Which Anabaptists Will End Up In Hell

Let's pray. Father God, we just thank you for today. We thank you for the sunshine you have given to us I just pray Lord in this hallowed moment that you would come down and reach into our hearts and Soften them open our ears that we could hear.

I pray for a brother Lord. I pray Lord that you would speak through him and say things that We need to hear Courageous Lord exhort us Lord and I pray Lord that you would just strengthen our brother and may you just Come pass him about And that he would just censure your spirit with him in Jesus name. We pray.

Amen Let me see Well, good morning once again God bless you all for being here It is it's good to be here. It's been quite a week this past week a lot of things going on I suppose most of you if not, I'll tell you most of you know that The girl we've been praying for which she was she was found Sasha was her name She disappeared from New Mexico from right there at their their church building and they don't know what they didn't know what happened like it was a month later over a month later, they You know after a lot of searching and rewards put out and just no clues at all someone found her body in the Arizona Desert and This past week they had the autopsy and then later on Friday they had the funeral over in Texas for Sasha Krause and I guess the investigators still trying to find out what happened. I don't know that they have any leads about who did it.

That's still Mystery But you know, I was well I got a call last night from a friend of mine Clayton Weaver He is also on the billboard team. He answers calls like I do He lives in Texas and he just said hey, I just want to let you know. I met your parents at that funeral I said, I didn't know my parents were gonna be at that funeral, but I guess they were at that funeral They traveled from Montana down to Oklahoma and met my uncle there and then they were traveling somewhere else I don't remember where he didn't know where it was, but they stopped at that funeral on the way So they were there asking how many people they said about around 650 people We're at this funeral of this girl who was murdered as far I guess as far as we know In kidnapped from New Mexico murdered in in Arizona as far as we know, but maybe there'll be more Information later what exactly happened, but you know that started me to thinking I started to remember things that have happened stories that I've heard I have two stories to tell you one of them is a true story.

The other one might be true I don't know if it's true or not, but I'm gonna tell them both first story This is the same organization that we support a man over in India. Maybe some of you have heard this story already We support this man called Ravi Abraham over in India. He's part of unreached villages But within that same organization, they have a number of evangelists going out in different parts of India preaching the gospel one of those men is a man named Rajan R-a-j-a-n and years ago he was He felt called to go into a new area and this area was a very it was an unreached area very mountainous area There were cannibals Cannibalistic people there that he felt that God wanted him to go and preach the gospel to them and Of course, he knew that it was dangerous, but he had a young wife she was six months pregnant and they started walking back there into these jungles to take the gospel to them and he was They were looking around for the people.

They didn't have a lot of food. They didn't have a lot of support money there where they were trusting God to get them there and His wife was tired so they were up and kind of a high outcropping and a rock he says you wait here I'm gonna go down to the stream. I'm gonna get some water I'll bring it back up to you just some water to drink because she was thirsty So it was getting toward dark by that time, but he says I think I can make it down there He made it down there got some water and brought it back up to the rock where his wife was and she was gone He called and he called he got desperate.

He called some more but no answer and He kept looking around going through all the high places He could to see and finally as it was can't keep it kept getting darker. He saw a fire burning He saw smoke and flames and so he started walking over there thinking maybe she had been drawn toward that fire What he saw when he came into that clearing horrified him here These people had found his wife killed her and they were getting ready to eat her. These were cannibals this absolutely Rajan his wife was her name was Valsala and it just absolutely Almost made him lose his mind.

He walked away in grief. He went back to his home village Weeping and for the next several months. He just didn't know what he couldn't think straight.

Just just crying out to God That's all he could do After a few months though He felt God speak to him. He says why don't you go back there and preach to those God those people? He says, you know, that's the same thing that happened to me I sent my son to this earth and the very people I was hoping to save they're the ones that killed me would you go back and tell them the gospel and Of course, he struggled with that. These are the people that killed my wife But he finally went and as he went to this Indian this this tribe in India this Cannibalistic tribe when he when he finally came to where they were.

They were so glad to see them They said we want to talk to you. We we have to talk to you And and they said here's what happened After we kidnapped your wife, she started preaching to us. She was telling us the gospel.

She was telling us about you know Jesus and how he came to save and and how we could be forgiven of our sins and before We killed her. She had told us this message and we've been thinking about it ever since We we need someone to tell us how to get saved how to get right with God. And so he preached to those People those cannibals he told them the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ and many of them became saved Today he and some of those men are going into the surrounding villages Preaching the gospel telling others the message of Jesus Christ quite a shaking story But now we fast-forward Some 20 years to another story.

This story happens in a prison Down in Arizona man in an orange jumpsuit is leaving a leading a Bible study. There's prisoners gathered around him They're all followers of Jesus They have their Bibles open and the leader is is going around and asking people about their testimony and everybody goes around gives their testimony About how they became a Christian what what it was that led them finally looked at the leader said Can you tell us your testimony and he says well, yeah, he says I was a serial killer He says I would kidnap people and I would kill them and one day He says I was really good at I could sneak by nobody could catch me doing this but he says I kidnapped this girl over in New Mexico and Nobody knew what happened. It was there.

I left no trace at all, but I took her over to Arizona and That's where I ended up killing her. But that whole ride that car ride from New Mexico to Arizona she was preaching the gospel to me her name was Sasha and He said after I killed her. I couldn't get those words out of my mouth my mind I kept thinking about I kept thinking about what she had told me about Jesus who came to save me He said finally, I knew the authorities were looking for me.

He said I Knelt down. I gave my life to Jesus. I went turned myself in I told him I'm the one who did this do with me whatever you want And now here he is sitting in the murderers section of this prison And he is now a Christian because of the testimony of Sasha Krauss Sasha Krauss Like I say, I don't know if that story is true or not.

Maybe Maybe it will become true. Maybe there's still things that are happening in his mind What happened on that trip between New Mexico and Arizona where she ended up losing her life? We'll keep praying for him. The authorities are still working on it.

We'll see maybe that's a day Maybe that's a story. We'll hear someday in heaven. I don't know But that's the kind of thing God does that's what he does in India And when you hear the kind of girl that she was she was that kind of girl She would write poems and songs about Jesus.

She had memorized many Much of the New Testament is from what I heard. She was She I think she was bilingual. I think she knew several maybe maybe trilingual knew several language languages She was active there in this publishing house and a lot of what they do is in other languages And so I think it's very likely that she was preaching to him the whole way between New Mexico and Arizona So Sasha Krauss her autopsy, like I said was on Monday that same day Monday.

There were other things that happened. I Got an email saying there were two boys that were killed in an auto accident down in Tennessee Woodbury, Tennessee a church kind of like ours and a copy church copy church. I Didn't know them that I know of I asked I Asked around a little bit.

Did you know any of these? Know these people their last name was masked. I know a lot of people that was last name mask But anyway, a 15 year old boy a 10 year old boy. They were brothers died in a car accident I didn't get any more details than that, but it's like wow, this is The world is being shaken.

Not only that there was also the funeral that some of us went to Clayton we'd gotten a call what a week or two before from his mom 32 year old, man He was fairly good health. There were a few health problems, which probably you know diabetes and some things like that probably Contributed to his death, but she went home in the afternoon and there he was laying on the bed dead And her first words were he didn't know the Lord Very sad situation. He was not as far as she knew he had never made a commitment to Jesus Christ and so it was a it was a sad funeral, but there's a lot of people there and We had a few minutes to share the gospel with them and show love to the people that were there And I don't know how many people there 100 150 maybe But again, it's it's been like I say it's been quite a week and Now we have an opportunity though to pray for her other children Katie and Daniel.

Let's pray for them Let's pray diligently for them that they would be saved and Margie said I Asked her, you know, what about Katie getting safe? She says wow if that would happen, that would be the happiest day of my life So let's pray that that happens Also this past week you have this scare going around about this coronavirus is virus It's taken over sweeping across the world called a pandemic now No, it seems to be no way to stop it the way it transmits itself without any symptoms and then the symptoms come later and the you know the death rate in this is What did someone calculate somewhere around 20 times as deadly as the common flu Even though thousands and thousands of people die from the flu every year this is about 20 somewhere around 20 times as deadly as that and So there's a lot of people fearful so a one gauge of the fear that people have is by looking at the stock market and what happens and it has It is went way down this week a bigger crash Since the biggest crash that has happened since the 2008 financial crisis. So then what 12 years something like that So there's a lot of fear in the world today. There's a lot of tragedies There's a lot of reminders with this world that we live in.

There's a lot of people dying It's a dark world, but I'd like to read some verses I read at the funeral God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble Therefore will not we fear though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea Be still and know that I am God. I Will be exalted among the heathen. I Will be exalted in the earth The Lord of hosts is with us The God of Jacob is our refuge Let's bow for prayer one more time father we come to you in the name of Jesus and We thank you that you are a refuge in strength and then no matter what happens no matter how Our lives are shaken we can know that you are never shaken and you're not out of control and Lord, we know that you do grieve over the Human situation the sin The death the suffering and yet Lord You've been known to and you do do this every day take something That was intended for evil and you turn it around and use it for good Like you did with this Pregnant woman in India who was murdered by these cannibals You raised up an army of believers in that place and Lord We don't know yet what all will play out from this story about Sasha But Lord we pray that you would save the soul of her murder and you would save the soul of others as a result and Lord We pray for Margie for comfort for her in the loss of her son and I pray for her other children Katie and Daniel that you would touch them right now and just convict them and help any Scripture that they know Lord that's in their mind just to let that continue to ring through their mind and and let them think about eternity and help them to get born again and Lord we just also pray for comfort for the Krause family and Lord, we pray for others that we know that need your work saving power at work in them.

I just pray for Corey right now where she's at and for Betsy and for Lord so many others that we have loved ones Pray for your protection pray for your power Pray for your conviction pray for your salvation and Lord, I pray for this Message that we have I pray God that you would just be with us the rest of this service I pray that you'd be with each person who is here in this building that you Brought them here for a reason. I Can read some verses from Revelation tell you about a vision that I have when I say I have a vision I'm not talking about one of these supernatural things that happen when you're lying in bed at night. Also, there's a brilliant flashlight I'm talking about more of an imagination that I'm going through but here's the vision.

I'd like to share with you based on these verses from Revelation Chapter 7 verse 9 and 10 and after this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongue stood tongue stood before the throne and before the Lamb clothed with white robes and palms in their hands and Cried with a loud voice saying salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb And I think of this vision of Judgment Day. I think of this vision God seated on the throne clothed in light and all nations Gathered before him his right hand is over here you have this group of people that we just read about these people that are clothed in purity who are right with God and they are there from every nation every tribe every kindred and Language and they are part of that blood-washed throng They are Invited into heaven. They hear the words.

Well done good and faithful servant enter the joy of thy Lord and Eventually, they will be singing this song that it talks about here salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne and Unto the Lamb as we look through this group of people Notice all these various types of people I notice, you know Really really dark-skinned people from Africa and then the more medium-brown people which are you know and a lot of places in the world whether it's India or China or whether it's Latin America and then you see the white people from Russia and Europe and and North America and you see Quite a few different even denominations of people maybe denominations we didn't expect to be there, but they're there people that were within those groups and and they had Repented put their trust in Jesus, maybe in spite of great odds and then as I look over that group of people I see people that I recognize the Anabaptist people I See some Amish people there, you know with the suspenders and the little heart-shaped coverings of some of them Where and the broad fall pants that the men wear and different things and long beards And then I see the ones with a little bit shorter beards the beachy people and you know They're different style of coverings that they have and then then you know maybe see, you know the Mennonites with their cap coverings and the and the men with their plain coats on and and and no beards and Then you see the the charity people, you know with their hanging veils I see a lot of different groups the G German Baptist people see some of all of them there and And I recognize them I know where they fit in and I'm praising the Lord For what God has done in their heart and this is a Gathering that will last forever glorious gathering But then I see another group of people And once again I see this group of people that have been rejected said depart from me he cursed it into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels and And I look through that group and guess what I see over there I see the same mix of dark skin medium skin light skin I see people from all kinds of religions and backgrounds and Then I'm shocked to see over in that group of people also some of those Anabaptist people and Once again, I see the Amish with the long beards and suspenders and I see you know the Beachy's and the Mennonites and the German Baptist and the charity and Valley Christian Fellowship With their hanging veils with their way that they dress I see some of them over there to Anabaptist people of every stripe and I think how can that be? I thought they were following God. Why are they on the left hand and not the right hand and The question went through my mind and this is the title of my message who are these Anabaptist people Who will end up in hell? Who are the Anabaptists that will end up in hell and This was a haunting question that went through my mind and I have to be so careful as I talk about this because I In this message do not want to play judge I am NOT qualified to sit on that throne and judge anyone But what I can do is open up this scripture the Bible the Word of God and Read verses that give clear warnings and some of those warnings are simply so clear that we have to say here They are they stand on their own. I don't have to interpret them I just have to read them and they were written to us and You know when I ask who are these Anabaptists That are in danger of hellfire.

One of the things I want to say is who they're not. We're not talking And again, these are subgroups within larger groups We're not talking about the prodigals those that once were Anabaptists and then left that's not who we're talking about Those that have once been a part of an Anabaptist group and Then they just said I don't believe in God anymore I walked away and lived in sin and that was what that's that's that's not who we're talking That's that would be another group that we could talk about but that's not who we're talking about this morning We're probably not talking about people who compromised on some scriptures that we hold dear You know what Jesus said about divorce and remarriage what Jesus said about taking up the sword Probably that group of people over there on the left hand To us it's on our right but to the throne. It's on the left It's they're probably not people who went and joined the military.

They knew better than that They knew better than to take up the sword because Jesus said who you takes up the sword will perish with the sword And so these people they've been taught that from little up They knew better than to get involved in that kind of killing and so forth they're Probably not guilty of taking an oath Standing in a courtroom and say I swear this I swear that they've been taught not to do that They probably weren't people that were deceived by this false teaching once saved always saved once you pray a sinner's prayer As a young child then, you know, however, you live from then on you're on your way to heaven Even if you go back into sin, they knew better than that But they're still on the left hand They're still they were they were lifelong Anabaptists members in good standing at various churches of various stripes and So as I Thought about this subject It's been going through my mind for a little while and I thought about what categories of people are then in that group Because it's a whole lot better for us to identify it now than to wait till then and So we're going to open up our Bibles and I would like to challenge you to not always do I read a lot of scripts Sometimes I'll read a passage of Scripture and in one path in one in one chapter. I'm going to do some turning back and forth and But I would like to encourage you to go ahead and turn to these scriptures so that you see it as well but there are I think I have eight different categories here of groups of people That at least by the scriptures it seems to elevate these the seriousness of these eight issues To the point where it seems as though they could end up in that group of people and I say seems again I want to be so careful because this is so serious. I don't want to be the judge I don't want to sentence anybody condemn anybody to hell that God is not Can you know that God is not doing that but God has given us these scriptures for a reason? What I don't want to do is ignore what God has said But I don't want to do is water it down and make it less serious than what he has said That's why I want you to turn to these because then you can see yours for yourselves How serious these things are and there's some things that are not on this list that I have There's some commands that are very serious You know, God told us to be praying people, but there's I don't know.

There's a real clear line between you know, how much Prayer and you know, we ought to be engaging in every day. You know, the Bible tells us to Husbands love your wives and wives submit to your husbands, but you know, what about You know, you know, it doesn't you know, what's the level of that? What if someone doesn't do that perfectly? I don't know I'm not the judge. I'm just I'm reading the verses that do give us clear warnings about some issues You know, we believe in the head covering, you know Cuz first Corinthians 11 says it doesn't ever give us a verse that says though that says, you know People who don't believe in the way we practice that are gonna be on the left.

I Think it's a serious issue But I couldn't find a verse that would say that will raise it to the same level as the list that I'm going to put It here. So I'm not gonna judge either way on that I'm gonna let that in God's hands what I am going to list are the things that I found verse Maybe that verses that I don't have But I found verses that say these things are extremely serious Watch out for them. So We're gonna start out.

I'm gonna First of all erase this we're gonna make a list here on this board. Go ahead and turn to John chapter 3 to begin with John chapter 3 And we'll read a few verses Here Jesus talking to Nicodemus. He simply says this John chapter 3 verse 3 Jesus answered and said they have verily verily I say unto you except a man be born again He cannot see the kingdom of God and then later He says except a man be born of water and of the Spirit.

He cannot enter the kingdom of God I'm afraid there's gonna be a lot of people who like I say, we're lifelong I'm about to say they had they had you know done everything that they knew to do within their culture But they were not born again This is a supernatural happening that happens when a person Repents thoroughly of their sin. They humble themselves before God. They put their trust in Jesus Christ Jesus said he that believeth in is baptized shall be saved and They had never done that they had grown up in these Situations, but they had never Put their own trust in Jesus.

Maybe they're trusting in something else Yeah, Jesus also Luke 14 33 except a man gives up everything he has he cannot be my disciple full surrender to Jesus Jesus do whatever you want do with me what you want John 12 24 except the corn of wheat fall into the ground and die It abideth alone, but if it died it brings forth much fruit These people had never died to themselves Yielded their life to Jesus Christ and then been baptized and then followed him faithfully from that day forward They hadn't been born again. I'm afraid that's one category of people who may be over there on the left hand number two You can turn to Luke chapter 12 Luke chapter 12 and it gives Another category of people here and I'll just put up here The two words hidden sin Hidden sin sin in their life that had never been exposed never brought to light Luke chapter 12 verses 1 to 5 in the meantime They were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people so much that they taught trode one upon another and he began to say to his Disciples first of all beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is Hypocrisy I could have also put up the word simply hypocrisy up there, but I'll be a little bit more specific Hidden sin for there's nothing covered. This will not be revealed neither hid that shall not be known therefore whatsoever.

You have spoken in the light Whichever you have spoken in the darkness shall be heard in the light What that which he have spoken in the ear in the closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops And I say unto you my friends be not it Don't be afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do But I will forewarn you who you shall fear fear him which after he is killed the killed hath power to cast into hell Yea, I say unto you fear him so talking about this thing of hypocrisy in other words This these people they had hidden sin I had to think of this situation down in Haiti this this this man who was abusing boys for years No one knew it. It was hidden. It was it was buried, but eventually It came to light and as I understand it.

He did repent and he's now sitting in prison and He's paying for his sins it's a long gonna be a long process I heard that he was truly repentant from the fruit that people could see around him And that's good that he was truly repentant, but what if he had died? Before it came to light what if he had died? He was a good missionary. He was talented at the language. He was Everything but but it wasn't exposed.

It wasn't repented up. It was hidden What if he had died during that time we hear stories of preachers preachers go around giving? You know meetings at different places, and then you find out years later. They had been involved in horrendous sin for years These are horrible stories but I'm afraid that there's gonna be many of those on judgment day on that side because of this issue of Hidden sin, and I'll say I've said it before I said I'll say it again if you're a Christian here if you're new Christian But any so any Christian one of the most important things you can have is a clear conscience keep that clear conscience That's the most valuable thing that you have don't let it don't let it Get away if something's hidden repent confess it Get rid of it hidden sin Category two of those who will be on the wrong side on judgment day number three turn to Matthew chapter 6 Matthew chapter 6 Let's read verses 14 and 15 This is a sermon of the mount Jesus Just given the Lord's prayer one of the things in that prayer was forgive us our debts as we forgive other people Their trespasses now here He says in verse 14 for if ye forgive not men their trespasses your heavenly father will also forgive you But if you forgive not men their trespasses neither will your father which is in heaven either will your father forgive your trespasses? It could also turn up to Matthew chapter 18 he tells a story there of the king with the talents and how the Servant who had been forgiven millions of dollars wouldn't forgive $10 of his fellow servant And he was thrown to the tormentors and Jesus said so will my father do to you if you don't forgive other But I believe this is the issue that's going to catch many people off guard remember the people who are over here Maybe in this whole group, but especially in this subgroup There's going to be many people within this group on the left who did not expect to be there They expected to be on the right hand But they found themselves on the left hand that's what Grabs my attention when we read some of these Judgment Day stories people are shocked I Don't want us to be shocked That's why we're reading these verses here, but this issue of forgiveness or bitterness if you don't forgive from your heart You'll find yourself on the wrong side on Judgment Day according to Jesus this was hit home to me in a very real way at a young age I've shared this story before but if you haven't heard if you don't remember it I went to this funeral up in Canada and a man was there who are the man who had died? The story was this he had lots of he was he was okay.

He was a he was a conservative Christian man Anabaptist man he had Lived his life most of the time either in the church or around the church, but there were a lot of hurts There was a lot of conflict in the family a lot of conflict in the church. He had a heart attack and He had what you I heard about a this near-death experience of Mike's grandma I believe you said well this guy had that experience. He felt himself leaving the body phones up going through this tunnel toward the pearly gates But he got to the gates.

They said sorry you can't come in here. No one with unforgiveness can enter here Well, he was a Christian. He thought he was a church person He thought but he had unforgiveness toward all these hurts these people that had hurt him and the scary thing about Unforgiveness is most people don't know it's there if you have unforgiveness in your heart it sneaks up on you You know the scriptures that say I have to forgive so we say with our mouth I forgive That's not what Jesus said to say it with your mouth.

He said if you don't forgive from your heart and That's why it's and so a lot of people believe they have forgiven in reality. They have not That's why they're shocked on Judgment Day the next one Ezekiel 33 and Here God's telling Ezekiel that he you know, he was ordaining him a prophet I think to some extent we can we can we can bring this to ourselves The and and I again, I'm not sure how to all interpret this I know Ezekiel had a special calling not all of us have the same special calling as Ezekiel and yet it's here and it's somehow I believe applies to us again What how this is all gonna play out on Judgment Day? I don't know exactly but it's very clearly given as a warning So I'm gonna give it and he says so thou all son of man Ezekiel 33 verse 7 I have set thee a watchman into the house of Israel Therefore thou shalt hear the word of my mouth and warn them from me when I say to the wicked a wicked man Thou shalt surely die if thou does not speak to warn the wicked from his way that wicked man shall die in his iniquity But his blood will I require at thy hand nevertheless if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it if he do not Turn from his way. He shall die in his iniquity, but thou has delivered thy soul It sounds really serious.

And so I'm going to give it to you as being very serious. Do we have? If we don't do something To warn the wicked around us to warn people who are not right with God to warn them of the danger They're in get right with God. I Don't know what extent we need to do this.

I don't know what the right way to do I think there is something about just being a person who shares that kind of gets around I think people know if I ever do want to get right with God I know who to go talk to and I'm not saying getting the blood off of our hands has always done the same way in every place at every time but we somehow have to be people who share the gospel people who warn people who Maybe gently maybe more harshly. However, God has called you to do it I don't know but somehow get the blood off of our hands that we make it clear There is a judgment coming and sin will not go Unpunished and there is there is forgiveness available in through Jesus Christ number five Who could end up on the wrong side on judgment day number one, they're not born again number two They've hidden sin in their life. Number three.

They have bitterness or unforgiveness. They don't even know they have unforgiveness But they do or number four. Well, they're living in victory themselves But they don't seem to care about people that around them that are lost.

They're not telling them Doing anything to spread the gospel doing anything to warn the wicked. All right number five turn to Galatians Chapter 5 again. We're talking about things that tend to I fear will sneak up on people That will sneak up on people even those that we agree with doctrinally in so many ways the Anabaptist people and Yet as I read some of these verses it makes me tremble and So I'm sharing them again with you Ephesians, I'm sorry Galatians chapter 5 verse 20 Verse 19 says the works of the flesh are manifest and it lists a number of them including adultery fornication unclean uncleanness and Then verse 20 says idolatry Witchcraft, let's just stop right there I believe this I'm afraid I fear that this is an issue.

That's going to catch many people Because People's again say well, I I didn't know this was witchcraft I mean these issues of divination and you know water witching and New Age healing practices and some of these things that appear To be by the if you look at the characteristics of them Appear to fit within this area of witchcraft and here it says that people that do these things They will not inherit the kingdom of God. That's how serious it is It isn't maybe some other just a slight doctrinal difference here that we have No, it says they won't inherit the kingdom of God so I don't know what else to do with it than to read it just like it says and I have to ask the question. What about those that don't know? Well, that's something that I think God does know what we know and There is a point when the Apostle Paul was living in blatant sin He was he was Saul of Tarsus at that point.

He was murdering Christians. That was his job I mean some people have a job of being a mason They build houses other people do framing other people do accounting work. He had a different job.

It was killing Christians You think wow, that's not a good guy, and he wasn't a good guy, but he was doing it in ignorance He thought he was doing God's service when he did it. It was still a sin God was ultimately gonna hold him responsible, but his ignorance Wasn't an excuse to call it not sin instead It was a reason, you know I think that God reached out to him and said wake up Paul. This is sin.

You do need to repent. He did thankfully this issue of witchcraft Again, there's people that maybe are practicing things. They honestly don't know that it's sin They don't know that it's witchcraft My concern is not so much that they don't know my concern is for those who don't care enough to investigate That's the that's why I put this on the list These things are noble witchcraft has characteristics and you can examine those characteristics and compare things that you're doing With those characteristics and find out according to all the evidence Does it appear to be witchcraft or doesn't it? But if you don't care enough to investigate My fear is the gods gonna hold you just as accountable in judgment as a person who knew that they were practicing witchcraft The person over in Africa who yeah, I'm a witch.

I'm a witch doctor. I push curses on people I've killed five people so far in my life and I plan to kill more if I need to raise money, whatever Yeah, they're practicing witchcraft all the time and they know they're practicing witchcraft They're gonna be guilty. They know they're gonna be guilty.

We know they're gonna be guilty But what about the people that don't know and say well, I'm not going to investigate that's my burden here Let's care enough to investigate you say well I know this person over here who thinks it's okay this person over here who has a different opinion I've got two different opinions to choose from so I'll pick one that I like. No, that's not how you investigate That's not an investigation an investigation means examine the evidence. It doesn't mean pick an opinion It means you invest you you look at the evidence to find out what what what God thinks up? so again, that's why I'm putting that one on the list and you know the interesting thing about this list is we can be diligent about some of them and yet get to another one and The same Seriousness is put on us at least from Scripture if we ignore Just that one Again, I'm not the judge on Judgment Day But if I have eight things on this list and we say well, I'm gonna make sure I'm born again I'm gonna deal with all the hidden sin in my life.

I'm gonna make sure I'm not engaging in bitterness And I don't have blood when I'm doing what I can to share the gospel and not Making sure witchcraft isn't an issue. I've repented of all that if I've ever done it before Okay but then we get to another one and According to Scripture, it's just as serious even if all the rest of these are in order and that's that's the one I'm thinking of when we come to this next one Matthew chapter 25 Here we have a group of people who once again are tragically surprised on Judgment Day Matthew chapter 25 Verses 41 through 46 then shall he say to them on the left hand depart for me Accursed and everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels for I was in hunger and you gave me no meat I was thirsty. You gave me no drink I was a stranger and you took me not in naked and you clothed me not Sickened in prison you visited me not then shall they say I'm also into him Lord When shall we thee and hunger or thirst or stranger naked or sick or in prison and did not minister to thee? Then shall he answer to them saying verily I say unto you in as much as you did it not to one of the least Of these you did it not to me and these shall go away into everlasting punishment But the righteous into a life eternal notice he didn't tell these people look you were never born again He didn't tell him yet hidden sin in your life.

You had bitterness. He hadn't forgiven Blood in your hands for not witnessing to people you had witchcraft in your life that you hadn't dealt with it He didn't tell him any of that But he said you were not active in ministering to the needs of your fellow men physical means Feeding the hungry clothing the naked Ministering to people needy people around the world or giving to others that are doing that and Just not my ministry, I'm a song leader I'm a I lead Bible studies or children's. I don't feed the hungry.

That's that's just not my thing Somebody other people do that. I mean there are people big businesses. They can feed the hungry.

That's not my job But here God says well look This was part of the gospel. This was part of what you were called to do and You didn't do it Even though you had lots of opportunity and I think you know like we heard in that talk in Iraq who has more Opportunity than we who live here in America. They can get jobs.

Can we have travel opportunities we have More than any other country in the world who has more opportunity to minister to needs around the world than we do as American Christians the next one is related James chapter 5 James chapter 5 and you see here what what some of these people were doing with their money rather than Feeding the hungry James chapter 5 verses 1 through 3 go to now you rich men weep and how for your miseries that will come upon you your Riches are corrupted Your garments are moth-eaten your gold and silver is cankered and the rest of them shall be a witness against you witness when Judgment Day and she'll eat at your flesh as it were fire. You have heaped treasure together for the last days Heaped treasure together Think I'm talking about things that we need, you know, I need a car so I I put money aside to buy the car I think I'm gonna get married. So I need a house.

I don't know where our needs start and stop, but we're not I Don't read this thinking this is talking about that But somehow this is talking about something somehow Jesus words. Do not lay up treasure for yourselves on earth Mean something there is a way to disobey Jesus in this area and I'm concerned about I'm Been concerned about for a long time that we're as we heap treasure together for ourselves unused wealth while there's hungry needy people in the world that somehow on Judgment Day, it's going to be a very bad thing So I'm putting that on the list the last one number eight Chapter 3 chapter 2 and 3 Jesus is talking to people Christians Probably Christians who had heard the gospel so they were born again. They were told they can't have hidden sin in their life They were told to deal with bitterness and they're told to witness and so forth and so maybe for a while they did these things But something happened Revelation 2 verse 4 Says nevertheless, I have something somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love and goes on later to say watch out Or I will remove your candle turn forward to Revelation 3 verse 16 So then talking to the church at Laodicea because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth and that's a scary one Identify some of these others are pretty clear Have I been born again? Do I have hidden sin? I can examine myself on that I can examine myself on bitterness.

Well, who do I know that? You know, if I just had to name one person who has hurt me the worst in my life That likely is going to be your biggest temptation to bitterness Whoever that person is who has hurt me the worst I can examine these I can examine blood on my hands Am I doing what I can to at least try to? Encourage people get right with God witchcraft feeding the hungry. Am I active in that? and The the thing of you know, heaping treasure to get all these things But they it seems like a lot of those feed into the last one Lukewarm, I just have a hard time putting putting my finger on that one saying exactly what is the cost? But I think if you examine those other things It'll give you some clues as to where this other one is this lukewarmness that even though it's a little bit nebulous It's a little bit cloudy. I'm not sure if I'm guilty of allowing lukewarmness to creep into my heart But it has something to do with love our love for God has something to do with our obedience to God We need to examine ourselves and you say well preacher That's not really fair for you to put something up there and not give us a concrete way to examine ourselves I don't know what else to do.

God put it in the Bible So I'm reading it to you and saying watch out for this thing of lukewarmness, but I would like to read you one last thing that hopefully Will help spur you out of lukewarmness and I just happened to pick this up We were having devotions their family We get this little magazine beside the still waters and yesterday evening was the one this is the one that was to read this time so we read it and I'll read it to you and Jeremiah verse 20 it says but his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones And I was weary with forbearing have you ever wondered if witnessing for the Lord is worth the time when so few bother listening Have you ever wondered if the cross is too heavy and considered forgetting about pointing folks to Christ the Redeemer? Have you ever felt that Christ is cruel and requiring everyone to deny himself and follow him? When we draw close to the Lord we love we realize those questions are all wrong as we gaze at Jesus face and savor his love And salvation our hearts burn and the cross that has been a burden becomes a joy to carry When we remain silent refrain refrain from expressing Christ's love to others It should be like trying to stop a raging inferno like Jeremiah We should have such a burning fire that we cannot contain it because and we become bold in witnessing Our mentality should be for Zion's sake. Well, I'm not hold my peace. I will not rest until the righteousness thereof go forth With Paul we should declare that we are more than conquerors and that nothing should be able to separate us from the love of God But maybe we are not filled enough with the gospel does the Word of God thrill us and move us to action as it ought We should be so enthralled with this man from Nazareth.

We have no time to follow fashions and worldly attractions Or does the world hold such an appeal that evangelizing has lost importance? Remember these solemn words love not the world neither the things that are in the world for all that is in the world Passes away in the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will of God Abideth forever Let's bow for prayer as you're bowing eyes closed. I just want to Give an invitation here in just a little bit. I'm gonna ask two invitations.

I'm gonna ask number one Is there anyone here that says I would like to talk to someone I need help I don't think I'm right with God and I really need counsel. I need some help getting right with God I'm gonna ask you if you are in that situation You just to raise your hand I'm also gonna ask another invitation and that is if there's anybody that says I Need to deal with some of these things in the lab. I need to think about them I need prayer as I think about you're not asking for counsel necessarily You're simply raising your hand and saying please pray for me.

I've got some things to deal with So we're gonna pray first of all and then keep your eyes closed. I'm gonna ask those two questions Lord we come to you in the name of Jesus And we thank you for being with us this morning We thank you Lord for your word and your word is here to give us Like we heard a couple Sundays ago the assurance of salvation and yet you've given us these tests and these warnings and we're Instructed to take them seriously because so many on Judgment Day will be disappointed and we don't want to be among those We want to be among those who say who hear the words. Well done good and faithful servant enter into the joy of thy Lord And So Lord, we thank you for these warnings.

They are given to us as a blessing a beautiful gift From your hand. I pray for everybody. That's here.

I pray Lord that you would help us examine our hearts and Repent of anything Lord that you want repented of just guide us as we go from this place In Jesus name. Amen. Keep your eyes closed And again, I just want to ask the question.

Is there anybody here that says I need to get right with God Maybe on one of these issues one of these eight things up here And I need help in doing so. I Need counsel if that's you raise your hand put your hand up and then back down and we'll try to talk to you afterward Is there anyone? Okay. Thank you.

Second question. We're gonna pray here in just a minute. Is there anybody that says I need prayer? About something that I heard this morning put your hands up and then down Thank you God sees those hands Anyone else, okay.

Thank you. Let's pray father we come to you in the name of Jesus and we once again humble our hearts before you and Lord you saw every hand that went up People asking for prayer. We ask you God on their behalf Behalf of your kingdom that you would examine those hearts Especially those that raise their hands asking for prayer Lord But everybody Lord if somebody thought they should have raised their hands and didn't for whatever reason I pray you minister to them too, but especially those that raise their hands Lord lay your hand upon them and Work in their lives today.

Help them as they examine their hearts in these eight points Lord Is there anyone that has not been truly born again by the Spirit of God? Is there anyone that has any of these sins of witchcraft or bitterness or or maybe there's? Lord blood on our hands for not being active and sharing the gospel or Lord maybe we're being selfish with our resources when we could be feeding the hungry and instead we're Lord living selfishly whatever that means Keeping treasures together Disobeying Lord help us to know what it means to obey your commands About our money help us to know what a violation even looks like Lord and help us to stay far away from that Whatever it is Lord. Just help us to examine these things help I just pray for your convicting power your Holy Spirit to move upon each one and I pray you'd send everyone home with a blessing now help them help help each one to Lord take to heart what your word says and Lord just protect us as well. I ask for your protection over me and over my family and Lord we In no way Want to play judge.

I don't want to judge anyone Lord. I simply want to share what you have already judged God about these things and in where the scripture is so serious, I pray that we would take it serious and That you would make us strong you would bring revival to our midst you would Guide and direct us in holiness and righteousness that you would be with us this week as we meet Lord in the At the purity meeting and Lord that you would help us to stay away from the loss of that this world has to offer help us as we meet for the prayer meeting Saturday morning and Help us to do your work as we pray and as we gather again next Sunday Lord help us just to be your people and guide us and direct to show us What that means? But Lord, I pray that if there are people right now all across in this building, especially But across the Christian world the Anabaptist world the Lord whatever denominations are out there people who believe they're going to be on the right hand on Judgment Day, but you know that currently they are Still on the left their names are not in the book of life. I Pray that Lord you would shine a light into their lives You would call men from darkness to light From the power of Satan to God that they could receive that inheritance among them Which are able to them which are sanctified into those who are born again through faith in Jesus Thank you God For gathering us here.

We just pray that you would dismiss us with your blessing Jesus name. Amen, brother Glenn. I'll give the time back to you Thank You Roger those are some very Thought provoking thoughts and I appreciate the word this morning and I thought it was interesting Most of the verses that you read this morning and picked this morning.

I had it underlined in my Bible and I Added a few since then this morning, but you know not be born again The first one if you would have read read He read down to about verse four But if you were to read three more verses the Bible says he must be born again So there's really no option. You must be born again. If you're gonna enter in you must be born again and Anyway is there anyone here that has a testimony You Know it's easy to think I've been thinking of some Beth had to it's easy to think that you know time we have time so I didn't know this man was sick and This neighbor man.

He was a good neighbor You know, he's a friendly neighbor, you know, if we need to air for the bicycle tire We could run up there need this or need that you need run up there. He's all the helpful And so we were surrounded by some good neighbors. And then when my wife called me and said, Hey, do you know he's sick? I said, I didn't know that.

And so I thought this Sunday we'll go up as a family and visit him. Never made it that far. Tuesday he's dead.

I just could not believe it. His sister said he's not doing very good. Most times if they're not doing very good we have some time, right? That's the way we think.

By Tuesday he was dead. The opportunity was over. And I remember years ago my wife's grandpa, Eldon Berkey, I just felt one day, one Friday, I just felt like, you know, I need to go visit this man.

He was going through some, in the sunset of years of life, he was going through some struggles. They were going through some church difficulties and he was struggling. I just felt impressed to go visit him.

I didn't know what I was going to say. I just went to visit him. And just hear what he said.

The old man, tears ran down his face, started sharing. I didn't say nothing. I just listened.

And a week later he was dead. And I just was like, oh, I'm so glad I went and visited him. And so in saying all that, when the Holy Spirit prompts you and speaks to you, go visit.

Just take the time to go visit. It may be your last opportunity. And I was just thinking, you know, he's sick, we've got time, but he's dead.

Now he's in the hands of God. Anyone else? I think the silence just shows that I'm thinking a lot about what he had to say. Amen.

How was that again? So why didn't I? There's things on that list I've got to work on. I know it's not a catechal thing that you need to work on. It's a journal thing.

I was really ashamed. You know, passing out tracts from time to time has been a real passion of mine. When I got away from it somehow, I didn't know.

I didn't figure out exactly why. But I went all the way to Mexico with all of our Spanish tracts. I can't do that.

I even was fully arrested at the airport. But I just didn't do that. I appreciate it.

I've been truly non-negative versus all the attempts to fight faith, to lay hold on eternal life, referring to the knowledge of the Holy Spirit. When we choose to do that, when we get into that, these things kind of take care of themselves. So I guess the simple response is to make sure my heart's not getting weak.

Make sure that I'm going forward. I'm in the fight. I'm willing to fight.

And if I'm not, I need to examine myself. And I can examine the list, but it's a long list. So I need to be honest with myself and God.

What can I say? Say what's necessary to God. Search my heart. Anyone else? What about you young people? Caleb.

You have a thought? I appreciated what he said, Val. I appreciate that he had courage to speak and to share God's word. But I was touched with number four and number eight, is being lukewarm and not really caring about the other people out there that don't know Jesus.

Those two kind of run together. Well, being the last one, they all kind of, the last one is an antidote to the whole problem pretty much. If we're lukewarm, we're not going to really care about heaven and sin.

We're not going to care about bitterness. We're not going to care about the blood on our hands and witchcraft. I really appreciated the thought of not caring to at least go find out.

You know, go find out. Feeding the hungry. HTT.

What do those abbreviations mean? Keeping the presents together. Okay. Okay.

Maybe we can stand. Dennis, do you have a verse or song for us? Caleb, would you want to dismiss this with a word of prayer? Thank you. I'll start with song number 490.

I'll sing first and last. Am I a soldier of the cross, a follower of the Lamb? And shall I hear Turbo his cause, or blush to speak his name? When that illustrious day shall rise, and from these shadows of victory to the skies the glory shall rise. Read your word.

Pray that you'd be with us the rest of the day and the rest of the week. You could share with others. You could be a light in this dark place.

Pray that you'd be with us and be the same. Amen.