1 John 2:15-29 - The Deconstructed: A Life That Never Left the World - 8.23.2026

Father, I want to thank you so much for your

goodness and faithfulness. Thank you for your

word, Lord, as we come before you. We pray that

you would help us to understand how we are not

only preserved in the faith as a saint, but how

we are to maintain our minds and are consistent

in our walk. as we walk with you, as to avoid

the deception of deconstructionism. And that

you, in your wisdom and goodness, have always

kept your people till the day of your return,

till that great day. And we praise you and thank

you for your faithfulness and goodness. To you

be glory and honor. In Jesus' name, amen. So

let us start off with 1 John 2, verse 15. Do

1 John 2:15

not love the world or the things in the world.

If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father

is not in him. For all that is in the world,

the desires of the flesh, the desires of the

eyes, and the pride of life is not from the Father,

but is from the world. And the world is passing

away along with its desires, but whoever does

the will of God abides forever. Children, it

is the last hour. And as you have heard, the

Antichrist is coming. So now many Antichrists

have come. Therefore, we know that it is the

last hour. 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. but you have been anointed by the Holy One,

and you all have knowledge. 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 heard from

the beginning abide in you. If what you heard

from the beginning abides in you, then you too

will abide in the Son and in the Father. And

this is the promise. That he made to us eternal

life. I write these things to you. About those

who were trying to deceive you. But the anointing

that you received from him abides in you. And

you have no need that any should teach you. But

as. is but as his anointing teaches you about

everything and is true and there's no lie just

as it has taught you abide in him so we read

this and we go wow it's a lot there is a lot

but there's a specific continual thread and understanding

of what he's trying to show you and this is a

major issue in our day right now So the title

for this message is The Deconstructed, A Life

That Never Left the World. The Deconstructed,

A Life That Never Left the World. So what we

see in 1 John chapter 2 is 10 times John writes

1 John 2 · chapter mention

the term, I write to you. 10 times. In this entire

chapter. And this is why it's important. We know

because I told you guys last week. If John says

I'm writing to you. Then you have to read it.

He doesn't write for you not to read. So the

implication is. If I write to you. If I write

to you. If I write to you. Then you will read

it. Then you will read it. Then you will read

it. And this is significant. This is not a statement

of suggestion. But an imperative to listen and

follow. So when God says something over and over

and over again, it's you listen and you do it.

And five times he uses the term children in this

chapter. It's one of the common analogies. If

you read in this entire book, he uses the term

children and little children quite often. And

there's a reason. Because he is writing as a

father does to his children. We must listen to

what he is writing in the same way a child should

listen to their father. In other words, if I'm

going to talk to you, boy, listen to what I'm

saying. And so we must listen because he's writing

in the same way as a father would to a child.

And this part of the chapter is vital to John's

explaining what has happened and what's to come.

He specifically points out the defectors. These

Christian deconstructionists, these ex -evangelicals

is a term that's used today. The CVs or the hashtag

empty the pews statement. For you young guys,

and this has got a room full of some younger

people, you know, you got your little Twitter

hashtag statements. And this is one of those

statements. Among what you would assume are the

learned, but they're really not learned at all.

At a leaders conference I attended a few years

ago at Cairn University, the subject was doubt,

disillusionment, and deconstruction. It's based

on a book, Surprised by Doubt, How Disillusionment

Can Invite Us to a Deeper Faith by Dr. Joshua

Chatrall. It's interesting because I left there,

I went there curious. I know that deconstruction

is this thing going on. But really, what is it

about? But I left with many concerns about that

particular conference. Other than that, the conferences

have been absolutely amazing. And I can understand

why they did the conference because they're trying

to inform pastors and leaders on how to deal

with people who are quote -unquote deconstructioning

or are disillusioned to the faith. And Paul deals

with that. Don't be so easily shaken, Paul says,

as if. A letter was written. I'll read that in

a minute. But that's the problem with deconstruction

people. These disillusioned people. Their faith

is easily shaken. And the reason why it's easily

shaken is because it's not really built on the

firm foundation. Christ being the chief cornerstone

and the foundation being the apostles and the

prophets of the word of God given to the people.

They build on foundation different. Really try

to build a foundation that fits them. A house

that they would like. And I think the important

thing is when I left that conference, I left

that conference firmer in my rejection of deconstructionism

and stronger in the stance of the perseverance

of the saints. And when we get done this, you're

going to see why I... State that. Deconstructionism

is not a new thing. It's an old deception. They

just relabeled it. Christian deconstructionism

is the process. This is the definition. And I

pulled this definition from the internet because

there's like several different types of definitions.

And it came from the 1960s from a French I think

it's a French psychologist. I can't remember

if he was a psychologist or sociologist. But

he came up with this term of deconstructionism.

And as a result, the Christians have adopted

this term and this way of thinking. So I think

this definition gives a clear understanding of

Christian deconstructionism and why it's so prevalent.

And that is because it is a worldview and a world

philosophy. applied to biblical truths by which

they make themselves look foolish because they

don't know. Or they know, but they really don't

want to know. Or they just don't know because

they choose not to know. So Christian deconstructionism

is the process of critically examining, questioning,

and dismantling a person's previously held religious

beliefs, church culture, and foundational doctrines.

Now think about that. You're critically thinking

about a doctrine that you alone never believed

in. You're not really dismantling anything. You're

not deconstructing anything. You're making excuses

for what's always been there. So often, starting

with evangelism, it involves taking apart a lifelong

belief system to see what is true, harmful. And

shaped purely by politics and tradition. And

it's interesting that as we see the rise of the

religious right. And the religious left. The

rise of the political religion of America. There

are two forms. Right? Two forms. We have the.

Christian nationalists. And then we have the

Christian socialists. And there's this huge debate

on who's right. And the reality is, I think many

of these deconstructionists end up making their

final decision on what they believe politically.

Because, after all, it's what's going on in my

life right now. Because I'm like the most important

thing right now. And this isn't new. If you turn

to John chapter 6, Jesus dealt with the same

John 6 · chapter mention

issue. The same exact problem. Jesus dealt with

defectors. Jesus dealt with deconstructionists,

the apostates, the ones who said they were with

him, but then they were like, yep, I'm out. So

Jesus is talking to the people. In John 6. And

he's talking to them about him being the bread

of life. And Jesus says, he who eats my flesh

and drinks my blood, it is he who has life. And

they're like, you're weird. That's cannibalism.

Of course, they didn't get it. But Jesus makes

this statement on purpose. One, it's true. But

two, It's to see if they actually believe in

him. Because what you read in chapter 6 verse

60 is one of the reasons why I don't like headings.

Because when you read headings, you think it's

all one separate conversation to another. In

reality, it's the same conversation. So in verse

59 of chapter 6, it says, Jesus said these things

in a synagogue as he taught in Capernaum. And

when many of his disciples heard it, they said,

this is a hard saying. Who can listen to it?

Who in the world is able to listen to you telling

everyone to feed on your flesh and drink your

blood? Like that is, what are you talking about?

And he was really pointing them to the time that

the forefathers were in the desert. Eating manna.

I am your source of life and your sustenance.

I am the one who keeps you alive. Man does not

live by bread alone, by every word that comes

from the mouth of God is what he was implying

here. But no. So, these disciples that were following

him, which were numerous, more than 60, I assume.

They're all like, I can't listen to this. But

Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples

were grumbling about this, he said to them, do

not take offense at this. Then what if you were

to see the son of man ascending to where he was

before? If me telling you to eat my flesh and

drink my blood is shocking, how about if I left

right here and you watched me go? Would that

verify that what I'm saying is true? If the manna

fell from heaven to feed you, how about if the

manna ascends to heaven? Will you believe me

then? That's what he's implying here. Then he

says, it is the spirit who gives life. The flesh

has no help at all. Now, that is a massive statement.

Why? Who's the one that gives life? The Spirit

of God. What's it say in 2 Corinthians chapter

2 Corinthians 2 · chapter mention

2? I'm giving you something that I didn't give

first service. 1 Corinthians chapter 2, verse

1 Corinthians 2:14

14. If the Spirit gives life, then it's the Spirit

who gives knowledge. And it's exactly what Jesus

says. I'll read it to you. Chapter 2, verse 14.

The natural person does not accept the things

of God. of the Spirit of God, for they are folly

to him, and he is not able to understand them

because they are spiritually discerned. Spiritual

truths, unspiritual people cannot understand.

That means even the gospel. That's why when you

preach the gospel and you go, how can you walk

away from that? It's because they don't know

him. Now, look at what Jesus says here. It is

the Spirit who gives life. The flesh is no help

at all. The words that I have spoken to you are

spirit and life. Do you get the point? But there

are some of you who do not believe. Jesus did

all these miracles. He did all this in front

of them. He then gives them a truth that they

can have life in him and life everlasting and

forgiveness by their sins being washed away.

But what do they do? No, I don't want any part

of that. Because they don't want any part of

him. That was the point. If you eat this bread

and drink this cup, you have a part with me.

But if you don't, you're not part of me. For

Jesus knew from the beginning who those were

who did not believe and who it was who would

betray him. He knew everyone there that didn't

believe. They were all disciples. Get it. They

were all disciples. all following him around,

watching him do miracles and being excited talking

about it. Did you see that? Man, he's about to

take over the Romans. It's all about that, right?

And then all of a sudden he says, hey, you want

to be a part of me? You got to do this. And they're

like, you're crazy. Look what he says here. And

he said, this is why I told you that no one can

come to me unless it is granted to him by the

Father. Do you hear that? Let me make this clear

again. No one can go to Jesus unless the Father

has granted that person to go to Jesus. How do

we deal with that? How do you deal with that?

Because that wrecks a lot of faith here, right?

That should mess some people up. Mess me up.

I'm like, what do you mean? I can't go to Jesus

unless the Father says so? How do I do it? What

do I do with that? You don't do anything with

it. The reality is, it's a reality. Okay, God

said it. I can't argue that. And that's the way

it is. I will not come unless the Father sends

me. Or he draws me. That's the point. And he

comes near to me. Deconstructionists hate that

idea. Why? Because with deconstructionists, It's

all about them. It's about me. It's not about

God. But then look what Jesus says. After this,

many of his disciples turned back and no longer

walked with him. Listen, the doctrine of election

wrecks everybody. Some will stay. Many will go.

That's what he's saying here. Everybody left.

Guess who was left? Twelve. And one of the twelve,

which Jesus says earlier, is the devil. Look

what it says here. So Jesus said to the twelve,

do you want to go away as well? You want to leave

me? Look at the mind of a believer versus a deconstructionist.

It's an amazing statement. Simon Peter answered,

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words

of eternal life. Do you know how every believer

perseveres through the reality of doubt and disillusionment?

The word of God. Doesn't matter. You have the

words of life and we are in that. I'm all about

that. So it doesn't matter how... A church grows

and explodes and then shrinks. The words of life.

And we've believed and have come to know that

you are the Holy One of God. Look at his response.

So not only do you see that the reality of avoiding

the deconstruction is the word of God which is

present in them and because he is with them and

They know him. Personally, I know. Interesting,

isn't it? But then Jesus says to them, did I

not choose you, the 12, and yet one of you is

a devil? And he spoke of Judas, the son of Simon

Iscariot, for he, one of the 12, was going to

betray him. So even though Judas stayed, he stayed

because it was his will to stay. Judas could

have left. Nah, not going to happen. Because

God has a plan for Judas, does he not? Oh yes,

he does. So, turn to 1 John. So even in Jesus'

day, there are deconstructors or defectors. And

there are even that in the Old Testament, if

you go to Isaiah chapter one, verses one through

four, people have always left the mission because

they were never part of the mission. And John

states that. Now look what it says here. It's

principle number one. No one can serve two masters.

They will either hate the one and love the other,

or they will be devoted to the one and despise

the other. You cannot serve both. You cannot

serve God and money. And the word there translated

money is money. But the reality is it's also

you cannot serve God and the world. Because the

world operates everything around money. That's

in Matthew 6, 24. You either love the one or

hate the other. You're devoted to one and despise

the other. But you can't have both. And that's

the uniqueness about God's work through his word.

And the uniqueness of how God cleans the church

out by deconstruction. It's not really real true

faith. In James 4 .4 it says, you adulterous

people, do you not know that friendship with

the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever

wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself

an enemy of God. You cannot be both. And what

John is building here is he's building the clear

direction of where these apostates are. They

have a love. All of us love something. We either

love God or we love the world. We either love

God or we love our sin. You can't love both.

And sometimes that's a deep struggle for believers.

And look what it says here in 1 John 2, 15 through

17. Do not love the things of the world. If anyone

loves the world, the love of the Father is not

in him. Pretty clear, isn't it? You cannot love

the world and say that I'm a believer. For all

that is in the world, the desires of the flesh,

the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life,

is not from the Father, but is from the world.

Do you get that? So let me get it clear for you.

The world is this system of things. Specifically,

the system of sin, the corruption. And the world

in its system is completely corrupted and designed

to destroy, steal, and kill. And the world is

passing away along with its desires. And whoever

does the will of God abides forever. And what

he's saying is, Everything that's corrupted eventually

decays. The world is dying. Look at the ash trees

just in this area. That's a small microcosm of

the slow decay of things. Because of sin. Imagine

what sin does to the soul. And that's why he

says we are dead in our trespasses. We are dealing

with the reality of the corruption of the world

every single day we wake up and we sleep. And

the world is passing away with all its desires.

But the question is, do you abide in God forever?

Principle number two, those who deconstruct never

knew Christ nor left the world. And that's my

argument. There's really no such thing as Christian

deconstructionism. They just never left the world

in the first place. You'll hear deconstructionists

say, well, I grew up in a Christian household.

I'm a pastor's kid. I just decided over time

that it's a lie. I was a believer at one time.

I was a follower of Jesus and I was serious.

I was preaching the gospel and people got saved.

That doesn't mean you were a believer just because

you said a prayer. And what do you see? They

base their life choices on the experience instead

of basing choices on truth. And they need someone

to blame because they don't want to be held responsible

for their junk. So they say, you know what? It's

because the church hurt. Let me tell you something.

No one in this room understands church hurt more

than I do. And I'm not saying that from boastfulness.

I am telling you. And my wife is a witness to

that truth. What we have gone through through

years of ministry in church. Not our church.

But just church in general. I know what church

hurts feels like. Why haven't I defected? Because

if there's anyone in the room that has an excuse,

I do. And the elders know because I told them.

And so does the pulpit committee. I know what

church feels like. I know what it's like when

a deacon turns on you and when people lie about

you and when others are stealing in the church

and you've got to stand up for truth. I know

what it's like. Does that mean I'm going to defect

because things are difficult? No. No, I'm not

a defector. There are times when you want to

give up because you're tired, you're exhausted,

and you're like, I don't know if I can do this

anymore. But why do you keep going? Because of

truth and Christ's kingdom. You don't stop because

it's difficult. But that's what deconstructionists

do. They make excuses for their disbelief. And

they blame the church and they blame everyone

else. Even though they're part of the problem

because they're in the church as a non -believer.

They're false Christians. Can you imagine if

the church was only real true believers? You

know the scariest part? It'd probably be emptier

than it is right now. Because I don't know who's

saved, who's not saved. Only God knows. But if

they are truly believers, I think we'd be surprised.

But we'd also be surprised to find out who is.

I would have never guessed that. Look what he

says here. So the reality of the deconstructionists

is they never knew Christ. And they never left

the world. In Hebrews 4, Hebrews 6, 4 through

6 says it this way. Hebrews 6, 4 through 6. For

it is impossible. You hear that? Please. If everyone

starts talking about this and they're like, see,

you can lose your salvation. No. I'm telling

you, it's bad teaching. This is the right teaching

here. For it is impossible. That's a definitive

statement. In other words, there's not a way.

or a possibility, or an iota whatsoever for this

to happen. So what he's doing, he's giving you

a scenario that will never happen. For it is

impossible in the case of those who have once

been enlightened, in other words, have come to

know the truth, who have tasted the heavenly

gift, who have... come to eternity with Jesus,

have shared in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit

has indwelled them as a guarantee of their inheritance,

and have tasted the goodness of the Word of God

to be completely changed and transformed and

sanctified by the Word of God, and the powers

of the age to come with the hope of what we have

in the future, and then to have fallen away,

just to totally abandon it. Think about that.

Do we honestly think that God is that weak? That

he can't keep his people? And there are denominations

that teach that you can lose your salvation.

It is an impossibility. Because if I can lose

my salvation by the change of my mind, because

I choose to, then God's a really weak God. It's

an impossibility. Look what it says. And then

to have fallen away. To restore them again to

repentance. To send the Holy Spirit back so that

he will dwell back in. To cover them again of

their sin by the blood of Jesus. To have Jesus

go through the whole process of being crucified,

buried, and rising again on the third day. If

you once received all that and he's done all

that for you, for you to go back and be restored

to repentance, this is what I believe it's Paul

writing this along with Luke. Since they are

crucifying once again the son of God to their

own harm and holding him up to contempt. What

you're saying about Jesus' crucifixion is it's

never good enough. Because I have to do my part

to keep it. And that's what deconstructionists

are saying. I've known Jesus. I've worked for

Jesus. I've done the ministry with Jesus. I grew

up with Jesus. I've known Jesus my whole life.

Look what it says in 1 John 2, 18 through 20.

And this is how John states it. Children, again,

it is the last hour. So I want you to hear this.

Hear that? It is the last hour. Not when the

seven -year tribulation happens. It's now. That's

important to understand. We're in it now. It's

been the last hour since his ascension. It's

going to be the last hour until his return. We

are in it now. And it's good because we know

if we're in it that he could be here any minute.

And if we're in it, he's coming any minute. The

question, are you ready to go be with him? Okay.

Now look what it says. Children, it is the last

hour as you have heard that Antichrist is coming.

He's talking about V1. Yes, that Antichrist is

coming. So now many antichrists have come. And

we know that because there have been many antichrists.

And there are many antichrists even among believers.

Because look what it says. Therefore we know

that it is the last hour. Why? Because there's

an antichrist coming and there's a bunch of antichrists

around us. What do we know about these antichrists?

I want you to pay attention to what John says

here. This is what he's saying about the antichrists,

the deconstructionists, the defectors of the

faith, the apostates. They went out from us,

but they were not of us. 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. Isn't that interesting? Where

do most of the antichrists come from? Churches.

That's enough to hush a room. What? Yes. They

were never of us. They came from us, but they

weren't of us. Because if they had been of us,

they would have remained with us. But they didn't,

so they went out. And as a result, it's plain

that all of them are... Antichrists. What is

an antichrist? He says that shortly. But you

have been anointed by the Holy One. You're not

one of those people. You're not one. Why? Because

the word anointed, this is a really cool word.

It literally means to smear. You're smeared by

the Holy Spirit. Now, you guys know, you guys

understand what smearing is. You guys got little

kids? Did your kids ever discover ketchup or

peanut butter? And what they do with it? They

put it in places you didn't even know they had.

Places. It's everywhere. It's all here. It's

painted on them. You're like, what did you do?

That's the smearing. And it's hard to take peanut

butter off. That's just a little easier. Just

stick them in the shower. Peanut butter sticks.

That's the smearing. That's what this word smear

means. This anointed. You have been smeared by

the Holy Spirit. And you all have knowledge.

What knowledge? What knowledge? Look what it

says. The knowledge of God. The knowledge of

this gospel. That's the knowledge you were given.

Paul states the same thing in this way. Everything

we just read, notice what he says in 2 Thessalonians

2 Thessalonians 2:3

2, verse 3. Interesting. Let no one deceive you

in any way. For that day will not come. That

day will not come unless the rebellion comes

first and the man of lawlessness is revealed,

the son of destruction. What? The rebellion comes

first? Yes, called the days of deconstructionism.

You know what the fastest church that is, the

slowest growing church, we'll say it that way,

but it's the fastest depleting, biblical Christianity.

Because listen to me, people that attend Stephen

Furtick Church and all those other false churches,

those aren't churches. So we live in the days

of the rebellion. We live in the days of deconstructionism.

We live in the days of those who have jumped

ship. Look what it says, the next principle.

You cannot deconstruct from something you never

had. You cannot deconstruct from something you

never had. Jesus said, and this is the will of

him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of

all that he has given me. Who gave you to Jesus?

The Father. And what's Jesus say? Those whom

the Father has given me, I will not lose. But

I will raise it up on the last day. John 17,

39. John 17, 3. This is what he says. And this

is eternal life that you. That they know you,

the only true God in Jesus Christ to whom you

have sent. And what's interesting is this term

supports verse 20. But you have been anointed

by the Holy One and you all have knowledge. Knowledge

of what? Knowledge of eternal life. To know the

Father and to know the Son is eternal life. Because

if we are in Christ, then Christ is in God. then

we are in him and he is in us. In 1 John 2, 21

through 25, I write to you, not because you do

not know the truth, but because you know it.

Who? He is the truth. Christ is the truth. The

spirit of Christ is the truth. And because no

one lie, because no lie is of the truth. We know

that because he lives in you. He's not a liar

as those who do lie. Who is the liar? The one

who denies that Jesus is the Christ. This is

the Antichrist. Now what's interesting in the

Hebrew, I mean in the Greek, sorry. I'm in the

Hebrew month. In the Greek, this term the isn't

present. This is Antichrist is what he says.

The is not there. I don't know why we put it

in there because there is no definitive article

in the original language that I could find. What

he's saying is that the one who denies that Jesus

is the Christ is Antichrist. He who denies the

Father and the Son. That is an Antichrist. How

can those who deconstruct state that they believed

in Jesus and were a follower of Jesus to then

turn around and deny Jesus is the Christ. That

means you never knew he was Christ. You're an

antichrist. False Christianity and false Christians,

false Christians are antichrists and false Christianity

is the message of the antichrist. It's a false

religion. It's a fake faith. Notice what it says

here. No one who denies the Son has the Father.

What's eternal life? To know you, the only true

God and his son whom you have sent. Whoever confesses

the son has the father also. Which makes sense

because if the Holy Spirit lives in you and he

is the exact representation of the son and the

son is the exact representation of the father

and that they are three in one, the triune God,

then God, the father and God, the son live in

you through the spirit of God. Let what you heard

from the beginning abide in you. What did you

hear from the beginning? What was the thing you

heard from the very beginning? The gospel. The

very first thing that you heard is the gospel.

Do you know one of the reasons why I never defected

is because the gospel keeps me. The word of the

living God keeps me. If you heard from the beginning,

if what you heard from the beginning abides in

you, then you too will abide in the Son and in

the Father. And what did I hear from the beginning?

His gospel. And how do we receive the gospel?

For it is by grace you have been saved through

faith, right? And we receive the gospel because

the word of Christ is given to us by faith. And

this is the true promise that he made to us,

eternal life, which is exactly what we read in

John 17, 3. That's the promise. The gospel. Do

you know why people defect? Because they don't

believe the gospel. Why don't they believe the

gospel? Because they have not the spirit of God

to believe the gospel. They can't believe a spiritual

truth because they're spiritually discerned because

they don't have God. And the only way to come

to know God is God has to give you to the Son.

By which he draws near to you. By which he saves

you. And gives you the knowledge of faith and

the gift of faith for you. And the knowledge

of the truth because the Spirit of God dwells

in you. You cannot have life without the Spirit,

he said. 1 John 2, 26 -29. I write these things

to you about those who are trying to deceive

you. These deconstructionists. But the anointing

that you received from him abides in you. Who

is the smear? Who is the one who has anointed

you? The spirit of God abides in you. He is the

anointing which you received. You And you have

no need that anyone should teach you. So why

do you come to church? If I don't need someone

to teach me, what's the point of coming to Wednesday

night? It's to verify and affirm that what you're

learning is true. Or that you learn something

new so that you can go home and verify through

the Spirit of God that what's being taught is

true. Either way, it's a receive and it's a give.

It's a receive and it's a give. All the time.

You get something, you test it. You learn something,

you give it. And the Spirit of God is the one

who will guide you on all truth. He will verify

if what I'm teaching you is biblically true.

By you going home and studying it. Listen, you

should be in the Word every single day. Listening

to it. reading it, do something with it every

day. Every day you should be in it somehow or

another. You should get something every day.

But the anointing you have received from him

abides in you. And if you have, and you have

no need for anyone to teach you, then he should

teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about

everything and is true, and is no lie, just as

it has taught you, abide in him. In other words,

this is what he's saying. The Holy Spirit, when

the Holy Spirit verifies and teaches you truth,

you should be doing it. If you love me, you obey

my commandments. You're like, why does Jesus

keep saying this over and over and over again

through his word? Why does Pastor Joe keep preaching

and teaching this over and over and over again?

Because the sin is worse. You can't avoid it.

It's like I want something practical for my life.

I want you to speak about what's going on in

my life because that's what matters for me. That's

the answer. It literally is do what he tells

you to do. It's not like you're not going to

have trouble, but it's going to be a lot better

for you to get out of the situation. And then

look what he says. And now little children abide

in him. So that when he appears, we may have

confidence and not shrink from him in shame at

his coming. How can we know that we are his and

we belong to him when he returns? We're not going

to cower in fear and in shame because he is there.

We are going to run like a child runs to their

father. That's how you'll know. that you are

not deconstructed. Because you won't shrink in

shame. You have the confidence that you know

that the gospel is true and the word of God is

effective in your life. Verse 29, and we close.

If you know that he is righteous, you may be

sure that everyone who practices righteousness

has been born of him. You're like, there it goes

again. John's wrote it, and if John wrote it,

he wants you to read it. If he wants you to read

it, he wants you to do it. It's there for a reason.

So what do we learn about deconstructionism?

It's an old idea. So they can come up with a

new term all they want. They can wrap it up in

a bow and make it all pretty. So they can...

empty the pews and be ex -evangelicals. It really

doesn't matter. Because they were never of us

in the first place. So you could say you're deconstructing,

but you never really deconstructed for something

you never had. Thank God, God perseveres his

people. Father, I want to praise you and thank

you for your faithfulness. Thank you for your

word. To you be honor and glory forever and ever.

In Jesus' name.