WHO IS THE ANTICHRIST? - 1 John 2:18-27

all right if you have a Bible or an app

let's open it up we're going to be in

first John chapter 2 1 John Chapter 2

1 John 2 · chapter mention 1 John 2 · chapter mention

this morning we're going to be reading

verses 18 through 27 we are in week

three of a series that we kicked off a

couple of weeks ago called the coming

glory and really what we are looking at

is what the Bible tells us about the

return of Jesus but let me preface this

morning's message with this when it

comes to reading the Bible and

understanding on a deeper level uh what

the end times is about signs that will

take place things happening currently

and in history that that point us to

return the return of Jesus one of The

Temptations that is very real is that we

can get caught in the Trap of really

trying to determine timelines and Tim

taes and and greater details as to when

Christ will return turn and what often

happens if that's the case is our focus

is then drawn to current events and is

drawn away from really what the end

times should allow our hearts to focus

on and that is confidence in Jesus

Christ and in first John chapter 2 you

1 John 2 · chapter mention

have the disciple that Jesus loved

writing a letter to a church that was

facing persecution but it wasn't

persecution from the outside rather it

was persecution from the inside you see

what had happened is there were people

who had proclaimed Jesus with their

mouths but their lifestyle and their

hearts were completely contrary to the

gospel that they proclaimed maybe you've

heard it this way they were wolves in

sheep's clothing they were Hypocrites

they were people who had attempted to

draw True Believers away from the faith

they had infiltrated the church and John

writes his letter to warn them now it's

important to understand that context

because if you look at the 21st century

particularly the Church of the 21st

century here's what we can conclude that

we are living in days of

deception matter Fact one could even

phrase it this way we are living in a

time of confusion scroll through your

feet look at the latest headlines there

is confusion everywhere moral

confusion spiritual confusion even

marriage confusion identity confusion

and the Bible warns us that these things

would happen matter of fact over 2,000

years ago the early church was was told

to guard themselves against the

deception the lies the schemes and the

tricks that would eventually creep and

make their way in and in our passage

today we are given a

category to understand greater what this

deception is and that category is the

Antichrist when it comes to the end

times you've undoubtedly heard that

there will come one who will deceive the

Nations one who will deceive so-called

Believers in Jesus Christ Paul will even

say one who if it were even possible

might deceive the elect but only four

times is it mentioned in scripture about

the Antichrist and that's going to be in

our letter here in 1 John there's

another reference to the Antichrist in

the passage of Thessalonians we'll

reference that here this morning as well

but Paul doesn't refer to him as the

Antichrist Paul refers to him as the man

of lawlessness and so what we're going

to do this morning is we're going to

answer the question who is the

Antichrist not so that we would be so

intrigued to research every evil and

every moment of Chaos that exists in our

world today both past and present but

rather we would be

prepared and our confidence in Christ

would grow deeper so 1 John Chapter 2

1 John 2 · chapter mention

beginning in verse 18 the words will be

on the screen here is what John

writes

children I love how John uses that

phrase he approaches this very pastoral

life John is going to get into some some

some very dark themes here in just a

moment and so he's approaching this in a

very pastoral and fatherly way it's a

great picture of the gospel and how our

father in Heaven approaches us he he

approaches you in your sin he approaches

you in your deception he approaches you

as as as you fall victim to the schemes

and the tricks of the devil and the

forces of evil that exist in this world

he approaches you in a fatherly way in a

in a

savior way and John says children it is

the last

hour make no mistake we are living in

the end times now even so is the last

hour and we've talked about this over

the last couple of weeks in this series

is that in every generation across every

Century across at every period and

Moment In Time history and the present

has always been set up in such a way

since the Ascension and more so the day

of Pentecost it has always been set up

in such a way where we can look at what

is happening in the world around us the

diseases the earthquakes the famines the

wars and rumors of wars the hardships

and challenges that Christians face

around the world the current persecution

that Christians and third world

countries and and Easter civilizations

have to engage in on a daily basis that

that we can bear witness to those things

and therefore conclude that we indeed

are living in the end times it is the

last hour and when we understand that

here's why it's important it allows us

to live prepared lives it allows us to

live ready for the return of Jesus here

my question are you ready for the return

of the

Lord if the Lord Jesus came right now at

this moment is your heart dedicated to

him in Full Faith or are you towing the

line are you caught in the in between

where in one moment you want to give in

to the Flesh and the sin and the evil

and the chaos and in the next moment you

you want to Worship the Lord

wholeheartedly the the scripture says

that is a constant battle that you and I

face and the one that we feed is going

to

Prevail are you feeding the flesh are

you feeding the sin in your life or are

you giving way to the spirit's control

he continues it is the last hour and as

you have heard that Antichrist is

coming so now many antichrists have come

therefore we know it is the last hour

these end times are marked by deception

and opposition to the church verse 19

they referring to the antichrists they

went out from us but they were not of us

for if they had been of us they would

have continued with us but they went out

that it might become plain that they all

are not of us you and I have witnessed

this people who profess to be Christian

but do not live a life that bears the

marks of Christ in his church they

Proclaim to be part of the church but

they don't live as if they are connected

to the church John in reference to

Antichrist currently within the church

says it becomes clear as day it is made

plain that they are not Believers in

Jesus Christ verse 20

but you he's telling the church and by

extension he's telling

us you have been

anointed by the Holy

One and you all have knowledge some

translations will say that you know

everything what is John getting at

here's what he's saying as opposed to a

spirit of opposition and deception aka

the Antichrist you being filled with the

Holy Spirit you have the

gospel you have all the knowledge that

is necessary to spiritually discern what

is Truth Versus what is a lie verse 21 I

write to you not because you do not know

the truth but because you know it and

because no lie is of the

truth who is the liar but he who denies

that Jesus is the

Christ this is the

Antichrist he who denies the father and

the son no one who denies the son has

the father whoever confesses the son has

the father also let what you have heard

from the beginning watch this abide in

you in other words you've heard the

gospel you've been filled with the

knowledge of Truth let that knowledge

not stay in the seats when the service

is over but let it transform your week

let it transform your family let it

change your marriage let it be the

filter by which you engage in work in

relationships in conversation and in

community you

know the

truth let it abide in you if what you

heard from the beginning abides in you

you then you too will abide in the son

and in the father and this is the

promise that he made to us I love this

because these antichrists these spirits

of opposition and deception will promise

you one thing but John is making certain

that you understand what the true

promise is this is the promise God has

made to you by way of the son empowered

and equipped in you through the ministry

of the Holy Spirit what's that promise

it's this eternal

life do you have

it because Christ is coming

back he will return at any moment we

don't know when but we know that the

signs and all that is happening in the

world today is pointing us to his return

are you living ready verse 26 I write

these things to you about those who are

trying to to deceive

you but the anointing that you received

from him abides in

you and you have no need that anyone

should teach you why because you know

the gospel you don't need new revelation

you don't need anything extra than what

has already been delivered to you

through Christ and his word but as his

anointing teaches you about everything

and is true and is no lie Jesus just as

it has taught you abide in him and all

God's people

said amen Lord would you bless your word

Holy Spirit would you stir our

hearts I love the clarity In this

passage and if you're sitting there and

you you're thinking we rolling it's not

been made clear to me let's unpack it

that's what we are going to do this

morning in our study

today as we read through our passage I

want us to understand this is not just

an exercise of

curiosity but it's a call to discernment

it's a call to stand firm and to be

vigilant and above all to exercise the

greatest tool that we have in our

spiritual toolbox confidence in Jesus

Christ John clearly warns us that there

are

antichrists present today that there are

people who have infiltrated the church

in order to deceive that there is a

spirit of the Antichrist present and

engaged in our world and if we are going

to understand anything about the

Antichrist it's about looking at the

truth of God's word and I believe John

in our passage gives us three truths

about how can how we can be prepared

against the Antichrist but but here's

here's the thing that we have to do we

have to answer this question who is the

Antichrist so here's what I want to do I

I want to give you a full list or rather

a spectrum of

views some of you are already

knowledgeable about this there are

different perspectives and focuses and

views on on what the scripture means

when we talk about the Antichrist or

maybe some of you this morning have

never considered that there are

differing perspectives but here's one

thing that is clear you can still be a

Bible believing Jesus honoring Christian

regardless of what view that you hold

here are those views the first one is

some people will interpret the

Antichrist as a future person who will

at some point emerge emge as this

political Global and religious

leader who will join the world together

in what is commonly referred to as a one

world government and at some point

betray the nation of Israel in order to

annihilate it that's one view another

view is that the Antichrist is not an

individual but rather when the Bible

mentions the Antichrist the Bible is

talking about an

ongoing Spirit of deception and

opposition that has been present from

the fall and will remain present and

only get worse and more evil before the

Lord

returns and then there's another view

one that is particularly on the fringes

of Christianity that that will look at

the Antichrist as a past figure that

John was referring to the Roman Empire

and particularly when they write about

the Antichrist standing in the temple

that that that was looking forward to

the Roman destruction of the temple in

70 a and so the Antichrist was both an

individual but that individual through

the Roman Empire has already trampled on

Israel and the temple and now is an

ongoing Spirit of deception and

opposition now the majority of American

Christians would line up with that first

perspective that the Antichrist is a

future Global political and religious

leader that will be set on uniting the

world governments and to oppose and

deceive the church however the majority

of Christians around the world would

apply the second perspective to the way

they approach the Bible that this is a

recurring Spirit of deception and evil

now let me tell you where I line up

personally you you don't have to line up

there personally this is just where I

line up I believe that that where I line

up is the correct line up though I'm not

above knowing that I could be wrong I

don't line up with the first view I I

don't see the scriptures pointing it

that way I I don't see a a true reading

of the scriptures leading one to

conclude that it's regarding a future

Global political religious leader rather

I I adhere to the second perspective

that there is this ongoing Spirit of

deception and opposition and evil

against the church John shows us that

the spirit of the Antichrist is already

at work and really it's closer than we

think so so here's what I want to do

with our remaining time regardless of

what perspective you line up with

whether you believe it's an ongoing

Spirit of deception or whether you

believe it's an actual individual who at

some point in the future will rise to

power here's what I know John is getting

at three truths about the Antichrist

whether a spirit of deception or whether

an individual person that we must know

and be informed about so that we can be

prepared and be rooted all the more in

confidence in Christ if you're taking

notes here's the first one the

Antichrist is a

deceiver this is where the Antichrist th

drives one might even argue it this way

this is where the Antichrist is talented

and gifted that whether the individual

or the spirit there is this thriving and

this capacity to do one thing and that

is to deceive go back with me to verse

22 of our

passage who is the

liar but he who denies that Jesus is the

Christ this is the Antichrist who's the

Antichrist he says it here he who denies

the father and the

son this defining characteristic is one

of deep

deception it is what that it's one that

is set on causing you to question and

turn away from the truth of God's word

if we go all the way back to the

beginning in Genesis chapter 3 in

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

particular we see the spirit of

opposition and deception at work you

remember the story Satan takes the form

of a

serpent and he begins to have a

conversation with Eve you know the rest

of the story in that conversation he

deceives her and he causes her to

question the truth of God often times

and this is how we experience it in our

culture today sadly even within the

church this Spirit of deception doesn't

come out as a full-on lie but it's

shrouded and it's covered in partial

truth so much so that that we would

cling to those partial truths and

completely dismiss all that is evil and

chaotic the spirit thrives today in

churches so what do we do how do we

combat this how do we stand firm how do

we stay ready I feel like this has been

an ongoing theme in each of our weeks

throughout this series but it's real

simple Church you stay rooted in God's

word this is why we've been emphasizing

throughout 2025 that we want to read the

Bible more it's not so that we could

check boxes on the readings of the day

on the chapters of the day it is so we

would have the truth of God implanted in

our minds and in our hearts because when

the truth of God is filtered through the

mind and then filtered through the heart

guess what that affects it affects our

actions it affects our words it affects

our thoughts it infiltrates every moment

of our lives and the more we're rooted

in the truth of God's word you know this

the more we can recognize the lies of

this world the more we can combat the

deceptions of the world so we stay

rooted in God's truth this is why

biblical

discernment is so crucial

this is why this whole series is is not

just to quell

Curiosities about the end times and when

Christ will return and do these events

line up with what this says in the Bible

and so on but rather it will cause us to

further remain confident in Jesus to

look to him as the only source of Hope

for a world in need the Antichrist is a

deceiver but guess what we stand on

truth the Antichrist is set out to

oppose but guess what we have the

greatest most Mighty and most

powerful God of

creation if you don't stand on

truth then you will fall for

deception how many of us have ever

experienced that in our

lives we thought we had a good foothold

we thought we stood firm but because we

neglected to engage with the truth and

all that is Holy we felt for deception

and here's the thing I want to make this

clear deception is not coming because it

is already

here the sad thing about deception

particularly as it infiltrates the

churches is that you have churches that

that no longer stand on the truth of

God's word that no longer preach the

scriptures they might preach self-help

they might preach good moral moral

Behavior but underneath the surface of

of what might seem biblical and true is

nothing but deception and bold face lies

and as church members you would never

know that unless you were rooted in

God's

truth

Paul tells the churches to be like the

bereans here's what he meant by

that don't you ever come in on a Sunday

morning and take my word for

it now I want you to know that I take

preaching very seriously there are

people in this church who know my burden

for preaching burden so much that that

that it affects my mind it affects me

physically because I know what a big

deal it is to preach the truth of God's

word now I can say trust me all day long

but listen don't ever sit there and take

my word for it you go and study the

scriptures for yourself to determine if

what we declare here at the The Grove is

true from Sunday morning Ministries to

Bible studies to our student services to

our kids programs you go home and

determine if what we are declaring is

true because if there ever is a moment

that we are in

error then we risk coming under the

Judgment of God and I don't ever want to

Shepherd a church under God's

judgment I want to be a church that

mightily stands on the truth of God's

word because deception is

here deception is rooted in all areas of

culture in all areas of our lives in

your work kids in the hallways in the

locker rooms on the marching field at

the grocery store at the stadiums it is

everywhere we need to know God's truth

so that we are not deceived this is what

the Antichrist

desires but the

Antichrist is not just a Deceiver

of the truth he is an enemy of the

church did you pick up on

that go back with

me to verse

19 they went out from

us but they were not of us for if they

had been of us they would have

continued with us who's Paul writing to

Paul is writing to the

church and he is detailing to them that

there were some who were within the body

but because of their deception and their

opposition against the church and their

denial as John would say of the father

and the sun it was made plain and clear

that they were never True Believers to

begin with but but let me share with you

what what Paul would tell the

Thessalonian Church 2 Thessalonians chap

2: 3-4 here's how Paul paints it

the man of lawlessness is

revealed the son of Destruction watch

this who opposes and exalts himself

against every socalled God or object of

worship so that he takes his seat in the

temple of God proclaiming himself to be

God we talked about this last week when

we looked at the issue of false Messiahs

John and both Paul are picking up on

this theme that that antichrists come

from the church but were never truly of

the church they they look like

Christians they talk like

Christians they memorize scripture like

Christians but make no mistake their

heart is set on one thing self-

worship Global

deception pulling you away from the

people peace the joy and the life Christ

has for you some of us this morning we

are battling with

antichrists we are battling with a

spirit of

deception that is drawing us away from

full faith in the

Lord and maybe just

maybe when you stand on your confidence

in Jesus Christ as opposed to leaning on

the deception the lies and the scheme

and the tricks that the book of Hebrews

says tosses you back and

forth there's no

steadiness there's no

balance you're being tossed to and fro

by every

deception every wind of Doctrine every

scheme of man every trick that the enemy

throws your

way but if you stand on the confidence

of Christ watch how life

changes watch how

perspective

changes there is a very real agenda

against the people of God did you know

that so much so that the scripture tells

us whether you believe again this is an

individual or an ongoing Spirit of

deception evil will continue to grow and

get worse here's the good news the go

goel will never

seize the gospel will continue to thrive

it will continue to go forward it will

continue to draw people the

Antichrist draws people to deception the

gospel draws people to truth do you know

what wins at the end

truth Christ has the victory he his

kingdom and his people will prevail get

to that here in just a moment but let me

just say this throughout history theur

church has fallen victim to fear

mongering seeing the Antichrist behind

every shadow behind every headline

behind every social media feed and and

even when evil seems to

Triumph even when it looks bleak for the

church it is only for a

season matter of fact here as Paul

refers to this man of

lawlessness he only Rises to power that

that Spirit only thrives because God

permits it because for a

season God allows it but the Antichrist

deceives the Antichrist opposes the

church and here's what I want us to

leave on this morning here's the good

news the Antichrist does not win evil

does not Prevail this is our third point

this morning the Antichrist is a

deceiver the Antichrist is a destroyer

but the Antichrist is

doomed the ultimate Victory belongs to

Jesus who prevails over all forms of

evil

including that which is set against the

gospel his Reign the reign of our

savior is not a future hope alone I

don't want to siss this but the reign of

our savior is

now we don't wait wait for the return of

Christ as if he's not working now but as

we wait we get to experience his

movement in and through the kingdom

remember Heaven is not a place that is

Far and Away Jesus said it this way the

kingdom of God is at hand it's right

here it's right now we get to live in it

we get to experience it we phrase it

this way we live in the already but not

yet what do we live in the already the

gospel is being proclaimed we're being

drawn to the Savior our sins are being

forgiven we're getting taste and seea

moments of heaven and his goodness and

his mercy and his grace but there will

come a moment with the final

consummation and all that is

wrong all that is evil all will be made

right as Heaven and Earth Collide and we

return to an Eden likee State this is

the future that awaits us go with me to

verse 20

you have been anointed by the Holy One

and you all have

knowledge John is reminding us I want to

remind you this morning that Believers

Sons and Daughters of God we have

something the enemy can never take away

the anointing of the Holy

Spirit who lives and thrives and moves

and works in you

that's a spirit of hope that's a spirit

of

Victory so what do we do we live without

hope or we live with hope and we do not

fear we stand firm and we stay

engaged and here's the Glorious truth

the Doom of the Antichrist is certain 2

2 Thessalonians 2:8

Thessalonians 2:8 the Lord Jesus will

kill him with the breath of his mouth

and bring bring him to nothing by the

appearance of his coming do do you see

the power and might in

Christ so powerful over the evil that

exists in the world that by his sheer

breath he silences it there is power in

the words of the

Savior his words brought the universe

into existence his breath gave you and I

a soul his words spoke to men as they

wrote down the scriptures this is the

power of our God and the

Antichrist the spirit is

here and it may be wreaking havoc but

our

Focus isn't on the Antichrist our focus

is on Jesus the the story of history is

not about Satan's schemes it's not about

his opposition and deception but it's

God's Victory the main character of

history is not the Antichrist it's

Jesus and know this I we're running out

of time I I'll close with this

Revelation 11:15 write that down put it

Revelation 11:15

in your notes here's the

victory the kingdom of the world become

the kingdom of our Lord and of his

Christ and he shall reign

forever and

ever this Kingdom belongs to one person

his name is Jesus your life belongs to

one person his name is Jesus your family

your marriage your work everything about

you belongs to one person his name is

Jesus church let's live like it and

let's be a people though we live in a

state in a world in a place where evil

seems to wreak havoc there is one who

continues to Reign true and mighty his

name is Jesus Jus would you pray with me