John MacArthur | Keeping Evil Out of the Church

over the last number of weeks and even months i've been preaching from this pulpit on the invisible kingdom trying to distinguish for our congregation and those around the world who are listening the difference between the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness and obviously they're diametrically opposed to each other we've tried to help many new people who've been coming to our church to understand the foundational realities of what the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of god in the kingdom of light is all about and it comes down to i think two defining statements one in john 18 where jesus says my kingdom is not of this world if my kingdom were of this world my servants would fight so that i would not be delivered over to the jews but as it is my kingdom is not from here so it is a kingdom that exists parallel to the kingdom of this world to the kingdom of darkness but it doesn't mingle the other thing that our lord said is in the 17th chapter of luke where he said the kingdom of god is in your midst and that is to say that the kingdom is here because the king is here and wherever the king reigns the kingdom exists and that means it comes down to individual believers hearts as well as the collective believers in the church so we are we are as it were a kingdom here in the world not of the world alien to the world existing in a parallel universe imperceptible to the world the apostle paul said it is not manifest what we are because there has not been the glorious manifestation of the children of god the world looks at us and they don't understand that we are eternally the people of god that we have been redeemed that we are indwelt by the king that we belong to the eternal kingdom they can't distinguish that in the natural sense that's not possible what is possible is for them to hate everything about us everything about the kingdom of light so i've been trying over the last weeks to help our people separate themselves from the world foundationally in terms of their identity because what is in my mind the single greatest error in the church is its partnership with the world this is nothing new and it takes different forms in every period of history so i want to talk about the need for the church to understand that it cannot partner with the world in any real sense we'll talk about that from a number of passages so let's begin by looking at matthew 16. matthew 16. we'll pick up the very familiar story of peter's confession in verse 13. now when jesus came into the district of caesarea philippi he was asking his disciples who do people say the son of man is and they said some say john the baptist and others elijah but still others jeremiah are one of the prophets he said to them but who do you say that i am simon peter answered you are the christ the son of the living god and jesus said to him blessed are you simon son of jonah because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you but my father who is in heaven that is the highest moment of peter's life every one of us could wish to have the lord say to us what you have spoken is directly from heaven blessed are you because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you but my father who is in heaven that is the high point of peter such a high point the lord says you're peter and upon this rock i'll build my church and the gates of hades will not overpower it i'll give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven i mean these are stunning stunning identifications given to peter he is part of the foundation of the church he is given the keys to the kingdom that is to say he can tell people how to enter the kingdom and what will cause them to be shut out of the kingdom he has given that kind of delegated authority from god this is peter's high point he is speaking from god and that is god's own testimony in an immediate contradiction to that you come to verse 21. from that time jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised in the third day peter took him aside and began to rebuke him saying god forbid it lord this shall never happen to you but he turned and said to peter get behind me satan in the space of six inches he goes from speaking for god to representing satan you're a stumbling block to me for you're not setting your mind on god's interest but man's this is the ultimate low point in peter's life from the high point to the low point in two adjacent passages get behind me satan now mark that jesus said that to an apostle the leading apostle the apostle who would be an eyewitness to the resurrection the apostle who would preach the first sermon in the founding of the church on the day of pentecost the apostle who would be the preacher through the first half of the book of acts get behind me satan that's strong language and the lord uses the verb upage be gone it's a fierce rebuke and it appears another place in matthew in the fourth chapter in the 10th verse when satan came to tempt jesus and jesus said the same thing to the devil jesus said to peter exactly what he said to satan and that's why he follows it up by saying you are not setting your mind on god's interest but man's the most fierce rebuke you have taken up the devil's agenda the temptation was the same what was satan's temptation to give to the lord the kingdoms of the world without the cross right the crown without the cross the kingdom without the cross bow down to me and i'll give you all those things the devil is still saying that and he's saying it to evangelicals you can avoid the offense you can avoid the hostility you can avoid the persecution you can adjust the message and you can have the kingdom without the cross you can have the crown without the cross this is the most devastating rebuke that ever came out of the lips of the lord toward a disciple you have taken up satan's cause you are in partnership with the devil when you think there's going to be a crown without a cross when you think you're going to accomplish the purpose of advancing the name of christ through the gospel without suffering everything that could be identified under the term pragmatism is designed to eliminate the suffering and our lord says you're a stumbling block to me peter means stone upon this rock i'll build my church peter goes from a stone to a rock to a stumbling stone if you want to get in the way of the purposes of god take up the devil's cause to advance the kingdom without the conflict to advance the kingdom without the suffering to advance the kingdom without the cross you're not setting your mind on god's interests but man's the worst rebuke of course for this loving disciple who just wants to help jesus right just wants to help jesus help him avoid suffering in the devil's way is always that to try to get christians to think that the kingdom of light can advance without suffering by making certain concessions and compromises with the dark kingdom peter's sin has been repeated incessantly throughout all of church history and it's being done today christians have been trying to help jesus build his kingdom by striking deals with the devil every effort to advance the kingdom by means of any worldly scheme is doing the devil's work [Music] jesus said they hate me because i tell them their deeds are evil john 7 7. in john 15 18 23 he says if they hated me they'll hate you this goes with the territory but there's always this propensity among weak leaders to try to eliminate the hostility good intentions and maybe even love for christ prompting efforts to advance the kingdom by political lobbying pragmatism social change shallow gospel entertainment emotional manipulation acceptance of sin all of that is to cross over into the darkness and do the devil's work our lord's way is to stay on the side of the kingdom of light and there's a hard line between the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light in second corinthians chapter 10 there's a definitive passage that i have you look at for a moment second corinthians chapter 10 and you're familiar with it verses three through five where the apostle paul says though we are human in verse 3 we don't use human weapons we can't make spiritual war with human weapons human strategies the weapons of our warfare are not human not of the flesh but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses we're destroying speculations in every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of god rather than make an alliance with things raised up against the knowledge of god we smash them we crush them and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of christ and we are ready to punish all disobedience that this this simplifies the life in the kingdom which is total complete obedience to christ and anything raised up against the knowledge of god against obedience to christ we bring the truth to bear on that as if we were crushing fortresses ideological fortresses called speculations and lofty things raised up against the knowledge of god our job is not to make alliances with the world and think in so doing we can advance the kingdom as if satan were coming alongside christ to aid him in the building of his church all that is in the world is passing away right first john love not the world neither the things that are in the world it's it's all got a very short shelf life james 4 4 friendship with the world is what enmity with god the kingdom of light needs no help from the devil's kingdom we don't need a lobby group in washington lobbying with some kind of bizarre notion that somehow politicians can help us advance the name of jesus christ it's irrelevant what the laws in any country are this one or any other country they have nothing to do with the kingdom of light it doesn't matter what laws are made or not made what laws benefit the kingdom at least in a temporal sense and what laws make it more difficult to be a christian they have zero effect on the building of the church jesus said i'll build my church and the gates of hades will not prevail against it all that the father gives to me will come to me i'll lose none of them but raise them at the last day christ will triumph we says paul in second corinthians 2 we always triumph in christ jesus right it has no partnership with the world we don't need to seek the world's attention we don't need to buy into the world's interests as if somehow doing that opens a way for people to be saved when the only thing that we need to do to bring the elect to salvation is to preach the gospel our lord's way is to stay on the side of the light evangelicalism has come has become like peter offering a better way than bold uncompre uncompromising compassionate loving proclamation of the gospel that offends the sinner that offends the sinner and seeks to break the sinner's comfort and contentment by bringing him into stark realization of the eternal judgment of god but evangelicals have become like peter they're looking for alliances with satan that they think somehow can aid the kingdom i told our congregation a few weeks ago that i could never really concern myself with religious freedom i wouldn't fight for religious freedom because i won't fight for idolatry why would i fight for the devil to have as many false religions as possible and all of them available to everyone well people would say that's a terrible thing to say what about christianity christianity advances whether there's religious freedom or not and there'll always be there'll always be religious freedom for all the lies every false religion is going to be free because it's linked to the kingdom of darkness that operates in the world and christians whatever the label of religious freedom might be in its broadest sense christians are always the target even with religious freedom of the hostility of sinners the apostles turned the world upside down with no help from it no social action no alliances the evil kingdom of darkness hates what god loves and loves everything god hates and the kingdom of darkness is never a friend to the light evil rulers have exchanged the truth of god for a lie for lies and they function under the ultimate liar satan himself who is a liar and the father of lies there is absolutely no reason for us to make any alliance with him and i'll spell that out a little more as we go all godless rulers are previews of antichrist revelation 13 1-9 all godless rulers are previews of antichrist so we have two kingdoms one the kingdom of god the kingdom of truth the kingdom of christ the other the kingdom of satan the kingdom of lies the kingdom of anti-christ so what does the church's mandate in the world there are a number of passages we could look at let me draw you to ephesians chapter 5 because it spells it out ephesians 5 and we can pick it up in verse 5. for this you know with certainty that no immoral or impure person or covetous man who is an idolater has an entrance into the kingdom of christ and god let no one deceive you with empty words for because of these things the wrath of god comes upon the sons of disobedience therefore do not be partakers with them for you were formerly darkness but now you are light in the lord walk as children of light for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth verse 7 do not be partakers with them you have no alliance with the kingdom of darkness that would be just or righteous don't be deceived verse six with empty words don't be in any alliance with the kingdom of darkness in colossians chapter 2 verse 6 therefore as you have received christ jesus the lord so walk in him having been firmly rooted and now being built up in him and established in your faith just as you were instructed and overflowing with gratitude see to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men according to the elementary principles of the world rather than according to christ for in him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form and in him you have been made complete chapter three familiar words if you've been raised with christ keep seeking the things above where christ is seated at the right hand of god set your minds on the things above not on the things that are on the earth and even down in verse 12 you have been chosen of god holy and beloved put on a heart of compassion kindness humility gentleness and patience bearing with one another forgiving each other whoever has a complaint against anyone and just as the lord forgave you so also should you beyond all these things put on love which is the perfect bond of unity let the peace of christ rule in your hearts to which indeed you were called in one body and be thankful let the word of christ richly dwell within you in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs singing and with thankfulness in your hearts to the lord whatever you do in word or deed to all in the name of the lord jesus giving thanks through him to god the father that is the sum of your life is related to god and to christ everything everything in your life is related to the one who reigns in the kingdom of light now we could talk about those passages but it's another one that i really want you to look at with me second corinthians chapter six and very familiar passage but i think overlooked to the detriment of the church certainly in this period of time second corinthians 6 14. um i have a lot to say and i'll try to squeeze it in in whatever amount of time we have here the opening statement of verse 14 doesn't need a lot of explanation do not be bound together with unbelievers is that hard to get hard to grasp do not be bound together with unbelievers it's an unqualified statement do not be bound together with unbelievers for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness or what fellowship has light with darkness or what harmony has christ with belial or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever or what agreement has the temple of god with idols for we are the temple of the living god just as god said i will dwell in them and walk among them and i will be their god and they shall be my people therefore come out from their midst and be separate says the lord and do not touch what is unclean and i will welcome you and i will be a father to you and you shall be sons and daughters to me says the lord almighty then verse 1 of chapter 7 therefore having these promises beloved let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of god and the defilement is the defilement of those alliances two opposing kingdoms one marked by righteousness light christ believers and god the other marked by lawlessness darkness belial unbelievers and idols there is no possibility of bringing these two kingdoms together in any partnership any fellowship any harmony any mutual benefit one is old the other is new one is earthly the other is heavenly one is deadly the other is enlivening one is material the other is spiritual one is full of lies the other is truthful so the command then in verse 14 do not be bound together with unbelievers that doesn't mean you should divorce an unbeliever paul addresses that doesn't he first corinthians 7 it doesn't mean isolation because paul himself says i'm all things to all men that i might by all means win some and jesus says in john 17 in his high priestly prayer i do not ask father that you remove them from the world but that you keep them from the evil one so we're not talking about isolation we're talking about being bound together now let's look at that because it's really very important it means unequally yoked and that's i think the uh authorized translation and it's a good one because this this comment this command really do not be bound together with unbelievers is a prohibition based on deuteronomy 22 10 and deuteronomy 22 10 says you shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together you can't plow a straight furrow with two different beasts with two different natures two different gates two different dispositions that are designed two different ways you can't connect in a common cause that's the idea you can't connect in a common cause this is not new jeremiah addressed this in one of the most wonderful passages in jeremiah chapter 2. listen to this go and proclaim in the ears of jerusalem saying thus says the lord i remember concerning you the devotion of your youth speaking to the jewish people i remember the the love of your betrothals you're following after me in the wilderness through a land not sown israel was holy to the lord the first of his harvest all who ate of it became guilty evil came upon them declares the lord hear the word of the lord o house of jacob and all the families of the house of israel thus says the lord what injustice did your fathers find in me that they went far from me there was a time when you were like a bride and you were enjoying the intimacy and the blessing of our relationship and you were protected by me what happened what happened why did you go far from me and walk after emptiness and become empty they didn't say where is the lord who brought us up out of the land of egypt who led us through the wilderness through a land of deserts in a pits and of drought and deep darkness through a land that no one crossed and where no man dwelt i brought you into the fruitful land to eat its fruit and good things but you came and defiled my land in my inheritance you made an abomination the priest didn't say where is the lord and those who handle the law didn't know me the rulers also transgressed against me and here's the specific indictment the prophets prophesied by baal and walked after things that did not profit deviation from their relationship with the true god therefore i will contend with you declares the lord and with your sons i will contend and at the end of the chapter he says this my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters to hew for themselves cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water why do god's people do that why did they defect to the world this is nothing new this was the story of israel as well as the sad history of the church and satan always seeks to disrupt the work of god and does that by joining the church to the kingdom of darkness it's in the parables of matthew 13 where jesus says the devil will come and sow tares among the wheat or by seducing either the devil sows unbelievers in the church or seduces the church to make alliances with the world now the current dominating interest of the defective church is in the realm of racism feminism and homosexuality and this has created massive chaos in evangelicalism the kingdom of light joining the racist bitter vengeful graceless philosophy of crt intersectionality systemic racism feminism spawned out of the enlightenment 300 years ago by god hating christ rejecting anti-family anti-christian atheists who were driven by bizarre sexual passions all you have to do is read philip johnson's book the intellectuals to know that those philosophers were some of the most deviant people who ever rose to intellectual power but all the issues that they generated on the social level have now become the interest of the church the church is endeavoring to partner with the world in its effort to fix things that aren't right on the planet and we all know there are plenty of things wrong that's not new genesis 6 when the lord looked at the earth all he saw was evil continually right and only evil continually so if you're going to fix the planet you got a pretty big job if you're going to make all the social ills right if you're going to fix every abuse that is a very challenging problem particularly if you don't do anything to change the people because you will find that sinful people will sin if you put a barrier up in one category to prevent a sin they'll just deviate into another category where sin finds life

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Id: WUUYlC1Wrgc

Length: 30min 0sec (1800 seconds)

Published: Wed May 05 2021