In this sermon, the preacher discusses a vision from the book of Revelation where he sees a beast rising out of the sea with seven heads and ten horns. The beast is described as having characteristics of a leopard, bear, and lion, symbolizing its dominance and power. The preacher relates this vision to a recent event, possibly a funeral, that he observed and expresses his disgust with it. He then transitions to discussing the teachings of Jesus in the Bible, specifically focusing on the role of the Holy Spirit in convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

Revelation chapter 13, although I'm not going to preach from it, I just felt quickened about it, just as I came to the platform and in relation no doubt to what has been going on this past week. Revelation chapter 13 said, and I stood upon the sand of the sea and I saw a beast. This is not obviously a literal beast, although it takes on animal dimensions, but it is a religious organization and the term beast is used because of its character and because of its nature. The late Pope John Paul II has been eulogized by the whole world. Sadly, very few know what has gone on in the background and whereas it's not my purpose to to denigrate men, nevertheless, I think it is important that we understand the system of which he ruled and also the nature of the man in respect of a number of things. I don't know if any of you have ever read the book by Father Chinoquai called 50 Years in the Church of Rome, but he tells of incredible disclosures of utter hypocrisy, but not only utter hypocrisy, but acts bordering on murder that have gone on in the Vatican. Whereas there is the open position with respect to abortion that the church takes, yet, if you read that book you will read of fetuses that were aborted and cast into cesspools from the very Vatican itself. Numerous, huge numbers. Whereas there is a high moral stance apparently in respect of divorce, marriage and divorce, yet nevertheless, recently, during the reign of this Pope's pontificate, the man who led his funeral issued a statement which demanded that priests who had engaged in pedophilia and acts of homosexuality and other abominable acts that they would be protected and the victims would never be treated with the mercy and the justice that they demand. These are facts that are verifiable. That thing that happened this week relates to a beast. I stood upon the sand of the sea and saw a beast rise out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns and upon his horns ten crowns and upon his heads the name of blasphemy, Vicarious Christos, in the place of Christ. Name of blasphemy and the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, stealth, cunning, speed of action and his feet were as the feet of a bear, dominating, controlling, subduing and his mouth as the mouth of a lion and the dragon, that old serpent, he's called the old serpent, it's also called the dragon, Satan himself, gave him his power and his seat and great authority. And I saw and it was this verse that just struck me so strongly and I saw one of its heads as it were wounded to death and his deadly wound was healed and all the world wondered after the beast. Last Friday and I did watch the funeral because I wanted particularly to observe what was going on. I was sickened by it and but the whole world wondered after the beast. The head that was wounded, I don't know what the significance of that is and but certainly many times the Roman Catholic head has been wounded and then suddenly something happens. I mean it's quite incredible that the heir to the throne of Britain who is his mother particularly as Queen is there to be defender of the faith and by that it was understood to be the defender of Protestantism opposed to Roman Catholicism. That was a big struggle that took place in history in Britain and the potential king, whatever you make of the marriage, that he would actually kowtow to the Roman pontiff to the extent of changing the date of his wedding to accommodate the funeral. Rome always dominates. Was it that that head was wounded way back in Henry VIII's day? Whatever reason we may conjecture and we may pontificate our views. Certainly marriage and a divorce was at the heart of the thing then. Marriage and divorce is now at the heart of the thing again. Where is it going to end? Will Charles ever become king? It was ominous that the Prince of Wales was at the funeral and the same funeral was attended by the Archbishop of Canterbury. So you have the civil head and you have the religious head of the Anglican Church which took a stand against Roman Catholicism present at the funeral last Friday. The head that was wounded or does it refer to the Pope himself? I mean he was almost mortally wounded and the bullets that got very close to his heart and rushed off and all the world wondered. Pursued after amazed. Incredible thing and I've just at this particular time been writing a forward to a book that we're going to produce called Mary Mary Quite Contrary and it's you know, I've been just dealing with this as this whole thing emerged and most interesting as we're standing on the verge of an amalgamation of churches going after this thing and whereas the the Pope, did you notice, has embraced everything and everyone has embraced the Muslims, has embraced Hinduism, has embraced Buddhism, has embraced now the new thing is Mormonism. Mormonism very much on the rise and conversations going on between Mormons and evangelicals, but also a very close liaison between Mormons and Catholics and Mormons making so much ground in the South South Americas and and and come out publicly and saying well, they don't mind if the new Pope is a European, but they'd have some problems if it's going to be somebody from South America and and this whole thing and the whole thing coming together. Where is it all going to end? We're very very close brothers and sisters and yet the Evangelical Church also going down that track. Last Sunday Brian Houston. Now people don't like people making names. Well, I don't know how to identify them without naming them. So Brian Houston, the head of the Assemblies of God denomination of which I was a part. I was the general secretary of that movement in here in Australia until I could take it no longer and I moved out and he Brian Houston last Sunday, and I'll give you the quote the exact quote later on said the Pope has gone to heaven because he believed in Jesus. The Pope who has accommodated all of the religious organizations with the exception of Bible-believing Christians Who he calls Listen, he called us. He called you. Listen, this is you. He called you a rapacious wolf. He said he cannot stand Bible-believing Christians. Yet he will stand there and let a Hindu priestess anoint him. He will associate with all and sundry with Muslims incorporate them all and then Evangelicals will make such statements as that made by Brian Houston who then went on to say I believe in a universal church or word to that effect and He said I trust that you're all praying that the new Pope will believe in Jesus. Believe in Jesus. The Bible says the devil believes and trembles. So and Things are happening quickly. Somebody just handed this to me, you know, there's certain churches have stood strong but but here's one an article by Presbyterians in America Hail Mary and and Here's the picture of the the minister now. I know this isn't true of all Presbyterians, please don't my son is our son is studying to be a Presbyterian minister and that they belong to a good evangelical branch of Presbyterianism, but here this man has found his Presbyterian congregation in Ohio Open to a greater emphasis on Mary's place in Scripture. What what place did Mary have in Scripture? She's mentioned a few times She's mentioned as the vehicle that God chose for the coming of the Son of God. She was a good gracious lady She's mentioned as being at the cross She's mentioned as being in the upper room on the day of Pentecost so she was filled with the Holy Spirit as well She's mentioned as speaking to God as being her Savior. So she needed a Savior All right We recognize all of that, but let us have nothing to do with this Mary ology worship of Mary or prominence of Mary outside of Scripture John chapter 16 is what I want to speak on John chapter 16 turn with turn turn with me to it. Will you John chapter 16? verses 13 to 15 I want to speak on the spirit of truth and the spirit of error John chapter 16 verses 13 to 15. How be it when he the spirit of truth is come He will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself. That is he will not speak from his own authority base Nor will he talk about himself So all of this that has come into Charismatic Pentecostal circles where they talk about good morning Holy Spirit and where they talk about Holy Spirit come it's all totally Contrary to Scripture the Holy Spirit doesn't do that. That's not his position. The Holy Spirit is there to lead us Into all truth. He won't speak about himself He won't speak from his own authority base But whatever he hears that shall he speak and he will show you things to come and in verse 14 He shall glorify me for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you all things That the father hath a mine therefore said I that he shall take of mine and shall show it unto you in this section of John's gospel We have the most comprehensive teaching by Christ about the person Ministry and work of the Holy Spirit. We may divide it into four parts First of all, we have the great purpose for which our Lord gives this teaching verses 1 to 6 let me read it to you these things have I spoken unto you that you should not be offended So he gives the first purpose in verse 1 then he says they shall put you out of synagogues yea, the time comes that whosoever kills you will think that he does God's service and These things will they do unto you because they have not known the father Nor me any Christian that is persecuted by anyone will be persecuted because that person does not know the father nor Christ But these things that I told you that when the time shall come You may remember that I told you of them and these things I said not unto at the beginning because I was with you But now I go my way to him that sent me and none of you asked me Where are you going? But because I have said these things unto you sorrow has Filled your heart the great purpose for which our Lord gives this teaching and then we have secondly the grand plan for the Lord's people and The world and for the world verses 7 to 15 nevertheless, I tell you the truth it is expedient beneficial For you that I go away for I if I go not away the comforter or counselor will not come unto you But if I depart I will send him unto you and when he has come he will reprove or expose or convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of Judgment of sin because they believe not on me of righteousness Because I go to my father and you see me no more of judgment because the prince of this world is Judged I have yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now How be it when he the spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself But whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak and he shall show you things To come he shall glorify me for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you all things that the father hath are mine therefore said I that he shall take of mine and Shall show it Unto you and then the third thing that we see in this chapter is the growing perplexities of spiritual life And service applied to them then it applies to us now verses 16 to 30 a Little while and you shall see me again and again a little while and you shall not see me Because I go to the father then said some of his disciples and here's the perplexity Among themselves. What is this that he says unto us a little while and you shall see me and gain a little while And you shall not see me and again. I go to the father They said therefore, what is this that he says a little while we cannot tell What he says now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him and said unto them Do you inquire among yourselves of that? I said a little while and you shall see me and again a little while you shall not see me Sorry the other way around you shall you shall not see me. Let me read it again Do you do you inquire among yourselves of that? I said a little while and you shall not see me and again a little while and you shall see me Verily I say unto you that you shall weep and lament but the world shall rejoice and you shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy a Woman when she is in travail has sorrow because her hour is come But as soon as she is delivered of the child She remembers no more the anguish for joy that a man is born into the world and you now therefore have sorrow But I will see you again and your heart shall rejoice and your joy No man takes from you and in that day you shall ask me nothing Verily verily I say unto you whatsoever. You shall ask the father in my name He will give it to you Hitherto have you asked nothing in my name ask and you shall receive That your joy may be full these things have I spoken unto you in Proverbs, but the time comes When I shall no longer speak to you in Proverbs But I shall show you plainly of the father at that day You shall ask in my name and I say not unto you that I will pray the father for you For the father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came out from God I Came forth from the father and I'm coming to the world Again, I leave the world and go to the father his disciples said unto him lo now You're speaking plainly and you're not speaking a proverb Now are we sure that you know all things and need not that any man should ask you By this we believe that you came forth From God and then fourthly and finally we have the glorious person of our Supreme Lord Jesus Christ presented to us verses 31 to chapter 17 Verse 3 Jesus answered them. Do you now believe? Behold the hour comes Yeah is now come You shall be scattered every man to his own and you shall leave me alone and yet I am not alone Because the father is with me these things are spoken unto you that in me you shall have peace in the world You shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world these words begged Jesus and lifted up his eyes to heaven and said father The hour has come glorify Your son that your son also may glorify you as you have given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou has given him and This is life eternal that they may know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you are sent I Have glorified you on The earth the spirit of truth and the spirit of error second Thessalonians 2 7 Talks about the mystery of iniquity and it says it's already working only he who now lets Holds it back Will hold it back until he be taken out of the way the reference there probably is to the Taking away of the Holy Spirit Which will happen when the church is raptured because the Holy Spirit at the moment operates within the church of Jesus Christ when the church is raptured the Holy Spirit in that activity of Helping us to be salt and light and various things in our witness and in our work will be taken away and then Iniquity will rampage through the earth Bible talks about another mystery 1 Timothy 3 16 and without controversy great is the mystery of godliness God was Manifest in the flesh Roman Catholic Church will try and tell us that God is Constantly manifest in the flesh by this the bread becomes the literal body Wine becomes the literal blood of Christ. No God was manifest in the flesh He was justified in the spirit. He was seen of angels preached under the Gentiles believed on in the world Received up into glory the whole concept of the mystery of godliness is wrapped up in that great Truth I communicate regularly with a man who was a Jesuit priest His name is Richard Bennett We talked about bringing him out here to Australia I think that is not going to happen now, but he has an incredible story to tell in respect of his work and his stand against The evil of the Roman Catholic Church. I received this email from him this morning I sent him something I wanted him to check out because I find that he's a good authority to check out anything Relating to the Roman Catholic he wrote back and he said that was good work on the article Thank you for being willing to carry our new article in your next CTF it is at times like these the doctrine of the absolute sovereignty of God is the answer against human pride and the glory of the papacy the spirit of our age is essentially that of boasting and Glorying in the flesh the achievement of the Pope The achievements of the Pope are the shrine at which the world worships With the passing of John Paul II we are seeing an unprecedented manifestation of the double abominations of both creature worship and praying For the dead you notice in the funeral there was all these saints that were invoked Certainly more saints than I'd ever heard named, but thank God there are more saints than they have ever named Because you're a saint as well, and I don't think they named you there They certainly didn't name me they named my wife Katerina St. Katerina But I didn't hear st. Filippo So But we have many many saints. Thank God, and we don't have to wait to some beatification by some Person who sets him up as an authority we are seeing an unprecedented Manifestation of the double abomination of creature worship and praying for the dead it is reported that up to four million mourners Including more than 100 heads of state actually about 200 heads of state Attended the funeral once there is general discussion about the election of a new Pope then I will send out a new article That I have written in an opening Paragraph of an old article he says John Paul to rule the religious hierarchy Based in the Vatican for 26 years his teachings have been non-negotiable He stated his style in his decree of 1998 to defend the faith in which he wrote we order that everything decreed by us in this apostolic letter given be established and Ratified he has been insistent on his own authority being supreme and infallible and upholding such dogmas such as Mary being the all-holy one paradoxically the intransigent Pope is also the champion of the faith for many Evangelicals the irony of the situation seems to pass Unnoticed and more and more seem captivated by the one who called himself the Holy Father The Bible says call no man father It is necessary therefore to analyze the accomplishments of John Paul to in the light of the Word of God the scriptures This I have done in the article attached and below I ask that you take it before your church and that as a church you make a decision to contend for the faith and separate from the one who was perverted the gospel of Christ Thank God for the man who stood firm There are not many standing firm today Some people as I say get annoyed with me and others. I suppose there are a few others around who make a stand Against all of this ecumenical stuff, but here's something I want to read to you. It came from the pen of Spurgeon He said give no glory to this rubbish Alas alas it makes a Christians blood-boil to see glory given to a pack of scamps Who call themselves priests does it not make a man feel? when you see pictures of his holiness and the Cardinals and so on Scattering their benedictions at the Vatican or at st. Peter's while admiring crowds fall down and worship them That it were infinitely better to bow to the devil himself We give glory unto God But not a particular of glory to anything in the shape of a man or an angel either Have I not stood and see the crowds by hundreds fall down and worship images and dressed-up dolls. I Have seen them worship bones and old teeth. I Have seen them worship a skeleton dressed out in modern costume said to be the skeleton of a saint. I Have marveled to see people so infatuated as to think that such idolatry was pleasing to the most high God We brethren the people of God who know Christ can give no glory to this rubbish But turn away from it with horror Our glory must be given to Christ and to Christ Alone Christ and Christ only must be the grand object of the Christian the promotion of his glory must be that for which he is willing to live and for which if needs be He would be prepared to die Oh Down down down with everything else but up up up with the cross of Christ Down with your baptism and your masses and your sacraments Down with your priestcraft and your rituals and your liturgies down with your fine music and your pomp and your robes and your garments and all your ceremonials but up up up with the doctrine of the naked cross and the expiring Savior Give no glory to this rubbish Now some people I suppose might be a little horrified to think that on this day so close to the funeral that one would sort of try to pass a bit of humor with respect to What is happening, but I'm sure you'll accept it in good heart here. You see when the Pope or the Roman Catholic Church Accommodates they have to do certain things in their structure They have to be accommodating themselves. They have to compromise And they do I'm sure some of you will remember perhaps you heard the story it happened It was told a few years ago and but I thought it was a bit Appropriate that about the time of the funeral there was a big golf match going on in America I think they called it the masters or something and Well the funerals over but the golf still going on And and and here's something that I was reminded of and I dug it out It says the Pope met with the Cardinals to discuss a proposal from Benjamin Netanyahu the leader of Israel Your holiness said one of the Cardinals Mr. Netanyahu want how do you pronounce that wants to challenge you to a game of golf To show the friendship and ecumenical spirit shared by the Jewish and Catholic faith The Pope thought it was a good idea, but he had never held a golf club in his hand Have we not he said a cardinal who can represent me against the leader of Israel none that plays golf very well a Cardinal said but he added there is a man named Jack Nicklaus an American golfer who is a devout Catholic We can offer to make him a cardinal and then ask him to play The Prime Minister of Israel as your personal representative in addition to showing our spirit of cooperation We'll also win the match Everyone agreed. It was a good idea. The call was made. Of course Nicholas was honored and Agreed to play The day of after the match Nicholas reported to the Vatican Cardinal Nicklaus said the Pope Well your holiness. I don't like to brag But even though I've played some pretty terrific rounds of golf in my life This was the best I've ever played by far. I must have been inspired from above My drives were long and true My irons were accurate and purposeful and my putting was perfect with all due respect. My play was truly miraculous There's bad news the Pope asked Nicholas sighed I lost to rabbi Tiger Woods by three strokes yeah, the The Jews are more than a match Really for the Roman Catholic, dare I try another one just very quickly You'll forgive me today About a century ago. The Pope challenged the Jewish community of Rome to a debate The Jews looked around for a champion who could defend at their faith, but no one wanted to volunteer It was too risky. So they finally picked on an old man named Moish Moish, Moish, thank you. Moish, Moish, good. Moish, who spent his life sweeping up after people to represent Yeah, spent his life sweeping up after people to represent them being old and poor He had not he had less to lose. So he agreed. He asked only for one addition to the rules of debate Not being used to saying very much. He asked that neither side be allowed to talk The Pope agreed The day of the great debate came Moshe and the Pope sat opposite each other for a full minute before the Pope raised his hand and showed three fingers Moshe looked back at him and raised one finger The Pope waved his fingers in a circle around his head Moshe pointed to the ground where he sat The Pope pulled out a wafer and a glass of wine Moshe pulled out an apple The Pope stood up and said I give up. This man is too good. The Jews win An hour later the Cardinals were all around the Pope asking him what happened The Pope said first I held up three fingers to represent the Trinity He responded by holding up one finger to remind me that there was still only one God common to both our religions Then I waved my finger around me to show him that God was all around us He responded by pointing to the ground showing that God was also right here with us I pulled out the wine and wafer to show that God absolves us from our sin He pulled out an apple to remind me of original sin. He had an answer for everything What could I do? Meanwhile the Jewish community had crowded around Moshe Amazed at this old almost feeble-minded man had done what their scholars had insisted was impossible What happened they asked well said Moshe first he said to me that the Jews had three days to get out of here. I Told him that not one of us was leaving then. He told me that this whole city would be cleared of Jews. I Let him know that we were going to stay right here And then asked a woman. I don't know said Moshe. He took out his lunch and I took out mine Now I suppose it's all right to have a little bit of humor but it is a very very Serious situation and the Roman Catholic Monolith is moving But she always shoots herself in the foot Actually, my dear friend Irene Morgan drew my attention to an interview with a George Negus had with the Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal George Pell Quite an interesting interview. You can get it. Those of you do computers if you want to do a Google search search look for Dateline SBS put that in the search and then when you get to the Dateline look for April 6. It's a second in the list and There you have the interview Towards the end of the interview George Negus Asked George Pell He said Cardinal, I don't mean this in a facetious or sacrilegious way But how does the Holy Spirit guide people like yourself in the contrary? When there has to be politics involved there has to be ideology involved. There has to be numbers involved Is the Holy Spirit a good political? numbers man Cardinal George Pell replied no Sometimes he gets it, right and Sometimes he gets it wrong But the Holy Spirit always works through free individuals We try to listen to one another we try to think We try to discern what the church needs and to come to some consensus The Holy Spirit only works through humans and through natural means generally I've received no special inspiration George Negus responded It's interesting though. You said sometimes the Holy Spirit can get it wrong Cardinal George Pell yes Well, there have been bad popes in history Holy Spirit gets it wrong See how they go down that track and friends evangelicals are just falling in behind them blasphemous Iron Morgan wrote in and his letters there as well. You can read it He said I listened with great interest to George Negus interviewing of the Cardinal George Pell on Dateline Tonight and the responses to the questions posed to him I was both astounded and offended as a Bible-believing Christian to hear him say and repeat That in the choice of a pope sometimes he the Holy Spirit gets it right and sometimes he Gets it wrong the clear testimony of Scripture is that since the Holy Spirit is none less or other than God The third person of the Holy Trinity he possesses the attribute omniscience, which is perfect knowledge. It is impossible for him to earn Wounded and should be wounded again But she will rise wounded in the head She will rise I don't know what you make of that revelation verse whether it's going to be literal could be Could be that ultimately a person representing Antichrist will have be wounded and there will be a resurrection. I don't know possibly not Probably symbolic symbolic of what happens throughout history and maybe increasingly so as we approach that time but Jesus said When he the spirit of truth is come he will lead you that is Those who are true followers of the Lord Jesus Christ into Altars now let me run down through this chapter very very quickly God's great purpose in Christ and The scripture these things that Jesus have I spoken unto you that you should not be Offended the word offended there has various connotations But it it carries the idea of a stumbling block Basically that you will not stumble These are the things that I'm telling you that you will not in any way stumble it's Translated 28 times offend in the New Testament the King James Version Total of 30 times and it means to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way Upon which another may trip and fall means metaphorically to offend means to entice to sin to cause a person to begin to distrust and Desert one whom he ought to trust and obey Jesus says these things. I'm telling you that that won't happen to you That you won't offend that you won't fall that you won't give up your trust That you won't be caused to begin to distrust and desert the one who you ought to trust and obey to cause to Fall Away, so the great purpose of this passage Relative to the Holy Spirit is that we might avoid offense that we will not trip because the Holy Spirit is there to protect us and Then also that we might realize that the work of the Holy Spirit is to point to Christ and That we might remember when these things happen That in actual fact Christ spoke them and so we know Who he is that he is a true prophet that he is more than a prophet that he is who he claims to be That he is the Son of God that's verses 1 to 6 Which we have read Then we see God's great plan God's grand plan for the church and the world He says it's beneficial for me for you Not for me. It's beneficial for you That I go away. I suppose throughout history. We have Conjectured on the idea wouldn't have been great if Christ had stayed here Would it be great if we could Talk to him in the flesh No, says Jesus That would not be a good thing It's beneficial to you that I'm going away because in going away I Am sending someone who is marvelously described here as the comforter or as one rendering puts it the counselor A Christian has an inbuilt Counseling agency and whereas we as Christians can help each other I Believe increasingly in these days in which we live We have to get away from the idea that when problems come our way We have to hive off to consult with some specialist or Some expert particularly If it is an expert or a specialist in the world Now I don't say that with regard to normal physical ailments. I believe in medical science. I Believe that doctors are very helpful I've had an operation a couple of operations myself and and I'm not against that But when you get into the area of psychology and the mind You have to be very very careful Where you go to for your advice? The Bible says blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly That psychiatrist out there who may have been instructed in some ideas of Psychiatry and most of them have a flimsy and a very questionable basis Freud and His counterpart I can't think of his young Others When you delve into their background, you'll find that in many instances They had spiritistic connections. Their counselors were demons and They have come up with ideas which the world is clambered after The psalmist says blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly Nor stands in the way of sinners or sits in the seat of the scornful And let me say it's not only now out in the world, but it's in the church. I Was talking to a good friend of mine who's been a pastor in a church in England for 39 years The dear friend Albert Garner He spoke to me about a person that's touring there from Australia and he asked me if I know him I said yeah, I know him and he said I said what what's he doing? He said always he's giving marriage counseling Well friends, you know within the church It seems as though if you can't preach anything else you become a marriage counselor and look I'm not despising Those who can help but when you pursue this in many instances these people have made a mess of it themselves and Then they think they can help those Who haven't I'm all for trying to help people don't get me wrong But I want to say friends that when we become Christians and we're really switched on to the Lord we have an inbuilt counseling agency within us and the preaching of the Word of God so very often becomes the handmaiden of that and Compliments What's happening? That's why when people opt out because of a personal Preference or a personal animosity to somebody who preaches the sincere gospel and Very often they get into a far greater deception and a far greater confusion Than what they were before Because they chase after Things when they're not prepared to sit under the solid ministry of the Word of God. They're looking for for easy ways out The man that I've often referred to when I look upon it as my mentor in a way, although I didn't know him intimately Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones, he would often tell the story he preached to Congregation of a thousand they just come two thousand his building would be full just come to hear him preach preach for an hour and You know and and he said many times many many times Somebody would say to me pastor. I want to see you in the vestry afterwards And he said I would greet that person at the door and say well you want to know I know they said no You've answered the problem the the answer it comes through the preaching of the Word of God The Word of God is quick and powerful and it's sharper than any two-edged sword It becomes our basis our our constant point of reference This is what Jesus said The Holy Spirit is there to comfort to counsel and very often. It's not just what the preacher says But it's something that is that's going on in in that dimension that we cannot really perceive Where where there's a communication? By the Spirit of God to our spirits, and he becomes the counselor and the comfort he will Comfort Jesus said the comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart I will send him unto you He is the comforter He is the counselor today Some I don't know 55 or so years ago The Holy Spirit fell upon a little obscure place in Los Angeles Called a zoosister I know lots of stories that they told about this and lots of bad things have been said But I would recommend to you if you could get a hold of it a book by by a man called Bartleman Frank Bartleman Ed's Ed's read it and I've read it and and and and it because it's very gripping and very thrilling and And he was a journalist of the time and he gives a perception of really what did happen there The fact is that out of that and the Welsh revival which which went hand-in-hand with it This is the Pentecostal movement spread across the world and and touched lives and changed communities And I know that there has been a disturbing element that has happened in recent years But I am convinced that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in those early days was a genuine thing And when he the spirit of truth is coming to comfort to the church But then he comes to convict the world verses 8 to 11 and when he has come he will reprove the word is to convince or convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment the work of the Holy Spirit in places like this Where where ministry of the word is going on is to bring a conviction of sin And that doesn't mean we don't have any fun But our purpose is not to have fun Our purpose is not entertainment We don't quote many jokes here. We have a bit of an exception today And sometimes a little bit of truth with a bit of laughter goes down well But but that's not what it's all about It is to bring a sense of God the conviction of sin This is why I'm against all of the modern ideas the ideas of even cultural Communication what do they mean by that? We've got to be culturally relevant. What do you mean by that? Was Jesus culturally relevant? When I stood against certain things I was told oh, it's cultural Phil I Said no, it's not cultural. It's biblical We can be so cultural that that that we ignore what is truly Bible and And we countermand it we get down the same track as the Catholics where they say the Holy Spirit can make a mistake The Holy Spirit cannot make a mistake Men do If they would analyze the process, why was it that the predecessor to this Pope? That has just died after 26 years. Why was he only in office for 13 days? I think it was 31 was it Short period anyway Why? Because he was beginning to reform The very Vatican itself and they would not stand for it and he was beginning to expose the enormous Financial rorts that have taken place across the world Some time ago it was said that the Chicago Diocese might be bankrupted because of the number of pedophile priests. No, it won't be bankrupted It has enormous resources Beyond our wildest imagination It would never be Bankrupted but the corruption and the process has been involved in that accumulation of enormous wealth If it had been exposed to the world would have been most damning What's happening? I don't if you've ever read the book by David Yellop honest to God get hold of it It's an exposure of what went on in that situation To convict the world of sin. What is sin? Sin is rebellion against us. Sin is a desire to hide That's what happened to Adam when God came looking for him and said, where are you? He said I heard your voice and I went and hid The corruption that's gone on in the Pentecostal movement and the charismatic movement Which is not certainly not as bad as the Catholic in extent, but it's still the same in in essence There's no difference to hide sin And it's being done even as I'm speaking to you men in high office will not face what they should be facing and And expose it to the light of day I've said many times and I say again, there is a difference between covering up sin and Covering sin and you cover up sin. You will never find your sin covered But if you come to Christ and he exposes sin and you confess it and repent Then he will cover it Hallelujah and remember it against you no more in so far as your relationship with him is concerned Blessed be his wonderful Wonderful name God covers sin by what is known as the doctrine of propitiation You've heard me say this many many times It is the mercy seat the mercy seat comes and the mercy seat has to be upheld by God's law Otherwise it won't stand in position and it is always guarded by God's glory People say if we expose this stuff, we'll think of the dishonor to great nonsense. He is beyond being dishonored Hallelujah It was his honor them and it may reflect on the church But it will not disgrace or dishonor our blessed Lord because he is above and beyond it all He sits in heaven Hallelujah, and he beholds the earth and we are like grasshoppers before him All the majesty of his sovereignty and his glory blessed be his wonderful Wonderful name the Holy Spirit has come to convict of sin, but not only to convict of sin, but of righteousness Jesus said of sin because they believe not on me not because they commit awful sexual crimes or even other crimes No, no convict them of sin because they believe not on me That is why these men Commit these crimes because they are not committed to Christ Because they do not believe in Christ in the way the Bible declares that we should believe Because that faith brings with it grace and that grace keeps us from those things Blessed be his wonderful wonderful name of sin because they believe not on me of Righteousness because I go to the Father everything summed up in Christ The greatest expression of righteousness is in Christ and the greatest proof of it is because he's gone to the Father Nobody else has gone to the Father in the way that Jesus Christ went not even Mary. No, no No, the Roman Catholic teaching about the resurrection is not the same as the teaching of the Evangelical Church about the resurrection Christ rose Uniquely, but they teach that the Mary also rose in the same way and they teach that she ascended to heaven Also in the same way that Christ ascended. No, no No a million times. No, so even in those things that we think we are the same. We are not the same It is totally different Hallelujah to convict the world Of sin and of righteousness and of judgment, I Read an article where it says the Pope is now before the judgment. No, he's not. I Don't think he made it to the judgment seat of Christ. The judgment seat of Christ is for those Who believe in Christ? Who believe in Christ supremely? Yes, we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, but there is another judgment there is another judgment for those who do not believe in Christ and it's awful in its contemplation and In its consequences and everyone who is not written in the Lamb's Book of Life is cast into the lake of fire Which burneth with fire and brimstone where their worm is not quenched Where their worm never dies and the fire Is not quenched. Oh my god, but this is not that judgment that is spoken of here The judgment that is spoken of here is the judgment that is passed The Bible says that the Holy Spirit will reveal Concerning the judgment because the prince of this world is judged All iniquity and all evil is not ultimately headed up in the Church of Rome or the Pope It's headed up in Satan himself and that Prince was judged at the cross of Jesus Christ Let it be his wonderful name and he was deposed and his authority was taken The Holy Spirit comes as part of God's grand plan for the church in the world To confirm the truth and I'll leave it here. I'll leave these other two points. We'll pick them up. Maybe some other time To confirm the truth verses 12 to 15. I have yet many things to say to you But you cannot bear them now How be it? When he the spirit of truth is come he will guide you Into all truth if you have the spirit of truth Then you will not embrace error if the Holy Spirit resides in you he will lead you deeper and deeper Into the truth There may be a struggle But that's why he's called many of us here back praise the Lord to him and his way That's why when we went through the struggles and we knew there was something wrong. That's why we knew it The Holy Spirit was at work in us Drawing us. He is the spirit of truth and He will lead us Into all truth. But meanwhile our responsibility Is to contend earnestly for that faith which has been delivered to us Our responsibility is to stand firm for the truth Our responsibility is to declare the truth our responsibility Is to share the truth