(Clip) The Coming Antichrist

Now folks, for years we've been preaching and teaching about the coming Antichrist and we've been expecting a man, the son of perdition. Some have speculated that that man has already been born, that he's somewhere on the earth now and perhaps even a man and soon to take power. Now is there such a man as an Antichrist? I say yes, there is a man of Antichrist. He's going to come one day and he's going to be well received and I'll tell you why he's going to be well received. He's going to be well received even by many who were Christians who have been prepared for his coming and he's going to be revealed and the only reason he's not revealed now, it's not his time and the Holy Ghost is holding it back. But one day the Holy Ghost will lift his restraining hand, this man will be revealed, he'll be incarnated by Satan, he will demand and receive the worship of mankind and then when his work is finished, his time is done, the Bible said he's going to be consumed with the mouth of our Holy God. But there is an Antichrist spirit, there is a man Antichrist. You see there are two Christ in the world, Jesus Christ the Lord and Antichrist. Antichrist has a spirit, there is a spirit of Antichrist that is even now moving in the world, preparing for the coming of this man. Just as sure as you as a believer have the spirit of Christ in you, there are people today that are absolutely possessed of the spirit of Antichrist. I'm going to show you today how it is overpowering many churches and that some churches, believe it or not, are directed by the spirit of Antichrist. Paul warns that there's coming false prophets who will preach another gospel and another Jesus. That other Jesus is the Antichrist and they're going to be of the spirit of Antichrist and they're going to be many apostate Christians in the last days. But folks while we've been looking for this man, Satan has been creeping in and by his spirit preparing. You see Antichrist is not going to suddenly appear on the scene and try to overwhelm mankind. The Bible says by the time the Antichrist is revealed, he will have already prepared the hearts for his coming. Paul said for the mystery of iniquity did already work. It's already at work. The spirit of Antichrist, Paul said, is already at work. He's already moving. He's already taking position. He's already coming into power. I want you go to 1st John please, 2nd chapter. Verse 15, begin to read with me. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father, but is of the world. But the world passes away in the lust thereof. But he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. Now listen to this. Little children, it is the last time. You've heard that Antichrist shall come. Even now there are what? Many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time. It means that there are many that have been infiltrated and possessed by the spirit of Antichrist. The spirit of Antichrist, John is saying, is already moving. It's in many hearts. The spirit of Antichrist. There are many, not the man, not many Antichrist, but the spirit of Antichrist in many. Now in this passage John is telling us those whose hearts are still in love with the world, those who are still bound by lust, have opened themselves to the spirit of Antichrist. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life is not of the Father. Who's it of? It's of the Antichrist. Once you go to 2nd Peter, 2nd Peter, the second chapter. Folks, I'm gonna tell you something. Listen to me before you read this. Careless, lazy Christians are going to be overcome. They're not going to be able to stand because when he comes, he's coming. It's just gonna be the last step, like stepping through a piece of tissue paper. It will have all been prepared. The hearts are ready, all prepared for his revelation. And sadly many Christians are going to be overcome. I want you to start reading with me verse, 2nd chapter, 2nd Peter verse 17. He's speaking to the church and certain ones in the church. These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest, to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lust of the flesh, through much wantonness those that were clean escape from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption. But of whom of a man is overcome, the same as he brought into bondage. Now listen to this, for if after they've escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, these people claim to be saved through the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you see that? And then it says, then they are again entangled therein and overcome. The latter end is worse with them than the beginning. Now folks listen to me. There are going to be Christians overcome by the Spirit of Antichrist that's at work right now. They're going to be overcome. These are those who have escaped the pollutions of the world, who were delivered by the power of God through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But now they've turned aside, for it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness. They knew the way. They knew the way of righteousness. Then after they have known it, to turn from the Holy Commandment delivered unto them. But it's happened unto them according to the true proverb, the dog has turned to his own vomit again, the sow that was washed to her own wallowing in the mire. How many, look at me please, how many do you know who've turned away from God and they're going back to their old habits? They've gone back to the old world. Folks I'm going to tell you, you don't just backslide. You don't just fall away from the Lord. Now he has to be talking about the church because what does the sinner have to fall away from? He can't fall away from anything. He's already in the pit. The only falling away are those who had something. You don't just fall away from Jesus, you fall into something. It's not just the falling away, it's falling into. You fall away from Christ and you fall into the spirit of Antichrist. Those who are righteous, who worship God in spirit and truth, are the prime targets of the Antichrist spirit. Look at verse 4, go back to 2 Thessalonians and folks keep your hands here at 2 Thessalonians 2nd chapter, verse 4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, all that is worshiped. Look at me please. This spirit of Antichrist is opposed to those who walk closely with the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who walk with God in intimacy and those who are worshipers. This is what the devil is after. This is what the Antichrist wants for himself and he's going to come against everybody. He's going to come against every true believer who walks in the intimacy of Jesus Christ. He's going to come against you with everything the Antichrist possesses. That spirit, that invading spirit, he's going to come against you and try to attack you and try to get you to stop worshiping. He'll try to stop your intimacy with the Father. He'll try to give you doubt and fear about the advocacy of the cross of Jesus Christ. He will do everything to make inroads to hinder your worship. There's nothing the devil wants in this church more than the worship. To kill and destroy, worship. That's what he wants in you more than anything else. He will do anything. He's not out to get you to be a drug addict, an alcoholic prostitute. He's not trying to get you to lie and steal and curse. He'll do that only if it disturbs your worship. He'll do it only to rob God of his praises. He's after worshipers and if you're a worshiper, true worshiper, don't be surprised when all that everything out of hell comes against you. When the Antichrist spirit comes and tries to knock you away, don't be surprised by it. Folks, keep your heart open to the Word. Love the Word of God. God will establish you. When that Antichrist spirit comes in like a flood, the Word of God lifts up a standard against it, cannot make an inroad to you. The more wicked this world becomes, the more righteous you will become. In the name of the Lord.