Lightly edited for readability while preserving the speaker’s meaning and substantive statements.
we worship your name a name above every name the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth we worship you we praise you you are truly the fullness of the godhead bodily you are God In the Flesh you are the logos The Living Word you are the way the truth and the life Jesus we exalt you you are above all Lord you are above Muhammad Buddha Krishna all the lies and the false religions of this world Lord You Are the one true God and the only savior of mankind we come to you today and we worship you we praise you we thank you and it's in Jesus name we pray amen and amen you may be seated this morning we welcome everyone here to fire in Grace Church we welcome those listening by Blog Talk Radio mixler and watching on Facebook live this morning hopefully be able to get through all of this again I did not plan any of this this way but this is kind of a part three over the last few weeks just to let you know next week we're going to have a guest speaker I don't want anyone to miss my friend um Troy from Montgomery Mr Troy towns he'll be with us known him a long time he's definitely a preacher he's got the gift of preach upon him so he's going to be preaching next Sunday morning so don't miss that amen he's going to have a word from the Lord I want everybody to take their Bibles and we're going to turn this morning to Psalm 11 first psalm 11. title of my message today is Mega apostasy Mega apostasy not a really a new theme for me especially those of you who've been in fire Greg's church for any amount of time I've tried to be very faithful to let you know what's going on out there in the world and of course this is part of Bible prophecy Jesus foretold Matthew 24 verses three there the apostles asked him they said what will be the sign of your coming and of the End of the Age and Jesus spoke very clear he said take heed that no man deceive you for many will come in my name saying I am Christ or I am anointed or I am of Christ the word Christ means anointed one so he's saying there many would not come saying I'm Jesus Christ that wouldn't deceive us he said many would come saying I am anointed I'm an anointed one of Jesus
Christ and he said Jesus said take heed many will come in my name saying I am the anointed one or I am the anointed and deceive meaning so people would come in the name of Jesus and deceive many now this is the first thing that Jesus said when his disciples said what will be the sign of your coming and of the End of the Age so what he was saying was mass deception in the name of Jesus is that not what he said is that am I uh taking that too far now let me say this I've been very hard on some of these uh the whole mega church philosophy okay don't get me wrong when I talk about mega churches as if I'm lumping them all into one basket just because they're a big church there are big churches that teach truth as long as they are faithful to the word of God and they teach the whole counsel of the word of God I'm off I'm fine with the church being a big church that's fine we we actually need churches of all shapes and sizes okay that's not what I'm saying but what I'm saying is there's a philosophy of ministry that invaded the church a number of years ago it started really I would say the father of this Church growth cult this Seeker sensitive watered down version of Christianity really started with Robert Schuler I believe I would say Norman Vincent peel Robert Schuler and then the men who followed Robert Schuler bill hybels Rick Warren and many others okay including as we're going to find out today Andy Stanley the son of the Baptist famous Baptist preacher Charles Stanley who was the I think I guess he may still be the pastor is he still the pastor of First Baptist Church in Atlanta or not he went through a divorce I don't know he stayed and then I don't know if he's still there or not but anyway he's he was the for Charles Stanley was the uh the Baptist pastor at First Baptist Church in Atlanta Georgia for many many years he may still be I don't even know how many maybe in 30 years I don't know his son Andy Stanley was on staff there for a while then started his own church over what is it in North North Atlanta area somewhere I don't know but he's got churches all over um that area satellite churches I am I I have to say this morning that I am blown away I'm absolutely Blown Away by how far we are into the great falling away the apostasy the falling away from truth that you know according to Wikipedia Andy Stanley's church North Point Church
there in Atlanta according to Wikipedia since 2014 says that as of 2014 it is the largest church in America okay so I guess he somehow has eclipsed um Joel Osteen Lakewood in Houston but but regardless think about that for just a second that the two largest churches in America tens of thousands of people attend these churches and they're satellites and on a Millions more watch them on television internet YouTube whatever and these guys are completely away from God in the Bible and I want to say this this morning too is it does matter what they say but I'm going to tell you you can be you can be a church and be in just as much deception on what you refuse to say and what you refuse to teach right it's not just teaching falsehoods it's holding back truth right both are equally damaging to the people of God because God put it in here and the Apostle Paul made it clear in the book of Acts you know he told them he said hey I'm clear of the blood of all men because I have declared unto you the whole Council of God's word I have not shunned he said to declare unto you I've not hidden anything I've not kept anything back from you my job is to declare it from Genesis to the maps every subject every word okay um so I'm blown away because you know in the last few weeks I've been pretty hard on this whole contemporary mega church philosophy okay the secret sensitive thing now a lot of them will point to well we've grown big churches or people have been saved in these churches um remember Jesus said something about the Pharisees and this is in Matthew 23 and I won't turn there just at this moment but this is just kind of an introduction you can go read the whole chapter if you want to matter of fact it'd be good homework go read Matthew 23 and 24 right if you hadn't in a while but Jesus looked at the Pharisees who were at the time the leaders of the correct and only correct religion of the world right they had the scriptures the holy scriptures the Torah the law the writings of Moses and the prophets and King David and the psalm and they were the head of the synagogues right in the temple and they were the teachers of the law and Jesus looks at them and he says you
guys not false prophets not false teachers in the sense of they were in a false religion like Buddhism or Hinduism or Islam but he says you guys will will go around Land and Sea to make one convert and when you have made him you have made him twofold or double the child of Hell than yourselves because whenever you go around Land and Sea to make a convert like we'll find out these people are going around the word of God and the gospel and the truth and a lot of things about they avoid those things like the plague they go around the Bible they've got in this uh their as this article says we'll look at here in a minute in their obsession to engage the culture they're leaving the scriptures and they're creating another Jesus and another spirit and another gospel now what's shocking to me especially we're going to play a clip here in a minute you got that video ready I'm gonna let you see it for yourselves pastor of either the largest church in America or one of the largest churches in America and when you hear this I want you to say his his apostasy his attack upon the Bible and the scriptures it's not subtle it's not a misunderstanding I'm Blown Away but I have never seen in my life now I you know we know the Bible is clear the Bible warned us that people God's in His prophets and his Apostles warned us that the world the Wicked the unsaved the Heathen the rebellious the you know the Lawless they would hate the truth they would hate the light of scripture the truth of scripture the the gospel message they would hate Jesus because he's the light of the world they'll hate the Bible because it is the lamp and light I mean that that we're not surprised about we shouldn't be shocked when the unsaved the world the wicked I mean I got Satanist and everybody you want to talk about you want you want the crazies to come out post the post a video on YouTube talking about the Bible Well you get it all man I've got literally hundreds hundreds of comments and emails is it working okay Facebook work um but man some of the attacks against the Bible from the unsaved satanists and people on my page just vicious but what's shocking is when we see Christians or people who claim to be Christians pastors with thousands of people who flock to their churches say things like
get the spotlight off the Bible yeah I want to read this though before we get into this and we're not going to play it just yet just hold on with it I love this quote from Martin Luther he said here whom God intends to destroy he gives them leave to play with the scripture that's probably one of the best things he ever said right there right let's look at some scriptures before we look at what Mr and Lee Stanley has to say about the Bible but I said Psalm 11 right verse 1. in the Lord put I my trust how say ye to my soul flee is a bird to your Mountain for load the wicked been their bow they make ready their Arrow upon the string that they may privily shoot at the upright and heart he says if the foundations be destroyed what can the righteous do the Lord is in his holy Temple the Lord's Throne is in heaven his eyes behold his eyelids try the children of men the Lord trieth the righteous but the wicked in him that loveth violence his soul hates upon the wicked shall he Reign snares fire and brimstone and a horrible Tempest this shall be the portion of their cup the righteous for the righteous Lord loveth righteousness and his countenance doth behold the upright so here we have a a good balanced Psalm here about putting your trust in the Lord but verse 3 when he says if the foundations be destroyed what shall the righteous do I I've said this in weeks past especially in my discussions about in in sermons and messages about creation there are certain things in our faith that are foundational issues we're not they're not side issues they're not you know non-essential issues we have foundational doctrines foundational truth Foundation to Christianity and the revelation of God period one of them is creation and the Creator and what he says about that another issue probably I would say the foremost you want you want to talk about the the greatest foundational issue that we have is the Bible Be Inspired infallible word of God you can't have it both ways you can't say well I believe this part is and this part isn't and this is foundation of the Christianity because as you're going to hear this demon possessed pastor and yes I said it he's a demon possessed Deceiver attack the Bible is no different than what the serpent did in the garden
with Eve the foundational attack in in your life and against the church and against believers the attack is always going to be about the word of God the the war is over the word of God the war is over the truth and this is what the devil is out to rob from you he's out to destroy the foundations of our faith he's not just out to destroy some side issue that's not important no the devil knows better than that he's got to go after the foundation and if he can ever get you to get off of the foundations then he will destroy you no matter how righteous you have been he's trying to destroy the foundation now the Bible is clear the Bible is clear that men did not write it it said holy man of old right these things as they were moved by the Holy Ghost so I'm going to say this for instance if you say about what the Bible says about creation and the cosmos the moment you say oh they just didn't understand what we understand today you've just say that we don't believe the divine inspiration of scripture right if you say well I believe these parts of the Bible are true and accurate but these aren't you've just undermined what the Bible says about itself through its multiple authors who were inspired by God now I want to read a few of these let's look at Psalm 12. right after Psalm 11 it says this King David under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit says this about the words of the Lord look at verse 6. the words of the Lord are pure words as silver tried in a furnace of Earth purified seven times Thou shalt keep them O Lord Thou shalt preserve them from this generation and forever is that in your Bible everybody see that okay here's the deal the moment you say we don't have the preserved word of God that God didn't preserve the accurate transmission of the scriptures forever that oh yeah they may have had them way way back when but but not today or well you know they were just men doing their best the moment you say that you throw this out the window
and I'm going to say right now if you are a Christian and you say that the scriptures are not divinely inspired and infallible you are a heretic you are a false teacher you are a wolf and you are causing people to stumble and it would be better for you that a millstone were hung about your neck and you were cast into the sea because you will bust hell wide open and you will stay there for all eternity Mr Andy Stanley unless he repents retracts and redoes all of this damage that he is doing this man will be in Hell forever this is not a game people's Eternal souls are at stake and first Peter is very clear that we Are Born Again by the word of God Hebrews 4 12 says the word of God is alive and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword I mean over and over and over again he said it's it's by the foolishness of preaching that God has chosen to save those the preaching of the word of God the written word of God the logos this is not optional if you are a Christian it's really not optional for any person but God's given you a free will you can accept it or you can reject it you can believe God or you can believe the Heathen men out there trying to tell you it's not true but you're going to believe one or the other but now these maniacs these deceived individuals are not just in NASA or teaching in our universities they're teaching in the biggest churches in America Australia Canada all over the world we are living in the age of deception we the spirit of deception and the spirit of antichrist is taking over the world and the church and there are so few anymore that actually understand that have the Revelation and the understanding that the word of God is true I was talking to a youth pastor from Arkansas just a couple of days ago and he said you know what he said us Christians this is how strong we have to believe if if we walk outside and the sky is blue but God's word said it's purple it's purple
because guess what God who made our eyes and go you trust me and all of a sudden he can take the veil off and oh I see the purple sky you see what I'm saying it's just an illustration but you we we finite peon human beings and so many think we can out figure God and see I I believe God does some of these things like some of these things in the scriptures the way he did it some people said why didn't he make it more clear so he could make the wicked stumble God knows it's your wicked heart if if you leave any wickedness or unbelief in there he's left you enough rope to hang yourself he hides just enough that there has to be an element of faith people are losing their faith and people like Mr engne Stanley are helping them lose their faith I want to read a few more passages in fact before we delve into this go with me to a second Peter if I turn to Second Peter chapter one I love this I mean this should be Elementary what what's what's amazing is you want to talk about a level of dishonesty Mr Andy Stanley's church North Point on their page their state faith on their website says they believe in the divine inspiration of scripture and the and that scripture is without error they say they believe that but this guy gets up and gives an entire sermon where he denies that so anybody goes to their website oh I'm looking for a church oh yeah they believe the Bible's inspired word of God infallible okay then they go there they don't realize that their children their teenagers and all are going to be taught differently now I want to say this too here's what's going to be the greater he just gave this message just recently I wonder if it's even going to affect the attendance of his church this is how bad things I I believe his attendance will go up
because this is what the liberal unbelieving lukewarm dead Christian wants and I'm gonna be honest with you I listen to the man talk and all I pick up off of him is an effeminate spirit we got too many girly men they're in pulpits in America girly men no I mean I think most of them are homosexual most of them I wouldn't be surprised if we find out later on he's a closet homosexual the spirit is so strong upon you say Pastor you shouldn't say that well sorry I'm just telling you what I think you can think whatever you want all right how many have we found out though usually when I see that Spirit it usually ends up manifesting itself now I've known men that have that spirit that effeminate Spirit on them and they didn't they weren't practicing homosexuals but I'll tell you it's not far away if you don't get it cast out of you right for second Peter chapter one here's what the Apostle Peter who walked with Jesus for three years plus years verse 16 for we have not followed cunningly devised Fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but were eyewitnesses of his majesty for he received from God the Father honor and Glory when there came such a voice to him from the excellent Glory this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased and this voice which came from heaven we heard when we were with him in the Holy mount we have also a more sure word of Prophecy where until you do well that you take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day Dawn and the day star arise in your hearts knowing this first that no Prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation for the prophecy came not in Old Time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost now to say the Bible has errors or is not perfect or is not inspired by God or part of it is and part of it isn't to say that you're calling the Apostle Peter a liar you're calling the Apostle Paul a liar
you're calling Jesus Christ a liar you're calling King David a liar you're throwing out everything blows my mind again I understand the Blasphemous Satanist Wicked heathen but not a Christian who's been born again at some point in their life or walked with the Lord for a matter of time it is folks I'm telling you it is a blasphemy I believe that folks may not be able to turn from because you know what warned in both the Book of Proverbs and the end of the book of Revelation if you add to the word of God or take from the word of God he says if you add to it I'm going to add to you the plagues that are written in this book and if you take from it I'm taking your name out of the book The Book of Life Meaning eternal life you're done you're finished and if you stand up and Proclaim to be a pastor a Shepherd a leader a prophet a teacher an apostle an evangelist and you do this to the flock you are done sir no excuse for this kind of deception lies you're gonna see what I'm talking about let's go to another one should be common knowledge I'm fired up today I'm sorry I get I get angry when I see the Sheep the people of God well-meaning younger Believers new Believers struggling believers I hate seeing people stand up saying I'm a man of God I'm a pastor I'm a teacher I'm a woman of God and then they teach you completely false stuff and cause people to stumble in sin or unbelief or not get what they need from from the understanding the Bible and the truth of God's word heaven and hell is at stake here people Heaven and Hell Eternal damnation eternal life eternal life in heaven with God who created us that our Savior Jesus Christ the only way to make it to heaven or eternity in Hell suffering the torments and the smoke and the burning forever and ever this is what's at stake say Pastor Deans you shouldn't be so sound so angry makes me nervous I'm a man amen I'm not a girly man my wife can assure you of that
all right cut down trees and shoot guns whatever's necessary man of these pastors need to get out of the pulpit and just get in the woods and find God amen my wife posted this great picture the other day you know the new hipster doofus is right they wear flannel shirts and they grow beards and they got funky short haircuts and I love the picture said if you uh you know if you can't cut down a tree change a tire or some well something else she also shoot a deer you know then please shave sorry it's for real second Timothy 3 16. in fact we're going to read from about verse 12. the Apostle Paul given instruction to a young pastor but let's let's let's uh let's contrast what Andy Stanley was instructing young pastors to do versus what Paul instructed them to do the Apostle Paul let's let's look at that well that first um after you put the scripture up that first uh just part of that first article or he's talking about that um but second Timothy 3 verse 12 Paul speaking to by inspiration of the Holy Spirit speaking to Timothy a young Pastor giving instructions to him and to all pastors who would follow thereafter he says yea and all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution but evil men and seducers the word seducers means imposters an imposter is someone who assumes an identity or a title in order to deceive you he says evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived so what is his instructions to not be deceived but continue thou in the things which thou has learned it has been assured of knowing of whom thou Hast learned them and that from a child that has known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise and to Salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction and righteousness that the man of God may be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works let's continue and he says and I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ he shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing in his kingdom preach the word be
instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and Doctrine for the time will come that they will not endure sound Doctrine but after their own lust shall they Heap to themselves teachers having itching ears and shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned into fables this whole thing here this warning of deception and deceivers he says remain in the Holy scriptures you've known the holy scriptures from a child they are able to make you wise unto salvation all scripture meaning Old Testament and New Testament are given by inspiration of God they are God breathed through men who wrote them and we have the accurate words of God today the Dead Sea Scrolls proved that we have it great Scholars and great archaeologists who have done the work who have studied the ancient manuscripts we have it we don't just have it by faith we have proof that the same Bible they had thousands of years ago we have today and yet here's Andy Stanley at a southern baptist conference you can go ahead and put just put up the first part I'm just going to read some of it Southern Baptist conference and uh whoever this is the erlc conference right the ethics and religious liberty commission conference right stood up and one of the things during his interview he says that we need to get the spotlight off the Bible can you believe this yeah here's what he says he's being interviewed by more he says as though this response from Stanley wasn't egregious enough right he had just said some other terrible things more allowed him to continue and this is what Andy Stanley said he said I would ask what's going down he said I would ask preachers and pastors and student Pastors in their Communications to get the spotlight off the Bible and back on the resurrection I think you're on the wrong one that's that one you can scroll down a little bit right keep going keep going keep going keep going right there this is what I just read so he said the interview I would ask preachers and pastors and student Pastors in their Communications to get the spotlight off the bottle what did Paul tell the young Pastor
Timothy continue in the Holy scriptures preach the word of God the written word of God right now before we go any further let's hear y'all want to hear I'm gonna let y'all hear this morning a demon-possessed pastor who's deceiving millions of people let's hear what he has to say and then we'll dig into this a little further go ahead and play that video if you would sir but actually out of time but no not this one uh yeah well let's wrap it up on that one at the bottom of yeah bottom of that page there getting a little ring I don't know what that's from today is going to be complicated okay so I need you to think and I need you to track if you listen casually you will misunderstand me as hard as I've worked to make this as clear as possible but I think what I'm going to a few minutes is one of the most overlooked parts of the Christian faith in fact some of you are going to go why didn't anyone tell me that before I've never heard this before and if you don't believe me Google is your friend I'm not I've not made any of this up okay I wouldn't do that I'm not smart enough anyway so I need you to listen really really carefully and the reason is this perhaps you were taught as I was taught Jesus loves me this I know and let's all finish it together for the yes this is where our trouble began [Music] I didn't see anybody leave yet good where our trouble began and this is a precious song and we should teach our children the song But do you remember last week I said part of the problem is you grow up but your faith didn't grow up with you you grew up but you outgrew your faith your childhood God could not withstand the rigors of adulthood and the questions of adulthood and part of it is because our understanding of the Bible and our approach to Jesus did not grow up and we find there's an extraordinary conflict of information and conflict of fact when it comes to the childhood version of Jesus in the Bible and what we learn as adults so Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so is problematic for adults and here's why because the implication is the Bible is the reason we believe the Bible is the reason we believe in other words I can believe that Jesus loves me because it's in the Bible well how you know Jesus Loves Me listen the Bible how are you confident
that Jesus loves you how can you say that because it's in the Bible the Bible says it I grew up with this the Bible says it that anybody fill in the blank the Bible says it that settles it that's right the Bible says it that settles it now when I say that that's unsettling for some of you because that's your whole perspective on Christianity the Bible says that that settles it so I want you to listen really really careful okay you're by listening the problem with that is this if the Bible is the foundation of our faith as the Bible goes so goes our faith this is why you sent kids off to college or grandkids off to college and they came back with no faith because you sent them to college where the Bible says that that settles it and then a professor got up and says well there's problems with the Bible and they begin to talk about things that maybe aren't true or historical or you know verifiable and your smart son or daughter that you spent thousands and thousands of dollars to get them educated come home and suddenly they're smarter than you and they already thought they were smarter than you but now they have a professor saying hey you really are smarter than your Sunday school teacher and your parents if the Bible is the foundation of our faith here's the problem it is All or Nothing Christianity becomes a fragile House of Cards religion Christianity becomes a fragile house of cards that comes tumbling down when we discover that perhaps the walls of Jericho didn't when somebody you know archeology class or historical you know an ancient history classes you know you may have heard the Sunday school that you know the Israelites marched around the walls of Jericho and the Wall came tumbling down but you know we've examined Mexico City of Jericho and there's no evidence that the walls came tumbling down by the way well no archaeological evidence of that do you know there are all kind of contradictions in the Old Testament there's all these facts and figures that don't add up from the Kings to Chronicles the first and second Samuel by the way the Bible seems to teach that the Earth is only 6 000 years old everybody knows that the Earth is you know four and a half or four point five five billion years old the universe is 14 and a half billion years old if the if the Bible if the entire Bible isn't true then the Bible isn't true and if the Bible isn't true Christianity comes tumbling down so consequently during your whole lifetime and during my whole lifetime Christians had felt compelled to defend the Bible because the only way to defend the Christian faith is to defend the Bible and what your students have discovered and if you read broadly you've discovered it is next to impossible to defend the entire Bible but if your Christianity hangs by the threat of proving that everything in the Bible is true you may be able to hang on to it but your kids and your grandkids and the next generation will not because this puts the Bible at the
center of the debate this puts the spotlight right on the Bible everything Rises and falls on whether not part but all the Bible is true and that's unfortunate and as we're going to discover today it is absolutely unnecessary devil that's a devil talking through a pastor demon possessed couldn't have done the attack more efficiently than Satan himself but see he's wrong with so many of those issues what he fails to tell you is that yes there's archaeological evidence that the walls of Jericho fell down I've been to Israel Marlene's been to Israel he fails to tell you that all of the apparent contradictions are just little translation things the Old Testament like there's thing about David and the what he paid for the threshing floor that became the Temple Mount that's easily cleared up once you dig a little deeper in the Hebrew and clear it up there's no it's not full of contradiction this is this is mind-blowing to hear this level of ignorance to say something is true because everybody knows the universe is for it nobody knows that for sure the question God asked Joe where were you when I laid the foundation of the were you there so you don't know squat it's all guesses and theories right can you believe he said it's unfortunate to believe the Bible this is the inspired word of God this is a pastor of one of the largest churches in America I'm just I'm Blown Away I'm absolutely Blown Away I've studied this for 30 years solid study both history archeology languages manuscript I've never found any problems but I guess that's why I have a church of 30 people or less and he has 36 000 Plus six campuses this is America but see what does it say what did we just read a minute ago the time would come when Christians the people of God would not endure sound Doctrine yet they would want to go to church and hear things Fables right I cannot I mean my spirit is so grieved by this man I'm literally I'm blown away I'm just blown away that's why I had you know I got up this morning early to pray
and I really this was not on my mind to preach or share with you well I prayed for about an hour and at the end of that hour I prayed in tongues in the spirit for a while as I prayed in tongues this was I completely had dismissed this from my mind and the Lord as I'm praying in the spirit he brought it back to me and he's like Andy Stanley deal with it okay now let me let me give you what Paul said let's go to First Corinthians 15. I said it last week even before I I just found this stuff this week about Mr Andy Stanley it's a tack on the Bible but I said last week the war in the church is over the word of God and if you find yourself coming against the word of almighty God you are not on my side you are the enemy there's only two sides God's side and the devil's side for I in the Lord thy God I say to my people if you would seek me I would bring my words to life to you I would unveil your eyes I would break off the bondages of deception and you would see me and you would know in the beginning was the word and I am the word thus saith the Lord amen First Corinthians 15. verse 1. Paul said moreover Brethren I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you which also ye received and wherein ye stand by which also you are saved if you keep in memory what I preached unto you unless you have believed in vain that's one for you once saved always saved folks for I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received how that Christ speaking of Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures he's talking about all those Old Testament prophecies right but I'll say this I believe he's also referring to the Gospels at this point which were already written
I'll show you in a minute where Peter said that even even during the life of Paul while Peter and Paul was still alive Peter called Paul's writing scriptures okay so he says here Paul said that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures that he was buried that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures remember the Apostle Paul was an apostle but he was not one of the Apostles that walked with Jesus while he was physically here upon the Earth for those years Paul became an apostle later yes he had an open vision of Jesus on the road to Damascus but Paul was much like you and I we didn't get to walk with Jesus for those three and a half years he was on the Earth right so how did where did the basis the foundation of Paul's faith and his preaching he's telling you that his his foundation everything about the Gospel of Jesus Christ is based upon the scriptures right I mean I don't know how more clear you could get and let us go to the Gospel of Luke this morning chapter 24 . let me tell you something if if if if that church North Point was full of true Christians who believed God's word when he preached this every single one of them would have got up and walked out I didn't see anybody saying anything in fact if I'd have been in that service I would have stood up and said you're a heretic a devil a false teacher I would have shouted it as loud as I could as I walked out the door and I said if you people stay listening to this man you are fools people need to get some guts about them stand up to this lies in foolishness Luke 24. Jesus appears to the people on the road to Damascus but he hides his who he is from them verse 36 we'll drop down to there and read from there well actually let's we'll back up a little more Jesus appears to them oh goodness let's just go all the way back to verse 13. he said behold two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus which was from Jerusalem about three score furlongs and they talk together of all these things that had happened they were talking about Jesus being crucified and
all the stir of the women who came from the tomb and said he was risen and it came to pass that while they communed together and reason Jesus himself Junior and went with them and their eyes were holding that they should know him I should not know him and he said unto them what manner of communications are these that you have one to another as you walk and are sad and one of them whose name is cleopas answered and sent him art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem and Hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days and he said unto them what things and they said unto him concerning Jesus of Nazareth which was a prophet Mighty indeed and word before God and all the people and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and have crucified him but we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel and besides all this today is the third day since these things were done and yet certain women also of our company made us astonished which were early at the Sepulcher and when they found not his body they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels which said that he was alive and certain of them which were with us went to the Sepulcher and found it even as the women had said but they saw him not and then he Jesus said unto them oh fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken ought not Christ have suffered these things and to enter into his glory think about this this is Jesus and what does he say to them now this is the Apostle Luke under inspiration of the Holy Spirit writing his gospel so is Luke Luke's a liar then now according to Andy Stanley because what does Jesus say he says oh fools y'all think I'm tough oh fools and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken did he leave out anything did he leave out Jericho or the plagues upon Egypt or The Exodus through the wilderness no Jesus said all that the prophets have spoken you're a fool if you don't believe all the prophets have spoke oh my god let's keep reading verse 27 and beginning at Moses and all the prophets he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself and they drew not unto the village whether they went and he made as though he would have gone further but they constrained him saying abide with us for it is toward the evening and the day is far Spin and he went into tarry with him and it came to pass as he said it meet with them he took bread and blessed it and broke and gave to them and their eyes were opened and they knew him they realized it was Jesus and he vanished out of their sight and they said one to another did not our
heart burn within us while he talked with us by the way and while he opened to us the scriptures Andy Stanley we don't need the scriptures anymore it's unfortunate that we should believe the Bible not the way Jesus felt not the way the Apostle Luke felt and they rose up the same hour and returned to Jerusalem and found the eleven gathered together and them that were with them saying the Lord is risen indeed and he hath appeared to Simon at Simon Peter and they told what things were done in the way and how he was known of them and the breaking of the bread and as they thus spiked Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and saith peace be unto you but they were terrified and Afraid and suppose that they had seen his spirit and he said to them why are you troubled why do thoughts arise in your hearts behold my hands and my feet it is I myself handle me and see for a spirit hath not Flesh and Bones as you see me have and when he had thus spoken he showed them his hands and his feet and while they yet believed not for joy and wondered he said unto them have you hear any meat and they gave him a piece of broiled fish at a honeycomb and he took it and did eat before them and he said unto them these are the words which I spake unto you while I was yet with you that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses and in the prophets and in the Psalms concerning me and then opened he their understanding that they might understand the scriptures and said unto them thus it is written and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day in the repentance and remission of sin should be preached in his name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem and you are witnesses of these things and behold I send the promise of my father upon you but tear you in the city of Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high yeah Andy Stanley's right about one thing it is All or Nothing All or Nothing when it comes to the scriptures you are not a Christian I don't care you can call yourself a Christian you can go to church 52 weeks a year you can be baptized sprinkled confirmed go to Ash Wednesday you know what I'm saying you can do it all but if you say I don't believe the Bible I don't believe all the Bible you just revealed Who You Are see I want to say this to you anybody that's truly born again Paul said it and I've experienced it I've walked it long enough to know that everyone
who's believed the gospel God has given them a gift of faith now again it's not blind faith but there's a gift of faith that you know that God is true and every man that would come against that is a liar see as we've been discovering even about creation men are liars they're lying I mean I'm telling you if you still believe in the moon landing you are drinking the Kool-Aid of a bunch of liars there's so much evidence to disprove that it's almost laughable that any of us believed it for any amount of time right why would we trust people we know are liars I like when somebody somebody had a little meme whatever about conspiracy theorists they said conspiracy theorists a person who questions the validity of known Liars right forbidden you know God forbid we should question people who lie my goodness gracious right I don't trust one government in the world and if you do God help your precious Soul or as we say in the South bless your darling heart Kenneth and bless you keep it head right it gets it Mr Andy he got worse I mean we just saw a clip there of course he said he said here's another quote from he said I might republish all the Bibles they ask him what if you were the Evangelical Pope and you could just make a decree anything the way you want he said well I might republish all the Bibles and call the first half of God's covenant God's covenant with ancient Israel in the second half God's covenant with the world because the way we talk about the scriptures is confusing to unchurched people that's one thing he said um it's really it's really mind-blowing he tells young preachers pastors get the spotlight off the Bible right I got a CNN article and I read the whole thing has been that there was this big you know division between him and his father not not over this but over how the divorce issue was being handled and people wanted to hit you know people wanted Charles Stanley to resign from First Baptist Church and he didn't want to resign and I mean it just you know and uh so him and his son had a big fallen out over that
I hope there's a falling out over this if Charles Stanley has any Faith about himself 58 year old man wearing skinny jeans something wrong with that I thought I was joking about that last week did you all see that it's frightening here's a few more codes Christianity does not exist because of the Bible Christianity does not exist because of the Bible that's that's this quote from it I mean I just I'm just scrolling through a few here that's one let's see here's another one they did not make copies of the gospels because they believed they were inspired this is in his little talk the rest of it I have the little picture you you put it up there it's in that second article about halfway down they did not make copies of the gospels because they believed they were inspired can y'all believe that such an attack such demonic you know there's Christianity he said it doesn't exist because of the Bible yet according to Paul he said that Christ died for our sins according to the Bible Paul said Christ rose from the dead the third day according to the Bible all foretold in the Old Testament by the way let's keep going I'll show you up yeah keep going oh you saw that keep going right here whoa there you go he said they did not make copies of the gospels because they believe they're inspired no that's exactly why they did it see let me explain something to you everybody turn with me and I'm going to close with this because I think I've made my point go to Matthew 23. I may reference to this earlier years ago the Lord spoke something to me as I was reading this passage because I was saying Lord why how is it how is it that so many leaders Christian leaders can be so blind and oh and I don't even have time to get into this but I saw where the head of the Assemblies of God is now endorsing and getting into contemplative prayer and doing a conference with a known heretic named Leonard sweet of the emerging Churchman we're we're seeing major I'm not so I'm not just picking on Southern Baptists this guy's a Southern Baptist
product and now we're seeing the Assemblies of God at Pentecost the largest Pentecostal denomination in the world have a leader that's leading them astray um the charismatic church has long gotten off with Rick Joyner and the rest of those Hooligans we really are seeing Mass deception in the name of Jesus of course the Pope's the leader of it all right the Catholic church is the leader of all that deception in the name of Jesus right but Matthew 23 I'm going to show you the motivation this is why I was reading this one this is Jesus rebuke of the Pharisees verse 1 you know a lot of people told me I shouldn't rebuke people or name people or do things publicly but Jesus did it so good company all right and here's what he said I love this Matthew 23 verse 1 then Spate Jesus to the multitude what in private no to the multitude Jesus spoke to the multitude and to his disciples saying the scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses seat or Moses Authority all therefore whatsoever they bid You observe and observe and that ye observe and do but they but do not after their works for they say and do not for they bind heavy burdens Grievous to be born and they lay them upon men's shoulders but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers but here's the motivation but all their Works they do for to be seen of men they make broad phylacteries that means they they fancy garments or skinny jeans take your pick dog collars gold embroidered robes whatever you want to say right they enlarge the borders of their garments they love the uppermost rooms at the feast the chief seats and the synagogues they want to be called Rabbi rabbi and so on and so forth but as I was reading this and of course Jesus goes on to rebuke them and about everything they were doing wrong and leading God's people that they told them they were snakes Vipers told them they were whitewashed tombs full of dead men's bones that they were Hypocrites when Jesus did not mince words with these religious leaders the rabbis the pastors of the day the spiritual leaders of the people of God the people of Israel Jesus let them know but he exposed what motivated everything they did he said everything they do all their Works they do verse 5. to be seen of men it has to look
successful it's got to look big they enlarge the borders of the garments it's got to look big it's got to look successful so the motivation is not to stand for the truth of God even if people run away from or to be persecuted it is to do everything in a way that you can be seen and adored and looked up to by other men and women see whenever a pastor Waters the Bible to keep you in a chair or a pew the motive of his heart just got it revealed it ain't about Jesus it isn't about the gospel it isn't about the word of God it isn't about standing for the truth it's about numbers and money and ego being seen right that's the only way and you know Americans we're suckers we are absolute suckers for anybody who brags on themselves or lifts themselves up aren't we I mean we really do it is an American Trade right who was it I can't remember the guy that said it it ain't bragging if you can do it right America well we we're good at bragging we're good at sticking our chest out and and there's part of that you know I understand wanting to win one to succeed no problem with that you know here's the thing I wish we could see a thousand people two thousand people three is that truly born again truly repent of their sin truly become Disciples of Jesus and that we were able to find them in five years and ten years I would love that the Brownsville Revival saw that happen a true Revival happened but folks I'm not going to water it down I get a crowd so I can have a fancy house and a gated community in Atlanta Georgia or in Chicago bill heidel's or in California Rick Warren I mean the father of all these guys right the father of this entire movement Mr Robert Schuler who is now passed into
his reward in hell built a 20 million dollar in the 80s early eight a 20 million dollar church that seated 1200 people he made it out of glass Crystal the Crystal Cathedral all to attract people it's an amusement park Six Flags Robert was telling me the church in Detroit that has a water park built inside the church a water park I'm like a water park it's Insanity you guys we talked to our Canadian friends on both sides of the of the country and they're like there's no churches there's just virtually no churches that preach the truth anymore they left the church one of the families left the church not too long ago because a new pastor came in and this was his entire philosophy Andy Stanley Bill heibel's Rick Warren Robert Schuler here's what we're going to do to build it's the same philosophy I've watched it listen I preached a series on this in 1998 right it's sad it's really sad it really disturbs me I hope it disturbs you you know I saw I guess I ought to be careful here well I recently saw another mega church that I thought might be pretty good and I thought I I'm like they preach the message on the holy spirit in Acts chapter 2 and didn't mention even mentioned or anything about that I'm like how do you do that and I'm not talking about the one down the road here that did it a few years ago I guess First Baptist did it here right did a whole series on the book of Acts and tongues is never mentioned but the gifts of the holy spirit never mentioned so again it's not always I'm gonna say it one more time it's not always what they say a lot of times what they don't say I would be guilty of deceiving you if I told you something that wasn't true but I would also be guilty as a pastor if I held back truth I want you to think about that there's a lot of churches out there there's a lot of pastors there's a lot of Christian leaders who will not tell
their people the whole truth because they know they would walk out the door or they would lose their job or they would be persecuted a little bit you know if I've got to sell my soul for nickels and noses it's time for me to get out of the ministry I'm gonna sell out God's word God's truth the Gospel of Jesus Christ the true gospel if I'm going to sell it out so I can get money and fame and big churches if I if I'm going to do that why don't I just go back to the world instead of continuing to be a fake like this guy you know what sad is he probably really believes he's helping Christians because he's got a new idea about how it should be I don't know about y'all this ought to this ought to disturb you on a deep level and and listen what's what's bad is it's not just these guys with these big churches like Andy Stanley or the hillsong's past what's his name he Brian Houston it's not just these guys but it's how many other pastors and leaders who so want to be as successful as they are that are reading their books and going to their conferences and listening to every message and trying to implement every little technique and trick and idea into their church so that they can have the same big Ministry and I see these guys and you know what's so sad a lot of them started out right they started out with sincere Hearts they they obeyed God they they answered the call of God they studied the Bible they they answered the call to be a Christian leader and somewhere along the way their motivation to stand up for God's truth and to make real disciples their motivation got Twisted by Satan and their lust in their idolatry for success in the ministry became the motivating factor instead of the truth of God's word it's sad but these idolaters you know First Corinthians 5 makes it very clear it doesn't matter what your idol is some people have an idol
the pastors have an idol to make a big church that's their Idol or to have a certain salary or to have a certain house in a certain neighborhood or to have a certain Publishing Company publish their book the Bible says no idolaterah will enter the kingdom of heaven can't have an idol you want me to tell you how you know you have an idol when somebody gives you scripture or tells you the truth about a matter biblically soundly and you get upset about it hey expose I I can expose people's Idols they have theological idols religious idols they got pastors and Christian leaders who are their idols oh just like boy you want to talk about when I tell the truth about Mike Bickel and and Rick Joyner these people that got them set up on this pedestal they get real mad as if I tell you the truth if I can back it up I tell you the truth here's the truth here's what they said here's what they teach here's what they believe and this is this is deception this is danger this is evil this is causing people to stumble and you go oh but they got a street they got a TV man you have an idol if I say something bad about a denomination and it upsets you if it's true I can understand if I'm lying if I was lying about your favorite church denomination out there and that made you mad I can understand but if I tell you the truth what they really teach and what they're really believing what their leaders are doing if I tell you the truth and you get mad at me who has the problem who has something said above the word of God right I love exposing people's idols see Christian's got a lot of Idols in their heart Ezekiel talks about that 14. talks about having Idols in your heart hidden away they're not you know you don't have a statue you may not have a statue of Buddha in your house but don't say anything bad about Joel Osteen don't tell me he said that uh that that everybody's going to heaven don't tell me he said that God's okay with homosexuality he doesn't have a problem with that don't don't don't tell me the truth because you know I don't want to get my butt out of bed and go to a church somewhere that's going to tell me the truth I want to sit here and let Joel tell me how wonderful
I am and then I'm going to heaven no matter what so I say something about Joel and you get upset the question you need to ask is is it true if it's true then you have a problem so there's a bunch of obviously a bunch of people out there love Andy I thank God his church said he can't he tried to start one here in Auburn it didn't work out I'm glad it didn't work out but you know what which I don't know is the the denominations out there now are so far gone Presbyterians Methodist lutherans homosexuality and the acceptance of it or not is really also is a dividing line that God is allowing to Show Who's Who all right I guess I need to quit y'all getting lunch antsy I think or something over there we expect we got to let you know somebody needs to feed somebody else so well amen look I love y'all I you know this as I was just reading this because I was just reading these things as I was as I was reading Luke 24 minute ago I mean I really had to fight back the tears because my heart is so grieved for so many people that are so deceived and being so LED astray by churches and pastors I mean I understand if you want to believe the NASA's fake pictures of the earth I understand that go ahead go ahead on with you that's it all right but these pastors I mean with the video we watched of him I could go down through every single part of that and show where he just lying he's either ignorant or lying on purpose but he shouldn't be a pastor I don't know I wouldn't buy a used car from him right you're lying the name of Jesus you'll get up and lie to sell a car that's for sure I was staying this morning