ANTICHRIST,THERE EVERYWHERE!
Sunday September 03, 2000
1 John 2:18
18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
The term ”last time” is referring to the end times, or rather the time between Christ’s first and second comings.
We find that the word last also gives a since of urgency, Christ will return soon!
Our subject this morning is Antichrist is here. Yes I know that many are looking for Antichrist to come in the future and while they are looking, the Bible tells us that he is already here.
The antichrist is here. Do any of you here this morning know who the antichrist is?
In fact John said nearly two thousand years ago that there were many antichrists then.
As we study together today, we trust that you will understand what the Bible means by Antichrist, why there are many antichrists in the world, why the devil wants to deceive you into believing that some specific man is going to rise up in the future that will be the Antichrist, and what God wants you to do about the Antichrist.
Let us begin with what the Bible means by the term "Antichrist":
The Greek word translated Antichrist means an opponent of the Messiah.
Therefore anyone who opposes Jesus Christ as the Messiah is an antichrist.
No wonder that John told us that there were many antichrists in his time.
And indeed there are many antichrists in our time for millions do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah. Millions are antichrist. They are against Jesus.
Jesus told us in Matthew 12:30
30 Anyone who isn’t helping me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.
And let’s read it again in the King James Version,
Matthew 12:30
30 He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.
Yes, if you are not with Jesus, if you are not helping him to gather souls; then you are against Jesus.
And if you are against Jesus, then you are antichrist.
No wonder John said there were many antichrists.
Indeed there are millions in our world that are against Jesus.
There are multitudes that are scattering abroad.
In fact there are few that are with Jesus and helping him to gather the lost sheep into the fold of God.
Therefore, you that are not Christians this morning, are Antichrist.
Now I would venture to say that, that statement would hit a lot of people with quite a blow.
Everyone that is not a born again Christian is an antichrist!
I know that a lot of people out there are using the excuse that there is going to be one main dude that will be the antichrist.
You have to look at what the bible says, and when it was written.
John was talking about the antichrist in A.D. 90, now that was 2000 years ago. There have been several main dude antichrist’s since he wrote that book of 1st John.
Look at all of the years that have gone by, and look at all of the antichrist’s that have come, gone and died. Look at Hitler for instance, look at all that he did.
Would you call him an antichrist? Could he have been the main dude? I can’t think of a better one to be called the main dude than Hitler!
What I am trying to say this morning is that too many of us can get too tied up in things that don’t really matter.
Who cares if there is going to be a main dude antichrist, who cares if he comes in our life time or when he comes.
I am here to tell you this morning that everyone that is not born again is antichrist.
I am also here to tell you this morning that if Christ comes back to call you home and you are not ready to go then you are the main antichrist dude because you have put off being born again until it was too late and there is no one to blame but you yourself.
You can forget about making excuses about there going to be one main antichrist, because for you it’s over. You have become the one main dude antichrist and have allowed yourself to destroy yourself!
I know that the devil does not want you to realize that you are antichrist.
That is why he wants you to be deceived into believing that antichrist is someone else.
Friends I want you to see this morning if you never see another thing that you hear me say that you need to quick looking for excuses and if you are not born again this morning then you need to become so.
One of these days it is going to be too late!
That is why he convinces people to devise such far out theologies concerning antichrist.
So you will believe that it is someone other than yourself.
All the while the truth of the matter is that every one of you that are not Christians are in fact antichrists.
Now it just makes sense that not being a Christian is to be antichrist.
For if we believe Jesus, then we will act on his word and obey him.
When we fail to obey him, we are demonstrating that we don’t believe him, no matter what we say.
For example he taught us:
Matthew 11:28-30
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
In this famous invitation Jesus invites all to come unto him and he will give you rest.
He says that his yoke is easy.
Do you believe that it is easy to be a Christian?
Jesus says that it is and I agree for I have found it to be so.
Yet most people of our time believe that it is hard to be a Christian and because of that they are antichrist.
Since they believe the devil that it is hard to be a Christian, they spend great amounts of time and energy to prove that they cannot be Christians.
The devil helps you with a host of his lies.
He will tell you that you are different and it is easy for others for they don’t have the same feelings, desires and temptations as you.
When you swallow this lie, you reject Jesus and are in fact antichrist.
Jesus was tempted in every point as an example for you to prove to you that you can live without sin as much as Jesus himself did and as much as any man, woman, boy or girl can.
The writer of Hebrews talking about Christ said in:
Hebrews 4:15
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Let’s look at this scripture again in the New Living Translation,
Hebrews 4:15
15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin.
You see, Jesus was tempted in all points just like you and I.
And he did not yield to sin.
Now if you believe the Bible and accept as truth that Jesus was tempted just like you and he did not sin, then you will believe that you too can resist temptation and that you too do not have to commit sin.
Oh! But then the devil throws another lie into your mind.
He tells you that it was easy for Jesus to resist because he was the son of God.
And as the son of God he had power that you don’t have.
In fact the truth of the matter is that you have access to all the power that Jesus had and if you will take Jesus as your Lord, you become a son of God also.
John 1:12
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Yes, if you will receive Jesus Christ into your heart, you too will have the power to become a son of God.
That is the truth of God’s word.
Of course the devil does not want you to believe God’s Word.
He wants you to believe his lie so he can keep you in sin.
He wants you to be antichrist.
He wants for you to stay the main dude antichrist in your life!
So he works very hard to keep you in ignorance of the Word of God.
He uses every trick he has to keep you from reading the Bible, or listening to a good sermon or to seek out godly counsel.
He does not want you to learn the truth.
He wants you to believe his lies and live in sin.
He wants you to be antichrist.
Who do you believe this morning: Jesus or Satan?
Let us look further into what the Bible says about antichrist:
1 John 2:22
22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
Here we go again, not only are you a liar but are antichrist!
1 John 4:1-6
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
In this passage, John instructs us to try the spirits because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
John knows that the antichrist spirits are out there preaching lies and doing their best to get you to believe them.
Therefore he is warning you to try the spirits to see if they are of God. He wants you to realize that many spirits are deceiving multitudes into believing the lies of the devil.
John gives us a testing procedure so that we can discern whether the spirit that is teaching us is of God or not.
That test is whether or not Jesus Christ is in the flesh of the teacher or preacher or counselor that is instructing us.
If Jesus is in them, then they have the power of Christ in their lives and they have gained victory over sin.
You confess that Jesus is in you, when you confess that you live a righteous life because of the power of God that is in you through Jesus Christ.
When you confess that you have to commit sin, you are confessing that Satan is your master and you have no power to break his hold on you.
And if you have to obey the devil, then you are the antichrist. You know that the Holy Spirit of God will never tell you to commit sin.
Only the spirits of the devil will tell you to commit sin.
Once again John reminds us that antichrist is already in the world.
But we that are Christ’s do not have to worry because we have overcome Satan.
And overcoming satan is a daily thing, we need to do as it says in,
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
16 Rejoice evermore.
17 Pray without ceasing.
18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
We have overcome, because Jesus in us is greater that all the spirits of the devil that are in the world.
The power of God is in your life when you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord.
His power makes you righteous and godly in this present world.
His power gives you the ability to break free from the sinful habits of life. His power causes you to overcome all sin.
John says that we being of God hear God and those that are of God hears us.
Many in our world today are believing the lies of Satan.
It is inconceivable that living in a world that is filled with Bibles, Bible study helps, computers and books that as a whole our people are so ignorant of the Bible.
Somehow the devil has convinced multitudes that they can somehow ignore God’s Word and get by.
What really happens is that by ignoring God’s Word, you can easily be taught to believe most any lie and when you believe a lie you become antichrist.
The devil has a host of deceivers out there to deceive you:
2 John 7
7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
Yes, many deceivers are entered into the world.
Many men of sin have ruled throughout the ages of history and will no doubt continue as long as the world stands.
John says that the way you are going to tell if one is not a child of God is: “Whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother” (1 John 3:10).
Love and righteousness are the two manifestations of a child of God.
We are to be aware of those who are not believers, the deceivers who deny the deity of Christ.
John is saying that if you deny the deity of Christ, you are not a Christian.
You may be religious, but you are not a Christian—let’s understand that.
After all, Christian means one who is a follower of Christ, one who believes in Him.
You cannot be a follower of Christ unless you believe in His virgin birth, unless you believe in His deity, His miraculous life, and His work of redemption upon the Cross.
We read in:
2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
In this passage the Apostle Paul is reminding us that we should not get too worried about the coming of our Lord.
I feel that too many are worried about the second coming of the Lord and feel that they are buying time by doing so.
Like I have said many many times what you need to be worried about is what your condition is with the Lord.
Are you ready? What is the condition of your heart?
He reminds us that many things will take place yet and that as long as we maintain a love of the truth, we will be safe.
He says that there will be a falling away and that man of sin will be revealed.
We can surely conclude that there has been a great falling away since that time and also that many men of sin have been revealed.
History is filled with accounts of sinful men rising to leadership positions who have exalted themselves above God.
We don’t have to wait on this event as it has occurred many times over. In fact Paul said in verse 7 that the mystery of iniquity was already at work.
What Satan wants you to believe is that although things are bad in your time, they will get worse and you should put off repenting of your sin.
After all he wants you to believe that you are not so bad as you only sin a little now and then.
He wants you to go on in ignorance so that he can deceive you. Paul tells us God will destroy the man of sin, so we that are Christians have nothing to fear.
The only thing you need to fear is God.
If you choose to be deceived by the man of sin, then you ought to be afraid.
Now, let us reason a little.
Man of sin – A man that sins, a man that teaches others to sin, a man that teaches others that they must sin.
Verse 10 says with all deceivableness of unrighteousness. Because they receive not a love for the truth.
This love of the truth becomes the real key.
When you refuse a love of truth, you become wide open to deception and strong delusion.
Many in our present world have been deluded to believe the lies of the men of sin.
No where in the Bible can you find a passage that tells you that you have to sin.
You can find hundreds of passages that tell you to live holy.
You can find hundreds of passages that tell you that Jesus Christ came to forgive you your sin and to free you from the power of sin.
The truth will set you free:
John 8:34-36
34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
In this 8th chapter of John we have the account of the woman taken in adultery that was forcibly taken to Jesus.
Jesus forgave her, her great sin and instructed her that she should go and sin no more.
He set her free from sin.
He will set you free from sin too if you will come to him and believe him.
If you will believe the truth, you will no longer be a man of sin.
You will become a man of God.
The word of God is truth!
John 17:17
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
The devil does not want you to hear the truth.
He wants you to listen to him and to believe his lies so that you will continue to be a man of sin.
He knows that if you learn the truth, you will be encouraged to believe the Lord Jesus and become a man of righteousness.
The devil likes for you to believe his lies about why you cannot be a Christian.
He does not care what excuse you believe just as long as you don’t believe the Lord.
He does not want you to be with Christ; he wants you to be antichrist.
Who do you believe?
What kind of effort do you put forth to learn the truth?
What does God want you to do about the antichrist?
From our study this morning, it is evident that God wants you to believe Him.
John taught us that we ought to try the spirits and accept as Christ that Holy Sprit that abides in the lives of Christians.
If you are not a Christian this morning, then God wants you to become one.
For if you are not with Christ, then you are antichrist and God wants you to repent.
It is God’s desire that all men would repent:
1 Timothy 2:4
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Yes, God’s will is that all mankind be saved and learn the truth.
This truth dispels another lie of the devil that some people cannot be saved because they were born to live and die sinners.
Not true because the Bible says He will have all men to be saved.
All are invited to repent of sin and accept Christ as Lord:
Revelation 22:17
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
John 7:37
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
Jesus is inviting everyone that thirsts for righteousness to come to him and drink of His truth.
He will set every sinner free from sin.
He will guide you into all truth.
His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
And so the battle rages with Jesus saying: come unto me, I will give you rest, I will set you free, I will guide you into all truth, I will give you power to become a son of God.
And Satan keeps saying: you can’t do it because, you are different, you are too weak, you were not created to be saved, it’s too hard to be a Christian, and thousands of his lies.
John 8:43-47
43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
Whose words are you hearing today?
Will you believe God and be His child?
Or will you believe Satan and be an antichrist?
Yes antichrist is here.
Many antichrists are in our world.
Thank God we have opportunity to accept the invitation of Jesus and be men of God.
