The Doctrine of Separation

Moore's Corner Church iconMoore's Corner Church

1 view

From the Moore's Corner Church Statement of Faith -Visit our website - https://moorescornerchurch.com/

0 comments

00:01
All right, we're continuing with the Morse corner church statement of faith So far, we've looked at many of the essential teachings of Christianity things
00:12
Really that all Christians believe the authority of Scripture the deity of Christ the person and work of Christ and the
00:20
Holy Spirit again, these are essential teachings that any sound church would hold to and have probably in their
00:30
Statement of faith, unfortunately They might not have some of these other teachings that maybe they're not
00:39
Primary issues, but they're very important issues. So what are we going to be looking at today the doctrine of?
00:49
Separation so this probably would not be as common to find in a church
00:55
Doctrinal statement, let me just read this and again and you can follow along on the screen we believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as Not to bring reproach upon their
01:09
Savior and Lord and that separation from all religious apostasy all worldly and sinful pleasures practices and associations is
01:21
Commanded by God and then there's a list of verses So let's look up the first verse turn to 2nd
01:28
Timothy chapter 3 2nd Timothy Chapter 3
01:36
Separation how many of you have heard of this?
01:42
Maybe a sermon or heard me talk about it in the past how many separation the this is familiar to you
01:49
Okay a couple how many of you are really unfamiliar with this whole idea
01:57
Separation the the doctrine of separation the idea that Christians are to be holy set apart
02:05
Okay, separate we are to be separate from the world. Basically is what we're talking about I think you'd be hard -pressed to find any any church member or any pastor that says no
02:16
We should be embracing and promoting worldliness, you know, we should be celebrating sinful pleasures we should be joining together with Apostate groups.
02:27
I don't think anybody's going to say that but guess what a lot of people do it a lot of churches
02:33
These days are are doing that. So just to give you a quick example of what this might look like Our church will never hold a joint
02:45
Worship service with the Mormons Okay, we're not going to be yoking up and having a joint prayer service with with a
02:55
Catholic priest That's not going to happen. Why because we practice separation
03:02
Morris Corner Church is never going to You know endorse a pride parade some churches do
03:11
We don't because we practice what? Separation separation We would never even enter into a partnership with a secular organization, even if they're doing good
03:25
We still are not going to officially Join together with them or rent out even the church building
03:32
I mean, I don't know that this would be the end of the world, but even to rent out the church building for some secular event because we believe in Separation But there are evangelical churches
03:47
Who do some of these things and then it's just kind of getting worse as time goes on Now it can get complicated.
03:55
Would we partner with a group or with a church that would do some of those things? Well, some of those things know we wouldn't
04:04
But working with the Catholic Church, I mean I can think of one one church that does that and I don't understand it
04:11
We would never do that But you know, would we work with someone who would work with someone who would work with someone, you know?
04:17
You then you get into degrees of separation. So really Where do you draw the line? Where do you draw the line?
04:23
These are some of the questions we're gonna be looking at Are you confused? Are you following along?
04:29
Okay, I See a few perplexed looks so let's read 2nd Timothy 3 1 through 5
04:37
The Apostle Paul writes but know this that in the last days perilous times
04:43
Will come for men will be lovers of themselves lovers of money boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankful unholy unloving unforgiving slanderers without self -control
05:02
Brutal despisers of good traitors headstrong haughty Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God having and this is the part
05:11
I want you to pay attention to having a form of godliness, but denying its power from such people
05:20
Turn away. Okay, let's repeat that last part verse 5 having a form of godliness
05:26
But denying its power from such people What? Turn away
05:32
Okay So right off the bat you can see that the scripture commands that there are people that you should separate from there are people who have a form of godliness that you should
05:45
Turn away from some from such people turn away He isn't talking about Paul isn't talking about, you know, the dregs of society or something like that or some
05:57
Temple of Satan, you know turn away from them no, he's saying these people have a form of of godliness and he's writing it to a
06:06
To a pastor and to a church. So these are people who who may identify as Christians But they deny the power and this isn't the power of signs and wonders or anything like that This is the power of a changed life
06:22
So they affirm a belief in Jesus But it really has no bearing on their life.
06:30
It has no bearing on their worship It has no bearing on the way they behave and think
06:36
So Paul says in the last days perilous times will come. Do you think that is a fair?
06:44
Assessment of the days we're living in Yeah Well, it is.
06:49
Of course. It was a fair assessment of the days Paul was living in as well So we're living in the last days this current age that we're living in right now
07:00
From the first coming of Christ up until the second coming of Christ, basically the last two thousand years this is
07:08
The time period known as the last days. This is the last age before Christ comes before the day of the
07:17
Lord so when Jesus returns to this earth, he's going to rule and reign and that'll be a
07:24
Time really like a golden age for the earth where Jesus is here ruling and reigning
07:29
But until then this age will be marked by religious Apostasy, we don't have time to go into it.
07:37
But in Matthew chapter 24 we See what Jesus said about birth pangs or the beginning of sorrows
07:45
That these things will increase like a pregnancy the the what do they call contractions, right?
07:52
They increase as you get closer to birth they increase in frequency and intensity So things are going to get worse and worse the closer we get to the end
08:02
It's going to increase So every faithful believer we're trying to live the way the
08:08
Lord said we should live but as time goes on things are going to get worse and Worse, what does the word apostasy mean?
08:19
Right a falling falling away It's really amazing some of the things that some
08:26
Christian churches are promoting these days I don't know if you follow along With the news and Christian news, but if you do it's pretty depressing
08:37
So if you know if you're not, you know It's okay to stay away from I guess is what
08:42
I'm trying to say But you could say they have a form of godliness, but they deny the power
08:49
So what should the response of a faithful believer someone who's trying to live faith faithfully in this age?
08:55
What should our response be to all of this? Well, the Apostle Paul makes it clear our response is to practice
09:03
Separation from such people turn away. Okay Romans chapter 12.
09:08
Let's turn there. That's the next Next verse on our list any questions so far
09:23
So If you sometimes people ask me well, you know, who do you listen to what pastors would you recommend what books would you recommend?
09:32
What study Bible would you recommend and if you ask me there's certain people I would say
09:37
Yeah, this guy's solid this guy's solid if there's a well -known pastor who says, you know,
09:43
I think Mormon is you know It's a little different but Mormons are Christians, too I would never recommend someone like that and no other evangelical should ever recommend someone like that.
09:52
But in the day and age we're living in Yeah that that kind of stuff actually actually does happen
10:01
So, let's see I told you to turn where Romans chapter 12, okay
10:08
So based on that passage alone that we just read in 2nd Timothy Nobody can deny that the
10:17
Bible teaches the doctrine of separation Can anyone deny that from such people?
10:23
Turn away Let's say an individual behaves that way and their life is sort of characterized by that list of bad behavior, you know
10:30
They're headstrong Haughty lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God and it's just clearly evident and they almost brag about it
10:39
What should we do? What should be our response? Embrace them as a brother and sister in Christ or do what?
10:48
Well you you know if you're friends with them you say hey you know How you doing?
10:54
What what's what's happening here? I heard that you said this or you know, you posted this like How how's how's things going?
11:02
You know, we want to try to reach people but there are many in in the church today in God's name there
11:09
They're promoting Worldliness to say the least so remember our goal is to help people.
11:15
Our goal is to Ourselves conform to the image of Christ, but we want to see our fellow brothers and sisters conform to the image of Christ Our doctrinal statement says we believe that just to read it again
11:28
We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as to not bring reproach upon their
11:35
Savior and Lord, I think Yeah, this is this is a sticky topic but pastors in time past Didn't have social media to contend with you know, social media didn't exist
11:52
So if somebody was saying and doing something that was just outrageous you you might never know but today
12:00
Facebook is like a window into people's Into people's heart they need to shut the blinds
12:08
Well, they need to clean up their heart, but they need to shut they need to shut the blinds So what if someone is consistently doing those types of things promoting worldliness
12:20
Promoting ungodliness and they refuse to change. What is the the job of the church?
12:29
Right discipline so Matthew 18 15 through 17 you go to that person and you try to talk to them
12:37
If they will not hear you you try to bring two or three if they will not hear them
12:42
You bring it before the church if they still refuse to listen to the church Jesus said this isn't what
12:49
I said or anyone else said Jesus said that person is to be to you like a heathen and A tax collector in other words from such a person turn away
13:02
This is going to be one of the most unpopular things But I made a commitment that I was going to teach what the
13:09
Bible said not what I want it to say I'm going to teach what the Bible says not what people wish it said whether we like it or not the
13:16
Bible teaches Shunning. Oh, that's terrible.
13:22
Well, right it is terrible it's a terrible thing to be shunned and Hardly, anybody does it but that's what the scripture teaches from such people turn away
13:33
Let them be to you Jesus said like a heathen in a tax collector when somebody is put out of the fellowship and you know a
13:42
Church member reaches out to them and says hey, hey, you're looking good. You know, you're looking hey things are
13:49
You're treating it like nothing ever happened and you're really undercutting Undercutting the church you're undercutting the
13:56
Word of God you want to reach out to them and and try to bring them back in not affirm them and and praise them in in what they're
14:05
Doing. Okay Romans 12 verse 1 any comments No, okay,
14:13
I Beseech you therefore Brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice
14:22
Holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service and do not be conformed to this world, but be
14:31
Transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove. What is that good and acceptable and perfect?
14:39
will of God Paul then gets into the spiritual gifts. So just to stay on topic skip down to verse 9
14:47
It says let love be without Hypocrisy in other words love needs to be sincere.
14:54
He says abhor what is evil in cling To what is good?
15:01
That's a pretty strong statement, right? abhor What is evil?
15:07
Now the last time we looked at the doctrine of the two natures of the believer Do you remember that it's probably what month
15:14
Month ago the two natures of the believer who wants to kind of give a definition of that The two natures or I'll just call on somebody.
15:25
How does that sound? Dad Okay, so there's the sin nature and then there's the new nature so Believer is at the same time both sinner and a saint
15:43
Okay, so I can say that I am a saint because I have placed my faith in Christ I have the
15:50
Holy Spirit within me. I am a saint But at the same time I still have the old nature and I'm still capable of sin and at times
15:59
I do sin So I am a saint, but I'm also a sinner. So every believer has the two natures
16:06
So we have our new nature we also have the sinful flesh So and we had said that sinless perfection is not obtainable in this life
16:16
We will experience that when we get to heaven but living in this world. Let's face it.
16:22
We are all tempted we are all Influenced and if we are not in the word and seeking to obey
16:29
Christ, we're going to be conformed to the world, right? What what does Paul say?
16:35
I? Beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice Holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service and do not be what?
16:45
Right do not be conformed to the world so Paul says along those same lines
16:53
Abhor What is evil? There are some things that are just not a temptation for some of us
17:02
There are other things that will be a temptation But it's our flesh that desires
17:08
Those things what's repentance a change of mind. That's where it all starts a change of mind, which hopefully leads to a change of behavior
17:18
Let's look at the next verse 2nd Corinthians chapter 7 verse 1 And again, these are kind of unpopular
17:30
Topics, you know if you want to if you want to get a crowd if you want to build a church with the maximum amount of People coming in these are this is not the type of thing you're going to teach on right?
17:44
The doctrine of separation that'll clear out a room But honestly though the fact that you come here and that you are willing to sit and Listen to this if I taught this in some
18:00
Sunday school classes in churches throughout You know, I'd have people coming up to me and they would not be very happy The question is what does the
18:10
Bible teach though? Right? Does the Bible actually say this? All right 2nd
18:17
Corinthians 7 verse 1 Therefore having these promises beloved
18:23
Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God so this is an ongoing
18:35
Action. I remember somebody told me a few years ago. They said well if you want the church to grow you need to accept the
18:44
LGBTQ movement You know, that's why your church isn't growing because you're not accepting that yeah.
18:51
Well, that's a trap because Well, this isn't gonna happen either but if I tried to bring that mindset here
19:00
We'd have a church split right but people try well just compromise on this just compromise
19:07
I'll just bring in this worldliness just bring in this outside idea Is that what the
19:14
Bible tells us to do So this is an ongoing action that we need to cleanse ourselves and not to single out them
19:21
You know, we all need to cleanse ourselves, right? We all have our Issues and our temptations so we all need to do this
19:31
On a regular basis people take a bath people take a shower to Clean yourself, right?
19:38
You need to do that spiritually as well Going back to what we read in 2nd
19:43
Timothy chapter 3 a believer may at times be tempted or given to temptation
19:49
But that should not be something where we just adopt it as a pattern of life the word holy means to be
19:57
Set apart or you could say the the word holy means to be separate So Christians we are to be different.
20:06
We should not think the same way that everybody else thinks I know you've noticed this that within American culture every five or ten years
20:17
There's some new thing that people 30 years ago never would have done this
20:22
Never would have thought this never would have gone along with this but now that's the new thing starts in Hollywood and the media and politicians and Isn't it funny that the world just they'll go along with anything.
20:34
It seems like Christian that's the difference between us and them. We don't go along with just Anything am
20:43
I off -base or is this All right
20:51
Separate when you hear the word separation. What do you think of? How many of you have heard of Christians that are called separatists?
21:03
Separatists, okay. Well, what brings to mind when you hear someone who is a separatist a Puritan okay.
21:12
Good good Historically What has happened that the large institutional churches the denominations?
21:22
over time conformed to the world Just as an example
21:27
This has been a controversy Like I said, if you follow along with Christian news, this has been a big controversy within the
21:34
Southern Baptist Convention That they're just kind of going along with whatever the culture is doing social justice.
21:41
You've heard the term woke Critical race theory all of that stuff is in the realm of politics and culture
21:49
Well now they're bringing that right into right into the churches and you're hearing sermons about this stuff and they're promoting it
21:57
Obviously they have softened their stance on LGBT and many people within the convention are now
22:06
Separating themselves and say, you know what? I am no longer a Southern Baptist They are the churches are leaving the convention people are no longer identifying as Southern Baptist why because they are practicing the the doctrine of separation so the label separatist
22:25
Was used for those who separated themselves originally this started with the
22:30
Church of England the Church of England was persecuting certain groups the separatists were
22:40
Going out of the Church of England and the separatists believed that each local church should be ruling themselves
22:48
So and that's what we believe we believe that Morse Corner Church should be ruled And run by the people here at Morse Corner Church is that is that a radical concept?
23:00
Isn't it to me? This is so basic Morse Corner Church should be run
23:07
By the people of Morse Corner Church Not by some archbishop off in another state
23:15
See, here's the thing with the large institutional churches and the denominations That they eventually all go bad
23:24
There are some that haven't gone bad yet, maybe smaller groups, but really I think it's only
23:30
Only a matter of time because the bigger you get the more people you have to please the more money there is and and People just start looking to defend their their place in their position.
23:43
So The large churches typically will go bad and then people will separate from the large
23:50
Institutional churches just an example of this. You've heard me tell the story before in the 1940s
23:57
Morse Corner Church was part of the Congregationalists denomination and We saw
24:04
I say we like not me obviously, but I don't think anyone here but the people of this church
24:12
Saw what was happening in the Congregationalist denomination. They viewed the gospel as offensive
24:19
Now with that they didn't say that we love Jesus and we believe the gospel Well, they redefine the gospel the idea that Jesus died on the cross that God sent his son to die
24:33
For our sin and there's all these songs in the hymnal about being washed in the blood that offended them
24:40
So they don't preach that We don't believe that God would punish his son for our sin
24:46
Take the hymns about the blood out of the hymnal We we saw the handwriting on the wall.
24:54
We left the denomination Why because we practiced? Separation Those Saints here at Morse Corner Church in 1942 or whenever it started, you know
25:06
God bless them because who knows what this place would look like today. I have an idea What it would look like it would look like a lot of the other congregational churches so this is the doctrine of Separation there are some things that we are not going to go along with there are some things we must separate ourselves
25:26
From can anyone give an example of something that you know Maybe you were part of another church or you know, you don't obviously don't mention names or anything like that But you know of a
25:36
Christian who? Say you need to adopt this or they were trying to get this idea and they wanted you to go along with it
25:44
You said no, I'm gonna remain separate No, okay
25:53
Well, here's the thing everyone draws a line somewhere right even the so -called liberal progressive denominations
26:01
They want to separate themselves they would want to Keep a distance from the fundamentalists, right?
26:09
Everybody here's the thing. I want you to remember everybody practices separation everybody
26:15
There are some things that These groups will not endorse.
26:21
There are some things they will not go Along with so the question is what is the standard?
26:28
You know the answer to this? What's the standard? The Bible. Okay. God's Word is the standard what happens if something is in the
26:36
Bible, but ooh, that's that's not really popular Okay, let's figure out how we can come let's figure out how we can compromise it and And not make it look like we're compromising.
26:50
That's the way people operate these days Okay, Philippians. Let's go to Philippians 4.
26:56
Yes I Was just gonna say I don't know if you've heard of the case in Helsinki Finland Where they're prosecuting two people for hate speech for quoting the
27:07
Bible. I Did hear something about that? Right Right We're hateful
27:30
Yeah, you know and that's kind of that's kind of the big issue of our day and trust me if I talk about that's not because I want to it's just the
27:41
Elephant in the room, right? That's it's just the issue of of our time and the other side they want to paint a picture like well
27:49
You're just you know, you're hateful towards it. Well, I mean, I know there are people that are hateful
27:56
There are people are who are hateful on both sides but like I said, everybody
28:02
Everybody struggles with temptation and say it's not a matter of singling somebody out if there was a movement that Christian churches need to accept lying and let's say let's have a
28:17
Parade where we're proud of lying. Oh, we'd be against that too. Hey, let's have it.
28:22
We're pro covetousness We'd be against that too. So any any sin where you're saying this is good and should be sell it we'd be against Any of this so it's not a matter of singling out
28:34
Certain people. Okay. I told you to turn to Philippians chapter 4 any other comments? The world people of this world for the greedy and swindlers or idolaters, otherwise you would have to leave the world
29:01
So I can see how people could Take that out of context. Uh -huh
29:13
Right, right yeah, the issue that Paul is dealing with is someone who says
29:19
I'm a Christian and I I promote this That that's what he's addressing
29:25
Because you know the world does what the world does. I mean, that's just the way the way that it is
29:31
You know if you had to separate yourself from every Yeah, you'd have to go out of the world.
29:37
You couldn't live on planet Earth, right? Philippians 4 verse 8 Paul says finally brethren
29:44
Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just whatever things are pure Whatever things are lovely whatever things are of good report if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things
30:02
So the biblical teaching we're looking at is separation. The church should be focusing on talking about promoting
30:12
Good things not celebrating Evil things or not promoting
30:18
Worldly things it's it's so basic and yet that's kind of what's happening.
30:25
Yes Marcus Because the first thing is whatsoever things are true
30:35
There's a lot of things that are true Never like all bad news, you know all of that.
30:42
Yeah everything bad that's going on. That's what the news reports This but then it goes on and says whatever things are honest just pure lovely of good report so it
30:55
If you want to set your mind on something set it on something that is all of those things right yeah, and I had asked for a
31:05
Example let me give you a personal example Every Wednesday morning.
31:11
I'm on the radio live at 9 a .m. And for years I would drive to the radio station listening to the radio and there was another church locally that was on before me and I heard what this guy was teaching and he was not practicing separation
31:27
He was taking all the worldliness and sin and you could see slowly He was bringing it into the church and now you need to support this and I I told the station manager
31:37
I'm like this guy should not be on the radio station He is not teaching the
31:43
Bible he's departed from the faith and it took a little while For the you know that final evidence to come out that okay
31:51
We can't deny this But I didn't want my program being on right after this guy when he's saying outrageous things and now here
31:58
I am People are gonna think well, yeah, we're just two churches two ministers. No, I want to be separate from him
32:06
So if the station didn't drop the guy which eventually they did Praise God.
32:13
I would have said okay, you know I'm out. I just We have to practice separation.
32:21
It's not easy though. I understand it. This is not easy it's much it's so much easier to just let things go and go along with the flow, but Let's turn to first John chapter 2
32:33
We have about 10 minutes left But now we're gonna get into the subject.
32:40
So we've kind of been talking about worldliness and sin and how we should Separate ourselves from that, but now we're gonna focus on religious apostasy and 2nd
32:51
Thessalonians 2 verse 3 the word Apostasia is translated as some of you said falling away.
32:57
So apostasy is a departure from the faith a falling away from biblical truth
33:03
And as Paul said the more time goes on the more of this we should expect to see first John chapter 2 verses
33:13
Will start in verse 15 John says do not love the world or the things in the world if anyone loves the world the love of the
33:21
Father is Not in him the 20th century saw the rise of what is called the seeker sensitive movement
33:29
I think most all of you have heard of this and the idea of the seeker sensitive movement or the church growth
33:36
Movement that in order to reach the world you need to become like the world Now you still preach the gospel, but in all these other areas, you know you kind of become all things to all men that that was kind of the the line and Basically, it's bring worldliness into the church.
33:54
Well, they might not have put it that way But that's what happened verse 16 for all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life
34:06
Is not of the Father but is of the world and the world is passing away in the lust of it
34:12
But he who does the will of God abides forever now listen to this verse 18 little children it is the last hour and As you have heard that Antichrist is coming
34:27
Even now many Antichrists have come by which we know that it is the last hour
34:34
The term last hour is just another way of saying the last Days, you know this final age between first and second coming of Christ So we're talking about the
34:44
Antichrist or John mentions the Antichrist. Guess what the Antichrist is not going to do He is not going to practice
34:53
Separation He's going to bring all Groups together. He is going to bring all religions together all different Christian groups
35:04
Together and by the way, what does John say many Antichrist are already here?
35:10
He's saying that's a reference to the false teachers in Revelation 13.
35:15
We've talked about this many times In the end times there's going to be a one world government one world religion one world economic system
35:24
We're focusing on this morning the the one world Religion, so when the
35:30
Antichrist comes he is going to bring together All religions. Well, that's impossible, right?
35:38
A hundred years ago. People would have said that's not that's not possible It might seem impossible for you this morning
35:45
I can see how that's very Very possible. In fact, it's already starting to happen.
35:53
You know, if you're paying attention, it's already starting to happen I really believe something changed
35:58
I don't know what it is, but in the middle of the 20th century things in the world drastically changed
36:06
Maybe it's not a coincidence that in the middle of the 20th century You saw the re -establishment of the
36:12
State of Israel, didn't we you saw the rise of the United Nations? Global governance you've heard of globalism, right?
36:22
Nationalism is a bad thing where you know, you have your country and you know, you put your country first.
36:27
Ooh, that's terrible We need to have a global community Okay, that that's the
36:33
Antichrist spirit. All right. So we want peace on earth. We want the whole world to come together
36:39
That's never going to happen That's never going to happen except when
36:45
Jesus comes he will bring Jesus is the only one who's going to do it.
36:50
The Antichrist is going to try he's going to actually be Somewhat successful. How are all religions going to come together again?
36:57
What are we talking about separation? We're not going to yoke together with the Mormons We're not going to join together in a joint prayer service with the
37:06
Catholic Church. We practice separation Is that being practiced though across the board?
37:12
How many of you remember the memorial for the 9 -11 victims? And you know, this was a nice thing
37:19
Generally, you know come together and pray for the families we can we can support that but do you remember what happened at that event?
37:28
the Pope presided over an interfaith prayer meeting that brought together
37:34
Catholics Protestants Hindus Muslims in Jews and some other religions
37:43
At a joint prayer meeting. What's the obvious question you have to ask them? Who are
37:51
They praying to right? You know who was a president at that prayer meeting the separatists the people who really believe
38:06
Really believe the Bible so something changed in the middle of the 20th century
38:14
With air travel the world became smaller and people started encountering other cultures
38:21
And you know now we kind of know people from around Other religions and and the one good thing that's come from it is you know that people get along a little better How many of you can remember some of you can remember this?
38:34
I'm sure back in the day Catholics and Protestants didn't get along right? How many of you remember that?
38:40
Okay, many Catholics thought Protestants were of the devil
38:46
Protestants thought Catholics were of the devil the cults thought everybody else was of the devil right
38:54
Now, you know you can kind if they live next door you can kind of get along and they're just other people
39:00
They're lost. We want to see them saved Right, so that's the one good thing people can get get along But we want to see them saved we can come together
39:12
In a community and be kind and help them out And if they're sick bring them a meal and tell them you're praying for and all that stuff is great
39:19
We don't yoke up together though. We don't have joint worship services with some of these other groups
39:30
Verse 22 Who is a liar, but he who denies that Jesus is the
39:39
Christ How could you have spiritual fellowship with a religion that says Jesus is not the
39:45
Christ? You can't you can't Verse 23 whoever denies the son does not have the father either he who acknowledges the son has the father
39:56
Also, how could you have? spiritual fellowship that denies that God the
40:03
Father and God the Son even exist you can't Any final questions or comments we just have two two or three minutes left, so this is
40:16
Separation there's some churches that were very much on the same page We could have joint worship services together.
40:23
We do Gather together for prayer. I gathered together for A time of fellowship and prayer every month with people that are of different Protestant Groups, and I don't see any problem with that.
40:40
You know why because I believe they're saved We have different ideas, but they're
40:46
Christians. I believe they're saved there are some groups that There there can be no joint
40:53
Cooperation with because they're not abiding in the doctrine of Christ Go to 2nd
41:00
Corinthians 6 and this is where Where we will end article 2 of the
41:12
Church Constitution As to the purpose of Morris Corner Church, it says in section
41:18
F that we will cooperate with Christian activity functioning in harmony with God's Holy Word The Bible so as long as There's a group that's seeking to obey the
41:33
Word of God You know we can have fellowship with them, and we should I actually believe it's a burden on my heart to see more
41:41
Christians coming together You know it might sound like I'm saying. Oh, we should just be separate from everybody.
41:46
That's not what I believe I think Christians should be coming together more than they do But it has to be those groups that are
41:55
Abiding in the truth look at 2nd Corinthians 6 14 Paul says do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers for what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness and what communion has light with darkness
42:14
So if they're saved if they're preaching is sound regarding Christ and the gospel
42:20
We can and I believe we should work together with them You know we're all going to live together in heaven with one another we should start learning to get along down here
42:33
But there are some groups that Do not hold to the the true gospel and there are certainly
42:41
Groups promoting worldliness and sinful pleasures from them we must do what?