Doctrine Matters (Hebrews 5:11-14- Jeff Kliewer)

All right, let's all stand. Let's worship the Lord with a joyful heart this morning. You live you die. You said in three days you would rise. You did. You're a lie. Rural edge. You're coming back again.

But you will all the earth. The earth will sing your dust through the crawl. Hearts are chained. Your great love would rise. You did. You're a lie. You're coming back again. Right you did read. Psalm 147 Says praise the Lord for it is good to sing praises to our God for it is pleasant and praise is beautiful.

The Lord builds up Jerusalem. He gathers together the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He counts the numbers of the stars and he calls them all by name. Great is our Lord and mighty in power.

His understanding is infinite. The Lord lifts up the humble. He casts the wicked down to the ground. Sing to the Lord with Thanksgiving.

Let's pray dear God. You have sent your one and only son Jesus into the world. And he gave everything for us His very life his blood on the cross the crown of thorns on his head to purchase our salvation.

And Lord, we could never return a gift like that. But we ask that today we would give a little more than ever before. We ask that we would be conformed into the image of Christ that we would grow To be mature men and women in the faith.

For Jesus is worthy. He's not worthy of a little bit of our affection and devotion. He's worthy of all that we are and all that we have. Lord, we pray that we would go deeper with you today. We would not be content to be little babies that drink milk only but that we would grow through the the good meat of Your word to mature men and women who are not tossed to and fro by the wind and the waves of doctrine.

Lord God, we pray that we would go beyond Standing as mature men and we would take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. My mind goes to Eliezer as he stood holding a sword in the field fighting off the enemy.

So hard did he fight that his hand froze to the handle of his sword. Let that be a picture of us God our hands frozen to the Bible gripping so tightly. The sword of the Spirit help us Lord to be soldiers.

For we are in a war. Give us victory in the truth war in Jesus name. Amen. Well, there's some reason to be concerned isn't there in the culture a Friend who goes here and I were texting about what what's been happening and Both of us had the comment that we're concerned for our children.

It's like, you know, if the if the culture goes awry and everything completely spins out of control bring it Greater is he who is in us, you know, we're not afraid of the devil and what's happening in the culture but we think about these these little children being raised up and what if One of them is lost or what if one of them is hurt or oppressed or persecuted?

You just can't fathom the thought of Children being raised in a depraved culture. So one of the comments that I texted back with this friend was listen. We don't raise dragon slayers in the hopes that they'll never have to face a dragon.

We raise children and teach them to take the sword in order that they would be able to fight In order that they can be victors and conquerors more than conquerors through him who loves us, so let's not despair.

Let's take it as a wake-up call to double down to to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God grip it more tightly and Continue to fight in the truth war. I'm gonna begin this sermon this morning with the true story however, I will change the name of the person who told me this and It's a person who's very far removed so you don't have to be worried about privacy concerns or anything of that nature.

But just sharing some of the things that I thought were so Just appropriate for the sermon that we have this morning. We'll call her Susan. Susan told me about her life and What's going on with her children?

She has gotten to the point where she almost wishes that she never had kids. She said because her 11 year old. We'll call him Kevin, I don't know there's not a Kevin here. We'll just call him Kevin. He's 11 years old and he started to hang out with a 12 year old boy.

And the kid is kind of like a bad influence the 12 year old boy has a girlfriend so now the young Kevin he also has a girlfriend and he's trying to act like his older friend and Now Kevin won't talk to his mom.

So she asked questions and she only found out that he has a boyfriend. Through somebody else because whenever she asked questions the poor guy Won't answer because mom asked too many questions, right?

So she's very frustrated with that situation. She also has an older boy 15 years old and he went on a trip to Europe. Not this year because of kovat but a couple years ago and it was a music trip when he was in Europe.

She got a phone call from the leader of the trip from her school, he's only 15 years old and the person calling said We would like for your child to room with a biological female. Because she now identifies as a male.

So it put this mom in the position that she can say no in Which case she would be the pariah, you know Hell hath no fury like the scorn with that would be unleashed upon her if she said no. But if she said yes that puts her son.

Possibly in sexual temptation or maybe could be accused of something in that situation. So she capitulated and she she let him do that and he came back saying everything was great. And she feels like she dodged a bullet and then her husband who she had been married to for five years said do you really believe this Christian stuff and She said Yeah.

Don't you? And he said no, I never did. I just do this for the kids teach him some morality and. So five years into marriage she learned from her husband that he never believed she goes to a United Methodist Church and at the start of kovat they closed and never opened and Now Her kids are drifting from the faith.

They haven't been in them in the assembly. They haven't been singing praises of God studying God's Word and she sees they're losing faith like her husband. She feels like she's losing the truth war. She still posts on Facebook for her church and The other day she posted a scripture that she just cut and paste and she said she didn't even read the whole thing.

But when she cut it and pasted it into Facebook Hell hath no fury like what was unleashed on her from her own church because it included a passage about a man shall not lie with another man as with a woman and So her own church blasted her for posting such a thing nothing, but scripture.

You see this dear woman that I'm calling Susan. She is in a truth war. And she doesn't know how fierce that war really is. She's losing the war or so she feels and probably is. Because even the ones who are supposed to be on her side on the side of truth are actually belonging to the enemy.

She's in a truth war and so are we. I Wonder if we recognize How intense this battle really is. If we could see the spiritual world right now like a he's he opened his eyes that he may see the bands of angels that encamp around those who fear God and The demonic forces in the heavenlies that are raging in warfare all the time.

If we could see for just a minute I think we'd get it, but our eyes can't see that dimension. What we see is the battle of truth and lies a media. That lies all the time to the point where who even knows what's true anymore fake news is just news.

It's almost all fake and Yet we have the sword of the Spirit. We have the Word of God as we go into the passage today. Let me just review quickly the point in the text where we find ourselves. We just learned about Jesus as the great high priest.

The author of Hebrews began to go there. The idea is Jesus is better than angels. Jesus is better than mankind. He's the the new Adam. Jesus is better than Moses as The builder of the house is better than the house.

He builds he's better than Aaron the priest because Jesus is a Melchizedek Ian forever priest awesome teaching and The author of Hebrews is ready to unleash that when all of a sudden he stops and Slaps his audience in the face.

As a preacher, I'm just going strong here. I'm just you know trying to teach you the Word of God and all of a sudden I come out of the pulpit and I Slap somebody in the face. Would you guys be paying attention at that point?

Well, that's what the author of Hebrews does to us and I need that slap and you need that slap as we go to read this passage if you're thinking about your husband or your wife and Saying I'm glad he's here today because he needs this.

You're missing the point. This is for you. This is for me. Let's read it first and then we'll we'll talk through it's only four verses. Hebrews chapter 5 we pick up at verse 11 and out of the blue a Slap in the face.

He's about to teach about Melchizedek, but he stops short and Has a rebuke for the listener. About this we have much to say 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 is a child.

But solid food is for the mature for those who have their powers of discernment. Trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. Ouch. That stings doesn't it? You have become dull of hearing the word from the Greek means lethargic or apathetic.

Sleepy a Charge is level. This is really the third warning. The first one came at the beginning of chapter 2. Be careful lest you drift away. In Chapter 3 we had the comparison to the Israelites for 40 years wandering in the wilderness and all of them fell dead except for Joshua and Caleb.

The warning that's the second warning passage. This then is the third warning in the book of Hebrews. About this we have much to say. It's hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing. The big idea this morning is that doctrine does not belong in the seclusion of the ivory tower of the learned theologian.

It's not just something that extraordinary Christians do. It's for every Christian Doctrine going deeper with God. Here we're going to learn about the Melchizedek Ian priesthood of Christ not today. But when we finish this rebuke and move on.

We'll learn about Melchizedek and The reaction that many people have especially in the American Evangelicalism in which we kind of swim is well who really needs to know about Melchizedek. After all there's 33 ,000 denominations and all of them believe slightly different things.

It's all a matter of interpretation. So it doesn't really matter what you believe doctrinally. What matters is that you just do good things. Be kind be loving. Be a good person. And go about your day.

So who has time to learn about Melchizedek? Why does Melchizedek matter the priesthood of Christ? What's the big deal about that doctrine and The author of Hebrews just slaps us upside the head and says no pay attention.

You need doctrine you need you need to go deeper than you're used to going. It's very important. Go deeper don't be dull of hearing so that's kind of the big idea. Let's look at the verse-by-verse progression here.

About this we have much to say and it is hard to explain. Now You could say about Melchizedek. It's hard to explain and I would understand if the ten-year-olds fifteen-year-olds have trouble understanding.

But I'll tell you this about ten-year-olds. They know more about technology than I do. They're more apt with my iPhone than I am. They show me how to do things when I can't figure out how to turn something on or off.

When you set your mind to something you can do it even a child how much more a mature man an adult. Now it's hard to explain. Not because your minds are not capable of understanding it. What does the text say?

It's hard to explain since. You have become dull of hearing. This is a rebuke to the energy that you bring to the table. This is a basketball player that goes in the game and they just look sleepy. Like what were you doing last night?

Were you out drinking or are you ready to play? When you come into church. Are you ready to learn the Word of God and hear truth from God and be sharpened and get stronger or do you come lethargic? Many of us were very passionate when we first got saved and We would witness to everybody and we would read the Bible late into the night.

But how long has it been since that passion described you? Have you grown? Dull notice it says since you have become dull. You didn't start that way. What happened to your first love you become dull? This is a rebuke and the big issue here is that The Apostle knows that Christians are in a truth war.

Many Christians are apostatizing to Judaism. They're going back to the religious system of animal sacrifices and the state religion of Judaism was acceptable to them. So many Christians who have been now Christian some of them for many years.

This is written probably in the late 60s AD. So you have some long-standing Christians one generation another generation now coming up behind them. Many of them are leaving the faith. You're losing Christians, they're they're falling in apostasy.

So Here's the problem. They're not fighting. They don't realize that they are in a truth war. They're not getting strong. And so he stops and rebukes them for that. Now. I want to underscore this point in a way.

I hope you never forget. Every book of the New Testament Calls us to fight in the truth war. Every book is concerned about doctrine. We live in an American evangelicalism that thinks doctrine doesn't matter.

But every book calls us to fight for truth even minor doctrines. But especially the the meat of the gospel. This message of Jesus crucified and risen our Savior what he has done for us is worth fighting for.

The doctrines of Christianity are not take it take it or leave it. Choose what you want and what really matters is how you live. No the truth of God's scripture is worth fighting for. So follow this review you have it in your notes.

I'm just going to show you quickly from each book of the New Testament a verse that underscores the importance of doctrinal truth. You'll recognize many of them. But unless you feel the full weight of them, you might not understand how pressing this point is.

You can follow along in your notes or just listen Matthew 7 verses 15 and following beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheeps clothing but in inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.

Okay, mark chapter 12 verse 24. Before I read it think of this our culture says no one is ever right and nobody's ever wrong. Every person has their private truth. Jesus says are you not wrong? Wrong.

Because you know, not the scriptures or the power of God. He offends them three times. First of all, he says you're wrong. Secondly, you don't know the scriptures. Thirdly. You don't know the power of God in Luke chapter 4.

Jesus stands up and unrolls the scroll of Isaiah from reading from Isaiah 61. He exegetes that and applies it to himself. And then he tells them he won't do the miracles that they they knew that he did in Capernaum and teaching from that text.

It says in Luke chapter 4 verse 28 when they heard these things all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. So much so that they took Jesus out to the edge of town to throw him off a cliff. For what what did he do?

Who did he murder? No, he spoke truth. This was a truth war. They were ready to throw him off a cliff. But he escaped through the midst of them in John. We remember the famous Expression, which is the most famous Verse in the Bible.

Actually the Matthew verse judge not lest you may not be judged. Right that actually is the most quoted verse in the culture today but if you read John chapter 7 verse 24, it says stop judging and The world said amen stop judging by mere appearances.

Make a right judgment. Jesus actually called believers to judge to make a right judgment. Don't make a judgment based on appearances or hypocrisy but make right judgments. Truth versus lies. In Acts chapter 17 verse 11 the Bereans were more noble than those in Thessalonica.

Why. Because they receive the Word of God with eagerness. Examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so in Romans 16 17. It says mark those who cause divisions and put up obstacles. Contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught avoid them first.

Corinthians chapter 5 and 6 we are to judge angels and We're told there will be differences or divisions among us to show which of you are approved of God. 2nd Corinthians chapter 10 verse 4 and 5 the weapons of our warfare are Mighty for tearing down strongholds.

We destroy arguments and we take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. But I am concerned for you that lest you be deceived like Eve was to serve deceived by the serpent in the garden.

Your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. Galatians Chapter 1 verse 6 to 9 Kimberly's teaching Galatians women. If you want to come early first service to learn the book of Galatians.

Paul says I am astonished That you are so quickly Deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ for another gospel. He goes on to say that even if an angel from heaven or Paul himself preaches another gospel let him be a curse.

I'll say it again. Let him be accursed. It's how important this doctrine is in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 14. It talks about people who are like children. They're blown around by the wind and moved around by the waves of every doctrine in the deceitful cunning of men.

Philippians Chapter 3 verse 2 watch out for those Dogs those men who do evil those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision we who worship in the Spirit of God. He fights the Judaizers of the gospel.

And calls them dogs. Colossians see to it that no one takes you captive to philosophy or the traditions of men the elemental spirits of the world. Rather you need to establish yourself on Christ. First Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 21.

Test everything hold on to what is true. Second Thessalonians chapter 2 there's coming an apostasy. Where men will fall away? Before the coming of the Lord Jesus and they are being caught up with him in the air.

There will be a great falling away and the Antichrist will be revealed. Pay attention it says in 1st Timothy Chapter 4. I'm gonna read this one 1 to 5 now the Spirit expressly says that in later times.

Some will depart Faith from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons. Let that sink in. Paul is warning about these teachers who will come but they're really teaching demonic doctrine.

2nd Timothy chapter 2 he even names Hymenaeus and Philetus. They're teaching it's like gangrene it spreads. And in chapter 4 preach the word be ready in season and out of season. Rebuke exhort. Over and over again.

Titus chapter 1 verse 9 elders need to be able to teach. But what else? To rebuke those who contradict Philemon chapter 1 verse 8 and then 16. Paul asserts his authority as an apostle to tell them what to do, but then he appeals to them as brothers that Philemon would receive Onesimus no longer as a bondservant.

But as a brother and so the doctrine that we are all one in Christ without hierarchy. Priesthood of all believers. After Philemon Hebrews, and that's where I want you to turn if you've lost it. Hebrews chapter 5 and we're gonna focus on verse 14.

We're about two-thirds of the way through the New Testament here, but solid food is for the mature. For those who have their powers of discernment. Trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

How do you practice discernment? It's by knowing the genuine so that when someone says something in the name of God. You can compare it to the Word of God like a Berean and see if these things are so.

Discernment it's not just to believe what people say. It's to discern the truth by God's Word. After Hebrews comes James and we know that someone will say you have faith and I have works. James fights that doctrine and teaches salvation justification by faith alone.

With works connected to that faith as a fruit. He throws out the false doctrine of the antinomians. That faith means you can just do whatever you want. Faith alone but works that evidence that faith. That's the book of James.

1st Peter 1 13 and 14. Be sober minded. It says prepare your minds for action. 2nd Peter chapter 2 1 to 3. But false prophets arose among them even as. There will be false teachers among you. That's a sober warning.

There will be false teachers among you says Peter. 1st John chapter 4. Verses 1 to 6 says do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits and. The end of that section of that pericope is a verse all of you know.

Greater is he who is in us than he who is in the world. Did you know that's about refuting false teachers? The one who is with us who's given us his word is greater than the false teachers who bring their deceitful lies and.

Then 2nd John 3rd John and Jude. These are called the postcard epistles. You ever heard that title postcard epistles. Each one of them is only one chapter long. Three of the last four books of the Bible all.

Three of them get this. All three of these postcard epistles are about defending the truth. It's about holding on to the truth in a perverse and crooked generation. Holding fast the word of life in Philippians 2 language.

How so 2nd John Chapter. Well, there's only one chapter. So it's chapter 1 or you just say 2nd John 7 to 11. Many deceivers have gone out into the world and we're told we're not even to welcome them into our house or give them a greeting.

In other words, we're at war with them. Not everything is just good. We're not all on the same team. All religion is not the same. Doctrine matters. Third John 1 9 and 10. I have written something to the church but deatrophies.

Who loves to be first? Refuses to accept it and he also refuses missionaries and he doesn't he doesn't really love the truth. Finally Jude. Well second to last Jude. This is an interesting one. Jude verse 3 the Apostle says I Wanted to write to you about our common salvation.

So pause there. Jude wants to just say positive things. He doesn't want to go negative. He wants to focus on the glory of Christ. He wants to talk about the cross the resurrection. Salvation the things that we rejoice in but I Knew that it was necessary that I write to you.

To contend for the faith that was once and for all handed down to us. And he goes on with amazing Descriptive language about the battle. We are in for the truth. We are in a truth war in Revelation chapter 2 verse 14 and following Jesus affirms the church for some things.

But then he says to them but you have some there who hold to the teachings a bailam of bailam. Who taught the Israelites to sin and all kinds of sexual immorality and you have some who follow the teachings of the Nicolaitans.

Do you get the force of this? From Matthew to Revelation. We are not called to be passive. We are not called to be limp-wristed. We are called to be soldiers in a war to contend and to fight. Not the way the world fights with weapons of physical destruction.

But the weapon of our warfare is truth. To wield that truth and be able to handle that truth with skill. So let's go back to Hebrews 5. Here's the problem a baby can't hold a sword. Remember Hebrews 4 12 for the Word of God is living and active sharper than any two-edge sword.

Very next chapter a baby. He's unskilled. He'd fumble that thing. He can't fight anybody off Verse 12 for though by this time you ought to be teachers. That's saying that everybody who's sitting here taking notes learning thinking about the scripture.

You're a teacher you ought to be. It's what it says right now. Not everybody should be an elder. There's qualifications for elder. Not everybody should be a teacher in the formal sense. James 3 one. There's a higher accountability, but every person who names the name of Christ every mom should be teaching her children.

Not passively like I hope they get it but like their lives depend on it. It's a life-or-death matter that these children believe true things. Every kid can be a teacher. Teenagers you can help the younger ones no one believed the truth.

Men women all of us this says. 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. Now as we get into the next chapter, we'll learn kind of what those things are faith repentance.

That's salvation questions about baptism and laying on of hands. Resurrection eternal eternal things. Those are basic doctrines. But he wants to take them into the doctrine of the Melchizedek Ian priesthood of Christ they that's what they need.

So here's how I like to think about it. We want to hold on to every person who ever comes into this church. That they would continue to name the name of Christ five years ten years until the day they die.

That none of them would fall away. Well, what's the best way to do that? It's by advancing in doctrine if you're in a war and there's two clashing armies. Face to face the front line of that battle is fierce and many fall.

But if by the power of a stronger army you push the other army ten miles that way. This position here ten miles behind the front line is very safe. That's the idea here push forward in your doctrine. Grow get stronger and that's a safe place to be.

When the question that you're addressing is should I repent and believe is? Judaism or Christianity better. That's where they're stuck at in the book of Hebrews. Many of them are turning back. But the ones who are pressing on in the doctrine, they don't have those questions anymore now, they're asking well, how is it?

That Jesus is a priest though. He descends from Levi. I mean though he doesn't descend from Levi. He comes from Judah and Then they find in Genesis 14. He's a Melchizedek Ian priest in the promise of Psalm 110.

He's from Melchizedek and it's mind-blowing and it's delightful. It's awesome. And you love the word more and you're not in danger of falling away because you are going deeper and you're getting stronger.

Brothers and sisters if you're not growing in your faith, you're in danger of losing it all together. That's the idea. You need milk not solid food. Verse 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness.

Picture that baby with the sword. Since he is a child or the metaphor here is eating. We were blessed to be invited over somewhere last night and the host had prepared prime rib. There's a big plate of beautiful prime rib.

Set that in front of a baby and see what happens that's not gonna go. Well a five-month-old can't do anything with that. Kenny. Moms can a five-month-old do anything with a plate of meat? They don't even have the teeth for it.

What do they need? They need processed food through their mother milk. But a mature man. And I'm a mature man can eat some meat. It was good right. So we shouldn't we shouldn't be living on milk only if you're a grown adult we know that.

How much more with the Word of God? We've got to get deeper. We've got to take this so much more seriously than we do last verse 14, but solid food is for the mature. For those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

Discernment is a spiritual gift. First Corinthians 12 some people have that gift others have other gifts, but this is not talking about the spiritual gift of discernment. This is talking about every mature man and woman and child in Christ must be.

Training and growing in their discernment. There are so many lies in the culture today the news the media. They'll silence the voices of truth. Because they're opposed to the Word of God, that's what this cancel culture is all about that's happening right now.

But the Word of God remains and this is how we know what's true. We take and compare what people are saying in the name of God to what the Word of God actually says. That's how we grow in discernment.

So in closing. You know the big idea here is that we've got to take this faith of ours seriously, so decide right now. That doctrine is worth fighting for when we consider Christ our Savior what he did for us.

Is he not worthy of our time to be devoted to this. Like you're devoted to the most the thing you're most passionate about in your life. It's a truth war. Listen to people who have a gift of discernment.

I gave you in my notes just five guys that I like to listen to. James White, Michael Foster, John Harris, Vodie Bauckham, John MacArthur. These are well-practiced men with gifts of discernment, but listen any one of them could still err.

We need to be a Berean in listening even to those who have a gift of discernment. That's how important this this truth war is no matter what people say always compare it to the word like a Berean. Whether you're spiritually gifted or not be watchful stand firm in the faith act like men be strong that first Corinthians 1613 passage be act like men that also applies to women in the sense of be courageous.

That's the concept there be willing to stand up and fight contend for the faith. Lovingly speak the truth in love. But be willing to fight for what matters this concern for doctrine goes for all of us.

So I close with another story, I love these illustrations, but Many of you know that America was founded in 1776 Revolutionary War and shortly thereafter there was another war. Just about the turn of the 1800s.

There was a war called the Barbary Wars. It was United States against pirates. Yeah pirates like with the eyepatch. These were pirates from Muslim lands Algiers and Morocco and Tripoli and here was their thing.

Because they believe the Quran they believe that Christians owed to Muslims the jizya which is a tribute payment, so if a European ship or an American ship sailed through the Mediterranean Sea they would come and capture it and Force you to pay a ransom and how did they justify that with their religion?

Well because These Christian nations weren't submitted Islam means submission. Here's a sad thing European Christian nations were paying the tribute hundreds of thousands of pounds and England France the Scandinavian countries rather than stand up and fight they paid off the king of Algiers and The guy from Tripoli well, America is a new nation and we needed to trade in the Mediterranean and So we were sending merchant ships in that way and the Barbary pirates were taking captive our people making them slaves.

Many died. So Thomas Jefferson had a choice to make do we pay the tribute like the other nations? Well, America didn't really have the money for a while. Jefferson did pay kind of like John Adams had done just appeasement with the culture.

However, it was never enough before long Jefferson realized no it would be cheaper and it's better to fight and That is how the American Navy was born. They commissioned four ships. Here's where the story gets even more interesting the captain of This American ship in this fleet.

There was actually four ships that crossed the Atlantic Ocean. The captain was named Morris Valentine Morris or something like that. He was like a Valentine. He was a softy. He was so distractible that in his 19-month Assignment he only spent 19 days Blockading Tripoli.

He was sent to Tripoli to keep the pirate ships from coming and going out of the harbor and he was only there in Total 19 days. Well, where was he? He was so lethargic So dull apathetic that he spent years more almost two years Gallivanting across Europe.

He took his wife and his child on that warship and Why Congress let him do that? I don't know. But when he got to Europe, he was just hobnobbing with the social classes in London and in Paris and southern Italy his ship Was at dock and so the piracy continued until finally Jefferson replaced him with a guy named Preble and maybe you've heard of Preble's boys one of them was Stephen Decatur.

Stephen Decatur took a pirate ship that they conquered and captured and He sailed that pirate ship right into the Tripoli Harbor. You see in Tripoli they had captured one of the American ships and They were turning that into a giant pirate ship.

So under the cover of night Stephen Decatur sailed into the Tripoli Harbor and With his men climbed aboard the USS Philadelphia tried to steal it back when when he was unable to burned it to the bottom of the ocean and Then he went back to the ship and they blockaded the harbor.

Many wars ensued in fact in one James his brother was killed and so Stephen pursued the pirate who killed his brother and Outnumbered five to one Stephen Decatur jumped off of his ship. They climbed aboard the pirate ship and they fought hand-to-hand with pirates.

It's like something out of a movie. But it really happened. I Don't tell this story to give glory to Stephen Decatur. Although he was a great war hero. He was an Episcopalian and He died in a duel later, which was really foolish.

I tell this story because Men need to act like men and War requires passion and Fortitude bravery and courage and all the things that we get from the Word of God from going deeper in the truth. I wonder if America could fight like that first-generation.

Thought I wonder if the Church of Jesus Christ is willing to stand up and fight not a battle of swords with pirates. But a truth war. Do you realize that you are in a truth war? We are fighting for our children.

We are fighting for those around us whom we love. We're fighting for life Freedom in order to be skilled and trained in the Word of Righteousness. You have got to be in the text Melchizedek as obscure as that seems.

Genesis 14 psalm 110 Hebrew 7 as obscure as that seems it's a life-or-death matter doctrine matters. To know Christ as your priest you can run to his throne these things matter. That's the big idea today.