True Freedom - Part 2 | Dr. Sandra G. Kennedy

0:00This morning, church, we're going to address an issue of great importance to all of us at this time an exhortation that was given by Paul himself to the Colossians. It was both an encouragement and a warning. And it reads like today's newspaper, Colossians 2, "...seed to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception. According to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ, far in him, all the fullness of deity dwells and bodily form. And in him, you have been made complete, get that, you have already been made complete in him, and he is the head over all rule and all authority."

1:05Paul commends the Colossians for their consistency and following the Lord. That's part of the problem across the nation now. The church starts out good and doesn't finish very well many times. If ever there were a time to finish well, it is now. You know, and we try to share that with you, time is running out. The closing of an age, we are watching it come to pass. And so Paul is addressing them, and he's telling the Colossians, thank you for being consistent in here. They don't waffle, he said, they don't act one way in public, and then act another way in private. And because of what was happening, because they didn't act one way in public, and didn't act the different way in private, because of this, Paul exorps them to continue doing exactly what they're doing. They're walking up rightly, and they're being true to the call of God, Colossians 2. Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, having been firmly

2:11rooted and now being built up in him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed and overflowing with gratitude. Then Paul spent the rest of his time warning them about things that could derail their walk with Jesus. There were certain societal things happening that threatened the body of Christ. Paul was alarmed by the things that were going on and issued a warning, urging the believers to be on guard against worldly trends of that day. It's really interesting how contemporary these warnings really are, and you will be stunned as we go along with them. And church, this worldly nonsense, and humanist philosophy has crept into the church. That's what Paul called in 1 Timothy 4.1, doctrines of demons.

3:12It is misguided nonsense, and I'm about to share with you nine of these dangerous doctrines for two reasons. He said, I do not want you to be ignorant, and I want you to be ready to testify to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ every time you have an opportunity. So here are nine dangerous doctrines, our practices that have already, already not going to already infiltrated the church across America. You're going to be shocked by some of it. But the Lord says it's out there and it's spreading, and you need to know about it, and you need to pray it away, and that it be exposed. Number one, flying rainbow flags.

4:17The only flags that should be flying in churches are the national flag and the Christian flag. What should be happening is that we ask God for opportunities to help the same sex, attracted, and transgender people find true freedom, forgiveness, and identity in Christ. Number two, social justice. Another thing that is crept into the church is the promoting of social justice in a way that has clear ties to Marxism, instead of promoting biblical truths, contrary to some who say so, Martin Luther King explicitly rejected Marxism or communism, and often distance

5:18himself from communist, or socialist organizations. That has been taken out of context by people and made it look like that Martin Luther King was far, these particular things. He was not, it just tells me you don't know anything about him. He was not. Number three. Everything are displaying the Palestinian headscarf as a statement of opposition to Israel. You already know that there's replacement theology, which is a huge demonic push across the nation, and many major denominations, the founders would absolutely just roll over and just kick all the dirt off of them.

6:19If they knew that their foundation, that the place they established, major denominations, already believed that the church has replaced Israel. That is a bold face lie, it is not biblically sound. You might have noticed, very Christian clergy are Christian activists who are wearing and displaying the Palestinian scarf as a statement of opposition to Israel. When in reality, it's a lack of compassion for the Palestinians, because if they really cared for the Palestinian people, they would be protesting against Hamas and against Hezbollah. The two groups that are the true cause of Palestinian suffering, it is not Israel that

7:19is the cause. Number four. There's a movement called the Third Way. It advocates neutrality in the church about everything regarding political, social, and cultural issues. In other words, we don't want to offend anyone is there a motto. The Third Way, as it's called, the Third Way people walk the middle ground, they don't have a strong opinion about anything. So pastors who lead this kind of church have no strong opinion either. And their teaching remains very shallow because they're too busy trying to keep everybody happy. So when you don't take a stand for anything, you have people who don't understand their

8:21Bible. Therefore they don't really know how to live. That's the Third Way movement. You say, well, I don't know if there's that hurting body, there's been around here. The Lord obviously thought you needed to know about them because they're going to knock on your door and they've already snuck in some of your churches. Number five, there's also a movement called the New Apostolic Reformation. The New Apostolic Reformation. I'm very much aware of this one. I've had people who called themselves apostles who have come to me well known and told me that they should be over this church and they would tell me how to run it. Well, you know how well that went over. Even I knew that wasn't biblical. So the Apostolic Reformation, it proposes that the church should be run by new apostles

9:28and prophets who have special knowledge, new insights, and new revelation outside of the Bible. This is just narcissism repackaged and it's bad. Number six, increasing attacks on the validity of the Bible. It's actually been going on for some time because recently, challenges to the validity of the Bible have greatly increased whether you've paid any attention to it or not. In other words, we are far more advanced than that book. We know far more now than they knew. It's just an old book. There's a lot of buzz on the internet about the Ethiopian Bible.

10:30Listen carefully. What folks saying is more ancient and therefore more reliable. Compared to the internet, the Ethiopian Bible is not the oldest manuscript. Our most historically accurate version available, not by far. If you want more information about it, the Lord said, point you to a theologian and an ancient manuscript scholar. He's got a lot of traction as of late. His name is Wes, the B.E.S. Huff, H.U.F.F. And he has some things to say about the Ethiopian Bible. Look up Wes Huff. Watch his videos. He says exactly what I just said to you. This is what the Lord is saying about it.

11:30Number seven, the false doctrine of universalism. This is the belief that all paths lead to heaven. And God is not going to send anybody to hell. No, it's not. You're sending yourself. This is getting traction in churches that say everybody will end up in heaven because God couldn't possibly send anybody to hell since he's a God of love. Say it again. God does not send people to hell. By your own choices, you choose to go and you choose whom you will serve. God of the devil. So you choose your home hereafter. Number eight. And with that comes another falsehood. An allatianism.

12:31You never heard of this one. Every says, okay, unbelievers, don't go to heaven. They don't go to heaven. But God just annihilates them because he would never allow them to suffer in a literal hell. So just annihilates them. So the last one. Number nine. But, definitely, these are on their way. Our God would not be giving them to us. Number nine. The last one. This is actually pretty silly. But it's gaining a lot of traction in Christian circles. The belief in a flat earth. You can laugh. I'm telling you, there's a resurgence among a minority of Christians who believe that the

13:32earth is flat. And it's being taught. By the way, it's being taught here in Augusta. In fact, not long ago, there was a Christian man who said to his pastor, I follow your ministry and love your teachings. But I had one problem with some of your sermons. The pastor said, well, what's that? I bet they'd say more than one with mine. But anyway, the pastor said, what's that? The man replied, Genesis. Oh, what part of Genesis? The man answered, the part about creation. You talk about how the world is round. But really, the Bible says it's flat. The Bible does not say that. It is deception. The pastor laughed and thought the man was kidding with him, but he wasn't. He was serious. So the pastor said, well, here's the deal.

14:35Besides the fact that Isaiah 40, 22, talks about how God sits above the circle of the earth, we've actually been to out of space. Isaiah has made it possible for us to see a round earth. Just for the record. An astronaut named Captain Butch Wilmore, a strong believer in Jesus Christ said to an unbeliever, their earth is not flat, it's round. Every time I looked at it and out of space, it was round and every time I flew completely around, it is still round. Churches, these nine things that I've told you are some of the ridiculous things being said in today's church, and they're really not funny. They insult the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. We're living in strange times, and too many people are saying really strange things,

15:42and we need to wake up and know what's happening right under our nose. So here's the takeaway from all that was said. We must be vigilant to defend the truth inside and outside of the church. And we must guard our own hearts from deceptive philosophies and the traditions of men that are not in accordance with the Lord Jesus Christ. So here's our charge. Paul wrote these words in the first century, and they are just as important today as they were the day he wrote them. Jesus said, I'd like you to declare this passage aloud. And let's say it out loud together. Colossians 2, 6, 13. Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly

16:48rooted and built up in Him and established in your faith just as you were instructed and overflowing with gratitude. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception. According to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ, foreign Him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form. And in Him you have been made complete and He is the head of all rule and authority. And then the Lord gave a prayer that He wanted me to pray over. So let's pray. He said that the message today is equipping a message for you and equipping message to

17:48the body of Christ. Lord Jesus, we accept what Paul wrote in the first century. We are a word and we renounce the philosophies of this world and the traditions of men that are contrary to your word. May we always defend the truth inside the church and outside the church for your glory. Lord strengthen our hearts, strengthen our hearts, O Lord, that in this generation we would not become prey to the various doctrines and ideas of men, but that we would stand firmly on your word on who you are and who we are in Christ Jesus. As the body of Christ, we thank you for your word of truth and we commit ourselves to

18:49it in Jesus' name and everybody said, Amen. I am now closing the second Timothy 3. You should know this Timothy in church that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people who love only themselves and their money, they will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents and ungrateful, they will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving. They will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.

19:50Stay away from people like that. Amen. Amen. Amen. What you stand? Amen.