Of Antichrist and His Ruin

Providence Baptist Church iconProvidence Baptist Church

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Nahum 1:11-14

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That psalm is actually very fitting for the sermon today. I really in my preparation for the sermon
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I My failure, but I didn't think about us singing that psalm right before I get up here
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That's psalm 2 by the way thing. Let's kind of got some strange language and my
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I might seem a little harsh Compared to maybe like Jesus loves me or whatever but that's part of the hymn book that God's given us in the
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Psalms and And so we sing the Psalms and we sing Psalm 2 and Psalm 2 reminds us there is evil in this world
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There is those who would rage against God, but God will ultimately have the victory through Christ Jesus will have the nation's and We should bow down before to cry every knee will bow one day you should bow down now
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Love him adore him serve him John Bunyan wrote a book this book.
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He wrote a lot of books by the way, but this one book that he wrote I'm sure there's more than just this one that were published after his death
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But this book was published after his death and the book is called of Antichrist and his ruin
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I have a copy you could read it if you want you could borrow that But in this book of Antichrist and his ruin
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Bunyan Helps us to see that when we think of Antichrist if I say the word Antichrist to you
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You probably just think about the capital a Antichrist at the end of days
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But Bunyan wants us to see there's this biblical reality of this whole system of Antichrist It's present even in the world today everything that's anti God anti Christ anti truth anti church this is
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The spirit of darkness at work in the world today. It's a it's a virus if you will that is infecting
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Every institution the government churches family education universities everything lies deception rebellion half -truths all
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Ultimately led by the Prince of Darkness Himself and this is a this is a battle that has been raging since Genesis 3 in the fall of man
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I want you to see today that this is a major plot in The entire narrative from Genesis to Revelation Christ Versus Antichrist and you'll see that today.
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So so turn in your Bibles to Nahum and as you turn there just know this We're going to just go ahead and plagiarize
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Bunyan's title and use it for our sermon title and that is of Antichrist and his ruin and And I want to show you today from the text not merely what's going on right here in the text
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Okay, so we'll show you what's happening in the text then I want to show you how that piece of the puzzle if you will fits in with the grand narrative of the
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Scriptures and Then how that matters right here in this moment Let me just go ahead.
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Let me just go ahead and give you a preview of the end God wins No scheme
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Against the Lord and his anointed will stand he will triumph over every darkness
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You need to think this morning as we begin this message, are you in opposition to the
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Lord? Are you in opposition to the kingdom of Christ if you are? You stand on the losing side
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It doesn't matter what this or that political rally may say doesn't matter how big they may claim to be if they are opposed to the
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Lord They're on the losing side May whom chapter 1 we begin in verse 11 of Antichrist and his ruin
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Will you stand with me as we honor the reading of God's Word? May whom writes?
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from you came one who plotted evil against the Lord a worthless
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Counselor thus says the Lord though they are at full strength and many they will be cut down and pass away
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Though I have afflicted you I will afflict you no more And now I will break his yoke from off you and will burst your bonds apart
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The Lord has given commandment about you. No more. So your name be perpetuated
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From the house of your gods. I will cut off the carved image and the metal image. I will make your grave for you are vile
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Father, would you help us to understand the text today help us to understand it in context? We pray for the power of the
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Holy Spirit in the preaching of the Word Lord, I need grace I need freedom I need clarity of mind.
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I need a full heart. Let me preach today Let us hear and let us see why this matters so much in the time in which we live
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We pray that you would draw Sinners to yourself that you would embolden the
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Saints that you would shake us out of any Complacency that we are in and we pray it all in Jesus name.
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Amen You may be seated what I need you to know today as we begin There this this sermon is not on the capital a
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Antichrist so much There will be a a capital a Antichrist the
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Antichrist Revealed in the last times the man of lawlessness.
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We'll talk about that if you're interested in our Wednesday night Eschatology class that'll come up soon but you cannot miss today that the spirit of the
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Antichrist many lowercase a Antichrists are active in the world today.
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And this has been the reality of human history since Genesis 3 now
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Let me go ahead. This is important. So tune in and listen to this I don't want you to miss this because it's important for the rest of the sermon
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Antichrist Has a goal to listen clearly to this Antichrist has a goal and all the systems that Antichrist infects and all the things that's happening in the world today all the
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Dark and evil and behind -the -scenes things that are coordinating together and happening today.
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There is one grand goal of Antichrist Some may say well, it's it's the overthrow of God.
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I think that That's probably understood as an impossibility
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Antichrist will not overthrow God. So here's the goal. The goal is the destruction of the church the goal is the elimination of the people of God Now Antichrist has two
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Strategic angles that he approaches Carrying out this goal.
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So the goal is you are if you are a Christian in here today There is a target on your back on your front on your head everywhere there's a target that you would be destroyed and Antichrist has two strategic angles that he approaches this goal angle one
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Annihilation when Antichrist can he'll chop your head off He'll burn you at the stake.
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He'll burn buildings. He'll destroy you. He will kill you. He will eliminate you
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That's strategic angle. Number one annihilation strategic Jig angle number two is adultery
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You understand if he cannot kill you then his desire is to take the bride of Christ Into his bedroom, you understand that's that's very upfront language
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But that's what's going on His desire is to destroy the people of God He will either kill them or he will either desire to lead them into spiritual
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Adultery, so here's the outline today first I'm going to make an exegetical argument from the text from the text before us
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I'm going to show you what this text means in its context. Secondly, I'm going to make a biblical argument
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I'm going to show you how the text in our passage in Nahum fits into a much broader
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Narrative a much broader storyline if you will in the scripture and then finally we're going to have some personal application
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Why does this matter in our context? So number one an exegetical argument number one the argument that is exegetical exegetical so from you came one who plotted evil against the
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Lord a Worthless counselor The text the you in the text these are important.
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It's kind of grammar stuff You don't necessarily get in the English, but we it's important for the interpretation.
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So the you is feminine So from you that's a feminine pronoun now
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Why is that important because it most likely refers to the city of Nineveh you in in different languages.
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You understand that Usually like cities and the church and things like that are referred to in the feminine So when it says from you, it's talking about Nineveh.
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So from Nineveh and then came one who plotted that's one masculine verb
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So from the city comes a man who plotted evil against Yahweh So from you came one who plotted evil against Yahweh a worthless
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Counselor now, who is this? Who is this one who came? From Nineveh most commentators agree that it's
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Sennacherib Do you remember Sennacherib the king of Assyria? He is mentioned 13 times by name in the scriptures
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He finds his way into five different chapters of the Bible three different books of the
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Bible So he's in 2nd Kings 18 and 19 He is in 2nd Chronicles 32 and he is in Isaiah 36 and 37 if you don't know the name
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Sennacherib I'll gently and just Warmly as your pastor encourage you
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Know the Old Testament better. You need to know this is a major name actually in the
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Old Testament So Sennacherib reigns from 705 BC to 681
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BC and Sennacherib is actually the one who establishes Nineveh as the capital of Assyria and the text says that he plotted evil verse 11
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He plotted evil against the Lord how so because he goes and I was wanting to read some of these passages
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But I just decided for sake of time we wouldn't but if you remember these passages I gave you earlier 2nd
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Kings 18 and 19 2nd Chronicles 32 Isaiah 36 37 if you read those then what
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Sennacherib does is he goes and he sends the the rabbi Sheikah to go and and mock the living
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God as he seeks to destroy the people of God now he seeks to destroy the people of God and God says in Nahum 111 that this is evil against the
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Lord There's an important concept that I need you to know from the scriptures and that is plotting evil against the people of God is plotting evil against God Remember Acts 9
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Saul was ravaging the church and Jesus says to him Saul Saul, why are you persecuting not the church, but who?
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me So the text says that he is one who plotted evil against the Lord and then the text says in verse 11
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He is a worthless Counselor one commentator said it this way Christ is a wonderful counselor
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Antichrist is a worthless counselor There's something interesting here in the wording.
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You couldn't possibly know this just from reading the English, but the word worthless is the
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Hebrew word Baleal He is a baleal Counselor now that might sound a little familiar to you
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It probably should sound a little familiar to you because that's usually in most English translations Translated straight across in 2nd
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Corinthians 615 Paul says what accord hath Christ with baleal?
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The term is used there in 2nd Corinthians 6 to refer to Satan. So this idea of baleal you've probably
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You've probably heard this before So there's the text is saying that there's one who is risen out of Nineveh who's not merely a wicked counselor
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I don't know what your text says. Some of you might have worthless counselor. I think some of you might have vile counselor
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Okay, so those are good words worthless counselor wicked counselor vile counselor
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Those are all important words, but none of them I think fully wrap our minds around what the text is saying coming from Nineveh is a
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Satanic Counselor, that's what's being communicated the word for counselor
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Is the same word in Isaiah 9 6 where Christ remember is promised to be the wonderful counselor
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So Christ counsels Antichrist counsels one counsels wonderfully the other counsels wickedly one offers
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Wonderful words of life the other offers to steal kill and destroy
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But what I want you to see from the text is that the text itself is pointing to us
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Pointing us toward the reality that behind the evil man here, which I it may be
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Sennacherib It may be Asher Banner pill Well, I'll talk about that in just a second, but whoever it's referring to The idea here from the text is that behind This wicked this man lies the evil one himself
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From you came one who plotted evil against the Lord a worthless Counselor So in verse 12, it says dust says the
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Lord Though they're at full strength and many they will be cut down and pass away though.
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I have afflicted you. I will afflict you No more Now in verse 12, this is where I wonder if is verse 11 referring to Sennacherib Most commentators agree that it is maybe it is maybe it could be referring to Asher Banner pill which
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Asher Banner pill is the While Nahum is riding. That's the leader of Assyria and the point of verse 12 is to know this this is very important They are at full strength
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So Nahum is riding this not when Nineveh is waning But when everyone looks around and says there's no way that Nineveh could be overthrown that nothing could possibly ever
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Capture its walls. Nothing could destroy its army. There's no way America could
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I mean, whoops, I mean Nineveh could fall It's no way they're at full strength and God says
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They will be cut down and Pass away for their rebellion against the
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Lord This is something we have to keep in mind whether it is Sennacherib or Asher Banner pill the point remains behind this evil
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Lies the spirit of the Antichrist and then you have promise of triumph verse 13
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And now I will also so you the you changes in the end of verse 12, though. I've afflicted you
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I'll afflict you no more now. He's talking about Judah. So in verse 13, and now I'll break his yoke
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That is either Sennacherib or Asher Banner pill I will break his yoke from off you and I will burst your bonds apart
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It's interesting back to Psalm 2 they want to they want to put the the King in bonds
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They want to they want to encircle the people of God and enslave them But actually what's going to happen is it is
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God himself Who will break the bonds of the Antichrist off of his people?
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I? Will break his yoke from off you and I will burst your bonds apart verse 14
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Yahweh has given commandment about you Now he's now he's talking about The whole the whole city no more shall your name be perpetuated from the house of your gods
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I will cut off this carved image and the metal image. I will make your grave for you are vile
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That is everyone will be opposed to the Lord will be overthrown
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So here's what you need to know today There is certainly today a war raging between good and evil between Christ and Antichrist But it's not a war of equal opponents
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Some people say like it's God over here and it's Satan over here and they're just jostling around. That's not true
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That's not the way to see it What you need to say is that good is going to triumph over evil
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God is and he already has but he will have final triumph over Satan Christ will triumph over Antichrist God will deliver his people verse 13
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I will break his yoke from off you and burst your bonds apart. God will deliver his people from satanic counselors so let us consider
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Nineveh and Let us consider an important warning One commentator gives he says any person or nation aligned against righteousness is the enemy of God Nineveh made herself an enemy of God She persecuted
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God's people she forsook God's law and the culmination of this rebellion finds itself in this wicked leader whether that's an acrob or ashurbanipal the the
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The point remains and so what happens is God eventually has enough he's slow to anger, but eventually
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God overthrew the city verse 13 and now that is when the
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Lord is ready he acts and Now So God overthrew the city
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God triumphed over his enemies and God will triumph over all his enemies, but listen to me
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I think this requires sobering reflection from the people of God and even as we think about our own nation it requires sobering
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Reflection in our nation Will we be a people who will stand for wicked leaders in our nation who mocked
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God and who mocked the people of God? And you say well, yeah, that doesn't have anything to do with us
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We'll just let the we'll just let the politicians mock God mock the people of God. So be it.
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What did God do to Nineveh? The leaders mocked God they mocked the people of God that persecuted the people of God and the nation was overthrown
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Just something to consider Secondly biblical. So first an argument that is exegetical now an argument that is biblical
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By biblical. I mean that this historical narrative fits itself into the grand narrative the grand storyline the meta narrative of the scriptures from you came one who plotted evil against the
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Lord a Worthless counselor. This isn't something new. This isn't the first time you said think about Esther and and wicked
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Haman Think about some of the wicked leaders that you have in the scriptures This fits together and we recognize woven throughout the word are two opposing kingdoms
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One commentator says it this way Christ the Messiah versus the Antichrist forms one of the major subplots through redemptive history or Opalmer Robertson Christ and Belial represent rulers of two diametrically opposed
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Kingdoms from you came one who plotted evil against the Lord a worthless counselor
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So the stage is set and the Bible tells us Plainly in places like 1st
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John 2 18 children It is the last hour and you have heard that Antichrist is coming
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So now many Antichrist have come therefore we know that it is the last hour
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John says in his letter there that the world has today many
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Antichrist many servants of the kingdom of Belial that are opposed to everything that is
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Christ and everything that is good and opposed to his rule And what I'm arguing is that this didn't begin in the
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New Testament. This began in Genesis 3 God says in Genesis 3 15, I will put enmity between you and the woman.
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So he's talking to the serpent. I Will put enmity between you and the woman and between listen to this your offspring
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So the offspring of the evil one the offspring of the serpent and her offspring, so it'll be conflict
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He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel now We often highlight Christ's triumph there
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And so we should Christ's triumph Christ has bruised the serpents head on the cross. Jesus Christ has won victory
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This is wonderfully true but the text also promises Genesis 3 15 the promises that the offspring of the serpent and the
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Offspring of the woman will be in perpetual conflict Once Satan has offspring listen what
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Jesus says in John 8 44 you are of your father the devil and Your will is to do your father's desires
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He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him when he lies
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He speaks out of his own character for he's a liar and the father of lies. So we see this conflict
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Manifests itself that the children of the devil and the children of the of the woman if you will this first Manifests itself where how far in the
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Bible do you have to go before you see this Genesis 4? Who's in Genesis 4
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Cain and Abel and what happens in Genesis 4 Antichrist seeks to annihilate the church he kills
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Abel Cain kills his brother Abel and then you have this spirit of rebellion that goes on and on and on there's faithful people
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But it goes on and on and on by the time you get to know his day There's eight people eight people that God saves in the ark eight people out of the millions of people
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Maybe more than that on the earth during that time. God saves eight Then the ark that hold the flood happens the worldwide flood happens all that then you get to Genesis 11 and Genesis 11 what happens the spirit of the antichrist is operative again and the people of God are sorry the people of the
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Opposing God they gather together and they're going to build a big tower and we're going to come up there to God and we're going
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To show that we are mighty in opposition to rebellion. What does God do God scatters him?
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What do they do? Do they repent? No, look at archaeological Records look at archaeological records.
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Google it this afternoon and look in China in the Middle East in South America There are these pyramids and ziggurats and these these temples and they all look kind of similar and you're like, how is that?
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How is someone in in South America making something as similar as the people in China? How does that huh?
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Well, it's because at one time they were together right there making these things to defy God God scatters him.
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What happens? They continue to defy God You understand the spirit of rebellion remains at work all over the world today the spirit of Antichrist has helped lead
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Mankind into all manner of rebellion and idolatry and my words there are intentional
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I said help lead that's because Mankind is responsible for his own rebellion.
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We're not victims here Okay We cannot blame anyone or anything else for our own suppression of the truth and unrighteousness
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If you're here today and you're opposed to God, it's not Antichrist fault. He just helps fuel that it's your fault
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You need to understand today that the world that we live in is not merely natural It's supernatural
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There are great spiritual enemies of God at work in the world today This shows up in world leaders it shows up in evil plots behind the scenes and it even shows itself in conflict in the home and Family, I'm just trying to help you see this morning that the text before us fits perfectly within this overarching narrative of scripture verse 11 from you came one someone evil who plotted evil against the
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Lord a worthless counselor a demonic counselor a satanic counselor this fits in with the grand story of the scriptures
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Remember our sermon title of Antichrist and his ruin
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So we see God's triumph Here in Nineveh Over his enemy, but there's also a bigger triumph in Christ So we don't think about this sometimes but in 1st
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John 3 8 John says there the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil so you have this battle raging between the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of Antichrist and 2 ,000 years ago the
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Son of God Enters the battle in human flesh to mark the beginning of the end of evil
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Understand that this is what's happening when you read the gospel narratives in Mark chapter or sorry
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Matthew chapter 12 verse 29 Jesus says how can someone enter a strongman's house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strongman
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Then indeed he may plunder his house and here's what Jesus has done He is bound the strongman in the sense that Christ's kingdom expands right in the face of the
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Antichrist Jesus is plundering Satan's home if you are a believer here this morning, which
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I look around and our members We would certainly expect that you're a believer if you're a believer
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You've been plundered from the house of Satan and into now the kingdom of Christ Jesus has brought you into his kingdom and he's ushered you read the
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Gospels He's ushered in his kingdom there and you see it's Exemplified in his earthly ministry because what's he doing?
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He's reversing the curse dead people are being raised to life sick people are being made.
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Well Demonically possessed people are being freed He's doing all of these things and then eventually we find our way to the cross where perhaps it looks like on the cross
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Well here Antichrist has supremacy right here. The Son of God is dying So therefore
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Antichrist is winning but Paul says in Colossians 2 This is what's happening on the cross verse 13 through 15 and you who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh
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God made alive together with him having forgiven us all our trespasses By canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands this he set aside
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Nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame by triumphing over them in Him in other words all of the demonic forces
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All of the the the idea of the overthrow of the kingdom of Christ They were paraded out as it were they were put to open shame they were publicly defeated when
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Jesus was nailed to the cross and All the things that Satan could bring against God's people.
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You're not good enough. You're too sinful God could never love you. It was all Erased in the blood of Christ as Jesus was suspended between heaven and earth and crucified for sinners
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The Son of God stepped on the serpent's head in such a way that he dealt him a death blow
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Christ triumphs over the kingdom of the Antichrist And this is proven in the fact that Jesus doesn't just stay dead.
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He rises again on The third day he resurrects and glory the kingdom of Christ will prevail because Christ is triumphant His righteous life fulfills all the requirements of God's holy law his death fulfills the necessary and just Consequences for those who have broken the commandments of God and he as he takes the wrath of God upon Himself the just wrath of God against sinners his resurrection shows that he has won and that his kingdom is
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Advancing and that his kingdom is forever and the kingdom of Christ. Listen to me church the kingdom of Christ Advances today and it only advances today in this way the heralding of this message
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The gospel You who are of your father the devil
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You may have wandered in here today and you could care less about Christ You just want to get back to your sin even now in your mind
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You're reflecting the sin in your life and you love it and you enjoy it and you want nothing to do with Christ or his kingdom you who are of your father the devil you who are followers of the prince of the power of the air you
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Who are participants in the kingdom of the Antichrist? What is proclaimed to you today?
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Peace? Peace, what do you mean? What are you saying to me? I'm saying peace by the blood of the cross
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It's proclaimed to you it is by the power of the gospel that you today may be born again
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It is through the work of Jesus that even today you may be given ears to hear and eyes to see and I'm telling you
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Today if that applies to you, you must not live as an enemy of God You must repent and believe the gospel.
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You must come out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of his marvelous light
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Some of you need to embrace this message for the first time today To see your sin and rebellion against a holy and good
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God used to see your spiritual adultery and Idolatry and you must run even now to Jesus Christ in faith
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You are a lawbreaker and God is right to judge you and listen He is right to send you to hell and if you persist in these things
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God will not reluctantly be like, oh man He will do it. He will do it for his glory and the church will sing about it
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It's revelation God says to you today
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That if you will call upon the name of his son if you will call upon Christ She'll be saved
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And he offers you today mercy and complete forgiveness and he offers you a family
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We read today in our prayer meeting that that Jesus his mother and brothers came to him They're like, I mean because they kind of thought he was crazy and they're like, okay
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We need to get this guy stop saying stuff and so they come to Jesus say hey Jesus your mother and your brothers are here
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Jesus looks at the crowd says you know who my mother and brothers are and sisters are
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They're the ones who hear the Word of God and do it God offers you a family today an eternal life
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But the way in is repentance from your sin and trusting what Jesus has done alone
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Trusting Christ alone for your salvation Solus Christus Christ alone
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He is available today to all who will call upon his name in faith Who will turn from sin and self and who will trust
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Christ as their only suitable and all -sufficient Savior Jesus Christ This war that is raging the battle still raging on but Jesus is already won
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Don't be on the losing side now if you're in Christ Though Satan has been defeated we still have
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Sin and evil the spirit of the Antichrist is still at work in our day. And so he will be till Christ returns
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Until Christ returns the Bible says there'll be both wheat and tares in the field Both believers and unbelievers in the world both good and evil the war has already been decided by Christ's work
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But the battle rages on today and why is this well John Bunyan in his book says it this way the reason why
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Antichrist came into the world was that the church which is the body of Christ might be tried and Made white by suffering under his tyranny and by bearing witness against his falsehoods
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So in these days of war you need to know church that God is trying his people God is proving his people.
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He doesn't need the church for victory. The victory is already accomplished in Christ Rather God calls us to live in Christ's victory and to march forward in faith even when we face the unknown and Adversity so this leads to our last point.
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We've seen an exegetical argument and a biblical argument Now I want to turn to an application that is personal.
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So exegetical biblical personal So again, we refresh ourselves with the text from you came one who plotted evil against the
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Lord a worthless counselor The Bible's interesting sometimes, isn't it? What in the world is this?
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This was written 2700 years ago. That's a long time how is
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This relevant to me This was written in a different language.
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This was written in a different historical context How could it possibly how could
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I sit? I didn't even know Nahum was in the Bible and here I am today and We're talking about Nahum and how it applies to me well see
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You need to understand friend That though Sennacherib is dead And though Asher Bannipal is dead
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The satanic counselor who worked through them He's not dead too many
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Christians I'm gonna say this so you understand I'm talking about every one of us in this room
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Myself included too many Christians including you are not cognizant enough of The reality that the spirit of Antichrist is in the world today
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When you hear the word the Antichrist you're thinking about the left -behind books you're thinking about I'll be having something at the end of the day and you're not
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Thinking about how the spirit of the Antichrist is at work today all around us
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It is a virus that has infected every system It's evident in our text from you came one who plotted evil against the
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Lord a worthless counselor now this worthless Counselor that has manifested in Sennacherib or Asher Bannipal in any way this worthless counselor
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It's still at work today. The satanic counselor is still at work. It's operating in more in in in every system in fact multiple systems that seem to be independent of one another sometimes even opposed to one another are
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Actually working together for the overthrow of the church. Let me just give you a real quick example
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Why do you think there's such a thing as I? Think about the language
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I want to use here I know what it's called, but I'm gonna tone it down for our Younger folks, why do you think there's such a thing as?
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LGBTQ for Palestine Have you ever just for two seconds thought about that?
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Have you ever understood that like hey, do you understand that LGBTQ people would be burned alive in Palestine?
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You understand that they're opposed. These are two systems that cannot come together
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They cannot mix it's all in water. How long how in the world would there be a group?
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LGBTQ that would be supportive of Muslims. They can't go together.
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Ah Antichrist You understand? These things are working together
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Even though they seem opposed towards this one great goal The destruction of the people of God We are not nearly as Vigilant as we ought to be about participating in this war
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You think too much of just the physical realities and physical needs.
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I need inflation to be lower I need better job. I need better Grocery prices.
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I need better gas prices I need better health and you don't think nearly enough of the spiritual darkness that permeates today the world system
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There are too many in our nation today that are far too more Concerned about the voting booth than they are the prayer meeting
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Now I'm not advocating abandoning either one vote Right vote vote against Antichrist in the spirit of Antichrist.
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Amen. Go lead the charge, but there's so many that are concerned about the physical They're not concerned about the spiritual there.
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They're complaining about the voting booth they're not complaining about absence of people from the prayer closet and I'm saying to us today our priorities must be godly
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There are those all around today plotting evil against the Lord From you came one who plotted evil against the
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Lord a worthless counselor Let's press this even farther our own confession says this chapter 26 paragraph 4 the
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Pope of Rome is Not in any sense the head of the church But is that Antichrist that man of sin and son of perdition that exalted himself in the church?
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Against Christ and all that is called God whom the Lord shall destroy with the brightness of his coming
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Now this does not mean that we have to see one individual Pope as the final
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Antichrist although That may be true. We'll see But this does mean
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I'm unapologetic about this. I'm going to just take off all elements of nuance and winsomeness here for just a moment the spirit of the
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Antichrist is Absolutely behind the papal office The spirit of the
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Antichrist is Absolutely within all that is the Roman Catholic Church Rome plots evil against the
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Lord Rome perpetuates a false gospel a gospel that denies the sufficiency of Christ the gospel that denies the the sufficiency of a saving work a false gospel of Idolatry and Mariology and and paganism
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Rome would have the Bride of Christ commit spiritual adultery and abandon her husband
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Rome is Manifesting the spirit of the
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Antichrist It's not just Rome This is true in all false religions and all false gospels and all counterfeit gospels
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The spirit of the Antichrist is at work to seek to have people worship
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False gods and false Christ to water down the gospel or how about this one to have people get almost?
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To the real Jesus I think there's probably nothing that would delight the evil one more than to have people almost be a
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Christian To be almost a follower of Jesus so close
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In fact that one day you'll stand before him and you'll recognize him as Lord and he will say to you depart from me
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I never knew The spirit of Antichrist works through false religions false gospels watered -down gospels false churches
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False religious leaders in order to woo the church into Antichrist harem
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Listen to me though. I ain't done The spirit of the Antichrist is at work in other places and nay whom he was clearly at work in the government from you came on a political leader a governmental leader
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Who plotted evil against the Lord a worthless counselor? You think this morning that it was just a great coincidence that the kovat lockdowns in the
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West Allowed casinos to continue to meet but not churches
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You think to yourself boy, and that's a head -scratcher. I guess that's just a coincidence, right?
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That's just complete government ineptitude and stupidity I guess that's just happenstance that the casino stayed open, but that the churches were closed
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Friend I'm not a conspiracy theorist. I'm just a biblicist. I Just see what the
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Bible says from you came one who plotted evil against the Lord a worthless counselor
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I'm saying today that there is a plot against Yahweh and his people. It's not some secret thing boy
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I didn't know this. Where'd you find this information? I'm just saying it's openly all over the scriptures a
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Thousand years ago the spirit of the Antichrist Convinced indigenous tribes you wanna you want to have a more successful life
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Sacrifice your children to these false gods Thousand years later what has changed you want to have a successful life sacrifice your children to the false
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God of autonomy Do you understand I'm not saying that people who do evil are
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Aware of the influence of the Antichrist the vast majority of them are not I'm just saying they are being craftily guided and tempted and influenced toward the total destruction of society
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Either this is just fitting that this is an election year and we're just a few weeks away But but just think about that for just a moment in America today
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What do you think is going to happen to a society that is after the destruction of babies the desecration of Marriage and the deception of the church.
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What do you think that will lead to in a nation? I'll tell you what it will lead to total societal collapse
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Do not do not be deceived this morning and think that the push towards Marxism and Socialism that this is just a coincidence
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People are just lazy and the right they don't really know and so they're just doing this and all of this is just a coincidence
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And it's interesting that we we live in this time Marxism is Antichrist you understand that it eliminates the individual altogether and it declares to the people there is no
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God the states God Now you listen you listen to some of the political messages that you hear today
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And you'd be very wary of listening to people making the state their God The state is the one who provides their life.
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The state is the one who gives their rights the state is the one who keeps them happy and Warm and all of these things that's false
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The state doesn't give us our rights friends our rights come from God The state is not
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God. I just want you to see that it's not ineptitude That's happening in so many policies, but that there's a wickedness that plots evil against the people of God I'm just trying to help you see today the reality of our battle that the evil plotting that happened in Nineveh It's still happening today from you came one who plotted evil against the
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Lord a worthless counselor and there is no neutrality too many professing believers are not aware of the real spiritual darkness in our nation in Education in media in the government in social media the spiritual darkness in our nation.
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It's everywhere that's trying to watch a football game the other night now and a Sexually explicit commercial comes on.
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I'm just trying to watch a football game I don't know why I continue to punish myself being a Razorback fan.
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I can't help it right Lord changed my heart. I Want to root for a better team, but you can't
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I'm stuck I'm trying to watch a game And a sexually explicit message comes on Boy, where'd that come from?
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You understand it's not by accident. It's not by coincidence Coincidence the taking away today of individual liberties the indoctrination of our children in woke history books the idea of making government our
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God the erosion today of Morality you do what you want. I'll do what I want the compromise and laziness of churches the
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Abandoning of the gospel the watering down of theology. All of this is manifestations of the war that's at hand
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These are I'm just trying to help you see life differently. These aren't just random things happening they're all a concentrated effort by the evil one to destroy the church and I'm telling you you're like you don't care like whatever.
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I'm just ready for lunch. So let me just say this again I repeat no neutrality Jesus says it this way whoever is not with me is against me
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There's no neutral territory to know Switzerland if you will We either stand with Christ or you are knowingly or unknowingly a tool in the hands of Antichrist Whether that schools or media or your workplace or the government or even the church
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We are to be vigilant for discerning the truth and standing firm in the Word of God and going all -in on the gospel of our
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Lord Jesus Christ One appeal here would be to the prayer meeting tonight to come to pray, but also don't forget
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Hey, don't forget there you have to be vigilant, but we're gonna win
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We're gonna win verse 14 the Lord has given commandment concerning you no more So your name be perpetuated from the house of your gods.
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I will cut you off the carved image in the metal image I will make your grave for you are vile God destroyed
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Nineveh and he will destroy all evil All Antichrist and the final Antichrist it will all fail.
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It'll all fall Do you believe this John Bunyan says is Antichrist to be destroyed then let us live in the expectation of it
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And let this be one of our songs in the house of our pilgrimage In other words is
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Antichrist to be ruined and the people of God say, yes, he is. Amen Therefore we live like it
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We live this way one way that we do that is we gather every Sunday morning and we celebrate and we sing and we sing
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About what not doom and gloom we sing about the victory of Christ. We sing that the Lord will burst their bonds apart
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We sing the crisis triumph. We sing of his life and his death and his resurrection We sing of the gospel because we're gonna win
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We're going to win and then we walk out these doors and we don't live in fear
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We don't live in compromise Quick with this isn't just a fun motto above the preachers head
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We live this way Christ is King and we gladly serve him as king now Don't misunderstand me.
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This does come with a cost in this world You live as though the government is not God and the government's not going to like that You live as though Christ is
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King and the world is going to hate you and you may face Economic hardship and we may face even one day jail and we may face even one day death because we refuse to bow the knee
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To the spirit of the Antichrist Now some of you in this room you're thinking already but that cost is too high if resisting the work of this evil age means losing money or losing my life or losing my friends or relatives or or living
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As an outcast or or not as as famous as I want to be then you say I'm just rather live in Nineveh I just rather live at the in Nineveh at the height of its power
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Who could possibly tear down these great walls that have been built who could possibly being to bring to ruin this great kingdom?
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That I'm living in and you know, I say listen, you're look at the text your foolish destruction awaits
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You feel safe inside your walls of carnality maybe for days or weeks or even years but one day
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Christ will come and He will vanquish with the sword of his mouth all of it
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Your soul will be ruined for all eternity Under the righteous wrath of God in the lake of fire
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There is no neutrality friends and Antichrist in his kingdom will one day fall forever
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What about the kingdom of Christ? What about the church? She will endure forever
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She will one day though. She faces trial though. She faces rage of the evil one though.
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She faces godless governments One day she'll be presented before the
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Lord as a bride white holy blameless
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Where should I priority be then? You already know so much of our time and effort is
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Invested in the kingdom this world, but listen as a serpent wages war. What do we do the
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Saints pray? the Saints sing the Saints preach the
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Saints gather Regularly the Saints invest themselves into one another lives the
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Saints love one another the Saints Read the scriptures together the Saints evangelize the
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Saints proclaim the gospel the slaint Saints take Seriously, the church of the Living God and her membership and her worship and her discipline and her ordinances
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This is what we do to resist the devil. What am I doing today preacher to resist the spirit of the
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Antichrist? I'm going all -in on the church. That's where it starts This is what we do to push back against the spirit of the
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Antichrist that is at work in the world today Our priority is the kingdom of Christ This is not calling you to disengage
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I'm not saying disengage from other realms run for the school school board Go vote against Marxism But understand that Christ's kingdom advances only through the proclamation of the gospel
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So stop being quiet about it, right? Speak boldly be vocal live loudly show the world that Antichrist is not
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King Christ is King and his kingdom is the one that will reign forever. Stop your complacency
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Be a Christian at work at home with your friends with your family out in your life
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Six other days a week be a Christian and then on the first day of the week the the first day come here every day
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Be ready on that day together with the Saints and worship Christ together. This is how we live
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This is how we push back against the spirit of darkness Show the world the priority of Christ Church If we try to have a conservative
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America apart from Christ We're going to wind up with Christless conservatism or in light of this sermon
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Antichrist conservatism So let us show the world plainly
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In our jobs with our boss with those who work underneath us Let us show everyone that all we do flows out of our unapologetic commitment to the scriptures as our highest authority and Our unwavering allegiance to the one true gospel of Christ as the only hope for this world
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Do you understand the gospel this morning? Do you understand it
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Can you articulate it? Do you rest in it is the church just some sort of side aspect to your life?
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The church is the kingdom of Christ. There's nothing neutral You either have tangible allegiance to Christ's kingdom this morning or you are knowingly or unknowingly
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Serving the kingdom of Belial. I Hope this would just bring up some sobering reflection for you
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For those who are in Christ those who are fighting in light of his victory those looking for his return
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He's going to hold them safe Even if for temporary purposes, it seems like Antichrist is winning
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He's going to come to ruin and so will all who follow him But even if it costs us our lives and fortunes, we're going to follow
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Christ Because his is the victory and Christ will bring all the ransomed
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Church of God home To the promised land now, let me just land the plane Three groups of people
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I imagine in response to this sermon first unbelievers You're looking at verse 12 though.
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They're at full strength and many and so you're thinking I'm resting in the strength of Nineveh I'm resting in the strength of my works.
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I'm resting in the carnality of this world. I Think Antichrist will win.
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No You're deceived and I'm telling you today. You've said under this sermon and you will give an account for having heard this sermon
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Understand Well, I wasn't listening You'll give an account
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But I'm offering you hope today in peace. Will you repent and believe the gospel? You'll come to Christ lay aside your sin and yourself repent call upon the name of the
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Lord. You'll be saved Secondly, I think about pretenders. You have one foot you think in Baaliel's kingdom and one in Christ.
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You're trying to serve two masters Pretender see the vanity of this choose this day whom you will serve.
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You're going as Christ King or as Antichrist King You already know Come to Christ join us on our coming to ruin and you need to invest in the eternal
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There are other Christians in this room that you just need to be comforted You're feeling the burden of temptation or tribulation or weakness today and today
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I say to you look to Christ Lift up your drooping head and see that Christ is
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King and he is reigning and he is winning and we're going to win Don't live in defeat live in the power of Christ gospel
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You're gonna make it You're in Christ. You're gonna make it shake off your slothfulness and your fears
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And let's go together For the glory of God, let's pray father.
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I thank you for your word Thank you for Nahum and this text that we've had today
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I pray that it some way lands home to the hearts of the people and I know the only way that can happen is by The Holy Spirit Holy Spirit.