Leading The Way

Guest (Male): Listen now to longtime pastor and bestselling author, Dr. Michael Youssef.

Dr. Michael Youssef: What kind of fruit are you producing in your life? Is it your own fruit, or is it God's fruit? Please, let the word of God be imprinted upon your minds and upon your hearts and ask, what kind of fruit am I producing? Do I bring peace, joy, love, unity, or do I produce division, disunity, heartache, and indifference?

Guest (Male): Welcome to Leading The Way audio with Dr. Michael Youssef. Think about this for a moment. You're walking through church and you see a friend. In passing, you exchange a quick "How are you?" and you both say something like, "Oh, great," or "Fine," or "Blessed." But inside, you're both feeling like life is unraveling.

Church culture seems to demand that others think you're experiencing the best of the Christian life, overflowing with the fruit of the spirit. But as we know, real life is not always like that. Today on Leading The Way, a challenge to face the fruit of your faith.

Dr. Michael Youssef: A sermon was preached from a pulpit of a major Protestant church. The point of the sermon was this: today, with all the modern technology and science, the Bible cannot be believed. The preacher went on to give two examples as to why the Bible cannot be believed in modern days: the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ and the resurrection of Jesus Christ because they are scientifically impossible. I felt like one of my kids when they were little and said, "Duh."

The sermon concluded that God is not up there, that He's in you or else He's dead. Not in you in the way we understand "in us" in the Christian concept, but he continued on to say that God is in all humanity, and it is up to each person with it to kill God within or keep Him alive. This type of blasphemous preaching is far more common in the churches today than you will ever realize.

Most of them, however, are not as blunt as this. Most of them are a little subtle. Most of them use deceitful language. They don't call it deceitful language; they call it neutral language, but I call it deceitful language. That is why they don't love me, because I expose the truth.

That is not to say that within each of these groups are some faithful people who are hanging in there, who are trying their best to be light. But I want to tell you, they are like Lot of old. They are tormenting themselves by associating and listening and hearing and being in fellowship with such apostasy.

The fact is this: pagan ideology of the most radical anti-Christian nature is taught in university departments of religion across the land, in theological seminaries across the land, in mainline church agencies across the land. They adopt the name of Christianity, but in reality, true Christianity is unrecognizable.

One of their own scholars described Christian orthodoxy as "mental illness." Believe it or not, that's exactly what Nietzsche said. It wasn't long after Nietzsche's philosophy began to spread across the land of Germany that philosophy took hold, and we had the rise of Nazism. In fact, Nietzsche described orthodox Christians as "bigots living on the lunatic fringe." I have heard some of our political leaders describing Christians in this term.

Hundreds upon hundreds of women ministers from the mainline churches gathered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to worship Sophia, the goddess of wisdom. Many of them declared publicly, "Sophia is the divine savior who will lead humanity into another more perfect and loving civilization." They believe this because she will lead us out of the dualism of the scripture into the merging of humanity with nature.

Nature worship is exactly the idolatry that Hosea has been speaking against. There is nothing wrong about being good stewards of the earth and good stewards of the bounties of God, but to worship nature and hug trees and kiss frogs? Let me tell you something: it irritates God.

The Sophia that is worshipped by hundreds upon hundreds of modern-day feminist ministers in the mainline church is no other than the Egyptian goddess, Isis. In fact, one of their own scholars writes that the connection between Isis and Sophia is very significant, and it shows us Sophia's strongest link with the ancient goddess tradition.

I know all about Isis. My ancestors worshipped her. Isis is the goddess of magic and witchcraft. Magic and witchcraft has replaced the Lord Jesus Christ in many altars of churches across this land. Those participants in this conference called "Re-Imaging," these ministers in Episcopal, Methodist, Lutheran, and Presbyterian churches, they invoked the blessings of Sophia, saying, "Our maker, Sophia, we are women in your spirit."

Some of you are probably saying, "What has all this got to do with the book of Hosea?" It has everything to do with it. In fact, sometimes I feel that history is repeating itself with such precision that it is mind-boggling. Sometimes it appears to me, at least, that the God of the Bible is in mortal combat for the souls of people with these goddesses of this revived paganism.

But there are two major differences between Hosea's day and ours. The first difference is this: they did not have 2,000 years of Christian thought, 2,000 years of Christian light, and 2,000 years of Christian knowledge. The second thing is this: while I know the anti-God forces have always stalked the church's earthly route, rarely in history has religious paganism entered into the temple of God with such arrogance as it is happening today.

Most of us go around in our Christian life thinking, "Bless me, God; give me, God; do this, God," and don't realize that God is heartbroken. Turn with me, please, to Hosea, chapter 10, beginning at verse one. Listen to what God said in verse one: "Israel is a luxuriant vine, a lush vine that yields its own fruit. The more his fruit increased, the more altars he builds. As his country improved, he improved his pillars."

Their hearts are false. Let me read it to you from the Living Bible. It hits it right on in this particular verse, verse two. Here's what God is saying: "The more wealth I give her, the more she pours it on the altars of her heathen gods. The richer the harvest I give her, the more beautiful statues and idols she erects."

Israel was referred to throughout the scripture as a vine of God's own planting. God is the one who planted Israel. He took them out of the slavery of Egypt and tenderly provided for them in the wilderness. There, in the wilderness, He provided for them so supernaturally, so miraculously, and so lovingly. It was that vine that God took out of the wilderness and He placed supernaturally into the promised land.

It was there He planted that vine, and the people of Israel said, "Oh God, we're going to obey You. We're going to serve You. We're going to worship You alone." But a few generations later, they denied Him, and they mixed Him up with all the other gods of the neighbors. So much so that Jeremiah called Israel a degenerate vine. So much so, Hosea calls it a lush vine on the outside. Isaiah said that God looked for grapes in His vine, and He could only find poisonous grapes.

Why do you think God planted a vine? For His glory, to produce fruit, much fruit. But instead of the fruit, Israel turned around and produced poisonous fruit. On the outside, oh yes, it looked magnificent. He calls it luxuriant here. It looked great on the outside, green lush leaves. It looked wonderful. But when you look a little closer, the grapes are sour. More than that, they are poisonous.

What kind of fruit are you bearing? What kind of fruit are you producing in your life? Is it your own fruit, or is it God's fruit? Is it what you want, or what God wants? Ask yourself that question. Please, let the word of God be imprinted upon your minds and upon your hearts and ask, what kind of fruit am I producing? Do I bring peace, joy, love, unity, or do I produce division, disunity, heartache, and indifference?

God called Israel to bring glory to His name, but it turned out to bring shame to His name. Jesus planted His church to bring glory to His name, but it produced bitter fruit. God planted the Reformation to bring people back into the word of God, to bring glory to God, but now the very daughters of the Reformation are bringing bitter fruit.

"Israel is a luxuriant vine," says the Lord. It puts forth its own fruit, not God's fruit. Be very careful that you are producing God's fruit, not the fruit you want to produce. Because I want to tell you, God is patient and He's long-suffering and He's going to wait, but the discipline of God is going to chase you wherever you might go.

There are many Christian churches today that look like a luxuriant vine. They have steeples and crosses on top of those steeples, but inside these buildings, they have poisonous fruit. Many churches go through the motions of worship. They look like a luxuriant vine, but they bear the fruit of apostasy and the fruit of denial of biblical truth.

Many churches open the Bible and look like the real thing, but their poisonous fruit is manifested when they deny that this Bible is God's own self-revelation. There are many churches that preach Jesus and they look to be luxuriant vines, but they only believe in Him as a mere man, like all men who have no power to bring salvation.

Israel is a luxuriant vine who is producing its own poisonous fruit. On the outside, oh, everything looks wonderful. But inside, the fruit is deadly. No wonder that the Lord Jesus Christ, in John, chapter 15, He says these words literally: "I am the vine, the true one."

When Israel failed to respond to the love of God, they failed to respond to the mercy of God, and they failed to respond to the prodding of God, God, in the fullness of time, sent His only begotten Son, the true and only vine. Now I wonder today, the dividing question between those who claim to be Christians and those who are is the person of Jesus Christ. No wonder when you go and give a public prayer, they say, "Oh, don't mention the name of Jesus." I might as well be dead before I do that. I don't get invited to do a lot of public prayers.

You talk about God all you want, but you come to mention the name of Jesus and a cold, icy breeze comes into the room. Listen, argue all you want, but Jesus said, "I am the true vine. You either abide in Me or you are history." You either believe in Me as I am revealed in the scripture, or you're up the creek. You either trust Me with all of your heart, not just for salvation but for all of life, or you have no salvation.

You either believe that I am the only way to heaven, or you will never make it to heaven. You either believe that He is the divine Son of God, or you're going to spend eternity with the sons of the devil. You either believe that His resurrection physically and literally took place, or you will never see your own resurrection. You either believe that He was and is the pure, sinless, divine God of very God, or you'll spend eternity in torment. It is that simple. "I am the true vine," said Jesus.

I have some decent, good, believing people who say to me, "You know, Michael, you can win more people to Christ if you just soften your tone. You can get a lot more acceptance if you'd just be more positive and not talk about judgment. Oh, you can be more effective if you just tone down your preaching."

The devil tells me that every day. He really does. Don't think because I stand here and proclaim the truth and declare the truth, it doesn't mean that I don't have my hand-to-hand combat with the devil. But I want to tell you this: when God called me, more like it grabbed me by the back of my neck and made me preach, I didn't want to do it. I didn't want anything to do with the ministry.

I said to God, I will preach the truth because I want to tell you with all honesty that I would rather have people thank me in heaven than hate me in hell for not telling them the truth. I would rather have people bless me in heaven for telling them the truth than curse me in hell for muddying the truth.

I often wonder whether it is arrogance or apathy that is the greater of the two evils in our culture. I cannot help but ask the question. But the answer was for Israel between verses three all the way to six of Hosea 10. The answer was that Israel was swinging between one to the other: apathy, arrogance, apathy, arrogance. That is why it wasn't long before they experienced the incredible judgment of God.

When any person, society, or a church considers heaven to be empty, sooner or later, their words and their promises will follow suit. Israel is a luxuriant vine, but its fruit is sour, it's poisonous. But I want to tell you this, and I want to leave you with some thoughts: there are Christians, born-again Christians, who are producing sour fruit. I pray to God that none of them are listening to me right now.

Producing sour fruit, producing poisonous fruit, it will bring the discipline of God. The Hebrews says because He loves us, because He calls us children, He chastises us. He disciplines us. Ask yourself today, please, what kind of fruit am I producing? What kind of fruit is my vine bearing?

God was brokenhearted over Israel as we have been seeing in the book of Hosea. And then in chapter 11, He goes on to say, but it's not too late. "Turn to Me, return to Me," as He does throughout the book of Hosea. God is brokenhearted over the apostasy in the church. God is more brokenhearted over the indifference of His people who know Him, who claim Him to be the Lord and Savior. God is brokenhearted over the centrality of self among His people.

God is brokenhearted over the wrong motives for which He is worshipped and followed. But He's still calling. He's still calling. He's saying the opportunity is here. The time is now. I love you. Be broken before Me before I break you. Well, people sometimes say I tell too many stories. I didn't tell any stories today, and I'm not going to conclude with a story.

I want to conclude by giving you six things that I urge you before God to commit yourselves to do. First of all, be always thankful to God for revealing the truth and for saving you. Every waking moment, be thankful to God. It is His grace and His grace alone. And the second thing is this: be continuously humbled by this truth. Far from feeling an air of superiority, the truth should humble you and should humble me.

The third thing is this: be continuously broken before God over your own sin and over those who are caught up in the web of deception, those who are caught up in the spirit of witchcraft in the church. And the fourth thing is this: be always vigilant that you yourself never, never, never, never compromise for keeping the peace and just to get along.

It's going to take one little compromise, and the next time it's going to be another little one, and the next thing will be a little one, and before you know it, there's a gap. The fifth thing is this: be lovingly willing to show the truth as it is revealed in the scripture even to one person. I originally had five, and then I thought of the sixth one today: to learn and be equipped how to witness and share the truth.

Father, sometimes You choose to burden some of Your people with what burdens Your heart. And I thank You for the privilege of burdening my heart. Far from being a burden, it's a joy and a privilege. And I declare that to You.

Oh God, I pray that You will increase the tribe of those who will carry the same burden that You carry, have the same loving concern for the lost as You do, and be passionate about the gospel and the Lord Jesus Christ as we are about sports and all kinds of things. Strengthen Your people. Raise up men and women as the day draws near to be willing to give up everything and be abandoned for Jesus. In His name I pray. Amen.

Guest (Male): Words that may make you pause. Is God brokenhearted over you like He was over Israel? This is Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef. And you can listen to or watch more Leading The Way content on the radio, on television, through the mobile app, or wherever you get your podcast. There's more at ltw.org.

Dr. Michael Youssef: Hello friends, you have seen the wave of extremism on college campus, in conversation with some young people in your life, even in many churches. Two radical ideologies, once enemies, now they're marching together. They shut down debate, excuse violence, and they target biblical truth. That alliance is real and it is deliberate.

In my new book, "An Unholy Alliance," I explain what these two radical opposed forces are, why they are working together, and also give you the 1,400-year backstory many people are entirely ignorant about that is shaping today's headlines. Get my new book, "An Unholy Alliance." It's going to open your eyes and give you practical ways to make a difference for Christ.

Guest (Male): Order your copy of Dr. Michael Youssef's eye-opening new book, "An Unholy Alliance," today for your gift of any amount. You'll discover why two ideologies radically opposed to one another are working together to undermine faith and freedom. How this alliance is advancing on college campuses, in the media, and in public institutions across America.

What history, scripture, and documented evidence reveal about where this alliance leads, and what you can do about it. How Christians can respond not with fear or outrage, but with courage, compassion, and gospel truth. Order your copy of "An Unholy Alliance" today for your gift of any amount to Leading The Way.

Your generosity will help reach the lost for Christ and call the church to revival. Ordering details for "An Unholy Alliance" are available when you call us at 866-626-4356. And the website is ltw.org.

So as we close out this week, allow me to extend an invitation to join Dr. Michael Youssef right here next time when he begins an intriguing series of messages leading into the Easter season called "Eternal Friendships," right here on Leading The Way audio.

Dr. Michael Youssef: Eternal friendships give and ask nothing in return. Eternal friendships desire only good for the other. Its sorrow in the friend's misfortune and grief, its pride is in the friend's success. Jesus said in John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this." What is it? That he lays down his life for his friends.

Guest (Male): This program is furnished by Leading The Way with Dr. Michael Youssef, passionately proclaiming uncompromising truth around the world.