Querida Tiatira: La Iglesia Tolerante // LAS 7 IGLESIAS DE APOCALIPSIS

♪ ¿Todo el mundo contento? Que bueno que están aquí. Si eres nuevo, mi nombre es Virgilio. Que bueno conocerles. Y que bueno que puedes estar aquí en nuestra iglesia. Si no lo sabían, por tres años enseguida hemos ganado a la iglesia más guapa en el hemisferio oeste de los Estados Unidos. No es verdad, no existe esa competencia, pero en mi corazón es verdad. Dile a dos personas cerca de la iglesia, vamos a aprender juntos. Vamos a aprender juntos. ¿Algún cristiano trajo su biblia a la iglesia hoy? A ver, biblia, cristianos armados. Eso está bueno. Pueden abrir a Apocalipsis capítulo 2. Para más luego, en la mitad, pueden ir a Galatas 1 y pueden poner un marcador en Santiago 4 para el final. Vamos a tener todos los versículos también en las pantallas y los puntos también. Estamos continuando nuestra serie, Querida Iglesia, las siete iglesias de Apocalipsis. Es un estudio, es una serie de siete semanas, esta es semana cuatro, donde estamos estudiando estas siete cartas escritas a siete iglesias diferentes. Son cartas dictadas por Jesús personalmente, con la pluma del apóstol Juan. ¿Alguien recuerda dónde estaba Juan, dónde lo escribió? En la isla de Patmos, como un exiliado. Y bueno, Jesús en cada una de estas cartas escribe algo práctico, algo poderoso y algo personal. Él escribe estas siete cartas porque él quiere que su iglesia esté preparada para su regreso. Eso es algo que creemos los cristianos, según su palabra, que Jesús regresará por su iglesia. Eso está bien claro también en este libro de Apocalipsis. La primera semana aprendimos de la iglesia de Éfeso, la iglesia distraída. La segunda semana aprendimos de la iglesia de Esmirna, la iglesia sufriente. La tercera semana aprendimos de la iglesia de Pérgamo, la iglesia confundida. En las próximas semanas estaremos aprendiendo de una iglesia que está muriendo, una iglesia perseverante y una iglesia tibia. Y antes de continuar, doy una advertencia importante para los padres que están aquí. Si tienen hijos en elemental para abajo, quinto grado para abajo, es importante que ellos siempre vayan a sus clases de Vertical Kids, ya que esas clases son apropiadas para sus edades.

Hoy en esta carta y en esta porción de la palabra se tocan temas como el sexo, la inmoralidad sexual y también la opresión demoníaca y espíritus y demonios. Entonces quiero asegurar que los niños estén en sus clases. El título del mensaje de hoy es Querida Tiatira, la iglesia tolerante. Querida Tiatira, la iglesia tolerante. Oremos. Señor, te damos gracias por la oportunidad de estar aquí hoy, listos para escuchar un poco más de tu palabra. Oramos para que tu Espíritu Santo nos hable, nos ministre, permítenos escuchar lo que tú necesitas y quieres que escuchemos, comprender lo que tú quieres que comprendamos. Y bueno, Señor, escuchar tu palabra, poner en práctica sus principios para poder honrarte como a ti te honra. Ponemos este tiempo en tus manos, en el nombre precioso de Jesús. Amén. De las siete cartas a las iglesias en Apocalipsis, esta carta a Tiatira es la más larga. A pesar de que Tiatira quizás es una de las ciudades más pequeñas, aparentemente Jesús tenía mucho que decir a la iglesia en Tiatira. Así que vamos a leer Apocalipsis capítulo 2, la carta completa del 18 hasta el versículo 29. Y dice, escribe al ángel de la iglesia de Tiatira, el ángel al mensajero, al pastor, al líder. Esto dice el Hijo de Dios, el que tiene ojos que resplandecen como llamas de fuego y pies que parecen bronce al rojo vivo. Conozco tus obras, tu amor, fe, servicio y perseverancia. Además, sé que tus últimas obras son más abundantes que las primeras. Sin embargo, tengo en tu contra que toleras a Jezabel, esa mujer que dice ser profetiza. Con su enseñanza engaña a mis siervos, pues los induce a cometer inmoralidades sexuales y a comer alimentos sacrificados a los ídolos. Le he dado tiempo para que se arrepienta de su inmoralidad, pero no quiere hacerlo. Por eso la voy a postrar en un lecho de dolor y a los que cometen adulterio con ella los haré sufrir terriblemente, a menos que se arrepiente. of what they have learned from her.

I will make the children of that woman suffer to death. Thus will all the churches know that I am the one who scourges the mind and the heart, and I will treat each one of you according to your works. Now, to the rest of those who are in Thyatira, that is, to those of you who do not follow this teaching or have learned of what they call the deep secrets of Satan, I tell you that I will no longer impose any other burden. However, hold firmly what you already have until I come. To the one who comes out victorious and fulfills my will to the end, I will give him authority over the nations, as I have received it from my Father, and he will govern them with iron scepter and will tear them to pieces like clay vessels. I will also give him the morning star, the one who has ears, who hears what the Spirit says to the churches. OK. This is a strong word. It is a strong word. It is a word, we would say in English, harsh. It is hard. Now, I want to emphasize, as we have done in some of the weeks, before correction or warning, Jesus affirms some things that this church was doing well. He says, I know your works, your love, faith, service, and perseverance. I also want you to notice that he is talking to a growing church. Why? Because he says, I also know that your last works are more

abundant than the first. Apparently, this church was perhaps growing. Perhaps now they were doing more ministry than before. They were helping more people than before. And so he is encouraging them, he is affirming them for their growth, for their perseverance, and for having an impact on the positive city. But he says in verse 20, however, I have against you that you tolerate. Let's stop there. As we have done every week, if we could define the Tiatira church with one word, here is the line, the Tiatira church was a tolerant church. A tolerant church. This is the main thing that Jesus had against this church. Now, in society and in the world today, this tolerance may sound a little confusing. Because today's society mistakenly sees being tolerant as a positive quality, while Jesus and the word of God do not see tolerance as something positive. They are two different perspectives. The current definition of tolerating is to persevere or endure without aversion, without objection, without disgust. Simply tolerate, persevere. I believe that most of us do not want to simply tolerate. We are all created in the image and likeness of God, and God

loves us. We all have the desire to be loved. Society and the world today believe that tolerating or tolerance is something different from what it really implies. Today, the world believes that tolerating means affirming and accepting without objection any value, any idea, any ideology, any expression, any behavior, etc. Because we think that tolerating is an external expression of love. Society and the world today mistakenly believe that if you are going to love me, you have to tolerate everything about me and you have to affirm and accept me without question anything I do and any lifestyle I choose. That is the definition of today's world. That if you are going to love me, you have to tolerate everything I am and everything I believe, and if not, then you do not love me or you are intolerant. And the truth, I repeat, is that we are created by whom? By God. In the image and likeness of whom? Of God. In every human being there is dignity, in every human being there is value because we were created by God and for God. We all want to be more than tolerated, we want to be loved. Now, there is a difference between tolerating and loving. And I believe that if you love me, you are looking for my good. If I love you, I am looking for your good. It is what we see in the word of God, right? What does John 3.16 say?

Because in such a way God loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all who believe in Him may not be lost, but may have eternal life. There we see it. God has loved what He has given. He wants the good for us. So when I love you, I am looking for your good. When you truly love me, you are looking for my good. Compara eso con el concepto hoy en día de tolerancia, que es muy diferente. Cuando yo demando que tú me toleres, estoy demandando que tú me veas a mí y todo lo que yo hago como bueno. Cuando tú demandas que yo te tolere a ti, tú estás demandando que tú tienes el control de la forma en que yo debo verte, y estás diciendo yo espero que tú me veas a mí y todo lo que yo hago como algo bueno. Ahora, esto no es bíblico. Esto es manipulación. Es más, es el opuesto de pensar en otros primero. Esto es pensar en uno primero. Esto es un espíritu de control y de manipulación. El asunto para creyentes en Jesucristo, como aquellos de nosotros que seguimos a Jesús y creemos en su palabra, es que tenemos versículos como Marcos 10, 18, la segunda parte que dice, Nadie es bueno si no solo Dios. Pregunta, ¿Quién es bueno? Dios. ¿Y qué tal las personas? ¿Quién es bueno? Nadie realmente es bueno. Por lo tanto, yo no puedo afirmar que todo lo que tú eres y todo lo que tú haces es bueno. Romanos 3, 23, Pues todos hemos pecado. ¿Cuántos han pecado? Todos. Nadie puede alcanzar la meta gloriosa establecida por Dios. Todos significa todos. Así que si tú estás buscando que alguien te tolere y te diga que tú eres bueno y todo lo que haces es bueno, estás buscando a alguien que te mienta y afirme tu pecado y tu disfunción. Y no creo que esa es la idea de Jesús. El mensaje de Jesús y de la palabra es tan contracultural que no tiene sentido en el mundo de hoy. No tiene sentido para la generación y la sociedad de hoy en día. ¿Por qué? Porque lo que el mundo hoy en día equivocadamente piensa que es, si tú hablas con la gente del mundo hoy, piensan que esta es la cultura más tolerante en la historia. Y yo diría que es la cultura más intolerante en la historia,

porque particularmente cuando se trata de Jesús y la Biblia, no la toleran. Y a los que somos creyentes, que creemos en esto, no nos toleran. Entonces, ¿dónde está la tolerancia, no? Es interesante. Realmente creo a veces, cuando me pongo a pensar en Jesús, quizás en estos tiempos a Jesús lo hubieran crucificado mucho más rápido y mucho antes que lo que hicieron en esos tiempos. Porque no lo hubieran tolerado. En ninguna parte de las Escrituras vemos que la tolerancia es una virtud o un don del Espíritu. En ninguna parte. En ninguna parte. La palabra es clara que debemos estar anclados en los valores, según su palabra, y no alineados con los valores de este mundo. Ahora, hablemos de la ciudad de Teatira. Si estudias un poco, si haces un poquito de estudios en una Biblia de estudios, o profundices un poquito más, la ciudad de Teatira era conocida por sus gremios comerciales, por sus uniones laborales. Ahora hablaremos de eso. También era conocida por su producción de tinte púrpura índigo, el color de realeza. Y también era conocida por producir bronce. Tenían una estatua grande, un ídolo de Apolos, que se conoce como el hijo de Dios. Entonces se jactaba a esa ciudad de ser la ciudad de Dios o del hijo de Dios porque tenían a Apolos. Pero más importante era el concepto de estas uniones laborales que tenían. Era mucha atención a esto porque realmente para ser exitoso en la ciudad de Teatira tenías que ser parte de estas uniones laborales. Para tener una posición importante, para realmente sentir que eras parte de lo que estaba sucediendo, estas uniones laborales, estos gremios comerciales, eran micro-pseudo-cúlticos anticristo. Eran uniones extrañas donde tenían todo tipo de ceremonias religiosas, sacrificios a ídolos. Tenían sus dioses y patrones, ídolos. Honraban al emperador como si fuera Dios. Y todo esto es interesante cuando consideras cómo Jesús arranca esta carta. Cuando Él dice, estas son las palabras del hijo de Dios. ¿Por qué? Porque ellos se jactaban de que tenían al hijo de Dios Apolos.

Pero Él dice, este es el verdadero hijo de Dios, este es el Dios. El que tiene ojos que resplandecen como llamas de fuego y pies que parecen bronce al rojo vivo. Jesús les está recordando a la iglesia de Teatira, recuerden quién verdaderamente es Dios. Él está diciendo, nadie puede venir contra mí y no se olviden de quién soy yo. Ahora Él dice, conozco sus obras y habla de las cosas, pero luego digo, pero tengo esto contra ustedes. ¿Por qué? Porque la iglesia en Teatira estaban tolerando cosas que no deberían tolerar. Estaban adoptando prácticas y creencias que no honraban al Señor. Por eso el versículo 20 dice, sin embargo, tengo en tu contra que toleras a Jezabel, esa mujer que dice ser profetiza con su enseñanza engaña a mis siervos, pues los induce a cometer inmoralidades sexuales y a comer alimentos sacrificados a los ídolos. Jesús dice, están tolerando cosas que no deben tolerar. Cuidado que están jugando. with fire. They are tolerating without objection, without disgust, things that dishonor me and they are allowing Isabel. They are tolerating these teachings. I believe that this is a strong warning from Jesus telling us all, here I give you a line, do not make yourself comfortable with sin. Why? Because that is tolerating. Do not tolerate what you should not tolerate. Resist those things that go against my word. Do not participate to look like others in culture, in society. No, no, no. They have lost the disgust for sin. Why? For a payment? Why? For having success? And instead of standing out, they have intermixed. They are camouflaged like everyone else in the world. At what cost, says Jesus? At what cost? They should have the Holy Spirit to give them that discernment, that disgust for the things they are tolerating and allowing because those things dishonor me, says Jesus. I think this also describes today's world. Today's world promotes sexual immorality as if it were a party, as if it were the best thing in life, the best thing in the world. Today's world promotes hidden practices and weird things and strange spiritual things as if it were the most incredible thing in the world. This is the world and society. This is the spirit of Isabel. It reminds me of a part of the letter of the Galatians

that Paul writes. Look at what Paul says. The letter to the Galatian church, Galatians 1, verse 6. Paul says, I am amazed that so soon you are leaving, so soon you are leaving those whom you were called by the grace of Christ to go to another gospel, to another teaching. Now, it is not that there is another gospel, but that certain individuals are sowing confusion among you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even, listen, even if one of us or an angel of heaven preaches to them about some good news, a different gospel from the one we have preached, let that person be cursed. In other words, Paul is referring to this same spirit of Isabel that is acting in the Atiatira church, and that is why there are hard words here. Because they come from the heart and from the motivation of concern and protection for the church, so that those who are in the church are not deceived. That is why Jesus is very concerned that in his church, teachings that do not align with his word are not tolerated, ideologies are not tolerated, lifestyles that do not align with his word are not tolerated. Now, let's talk about Isabel, a man who, if you have been in the church or read the Bible, how many times have you heard Isabel in the Bible? Let's talk a little bit about Isabel. Isabel, in fact, also refers to a spirit that has been working and acting in this world, a demonic spirit that operates in the world, which is a spirit of manipulation and control, a spirit of seduction, a spirit that also involves a lot of sexual immorality. We see and believe, if you talk and study a little, theologians, scholars of the Bible, they believe that in this case, in Revelation, Isabel is really being referred to as a spirit. For example, you can say, no, that is a Judas, not because he is called Judas, but because he is a traitor. And in some way or another, Isabel has this implication. Now, if we talk about a ... and why do scholars believe that Isabel is in the church of Thyatira? Surely it was not specifically a woman, because what Jewish woman would they name Isabel after this bad story of what Isabel is? We are not going to read it, but in 1 Kings we learn about Jezebel in the Old Testament, a queen Jezebel who was married to King Achab, who were evil, they were not pious, they did not seek God. This Jezebel, at that time,

had political power, had spiritual influence and had finances. This Jezebel made the worship of the true God illegal at that time. It is Jezebel, if I remember correctly, that the prophet Elias had the confrontation with the 800 prophets of Baal, that this was all part of Jezebel. Jezebel led the nation of Israel to the worship of idols. She was responsible for the death of many of the people of God. In fact, Jezebel in the Old Testament, this Jezebel in 1 Kings, is the one who introduced a new religion called worship of Baal to the world at that time. She brought worship to Baal, worship to Moloch. These religions and practices included sexual and moral perversion. sexual reality, the sacrifice of children and babies. In fact, if you study about Baal and you study about Moloch specifically, with all the sexual promiscuity that existed at that time, with all these beliefs of Jezebel and all this, with all that sexual promiscuity and with all the unwanted pregnancies, they said, don't worry because Baal and Moloch want their babies and they sacrificed the babies and threw them into the fire. In fact, that's where we find the first massive abortions documented in the Bible, connected to this Jezebel. This is dark. This is hard. This is demonic. This is highly spiritual. We recognize that there was a spirit of Jezebel working at that time in Thyatira and still in our world and today. Now, in Thyatira, there were these labor unions where sexual immorality was part of it, the orgies were part of the standard, the norm for the people in Thyatira. This worship of idols, these sinful activities, and this was a problem for the Lord. Why? Because the world always adulterates the Word.

The world always damages and mixes what is pure and puts things that are not. And the world complicates sex. The world damages the lines and the limits of sexuality according to the intention and design of God. And the world adds things to sex that were not part of what God had in mind from the beginning. Now, Jesus had a simple ethics of sex. Let's read it together in Matthew 19. In Matthew 19, verse 4, we see simply the design of God, the ethics of Jesus, and maybe you've heard it recently if you've been to a wedding. In Matthew 19, verse 4, it says, Have you not read, Jesus answered, that in the beginning the Creator created them, watch out, watch out, for the suspense, created them, man and woman, there is nothing else, there is no point, point, point, man and woman, and, no, man and woman. And He said, That is why the man will leave his father and his mother and will join his wife, and the two will become one. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore, what God has joined, let not man separate it. So, watch out, Jesus goes back to Genesis, affirms the intention and design of God that sex was created by God

specifically to be in the context of the marriage of a biological man with a biological woman. Today we have to specify that. And be careful that you ask someone who is a woman, because today, apparently, human beings do not know how to define a woman. Something that we all knew in kindergarten, how to define it. So today, ask a person who does not align with the principles of God, who is a woman, and they tell you, I am not qualified to answer that question. When it is very easy. Look at the pipe and there is the answer. But humanity has complicated things in a way that seems, seems to be a lie. Now, we do not have to feel bad or strange talking about sex. God invented sex. God created sex for human procreation and as a gift to be enjoyed by us, human beings, within the context of the marriage between a man and a woman. And it is very clear in the Bible that any activity or sexual interaction with a person who is not your spouse is a sin. It is sexual immorality. Now, this was a tension for the Christians in Thyatira. Why? Because they thought, but if we do not participate in these activities and in this sexual immorality, which is part of the labor unions, which is part of the status and to be in the strata

and to be part of the people in this city, then I lose my job, then I will not have a place, then they will not like me. And Jezebel enters at that moment, here in Thyatira, the spirit of Jezebel enters and in the church introduces some new teachings. What are those teachings? A teaching that says, calm down, you can have both. You can be believers in Jesus Christ and also fornicate sexually. You can have both. You can be Christians, call yourself Christians, go to church and also be adulterers. You can be Christians and you can fornicate. You can be Christians and live in homosexuality. You can be Christians and go against the design of God, of nature and of the... So what? Jesus says, I have this against you. They have tolerated these things, they have tolerated these teachings. Perhaps tolerating is not just saying, oh, yes, I like it. It is to say, well, there is... and I don't get involved, maybe that's tolerating too. Where is the church that gets up and says, hey, the truth is clear, the light is light,

and the darkness is darkness. We can't tolerate things. That's why I worry about the grandchildren of my children, my grandchildren, and my great-grandchildren, that for them it will be that when they come, everything will be normal. Transgender is normal. It will be. Because if we don't stop, if we tolerate, every day, what was not normal before is normal today, and what is barely normal today, tomorrow we will be abnormal in what we believe in this. Jesus said, I have against you who are tolerating things that you should not tolerate. And here is a challenging question, and I don't want you to answer it, I don't want you to raise your hand, just listen and process it. Are you a tolerant Christian? This is the taboo question. This is the question of society today, but it entails a trap for us Christians. It entails a trap, because the question of society today is, is Christianity a tolerant faith? And it's almost like, I don't like it if it is, I don't like it if it isn't. I don't like it if it is, I don't like it if it isn't. Are Christians tolerant people?

The answer that the world wants to hear is, yes, we are tolerant. Well, tolerate me, like everything I do, affirm me and accept me, and say that I am good, or if not, don't tolerate me. And for us who call ourselves Christians, who believe in the Bible, this question puts us in a complicated position. Why? Because in today's society, the world values tolerance as if it were the greatest thing in the world. And if you, according to the world, if you don't have an open mind, and you tolerate, and affirm, and accept, and support, and embrace everyone with everything they want to do and with all their lifestyles, then, if not, you are an intolerant. You are prejudiced, you are discriminatory. What's wrong with you? You are in the Jurassic period

of ancient times. Get up to date. Or not. That's today's society. That's what the world thinks and believes of the Christians who believe in the basic ethics of Jesus, which is clear, according to the word. Before, perhaps appropriately tolerant, was, I disagree with you, but I treat you with respect. But there is a big difference, listen to this, church, between acceptance and approval. There is a big difference. Acceptance, to accept is to show love and respect to everyone, even if we disagree, because we recognize that they are created in the image and likeness of God, Imago Dei. Acceptance. However, approval is, you have to affirm and approve unconditionally everything I do and everything I believe. That's approval. So look, look how interesting.

When we think of Jesus, look at this, Jesus is willing, accepts everyone, but Jesus does not approve of everything everyone does. Listen to me, Jesus is willing to accept, accept us all, but he does not approve of everything you and I do and believe. And notice that this is good news, because you know what? There is not a single person here who came perfect to the church or to the Lord. How many agree that when you came to the Lord you had your issues? And be careful, we still have our issues. You have issues, you have issues, you have issues, you have issues, I have issues, we all have issues. And if you think you don't have issues, that's one of your issues. In other words, when you were a liar, Jesus accepted you. But what happened? When you began to know Jesus, the light is a lamp at my feet, a light on my path. And suddenly, now I realize, ah, he doesn't like this, I'm not going to do this anymore. He likes this, I'm going to start doing this. And our life begins to align where he accepts me,

but now he also approves of me. Is anyone with me? And maybe some of us have sinned. And that's why I say this is good news, it's good news for all of us, because I'm very clear, let's be honest, here in this place there are people who are adulterating, there are people who are fornicating. It's the reality because it's the standard of today. I understand it, and that's why everyone is accepted here. In fact, you can be, can be before believing. However, Jesus does not approve of everything that you are doing or everything that I am doing necessarily, because if he does not align with this, he does not approve it. Is anyone with me? So the goal and the idea is not that Jesus has to adapt to us. No, no, no, no. It is that we can, on the one hand, be accepted by him if we wish to receive him and then allow him to transform us and work in us where now we begin to live in a way where we are not only accepted but we are also approved. So we are called as Christians to accept everyone without necessarily approving of everyone. Is anyone with me? We are called as Christians to have compassion without compromising our faith. I can show compassion for a person, but I am not going to compromise my values, my beliefs or my principles to please people or the world. Tremendous, isn't it? Jesus loves everyone, but Jesus does not approve of everything that everyone does. The problem with the world is that today the world wants everyone to approve, affirm and accept everything. And today's world is against holiness and the word of God. That is why I believe that as Christians we must look different to the world. We must live differently. Our way of speaking, our way of... I tell young people, the idea is not that you mix with everyone else as a camouflage. The idea is that you stand out because you are different. The people of God stand out for many reasons. Why? Because we put God first. The people of God honor God first. Who gives 10% of their income to God? Few people, if many Christians do not do it. That is a conviction. Who says,

I am not going to work one day a week because I am going to honor God on my day off? The world does not do that because the world, the reasoning is seven days without stopping, I earn more. In the kingdom, six days working hard, but one day of rest without producing, I produce more. It is counter-cultural. Jesus reprimands the Antiochian Church for tolerating sin, for tolerating sexual immorality and for tolerating impious practices and ideas. Now, I want to redirect myself to this last part, talking a little bit about the spiritual issue, because Jesus also addresses it in this letter, and I think it is very relevant to what we live today and to the questions we have. I want to ask three questions and talk about them with you, unpack them together. One question, this is a question that arises a lot in the church and among Christians. And here is this question. Can Christians be influenced by demonic spirits, by demons? It is an interesting question, and the answers you will hear will depend on where someone was formed. Because there are different doctrines, there are different denominations, there are different lines where people learn and what things they believe. There are different interpretations of biblical texts. However, let me help you walk with me a little bit to understand what we believe here vertically, because this has been something that has been argued for a long time within the church. For me, it is alarming, because I think it is easy to discern it. But well, we clearly know according to the Bible that Satan exists, according to the Bible, and it says that Satan has tricks and strategies. We know that Satan no longer comes to steal, to kill, to destroy. Another word that is used a lot is to attack, a spiritual attack. I know that there are people here who, suddenly, you are a light Christian or you are a curious Christian who still does not know if you are or not, and maybe this is going to push you a little bit, but I want to push you because I am not going to lie, I am going to speak the truth according to the word of God. The word speaks of Satan and that the enemy attacks spiritually. The question is, who does Satan attack? Because we are asking the question, can Christians be influenced by the demonic spirit? So the question is, Christians and non-Christians. Who is Satan going to attack? Non-Christians who are already on his side? Hello? Why attack those who are already part of the team? However, Christians who have left the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light, we are no longer in his team, we could be the point of attack,

the point where he wants to attack the enemy because we are not on his side. In fact, we are going against the kingdom of darkness. I think that sometimes it is hard for Christians to answer that because many Christians think, well, but if I admit and recognize that I am being spiritually attacked, it means that I am doing something wrong in my life. I do not think that is correct. Ask me why. Because Satan attacked Jesus. Remember? And what did Jesus do wrong? Nothing. Which leads me to believe, perhaps, if there is a spiritual attack in life, in a person's life, maybe it's because that person is doing something right. Are you following me? It's real. Just because our eyes don't see it all, doesn't mean it's not there. Interesting. So, let's run with this because there are theories. A Christian man, a non-Christian man, they both drink alcohol until they get drunk. Question, question. Is it possible that the Christian is not affected in any way because he is a Christian and comes to Vertical on Sundays? It would be stupid to think that. Or, a drunk Christian, a non-drunk Christian, they get in their car and start driving on the highway. Yes or no that the Christian, as he is a Christian, and his car is a Christian, he won't crash, he won't have any problem, he won't have any influence. Would that be correct? It would be absurd to believe that he wouldn't be under the influence. It would be absurd, it would be absurd. Why? Because we know that one thing is to say that I am a Christian,

another thing is to have faith, but another thing is if I open certain doors or cross certain lines, I expose myself to influences. Have you noticed what they call the places where they sell alcohol? Spirits. Why is that? Interesting. Wine and spirits. Okay, okay, here's another one, here's another one, here's another one. I'm not saying it for you, but I'm saying it for you. A Christian person, a non-Christian person, alone, in the dark, they start to connect with pornography every day. Could it be that this person, since he is a Christian and he comes to Vertical at one in the afternoon on Sundays, he won't be affected in any way because he is a Christian? Would that be the reality? No. He could spiritually start to have a spiritual attack, a temptation. Just as the drunk person is under the influence, he could do things and say things out of his character that he will later regret, yes or no? Likewise, the person who is sexually committed, in sexual interactions and morals, when crossing those lines, he could possibly do things and say things out of his character and perhaps do things that he will later regret. And in many cases, we ignore the reality of a spiritual world that is influencing, especially when we open doors to the enemy. Satan is not like God. Satan is not omnipresent. Therefore, he does a lot of his work through demons and evil spirits. We see it in the whole Bible, in the Old Testament, influence, oppression, affliction, and possession of demons. We see it in the New Testament as well. In fact, Jesus, in the New Testament, empowers his disciples to repress and cast out demons.

Why would Jesus empower his disciples to repress and cast out demons if there are no demons? For those Christians who say no. Or those who think that after the book of Acts, there are no more. No, no, no, no, no. We have to be clear. We cannot ignore this. And that is why the argument often comes to the church. Well, well, then, who needs to be the church? Disciples or liberation? And I say, this is impossible. It cannot be one or the other. It has to be both. It is not one or the other, it is both. Ask me why, ask me why. Look at this line from Dr. Jack Hayford. Because you cannot cast out the flesh and you cannot cast out a demon. You cannot cast out the flesh and you cannot cast out a demon. Therefore, we need both in the church. We need liberation for people who are attacked, influenced, oppressed, or possessed. Because let me tell you one thing, if there are demons, and I think there are, there are two options. Either you cast them out and repress them, or you leave them inside. Which option do you want? Out, please. So, on the one hand, we need to help people in the church to break the chains that are there. Sometimes through doors that their ancestors opened. But then there is a process of discipling, where now we have to start establishing disciplines and strengthening for spiritual growth and spiritual maturity in the word and in the Lord. The second important question here is also, what are some signs that I am being spiritually attacked? I don't have time to read it, but in 1 Kings 19,

we have the famous story of the prophet Elias, whom I mentioned before, and the queen Jezebel. And it's interesting because Elias, the prophet of God, prophets of Baal who were representing pagan gods to Queen Jezebel and Elias at one point is joking sarcastically about this, hey go ahead, claim your god, see what they do, their gods did nothing and the god of Elias sent fire from heaven, he defeated and ended up killing those 800 prophets of Baal, he was victorious but after that victory Jezebel sent a message to Elias with a messenger saying if you are not dead at this time tomorrow, that is, a threat and Elias went into a cave, we did a series a few years ago in the cave, well, if you are still there in 1 Kings 19 there are a few signs that you may be being attacked, a sign that perhaps there is a spiritual attack is when there is fear in your life and I'm not talking, it's not that I'm afraid of cockroaches, I'm talking about a fear that paralyzes you, a fear that stops you from taking steps in life, I'm not saying that everything is fear but I'm telling you to be careful and be careful, there may be a spiritual attack when there is fear, another is depression, Elias falls into a depression when this message reaches him, he says at some point he did not want to stop, he was totally depressed and sometimes when there is a depression, a heavy sadness, heaviness that does not let you go, sometimes, sometimes there may be a spiritual attack of the enemy trying to steal, kill and destroy, you have to be attentive, when there is fatigue beyond normal, I'm not saying that you're tired because you worked from 6 in the morning until 11 at night and you're dead, I'm not talking about a fatigue that consumes you, an exhaustion that is not normal, there may be a spiritual attack, disease, don't tell me, the pastor said that if you are sick you have a devil, no, no, sometimes when there is a strange disease or a disease that does not let go, a disease that came from you don't know where, sometimes it may be that you have to fight spiritually because it can be a spiritual attack, we see it with Elias, in the whole process of Elias, when there is immorality, when we are tolerant with immoral things, when there are things that we know are wrong and we still bite the bait of satan, and also when there is insecurity and anxiety that surpass the normal, there are signs that there may be a spiritual attack, that's why it's important to understand that I can't fight with a physical sword, I can't

fight with a gun against an evil spirit, I have to be armed and Ephesians 6 tells us about the armor of God to be able to fight spiritually, but many have not learned that, it is good that we learn that, I finish with this last question, what do I do if I am being spiritually attacked by the enemy, what do I do? Well, I want to take you to a simple verse that would be worth remembering, Saint James 4 verse 7, Saint James 4 verse 7 says, so listen, submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you, he will flee from you, in English it says he will flee from you, he will flee from you, which tells me if the enemy is not fleeing from me or I am not submitting to God or I am not resisting the devil, and if I don't know how to do any of them, it is very likely that I am exposed and vulnerable to the spiritual attack of the enemy, so how do you resist the devil? Well, don't try to resist the devil without first submitting to God, okay? So to resist the devil you have to submit to God, how do you submit to God? The previous verse, Saint James 4 verse 6 says, but he gives us more grace, tell me more grace, that is why the scripture says, God opposes the proud but gives grace to whom? To the humble, there is the key, humble yourself, the only way to truly repent in front of God is with humility, you have to submit to God, to his word and to his people, the people of God in your life, and be willing to listen, to receive, to adjust. There are people who say, you know, I don't see the grace of God here in these letters of Apocalypse, no, look, in the letter we read today, let me show you grace, Apocalypse 2 verse 21, we read it today, it says, I have given him time to repent of his immorality, pause, that is grace, he gives us time to repent of our immorality, now, but she doesn't want to do it, so I'm going to put her on a bed of pain and those who commit adultery like her I will make them suffer. Terribly, unless they regret what they learned from her. In other words, grace, that is grace, that he gives us the opportunity to regret. I finish with this, in Mark 5 there is a story that we cannot read, some may remember this story. In Mark 5 there is a man possessed by demons, naked, who lives in the cemetery. Imagine that, possessed by demons, naked, lives in the cemetery. No one can do anything because he is uncontrollable. It is said that Jesus arrives and in that interaction Jesus asks him, What is your name? Does anyone remember what he said? Legion.

The scholars say that this means 6,000, it is to say 6,000 or more. In other words, it is possible and probable that this man had more than 6,000 demons. Legion. And look at what it says about this man, Mark 5, 6. It says, When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped him. Now, listen to me, listen to me, listen to me. This man had more than 6,000 demons. The reason I know that no one here has more than 6,000 is because they still have their clothes on. If someone, if we concluded that someone, Satan is not going to let him show himself to Jesus, it was this man. Yes or no? I mean, if there is someone that we would say, no, with 6,000 animals in there, Satan has him tied up, he can't. And it says, When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped him. In other words, Satan can't stop you or anyone from prostrating to the feet of Jesus. The word for worship, original, here is the word proscuneo, which means he prostrated and kissed his feet. You can't prostrate and kiss your feet unless you humble yourself, unless there is humility. And that is what it takes, humility, to submit to God, to resist the devil, and he will flee. So, this is the key. You have to submit to the Lord. When? Daily. Daily, submit to God. Another piece of advice, another piece of advice. If you feel a spiritual attack, close the doors wide open. Close the doors wide open. Sometimes we open doors, sometimes our family members have opened doors in our lives and in our families. Close the doors wide open of hidden things. If you are used to watching horror movies and things like that, close that door. And close it for your children, please. To listen to strange things, to participate in events and strange things, close those doors. Hidden practices, witchcraft, witchcraft, voodoo, new age, metaphysics, horoscopes, witchcraft, all those things, close those doors. And if someone opened it, Lord, close those doors that my mom opened, that my grandmother opened, witchcraft, letters, reading letters, all those things, the stars, open doors.

And do you know how you can close the door in many cases? By forgiving. Because sometimes the biggest obstacle of the spiritual attack is the lack of forgiveness. And you have to learn to confront the enemy. How do you confront it? Ephesians 6, from 10 to 20, talks about the armor of God. You have to learn. I want to pray two prayers to end this time together. One for everyone and the second for anyone who does not know Jesus. Amen. Lord, thank you for your word that today challenges us, challenges us, helps us to understand a little better the times that we are managing, the times that we are living. Lord, the first thing we want to say is that we ask you for forgiveness if in any way we have tolerated things that do not come from you. If we have tolerated teachings that do not align with your word, forgive us. In our families, in our lives, and even in our church. Help us to stand firm, without fear, understanding that your word is truth and truth sets us free. Forgive us, Lord, if we have justified or tolerated sexual immorality in our lives. Help us to align ourselves, to live pure, according to your word, and to honor you with our lives and our decisions and our relationships. Thank you, Lord, because when we cry out to you, you are there. Help us and teach us to submit to you. To resist the enemy, effectively, spiritually, believing and knowing that he will flee from us. Because the one who is in us is greater and stronger than the one who is in the world. We give all the glory, all the honor, and Lord, we will not be tolerant Christians. Yes, we will love, and yes, we will show acceptance, but we will not approve what does not align with you and with your word. In the precious name of Jesus, amen, amen, amen.