Are You A Mature Christian? (part 2) - [Hebrews 5:11-14]

I don't know if you've read this book before but the full title is The Pilgrim's Progress. From this world to that which is to come delivered under the similitude of a dream. It is a book that has not been out of print for the last two hundred years.

Some think it's the original novel written by John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress. Bunyan was married for ten years. He had four children under ten and his wife died. One of those little ones was blind by the way and a year after his new marriage to a new lady named Elizabeth he was thrown into jail because he would not preach what the Church of England demanded for twelve years he could have gotten out of jail but decided to stay in jail because of his conscience.

That's where he wrote The Pilgrim's Progress. Bunyan said if nothing will do unless I make of my conscience a continual butchery and slaughter shop unless putting out my own eyes I commit me to the blind to lead me as I doubt not is desired by some.

I have determined the Almighty God being my help and shield yet to suffer if frail life might continue so long even till the moss shall grow on mine eyebrows rather than thus violate my faith and principles.

I know my wife is there I know my children are there. I've got that blind daughter I can get out. I just need to renounce the faith but I will not do it now. If you haven't read The Pilgrim's Progress you ought to for many reasons.

One there's so much scripture in it you'll be encouraged. Two wherever you are in the progress of a Christian life The Pilgrim's Progress you'll find yourself in the book Pilgrim's Progress. It's a great allegory.

It's a great truth of the first half of the book Christian the man how he gets saved and then the second part Christiana his wife. You will meet people like faithful hopeful Mr. Worldly Wiseman obstinate money love mistrust formalist.

This is an interesting one. Lord hate good talkative and ignorance. There'll be many places that you'll see the place palace beautiful the delectable mountains the interpreter's house. It's a great book did you know Spurgeon said next to the Bible the book I value most is John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress.

I believe I have read through it at least one hundred times. It is a volume of which I never seem to tire. And the secret of its freshness is that it is so largely compiled from the scriptures. And you read it and you'll think yes.

I've been through that vanity fair. I've been through the hill of difficulty. I've been through the enchanted ground. I've met giant slay good. I've met valiant for truth as I've been a Christian and a pilgrim.

Spurgeon goes on to say read anything of Bunyan's and you will see that it is almost like reading the Bible itself. He had read Bunyan did till his very soul was saturated with scripture. And though his writings were charmingly full of poetry yet he cannot give us his Pilgrim's Progress that sweetest of all prose poems without continually making us feel and say why.

This man is a living Bible. Prick him anywhere his blood is bibling. The very essence of the Bible flows from him. He cannot speak without quoting a text for his very soul is full of the Word of God. I commend his example to you beloved the Pilgrim's Progress.

Warren Wearsby said this Christians if you're a pilgrim you should make progress. And if you take your Bibles and turn to Hebrews chapter 5 that is our message for today pilgrims must make progress. I ask you the question as you're turning to Hebrews 5 are you making spiritual progress or are you regressing.

If you're not a believer of course you need to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. We've heard about him from Titus from 2nd Timothy chapter 2 we've sung about him. But for the Christian you're expected to grow in light of all that God has done for you chosen you in eternity past.

Had Jesus die for you sealed you by the Spirit of God giving you the Word of God giving you friends family fellowship a church. You ought to be growing. If you're going backwards you're not growing. And this passage in Hebrews is one of those some commentators even call it a shaming passage.

He goads people into progressing and maturing and making spiritual headway. Can you hear his pastoral concern. Verse 11 of chapter 5. About this we have much to say. He's talking about Jesus as the high priest and it's hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing.

For though by this time you ought to be teachers. You need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk not solid food. For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness since he's a child.

But solid food is for the mature. For those who have have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Chapter 6. Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity.

So many of you as I said last week are maturing Christians and I see where you used to be and see where you are now. And I commend you for that. But all of us can mature more. All of us can grow. All of us can kind of feel that goad of scripture by the spirit's conviction because of the greatness of Christ walk in a manner worthy of his calling.

Ephesians chapter 4. Every one of us can grow. Frankly every one of us has seasons in our lives because of temptations and trials where we're complacent where we're stuck in a routine or stuck in sin and lazy.

And so this is the wake up call for all of us to keep growing. When I was a kid I didn't want to oversleep and so I had one alarm next to me and another alarm across the room. You ever done that? This one was chapter 2.

This one over here is chapter 5. I still remember the times in Nebraska where my leg would fall asleep when I was sleeping and uh... I would wake up to that second alarm and I would try to jump up to go turn it off but this leg wouldn't work and down.

I would go slain in the spirit for so many chapters. He's tried to encourage. He's tried to grant assurance. He's tried to say Jesus is such a great high priest. He not only died for you because priests offer sacrifices so all your sins are forgiven.

But he's also been raised to the right hand of the father where he prays for you. And so this is a book that is so encouraging throughout all of the text the thirteen chapters except those warning passages except those goading passages.

And of course this pastor this preacher of the book of Hebrews he loves the Lord and he loves his people. And so he knows that every once in a while we need a good motivating exhortation. Well where are we so far.

In the book of Hebrews we have some visitors today. Here's what's happened in the first five chapters. This book starts off with this glorious introduction that Jesus is the radiance of God's glory. That he makes purification for sins.

He sets down he's better than angels. How is he better than angels. Well because he he's also human. Do you see in chapter two verse nine. But we see him who is a little while for a little while was made lower than the angels namely Jesus crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

Just because you suffer. It doesn't mean you're not superior that you're not great. Verse 10. For it was fitting that he for whom and by whom all things exist in bringing many sons to glory should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.

When you suffer you want a suffering servant to comfort you when you're persecuted like these people were. You want someone who not just has empathy but sympathy. And so therefore Jesus yet without sin is sympathetic to temptation and to sin because he was the sin bearer.

He never sin but he is very sympathetic to this temptation. Hebrews has changed my life. I hear something going on over there but that's okay. I would never have my phone go off in the service. I'm way above that matter.

Fact I'm so self-righteous that would never happen. I went to a pastor's conference once and I spoke and then I sat in the back and I was just listening to this other guy. But you know and I'm checking my messages and for some reason I hit like tune in radio and all of a sudden like Greta Van Fleet starts playing.

I'm glad most you don't know. But some of these young guys know who that is. You ought not to know. You two done boys. People say well just how relevant is Jesus being a high priest. Well it's relevant because we have a legal standing before God that cannot change.

Warfield said we have but one Savior. And that one Savior is Jesus Christ our Lord. Nothing we are and nothing we can do enters into the slightest measure into the ground of our acceptance with God. Jesus did it all.

That's a book of Hebrews. And now he says it's time to grow up. So let's go back to chapter 5 verse 11 and see what he says there about dull of hearing. They become slothful and sluggish. There is a plug there.

They're sleepy headed. Chapter 6 verse 11. It says the same thing with verse 12 so that you may not be sluggish. What is the cure for sluggish Christianity. A Christianity that says you know what I've got all the stuff about Jesus down.

I just need to move on to other things. The answer is a call to attentive hearing and some pastoral goading. Now if all of a sudden I change subjects quickly I would get your attention. That's what he's doing here.

He's talking about Melchizedek at the end of verse 10. And then all of a sudden he just kinda like throws a zinger out of left field. He he wants you to think. This morning we're gonna look at the three diagnostic questions to ask yourself and then to answer before the Lord to determine your maturity.

Can I teach others. Can I handle doctrine. And can I discern. Those are the three diagnostic questions we just introduced last week. We need to finish this week. See the problem isn't with the Bible. The problem isn't with the preacher.

Verse 11. About this we have much to say. It's hard to explain. Since you have become dull of hearing the immature person just doesn't want to take it anymore. They've deteriorated. They've been backsliding.

They haven't listened. They once were to spot where they listen. Well and now they're numb to it. One writer said people treat the Bible very politely. They have a small pocket volume neatly bound. They put white pocket handkerchief rounded and carry it to their places of worship.

When they get home they lay it up in the drawer till next Sunday morning. Then it comes out for a little bit of a treat and goes to chapel. That is all the poor Bible gets in the way of an airing. That is your style of entertaining this heavenly messenger the Bible.

There's enough dust on some of your Bibles to write damnation with your fingers. They thought they knew the word. They thought they understood the word. They've had enough of the word. Now we've got to go on to life principles.

And the writer won't let them do that question number one to ask yourself. Can I teach others. Can I teach others. Verse 12. For though by this time see that's the key time right. If you're immature because you're brand-new Christian of course you can't teach but you've been Christians for quite some time.

Chapter 10 would make us think five years 10 years 15 years 20 years maybe even 30 years. Some of these people have professed Christ. You need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God.

You want to be teachers by now. You know so much. But you're you're over here in kindergarten land. You're over here in ABC land. You want to be teachers. Now the text is not saying everybody should be a pastor.

Everybody should have the gift of teaching. He's saying this. Have you been a Christian for long enough that you know I could teach other people. Versus you know what. I just need to go back to class again.

Many of you by the way throughout the years we've had somebody who doesn't show up for Sunday school class and the teachers late or sick or whatever. And you'll be walking past the hall and I say to you oh you know we need a teacher for this class.

Would you be willing to teach nine times out of ten. That person says yes. Many of you do this very thing. So what's going on here. You mean can you learn about Jesus the high priest. And then somehow forget it.

You have amnesia. And now you've got to go learn that he's a high priest again. I don't think that's what he's saying at all. Here's what he's saying. You've understood Jesus as a high priest and how he's a sacrifice and how he's the intercessor and how he is your mediator between you and God.

But now because of trials you've forgotten about how that applies to your life. You think you know what I've got. Marriage problems. How does the high priestly work of Jesus apply to that. I don't know.

So I better go back to kindergarten. How does it apply to. I've got difficult situations at work and with family. I'm responding to. You know what. Somebody my life has a medical sickness. How do I respond.

I can't take this. I can't do this. I don't understand who is God. Why have you done this. How can you be sovereign. Don't you love me. That's the language of immaturity where you have to go back and think okay.

Jesus is the high priest. When I get the call I've got cancer. How does that affect me. And if it affects me with I'm completely upside down. I probably need to go back and reconsider. What does it mean that Jesus is a high priest.

He's not saying they've forgotten like knowledge. You have dementia. He's saying you've forgotten how it applies to your life. You could ask yourself the question do you know enough that you could teach others.

It's a good question when it comes to basic principles what does the text say. You ought to be teachers. But you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You should be in 11th grade and you're back in kindergarten now.

I don't know how it is today. Because everybody's a winner. Everybody gets a special red plate. Everybody's the best. But when I was a kid if you were in second grade and they didn't pass you on to third grade you were labeled for quite some time.

What do they call that didn't graduate. Didn't move forward. Didn't. What? Huh? Staying back. Okay thank you. What would I do without you? If you're held back that's what I'm thinking about. Held back.

If you're held back that was a lot of shame. You know how many times I mean I'll tell you my shame. It took me six years to get a three-year seminary degree. Basically you know. So how slow can you go.

What's worse is I know so much about the Bible. I know these doctrines about God. But I don't sit and think about how they apply to my marriage and how I should love my wife and defend my wife and to self-sacrifice myself to her and all these other things.

Deny myself. He says you gotta go back. And the oracles of God. You see the text. It's just a probably description of the Old Testament scriptures. You ought to be teachers. But you gotta go back to the Old Testament and have us teach you again.

You're not growing. You're slow to learn. You're going backwards. How long have you been saved? Do you know enough to teach? Should you be teaching? Are you going backwards? So self-consumed with problems.

You can't be helpful to anyone else. Kind of perpetual Peter Pan. I mean one man said Peter Pan makes a charming play on stage. But the man who will not grow up makes a tragedy in real life. You don't have to be teaching.

But you should be able to. That's the point. You should be able to evangelize someone. This person's not here at the church anymore. But I was here one day in the building and uh... of all things some Jehovah's Witnesses came to the door of the church to proselytize.

And there was a person here doing some work. And again this person's not at the church anymore. I didn't kick him out for this response. I said he came over to get me pastor. There's some Jehovah's Witnesses at the door.

I want you to talk to him. I said I'm not talking to him. You're talking to him. Well I wouldn't know what to say. I said you know plenty what to say if you've got a Christian testimony. You know what to say.

If you know guilt, grace, gratitude. You know what to say if you know sin, salvation. Jesus is the Savior. You know plenty of what to say. Can I teach others? Should I be in a spot where I'm teaching others.

Or am I so consumed with my own problems and my own self. I don't look up and think here's who Jesus is. And in light of who he is as high priest Lord I'd be happy to serve other people. Question two.

Can I handle doctrine? Uh-oh now we've gone from preaching to meddling. Verse twelve. At the end you need milk not solid food. For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness.

Since he is a child there is baby food and there's meat. Now one of my favorite things in life and I can't wait to do it. As a grandpa is you start introducing food into a child's diet. And you know you give them some of those smashed up.

You know I think carrots is like the typical thing to start with. Peas don't really work as the first entree. And they start eating the food. And you think. And when mom's not around I like to do the big Dairy Queen cones.

You know. And the kids are like ice cream. That's all fine. When they're little now short of gum problems and teeth problems. What would you think if you saw me at our pot luck pot providence fellowship.

And I was over there with my kind of Gerber baby food and I was kind of having my little applesauce. What would you be thinking. You probably think well that's just the way he is. That's California. You'd say.

Is it organic. There's something wrong when you've been a Christian for a long time and you go you know what down with doctrine. No creed but Jesus. By the way that's a creed too. I don't want any polysyllabic words.

Just make it simple. And the writer of Hebrews would say it's time to grow up. Because friend your temptations in life and your struggles with sin are at a graduate level and having kindergarten doctrine isn't going to help you with those trials and temptations.

Here he's using the word milk figuratively. It's for the word of God. But it's the intro stuff. I mean without getting into details. I've been a lot of airports before and when I see a ten-year-old kid run over to a mom and climb up her skirt and begin to nurse.

That's a hard picture to get out of your mind. It's weird. I've seen it done. Friends you live as you know in a dumbed down Christianity world. Give us the bare minimum. You look at the CBD bestsellers.

It is a world full of purpose-driven prayer of Jabez promise keeper Jesus calling TD Jake's crazy love milk world. And some of it laced with kerosene. You're old enough. If you tell me I'm a Christian ten years and I think Sarah Young's a good teacher.

You're immature. You ought to know better by now that sola scriptura is a doctrine that contains the sufficiency of scripture. You ought to know by now that the canon is closed. And when a lady who's fifty years old writes a book about God speaking why does it sound like a fifty-year-old lady.

You say I disagree with you. Well you just have to say to yourself is this milk. Or is this the word. What does the text say. Notice in the text everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness.

Yeah you kind of mentally know. But the word of righteousness is practical application behavioral implications based on what I've learned and who I know God is. It's a contrast milk and meat. Solid food is for the mature.

You can't give a kid a steak. But if you are fifteen you better be able to eat something besides baby food. Now turn to second Timothy chapter four. Please. And I want to see with you what Paul says to Timothy.

We'll read this in two weeks. Why it's so important for you. And by the way most of you you're learning you're growing. But all of us can go deeper. Can you say to yourself you know what I've gone as deep as I want to in Christianity.

You can't answer that question. Similarly you can't answer this question. God's shown me too much kindness. Today. They're the same type of question. Second Timothy four two how am I supposed to preach.

And the answer is doctrinally. Second Timothy four two. You know the passage preach the word be ready in season not a season. Reprove. This is sin rebuke. You're doing that sin exhort comfort. Come alongside with great patience.

And what doctrine instruction that which is taught anyone that says down with doctrine has not considered second Timothy chapter four verse two. I'm to preach with doctrine. Life is difficult. You need doctrinal scaffolding because life is hard.

Doctrine leads to doxology. Doctrine leads to praise. You say well you know what. I don't want to believe any doctrine. Doctrine is simply a statement of divine fact. This is true about God. That's doctrine.

This is true about us doctrine. I don't believe in doctrine. I just believe in Jesus. Which Jesus the Mormon Jesus the JW Jesus the Hindu Jesus. I'm to preach doctrine and I praise God. I'm not exaggerating that you congregation don't want sermons filled of illustrations and happy peppy kind of TED talks and a bunch of I don't know.

I mean probably if you really want to get me going is churches that have a screen and now I have to make an illustration for you. And it's like a courage. And I play Braveheart for you for a while. If you can't preach you do that the drama of redemption of the drama of of doctrine.

I could ask a question this way. Was Jesus a doctrinal preacher? Was Paul a doctrinal preacher? Yes. Are leaders in the New Testament required to preach doctrine. Titus one holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching doctrine that he may be able to exhort in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict chapter two of Titus.

But as for you speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. The Reformation didn't start with a doctrinal preaching. You weren't saved through a doctrinal preaching. Philip Brooks said preach doctrine.

Preach all the doctrine that you know and learn forever more and more. But preach it always. Not that men may believe it but that may be saved by believing it. Vance Abner related too many people are stamping their feet and clamping their hands and clapping their hands and singing hallelujah without the slightest idea what they're singing hallelujah about.

It's not going to do you any good to go down to the rotary and hear a prayer from the people at the rotary or the Masonic Lodge or anything else with a a God who has no theology. People call that the mush God or the cream of wheat divinity kind of beige God.

That doesn't do you any good. Heidelberg Catechism at the end of every section says how does this comfort you. Why. Because doctrine is so practical. John Knox is on his deathbed. They read him John 17 and his his attendant said do you still believe what you taught on your deathbed.

He couldn't talk. So the guy said raise your hand once to tell me that you believe it. And three times the John Knox raises hand. Yes I believe it. See. Well you know what. This whole idea of high priestly prayer high priest of Jesus.

Justification. Those words are too big for me. I think I'll settle with Jesus loves me. This I know for the Bible tells me. So if you're brand-new Christian great. If you're not you need to grow. Jim Elliffe and the preacher says no more doctrinal sermons.

They won't hear them. Elliffe said how can a preacher use the same Bible that spawned the Protestant Reformation launched the modern missionary movement and put his forebears on the block. To be martyred and never stir up anybody in doctor is a mystery to me.

So let me suggest that you go to your pastor and say something like this pastor. I'm ready ready to listen to something deeper more substantial even more difficult. If you'll explain the terms that I have put up with before late on thick.

I'll listen intently. As for me in my house we are going to grow. Yeah. But I had this experience and I want a story that's not what Paul's gonna give. He knows what they need to grow. Sometimes I meet with people they're gonna leave the church in.

I do a lot of dumb things in my life. That's for certain. And I met with them. I said why you leaving. They said we don't get anything out of your sermons. I mean I thought it was a Babylon Bee. For a second satire.

I know I can be a better preacher. I strive to be a better preacher. I think I'm better than I was 10 years ago and hopefully there's tons of room to grow. I'm just I said what do you mean. We just don't think we're getting fed.

And I'm thinking that's because I will not put that food in my mouth chew it up and put it into your mouth. Because I'm trying to give you meat. If you mean spoon-fed. It's time for you to grow. I don't get anything out of your sermons.

I mean to me that is a People Magazine Christian. I don't wanna read a manual. I don't wanna read a journal. I don't wanna read an article. I don't wanna read a newspaper. I just like to sit in 32 B and read People Magazine.

And I'm off to the National Enquirer next. The Lord wants you to grow. The Lord wants you to mature. Just give me the bare minimum so I can get on with my life. Thank you. No question 3. Can I teach others.

Can I handle meat. Can I discern. Or as my French-Canadian friends would say discern. Can I discern. What's he saying. Verse 14. Back to Hebrews. Please. By the way the language of Hebrews is if you're going backwards there's plenty of time to say Lord forgive me.

It's time to buckle down. You don't always have to be this way. I should know enough that I could teach an FOF class. I should know enough that I should say I need doctrine from the pulpit. I should know enough to know right from wrong.

Verse 14. For those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Now when you have a little kids what do they do. They put anything in their mouths and everything in their mouths.

I can give my son my watch when he was little. And if they're old enough to grab it they put the watch in their mouth. Right. Jacks knives M80s whatever. Seriously they will put anything in their mouth.

Well I don't. I'm not mad at them. I mean when Luke put something in his mouth once and he's choking we can't Heimlich him. It's not working. I remember driving from our house in sterling to the sterling fire department.

Luke's choking and we're holding him upside down in my car driving there to try to find some help. Because I didn't want to wait for the ambulance. I wasn't mad at Luke. Of course I was mad at myself that I let him put something in his mouth.

But they're little. They're immature. But if Luke now at 21 years old wants to gargle razor blades he's got a serious problem. The ability to discern good and evil is important. Remember these Hebrew people were in the wilderness and they couldn't even discern good from evil.

They were saying you know what Moses. You've got us out here in the wilderness. Remember Egypt. Remember the garlic. Remember the lakes. Remember those good old days we were slaves without straw for our bricks.

Don't make the same mistake. By the way Satan is real and Satan wants you to be tricked. If I was a Jehovah's Witness first thing I would do is I would get a list of evangelical Christians and I would go to their house because they don't know how to discern.

And Spurgeon was right. Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It's the knowing the difference between right and almost right. And this takes training. You see the text trained gymnazo to exercise.

That's where we get the word gymnasium. It takes practice. You want to bench press 315. It's going to take you some time. The mark of maturity is discernment. What people do on the internet is they're like oh that's a discernment ministry.

Thank you for the compliment. This is right. This is wrong. Everything I see in my life I hear some politician. That's right. That's wrong is what the Bible says over and over and over. I want to distinguish things.

And again if you don't know Joe Osteen's a heretic and you really are a Christian. You're immature because you can't discern. You just put his teachings in your mouth. And you think any false teacher that just gets a Bible and wags it around and then talks about how to be a better.

You is good. If you don't think Rick Warren is unhelpful. You're immature if you turn on TBN and think oh all these people are so good. Send your money to Jesus. Here's my address. If you think K love is deep you're immature.

Oh they might have some deep song first. John 4 beloved. Do not believe every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they're from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. Question.

Solomon prayed for something. God said I'll give you whatever you want. What did he pray for. Be careful before you answer. I told you as a trick. Question. Solomon loved the Lord walking in the statutes of David his father only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places.

And the king went to give you in the sacrifice. Therefore that was a great high place. Solomon off used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. And giving in. The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream at night God said ask what I shall give you.

Solomon said you have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father because he walked before you in faithfulness in righteousness and uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on the throne this day.

And now Yahweh my God you have made your servant king in the place of David my father. Although I'm just a little child I do not know how to come in or go out. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen a great people.

Too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore understanding mind to govern your people that I might discern between good and evil. For who is able to govern this your great people.

I need understanding so that I might discern. That's what Solomon asked for. True discernment when you think the Lord Jesus that's exactly what he had. No wonder John 2 said Jesus would not entrust himself to them for he knew what was in a man.

Do you really want to be spiritually deceived spiritually hoodwinked. And by the way friends when you know right from wrong its freedom its liberty. And then you can even think about things as someone who's not a legalist.

Because you understand Psalm 119. I'm your servant. David said give me discernment. This means you've got to think in black and white terms right wrong heaven hell life death animal human Christ Satan sin holiness male-female parent-child authority submission orthodoxy heresy.

And why is that important. Because this is the dawning of the age of Aquarius. That's what we're living today. Liberation from ethics. Liberation from guilt. Liberation from sexual mores. No absolute truth.

As Timothy Leary said the LSD guru reality is whatever you make it wrong. Yeah. But I've had this experience that makes it truth wrong. The only tolerance that's acceptable these days is what when a world will not tolerate things that are biblical.

What does that tell you if you're a person. And again I don't think most of you BBC people are like this. But this is the passage. So I must preach. Here's where we get in the most trouble. Simply I had an experience therefore must have been true.

God told me outside a scripture therefore must be true. Its mysticism instead of theology doctrine. I've had an experience it's called autobiography. And that Trump's doctrine it's a bad way to live. That's no different than going out to the desert.

Even some peyote listening to yourself have some kind of weird experience and think that's truth. That's immaturity. Doctrine is commanded. Discernment is commanded. The Bereans were commended because they what they want a scripture first Thessalonians is commanded.

Examine everything carefully. I wonder about the heretics been in chapter 4 of 1st John and the heretics in Colossians and the heretics in Jude. They would have just been waiting to talk to people who are in evangelicalism today.

Easy pickings. So I don't like all this kind of like their false teachers there that I don't. I don't like that talk friends. That's the talk of the New Testament. And when you say I don't want to hear about false teachers.