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But pastor, doesn't Jesus say love your enemies? Be kind and be nice. They are not my enemy. THEY ARE GOD'S ENEMY. DIDN'T I JUST GIVE YOU THAT PARABLE? Jesus said that the owner said an enemy has done this. God's enemy is the one that goes around questioning the divinity of Jesus. I have no obligation to be kind and to wish anyone well that is teaching and preaching things that will send souls to hell. Mormonism is a cult. Jehovah's Witness is a cult. They all question or deny the divinity of Jesus Christ. They deny the trinity of God which is foundational to the faith of fundamental Christianity.
>> Welcome to Inspire TV. In a nation that once stood as a light to the world, something has gone terribly wrong. In a nation bleeding out where violence has become the new normal and fear [music] grips the heart of America, one man refuses to stay silent. Today, Pastor Lorraine Livingston of Central Church North Carolina blows the roof off the truth. [music] He exposes the violent darkness swallowing our streets. But then he declares the unstoppable faith of the church and the total victory we have in Christ Jesus. You think the devil is winning? Watch this. >> [music] >> This is not just a sermon. This is a battle cry. Don't scroll. [music] >> I'm probably not the only one that spent 5 hours last Sunday afternoon watching the Charlie Kirk funeral and being truly amazed at how many times the name of Jesus was spoken and how many times the plan of salvation was given and how many um spoke from the heart. I know some of it was scripted for some of them. But there were those who genuinely had a testimony from their heart and I was moved. >> [music] >> And I heard them more than once encourage people go to church get a Bible, read the Bible, go to church. And I sat there and I really cried. >> [music] >> How good is God? In in a wicked, vile, vulgar, foul, violent society that is now our Earth >> [music] >> to let for 5 hours the name of his son Jesus be lifted up and invitations be given and encouragement to go back to God, go back to church, get to the word of God. And even yesterday Franklin Graham had a crusade in Belgium. >> [music] >> Sandra and I watched it online and what appeared to me to be thousands came down to receive the Lord. And of course Franklin did what Billy Graham has always done. >> [music] >> He gave them Bibles and counseling. And it seems like God is moving. And God is saying church, wake up rise up and speak up. God is telling us time is running out. I also noticed this week that when Netanyahu got up to speak half of the United Nations General Council walked out. >> [music] >> And I said, "It's happening." Jesus said every nation will eventually turn against Israel. And I've even wondered this week we this country's kind of waffled in its uh support of a Palestinian state. But but it's coming. And we're in it. We get to watch it. I've heard about it all my life and I'm seeing it come to pass. And you can you can count on this. >> [music] >> People did hear the gospel. And there are people looking for a church. >> [music] >> But I've been praying, "God, let it be the right church." It's not just any church they need to go to. It has to be a Bible-believing, Bible-preaching church. We're not just trying to get people in a building so we can make the world a better place. This is life and death. This is heaven and hell. This is eternal. And I've been praying that God will send the right people in the paths of those people to invite them to a Bible-believing church. Because just as surely as I'm preaching to you right now, Satan [music] has a plan. He has a plan and Jesus told us about the plan. You see, when God raised his church, when the church was born on the day of Pentecost, God planted his church in the world. >> [music] >> And not long after that, Satan began to plant his world in the church. And when you see the thousands come down for salvation, >> [music] >> and when you hear all of the invitations for salvation, you can just count on it. Jesus predicted it. Jesus foretold it. Some will have that word snatched from their hearts. It will fall by the wayside. Others will receive it for a while. But without root, without a church, without preaching, without a pastor, without fellowship, it will just wither up. Others will for a while believe and the cares of this life and this world will choke the word and it will become unfruitful. But there are those who really did hear it and really did receive it and they believed it and they will start bearing fruit. It is that group that Satan has targeted. And Jesus in Matthew chapter 13 told us just exactly how this thing works. In a parable he put forth to them he said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept." That's always bothered me because [music] who plants at night? This means the men that were supposed to be watching during the day fell asleep at their post of duty. To me that's pastors who don't take this thing to heart who feel that the ministry is a profession. They don't see themselves as being on the clock 24/7. To them it's drawing a paycheck. They don't feed the flock. They don't protect the flock. They don't stand up and fight the enemy for the flock. They fall asleep and while men slept his enemy his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop then the tares also appeared. Now tares that's it look everybody knows this but just in case there's one tares it's it's actually darnel. It's a plant that looks exactly like wheat except that it's poison. And it's been sown in among the real wheat. When the grain had sprouted and produced a crop then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, "Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?" He said to them, "Listen, an enemy has done this." The servant said to him, "Do you want us then to go and gather them up?" But he said, "No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them." You see, the roots of the tares began to grow down and they tangled themselves with the roots of the wheat. And to try to rip up the tares would also rip up the wheat. And so the master, the owner said, "Just leave it alone. I'll take care of it when the time comes. Don't do anything drastic. Leave it alone. Let them both grow together until the harvest. And at the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, 'First, gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them. But gather the wheat into my barn.'" >> [music] >> Now, he explains it like this. He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world. The good seeds are the sons of the kingdom. The tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil. Harvest is the end of the age. And the reapers are the angels. Therefore, as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, every lawless thing, those who practice lawlessness. And will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their father. He who has ears, let him hear. That's what's going on right now, brothers and sisters. It started when the invitation was given. It will continue. Satan will be relentless in his effort to mix his worldliness, his ministers into the church to try and dilute the body of Christ and deceive those who are following Christ. And it happens. In fact, if you want to see a prime example of how it happened, all you have to do is go to Acts chapter 8. I never saw this till yesterday. I noticed that a great revival broke out in Samaria and Philip went down there and he preached Christ and they believed and they were baptized and there was a great spiritual awakening there. And there was a fellow there named Simon. Simon was a magician, a sorcerer. He had held people in his sway. He controlled their lives. He kept them living in fear. >> [music] >> But when they believed the gospel of Christ that Philip preached, they didn't care about Simon anymore. They were not afraid anymore because they had found freedom in the gospel of Jesus Christ. But the Bible says Philip, watch this, then Simon himself believed and he was baptized. Does that mean he got saved? No. It meant that he attempted it. >> [music] >> That's what Jesus meant when he said there will be those who will believe for a while, but when the tests and the troubles of life arise, they fall back. So old Simon pretended to get saved. He was doing what everybody else was doing, acting like everybody else and apparently he kind of fooled Philip. But then Peter stepped in and said, "Wait, just a minute. Your heart is not right with God. You're in the middle of God's people, you're acting like God's people, you're talking like God's people, but your heart is not right with God. You are full of bitterness and you are bound by iniquity. And instead of repenting, Simon said, "Well, why don't you pray for me that none of these bad things will happen to me." Brothers, sisters, that's a prime example of congregations today. Christian congregations. Satan will never stop sending false prophets, false believers, pretenders, counterfeit members into its midst. In this very church, there are people who profess to know God, but in works they deny him. They worship God with their lips, but their hearts are far from them. It's the case in every Christian congregation. And I want to tell you something I've been looking at lately. In the Get this now. The second little letter of John. That was a little tiny letters. This only has 13 verses. >> [music] >> He begins by saying, "To the elect lady and her children whom I love in truth. And not only I, but also all those who have known the truth because of the truth which abides in us and we will be with us forever." 13 times he says truth. Truth. Live in the truth. Walk in the truth. But when he gets down to verse nine, "Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son." You see, there was a heresy beginning to make its rounds in that day and it was about the true divinity of Jesus. That Jesus could not really be God and yet be man. And folks, that's the central theme of the gospel. He is the God-man. 100% God and 100% man. But already there was some demonic plants, some tares, some darnel being planted in the churches in John's day and they were beginning to make people question the doctrine of the Father and the Son. In fact, the next verse says, "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, if anyone comes into your midst, teaches a class, tries to preach anything but this doctrine, do not receive him into your house. Don't even greet him. For he who greets him shares his evil deeds." Have you read that before? He says, "If anybody comes around and they're trying to preach this doctrine that Jesus cannot be fully God and fully man or there is no such thing as the Trinity, that there can't be one God in three persons," he said, "have nothing to do with them. You are not obligated to listen. If the Jehovah's Witness comes to your door, you are not obligated to open that door. And if you make the mistake of opening it, you don't even have to be nice. The Bible says, "If you It says, "If you greet them, you are YOU OUGHT TO SLAM THE door in their face and tell them to get off your property." >> [music] >> But Pastor, doesn't Jesus say love your enemies, be kind and be nice? They are not my enemy. THEY ARE GOD'S ENEMY. >> [music] >> DIDN'T I JUST GIVE you that parable? Jesus said that the owner said, "An enemy has done this." God's enemy is the one that goes around questioning the divinity of Jesus. I have no obligation to be kind and to wish anyone well that is teaching and preaching things that will send souls to hell. Mormonism is a cult. Jehovah's Witness is a cult. They all question or deny the divinity of Jesus Christ. They deny the trinity of God which is foundational to the faith of fundamental Christianity. Let me tell you something, brothers and sisters. Satan will always always attack the integrity and truth of Jesus Christ. And before I go too much farther, let me remind you. John said, "Brothers and sisters, don't you believe every spirit, but you try the spirits. Test the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets have gone out into the world." I want to tell you, if you don't live in the book, if you are not founded in scripture, if you don't eat the truth, you are apt to be deceived by your emotions, your feelings, or public opinion. Because the mass is swayed a certain way, if you're not founded in the truth, you will lean with them. That's why I say when they are telling people to find a church, they need to find a church that PREACHES THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD. >> [applause] [snorts] >> Jesus warned of wolves in sheep's clothing. I have referred this to you a number of times recently. When Paul in Acts chapter 20 knelt down by the river with the elders at >> [music] >> Ephesus and he said, "This is my last meeting with you. >> [music] >> You won't see my face anymore. And before I get on that boat and leave, I want to tell you something. As soon as I'm gone, false prophets are going to come into this church and like wolves, they're going to tear it up. Isn't that amazing? Paul said as hard as I've worked for 3 years praying, teaching, warning, >> [music] >> as soon as I leave, even people from this congregation, men who want to be leaders and draw people after themselves. Men who want to be big shots in the church >> [music] >> and teach false doctrine. They will rise up and they will deceive many. Folks, this is an ongoing battle. We would do well to remind ourselves that we are not free from it. >> [music] >> We can never relax. You better never let your guard down >> [music] >> because the only way to discern between a false prophet and a true prophet of God is the Holy Scripture and the Holy Spirit inside of you guiding you into all truth. Well, we would do well to remember this verse, too. Paul said to the Corinthians, >> [music] >> "For such I think I'll just take my time here. >> [music] >> For such are false apostles. >> [music] >> Christian television is full of it. Such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder. And if you've ever read that, you'll notice an exclamation point. [music] And no wonder. For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. >> [music] >> Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according >> [music] >> to their works. That's a serious thing right there, brothers and sisters. >> [music] >> That's major. False apostles, they're everywhere. >> [music] >> They are deceitful workers, full of tricks >> [music] >> and gimmicks. They transform themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself trans forms himself into an angel of light. >> [music] >> Who can know the difference? >> [music] >> HOW DO YOU DETERMINE? WHAT TEST WILL YOU USE? >> [music] >> It has to be scripture. >> [music] >> If what they say doesn't line up with scripture, I I find myself at times wondering, >> [music] >> with all the books, oh, only God knows how many Christian books are out there, commentaries, >> [music] >> leaflets, they come off the press by the thousands every week. >> [music] >> And Christians are hungry to know more. >> [music] >> But how do you know that the book you just bought is written by a >> [music] >> valid man or woman of God? How How you know? >> [music] >> You can't know. Unless you know this book first. >> [applause] >> If you buy a book and read it hoping you can understand the Bible better, you're already in jeopardy. >> [music] >> You read the Bible and you get founded in the word. Then you can determine if the other books are worth reading. >> [music] >> I tell you the longer I live, the longer I pastor you, the more I want to say with compassion, yet I say it with passion. >> [music] >> You need more of the word. You've heard a lot from men, but you need more of the word. >> [music] >> Even the greatest commentators, the the greatest teachers, and I read after several that I admire, but they don't agree on everything. The only thing that I need that will keep me is the word of God. Now, if Satan is deceitful enough to transform himself into an angel of light, [music] what what makes you think >> [snorts] >> that you can see that and say, "No, uh something's not right about that." [music] And then, besides that, all of his ministers, his ministers. Notice that? He has ministers. Those ministers went to the elect lady's house in 2 John. >> [music] >> His ministers are up and down the streets now knocking on door after door after door, riding bicycles. >> [music] >> His ministers are in gigantic buildings filled with thousands of people who can't tell their left hand from their right hand BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT FOUNDED IN THE WORD, THEY'RE JUST FOLLOWING A PERSONALITY. WE WOULD BE SHOCKED TO KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY GO TO CHURCH BECAUSE THEY WANT TO HEAR THE PREACHER RATHER THAN ENCOUNTER THE LORD. That's the danger of becoming mesmerized by a leader. >> [music] >> I fear it myself. >> [music] >> I hear the compliments. We get them all the time. >> [music] >> And it scares me because I don't think anybody ought to be more fascinated with a man than they are with the Lord. >> [applause] [music] >> When Satan attacks, he will first make you question the validity of scripture. >> [music] >> Here's what Here's what we believe. We believe in the verbal inspiration of the Bible. All scripture is given by inspiration of God. All scripture is God breathed. No scripture was ever given by a man. No scripture was written by a person without the influence of God's Holy Spirit. I do this often. I'm doing it again. [music] The book I'm holding in my hand, if you're listening by radio or you can't see me, this is the Bible. This is a supernatural book. God put it together. God has the right books in it. There are no contradictions. There are no mistakes. This is the infallible eternal word of God. And heaven and earth will pass away, but God's word will never PASS AWAY. BIG SHOT WELL, HANG ON. BIG SHOT PREACHERS AND MEGA CHURCHES WILL PASS AWAY. ALL KINDS OF GROUPS AND CHRISTIAN EVERYTHING WILL PASS AWAY. BUT WHEN THE FIRE SETTLES DOWN, THE WORD OF GOD WILL STILL BE THE WORD OF GOD. THEREFORE, TRUST THE WORD OF GOD, READ THE WORD OF GOD, LIVE THE WORD OF GOD, WALK IN THE WORD OF GOD, AND THE WORD OF GOD WILL SUSTAIN YOU. >> [applause] [music] >> NEXT, we believe in the Trinity. That one God eternally existing in three persons, namely the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. >> [music] >> Did you hear me? One God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Spirit, the Spirit is not the Son or the Father, and the Son is not the Father or the Spirit. They are three separate, distinct, coexistent, all-powerful, eternal persons in one Godhead. Three of them. The Trinity. That is what scripture teaches, THAT IS FUNDAMENTAL CONVENTIONAL CHRISTIANITY. But here's how sly Satan is. He has some, and a lot of times they're Pentecostal, who say, "Yes, I believe in the Trinity. Yes, we believe in the Trinity." But they're actually Jesus only. >> [music] >> The theological term is modalism. They are modalists. What does that mean? It means they believe in three, but only one at a time. The Father is the Father, then he becomes the Son, then he becomes the Spirit, but they are never Father, Son, and Spirit at the same time. >> [music] >> He manifests himself in one of those once at a time. How confusing is that? That's called Jesus only. There's not a Trinity. There's just one with three manifestations. T.D. Jakes is a modalist. There are many on TV. There are people in this town who are modalists. Oh, yes, we believe in THE TRINITY, BUT WHAT DO YOU believe about the trinity? THERE IS A FATHER, THERE IS A SON, AND there is a HOLY SPIRIT. WHEN JESUS PRAYED TO THE FATHER, he wasn't praying to himself. He was praying to his heavenly Father. When Jesus was baptized in the river, he went down, the spirit came down, and the Father spoke. This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. John said there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit. It takes an antichrist to deny the trinity. John said that. WHOEVER DENIES THE FATHER AND SON IS ANTICHRIST. PASTOR, COME ON, IT'S JUST A LITTLE DISAGREEMENT. Maybe we don't see eye to eye on all this stuff. NO, THE BIBLE SAYS IT'S HERESY. THE BIBLE SAYS IT'S ANTICHRIST. THE BIBLE SAYS IF YOU BELIEVE IT, YOU ARE LOST. THEREFORE, IT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT WE TEACH WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES. WE PREACH WHAT JESUS TAUGHT, BECAUSE WITHOUT THAT, YOU WILL BE lost in your sins. YOU CANNOT YOU CANNOT MODIFY THE SCRIPTURE. You can't customize the teachings. IT'S WHAT GOD SAID, AND THE ONLY THING THAT matters is what God said. Divinity. It's always about Jesus and his divinity. There are those that say, and it was going on in John's day, they were called Docetists, Gnostics. >> [music] >> And they said, well, how could a holy God die? How could a holy God, an eternal God, a spirit, actually take on flesh? >> [music] >> And so, they began to confuse the people about this. Folks, the word of God very strongly and simply says that Jesus Christ >> [music] >> is the virgin-born son of the living God, >> [music] >> the only begotten son of the Father. He was fully God and fully man. Because as such, he was able to save us from our sins. Without that, we would be lost today. Let me remind you, you cannot be tolerant, you cannot be nice. If you have a Jehovah's Witness or a Mormon or anybody else walk up on your steps, you can't say, "Well, you know, I'm just going to go out and show the love of God." You better hear me. God said, "That's my enemy." >> [music] >> You're not obligated to treat them kindly. You're not obligated to open the door, you're not obligated to give them A CUP OF WATER. You better let them go quickly because if you do anything other than that, you are partaker of their sins. Who Who doesn't feel good with that? Who's uncomfortable with that? But I just read it to you from scripture. Folks, let me remind you, one of the devil's efforts in these last days is to get it into the minds of people, you know, if we could just all realize what we have in common, make the world a better place. Is We all believe in God. You have a concept of God, and I have a concept of God. That's all that really matters. No, [music] it isn't. The only thing that matters is the true and living God. Because when Jesus said there's no other way to be saved except coming to me, no man can know the Father except he comes through me. He wasn't playing, and he wasn't offering options. THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY to be SAVED THROUGH JESUS CHRIST WHO TAKES US TO THE FATHER by the power of the Holy Spirit. Yeah, but Jesus Jesus is so strict and strong and people can't handle it these days. >> [music] >> Luke 9:26 Jesus said, "If you if any man is ashamed of me and my words >> [music] >> don't forget those. Don't forget those three words. If anybody is ashamed of me because lots of people say, "I'm not ashamed of Jesus." No, Jesus was a good man. But Jesus said, "And my words." Ah, that changes everything. Because Jesus says homosexuality is a sin. >> [music] >> Jesus says there are only two genders. Jesus said marriage is between a man and a woman. Jesus said murder >> [music] >> is the taking of innocent human life. I want to remind you again everything the Bible says, Jesus said it. He is the word. [music] Jesus said, "If you are ashamed of me and my words I will be ashamed of you when the Son of Man comes back in the glory of his Father with all OF THE HOLY ANGELS." I'm getting stronger the longer I preach. DID ANYBODY HEAR WHAT I JUST SAID? And there are those who try to coddle the sinner. We don't want it to be too strong. If it's too strong, you'll run them off. >> [music] >> Who was ever stronger than Jesus? John the Baptist, Peter and Paul. Vipers, snakes, liars, hypocrites, he called them all. Jesus isn't worried about offending people. He wants his word preached. Neither can I be afraid of offending people. Neither can any minister. And that's why I'm so concerned this morning when I heard all of those cries last week, GO TO CHURCH, GO TO CHURCH, FIND A CHURCH, GET A BIBLE, READ A BIBLE. YOU CAN'T JUST DO THAT WILLY-NILLY. THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS TO LEAD PEOPLE TO THE RIGHT CHURCH. WE'VE GOT TO INVITE PEOPLE TO THE right church. This is serious business, BROTHERS AND SISTERS. WE NEED TO HAVE PRAYER THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL GUIDE THESE PEOPLE, HUNGRY PEOPLE, SEARCHING PEOPLE, TO THE FOOT OF THE OLD RUGGED CROSS AND FIND A GREAT CHURCH TO GROW UP IN. >> [music] >> HERE'S THE THING. Paul said, "If we deny him, he'll deny us." I mean, that's in the Bible. >> [music] >> If I could find that right quick, I would read it. In fact, I'll take my time. What have I got to lose? And I'll find it one of these days. This is the faithful saying, >> [music] >> "For if we died with him, we shall also live with him. >> [music] >> If we endure, we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, >> [music] >> he also will deny us. If we are faithless, he remains faithful. He cannot deny himself. >> [music] >> The only thing that God cares about in this thing called his church is that his son is glorified and preached and people are brought to him through the foolishness of preaching. There may be somebody watching me >> Mhm. >> Mhm.