welcome to everyone for our call to worship you can join with me in Psalm 138 I'll read Psalm 138 as our call to worship this evening then I'll begin reading in verse 1 a psalm of David I will praise you with my whole heart before the gods I will sing praises to you I will worship toward your holy temple and praise your name for your loving-kindness in your truth for you have magnified your word above all your name in the day when I cried out you answered me and made me bold with strength in my soul all the kings of the earth shall praise you O Lord when they hear the words of your mouth yes they shall sing of the ways of the Lord for great is the glory of the Lord though the Lord is on high yet he regards the lowly but the proud he knows from afar though I walk in the midst of trouble you will revive me you will stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies and your right hand will save me the Lord will perfect that which concerns me your mercy O Lord endures forever do not forsake the works of your hands amen well please turn in your Trinity hymnal to him number 89 hymn number 89 will stand as we sing together [Music] well let us pray our blessed God and our Holy Father we gathered together on the Sabbath evening we thank you for the house of the Lord we indeed are glad to come into the presence of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit we acknowledge that you are the God of heaven and earth you are from everlasting to everlasting infinite eternal and unchangeable and you're being wisdom power holiness justice goodness and truth you are indeed a God who is to be feared and worshiped and glorified the god to be loft a God to be adored and we just pray that tonight your Holy Spirit would be at work in our hearts and minds that you would draw out our affections unto you our God help us to consider the word as it's preached help us as we sing and as we pray may all that we do read down to the praise and the glory of the Father Son and spirit we acknowledge that you are the God who made this world and all things in it by the word of your power in the space of six days and all very good we acknowledge your sovereign Providence not a detail occurs in our lives except you've ordained it we thank you that you govern all your creatures and all their actions we acknowledge that you are the god of sovereign grace and redemption through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ we bless you that you have blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ we thank you for predestination we thank you Lord God that you chose us in him before the foundation of the world not because we were holy and without blame but in order that we may become holy and without blame we thank you for sending the son of your love and we thank you for his life and his death in his resurrection we thank you for the current session of Christ at the right hand of the Majesty on high and we look forward to his return and glory when he judges the living and the dead we praise you for the ministry of the holy spirit we thank you that we have received him as a seal and a guarantee we thank you that he ever dwells among his people and we would pray that even now we would know his presence and his power we asked he bless our dear brother as he preaches the gospel or preaches the word tonight we pray that you'd fill him with the Spirit of the Living God caused him to be accurate with your truth and cause him to be in earnest to present the glories of Jesus Christ to us give us ears to hear and hearts to receive what good things you have for us tonight we ask that you would look with favor upon this congregation she would help us to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace cause us to emphasize the grace the great gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help us to pursue those things that are pleasing in your sight to walk carefully before our God we asked you'd bless the work in Surrey we thank you and we look forward to what you will do in that community we pray that next Sunday as they begin worship services that they would make an impact upon that community not because they're great people but because you're a great god move the hearts of sinners to come to hear the gospel and to come unto the Lord Jesus Christ and find rest for their souls we ask that you would bless the the congregation there we pray that they would grow in the knowledge of the Lord and Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we pray you'd protect our brother and cause him to always operate according to the to the written word of the Living God we pray for your blessing upon those in our midst who suffer on a regular basis we just commit them unto you into the word of your grace and pray that you administer to them and God though the outer man does decay day by day may you renew the inner man may you sanctify them and conform them even more unto the image of the Lord Jesus Christ we thank you as well Lord God for the recent births of babies we thank you for the good news that there are more in the wombs and we pray that you bless mothers and children that she would cause these little ones to be born healthy physically and one day to be born spiritually by the grace of a good and glorious God bless our children and our young people we pray that they by grace would remember their Creator in their youth and they would pursue those things that are pleasing in the sight of a holy God we asked he would be merciful to the governing authorities Paul tells us to pray for kings and all who are in authority so that we may lead peaceable and quiet lives we pray for those in high places first and foremost that they would bow the knee to the king of kings and Lord of lords she would cause them to kiss the son that they would see Christ as Lord and Savior and if they will not be converted we pray they would be restrained by your by your hand of mercy and Providence God keep them from continuing to engage in lawlessness and wickedness god we see the sins of abortion and euthanasia we see sexual immorality we see a day and age where and people call good evil and evil good and we would pray to you to pour out your Holy Spirit to revive the church and to awaken those who are dead in their trespasses and sins for certainly righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people we would also pray our Father for the suffering saints and other parts of the world where we do thank you for the liberty that we enjoy we know that many brethren that many brothers and sisters don't enjoy such things we ask that you'd bless those who are imprisoned bless those who are suffering under the cause of godless oppression give grace to those who are suffering under religious oppression via Islam or Hinduism or Buddhism or whatever the the false religion may be we would ask our Father that you would send forth your glorious gospel that Christ would have dominion from sea to sea that that word would run swiftly and be glorified and that you had blessed the nation's caused them to know that there is a true and living God caused them to know the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of the Living God and caused them to bow to confess him as Lord and Savior do this for your glory sake do this for your honor and we pray these things through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well you may turn with me again in your Trinity hymnal to number 100 thirty to 132 will stand as we sing together [Music] we can turn to the Prophet Joel we're in chapter 14 tonight for our scripture I'm sorry the Prophet Hosea were in chapter 14 for our scripture reading remember the basic outline of the book the Lord God told Hosea to marry a prostitute this indeed was an analogy between God or with God and his relationship with Israel then the prophet indict s' the nation for their breach of the covenant and chapter 14 is a promise of renewal a promise of blessing a promise from God concerning His grace and His mercy toward his people so beginning in hosea chapter 14 at verse 1 o Israel return to the Lord your God for you have stumbled because of your iniquity take words with you and return to the Lord say to him take away all iniquity receive us graciously for we will offer the sacrifices of our lips Assyria shall not save us we will not ride on horses nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands you are our gods for in you the fatherless finds mercy I will heal their backsliding I will love them freely for my anger has turned away from him I will be like the dew to Israel he shall grow like the lily and length lengthen his roots like Lebanon his branches shall spread his beauty shall be like an olive tree and his fragrance like Lebanon those who dwell under his shadow shall return they shall be revived like grain and grow like a vine their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon Ephraim shall say what have I to do anymore with idols I have heard and observed him I am like a green cypress tree your fruit is found in me who is wise let him understand these things who is prudent let him know them for the ways of the Lord are right the righteous walk in them but transgress sirs stumble in them a man will let us pray our Father in Heaven we thank you for your dealings with your people certainly in your wrath and anger you bring judgment to bear but in a prophecy like this you point them toward the future you point them to the age of Messiah even our Lord Jesus Christ how we thank you Lord God that there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared how we thank you that if we confess our sins you are faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness we thank you as well Lord God Most High that the the cure to idolatry is the true and living God we live in a nation filled with idol-worshipping wretches and we pray for the preaching of the gospel we pray for the proclamation of the truth and we pray that men would be turned from those useless idols to the true and living God she would bless the word as it goes forth that you would indeed cause there to be fruit we thank you for the promise in the prophet Isaiah your word does not return unto you void it always accomplishes the purpose for which you sent it and we know that you have purpose to gather a multitude from every tribe tongue people and nation and we would ask Lord God even tonight as the Word of God has proclaimed here and elsewhere she would prosper in that you would advance your blessed church that you had caused there to be more and more persons coming to the Lord Jesus Christ and we pray in his most blessed name amen well for our final him before the preaching of the word you can turn to 136 in your Trinity hymnal number 136 will stand and sing together [Music] please be seated well good evening you can turn with me in your Bibles to first John chapter 2 well return we're returning to first John chapter 2 we're going to look at verses 18 through 23 this evening first John chapter 2 we're gonna read verses 18 through 27 to set the context for us begin reading at verse 18 little children it is the last hour and as you have heard the Antichrist is coming and even now many antichrists have come by which we know that it is the last hour they went out from us but they were not of us for if they'd been of us they would have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that none of them were of us but you have an anointing from the Holy One and you know all things I have not written to you because you do not know the truth but because you know it and that no lie is of the truth who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ he is Antichrist who denies the father and the son whoever denies the son does not have the father either he who acknowledges the son has the father also therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning if what you heard from the beginning abides in you you also will abide in the Son and in the father and this is the promise that he has promised us eternal life these things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you but the anointing which you have received from him abides in you and you do not need that anyone teach you but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things and is true and is not a lie and just and just as it has taught you you will abide in him amen well let us go to our God in prayer the Lord God Almighty we thank you for this time that we can gather together we thank you O God we can come into your house we can sing praises to you O God for your the great God of heaven and earth we thank you O God that your Father Son and Holy Spirit how we worship the father through the son by the spirit and those who know the son know the father and those who know the son have see the father through the son we thank you that we have the Holy Spirit who illumines our hearts and minds concerning the things found in your word as you reveal yourself to us in your word if father God we thank you for the work of Christ who lived died and rose again who did come in the flesh to die on behalf of his people that his people may have everlasting life we thank you O God that we have your word concerning him we pray that we would better understand these things for in your word you do not seek to deceive but you seek to set forth your truth as its found in your word father God we pray that you help us to better understand the Lord Jesus Christ to better ponder him better ponder what he has done who he is how he is one person in two natures help us to better understand and dig deeper into the thoughts concern dig deeper into what your word feels concerning the Trinity O God one God in three persons oh god these are great mysteries but help us to understand these things as they are revealed in your word O God it help us to understand sound theology sound doctrine that when those who come who do not know the truth who do not know sound theology we might be able to refute them and deal with them quickly and spot them Oh God and we thank you that you would that you would give us your word to know the truth to know the things found in your word we pray that you'd help us to understand the truth we pray that you would illumine our hearts by the Holy Spirit as we study divine things as we study divine matters Oh God we need your spirit to be with us so we pray that your spirit would be with us help us O God help us to understand the things found in your word help us to understand the truth about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that we might better know him and better understand him and wrestle with the reality of knowing him for in him is eternal life O God we pray for those that do not know Christ that you would work in them by your spirit though they might see that only eternal life is found in Christ then they might find saving knowledge in him find everlasting life in him and be saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and father God we pray that you help us now by your spirit amen well as I said every time I preached through first John the primary theme of first John is to assure his here is that they know that they have eternal life that they know the Lord Jesus Christ we are still in John's first point of his sermon because first John is structured like as his sermon living in the light and one of the ways we can live in the light is we have to know who the light is who is Christ who is God who is this light it is the Lord Jesus Christ and the main issue throughout first John is if the main issues found in it is he dealing with those who have a false Christology who teach false things concerning Jesus Christ he said there were some in that John is dealing with who denied that Jesus is the Christ and not only that they also denied that Jesus came in the flesh and so he writes to deal with this problem he writes to combat that that they might know who the true Christ actually is and as we think about the question or as we think about this text the word Antichrist comes up in first John 2:18 and many today asked the question who is the Antichrist like what I would think says we think dude I think that's the wrong question to be asking because jazz John highlights for us many have come and we not only and the question we should ask not who is the Antichrist specifically looking at a specific person but the question we need to ask ourselves is do you know the Christ do you know the true Christ do you know the truth that is found concerning him and that was the question we were going to seek to answer as we go through first John 2:18 to 18 through 23 this evening we will look at the three headings I have are first of all the time of Antichrist second of all the remedy against Antichrist and thirdly the lie of Antichrist and you heard that correctly I don't have a bow there for a reason the law at the time of Antichrist the remedy against Antichrist and the lie of Antichrist and I think the reason for that will be made evident as we go through but notice in verse 18 John says little children it is the last hour and as you've heard that the Antichrist is coming even now many antichrists have come by which we know that it is the last hour so little children he's addressing his hearers in this term of endearment that we've seen before in 2:14 and he's writing to warn them as a father would to a child as a phone when a child looks to touch that burning stove and you tell them to go away he's warning them against these people that are coming and have come and notice the time of the Antichrist it is the last hour you know many evangelical Christians today ask are we in the last times is Christ's return imminent is it the reality that cried because of what's going on in our time is it true that Christ will come soon and I'm going to exaggerate with what I'm about to say but most theologians in many different eras thought that Christ's return was imminent in their time in those times based on what they were seeing but as we see with what John sing he's saying it is the last hour because you see it's true to some extent we are in the last hour brothers and sisters we are in the last times brothers and sisters but so was John so were the Apostles so was the the hearers of first John little children it is the last hour because what last hour refers to is the time between Christ's two comings last times last days last hour last time singular all refer to the time between Christ's two advents that's what last hour refers to and that's exactly what he's highlighting it is the last hour brothers and sisters and he goes on to highlight how we know that it is the last hour notice what he says as you have heard the Antichrist is coming how do and then he says even now many antichrists have come by which we know that it is the last hour we know that it is the last hour because many antichrists have come now many use this text to teach that there is one major giant eschatological meanie as pastor Butler says who's coming soon who's coming before Christ returns this giant figure who is the Antichrist some reformed theologians do hold that what is going on in first John 2:18 is that Antichrist is there is an actual Antichrist coming and that this Antichrist that these many Antichrist serve as a forerunner the coming Antichrist John Gill was one of those who held to this but I don't think that's the point of the text you see he's not drawing out for us a personal figure but he's trying to draw out that many antichrists have now come he's trying to draw that Antichrist plural have come I don't think it's referring to a personal figure as Steven J Nichols highlights it's not improbable that's referring to that up that a big meanie could come but it's not the point of the text it's not what John is dealing with it's not what John is highlighting and even as some of these reformed theologians teak to teach this Fortis this one who would come they never asked the question who it is they don't think to go well is it this person is it that person as we look in our day and age as some people like to muse about figures that coryza in the political sphere specifically in one instance that's not the point of the text because I think even as Warfield highlights John is writing to clarify it's not an individual but a multitude cuz notice what he says he says you've heard that dot Antichrist is coming what that could be saying what he could be doing here and it works grammatically and what Warfield is highlighting you have heard quote Antichrist is coming and quote there's some have been teaching that an Antichrist is coming that's in the future that it's a long ways away that till this Antichrist would come that works in the context so then John is writing to clarify that is not in the future but many antichrists have now come and sometimes there's even a variant reading with respect to the should even be there that I don't think so and as you've heard at Antichrist is coming and even as the word as the grammar highlights for us there's a comparison just as you heard the Antichrist or Antichrist is coming even now many antichrists have come so he seems to be clarifying he seems to be highlighting he seems to be speaking in generalities not some specific person and John does that in the other parts in John you see Antichrist is only mentioned in John not to saying that there are that it's not to say that Antichrist concepts couldn't up-and-up come up in other places but John is the only one who mentions it he mentions it here in chapter 2 he mentions it in chapter 4 and he says in verse 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus has come in the flesh is not of God and this is the spirit of the Antichrist which you've heard was coming and is now already in the world and then also in 2nd John 7 for many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh this is a deceiver and an antichrist so he speaks seems to be speaking in generalities he seems to be speaking as referring to many different antichrists not some specific person but we will draw this out a little bit more under point three and even further as we go so the time of the Antichrist it is the last hour but notice the origin of the antichrists in verse 19 they went out from us but they were not of us as John says in first John 4:2 he's highly they are false prophets false teachers these men as we've been highlighting as we've gone through first John claimed to be Christians claimed to be part of the church and so they say they are part of the church but notice they went out from us but they were never of us noticed for if they had been of us they would have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that none of them were of us that was the purpose of their going out to show that they were never part of the church they've never had well held fast a sound doctrine never held fast to the truth so the origin is they come out from the church that's the point of John and this is why I don't think that well some people will highlight that the man of lawlessness in 2nd 2nd Thessalonians 2 and the beasts of Revelation in Revelation 13 and the Antichrist I'll highlight the same figure I don't think it's that clear brothers and sisters because in Revelation 13 speaking of the sea and the Beast the Biot that sorry the beasts of the sea and the earth he's hide the most commentators highlight that John is referring to anti-christian government and anti-christian religion what's going on at first John 2 they went out of us but they were not from us or they went out from us but they were not of us so the origin is a little different and then in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 he's dealing with different issues in 2nd Thessalonians 2 he's dealing with an over realized eschatology that is they were taught that Christ had already come so he's combating saying oh Christ has not come yet Christ's second coming has not happened and thus you have to wait for something in order for that to happen and not only that as we'll see the primary identifier of an antichrist refers to how they understand the true christ and john arab paul is doesn't seem to be dealing with that in 2nd thessalonians chapter 2 but even if it were true that 2nd Thessalonians 2 referred to and was the same as the Antichrist it says in 2nd 2nd Thessalonians 2 that the man of lawlessness will be revealed in his own time we're not supposed to ask who he is we're not supposed to think about that we're supposed to think of the true Christ understand who the true Christ is what we what we think concerning him it's out in the Word of God we must realize brothers and sisters we must hold fast to what is found in the word searching after who these other guys could be what does the word say about them a lot of ways we're gonna answer further who the Antichrist is anyone who denies that Jesus came in the flesh that's Antichrist brothers and sisters but what I think John is highlighting here for us with respect to the time of the Antichrist is that even now you and I live in the last times and the question again we should not be asking is who is the Antichrist or do we live in the last time because we do but are you ready brothers and sisters are you ready for Christ's second coming are you ready for the fact when Christ will descend out of the heavens and call forth his people that's the question we need to be asking ourselves you see though as the scripture highlights we're in the last times Christ could come are you ready for Christ to come that's the important question we need to be asking ourselves and if there is some endtime eschatological meaning that would come so what we have the true Christ if you believed on Christ you have everlasting life and when Christ comes we will be taken up and ushered into the new heavens and the new earth so what if some big meanie comes if that were true I don't think so but if that were true it should not change our view of how we understand our Lord and as we look for his coming so these antichrists have come how do we deal with all these antichrists the remedy is know the truth and so this is our second point the remedy against Antichrist verse 20 and 21 notice he says verse 20 but you haven't have an anointing from the Holy One holy one here refers to the Lord Christ and the anointing refers to the Holy Spirit that is given by the Lord Christ we have the Holy Spirit as second Corinthians 1:21 highlights referring to this language of anointing Paul says now he who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God who has also sealed us and given us the spirit in our hearts as a guarantee but Christ speaks of this in John 14:26 with respect to the coming Lord cry the sending of the Spirit he says in 14:26 but the helper the Holy Spirit whom the father will send in my name he will teach you all things and bring you to your remembrance and all things that I said to you now in the instance you speaking to the disciples and certainly the Holy Spirit would guide the disciples in all manner of truth as the Holy Spirit guide with respect to the scriptures with the inspiration of the scriptures but that doesn't mean brothers that we don't need the Holy Spirit to help us to understand the truth to help us think through the truth to lumen our hearts and minds concerning the truth we need the work of the Holy Spirit as he works with the word of the London Baptist confession chapter one paragraph six highlights this nevertheless we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the word and that there are some circumstances considering the worship of God in government of the Church common to human actions and societies which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence according to the general rules of the word which are always to be observed but it's that that that SEC section nevertheless we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word of God the Holy Spirit must work in the hearts of dead sinners to show them their need for Christ and the Holy Spirit must continue we still need the Holy Spirit to help us understand the truth don't we as we read the word as we study theology notice what John says in 227 of first John but the anointing which you've received from him abides in you and you do not need that anyone teaches you now this isn't a charismatic text brothers and sisters I think it's a redemptive historical text I think he's got jeremiah 31:34 in the background in jeremiah 31:34 as he's describing the new covenant jeremiah prophesized and says in verse 34 no more shall every man teach his neighbor and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall know me from the least of them to the greatest of them says the Lord for I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will remember no more notice what he's saying in verse 20 you have an anointing from the Holy One and you know all things it's because of the Holy Spirit it's because we live and even as Jeremiah prophesied in those days we live in those last times brothers and sisters we live in the age of the Messiah and the Messiah has poured out his Holy Spirit then we might understand things concerning the Messiah we need the Holy Spirit and we have the Holy Spirit remember John is running to assure his ears that they know that they have everlasting life but you have an anointing from the Holy One and you know all things and even as we think about know all things we know the truth of the gospel as it set forth in verses 1 chapter 1 verses 1 through 4 we have the Word of Life we know the true gospel we know that Christ actually did come in the flesh we know the message that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all and we also know that our true spiritual state is found in 12 through 14 we have our sins forgiven brothers and sisters we know him who is from the beginning we have overcome the wicked one we know all things but especially we know all things as they are tied to our Christ and even as they are tied to our God as we're going to see with respect to the lie against Antichrist we need to know who God is and we need to know who Christ is we have a robust theology proper and a robust Christology concerning our Christ and so we know the Lord Christ we know the truth the remedy against Antichrist is we have the Holy One but not only that we have the truth notice verse 21 I have written out written to you because you do not know the truth but because you know it and that no lie is of the truth again assuring them that they have the truth assuring them that they have the gospel the remedy against any lie is that of the truth so the hope for us brothers and sisters it is to hold fast to the truth study and ponder it read sound theology read the Word of God and when we read sound theology you must remember it's not just an intellectual endeavor well we are using our minds well we are thinking about those things we need the spirit to help us understand those things how often personally sometimes I get up to read a theology book forget that we need divine aid don't we we're studying divine matters for the glory of God and for our good should we not seek and call upon our God in prayer to help us understand those things know the truth hold fast to the truth because why do we need to know the truth because it helps us figure out who the antichrists are which is the last point the lie of Antichrist in verses 22 and 23 notice he says who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ anyone that says Jesus is not the Messiah is a liar if Peter had not confessed that you are the Christ the Son of God and he said he was if he said he was not the Christ he would have been a liar but thankfully we saw how God revealed to simon barjona that Christ is the Christ Jesus is the Christ Christ is the Christ Jesus is the Messiah who has come into the world to save his people from their sins who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ in evidence that there is that they are liars that they do not know the Christ the clear indication of an antichrist is anyone who has false teaching again the general focus found in John first John and 2nd John concerning Antichrist is general anyone that denies that Jesus is the Christ anyone that denies that Jesus has come in the flesh they are antichrists and another reason I think John is very general with respect to how he refers to Antichrist is his disciple Polycarp takes it generally as well in Polycarp when he's writing to the letter to the Philippians he is the immediate disciple of John he says everyone who does not confess Jesus Christ to have come in the flesh is anti-christ its general brothers and sisters where it's supposed to look for some one person in the future we can say then that there aren't many antichrists present even now so now even many antichrists have come and they are known by their theology they are known by what they say considering the true God how do we know a false prophet in debt and Deuteronomy 13 one who does miracles potentially but then says let us go worship Bale the same is true now if someone says I am a believer but they say Jesus did not come in the flesh Jesus is not the Christ Jesus is not God Jesus is just a mere man they are Antichrist brothers and sisters they teach false things concerning the Lord Christ but then some of you might say Mike what about London Baptist confession 26 for when the writers say that the Pope is that Antichrist that man of sin that son of perdition that exalteth himself in the church against Christ if you notice first of all there's it's not capitalized that Antichrist but also as dr. Anna Han highlights it's not referring to an end times Antichrist but an ecclesiastical or church Antichrist one who sets himself up as the Vicar of Christ instead of Christ as we saw this morning where Christ himself is the head of the church not some Pope that's what they are dealing with when they say he is that Antichrist because he sets himself up in the place of Christ but any anyone who denies that Jesus in the is the Christ or even anyone who sets himself up as the Christ is an anti Christ brothers and sisters who is the Antichrist anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ notice what he says in verse 22 he is Antichrist who denies the father and the son notice the Trinitarian connection brothers and sisters the importance of understanding the Trinity as God has revealed himself with respect to his word because the Trinity is a great mystery isn't it one God three persons one God or as the confession says three subsistence is what does that even mean brothers and sisters other than what's been found for us or delivered to us and defined for us in the word and all through men throughout history who define these things so precisely that we have a robust understanding of the Trinity because as John says in 2nd John 9 whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God whoever denies the father or whoever denies the father then denies the son notice whoever denies the son does not have the father either and as John says in John 5:23 as Christ says with respect to his relationship with the father as they our Father Son and Holy Spirit 5 23 verse 22 of John 5 for the father judges no one but has committed all judgment to the son then all should honor the son just as they honor the father he who does not honor the son does not honor the father who sent him or in John 10 when he's talking about himself as the Good Shepard in John 10 verse 28 and I give them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand my father who has given them to me is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of my father's hand I and my father are one then the Jews took up stones again to stone him why because he's equated himself with God anyone who denies the father Dan eyes the son and many of our forefathers didn't the arts defined that our Lord Christ very well in the creative Nicaea they say and in one Lord Jesus Christ or we believe in one Lord Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God begotten of the father before our worlds god of God light of light very god of very God begotten not made being of one substance with the father by whom all things were made I love how oh come all ye faithful the second stanza is god of God light of light right out of the Nicene Creed and that wonderful we have this Lord Jesus Christ if we deny the father we deny the son we deny the father but notice he who had no in verse 23 who acknowledges this has the father also you see eternal life hinges on true doctrine eternal life hinges on true Christology who Christ actually is eternal life hinges on how a proper and robust understanding of the Trinity brothers and sisters when we see and even as we see the mission of the son and the mission of the Spirit there's something we did the the the mission of the son and the sphere reveals something concerning the Trinity brothers and sisters as we see Christ coming out of the waters of baptism the father speaking the son coming out of the waters of baptism and the Holy Spirit descending all three persons one God three persons all working together for the salvation of God's people how does that even work but if we know the Christ then we know the father and notice as the Athanasian Creed says and the Catholic faith that is Catholic in the good sense of the word is this that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in unity now there confounding the persons nor dividing the substance for there is one person of the Father and another of the son and another of the Holy Spirit but the Godhead of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is all one the glory equal the majesty Co eternal how do we combat these antichrists we know Christ how do we combat these false teachers we know theology how do we combat these men we know what the Bible says concerning Christ we know what the Bible says concerning theology we must have a sound Christology the whole point of this text is not to look for some Antichrist but to look at the Christ brothers and sisters if we spend all our time musing and thinking about what this person is or if this person is that or not take our eyes off the Christ don't we there's one thing I've taken away from pastor bother and there's many things I've taken away from pastor butlers I need to read the best books on various subjects and we need to read the best things concerning Christ clearly to spend our time reading about those things because if we know the Christ when those Antichrist can we go no not gonna happen we should know strive to know Christ so well know the increased intricacies of of theology thinking of those things what the word says so that when someone comes along we just look at them and go no because it's just not gonna happen brothers and sisters because we know it's so well when they say those things we just go definitely not certainly we could probably do a little bit more than just say no to them but you know what I mean no the Christ well many antichrists have come many antichrists will continue to come combat them with sound theology for anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ is Antichrist so as we conclude with the same question we asked at the beginning do you know Christ have you owned Christ as your Savior as you bullet have you believed on him have you looked at him have you confessed that he is the Christ the Son of God if you do praise God if you know this one continually study him continually look to him and always be ready because he will come brothers and sisters and we look forward to that day when he comes don't we some of us now are ready to go aren't we when men get sick we're ready to go aren't we become little wimps when we get sick don't we we are ready for Christ to come back and as John says in to in verse 24 at first John - therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning if what you heard from the beginning abides in you you also will abide in the Son and in the father and this is the promise that he has promised us eternal life if you know Christ you have eternal life but if you don't know Christ you don't have eternal life and if you don't know Christ believe on Christ confess your sins look to him do not deny that he has come in the flesh as many do do not deny that he is that he is the Christ because he is look to him and live and you shall be saved believe on him and you shall have everlasting life believe on him and you shall be in eternity with him as John says at the end of his epistle in 5:20 and we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding that we may know Him who is true and we are in Him who is true in His Son Jesus Christ this is the true God and eternal life He is God and He is eternal life and only in him is there eternal life believe in him and you shall be saved brothers and sisters do you know the Christ well let us pray Oh Lord God Almighty we thank you for this time that we've gathered together we thank you O God that you are pleased to show us the truth we thank you that you've revealed your truth in your word and you help us in aid us by your Holy Spirit to understand these things we thank you O God that your people will know the truth but father God we do not know who those people are and we pray that you would call many of them out of Darkness to believe on the truth then they might believe on the Lord Christ work in them God by your spirit father God we thank you for many of us who have believed we thank you for the assurance that we have in Christ our Lord we thank you O God that we know Christ may we never stop seeking to understand Christ to look at what your word says concerning him to study these things O God that we might know more and more concerning our Savior don't only know more and more concerning our Savior but seek to resemble him all the more Oh God we thank you that you've given us your word we thank you that you've given us many men who've gone before us who've studied these things in depth who've worked through these things and are planning you by your Providence caused them to write concerning these things we pray that you would give us divine aid and divine help and divine strength to understand these things of God for they are great mysteries how is it that there's one God in three persons and how is it that the second person is one person in two nature's yet these things are vital these things are necessary we need these things for everlasting life and we thank you O God that you're pleased to reveal these things in your word we pray that we would help but you would help again help us understand these things and may we ever seek to look to our savior ever seek to love our Savior and we pray that you'd help us now by your spirit in the name of Christ amen we will close the brief time the meditation and you're dismissed you
