If there’s a term that’s scarier or more threatening or more off-putting for a Christian than antichrist I don’t know what it is. Because Christ is your Christ. And anything that is anti him - anything that’s trying to replace his saving work in your life is something that John knows will make your skin crawl, which is why John uses that term. So it does. Why does John think he needs to do that? Because naturally antichristian teaching won’t feel wrong. This is a sermon designed to make the listener spiritually wily to teaching that's antichristian and to give confidence that what they are getting is coming from the Spirit of God. Listen in!