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...from the Word of God that would teach them something, that would stick with them, that would help them and strengthen them, dear God. And please just bless the remainder of our service in every way. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. Now I want to draw specific attention to the first verse there, and keep your finger in Titus chapter 2 until I let you know, because we're going to look at a few things here. But look at the first verse in Titus chapter 2, it says, But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine, sound doctrine. What does it mean to have sound doctrine? Well, something that's sound, if you understand what the word sound means, here's where the word comes from. In my understanding, etymologically, if you take a certain material, like let's say steel for example, you can take a screw driver and you can hit that steel, and it's going to make a certain sound. Do you understand what I mean by that? It's going to be bong or ding, depending on what kind of metal it is. Well, you can tell how solid it is by the noise that it makes when you hit it. If you hit a piece of metal, if you hit a piece of wood, if you hit that, you can get a feel for how thick the wood is, what's behind it, what it's made out of. The integrity of it is what we're talking about, the structural integrity. Well, when God says having sound doctrine, he's saying it's solid, is what he's saying. Something that's sound means it makes sense. It's solid. It has integrity. It holds up. It holds water. You know, if you compare it with the rest of the Bible, it makes sense. It holds water. That's what sound doctrine means. And he's comparing it to what he says in verse number 14 of chapter 1, where he says, not giving heed to Jewish fables. That's things that have been stories that have been passed down and passed down. And people say something, but that doesn't necessarily make it true. And he's also talking a little bit about, in verse number 10 through 12, he's talking about how the Jews were racist against the Cretans. And they say some things in verse number 12 saying that all the Cretans are liars. They're evil beasts. I mean, they're calling them these names, slow bellies. And Paul is saying that they need to be rebuked sharply to be sound in faith and not to give heed to that kind of stuff, a supremacy of the Jews over the Cretans, for example, which are Greeks. And so on and on you'll see this in the Bible, this kind of a thing between the Jews and the Gentiles. And we talked about that last Sunday morning, I believe it was, where we showed that in Christ there's neither Jew nor Gentile, and that the blessing might come upon the Gentiles, is what it said in Galatians 3. And I went over that in depth in that sermon. But here he's saying, but you, Titus, but thou, speak thou the things which become sound doctrine. It's so important that we have sound doctrine. Look at verse number 8, sound speech. Same idea brought up again. Sound speech that cannot be condemned. See, you can't prove it wrong, is what he's saying, because it's so legitimate from the Bible. It's sound. Sound speech that cannot be condemned. That he that is of the contrary part, that's somebody who doesn't agree with what you believe, that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. Now, I'm going to show you an illustration of this, and this is just kind of maybe a humorous illustration. But this came into my mind as I was studying the subject of a sound system of doctrine, of understanding the Bible. See, the problem is that in 2006 a lot of people don't know the Bible. Very few people know the Bible. Even preachers don't know the Bible. And so because they don't know the Bible, they don't have sound doctrine. Their doctrine doesn't make sense. It doesn't jive one with another. And part of it is because they don't understand the English language, or they don't study to show themselves approved learning the Bible. But God is saying it's very important for us to have a sound doctrine. Now, what I talked about this morning, remember I talked about being unmovable. Now, what good is being unmovable if you're standing in the wrong place? Think about it. I mean, if you say, boy, I like this sermon this morning, I'm going to be unmovable. I'm going to be steadfast. I want to be established. I want to be fixed. I want to be planted. Can you imagine how horrible it would be if you planted yourself in the wrong place? You're going to be that steadfast? I mean, it's kind of funny, but think about it. Okay, think about it. What if you're a Roman Catholic? Yep, the Bible says unmovable. I will not leave the mother church no matter what because I'm going to be steadfast. See how ridiculous that is? So in order to even think about applying Sunday morning sermon, you better understand what it means to have sound doctrine because before you decide to be unmovable, and yes, it's very important to be unmovable, but you better make sure that you're standing in the right place. You better make sure you're building in the right place before you're unmovable, before you get steadfast, before you get established and grounded, which is so important. Before you put that root down deep, make sure you're in the right place. Make sure you know what you believe and make sure that it's sound. Make sure it's consistent all the way through the Bible that it doesn't contradict any thing that the Bible teaches. Think about this, and this is a humorous example, but who's ever sung the song, The Lily of the Valley in church? Have you heard the song? Okay, a couple of people. You know, he's the lily of the valley, the bride and morning star. He's the fairest of 10,000 to my soul. You know how it goes? And the whole song is saying, he's the rose of Sharon, he's the lily of the valley. He's talking about Jesus Christ. And I've even seen greeting cards about Jesus is the lily of the valley. I've seen gospel tracts about the lily of the valley. I've seen Christian poems about how Jesus is the lily of the valley. Okay, look if you would at Song of Solomon chapter 1, and I'm going to show you this. Song of Solomon, this is right after the book of Proverbs, and this is just an example of how traditions are and how things get passed down that just do not hold water with the Bible, that are just wrong. And because of one person's ignorance, they start saying something, and then it gets repeated hundreds of times, and nobody bothers to even look in the Bible to see whether it's true or not. And I grew up singing that song my entire life, and every church I've ever gone to I've sung that song at least one time. I mean, every church that I've ever been a part of, a member of. But look if you would at Song of Solomon. Now, actually Song of Solomon chapter 2, I'm sorry. Look at the first verse. I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys. Now this is the only time that that phrase, rose of Sharon or lily of the valleys ever occurs in the entire Bible, is in Song of Solomon 2.1. Now here's what's so ridiculous. It's a woman saying it. It's not Jesus. It has nothing to do with Jesus. It's a woman speaking. I'll prove it to you. This is so silly. Now, people don't understand the Bible, but understand that in Song of Solomon there's a conversation going on between a man and a woman throughout the entire book. Okay. Look at verse number 1 of Song of Solomon chapter 1. I'm going to show you this. The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's. That's just the title of the book given to us in the first verse. Now it begins, let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for thy love is better than wine. Now who do you think is talking, a male or a female? Okay. Now we're talking about a woman, right? A woman is talking. Let him kiss me with it. My God, I hope so. You know, that this is in the Bible, you know, that it's, let him kiss me with the kiss of his mouth, for thy love is better than wine. And you'll see all the way from verse number 2 to verse number 7, you have a woman speaking. Okay. This is a love story between a man and a woman. Okay. Verse number 7 says, tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth. So this woman is still singing to her love. Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon. For why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions? If thou know not, O thou fairest among women. Now who's talking? It's pretty clear, right? Obviously the man is answering now. If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock and feed thy kids besides the shepherd's hens. I have compared thee, O my love. And he goes on and on. Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels. He's talking to the woman, right? Then in verse number 12, she answers him and there's no division between the man talking and the woman talking. It just goes from one to the other. Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels. It's still the man speaking to the woman. Thy neck with chains of gold. We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver. Now the woman is singing now. While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof. A bundle of myrrh is why my well beloved unto me. He shall lie all night betwixt my breasts. My beloved is unto me as a cluster of campire in the vineyards of Enjedi. Now the man begins to speak again. Behold, thou art fair, my love. Behold, thou art fair. Thou hast dove's eyes. Now she talks. Behold, thou art fair, my beloved. Yea, pleasant. Also, our bed is green. The beams of our house are cedars and our raptors are fur. Now look at this. I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys. Now this is obviously the woman speaking. What man wants to be called a lily? Pastor Anderson, you're such a lily to us here. That's ridiculous, isn't it? I mean, I was just thinking about, you know how you have a little avatar, like when you sign in to Windows XP by your name? You know, it says like Steve and Anderson. Yeah, I think I'm going to put a little lily next to mine. Wouldn't that be sweet? No, I mean, I think if anything I'm going to put a lily next to my wife's avatar, you know, and mine would be like, you know, a gun or something, a rifle, you know? I'm not going to have a lily. And it's ridiculous. But look, I'll prove it to you now. Look at the next verse. I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys. As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. See that? So who's the lily? Okay. The woman is the lily. And then look, so basically in verse number one, the woman's talking. I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys. Verse number two, the man's talking. As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. So in verse number one, it's first person because the woman's talking, you know. Verse number two, it's third person because he's talking about her. Then look at verse number three. So he's saying, as the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. Verse three, as the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. That's her response. You see that? I sat down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house and his banner over me was love. And on and on throughout the story. And you'll see this just through the whole book, eight chapters. Not hard to understand at all. Very simple. Anybody who reads the Bible for themselves would obviously see that the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys is talking about the woman. And then the apple tree, that's a little manlier. If a man's comparing himself to a big, strong apple tree, that she can sit down under his shadow. Okay, that's what he's saying. And so the whole song makes sense, but the song, the lily of the valley, Jesus is the lily of the valley, you know. And people just sing it mindlessly by the thousands all across America tonight. And you say, were you against that song? Well, I don't really care. I mean, it's not like it's that bad of a song or anything. But you know what? I am against people just ignorantly singing things that they don't understand and not reading the Bible and not studying the Bible. I mean, shouldn't somebody have just read that in the Bible and noticed that? And I guarantee you hundreds of people noticed that before and they just said, oh, well, you know, I must just be missing something. You know, he's the lily of the valley. And it's weird. But I'm going to tell you something. Thousands of people today sang that song all across America, probably even millions. Because this is one of the most popular songs in the hymnal literature. And it just goes to show, you say, why are you showing that? Well, I'm just showing you that because it's kind of funny. It's kind of interesting. But I'm showing you that to illustrate how sound doctrine must be based on the word of God. I mean, you have to look, don't trust some church to give you sound doctrine. Get the sound doctrine yourself, because you have to see if what is preached behind this pulpit, what is sang in these songs, what is preached by me, what you have heard people say, see if it holds water. See if it's solid with what the Bible is saying. See if it's sound speech that cannot be condemned. Now, I just condemned that song, because it's not sound. Do you understand that? And so you have to know what you believe and you have to know why you believe it. Now, there are so many things in the message, like I just have pages and pages of stuff. Okay, but I'm skipping over a lot of it because I don't want, I'm not going to preach so long tonight at all. So I'm going to skip a lot of this. Okay, so Titus chapter 2, back to Titus chapter 2, and I'm going to show you some interesting things. And I want you to understand the Bible. And I want you to understand the importance of studying the Bible, reading the Bible, and understanding what you're reading and making sense of it. And so you can have sound doctrine. Look if you would at verse number 12. Titus chapter number 2, verse number 12. The Bible says, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Now, here's the thing. There's a word in the Bible that is used in a way that most people don't understand. And I'm going to explain it to you right now. That word is and, A-N-D, and. Now, you're saying goodnight. I understand what the word and means. You may not, completely. Because there are two different uses of the word and. One use of the word and is to connect two ideas that are different from one another. You know, I went to the store, and I went to the zoo. Two totally different things. I bought a car and a house. Totally different. But there's another meaning of the word and that's used frequently in the Bible, where God connects two things that are the same by the word and. And you know, if you studied English grammar. And by the way, when I went to Bible college, there's only one class where I actually learned anything of value in the class. Now, I learned a lot of great things in Bible college outside of the classroom. But in the classes, probably the class that I got the most out of was the class that I hated the most, with a passion, and it's English class. Because I learned, you know, they actually taught us very in-depth English, just the English language. And we studied it a lot, and I hated the class. But it was great because I learned the grammar and everything that I needed to learn. And you have to understand that the word and sometimes connects the same thing and describes it in two different ways. So you can have and separating two things that are the same, or you can have and separating two things that are different. And that's just part of English grammar. And there's, there are rules, and I had it all written out, the rules, but I'm not going to belabor you with it tonight. But it has to do with the use of the word the, and there's a certain construction where you can tell which one it is. But look at this verse. It says, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Now here's the thing. Any grammarian will agree that in the last part of that verse, you see that where it says, of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ? That's the same person. There's only one person's appearing. Do you understand that? Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing. Now first of all, the blessed hope and the glorious appearing are the same thing. We're looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, two, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Now is God going to appear and our Savior, Jesus Christ, side by side? No. It's one person that's appearing. So right here, this proves that Jesus is God. Now I've heard preachers my whole life get up and say, well, see it says and, two different things. Two different things. Otherwise it wouldn't say and. The glorious appearing and the blessed hope, two different things. Now look at this. I'm going to prove to you that it's not. I read this almost every day in my Bible reading. I read a usage of the word and in the Bible, connecting two things that are the same. Let me prove it to you. Galatians chapter 1. This is just yesterday's Bible reading and I was thinking that I should really go through and make a note of it every time I see it because it's so common and there's so many verses that are misunderstood in the Bible and this is mainly what we're dealing with tonight is this subject of the word and used in the Bible. Look at Galatians chapter 1. I'm going to show you a really neat thing about this. Galatians chapter 1 verse 4. The Bible reads, who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world according to the will of God and our Father. You see right there, God and our Father is the same person because you could try to separate and say, well, look for that blessed hope of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. See, Jesus and God are two different people. No, because right here he says of the great God and our Father. See, he's using and to further describe who God is. God is our Father. So he says, let me find the verse here, according to the will of God and our Father. You see that? And then look if you would just a few books forward in the Bible to Philippians. And you'll see the same thing again, Philippians 4.20. See, we don't have Sunday school here. So on Sunday night, sometimes I use it for a little bit of a Sunday school time, a little bit of a learning time. Not always, but if I'm going to teach something, I usually reserve it for Sunday night. But look at Philippians chapter 4. Obviously, I'm teaching in every sermon, but this is where I really want to teach maybe the more complicated subjects. But look at Philippians 4.20. Now unto God and our Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Wait a minute, two different people. Give the glory to God and to our Father. Well, who's this other Father? You see what I'm saying? And it's so simple to see this throughout the Bible. On and on, there's another example. You don't have to turn there, but the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 1.3, remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God and our Father. Now look at 1 Timothy 1.1. Just flip over a few chapters to the right there. 1 Timothy 1.1, and look at this phenomenal verse from the Bible. I didn't notice this until I memorized the book of 1 Timothy, and just I started memorizing the first verse, and I was like, wow, I'm learning already. This is amazing. And these are the type of things that just blow through, these greetings. But look at 1 Timothy 1.1. In verse, proving the deity of Christ, it says right here, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope. Now look at the grammar of this verse. If you said unto the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, you see what I mean? Then you could say it's two different people. If you said God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ. But you cannot use Lord Jesus Christ without a the in front of it, unless you're just connecting it to the idea before it. So he says, according, he says, by the commandment of God our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. See that? Which is our hope. There you have it right there, that Jesus is God. And so it's so important to read every word of the Bible, to hang on every word. That's why it's so important to have a King James Bible. You say, well, it's not the words that are important, it's just the thoughts. As long as you get the basic idea, the thought. So God said, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. You mess up one word in that sentence, it's gone. And I opened the NIV, I'm not going to take time to do it, this afternoon and looked at a lot of these verses and it was changed, moved around, took away the whole meaning. But if you move around one word, you lose the important meaning, the important grammar that you see here, where God is equating God our Savior with the Lord Jesus Christ. Maybe that's why in Isaiah 43, he said, I am the Lord, capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D, meaning Jehovah. He said, I'm Jehovah, and beside me there is no Savior. He says, I'm the Savior in Isaiah 43. Jehovah of the Old Testament. And of course we know that in the New Testament he's the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Looking for the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, you know, who's a savior, on and on. You'll see Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, the Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus means, the word Jesus means Savior. Well, the Lord, capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D in the Old Testament said, I'm the Savior, and there's no other Savior beside me. And so, it's so important that you see every word in the Bible supports and upholds the deity of Jesus Christ, that Jesus Christ is God. Here's another example. Don't turn there, James 1.27, we just saw this a couple weeks ago. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this. Say God and the Father, are these two different people? No, he's saying the religion before God and the Father is this, God and the Father. It's two descriptions of who we're talking about. And then on and on I saw just a few other examples of this throughout the Bible. Jonah chapter 3, you don't have to turn there, but the Bible says, who can tell if God will turn and repent? Same thing, turn and repent. Repent actually means turn, it means change. And so, it's just a restating, God's kind of teaching us what the word repent means, it means turn. So, he says, turn and repent. You say, well, it's two different things. No, it's not two different things. It's one thing, turn and repent, God and our Father, and on and on you'll see this throughout the Bible. You say, why is this so important? Well, here's where it becomes extremely important. Look at Mark chapter 1. Mark chapter 1, right at the beginning of your New Testament, and we'll see why this is so extremely important to understand this great truth. Mark chapter 1, look at verse number 4 of Mark chapter 1. Mark chapter 1, the Bible says, John did baptize in the wilderness and preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Notice the word repentance, okay? He's preaching repentance, okay, right? But now look if you would at, and he's talking about remission of sins, that's salvation. Now look if you would at verse number 15, same chapter, Mark 1, 15, and saying, actually look at verse 14, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying, the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent ye and believe the gospel. Now you say, wait a minute, two different things, two steps to salvation. You must repent and you must believe the gospel. Now look, that's not what he's saying at all. It's the same thing, and I'll prove it to you. Repent and believe the gospel. Change, remember what repent means? We learned from John chapter, turn, turn and start believing the gospel. You know, change from not believing the gospel and start believing the gospel. You say, well how do you know that that's what that means, Pastor Anderson? Well because the Bible says that's what it means, look at Acts chapter 19. Acts chapter 19, so God is saying here, repent and believe the gospel. Repent and believe the gospel. Look at Acts chapter 19 and we'll find out what it means to repent and believe the gospel. John the Baptist is alluded to again in chapter 19. The Bible says in Acts 19 verse 4, then said Paul, John, same person, John the Baptist, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, we saw that in Mark 1, 4, saying unto the people that they should believe on him which should come after him that is on Christ Jesus. So what was repentance? He said he preached on the baptism of repentance and this is how he did it, by saying that they should believe on him that should come after. Look at this even more vividly in Matthew 21 verse 32. Matthew 21 verse 32, you'll see the exact same thing. Matthew 21, 32, very clearly, I mean the Bible is so clear and simple, but I've heard preachers say repent and believe the gospel, you've got to do two things to be saved. Oh really, does John 3, 16 say you have to do two things? Whosoever believeth? Does John 3, 18 say you have to do two things? He that believeth is not condemned? Does Romans in chapter 4 verse 5, but to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly? Is that two things? No, it's one thing. It's believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. The power of God unto salvation, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. And repenteth? No, to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also the Greek. So what is repentance? Is repentance necessary for salvation? Well if somebody does not believe in Jesus Christ, which everyone who is not saved doesn't believe in Jesus Christ, well they're going to have to repent and believe on Jesus Christ. They're going to have to turn from not believing, they're going to have to change their state of not believing and say I'm going to repent of not believing, I'm going to believe the gospel. So yes, a person does have to repent to be saved. Does a person have to repent of their sins? No. Show me in the Bible, show me in the Bible, repent of your sins, those four words. Show me in the Bible, repent of his sins, repent of their sins, repent of sin. Nowhere in the Bible will you find repentance of sin ever. Never. You won't find it. Show me. But see a preacher can take the word repent here and say well repent and believe and let me define repent for you as whatever I want. Let me tell you what I'm saying you have to turn from. You have to turn away from your sins. Oh really? Well where's that in the Bible? The only thing that I'm seeing in that verse that you have to turn from is not believing. You repent and believe. Here it is Matthew 21 32. You say I don't believe you pastor Anderson. Okay well then maybe you'll believe Jesus Christ when he was on this earth. Speaking in Matthew 21 32 he says for John, same story, John the Baptist, for John came unto you in the way of righteousness and you believed him not. But the publicans and the harlots believed him and he when you had seen it repented not afterward of your sins. Is that what it says? He says no. You when you had seen it repented not afterward that you might believe him. See he says you didn't repent and believe. You didn't change your mind. He says look first you didn't believe. The harlots and publicans did believe. Now if you're not believing and they're believing afterward later when you see that the harlots and the publicans have believed afterward you have an opportunity to change the fact that you're on the unbelieving side and to get on the believing side. Isn't it simple? He's saying you're not believing. They are believing. Afterward you didn't repent that you would believe like they did. And so he says you're going to go to hell because you don't believe. Because the unbelieving shall have their part in the lake which burnt with fire and brimstone which is the second death. It's the unbeliever. He'll have his portion with the unbelievers in hell it says in Matthew 25 and on and on throughout the bible. And so you see how important it is to study the bible and to read every word to carefully read every word. Understand the English language. You say how am I going to get a grasp of the English language past and present? Do I need to go to that college class that you went to? Should I go sign up for that class and learn English grammar? You know what? You can learn the English grammar by reading the bible. The bible will teach you the English language. Now look if you've been taught English grammar that might help you out. Just maybe if you've had that chance to say that but you do not need it whatsoever. The bible says you need not that any man teach you but as the anointing which you have received of him abideth in you, the spirit of God that's what it's talking about, the anointing which you have received of him abideth in you and teaches you of all things and is truth and is no lie. See the Holy Spirit inside you and this book in your hand, you can teach that English professor a few things about grammar because this is where you get the grammar. You can learn what I taught you about the word and, the two meanings of the word and, you can learn that from the bible. You don't need an English class. But it's a sad thing when people in our day don't understand the English language and then what do they do? They get up in front of the congregation or they get up in front of a small Sunday school class and they say, let me tell you what the Greek says if you go back to the Greek, learn the English language. You know if you learned the grammar, if you learned the nouns and the verbs and the verb tenses of English, you will not need Greek, period, whatsoever. But see, they go back to the Greek because they don't know English because they don't want to read the bible and study it and learn it. They'd rather study some deep theologians book, some writing that man wrote. They don't want to read what God wrote. This is what God wrote. This is what I want to read. I want to get my grammar and my learning and my knowledge from this book, not rely on some author of some Greek lexicon somewhere to interpret the Greek for me. Not going to do it. And so if you would understand the English language, you can get all these little nuances, all these little meanings just from understanding English, just from reading the King James Bible. But on and on, that's probably the greatest example I could show you and I had a whole bunch of verses here proving, and I'm not going to take the time to do it because I've done it so many times, proving that it's to everyone that believeth, to all that believe, whosoever believeth, believers and unbelievers. Nothing to do with the law. The law cannot save you. Adherence to the law cannot save you. The works of the law cannot save you. Faith without the works of the law. You say, what's the works of the law? The law says, thou shalt not do this. Thou shalt not. Thou shalt not. That's the law. And he says, your standing to the law has nothing to do with salvation. How you keep that law or how you want to keep that law or how you decide to keep that law or how you're willing to keep that law is not salvation because you can't keep that law. That law will destroy you. That's what the Bible says. That law will damn you to hell because one day this law right here is going to be opened up at the white throne judgment and everybody whose name is not written in the book of life is going to be condemned and judged and damned by the words that are written in this book saying, you've lied. It says here don't lie. You've cursed. It says here don't curse. You've stolen. It says here not to steal and thrown into a lake of fire they go. That's what's going to happen at the great white throne of judgment. But I'm going to tell you something, I'm not going to be there because I'm going up in that first resurrection way, way before the great white throne judgment. That's the dead that come up out of hell that stand before that great judgment where God uses this Bible to damn people to hell. And the Bible says that this rock, he says this Bible is like a rock. Like you can set yourself on it and it will be like a foundation like we talked about this morning or the Bible says if you don't believe it's like a rock that's going to fall on you and crush you and destroy you. And there's an illustration about that in the book of Daniel. I don't have time to go through it. But on and on the Bible will either save you or destroy you depending on whether you believe. Pretty simple isn't it? On and on but look back at Titus chapter two if you're still there. Titus chapter two and this sermon is just kind of a destroying some false doctrine type sermon and just kind of a review of some things that we've already learned in other sermons. Kind of a teaching time but look if you would at Titus chapter two. Let me get there myself just so I can see exactly what I was going to show you here. Titus chapter two and look at verse number thirteen. Titus two thirteen. Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Now it's all the same thing. The glorious appearing of the blessed hope is the same thing. The great God and our Savior Jesus Christ are the same person. Now listen the blessed hope this is what people will say. They'll say well I'm looking for the blessed hope like the rapture is what they call the blessed hope. Can you support that in the Bible? Well sure you can because it says right here the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ are the same thing. But they will try to draw a distinction between the glorious appearing and the blessed hope and say well I'm looking for the blessed hope which is called the secret rapture. I don't know if anybody's ever heard that term before the secret rapture. Well this is what this is what's also known as the pre-tribulation rapture but it's commonly known as the secret rapture okay because it's a big secret because here's what happens. Jesus comes back and nobody sees him. Okay this is what the pre-tribulation rapture teaches or also known as the secret rapture. Jesus is coming back nobody's going to see him. He's going to come in the clouds but you can't see him. I guess the cloud is like kind of hiding him you know maybe like inside the cloud because supposedly he's going to come back no one will see him. No one will know anything about it and all of a sudden every Christian will disappear like that and nobody's going to see it happen. Nobody's going to see Jesus come back. We're just going to be gone like that and it could happen right now. It could happen before the end of his service okay it could happen tonight. That's the pre-tribulation rapture teaching which by the way 99.9% of independent fundamental biathists believe in myself excluded because there is no secret rapture in the bible whatsoever because notice what he's saying here the blessed hope is the glorious appearing of the great God and our savior Jesus Christ. Now look if you would let me find my place in my notes here look if you would at Matthew chapter 24 and I'm going to show you this. I'm going to show you how consistent the bible is. Matthew chapter 24 and you tell me what you think this means okay. Matthew 24 look at verse number 29. Now the clear crystal clear teaching the bible we're going to see here in three different passages I'm going to show you real quick. Look at Matthew 24 verse number 29. Matthew 24 29 immediately after the tribulation of those days. Boy this is it's already confusing me isn't it? No I mean it's pretty easy to understand. When is it? After. Immediately after. My bible doesn't say that look your bible says it just read it immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened and the moon shall not give her light. Just try and follow me remember this is complicated and the stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of the heaven shall be shaken and then shall appear the sign of the son of man in heaven. So when is it going to happen? After the tribulation and then shall appear the sign of the son of man in heaven and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn and they shall see the son of man coming in the clouds of heaven. So same exact description that we just read. He's coming in the clouds. It says that everybody is going to see him and he's coming with power and great glory. Do you see that? Coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory and he shall send his angels with the great sound of a trumpet. So look at the common elements. The clouds, the trumpet, people are going to see him. It's the glory. Remember it said the glorious appearing. When something appears that means you see it. Now I'm getting into the really deep English. When something appears it means I've seen it. I saw it. See, saw, have seen. We're learning all that English grammar tonight. See, saw, have seen, saw, saw, sawing, seeing, sorry. You see something that appears. So here's the common denominator in Titus 2 and in Matthew 24. We see him. Clouds, glory, remember the glorious appearing, coming in the clouds with great glory and the trumpet. All these things are really consistent throughout the Bible. And they shall gather together his elect from the four winds. Who's the elect? The chosen people. That's the Jews, right? That's Israel, right? Yeah, right. Listen to Sunday Morning of last week 50 times on slo-mo if you don't know that. Turn on like slow speed if you can turn down your tape player and listen to it 50 times in a row and then tell me that the Jews are God's chosen people and that it's not believers from Jew and Gentile. And he's saying the elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other. Now look at Revelation 1.7, Revelation 1.7. Revelation chapter 1 verse number 7. And we'll see a great verse, Revelation 1.7. The Bible says in Revelation 1.7, behold he cometh with clouds. Okay, do we see the first common denominator? He's coming with clouds and every eye shall see him. There it is again. And they also which pierced him. And all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, amen. Now look at 1 Corinthians 15 where we were this morning. 1 Corinthians 15, it's kind of a Bible study tonight but it's getting us with some sound doctrine that can't be condemned, can't prove it wrong. 1 Corinthians 15 and look at verse 52. 1 Corinthians 15 verse number 52, the Bible reads, in a moment, in the twinkling of thy at the last trump for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed. Now look, that's the rapture. Anyone would agree that that's the rapture. Any Bible student or person who reads the Bible or teaches the Bible will agree that this is the rapture. What is it? Clouds. He's coming. The dead are going to be raised. We're going to be changed. We're going to be caught up with him. So consistent. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. Turn to this place, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and see the consistency further. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. Verse number 15, actually look at verse 16 for sake of time. 1 Thessalonians 4, 16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God. There's the first one. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. There it is again. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up. That's what the rapture means. Together with him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore come from one another with these words. Now, if the rapture doesn't happen after the tribulation, then there must be a totally different rapture where Jesus comes in the clouds again with power and great glory. Again. He blows another trumpet. Even though it said that was the last trumpet, he's going to blow another trumpet. Then he's going to gather up all the Jews, every Jew, and gather them up into the air. Now is that ridiculous or not? It's ridiculous. Nowhere in the Bible. Show me the verse of the Bible that says before the tribulation. The trump's going to sound. The clouds. He's coming in the clouds. But it's a secret. Nobody can see him. It says every eye shall see him. It says all nations of the earth shall wail because of him. Then shall they see the son of man coming in the clouds with power and great glory. The glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. See how simple this is? See how clear it is? Now, here's the biggest argument that the secret rapture crowd will have. They'll say, well, wait a minute. The Bible says we're looking for Jesus Christ to come back. We're watching for him to come back. We're waiting for him to come back. That means it can happen anytime. I mean, if we're looking for it, that means nothing else has to happen in the meantime, which is called imminency. The imminent return of Jesus Christ. Anytime that's why we're looking for him, we're watching. Let's look outside and watch right now because he could come. And they're saying watch for it. Look for it. That means he could come anytime. Well, look if you would at 2 Peter chapter 3. This is the last place I'm going to have you turn. Well, I can't make any promises, but here's 2 Peter chapter number 3. I'm getting close to the end here. Look at 2 Peter chapter number 3. I'm going to show you an interesting choice of words that Peter uses here. 2 Peter chapter number 3. And you'll hear people say, yep, the disciples, they thought he was coming back in their lifetime. Yep, the apostles, they thought he was coming back in their lifetime. Well, Jesus, and I don't have time to show you, but Jesus in John 21 told Peter that he's going to live to be an old man. He said when you're old, he said somebody's going to carry you to a place that you don't want to go. And he says this spakey signifying the death that he would glorify God with. That he was going to live to be a very old man and to where he couldn't even hardly take care of himself and somebody was going to take him to his death as a very old man, as a martyr of Jesus Christ. Paul knew that he was going to die a martyr's death in Rome. So did he think Jesus could come back any time before he lived to be an old man, before he went to that death? There's no verse in the Bible that says that anywhere. Look at 2 Peter chapter 3. Written by the man who was told that he was going to live to be an old man. Written by the man that was told that he was going to be killed in a martyr's death. Look, if you would, at verse number 12. Looking for, okay, same wording. Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God. Now this is not talking about the rapture because look at the next verse. Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens shall, being on fire, shall be dissolved. You see that? Wherein the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that you may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless. Now let me tell you something. In the day of God when the elements are going to melt with a fervent heat and when there's going to be a new heaven and a new earth, did you know that that's going to be after the thousand year millennial reign of Christ when God destroys the earth and makes a new heaven and a new earth? The day of God where the elements are going to melt like a nuclear explosion, every basic element will melt and the heavens are going to be on fire and the whole earth is going to be consumed and burnt with fire and destroyed. God will not destroy this earth until the end of the millennium. Very clear in the Bible. Anyone would agree with that. That at the end of the millennium, at the end of the thousand year reign of Christ, which is over a thousand years after the rapture, more than a thousand years later. Because first you have the rapture, then you have God pouring out all his wrath in the seven trumpets and seven vile judgments. Then the millennium begins. Then you have a thousand years of millennial reign. Then is the day of God, the day of God the Father, when Jesus Christ, the Bible says in 1st Corinthians chapter 15, will yield up the kingdom because Jesus Christ the Son is going to be reigning on this earth physically for a thousand years. Then the Bible says he gives up the kingdom and turns it over to God the Father. God the Father destroys the earth with fire, burns it up. You have the great white throne judgment that we talked about earlier and then the Bible says he makes a new heaven and a new earth. The new heaven and the new earth is in Revelation 21, after the millennium in Revelation 20. Look what he says though. Look at verse 13. Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for a new heavens. See, could have happened in his lifetime. A new heaven. Because he's looking for it. Is that what it means? That's not what it means at all. He's looking for a new heaven. Does that mean he says nothing has to happen before the new heaven? Well yes Peter, because you're going to get old and you're going to be martyred and then there's going to be more human history and then there's going to be the tribulation where the anti-Christ is on this earth and he's persecuting and causing tribulation and persecution on his people. Then there's going to be the rapture. Then God's going to pour out his wrath. Then Jesus Christ is going to rule and reign on this earth for another thousand years. Then is going to be the day of God where God melts the heavens and burns up the earth and then there's going to be a new heaven and a new earth. But he said I'm looking for the new heaven because he's going to be there. He said I'm looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to, I'm looking for the day of God when the elements are going to be melting, the earth's going to be destroyed. I'm looking for that new heaven and that new earth. Why? Because it's going to come today? No I'm looking way into the future. I can see the whole view of eternity and I can see that way off in the future someday this whole world is going to be burned up. And he says seeing then that these things shall be dissolved in verse 11, look down in your Bible, seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation and godliness? He said look, your car is going to be dissolved. Your house is going to be dissolved. Your money is going to be dissolved. Your things are going to be dissolved. So how do you think you should live seeing that all things are going to be dissolved? I'm looking toward the new heaven. I'm laying up my treasures in heaven and the new heaven and the new earth. That's why he says in the next verse in verse 14, wherefore beloved, seeing that we look for such things, what things? New heaven, new earth. Be diligent that you may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless. What, when he shows up tomorrow? No, in the day of God. You understand what I'm saying here? He's saying look, we're looking forward to a lot of things that are way off in the future. That doesn't mean that we're not just looking forward to things that are going to happen today. I mean, there are things that are just in life. There are things that I'm looking for. I'm looking for things, you know, two years from now. I'm looking for something that's to happen ten years from now. You know, I have plans. I have dreams. But I'm not just looking for something that's going to happen tonight during the service. You understand what I'm saying by that? And it's so simple to understand the Bible. It's so clear if you come at it without a preconceived idea, number one, and number two, if you're looking for sound doctrine, if you're looking for things that are consistent, things that hold water, things where you can put them side by side, like six different scriptures as we did, and they all say the exact same thing. They all mean the exact same thing. It's so clear in the Bible. But I'm out of time. I didn't want to preach very long tonight for several reasons. But you understand what I'm saying about sound doctrine. Be sure you know the Bible. And be sure to never take anything for granted that I say. Never take anything for granted that anybody else says. Never take anything for granted that you sing in the hymnal or that you've heard about. Look, study the Bible for yourself. And you need to have sound doctrine where if you compare one chapter to another chapter, they should both be saying the same thing. Otherwise, the Bible is contradicting itself. I'm going to throw it in the trash. Why would I want a Bible from a God that says he's perfect and he's giving me mixed messages? You know, he's telling me one place, believing is it. It's all you need. It's all. It's faith. It's by grace through faith, not of works. And then somewhere else, he's going to tell me that I've got to, you know, turn from my sins to be saved and turn from alcohol, turn from fornication. Look, is faith enough or is it not enough? How many times is Jesus going to come back in the clouds? Okay. How many times is he going to gloriously appear? How many times are these things going to happen? It's going to happen one time. It's called the second coming of Jesus Christ, and it's coming immediately after the tribulation of those days, after the sun and moon is darkened, and every eye shall see him. Couldn't be clearer in the Bible. What do I have to do to be saved? Believe. You say, well, I don't believe right now. Well, then repent and believe the gospel. Couldn't be clearer. And so study the Bible, learn the Bible, know the Bible, because, and Titus chapter 2, you don't have to turn there, but this is in closing. Why do I need to, why do I need to know the Bible? Because he says right here in Titus chapter 2, he explains why it's so important. Sound speech that cannot be condemned, that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. And then the last verse of the chapter is where he really nails it home. He says, these things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise you. He says, listen, there's a reason why, listen, Titus, there's a reason why you can get up and preach with authority, Titus, because Titus is a preacher. He says, Titus, I've trained you. I've molded you. I won you to Christ, and I've taught you how to preach. And he says, I don't want you to get up and preach and say, well, this is what I think. So I think, I mean, I think all you have to do is believe. I was looking at it and kind of seems like that. I mean, not everybody believes that, but I think faith is enough. He says, no. He says, get up and speak it with authority and say, thus sayeth the Lord. How am I going to do that? How am I going to get up and speak with authority? How are you on the job when you're giving the gospel to a friend on the job, a coworker or a loved one? How are you going to give the gospel with some authority behind it to where they'll see that you know what you're saying, you know what you believe? How are you going to be able to speak anything with authority? You've got to have sound doctrine. You've got to know what you believe and you have to know that it makes sense. Look, I can confidently go to somebody and show them it's by faith, by grace and faith. I don't have to worry about them proving me wrong. You know what I mean? No, it's sound. It holds water. It's solid. It's sound. You say, well, I can't believe you're getting up and preaching against the secret rapture. Wait, you're a heretic, you know, your independent fundamental Baptist brethren aren't going to like you anymore. Hey, Matthew 24, 29, pal, what's your verse? See what I'm saying? It holds water. It lines up and sound doctrine can never be condemned. Sound doctrine, I remember Stephen in the Bible, he had a spirit and words that they could not gain, say, no, resist. They couldn't resist what Stephen was saying. They could not prove him wrong. They couldn't even resist. They were pricking their hearts. They knew that what he was saying was true. They could not resist it. They looked on his face. They wanted to hate him. They looked at his face like the face of an angel, it says, and they couldn't hate him. They couldn't find anything wrong with him. They couldn't prove him wrong. So what did they do? They stuffed their ears. They put their hands over their ears and they said, no, we don't want to hear it. They listened to him the whole time until he got on their subject, their little subject. They put their hands over their ears. They said, no, and they ran toward him with their ears covered and attacked him and bludgeoned him and beat him and stoned him to death because they could not, they say, or resist what he was saying. They could not condemn it because it was sound speech, sound doctrine. So get your doctrine sound. Get your doctrine straight. How? Read the Bible and read it again and again and again. And then when you talk to somebody about the gospel, you can confidently affirm, this is salvation. This is how to be saved. This is what we believe. This is what's right. This is what's wrong. And especially a preacher has got to be able to get up and say, this is it. You have to wonder about it. This is it. It's the truth. Why? Because the Bible says it and it's always consistent. It always makes sense. Sound speech that cannot be condemned. Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer. Father, thank you so much for a sound book. How in the world would we have sound doctrine with some kind of a book that's not even sound? Some kind of a man-made Bible. The best thing we have. The closest to the originals. Very close. Very accurate. No, my friend, it's the Word of God. It's the Holy Bible. It's the King James Bible preserved for mankind in 2006, dear God. We have the very words of Jesus Christ that he's fake on this earth, that he's fake from heaven before the world even began. Father, please just help us to not be lazy. Not to say, oh, well, you know, I'm just not into English language. I don't like English. I don't like to study words. I don't like to read and say, look, help us to work and push ourselves and concentrate and take control of our minds and sit down and read the Bible and study and learn the Bible so that we can have sound speech and sound doctrine. Why? So that we can preach the Gospel to every creature with power and authority so that we can be unmovable. Why? Because we know we're standing in the right place. That's why we can be unmovable. And, God, just please help us this week. Special soul winning emphasis this week, dear God. Help us to have boldness. Give me boldness here. I need more boldness as a soul winner. Give every Christian in this room boldness so that we can see many people saved this week and have a great blessed week of many people saved. Lives changed for all eternity. And, God, we love you.