The Noble Church

Dr. Bradford Reaves

Crossway Christian Fellowship

Hagerstown, MD

www.mycrossway.org

Introduction

Over the last several weeks in our study of Revelation, we have been looking at the world religious system that will be used by the Antichrist in his effort to oppose God, demand global worship, and control the masses. Revelation 17:5 identifies the origin of this abomination as “MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” This is really the root source of all false religions and heresies that we see today and it is leading the world today toward the culmination of the final false religion.

Now, why is that important today? Because the Bible tells us clearly that there will be false teachers and false prophets in the last days that will many astray and this is not going to come outside of the church but within the church itself. Many in the church will be deceived because they don’t know their Bible, they are apostates, following the doctrine of demons, and seeking out a religious experience that satisfies their own desires. Look at how the Apostle Paul describes the Laodicean Church in 2 Timothy:

But know this, that in the last days, difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, without gentleness, without love for good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, but having denied its power. Keep away from such men as these. (2 Timothy 3:1–5)

I want to be clear. There is no middle ground when it comes to your faith. Jesus is not looking for fence-sitters or tire-kickers. He is looking for, especially in these last days when the church is full of tares for believers who are all-in; a remnant church filled with the Spirit and living by His every Word. I want to make sure that those who call Crossway Christian Fellowship their home have the biblical literacy to stand firm against false teaching and not be led astray.

See to it that no one deceives you. (Matthew 24:4 (LSB)

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, and not according to Christ. (Colossians 2:8 LSB)

This means that we have to be strong in our biblical understanding, discerning in books we read, teachers we listen to, the music we listen to, and songs we sing as part of our worship. Many of you know that I am not afraid to name those who are teaching heresy and leading people astray. Some people push back at me on that, but not only is this necessary, but it is also biblical. And I mean not only those teachers but the use of music in the church from these churches.

Paul, in his letters to the churches, identifies people by name and clearly tells the churches not to have anything to do with these false teachers:

Demas, having loved this present age, has deserted me (2 Timothy 4:10 (LSB)

keeping faith and a good conscience, which some, having rejected, suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. 20 Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme. (1 Timothy 1:19–20 LSB)

But now I am writing to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is a sexually immoral person, or greedy, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one. (1 Corinthians 5:11 LSB)

Likewise, Jesus clearly and publically identifies and rebukes the Pharisees more than once: Matthew 23:27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.” Likewise, he overturns the money changer’s tables in John 2 and Matthew 21. In his letters to the 7 Churches of Revelation 2-3, Jesus calls out the heresy that existed in the churches, some by name. All of this was for an important purpose:

To correct false doctrine

To publically identify those who were teaching false doctrine

To protect the flock from being deceived through false doctrine

To provide a means of repentance for those who were teaching false doctrine

So when someone says that it is not Christ-like to publically identify or correct false teachers, they are not giving biblical counsel. In fact, it is our mandate to clearly teach and uphold the sound doctrine and identify false doctrine (1 Timothy 6:3-5; Titus 1:10-11; 2 Peter 3:17; 1 Timothy 1:3-4)