What Does It Cost You?
Scripture: 2 Peter 2:1Devotional Series: Conflict with the Whore
Teaching: Conflict With The Whore pt. 3 (SUN_AM 2021-02-07) by Pastor Star R Scott
2 Peter 2:1 talks about the false prophets that are “among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies,”—look at the next phrase— “even denying the Lord that bought them….” Now, here’s the spirit behind these things. How do you deny the Lord? There are a number of different ways. There’s the way Peter denied the Lord, and many like him in the days of persecution in the first century. You deny Him because you’re not willing to accept the consequences of identifying with Him, which at that particular time could have been imprisonment; it could have been death—whatever it might have been. If we deny Him before men, He’ll deny us before the Father. Let’s remember that; amen? You know one way to deny Jesus’ lordship, the One Who bought you? You become lord. You take the throne back. “Oh, just in a few little areas. But Jesus is still my Lord. I just choose what I’m going to do in this area and this area.” His blood was not a down payment on your life. Jesus is not drawing you to Himself by installments. He redeemed all of you, not part of you, with His life. Amen? You are not your own. Who do you think you are to reserve certain choices of what you want to do or not do in the Word of God? “denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” Now, look—“And many shall follow their pernicious ways;”—that word “pernicious” means filthy, outrageous behavior, shamelessness—“by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” Calling good evil and evil good. The world will tell you that you’re not wise if you make these types of choices. You’re going to lose your job. You’re going to lose your clearance. You’re going to lose your retirement. No, my God will deliver me, but even if He doesn’t, I’m not worshiping your gods. Now, for 2,000 years the church has lived under these biblical principles—and it doesn’t apply to us?
What’s it cost you to serve Jesus? Well, we know ultimately, from the proper theological perspective, it costs us everything; amen? We died to ourselves. We gave our whole being over to Jesus, to His lordship. We’re no longer our own; we’re bought with a price. I have no say in my life. For me to live is Christ; for me to die is gain. These false prophets lie to us! We all know what the message of the hour is going to be. They’ll say “peace and safety”, but then will come sudden destruction. You see, you’ve got a whore over here preaching “peace and safety,” and if you run to the whore church, you will be safe for a period of time. They’re going to be your friend. They’re going to be protected by the government. They’re going to receive benefits. Did you know that during this COVID‑19 thing, the first go‑around, thousands of churches took aid from the government to help them through the hard times? Do you know there are churches today that have government aid coming in for their childcare, food and school? But for the true church, God is more than enough; amen?
Father, we ask that You would strengthen our hearts. Open our ears as we continue identifying this spirit of the age. You said that the time will come when men will not endure sound doctrine. That day is upon us: heaping to themselves teachers, having itching ears; prophesying smooth things. But You’ve told us to teach the Word; continue in the things that we’ve learned and been assured of and have our confidence in the Holy Scriptures which are able to make us wise unto salvation. Those that are profitable—doctrine, reproof, instruction into righteousness. Let us hunger for Your Word. Let us be doers of this Word in a way that we’ve never known. Amen.
What’s it cost you to serve Jesus? Well, we know ultimately, from the proper theological perspective, it costs us everything; amen? We died to ourselves. We gave our whole being over to Jesus, to His lordship. We’re no longer our own; we’re bought with a price. I have no say in my life. For me to live is Christ; for me to die is gain. These false prophets lie to us! We all know what the message of the hour is going to be. They’ll say “peace and safety”, but then will come sudden destruction. You see, you’ve got a whore over here preaching “peace and safety,” and if you run to the whore church, you will be safe for a period of time. They’re going to be your friend. They’re going to be protected by the government. They’re going to receive benefits. Did you know that during this COVID‑19 thing, the first go‑around, thousands of churches took aid from the government to help them through the hard times? Do you know there are churches today that have government aid coming in for their childcare, food and school? But for the true church, God is more than enough; amen?
Father, we ask that You would strengthen our hearts. Open our ears as we continue identifying this spirit of the age. You said that the time will come when men will not endure sound doctrine. That day is upon us: heaping to themselves teachers, having itching ears; prophesying smooth things. But You’ve told us to teach the Word; continue in the things that we’ve learned and been assured of and have our confidence in the Holy Scriptures which are able to make us wise unto salvation. Those that are profitable—doctrine, reproof, instruction into righteousness. Let us hunger for Your Word. Let us be doers of this Word in a way that we’ve never known. Amen.