The part of the chapter I want to focus on especially is the beginning and right at the beginning from verse 1
I will just go over a couple of verses
But King Solomon loved many strange women together with the daughter of Pharaoh women of the Moabites
Ammonites Edomites Zidodians and Hittites of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel
Ye shall not go into them neither shall they come in unto you for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods
Solomon clave unto these in love and he had 700 wives princesses and 300 concubines his wives turned away his heart
For it came to pass that when Solomon resolved that his wives turned away his heart after other gods
And his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God as was the heart of David his father
And the title of my sermon today is the perseverance of the Saints doctrine is poison. It is poison now
What is perseverance of the Saints?
Perseverance is is persistence. It's a carrying on in in
Basically within the faith is what they're talking about here. The Saints are the saved
We're the Saints and it comes obviously from Calvinism. I'm not going to go over the whole of Calvinism
we had a great sermon from brother John on Calvinism a few months ago and
You know, he could really explain a lot about that and the origins of Calvinism as well and where it came from
Now the perseverance of the Saints comes from their their nice little acronym tulip
Which stands for so they've got the these these five points of Calvinism number one total depravity number two
unconditional election number three limited atonement number four
Irresistible grace and number five perseverance of the Saints and I want to preach on the perseverance of the Saints
Because I believe that it's actually affected a lot further than just people that hold to these five points of Calvinism
Now the edits purest form perseverance of the Saints according to John Calvin in his own words is this
The hearts of the godly are so effectually governed by the Spirit of God that through an inflexible disposition
They follow his guidance
He goes on to say the power of the Spirit is so effectual that it necessarily retains us in
continual obedience
to righteousness
Continual obedience to righteousness now, why am I preaching about this?
So like I said not only as Calvinism spread over this country like a cancer and it really has
it's it's everywhere but
Versions of this doctrine in particular have affected most churches that don't even claim to be Calvinist Calvinists to some degree
And they love Calvinists for anyone's ever heard any preaching like this
Sounds so intellectual, you know, and they love to sound so so intelligent
They even just sat that tulip it's got a lot of you know, nice long sounding words
They sound like they've really studied things out. Why does it affect us? Well, we come across it out soul-winning a lot
It there's a definite crossover with works with it for sure
But also I believe ourselves having been everyone here
to
Many churches in this country and spent time in them
We have been poisoned to some degree by this doctrine and like I said
I'm going to show you the different versions of this
I believe whether or not they come from this they go hand in hand with it and
The last point that I'm really going to make is it can really shake your faith in soul-winning
And that I think is it is the ultimate goal of it. So what do we believe?
What do we believe as independent fundamental Baptists? We believe?
Ephesians 2 8 and 9 don't we for by grace you say through faith and that not of yourselves
It is a gift of God not of works as any man suppose
We believe Romans 4 5 but him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifies the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness
To him that worketh not okay
So back to Solomon and the reason I've chosen that passage and it's not that we're going to go really through it loads
But we're going to talk about it a little bit and then you don't have to keep a finger in it
But Solomon according to the Calvinist logic Solomon wasn't saved
So according to their logic Solomon was not saved which is ridiculous
It's absolutely ridiculous. He wrote three books of the Bible didn't he Proverbs Ecclesiastes song of Solomon in 1st Kings 3 3
We see that Solomon loved the Lord. You don't have to change their turn there if you like, but do turn to Nehemiah 13
So in between Ezra and Esther, so before the book of Job Nehemiah and chapter 13
And from verse 26
Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things yet among many nations was there no king like him who was beloved of his
God and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, even him did outlandish women cause to sin
Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives
So he was beloved of his God Solomon. Even him even him did outlandish women cause to sin and
Just quickly, let's just go off on a quick tangent on outlandish women strange wives and really
the lesson here is is and this especially to kids here and
singles is
Marrying unsaved people going off after unsaved women and women going off after unsaved men is going to cause you
Nothing, but problems nothing but trouble
I
I've seen this I've seen I know people who are saved and have unsaved
Husbands wives and it is it is a hard life. It is a hard time and I'm speaking especially to the kids here as well
and the outlandish women talking to the boys here that the these
These these strange wives these strange women
They think you know, there's going to be an attraction sometimes to them
Especially where as six stand and well, that's why we got our we've got it for you kids alone
We've got to definitely build up this church. We've got a when we become a church
We've got to go out and plant more church to get more righteous
Bible believing Christians because even you you think well at least they claim to profess faith in Christ
They say it was faith alone. They don't want to follow this Bible. They don't want to follow the Word of God
That's going to be a really hard relationship to be in for all of you
And and again to the single guys as well here and if there's single ladies here as well
You you you need to really take heed of this
I know people who have been in this situation and still are in these situations and working both ways and
It is a really tough life and it's stressful and it's so difficult raising kids like that as well
That is tough and and you know
I praise God every day that my wife was saved at the same time as me because our lives would be
a
Darn sight harder if if if that hadn't happened now
The unequal yoking and there's a lesson in that isn't there in 1st Kings 11th fee?
We see his wives turned away his heart
And and that happens and that happens. I think about it with business partnerships as well
I've been in partnerships in business years ago
And when you're not on the same page
It can be really difficult and especially you don't want to be going into business with unsaved people not in equal partnerships
And even slightly unequal partnerships can be really difficult and next thing with Solomon
He's building high places for the women. This is Solomon the wise
Places of worship for false gods you look here thinking how on earth now how why did this happen if you look at verse 2?
It's not that Solomon's just this womanizer you kind of get this impression. Sometimes you're thinking about a thousand women
Well, it says here Solomon clave unto these in love and yeah, okay
It depends on your version of a womanizer now. We would have called this years ago
I would have called this guy as I would have called him soppy
so he was one of these just you know, I just fell in love with women so much and
For me Solomon, he's fallen in love with these women to look what's happened from that
But he's still a saved Christian and we you know, I don't want to rehash my sermon of a couple of weeks ago
But we all have the ability to fall
We're not all going to be just keep getting better and better till the end
And clearly Solomon is a good example of that
It's also a lesson for us all in separation, isn't it?
James 4 4 says year doltres and adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God
Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God and we see that with with Solomon
James is talking to his brethren by the way there as well now Solomon
Solomon disobeyed God and
It's quite similar to Saul in a way at the end of his life and I would say those two alone
Their lives do they do disprove this doctrine this perseverance of the Saints doctrine in its purest form
And it and some people and I know some of the arguments of this will be well their Old Testament
You know, they didn't have the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Well, what about New Testament?
We see Peter, you know, obviously denying Christ suddenly naked
He's on a naked fishing trip, isn't it?
But first Corinthians 5 is an example of brothers that can fall into wicked sin Simon the sorcerer in Acts
Okay. Well the odd. Well, yeah, but they finished well, okay
What about and we talked about last week and analysis of Sephira? There's no reason to believe that they were unsaved
No one there's nothing to say in a text. They're unsaved. But I'll tell you what, they didn't finish their lives. Well, did they?
Okay, and I think we can all see just from those examples alone we could all see that John Calvin's
Extreme version of this is nonsense and that is a wicked false prophet all day long
John Calvin is okay, but this poison has many flavors and I believe that whether like I said
I believe it kind of stems from that at least the influence of it because people want to appease the
Extreme don't they go somewhere in the middle?
We have probably all heard some of these versions of this poison once saved you will stop certain sins
We've heard that one haven't we which ones were usually the one that whoever's saying it has managed to stop, isn't it?
People who stopped going to church were never saved
Well, how long out of church means they weren't saved again
There's no there's there's nothing in the Bible that says that backsliders weren't really saved
Or once saved you will at least not want to sin
So I've heard this kind of well you but you won't want to sit if you say or or there will be a sorrow for sin
They'll be it'll always be a sorrow for sin. You know half these people
When you hear this stuff coming from these people, they're so full of sin
Anyway, just not not things that they recognize as sin. Oh, what about this one?
You won't be still living in sin. Of course, you won't be living in sin
What is living in sin? Because again, I've seen these preachers preach this stuff and for me, they're living in sin
And and if someone's really saved they will then come to church you heard this one for this one before
Well, if they're saved they're going to come to church and they like to use things like Galatians 5 you turn to Galatians 5
And I'm not going to go through every single verse that they that they take out of context to try and prove this doctrine
in its different forms, but Galatians 5
And I've heard this and again, like I said there is a crossover with works
So there is those and I've heard this in a church where they clearly gone into a pet of your sin
But I have heard people use this as well to say look you won't be doing these sins
Galatians 5 from verse 19 now the works of the flesh and manifest which are these adultery fornication uncleanness
lasciviousness
idolatry witchcraft hatred variants emulations wrath strife seditions heresies
Envyings murders drunkenness
Revelings and such like of the which I tell you before as I've told also told you in time past that they which do such things
Shall not inherit the kingdom of God
Now what's interesting about that is that if you go to verse 26?
It's an exhortation to not live like that and he says let us not be desires to Vainglory
Provoking one another envying one another so he's clearly having to encourage them not to envy one another
But just before some people try and use this this for these verses especially like said 19 to 21 to say well
You can't be doing those if you're a saved Christian
Well, no because they're being encouraged not to do that and even more as we see earlier on from verse 16 17
It's actually trying to encourage them to walk in the spirit and not fulfill the lust of the flesh
Not half of the New Testament wouldn't be written if you just automatically
Became this perfect Christian it's so much of it is an encouragement of how we should be living
But we don't often don't we fall short often
Now that the classic the favorite James to return to James to quickly and and again
You know you could do a whole sermon on James, too
And I don't know you know I don't know if people here have had trouble trying to explain James to or not
And I so I was on a I was on a door not long ago
I was with brother John down not far from where we live and I got a bit sidetracked with a Calvinist
So I was trying to talk to this guy on the door, and he was just well
What do you think he was one they're really awkward guys wouldn't really give a clear
Profession of faith of what he believed and maybe I should have moved on a bit earlier
And then he started telling me that he listens to people like James why online to John MacArthur?
so we ended up in a bit of a discussion because I said I was trying to encourage him and
Trying to find out whether he was saved or not and we had this bit of a back-and-forward
Discussion and he said to me at one point or I suppose you'd have trouble with James, too
Would you you'd have trouble with James to you guys have trouble with James to know we don't have trouble with James, too
So James 2 and obviously the the key bit they like to go from his verse 14 to 26
Let's read it quickly
What does it profit my brethren though a man say have faith and have not works can can face save him
If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food and one of you sound to them depart in peace be you
Warmed and filled not withstand you give them not those things which are needful to the body
What doth it profit even so faith if it hath not works is dead being alone
Yeah
Man may say thou has faith and I have work show me thy faith without thy works and I will show thee my faith by
my works
Thou believeth that there is one God thou doest well the devil's also believe and tremble
But wilt thou know a vain man faith without works is dead
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar
See as our how faith wrought with his works and by works was faith made perfect and the scripture was fulfilled
Which said Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness and he was called the friend of God
He see then how that by works a man is justified and not by faith only
Likewise also is not Rahab the harlot justified by works
Which he had received the messages and has sent him out another way for as a body without the spirit is dead
So faith without works is dead also
Okay, so they like to go to this and pick out things
Questions, so there's a few highlights here. For example at the beginning. It's a question. What does it profit my brethren?
No, man, say you have faith and have not works. Can faith save him?
This is a God saying no, you cannot be saved if if you do not have any works. It's a question now
It's answer as well. And the context is profiting your fellow man, isn't it? If he's destitute without food
It's you know, what's that going to do for that person?
And we see again though a man say a man may say it says in verse 18 again
It's not God saying this and and what we see with it if you really do a proper study of it
And I'm not going to spend the whole sermon on James 2 but it when we when we look through it clearly
It's actually talking about how we appear to other people and how we can show our faith to other people who don't know for sure
who can't know by just looking at us or us saying that we have faith and
Interestingly at the end faith without works is dead also now
Obviously obviously here. No one I don't think in this room believes that you have to work your way to salvation
So if as we know and by the way that this this this this passage of scripture is altered with new Bible
Versions and there's little subtle changes which make it look like that. No, you cannot be saved without works
Okay, but let's not go off on that tangent but just one final point on that that we know it's not by works
That's clear. There's scripture after scripture which says that so then what is it saying?
It's saying that faith without works is dead. Also, therefore
There is faith without works is there which is dead which is a profitable there is such thing as that and for me
This is actually supporting that this this
You know what we're trying to do here and explain and show how this perseverance of the saints is you will show work if you're
saving
Nonsense, it is not biblical. It's not scriptural. Okay, so
It's showing your faith to others not good. They also like to use and we won't turn there again Matthew
We'll I think again everyone here understands Matthew 24 and they like to use 24 13 and again
They take that out of context, but he shall that shall endure until the end the same shall be saved
And again, we're talking about enduring through the tribulation aren't we? Okay. So what's the truth then? What does the Bible say?
Everyone here pretty much is probably an example of improvements in life to some degree aren't we so that you know for us here
It could be easy to look at this go. Well, yeah, you know, look at look at our lives
Look at us, you know, we have improved was that automatic though because the Bible does call it work
It is work, isn't it the works of the law that that it was not automatic and yes
It was God's grace that even that God has saved in the first place for sure
But there are there are also unsaved people that do improve their lives and we see that and we see that in many
Many places we know people that have made change the made differences in their life. It's not about salvation
So, how do we judge? How do we judge if someone's saved?
Obviously if they profess faith, that's a good judge
But again, there are people that claim to be saved that aren't aren't there and it's not not a bad thing to want to know
I do feel with this and a lot of people are kind of focusing too much
I'm, just trying to trying to basically unsave people a lot of the time
But there are some clear things where we know people are definitely not saved the obvious the obvious one turn to romans one
Okay, and the this this again not it's nothing new to people here romans 1 26
For this cause
God gave them up
Unto vile affections for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature
And likewise also the men leaving the natural use of the women burned in their lust one toward another men with men
Working that which is unseemly and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error
Which was meat and even as they did not like to attain god in their knowledge god gave them over to a reprobate mind
To do those things which are not convenient
So if someone is burning in their last one toward another and that's men with men women with women
They're not saved and neither can they be and again everyone understands that here. It's clear in the bible
They they are not saved and and again
Not here, but you'll get churches
There are churches in this country that have the gospel right that use the king james. I talked about this a bit
Uh when I was talking about what makes a good church there are churches where there will be people there
And there will be people there that have that claim to still be saved and
Some might keep it a bit quieter than others, but there will be so again if they're clearly
One of these people they're not saved nor can they be um revelation 22 turn to revelation 22
Revelation 22 and from verse 18
For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book if any man shall add unto these things
God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book
And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy
God shall take away his part out of the holy city and from the things which are written in this book
So again, if people are removing words from the bible making new perversions
They can't be saved. They're not saved. They won't ever be saved. Okay
Turn to luke 12 10
Luke 12 and verse 10
And whosoever shall speak a word against the son of man it shall be forgiven him
But unto him that blasphemeth against the holy ghost it shall not be forgiven
So these wicked christ-hating fake jews calling him a devil will never be saved they can't be saved
They're unsaved. They won't be saved. Okay
We know this we I think everyone here probably knows this
What about evidences of salvation? So what's evidence of salvation?
People like to see evidence of salvation. Well, what does the bible say? Let's turn to hebrews hebrews 12
something that some people here will show people when they're
When they're giving them the clearly if you are if you're living
A wicked life of sinner you are not being chastised
And again, it's hard. It's really hard. We don't know everyone's ins and outs and there is sometimes as well
There's a bit of a temptation amongst people
to
And no i'm not saying you need to come into to a church setting to a group and start moaning and complaining about your lives
But we want to be positive. I want to be constantly going on about all the hardships in our life
You're thinking
You know, maybe maybe you're seeing some obvious sin in their life
And i'm not saying you just sit there constantly trying to judge that but if someone's clearly living a wicked life
And it's month after month maybe year after year and there does seem to be no chastisement
That'd be a good indication that they're that they're a bastard. They're not a son of god
They're not they're not a real son of god. So chastisement is a sign of of of
That someone's safe and we see solomon get chastised through. Hey dad reason and and jereboam in that
The spirit of truth in the world cannot receive because it's here
If not nyla knoweth him that ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you
okay, so
according to according to
Uh, jesus christ here and we know there's many other scriptures which factors up when we're saying we have the indwelling
Holy spirit the second we're saying we're in dwell with the holy spirit. Um
Again in the old testament just talking about solomon a little bit
Yeah, there wasn't a permanent in dwelling
But was he not one of the men described in second peter 121 for the prophecy came not an old time by the will of man
but holy man of god spake as they were moved by the holy gods and again, I don't think
You know, i'm just gonna mention a few things with solomon, but I don't think anyone is questioning what solomon really saying
Okay, so we're in dwelt by the holy spirit. Well, how do we know that we're in dwelt by the holy spirit?
How do you know someone else is dwelt by the holy spirit? Well one thing if you turn to first john chapter one
So
First john now chapter one
And verse eight says
If we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us
Okay, if you think that if you're going around thinking and saying you have no sin
I'm thinking of these sinners perfection idiots
You don't have the truth in you
You don't have the holy spirit in you don't have the spirit of truth
Anyone who thinks that their sinless does not have the spirit in them
So again, that's a good sign this whether i'm not someone saved or unsaved
And again on this point solomon wrote
Ecclesiastes 7 7 20 didn't he for there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good as it is not
So again, I think solomon ticks off that one as well. Okay, john 10 john chapter 10 back to the gospel of john
john chapter 10
And verse 27
So
Famous verses some of us use these
Use use the following verses as well when we're showing total security my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me
Okay, so hearing here is understanding so we have the holy spirit the spirit will guide us into all truth
so
Again, this isn't saying oh, you'll know absolutely everything every doctrine of the bible
I'm, not saying that but i'm saying you need to understand the obvious things, right?
So when you get people that claim to be saved and don't even understand don't even agree with the virgin birth for example
Or or they they say I just they can't understand the king james bible
That's why they use one of these false bibles
That for me is a big indication that they're unsaved the spirit will guide you into all truth
um
And if and as jesus says here my sheep hear my voice and I know that and they follow me
And there's many other verses which back this up and there's no doubt. Obviously that solomon had understanding so
These are biblical evidences last one turn to matthew seven. So matthew chapter seven
From verse 15
Matthew 7 15 beware of false prophets which come to you as sheep's clothing
But inwardly their ravening wars you shall know them by their fruits the manganing grapes of thorns or figs of thistles
Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit. Neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit
Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them
So if they're getting other people saving and again, there are people out there that that
You know, we think of judas we talk a lot about judas and obviously amongst the preachers
there's been a bit of a discussion about that recently, but um
Judas people that seem to realize that he wasn't getting people saved. So and there are yes men aren't there when we're out
Preaching the gospel i'm not saying well if someone seems to have got someone saved
They're clearly a same christian now, but but on the flip side you cannot
Get people saved if if you're unsaved
and
Okay, this is talking about false prophets
But again, if for for those of us for people that you know for other christians
It's not saying they'll automatically be getting salvation
There are there are saved people that will never ever give the gospel sadly
um
but if you are you're getting people saved especially when you're looking at preachers if their
Churches are filled with people that have heard the gospel from them for people in their churches
And they will say people that is a great what they call a proof inspection, isn't it?
Okay, so these are good signs it and again with solomon we saw we see in matthew 12
You don't have to turn there
But we see about the queen of the south the queen of sheba rising up in the judgment with this generation
And that to me shows that she was saved and I believe from from solomon there. Um, okay, so
Number two my second point the poison the poison
Of this this perseverance of the same so poison doesn't separate salvation in the cycle ship
And in pretty much all those examples and all these people all these christians pastors
They don't separate salvation in discipleship if you turn to john 8
Turn to john chapter 8
And from verse 30
John 8 30 as he spaked these words many believed on him then said jesus to those jews which believed on him
If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed and you shall know the truth?
And the truth shall make you free
So look at verse 30 there many believed on him
And then in verse 31 he speaks to the jews which believed on him
then he says if
You continue in my word these people
Miracles feeding the thousands we've just seen many believe many believe many believe many believe crowds pressing on him
Disciples sent out to the towns preaching the gospel three years of this
And 120 120 so something tells me that when you're saved it doesn't mean you're automatically just going to be
A disciple and again, he clearly said that you've got to continue in his word to be inside 120
That was it at the beginning there in acts 120, okay, um turn to luke 17
Luke chapter 17
And from verse 12 luke chapter 17 and from verse 12
And as he entered into a certain village
They met in 10 men that were lepers which stood afar off and they lifted up their voices said jesus master
Have mercy on us and when he saw them he said unto them
Go show yourselves up to the priest and it came to pass as they went they were cleansed
And one of them when he saw that he was healed turned back with a loud voice glorified
God and fell down on his face at his feet giving him thanks and he was a samaritan and jesus answering said
Were there not 10 plants but where where are the nine?
There are not found that return to give glory to god save this stranger and he said unto him arise
Go my way my faith it may be whole
Now a lot of as we know a lot of jesus physical healings, uh pictures of spiritual healing and jesus here is is healed
10 lepers of only one one has come back just to give glory to god
Let alone be a disciple one has come back to give glory to god
And it maybe I was interested in that like one out of ten. Um again, I was watching that. Um
That solving seminar passing him they're saying that one in ten salvations
That's the kind of approach to another one in temple come to the church the other nine didn't
They didn't even do the work of glorifying god let alone becoming disciples
Okay, so I think it's clear. I think it's clear in the bible that um
So point number three and this is leading on to my main point in there point number three the poison leads to justification by words
This this perseverance of the saints poison leads to justification by works
We're saved. We know it's not of works if you turn to galatians 2 16
I like to use this sometimes when i'm giving the gospel to people on the doors galatians 2 16
See
Knowing that a man is not
Justified by the works of the law but by the faith of jesus christ
Even we have believed in jesus christ that we might be justified by the faith of christ
And not by the works of the law for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified again
It's clearly, you know, we're preaching here obviously about works as well. This is preaching about works
I went to a church soon after being saved
Where they wanted to focus on a change in your life more than the blood of christ and they really I mean
I got baptized in this church and they
They were kind of coating the head like a baptism class
Yeah, and they were coaching me on what to say because I had to do this long speech as well of this baptism
It's ridiculous. But anyway, it's embarrassing kind of talking about
Um, I was a new christian christian and i'm being coached how to write this and it's been focusing on the changes in my life
And oh, of course you give all the glory to god. Yeah, you give all the glory to god
Look at what he's done for me. Look at how much better I am. Look at what a difference I am
So i'm focusing on the sins that i've stopped doing
And amen, I've stopped some sins. Great
Yeah
But i'm now telling people and i'm being encouraged by this to tell people how much better my life is and
I mean, I was terrible at trying to get people saved and i'm saying look, you know
I've given up this look at this and suddenly i'm not really talking about christ
I'm not really talking about that forgiveness through his blood. I'm telling them about me. Look at me
Look at what i've done. Look at what a better person I am and
And it's wicked isn't it because oh, I didn't get no one saved in that time
No one saved at all and i've seen this i've seen i've seen experience now. I was a new christian
I've seen experience so-called independent fundamental baptists trying to do some soul with it
When they basically start telling them all about god what he's done for them in their life, etc
That's not the gospel. That's not the gospel and well, how do we get to see firstly?
How do we get to see turn to second corinthians 11?
Second corinthians 11 verse 3
Paul says but I fear lest by any means as a self of the god through his subtlety
So your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in christ
For if he that cometh preaches another jesus who we have not preached or if you receive another spirit
Which you have not received or another gospel, which you have not accepted you might well bear with it
So is it another gospel?
Not if it's at least not the wrong way
Maybe they're both in the wrong way around if it's not obviously works before salvation. Okay
Maybe it's not another gospel
But christ it's simplicity in christ and and this is subtlety, isn't it? And now what happens with this is
So you're trying to pass this man-made checklist to try and show and prove and the result like I said instead of rich the gospel
You're telling them all about you
How and then you're going out and trying to tell me that your life would be better and look
How your life's getting better that ain't a gospel and then you're getting people that are instead of wanting forgiveness for their sins
They want a better life. They want to be a better person
And that becomes their that becomes their salvation and I think you get full salvation through this
And you and what what's going on is you're trying to appeal aren't you trying to appeal to the world?
Because all that motivational and improve yourself and everything. That's a really worldly thing now again
There's nothing we we are all I think examples of improvement through the word
It got through the holy spirit for victeous and things but here you're you're instead of preaching the gospel
You're preaching about how much better person you can be and it makes me think of first grithians 2 4
Where paul says in first grithians 2 4?
And my speech and my preaching
Sorry first grithians 2 4 and my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom
But in demonstration of the spirit and apparent that's not demonstration but look at me that's demonstration of spirit power
Of jesus christ's blood that can forgive our sins
And like I said the results people seek your life change rather than forgiveness for their sins that leads me on to my last point
This poison attacks biblical soul with it
And this is where it then really starts to affect us. So you try talking about soul winning with these people
And they subtly and sometimes not subtly they'll try and suggest that whoever it was didn't really get saved
Did you know did they did they really did they come into church?
Oh, okay. What what?
Okay, you see he's still speaking to them. Um, and we hear the terms don't be the one two three repeat after me
It's sure they're probably asking people that do one two three repeat after me, but I know everyone here
No one i've heard is doing a one two three repeat after me here and they start to suggest that maybe it's it's that
Oh, yeah, you know, they got maybe that's why oh, they'll come with that. Oh, well, let's let's hope
Let's just hope that they come to church
You know when you tell you you just told her about a soul being saved from hell and they're trying to try to put it
Well, as long as they come to church, then it's that cause for celebration
What are you talking about? They they I don't know if you notice i've noticed when i've told some of these christians some of these
Pastors over the years, you know talk about you want to be able to talk about soul winning
Doctor once you want to try to encourage you. It's something you maybe you've just got some people saving a saturday
You've got a church this sunday. Why shouldn't you talk about it? And they almost seize up don't they when you mention salvation?
It's like a stiffening
getting someone to say
Well praise god, you know
Well, you know, uh, you you know, remember god does the saving you get that one don't you?
It's god god that saves him. You better not get puffed up there, you know
Because i've never I haven't got anyone saved in the last how many years or or you you know
They seize up and it's like
Well, have you shown them to the church to go to uh, where are you going to go to church?
Why are you not happy? Why are you not saying amen? Praise god, you know, oh they try and do that
But you you see in the eyes. They're not happy are they they're not happy that you've just got people saved you come back
Yeah, like I remember a bigger church. I just come back from I think sold in edinburgh
It's like we've got this many people saved the bosses
Oh
Yeah, amen
What do you mean?
I'll come back for 12 15 salvation. Just it's amazing and
What why is that? Why is that they feel like that? Well
Again, maybe because they're not somebody maybe because really they believe this don't they they believe that unless there's some fruits
You haven't really gotten saved. It has to be a process, you know
They really they need to hear a certain amount of preaching first and they give lip service to grace by faith
What they want you to do they want you to spend five hours with them teaching them large parts of the bible
We we when we solve it we go over the clear points
You need to know to be safe going but we make sure we should be making sure they understand those points
Before you say look i've got a salvation if you're a bit unsure and something's happened. It's been interrupted
We won't count them. We say yeah, I think you know, I think they got it and i'm hoping they're going to go away
Maybe calling the name the lord or you know, they're a bit unsure on this point, but we're not going to count them. But but
It I think it comes from this some amount and years of these churches can affect you
I I you know, there's no doubt. We're not like like I said, like paul just talked about about being beguiled
And it's subtle and it's subtle but it starts to affect you it can start to put doubt in your soul
And I believe it can and you start to just question a little bit
Well, is that the right way and you're in these churches where no one's really coming like they're not really being built
So you're not seeing the fruits you're not seeing people when and if and when and hopefully not long when we're a proper church
Or we're getting people saved and we're seeing maybe that one in ten
Maybe not maybe being here and people have it's a much less of a church culture
Maybe it's one in twenty, but when we start to see people coming into the church as well, that would be great
That'd be and we're not saying the rest aren't saved. We know that they're saved
As far as we can tell
By the fact that they've accepted and believed the gospel have called on the name of the lord
And that's the best we can do, isn't it?
But it you know, I think our confidence will be built more when we're not just in dead churches where where you know
It's like praise god an unbeliever came in, you know this year first time this year or something. Um
And like I said, you know, they claim to believe I don't you know
I don't know. What what do these guys really believe? I think they believe that they can't just be saved
From a 10 or 15 20 minute gospel presentation. Um, or at least I believe they're not saying like I said
Unless they do things afterwards. Um
Okay, and like I said earlier, yes, there are yes men. Yes
There are people that we give the gospel to that disagree with everything and some of you they're obvious aren't they something just yeah
Oh, yeah. Yeah, i'm sure yeah, they don't even just you know, you see nothing in the eyes
They're just they clearly just agree with you
But that doesn't mean that we're not getting people saved because the Bible shows us how to get people saved
Doesn't it and and it's through the word of god preaching the word of god. Okay. Um
I've got people saved through work
family friends
and most of them
Unfortunately don't want to cycle shit. They don't want to get involved
I'll be able to maybe get a few along here. There's a few people that said they're going to come along soon at some point
Hopefully they will
um
But I know they're saved because I know because when I check in with them and talk about they know they know what the gospel
Is they know they're saved and probably all of you have people that you've given the gospel to you know, they're saying
That nothing's changed on that
But they're not involved. They're not involved in church. They're not living for god
They don't really want to read the Bible
They might try and do a little bit and maybe really a little bit maybe when we look back at our lives
Previously at some points we were what you would call a disciple and it doesn't mean we're always going to be
But this this perseverance of the saints is nonsense. Um
Okay, so
Here's some things to think about some of these people that we get saved. They have no root in themselves
As we see from from the pattern of the sorrow or it's a care of this world and deceitfulness of riches
And they're just they're just not interested
But they're not going to hell
They're not going to hell and that that is the main thing, isn't it?
That's what we should be celebrating about
Do these poisonous people believe something they even believe in hell they don't preach with it. Do they don't preach on hell yet?
Yet, you know that yet at the same time they just seem to be well, you know
Yeah, you've got to get people say well say for what we're saving them from hell
Isn't that cause for for celebration luke 16 the rich man was in torments. He was in torments
You know sometimes good to remind ourselves just just how horrendous hell is he wanted water on his tongue
He said he was tormented in this flame and that's what we're saving people from
And don't let these people demoralize you because I think it can be and I think we can all we can all be
Affected by and demoralize a little bit. Sometimes you're going out. You're not getting people saved
But you're going out maybe getting those yes men or those not quite sure if that was a real salvation
Don't let it demoralize you because people do get saved people do get saved and don't come to church ever in their lives
But we still got to say we still pulled them out of hell
um
Turn to proverbs 11 30 written by solomon by the way proverbs 11 30
A bit of a motto isn't it for this group as well proverbs 11 30
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life and he that winneth souls is wise
We want to be wise we want to keep going ahead keep winning
So winning souls is still our first priority now whether or not they finish their lives like solomon
Or they finish their life like steven or someone
We still want to win their souls and and afterwards sure it's great to disciple people
We've talked about that. We want to try that and we should all we should all all of us
All of us include those people that say should persevere to the end, but thank god, it has nothing to do with our salvation
And with that, let's pray
Heavenly father, thank you for your word. Thank you for the gift of eternal life through jesus christ
you just believe me and thank you that that
We don't have to go around trying to you know, prove ourselves through our works to show that we're saved
We know that it's by faith alone you help us to to not be demoralized by those that want to discredit
the simplicity that is in christ and help us to
To just be steadfast to be unmovable in this to keep going out keep preaching the gospel. Keep
Keep working for you
Help us today with that too. In jesus name I pray
Thank you