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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 air. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.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.

Anyway, I want to talk to you about a very interesting subject today. Every church, every church has pillars and killers, pillars and killers. There’s people that you need, that you can trust, that they’ll stand tall and straight and firm and true. And then there’s those that, well, they do things that kill the church, but many times they don’t know it. You can be a carrier of a virus and not even know it. Not bother you, but you can share a lot of damage to somebody else.

So lock those doors and we will move right along. I want you to know that what I’m going to talk about today is something that Jesus said. So this is a yankiology today. This is a bibliology. It’s in the Bible. And I want you to see what Christ said and why He said it because it makes a difference. In the book of Mark in chapter 7, I want you to take your Bible and turn there. The book of Mark chapter 7, we need to understand a little bit about the background of why Jesus made the statement that He did.

So in Mark 7, look in verse 1. Mark 7 and look in verse 1. So here in the book of Mark 7 verse 1, then came together unto Him the Pharisees and certain of the scribes which came from Jerusalem. And when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say with unwashed hand they found fault. Now here’s Jesus. Now remember now he can walk on water, perform miracles, do all these wonderful things, but he didn’t wash his hands.

Shame. His disciples did not wash their hands and there’s a good reason not to believe anything that Jesus would say because his disciples didn’t wash their hands. And you know how bad that is. But they found fault. There are those who are, I don’t care what’s going on, somebody finds fault with everything that’s going on. If you were perfect, you’d find fault. Somebody always. Now remember Jesus never did anything wrong. He was Mr. Perfection. But they found fault with him.

You ought to see all the things that they accused him of. What they said about him. So he says here in verse three, for the Pharisees and all the Jews, except they washed their hands off, eat not, hold in the tradition of the elders. In other words, it was a tradition. You gotta wash your hands. No, maybe that’s why your mother always says, go wash your hands before you eat. I don’t know, maybe they’re from Jewish line somewhere. Anyway, and when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not.

And many other things there be, which they have received to hold as the washing of cups and pots and braids and vessels and of tables. Then the Pharisees and scribes ask him, why not thy disciples according to the traditions of the elders? But eat bread with unwashed hands. You’ve got to explain this. Now, look what he says here in verse 6, he answered and said unto them, Well hath Isaiah prophesied unto you hypocrites? As it is written, this people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

How be it in vain do they worship me? Teaching for doctrines, the commandments of men. Now that’s an important statement. You ought to underline that because we’ll get to it. You see, a lot of people worship God with their lips, but not with their heart. They think because they say the right things and they come to church and they can quote some prayer or even quote the recite things that we believe in. You can do all those things and not be right with God.

You can come to church this morning and sit there with your Bible in your hand, all dressed up, and not be right with God. You see, that doesn’t fix the heart problem. And a lot of people think that if they do certain things by rituals, you know, all the little things that come down the line because of tradition that you’re good to go. And somewhere along the line people think that if I go to church, then you get to go to heaven.

Or if you give money, that helps. Do you realize going to church and giving money and trying to live a good life has absolutely nothing to do with going to heaven. Because going to heaven is free. That’s a gift. It’s not a reward that God gives to you because you earned it or deserved it. So if you came to church this morning and hope it will get you to heaven, it won’t. Door’s still locked. I’ll tell you how to go to heaven in a little bit, but not.

This is not it. So it makes this statement here. You have rejected the Word of God that you may keep your own tradition. See there in verse nine, and he said to them, full will you reject the commandment of God that you may keep your own tradition. Look what he says in verse 13. In verse 13 says, making the word of God of non-effect through your tradition, which you have delivered and many such like things do you. In other words, you do a lot of things that has absolutely nothing with what the word of God says.

In other words, you’ve added to it. You added to it things that I didn’t say. And it’s amazing how many preachers are going across the country. God said, and God says I did not. God said, I didn’t say that. And there’s a lot of people that don’t know the Bible so they don’t know if God said it or not. We have in the Bible the word of God, and that’s what it is. And so there’s a lot of things that people say that doesn’t line up with what the Word of God says.

So Jesus, when he was here, Jesus was God. He’s the one that wrote this. The God, the Holy, He wrote the Bible. So He knows what it said. He knows what it meant. He knows when somebody adds to it or takes it away or makes it a none of that. And so that’s why this is so important to take your Bible to chapter eight, Mark chapter eight, Mark chapter 8 and notice what he says here. He says here in verse 13, and he left them and entering into the ship again departed to the other side.

Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread. Neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf and he charged them saying, take heed, beware of the leaven of of the Pharisees and of the leaven of Herod. And they reasoned among themselves saying, it is because we have no bread. And when Jesus knew, he said unto them, why reason you? Because you have no bread. Perceiving not yet, neither understand, have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, you see not?

Heaven ears, you hear not? Do you not remember when I break the five lows among 5,000? How many basketfuls of fragments took you up? They said in him 12. And when the seven among 4,000, how many baskets full of fragments took you up? And they said seven. And he said, how is it that you do not understand? So here’s God himself talking to his disciples. He could say something and they ain’t got a clue what he said. He had to explain it to them.

You think, surely they ought to get it. Even whenever the Bible says that salvation, you wouldn’t have it as the gift of God. And you’d be surprised how many people tongue-fucking, I wonder what he really meant by that. When he says, it’s not a works. Hmm, I wonder which work he’s referring to. Not a works. And they can’t understand. But the Bible says you can know you have eternal life. Well, you really can’t know. You just can hope you know, but you don’t really know.

It’s amazing how many people I’ve asked, where are you gonna go in your diet? Well, I hope I’m going to heaven. And I’ve had all this, nobody knows that. Nobody knows where they go when they die. Yeah, they do. Yes, you can. And yes, Jesus does say something positive, and you can know it, and you can be sure. So he says, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. Beware of the leaven of the Herodians. Beware of the leaven of the Sadducees.

And so, if God says it, then maybe we should beware. Look at the next scripture in Matthew chapter 16. Matthew chapter 16. Matthew 16. And look what we have here in verse 6. In verse 6. So in verse 6, he says, then Jesus said unto them, take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves saying, it is because we have taken no bread, which when they perceived He said to them, oh ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourself?

Because ye have brought no bread. Do you not yet understand neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? And neither the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many baskets you took up. How is it that you do not understand that I speak it not to you concerning bread that you should be aware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. Then understood they how that he bathed them not be aware of the leaven of bread but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.

Talk about their doctrine. Now take your Bible and just look over there in the book of Galatians, the book of Galatians in chapter 5. Galatians chapter 5, you should always have a good old dirty Bible, one that you use. Now beware of the leaven, means the doctrine. And so here in the book of Galatians in chapter 5, look what he has here. And look in verse 7, you did run well. Who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth.

This persuasion come if not of him that call of you. And here’s verse nine you should underline. A little 11, 11th the whole lump. So what he’s talking about is there is a doctrine that destroys the doctrine of Christ, the doctrine of salvation, the doctrines that are the main basic teachings in the Word of God, our Bible doctrine. A little 11th the whole thing. Now, 11 is just like yeast. You can put it into some dough and if you put it in dough, what does it cause the dough to do?

To rise. And this is why a lot of preachers add a little 11 to their message because it raises the dough. You’ll get that after a while. But a little 11th, 11th the whole lump. Here you are. You tolerate one little sin in your life and it will contaminate your whole life. If I had a fence in an area and I’ve got a hundred, hit a cattle in there, and I’ve got three gates and I close two. Can I still lose my whole herd?

Why? Because I left one gate open. Toleration of one sin in your life can be the one gate you leave open to destroy and lose all of your character through that one sin. All Satan has to do is find one area you tolerate, one sin you tolerate. Now everybody’s sin but you don’t have to tolerate them. And God’s word says on how to deal with some of these things but understanding that we all have this sinful nature. Even after you trusted Christ as Savior, remember God did not save that old man.

He gave you a new birth, a new man. And so your old sinful nature is as wicked as it’s always been. But he says to beware of these teachings. Now look back there in your notes where I have the word introduction. The Lord gives pillars to the church. The devil gives pillars to the church. This message is for the church body as a whole and personally for the individual child of God. Because see if you can’t protect yourself as an individual you can’t protect the whole body.

Here is a church. If you can’t protect yourself as an individual, 11… Can you destroy the whole body? You said, no, yes it can. You cannot tolerate sin in your life. That’s leaven. And in the Bible, leaven is spoken of and it means that which we don’t like. It’s the malice, it’s the wickedness, it’s the evil doctrine that we find that the devil wants to teach. And he does it in various ways. So Jesus when he was here says beware of the doctrine of the Pharisees Then the doctrine of the Sadducees in the doctrine of the Herodians three different times Three different groups and each one is not the same.

They’re all different But it’s 11 that can destroy a church or destroy an individual So you need to know this so that you’re aware and can be on guard So the killers look at number one be aware of the leaven of the Pharisees and then take your Bible and turn to the book of Luke chapter 18 Luke chapter 18 in your Bible guilty guilty guilty guilty of the doctrine of self-righteousness you see the reason that some people will not trust Christ that their Savior is they are self-righteous in them words they judge themselves to be righteous enough they don’t need to trust Christ is is there only hope of one to heaven, they can help too.

So they believe Jesus is necessary, they just don’t believe he’s enough. So that got a help. Here in the Bible, it tells in the book of Luke in chapter 18, look in verse nine, if you wanna see what is a self-righteous person, this is what Jesus says, watch out for this teaching. And a little 11, 11 at the whole lump. So he says in verse nine, and he spake this parable under certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous.

So were there people who thought they were righteous? Yes. They judged for themselves. And so that’s why you have people saying, I think I can go to heaven by going to church, giving money, living a good life. I mean, I’m not bad, I haven’t robbed a bank, haven’t killed anybody. I’m not as bad as some people. Well, you have to compare yourself, not with some people, you have to compare yourself with God. You have to be perfect. And there’s a problem.

Now look what he says here. Trust it in themselves that they were righteous and despised others. See any person who is a self-righteous person despises those who are not as righteous as they are. They look down their long fairs, see who can know others and they think they’re like Kellogg’s cornflakes just a little bit better. Verse two, two men. Now here’s an illustration. Here’s an illustration on what it means to be justified and self-righteous. Two men went up into the temple to pray.

The one of Pharisee, the other a publican, that’s a tax collector. They hated them. Isn’t it amazing we still hate them. Anyway, in verse 11, the Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself because he’s, he ain’t praying to God because God didn’t listen to him. God, I think thee that I am not as other men are extorsioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week. I give ties of all that I possess. He must be a good man, right?

He must be a good godly man. He does all these good things, and he’s not like that other bomb over there. Then it says, verse 13, and the publican standing a far off would not lift up so much is as eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breath, saying, Lord, God be merciful to me as sinners. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone that exalts himself shall be abased, and he that humbled himself shall be exalted.

So you have here a good illustration on what it means to be self-righteous. If you took all of your good works away, all of your good deeds that you’ve done in your whole life, every good deed. Could you still know you’re going to heaven? And people who are trusting in their good deeds, no, because they believe they got to do good. Well, what if we transferred all the good deeds you’ve done and gave nothing but bad deeds? They wouldn’t think they can make it.

But see, a person who’s a sinner knows they cannot earn each other like they cannot work for them. So they accept what Christ did for them. Christ died on the cross to die for sinners, not saints. Centers. And when you believe he did it for you, he gives you as a free gift ever lasting life. Now take a Bible, Mary Creak, and look there in the book of Galatians. The book of Galatians in chapter 1. Galatians chapter 1. This is what Jesus says, be aware of this doctrine of the Pharisees.

Look there in verse 6 of Galatians in chapter 1. Paul says here, I marvel that you’re so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ. He says unto another gospel which is not another but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we are an angel from heaven preached any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you letting be a curse. As we said before so say I now again if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that you have received.

Let him be a cursed. In other words, there’s only one gospel. Somebody preached another gospel. He said, then it’s not another gospel. There’s only one gospel. See, the truth of the gospel is that your man must be saved by grace. If you’re saved by grace means you don’t earn it. Work for it. So it has to be free and it has to last forever. Anyone of those missing that’s not the gospel. That’s what grace is. So there’s people who want to add something to grace.

If you add one word to grace, it’s no longer grace. It’s another gospel. It means you’re required to do something and your requirement annals the message that God says I’ll save you and you don’t earn it, you don’t work for it and you’re just a the center, but I love you and I’ll give it to you as a gift and you’re trying to buy it, pay for it, earn it, deserve it, and God said, then you can’t have it.

Now, take your Bible and turn over there to the book of Romans, the book of Romans, and chapter 11, Romans chapter 11. There’s a verse there I want you to see, I think you’ll be impressed with this verse. Now, but I’ll knock your socks off. Romans chapter 11 and look in verse 6. Romans chapter 11 and verse 6. This is what it says. And if by grace, then it is no more of works. Otherwise grace is no more grace.

But if it be of work, then it is no longer grace or no more grace. Otherwise work is no more work. In other words, you’re either saved by grace or you saved by work but you cannot be saved both ways. I’m going to trust Christ as my Savior plus or just in case I’m going to be good anyway then you don’t really trust Him. You believe in your trust in in your works to get you to heaven. See there are people believe it or not who believe you can be saved today and think they can lose it down the road.

That is the doctrine of the Pharisees. It’s according to your righteousness and God says if He saves you today then grace can keep you saved because you didn’t do anything to get it here then you can’t do anything to lose it here don’t you see that but if anybody teach any preacher I don’t care who they are teach you can be saved today and lost in the future don’t understand the gospel they don’t understand it because if you can lose it how can you lose it if you’re not saving you, it doesn’t depend upon you.

My salvation, going to heaven depend upon Christ. The only way I can lose my salvation, he loves it. He has to do it, not me. And he can’t cash me out and he will never lose me. He’s already promised me eternal security, eternal life, and never cash me out and never lose me. That is the best news in all the world. So you’re not saved by anything you do. Now let me give you one more verse before we move on.

Look there in the book of Galatians in chapter 2. Galatians chapter 2 and look there in verse 8 and 9. Galatians chapter 2 verse 8 and 9. And verse 8 says, look at it because you got to see this in the Bible. You probably didn’t know that it was in there. But there it is. Lo and behold, verse 8, 4 by grace are you saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of what?

Not of works. Why? Less any man should boast. What was the man doing in the temple? Lord, I’m glad I’m not like them. I do this and I do that and I give tithes and I blah blah blah and I blah blah blah. Look how great I am. God says it’s free so that you can’t brag. You can’t boast. The only reason I’m going to heaven is not because of anything that I’ve done, it’s because what Christ did on the cross for me, He paid for my sins.

That’s why I’m going to have white because he paid my bills. See, if he paid for my sins, I don’t have any sins paid for it. Think it through. The reason I can’t go to hell today or tomorrow because I don’t have any sins to pay for it. Somebody says, you don’t deserve that. That’s the point. You don’t deserve it. It’s because he loves us that much. It has nothing to do with me loving God. It has everything to do with him loving me.

And that’s the best news in the world. Look down at the next statement. Number two, beware of the leaven of the Sadducees. And the reason there’s no one in the world who is in the world. Sleepy, you’re so sad you see, is because they do not believe in miracles, the supernatural power of God. And so they came to Jesus and they said, Jesus, there’s this woman and she was married. And there were seven brothers and she was married to one of them and he died.

So according to the law, the next one is supposed to take her and have seat for the brother that had died and she didn’t have any kids, so he married her. Then that one died, so she married the next one. Then he died, so she married the next one. She married all seven of them. So whenever she dies, it goes to heaven, which one’s going to get to be her husband? My wife is that question too sometimes. When we get to heaven, we’re still married and don’t you forget it.

I said, honey, I don’t think there’s going to be marriage and all that going on in heaven. She says, just in case. Okay. Now, the thing to remember is that when you’re talking about the Sadducees, they did not believe in the power of God, the miraculous miracles. This was not part of these are like, these are your liberals in Congress. But anyway, Jesus works miracles and they didn’t believe in miracles. He did it by the power of Beelzebub, always somebody else to get credit for it.

But Jesus does all these miracles, things for us and our life. And when you trust Christ as your Savior, the biggest miracle of all is when you were born in the God’s family and became a child of God. Now, he says to these days, he says, You air not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God. He says, they’re like the angels in heaven, there’s neither married or going on marriage until what’s going on. He says, in the book of Galatians, he says, neither male or female, neither bond or free, he’d need a junior Greek.

He says, we’re all one in one big family. So I don’t know what we’re gonna look like. I just hope I don’t look like a girl. I don’t mind if you girls look like us guys, but I don’t want those guys looking like you women. But anyway, I think that God will take care of all of that. All right, we’re gonna let God take care of this. And he says, and we don’t know what we’re gonna be like, but when we see him, we shall be like him, but we shall see him as he is.

One of the day we’re gonna literally see God. And so we’re gonna have a brand new body. It just long as I get another new one, I don’t mind. Cause when you stop and think about it right now, you’ve never seen yourself. If you think your body is that perfect picture of you, Didn’t you look better years ago? Just think, right now you look as better than you ever looked for the rest of your life. That’s scary. That means it’s ugly from here on in there.

Don’t, don’t, don’t. I can see that I’m getting sidetracked here just a tad. 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 4081 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 in looking up.