This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.

Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the Bibleignmenistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

I want you to listen to this. Many of y’all remember years and years ago, Oh, maybe 50, 60 years ago. They had a thing put out by Walt Disney on the three little pigs. And they sung this little song, Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Anybody heard that before? Let me see your hands. I mean, you’ve heard that good night. Must be one of your theme songs. Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Now, if you don’t hear it right away, turn it up.

You’ve heard of the three little pigs, right? This little piggy went to market. Little piggy stayed home. One little piggy said, we all the way home, something like that. I guess you get those kids from mixed up. Anyway, what I want to talk to you about today is really, who’s afraid of the big bad wolf? We are told and warned in the scripture to be where of the wolf. The wolves. So we’re going to look at that, but first of all, I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of 2 Timothy in chapter 2.

2 Timothy chapter 2. Verse 15, chapter 2 verse 15, says study to show thyself approved unto God. 2 Timothy 2, 15. Study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that need not to be shamed rightly divided into word of truth. Then he says, there’s several that have come in and sown some bad seed. And in verse 18, who concerning the truth have aired? Then we have in verse 19, nevertheless the foundation of God stand to sure, having to seal the Lord know of them that are his.

So there’s people who can know the truth and believe the truth and then air and their belief, but the truth of the scripture is that God knows those that are his. You may forget him, but he won’t forget you. Once you have trusted Christ as your Savior, your His child forever. And God knows all of His children. All of God’s children will go to heaven. Some are probably going to be surprised that they’re there. And then there’s probably a lot of them thinking they’re going to heaven and they’re going to be surprised where they are to them.

Now, notice what we have down here in verse 26. that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will. In the words he’s going to lie and deceive. This is to not the lost, this is to the Christian. So the Christian needs to be aware of the big bad worth. And so I want to show a few things with you on the screen that I hope will help us to see to understand.

All right. Beware of the big bad woof. In the scriptures in the book of Acts chapter 20 and verse 28 says, take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the church of God which He had purchased with His own blood. So we’re not only to feed the flock, we’re supposed to warn the flock. If we only feed the flock, you just get fat for the kill.

If all we did was warn the flock, well, then you’d start to death. So there has to be a balance. So every once in a while, I’ll try to feed you a little bit, but then I have to warn you about things that I believe that you need to know. You may not always understand that the wolf that I told you about and warn you about, you may not see that as a wolf. You say, well, I don’t see that.

You may not see it. That doesn’t mean it’s not true. is that maybe I see something you don’t see yet. If I wait too long before I tell you, hey, that’s a whirl. He didn’t gobble up half the flock. So I have to run this little tight wire. I mean, it’s very close. You’re a fool if you do and a fool if you don’t. So the next scripture says this, for I know that after mighty pardon, the Apostle Paul addressing the elders there in the church of Ephesus shall grievous wolves.

And I didn’t say might and say, shall they will do this. Grievious wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. They will enter in among you. People that don’t always believe the same thing that we say the church stands for. You see, we have a doctrinal statement saying, this is what we believe. And there’s a lot of people can say, yes, I believe that. And they’re not really believe it. and then begin to twist it and change it, or teach contrary to it.

This is why I believe that it is the will of God for God’s children to know the word of God, just like the preacher does. He didn’t have a special insight into the scriptures after causing the preacher. But all of God’s children understand this. When he says, study to show thyself approved unto God, he worked in that need of not be ashamed, rightly divided into the word of truth. All of God’s children can study the word of God. One of the verse that we use that we really love that lets us know we have eternal life is first John by 13.

And these things have I written unto the preachers. These things have I written unto the elite of the believers. Or these things have I written unto you that they leave. So it’s written to you that you may know that you have eternal life. So there’s a lot of things that God has written in his word. And the word of God is God’s love letter to his children. Now in Acts chapter 20 and verse 30, he said, also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them among yourselves.

Now you may not know this, but it’s still the truth. When Jesus was going to the cross, Peter stood up and says, it’s not going to happen. I’ll defend you to the death. Though all forsake you, I will not forsake you. And Jesus says, Satan hath desired to sift you as wheat. Satan has entered in your full of a devil. In the 13th chapter of the book of John, talking about Judas, as Keras says, and the devil having entered into his thoughts to the heart of Judas to betray the Son of God.

You see, the devil cannot read your mind, but he can interject thoughts into your mind. If he can do that with the lost man, is it possible the devil can do that to the saved man? This is why you are to study the scripture so that you can discern whether or not all the thoughts that you have are really from the Lord. Is it the truth that is taught from God’s word? Because the devil wants to destroy you and he doesn’t care how he does it.

It’s to get you away from doing what he wants you to do. Next thing I wanna show you. Sometimes the devil, he mingles with the flop. But you don’t know that’s a devil. You don’t know that’s a wolf. He just looks like all the other sheep, but he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. That’s actually taught in the scriptures. Jesus taught it. Sometimes he mingles in with the flock. Remember the devil has his own ministers. This is why you have to be careful even from those who you know and love putting questions and doubts into your mind about you being faithful to God.

You serve in the Lord the way you should. If anything comes along that wants to quench your desire for the things of God and increase your love for the things of the world, you better be careful because chances are it’s not coming from the Lord. People of all ages have opinions and we plant opinions. We147 tell people what we think. Go to bed. Right or wrong? We just… Let it fly. Words are like arrows. Once they’re in flight, you can’t bring them back.

And so we plant seeds all the time. And sometime when you’re down and discouraged, you might say something and do something, plant seeds, that will harvest later. So you do have to be careful. Now, the Bible warns us that in the last days are going to be false prophets. Now, not only are they among the flock, sometimes they’re hiding in the pulpit. You didn’t know that. We have a lot of people today, radio and television and the multitude of churches where the flock cannot discern.

Well, they’re not the person in the pulpit. There’s a man of God or a wolf in sheep’s clothing and they don’t know. I know that I run a risk telling you this because some of you, yeah, I think he looked like a wolf myself. I know that. But I’m going to tell you anyway, because especially for this service, because the doors are locked, you ain’t leaving. I’m just joking. But the Bible warns us, and it tells us in many places that there are going to be false prophets in the last day, teaching things that are not true, causing you to believe things that are not true.

For example, not long ago they came out a couple years ago. All about this thing called the blood-red moon, you know, all of the things that was going to happen and all that stuff, but did they sow tapes and CDs and DVDs and write books and prophesied and all that stuff. Nothing. I preached the sermon two years ago on it too. And I says, the signs are going to be in the tribulation and not before. There are no signs to look for in the church age.

But my knowledge of the Scripture protects me from making stupid statements like that. But people get rich and they may merchandise the people of God. They don’t know their Bible. And so they just what He feeds me, I will swallow God. So be careful. Now in the Scriptures, in 2 Peter chapter 2 verse 1 says, but there were false prophets also among the people. But the people don’t know their false, but the scriptures tell us that there were. And he says also, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privately will bring in damnable heresies, even the nine the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

God says there were false prophets then, and there’s false prophets now. In other words, there’s people that are teaching things that are not true, not according to the Bible. But if you don’t know that, you won’t know what to believe if you don’t know your scriptures, you don’t know the Bible. You have thoughts and you’ll make decisions every day of your life and you’ll make them based upon what you believe to be true. It was right or wrong. But if it doesn’t harmonize with the Word of God, you could be so easily deceived.

And your whole life is at stake, not only your eternal destination, but allowing the false teaching to affect your life now, it affects your life for all eternity. Because the rewards you get in heaven are the result of the work that you do for the Lord. And the work you do for the Lord is a result of your confidence in the truth of God’s Word today. So when you lose confidence in what God says and you begin to back away from your steadfastness or fall in love with the world, it’s going to affect things.

And you have been maybe listening false teaching and not even be aware. Otherwise you would not be deceived. You wouldn’t know it’s a lie. You wouldn’t know they were false unless you know the truth. And a lot of people don’t study the Bible or are not as faithful as the ought to be in going to church, studying the Bible so they can be able to discern. So there’s a price to pay. Ignance is not bliss. There’s a price to pay.

Second Peter chapter 2 verse 2 says, and few, no, you dare. Many, many shall follow their pernicious ways by reason of whom the way of truth will be evil spoken of. So there’s a lot of people who speak against this book, and if a person stands for what the Bible says, then they’ll find a way to speak evil against the preacher, or some evangelists. Always these things are going on to do this damage. So you know that.

The next scripture I want you to see is 1 John in chapter 4 and verse 1, where it says, Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirit. Now how do you try the spirits? Well, you put a chair up there and you make them take the oath of office. No, trying the spirits is simply test the teaching. Test the teaching with the truth. There is the spirit of truth in the spirit of air. Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.

And the devil is going to lie and deceive. Because once you trust Christ the Savior, he can’t get your soul. But he’ll do everything he can to ruin your life, your testimony. And so he will be as deceptive to the child of God as he can be to the lost. Get what he says. Whether they be of God because many false prophets. Now I’m not saying the book says this, many, many false prophets are gone out into the world.

And it was true then. Do you think that’s true today? I believe it’s true today. First John chapter four verse three, and this is that spirit of anti-Christ. In other words, it’s teachings against the truth, teachings against Christ. They had them then, we have them now, where you have heard that it should come and even now already is in the world. So there’s false teachers, wolves in sheep’s clothing, teaching air, a majority of God’s children cannot discern the difference.

That’s why it doesn’t matter what church you go to, you don’t go to any church. Well you ought to hear their music. Boy, their music is awesome. Is that all there is to it? Well, you ought to see that preacher. He’s young, not all like Yankee. He’s young and he’s alive. Yeah, but what is he saying? Well, he teaches, he don’t use the King James like they do over the cavalry, but I mean, he’s beware. And then you see, well, he don’t present the gospel like you do, but, and then they butt it all over the place, and you’ll find out there is a difference.

Things that are different are not the same. Always beware. Always look. Find out what are they teaching about the gospel. How do they tell people to go to heaven? That I believe is the most important thing in all the world. Now, even in Matthew, where just beware of false prophet. Now God’s word is warning all the way through, not just one place, it’s a warning about wolves in sheep’s clothing, beware of the big bad wolf, beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not done many wonderful works? You see, a false prophet teaches a false message. A false message causes people to believe in the wrong thing and they’re trusting in their works to get them to heaven. We have done many wonderful works, so they were expecting to go to heaven because of their good, wonderful works. Who told them that? False prophet, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Seemingly speaking for God, You stop and think for a moment.

Is salvation really by grace? Is it really? I mean, don’t you know you have to do something. You can’t tell me all you gotta do is just believe. Now see what I just said? That’s what the devil says. Those are the same questions he asked. You gotta do more than that. And God says, no you don’t. There isn’t anymore that you have to do. There are teachings. You need to know that that’s wrong. That’s wrong, that’s wrong. I had something happen, I’m just don’t, I’m just don’t throw this out there for nothing.

The other day I was invited to go to a ball game, I don’t go to the ball games, but I went to the ball game cause I had some good food. And it was in one of the sky boxes way up on the top. So we went and had a good time. And I’m standing there and I’m eating, you know, and the preachers are standing around there and this one preacher, he walks up to me and he’s stuck out of his hand and wanted to shake my hand.

I didn’t know he was. He says, I just wanted to shake your hand. I know who you are. That’s what he said, just like, I know who you are. He says, I’ve listened to you on a radio, and I’m a Calvinist. So, he was standing there, and I’m standing there, and there’s you all those standing around here, so I have the floor. And so I told them, I said, I am so glad that I can walk up to anybody and say, God loves you.

I said, you can’t do that. You believe God only loves the elect, but I believe God loves everybody. You know, I can walk up to anybody and tell them that Christ paid for all their sins. You can’t do that because you don’t know if they’re an elect, so you don’t know if Christ died for them or not. And I went through and I had some fun. And I let him know. I says, Satan’s favorite flower is the tulip. When I got through, he was shaken.

He was literally shaken. And the general manager of the radio station, she was standing there. And she told me when I went down there, he fired me on the radio broadcast. She says, he was shaken. He says, he didn’t have some answers. I says, they don’t have answers. So anyway, it was a wonderful episode that we’ll leave that alone. Many in verse, many will say to me in that day, many, not few, many, because there’s a lot of false teachers looked down into next verse.

He says, and then while I profess unto them, I never knew you, never. So if he never knew them, he’s never were saved. But they were trusting in their work, so they were expecting to go to heaven. They had listened to somebody they thought was a minister of God and their false teachers were teaching them that you had to be saved by your works. That’s a false message. In 2nd John chapter 1 it says, for many deceivers are entered into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ is coming to flesh.

This is a deceiver and an antichrist. So the Scriptures tell us and it’s warning us about it. The way that know the truth are supposed to take a stand. And when we do, somebody says, you’re just being critical. You have such a critical spirit. You think you’re the only one right and everybody else is wrong. I’m saying my position is right if I’m teaching grace and if somebody else teaches works, that’s wrong. Somebody else might have to figure it all out.

So if I’m a dictator, mean, ugly, and unkind, all in, so be it. I’m going to tell you what I believe is still the truth. And not everybody is teaching the same thing because they’re not. This is what makes us different. Every community church has a testimony of being clear on the gospel. Isn’t that true? We believe the gospel. trusting Christ as their Savior, knowing that you have eternal life. The next statement I want you to see.

False gospels of our age. You ever heard the prosperity gospel? This is, churches can get big, get a lot of people if we just keep telling everybody how to get rich. And one of the ways for you to get rich is make me rich. We, you need seed money. So you’ve got to demonstrate your faith. You come on down here and you just give us all of your money to show God. You really trust him. That verse he was singing just a minute ago.

Trust him. Just trust the Lord. Just trust the Lord. But I’m not going to tell you to do that. But I’ve been in churches where they do just that. And you’ve got to prove your faith by all the money that you can give. That’s making merchandise out of the people. That’s when you’re not interested in their soul. Where they’re going to spend eternity, you just want to get rich and make money off of everybody. That’s not what the Bible’s talking about.

Now, I don’t believe God wants everybody to be prosperous in this life with things. I believe God wants you to be prosperous in the things of God and land up treasure in heaven, but as much as I read about the Scriptures, all the apostles died pretty poor. The Bible says, Jesus Christ, though he was rich, he became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich. So we’re rich in Christ, not necessarily in the things of this world.

But if you believe that the goal of your life is prosperity and having things, then you’re going to listen to things that will help you to make more money and more money and more money. And the love of money is the root of all evil. Because when you love it so much, you’ll do anything to get it. And it doesn’t matter who you hurt, who you’ve got to walk over, all the wrong you’ve got to do, and how bad you got to be.

Money becomes your purpose and your goal. That’s not my purpose and that’s not my goal. I just want to serve the Lord. I want to lay up treasures in heaven. But there are those who preach this prosperity, there’s those who preach a lordship gospel. In other words, you have to commit your life to Christ in order to go to heaven. Now, I do believe that Jesus Christ is the Lord of my life. I have no problems with that, but I don’t serve the Lord to go to heaven.

I serve the Lord because I’m already going to heaven. A lot of difference. You see, I believe that once you trust Christ to save you, your God’s challenge, you have eternal life, and you’ll go to heaven whenever you die. And God cannot change that. I cannot change it. They can never be a mauled, but I serve the Lord because I love Him. And there’s a lot of difference when you do because you want to and then don’t because you have to.

The Lordship gospel is a person committing themselves to live good enough to go to heaven, and that is not what the Bible teaches. But there’s a multitude of preachers that preach it. the non-eternal security gospel. You can fall out of his hands. In words you may have salvation today, but you can lose it. Does the Bible teach you can lose your salvation? No. You cannot ever, no way lose your salvation. But there are a multitude of preachers that preach you can lose your salvation.

that’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. That’s not of the… It doesn’t matter how sweet they are, how wonderful they are, how kind they are. That has absolutely nothing to do with it. I may come across a little bit harder and meaner and stern and brood and all that than I know that, but my gospel is right on the money and I know that. If you have somebody that wants to go to heaven, Chances are if they come to Calvary Community Church, there’s a good possibility they may trust Christ as their Savior.

They didn’t go a thousand other churches and love everything. But then most time the preacher doesn’t make the gospel clear where they can understand it. Because that’s what we call the Babylon gospel. Now there’s a social gospel. That’s where everybody wants to help everybody. You know, going to all the world and install sanitary sewers. Big wells for them. Build bridges for them. And all that can be good. But when you think this is what God wants you, go into all the world and do what?

Preach the gospel. But we are getting sidetracked and doing all these humanitarian things, which are good to do, but is not to be a substitute for the clear-cut command preached the gospel to every person. And so it sidetracks people. They get them involved doing other things other than what God said to do. Are you a new listener to Bibleline? Do you enjoy the teachings of Dr. Arnold? Well, if you’ve never contacted us before, we want to give you Dr.

Arnold’s book, The Gospel Driven Man. Every day we receive many emails from folks who have questions about repentance and salvation, about faith in works, and about how to share the gospel with friends and loved ones. This book, The Gospel Driven Man, covers all those topics, and we want all new listeners of Bibleline to receive a free copy. There’s no obligation, no donation necessary, simply call us at 1-800-576-3771 or write to us and request your free copy of the Gospel-Driven Man.

The mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Again, don’t forget to include your mailing address, and God bless you and thank you for listening to Bibleline. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound, and we will be changed.

Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.