogs.
In Acts, they're called a type of dog.
Jesus called them a type of dog, or a canine, I should say.
Acts 20, 29, for I know this, that after my departing, show grievous wolves.
What's a wolf?
It's a dog.
It's a canine.
For I know this, that after my departing, show grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Also, of your own self, shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Who are our enemies today?
Well, it's the LGBTQ, but who else is our enemy?
It's the false prophets.
Have you ever noticed that it's the false prophets who attack us the hardest?
I'm talking about the Jeff Dollers, the Andrew Sluters, the Jeff Durbins, the James Whites.
A bunch of false prophets.
Have you ever wondered, look, you want to know what we get the most hate?
We get the most hate for preaching against who?
The sodomites and the false prophets.
I mean, Pastor Thompson, you know, he has this video on his YouTube channel.
It has like 300,000 or 400,000 views.
Emails every day.
People just, you know, hating on him, telling him he's not a Christian.
Why?
So many preach against Billy Graham.
Billy Graham who said there's no literal fire in hell.
Billy Graham who said that Muslims could go to heaven without Christ if they followed their light.
Billy Graham who preached a repent of your sins gospel.
You know, Bible-even Christians say, yeah, that's not right.
That's a false prophet.
What do we get the most attack for?
Exposing Billy Graham.
Exposing Ravi Zacharias.
Exposing John MacArthur.
Exposing all the...
Who do we get the most fights from?
These false prophets.
Even the minor league small prophets that no one's ever heard of.
During our protest back in our Northgate building in 2016, we had all these dogs protesting our church
and we had this false prophet, Pentecostal, charismatic, speak in tongues, repent of your sins,
pastor that was in the same conflict.
What was he doing?
He was coming out and giving them all water and, you know, thanking them for their service.
2 Chronicles 19, you have to turn there.
The prophet says this, shouldest thou help the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord?
Pastor Shelley was telling me during their protest, they've got some woman preacher or some woman ministry leader
that's in the same conflict as them coming out, giving them water and, you know, letting them use their restrooms
and letting a sodomite use your restroom.
I hope you disinfected that thing.
I'm just telling you the same people that were fighting the cross of Christ in the first century
are the same people that are fighting the cross of Christ in the 21st century.
It's the homosexuals. It's the false prophets.
It's the Jews.
Go to 1 John chapter 2. We're almost done.
1 John chapter 2.
You start at the end of the Bible, Revelation, and go backwards.
You have Jude, 32 and 1 John.
1 John chapter 2.
Look at verse 22.
Now, again, look, there are Jewish people out there and they're just normal, unsafe people
and they need us to preach the gospel to them and get them saved.
I'm not talking about those individuals.
But there are people who are pushing this anti-Christ agenda and it is the Jews.
1 John 2.22.
Notice what the Bible says.
Who is a liar?
But he that denied that Jesus is the Christ.
The word Christ means Messiah.
It is a title.
It's referring to the Messiah, the one who is coming.
Now here's what's interesting about 1 John 22.
Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ.
So here he's talking about a liar who denies that Jesus is not God necessarily,
not that he existed necessarily.
They deny that Jesus is the Christ, is the what, is the Messiah.
Here's what's interesting about 1 John 2.22.
For this person that's being referred to here, this group of liars,
it has to be somebody who believes in a Christ, believes in a Messiah,
but does not believe that Jesus is that Christ.
That's a very specific group.
Because you talk to other false religions, they don't even believe in a Christ.
They don't believe in a Messiah.
Who's being referred to here?
It's the Jews.
It says, who is a liar but he that denied that Jesus is the Christ.
Then notice these words.
He is antichrist.
He is antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son.
By the way, anyone who denies a son denies a father also.
These Jews tell you, oh we believe in God the Father,
we just don't believe that Jesus was his son.
Well, he is antichrist that denies the Father and the Son.
The Bible calls them antichrists.
If they believe that there's a Christ coming,
they believe that there's a Christ but they don't believe that that Christ is Jesus.
Look, there's only one group of people that fits that category.
It's the Jews.
And then God says they're antichrists.
Well, here's what's interesting.
What will the antichrist need when he comes?
Well, he's going to need political power.
You know who has a lot of political power?
The Jews.
You know who controls politics in America and pretty much the whole world?
The Jews.
You know, that's why we have politicians that will defend Israel and love Israel.
Forget spirituality and just look at nations.
What does Israel have to do with America?
Other than the fact that they're both wicked as hell.
But yet, you know, we just love Israel, we'll protect Israel,
we're all for Israel.
The Jews have a lot of political power.
You know what? The antichrist is going to use that power.
What else does the antichrist need?
He's going to need a one-world banking system.
Right?
He's going to give them the mark of the beast and they can either buy or sell.
He's going to have to be able to control the currency.
Well, you know what's funny? It's the Jews control the banking systems of the world.
Now I'm starting to understand why Jesus calls them antichrists.
They have power in politics, they have power in the banking system,
and what is the antichrist going to need?
He's going to need the media to promote him.
Well, guess who runs the media? The Jews.
Guess who runs Hollywood? The Jews.
Guess who runs Facebook? The Jews.
Guess who runs JewTube? The Jews.
They control it all.
You know what gets us the most attacks?
What gets us the most attacks, our church and our type of churches,
is preaching against the Sodomites, preaching against the false prophets, and preaching against the Jews.
If we would stop doing that, we could probably just be like a harder old IFP,
like preach hard about certain things, but honestly, our YouTube channels wouldn't get deleted,
our banking accounts wouldn't get cancelled.
If we would just stop preaching against these three groups,
but here's the thing, these three groups have been the enemies of the cross of Christ
since the inception of the New Testament church.
Let me show you a couple more things, we'll finish up.
Go back to Philippians chapter 3.
Keep your place in 1 Timothy, I'm not sure if you kept your place in 2 Thessalonians,
but we're going to go to Philippians, 1 Timothy, and Jude, and we're going to finish up, alright?
You say, alright pastor, if all, you know, Paul in the first century says the three enemies,
the three enemies, the Sodomites, the false prophets, the Jews,
and today, there's no new thing under the sun, it's the same three groups that keep attacking us,
that keep fighting us, that keep going against us, the same enemies of the cross of Christ.
I say, why do you keep preaching about them?
Why not just leave them alone?
Do we really need another sermon against the homos and the false prophets and the Jews?
Well, here's the thing, I didn't set out to preach another sermon about it,
I set out 11 weeks ago to preach through the book of Philippians,
and Paul brought it up, so get mad at Paul.
Why do you have to keep preaching about it?
Why do you have to keep harping about it?
Why do you have to keep bringing it up?
Well, notice, Philippians 3, 1, notice Philippians 3, 1,
I like Philippians 3, 1, I quote it a lot, or read it a lot,
whenever we're going to look at something we've already looked at,
but I want you to understand the context.
Philippians 3, 1, finally my brethren, rejoice in the Lord,
to write the same thing to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is saved.
He says, I'm going to talk to you about something that you've already heard.
He says, I know you were out at the Red Hot Preaching Conference.
I know that you heard these things.
To write the same thing to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is saved.
In that context, he says, I know you've heard this before, but let me just say it again,
beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
See, Paul says that we must be constantly reminded and put in remembrance of who our enemies are.
He said, to write the same thing to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is saved.
And this is a theme, this is a theme throughout the Bible.
Let me show it to you quickly and then we'll finish up.
1 Timothy chapter 4, 1 Timothy chapter 4, if you can find the t-books, they're all closer together.
1 Timothy Thessalonians, 1 Timothy Titus, 1 Timothy chapter 4, look at verse 1.
1 Timothy 4, 1.
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times, the latter times is what we would call the end times,
some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.
He says, look, the Spirit tells us that in the latter times there's going to be people who are going to depart from the faith
and they're going to be giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, speaking lies and hypocrisy,
having their conscience seared with a hot iron.
So he's warning us about these bad, false doctrines, false preachers, seducing spirits, that's the Sodomites.
Doctrines of devils, that's the false prophets.
And then he says this, this is the context, I'm not going to read the whole thing for sake of time, look at verse 6.
That's the context, he says, if thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ.
Nourished up in the words of faith and a good doctrine weren't until thou was attained.
You know what Paul told Timothy, Paul told Timothy, hey, there is coming seducing spirits and doctrines of devils
and you need to put the brethren in remembrance of these things.
Go to Jude, go to Jude, real quickly, we'll finish up Jude, look at verse 4.
In Jude, he talks about the fact that he wanted to write this positive letter about the common salvation, about the common faith, about salvation, all those things.
He said, but he realized that he had to, before he could get to that, he had to write about the enemies of the cross of Christ.
He doesn't quote that, but that's what he's talking about, look at verse 4.
For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old, ordained to this condemnation,
ungodly men turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Don't miss verse 5, I will, therefore, put you in remembrance.
Though you once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt after we destroyed them,
that believed not, and he goes on to talk about the Sodomites, the false prophets, he talks about those things.
You say, why continue to preach about it? Because I've been commanded to.
I've been commanded to put you in remembrance of these things.
Because here's what I know about you, and I don't even have to know you.
Here's what I know about you. There's a homo in your family.
Or there's gonna be.
And you're gonna have this tendency to be like, oh, I used to agree with Pastor Jimenez, but now, you know,
I've got this neighbor, and he's a queer, and he's just, you know, funny, and I've got this, and I've got that, or whatever.
And it's my job to put you in remembrance. No, no, no. This is what the Bible says.
This is what God says.
This is all you need to know. This is all you need to believe.
This is what we need. Look, we need to preach against the false prophets. We need to preach against the anti-Christ Jews.
I'm not talking about the individual Jewish people that need to get saved.
I'm talking about the people that are bringing in the anti-Christ system.
We need to preach against them. We need to put you in remembrance.
We need to warn you about it. Go back to Philippians chapter 3. We'll finish up.
Philippians chapter 3.
Notice what he says there in verse 17.
In verse 17,
Who are they? What are their categories? What is their classification?
He told us in verse 2, beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
What are their characteristics? We'll talk about this either tonight or next week.
What are their characteristics? Verse 19,
He says,
Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer.
Thank you, Lord, for this passage.
Lord, I realize it's negative and many times we don't want to hear that.
But it's needed.
You told us to put believers in remembrance of these things.
Lord, help us to always get our belief system from the Word of God.
To always get our world view from the Word of God.
To not look at these groups through what the media tells us that is controlled by these groups,
but to look at it through the Word of God.
We love you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Brother Matt, come up and lead us in a final song.
I just want to remind you to be in prayer for your church family.
You've got lots of people in the hospital, lots of people sick.
And then I do want to remind you that if you could bring a meal to Miss Laura Beth,
then please see my wife after the service.
She has a sign-up sheet and she can get you signed up and situated for that.
And then I want to encourage you to be back tonight, 6 p.m.
I'm not sure what we're going to be doing tonight.
I'm going to think about it and pray about it this afternoon.
But it's going to be one of two things.
I'm going to finish this sermon and we're going to look at the second part of the enemies of the cross of Christ
and we're going to look at their classifications or we're going to do the safety lesson.
We're going to do the safety lesson either way.
I'm going to just postpone it.
I'll think about that.
But here's what I know.
The Word of God will be open and you'll be edified.
So we encourage you to come back tonight, 6 p.m. for the evening service.
Be in prayer for your church family.
If there's anything we can do for you, please let us know.
And of course we are always praying for you.
And I want to have Brother Matt come up and lead us in a final song.