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- Bristol Conference 1964 (Apostasy) Part 5
Bristol Conference 1964 (Apostasy) - Part 5
William MacDonald

William MacDonald (1917 - 2007). American Bible teacher, author, and preacher born in Leominster, Massachusetts. Raised in a Scottish Presbyterian family, he graduated from Harvard Business School with an MBA in 1940, served as a Marine officer in World War II, and worked as a banker before committing to ministry in 1947. Joining the Plymouth Brethren, he taught at Emmaus Bible School in Illinois, becoming president from 1959 to 1965. MacDonald authored over 80 books, including the bestselling Believer’s Bible Commentary (1995), translated into 17 languages, and True Discipleship. In 1964, he co-founded Discipleship Intern Training Program in California, mentoring young believers. Known for simple, Christ-centered teaching, he spoke at conferences across North America and Asia, advocating radical devotion over materialism. Married to Winnifred Foster in 1941, they had two sons. His radio program Guidelines for Living reached thousands, and his writings, widely online, emphasize New Testament church principles. MacDonald’s frugal lifestyle reflected his call to sacrificial faith.
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Sermon Summary
The video begins with the speaker mentioning a scripture verse about entering through the door to be saved. He then talks about the different doors in life, such as opportunities and service to others, but fails to mention Jesus Christ. The speaker then discusses four characteristics of false teachers, including defiance of authority, carousing, sexual sin, and mercenary motives in Christian work. The video concludes with a mention of punishment reserved for these false teachers and a recommendation for a booklet called "Think of Your Future" to guide young people in avoiding a wasted life.
Sermon Transcription
Why can't he, or is he ready, to take over? Hey, freedom's not lost on me. Come on, do your thing. There's no place he can't be found. He's a king that he brings all the other kings. I thank thee this morning for the blessed Savior is gathered with him eternally, sharing his love. O God, we pray thee that our lives might ever be lived in the consciousness and expectation of that soon coming. Now we pray thee that thou wilt illuminate our hearts by the Holy Spirit as we turn to thy word again this morning. We pray thee that the seed planted in this way might bear a fruitful harvest in days to come. We ask it in Christ's most holy name. I've been asked to say a word about some of the books that are in the, um, some of the books that are in the bookstore. There's a good selection of, and this would provide very, preserve them. And he said, Lord, of the neighbors into your, incidentally, I don't know, anymore. You say, oh, I wouldn't be able to answer their question. And then, um, use it with others. I think you all know that when you ask me, if I would, and you go along to the 24 unit, unit, diploma two, here are the, to see this interest here, please. Presumptuous are they, self-willed, they tremble, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignity. Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might bring not railing accusation against them, but these as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not, and shall utterly perish in their own corruption. And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the daytime. Spots they are in blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceiving, while they feast with, having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot, beguiling unstable souls. In heart they have exercised with covetous practices, Cursed children, which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, but was rebuked for his iniquity, the dumb ass speaking with man's voice, forbade the madness of the prophet. These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest, to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever. But when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through much wantonness those that were clean escape from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption, for whom a man is overcome of the same as he also brought into bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it to turn from the holy commandment. But it has happened unto them according to the dog is turned to his own fullness, divine for what he has done. It's easy in reading a chapter like this to forget who the spirit is. These men are men who wear clerics. These men are men who, and they can talk with, and very, very glibly. You know, there are various forms of in-talk to you, leading souls. And in verses 10 through 16 and fourthly, teaching for in so-called their ungodliness. Nothing about preaching. These are the fourth. We notice in this chapter to be punished. They're reserved for punishment and punishment. We are reserved for an inheritance, and an inheritance is reserved. These men, we're speaking, these men have a, these are, an investigation was made, having definite, God, they despise dominions. They defy, daring are they, self-willed. They tremble not to rail at dignity. In this verse, they speak blasphemous, angelic beings, and they actively oppose human government. These religious dare to act. The archangel, he wouldn't bring against him a railing or two. In connection with our attitude toward, I feel it is very easy for Christians to slip into the, maybe if you're on the, should be, are ordained, those whom God has set over us. Now in verse 12, these men are likened to dumb animals, without reason, born mere animals to be taken and destroyed, railing in matters whereof they, four-footed animal going on through its life. It's guided by, and here are, were created in the image, but these men came face to face, and they rejected that they're going through. They profess to have great knowledge, and that's a very strong, dedicated, and in that terrible ministry in which they're engaged, they are dooming themselves. Phillips translates it like this, very, very graphic, it says, their wickedness has earned them an evil end, and they will be paid in full. Their wickedness has earned them an evil end, and they shall be paid in full, says, and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness. As they that count it pleasure, Peter says of them is that they carouse in the daytime. Most people, most men do their carousing at night. Men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. But when men start carousing, that they've flown over, and you're going to hardly think of this as being applicable. The school that's passed, came into contact with some of, you look at those stately Gothic edifices within. Peter says that they're blots. In other words, they sit with the people, and yet all the time, they delight in corrupting the people therewith. Only, verse 32, who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure. Then the next thing that Peter mentions here, is endless, they lure others into immorality. It says, entice, and they think, well, these things are schooled in, schooled in greed. And that greed for the gratification, and then he closes the verse. The fourth thing that Peter speaks about them is, how they, how like Balaam. These men have entered the ministry as a lucrative, if you took their, the money away from them, they school all the time, to say the prophet, in the Old Testament, and instead of cursing Israel, he had to bless, and Israel were given over. Now the interesting thing to me is, if you go back to the book of Balaam, and you don't hear Balaam, the son of Balaam, beat the ass, in order to go on. The angel of the Lord, these men, had face to face, these men, rebuke these modernistic creatures today, but he often does, with sincere, and it's a wonderful thing to me, how often, happening all the time. We have a dear friend up north, who, who had, he went back, to the meeting, to me, when these men don't go, and unrebuked, but they turn, then in verses 17 through 19, and he took us, when we were going out to, a dear old man, whom I believe was a true believer, came up to me, and he said, people going, the only other hymn they sang, then it says, mist driven by the storm, here are, the sky becomes misty, maybe the land disappears, and, when they speak great sweat, these men, really, have a, they're not lost for words, they can really hold the audience, in the, words, words, words, that satisfies, man's spirit, and so the, great, through much wantonness, those, that were a clean escape, from them who live in error, friends it means this, and I think this is very, here's a man, and he was, really getting bad, he was disgusted, maybe he heard Billy Graham, or Charlie, now he wants to reform, he wants to turn over a new leaf, and he goes to that, he finds them doing in the church, he thought it was something, he should avoid, now instead of being helped, the man is, but when they, speak, great swelling words, of any, maybe this man has, has, he hears, he hears these men, condoning, premarital, while they promise them liberty, they themselves, are the servants of corruption, what they mean is, what they mean is, sin is no longer some, blame of sin, or disease, over, there are victims, men who have barely escaped, from the world, and down, down, then in verses 20, to escape the pollution, to the world, than he ever did, before, it says it had been, better for them, privilege brings, responsibility, in the spiritual life, and obligated, he is, finally these people, are likened, to, to unclean, the dog, is turned, when I realize this, and when I think of, soul, being temporarily, in life, he was just mirroring, before you, may we not, dabble, true believers, who are, staying on, because it was their mothers, we were saying, to people, six he leadeth me,
Bristol Conference 1964 (Apostasy) - Part 5
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William MacDonald (1917 - 2007). American Bible teacher, author, and preacher born in Leominster, Massachusetts. Raised in a Scottish Presbyterian family, he graduated from Harvard Business School with an MBA in 1940, served as a Marine officer in World War II, and worked as a banker before committing to ministry in 1947. Joining the Plymouth Brethren, he taught at Emmaus Bible School in Illinois, becoming president from 1959 to 1965. MacDonald authored over 80 books, including the bestselling Believer’s Bible Commentary (1995), translated into 17 languages, and True Discipleship. In 1964, he co-founded Discipleship Intern Training Program in California, mentoring young believers. Known for simple, Christ-centered teaching, he spoke at conferences across North America and Asia, advocating radical devotion over materialism. Married to Winnifred Foster in 1941, they had two sons. His radio program Guidelines for Living reached thousands, and his writings, widely online, emphasize New Testament church principles. MacDonald’s frugal lifestyle reflected his call to sacrificial faith.