Beware! Part 3

Well, today's sermon, brethren, is part three of my Beware series that I've been walking through.

And we're covering things that Jesus Christ and the apostles told us to beware of. Things that pertain to salvation. Things that, if we aren't aware of and we allow to creep into our life, can actually cause us to fall short of the grace of God and not achieve the kingdom of God. And the warning is strong in Scripture. Beware. Take heed. Watch out. And again, this is a series of sermons looking at these things because they are indeed salvation. I want to focus today on a specific warning that Jesus gave in context of the end of the age. So if you'll turn to Matthew 24 to start, we're going to consider this important warning that Christ and the apostles all share with us. Matthew chapter 24, this is known as the Olivet prophecy. In verse 3, it says, Now as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us, when will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming in the end of the age? And Jesus answered, and he said to them, Take heed, that no one deceives you. The first message was talking about truth, and it's the truth we want to grab hold of. And Christ is saying, Take heed that something other than the truth doesn't come in and grab hold of you.

Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and will deceive many. And there's a couple different ways we can take verse 5 as we've looked at this over the years. You know, the first way is Jesus is saying, There's going to be false Christs. There's going to be people coming, taking his name, saying, I am the Christ, I am the Messiah, the one you've been looking for and waiting for, I'm here. And as a false Christ, he says, it will deceive many. People will forsake what they maybe thought they knew, in turn, and follow a deception. And the second way we can understand this is that there will be those coming, proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ as the biblical Messiah and they as his minister or his representative. And they'll say, yes, indeed, Jesus Christ is the Messiah. He is the one that the Father sent and died for our sins. But you see what it is that they bring as a message along with that proclamation will be a religious deception. You know, they would teach, in some manner, a false Christ or a Jesus that wasn't in line with who he really was. You know, Christ came and did away with the law. So you don't have to keep it anymore.

Something along those guards, a false Christ, a false gospel concerning him. So these two things, ways of understanding this, are real and we can actually see both have taken place down through time and will continue to take place. Christ's message is this is the end of the age and these things will increase, not decrease, as we come to the climactic end, coming up to his return.

Now, the core of his warning here specifically involves, number one, religious deceptions and, number two, those who would bring the deceptions. You know, the false prophets, the false teachers who would come in bringing a false message. And he says, look out, take heed, beware, because it is coming. Verse 11 says, then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. We're not just talking about in the world, this is in the church as well. And it's the risk that is run, living this way of life. You could be holding the truth and then you could have it snatched from your hands if you allowed. So take heed. Verse 23 says, then if anyone says to you, look, here is the Christ, or there's the Christ, don't believe it, for false Christ and false prophets will rise and so great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. And verse 25 says, see, I have told you beforehand. Christ said, I'm giving you forewarning. This is coming. This will be a reality. And he's warning the disciples. Here are the 12, his closest, closest trainees. We could say the ones he's mentoring along the way to lead the church. He says, beware, because this is coming. False prophets, false teachers, and it will increase to the end of the age. Beware. Watch out. The title of the day for my message is Beware, Part 3. This is the Beware series. So beware, part 3. Beware false prophets and false teachers. Beware, part 3. Beware false prophets and false teachers. And the magnitude of Jesus' warning shows us, brethren, this is a matter of salvation. It is something that has the potential, if we don't take heed, to derail us from the truth and to take us out of the kingdom of God. So this must be taken seriously.

In the Bible, a true prophet is someone who speaks for God. God sent me with a message, and they proclaim that message. Or they teach in the name of God. And so the basis of a true prophet is one that brings truth. And Jesus was the ultimate example of what a true prophet and a true teacher of God looks like because he said, I came bringing the words that my father gave me to speak. I'm fulfilling the will of my father, and I'm not deviating from that in any way. And he taught the truth by inspiration of the Holy Spirit and in agreement with the Scriptures.

So when we look at the life of Jesus Christ, he was constantly quoting the Scriptures and referring to the Word of God as the foundation of the truth that he taught. And so it was consistent, and that's the example of a true prophet. A false prophet, on the other hand, is the opposite of that because it's somebody who speaks falsely claiming to speak for God, or they're delivering a message that was not of God, or they take the Word of God and they distort it into a message claiming this is what God wants you to know but it's not according to God's words, to the Scripture. And it's full of doctrinal error, and it's proclaiming things that are not what God intended, and in like manner false teachers as well. Distort the truths of God with their own philosophies and ideas. And so we find from Jesus Christ this warning. This is the end of the age he's pointing to. It will happen, it will increase, but brethren, it's nothing new. It was there in the time of the apostles. It was there in the time of Jesus Christ. But he says it's going to get worse and worse. The writings of the Apostle Paul reinforces the same concept of these deceptive individuals that will continue to increase as time goes by. 2 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 13.

We're going to find that all throughout the New Testament the warning is consistent and the same. 2 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 13. Paul says, but evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. He says they're going to grow worse and worse. They're going to continue to increase, consistent with what Jesus Christ said. And he says they're going to be deceiving, one thing they'll be doing, but also being deceived. So it's interesting to consider this because not only will they preach a message of deception, it says that they are deceived themselves, many of them. And honestly, that's why they can speak with conviction.

That's why people can sit back and say, well, they sound like they believe it. They sound like they know what they're talking about. I mean, if they were just trying to pull the wool over my eyes and they knew a different story, I could see that. But the point is, no, they too are deceived. And so they can speak with conviction, with, this is what I know and this is what I'm telling you. But again, the message of a false prophet or a false teacher is not so. It is not true.

In verse 14, Paul says, But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. And that from childhood, Timothy, you have known the holy scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. And this is the antidote here, brethren, to the deception of false prophets and false teachers. The antidote is, remain grounded in the things you have learned and been assured of. Not letting yourself be talked out of something that, you know what, you studied the scriptures and you proved it. And you were convicted of it. Because, you see, many of us, like Timothy, spent our whole life, you know, from childhood, you've known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation. You've gone through, you've proved these things. And Paul's saying to Timothy, don't let somebody talk you out of it. Even if they sound convincing, remember what you've learned, whom you've learned it from, and what the source is. And obviously, the source, ultimately, is the word of God. The scripture is consistent, and it does not change with time. Our understanding may change in terms of maturing and coming to a deeper understanding, but the truths of the Bible do not change as God has given them. They are consistent, and that is the foundation for steadfast doctrine. So false prophets, false teachers, they're nothing new, and they bring a different message than what it is you learned from the beginning and you proved to be a and you proved from the scriptures. And the warning is beware. They were there at the time of the apostles. They are around today, and the Bible says they will increase ever more, going after the people of God all the way up to the time of the end.

Now, if we go to the book of Galatians, chapter 1, what we're going to find is, as we walk through the New Testament, there's many examples given, not only of the fact that they will exist, but the impact that false prophets and teachers can have on the church of God.

Galatians chapter 1, verse 6, again the apostle Paul writing, and he says to the church in Galatia, I marvel that you are turning away so soon from him who calls you into the grace of Christ to a different gospel. He says, which is not another, but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. During Paul's time, there were already those individuals that were coming in with a different message preaching a different Christ and a different gospel. And Paul says, you know what? You were called to the truth, and yet now you're entertaining these things. And I marvel how soon and how quickly he says you have turned away.

That's something that can happen if these false teachings are entertained.

Verse 8, again we have warnings that come with many of these declarations. Verse 8, Galatians chapter 1, he says, but even if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you, then what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you, then what you have received, let him be accursed. And again, what we receive, rather, needs to be grounded in the truth of the Bible.

Right? It's the source of what it is that we live by. And our doctrines in the church of God aren't just, let's throw something against the wall and see if it sticks. And if people will buy in, know these are things that are based in the Word of God and have been proven as our solid foundation.

Verse 10, Paul says, for I do not persuade men, or do I not persuade men or God, or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. He says, but I make known to you, brethren, that gospel which was preached by me is not according to men, for I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. It was the message that Paul taught as the true gospel, and it came to him by revelation from Jesus Christ himself. And that was the source. And so what Paul is saying is that no other contrary message is according to the truth. He said, beware, because the brethren apparently were entertaining other ideas. Another teacher would come in, someone from somewhere that seemed to have a compelling message, and they would listen, and Paul says, I marvel how quickly a different message can turn you from the truth. The warning was, beware, beware. Now Peter's writings also warn of this, and warn of the dangerous impacts on the church. 2 Peter chapter 2 and verse 1. 2 Peter chapter 2 and verse 1. Peter says, but there are also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies. And a heresy is essentially a teaching that is separate from what it was you have learned. Okay, it's a different teaching that divides. It creates a controversy. So he says, there's going to be those who come in among you, who bring in these destructive heresies. He says, even denying the Lord in the Greek, it's master, even denying the master who bought them, and they bring on themselves a swift destruction. He says, and many will fall in their destructive ways, because of wit whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. He says, by covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words. For a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. You'll notice here that Peter uses the word destruction a few times, and that's because that's the effect of false prophets and false teachers. It leads to destruction. Not only the destruction of the individual, and Peter here shows that their judgment, you know, has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber, there will be destruction on those that would bring a false message into the church. But you see, he's also saying that the effect of the church receiving a false message then is destruction in their midst, because of the damage that it does.

And just as Jesus Christ warned, the apostles warned, beware. Watch out. Take heed.

Let's notice the apostle Paul's words to the Ephesian elders. Now, he's talking to the ministry, Acts chapter 20. He's talking to the ministry who would have responsibility for oversight of the brethren. And brethren, you'll notice as we go through this message, this is going to be a little more of a Bible study format in terms of there's a lot of scriptures recovering, and I left an awful lot of them on the floor in my office, too. But the Bible is full of warnings and things we must take heed of, but this is everywhere. This is serious. Acts chapter 20, here in verse 28, Paul, he's on his way back now to Jerusalem, and he's going to be arrested. He's going to be taken to Rome, and this has been prophesied that these things are going to befall him once he arrives at Jerusalem. So he's stopping in now in Ephesus to give some last words to the elders there. And he says, therefore, take heed to yourselves. Again, that word, take heed. Right? Beware. Watch out. Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, the shepherd, the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. It's kind of a vivid picture that Paul's painting here, and again, it's one of destruction, just as Peter said, destruction would come of these false teachers and prophets. It's not sparing the flock. So we liken these false teachers to actually savage wolves that would come in and tear apart the flock, rend the flock. And I don't necessarily recommend that you do it, but I spent a little time this week watching videos of wolf attacks and sheepfolds, because I kind of wanted to build that imagery in my mind just a little more specific. And there's videos out there I said, you know, I don't recommend you do it, but you can see what takes place. And I'll just say, you know what? It's bloody, and it's gross, and there's a lot of innocent casualties along the way. A lot of bodies get strewn in the field. But again, this is what Paul is painting, this picture of the flock being ripped apart by savage wolves after his departure. Verse 30, he says, also from among yourselves men will rise up speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after themselves seeking a following. He says, therefore watch and remember that for three years they did not cease to warn every one night and day with tears. And so again, he was remember talking to the ministry, right, to the shepherds, and he said to watch.

Be aware to keep a lookout and to watch. Watch for wolves, all right, but also watch yourselves. Watch for wolves. As a minister, watch yourself. Watch your spiritual condition, and watch over the flock as well, and defend the flock, and to watch for the predators.

Recent times, Darlan and I have been standing watch over our pasture.

We have 14 acres out on the edge of Spokane Valley, and we don't have a sheepfold, but we have horses. We have a herd of horses, and we have this year three babies that are coming, and two of three have hit the ground now and are up and running. But, you know, when babies are very small, they're susceptible, and we've kept watch, because you see in 2017 when the mudslide came and it displaced us off our property, and we were gone for a year and a half, it's quiet, right, and the wildlife moves in. And so there was bear sighting on there. There was, there was, the coyotes got really bad, and, you know, it seems like a game reserve. The turkeys, everything else moved in. And now that we've been back up on the property, it's starting to normalize a little bit, but we've noticed the coyotes have just been especially severe. And obviously, coyotes aren't wolves, but they can be pests, and frankly, when a newborn foal is on the ground, a coyote or a packet of coyotes could get them on the run and could, you know, make casualty of that baby. So we've been watching, and just here this last week, Darla opened the door, and our dogs went flying out of the sliding door and out across the field, and she says there was this huge coyote out there, biggest one she's seen. And, you know, she goes running out there hollering after the dog, and the coyote takes off, and, but we've lost two dogs in three years to the coyotes in the area. And honestly, you've got to protect your animals, you've got to protect your livestock, and so the neighbors and us, I get up in the morning, I look around, if there's one out there, I get my rifle. And we've started shooting them. Personally, I'm a bad shot, so I just make them run, but, you know, that's good enough for me, at least for a start. The neighbors have gotten about a half a dozen of them, but again, they've been wreaking havoc. All the neighborhood dogs, especially little house dogs over the last few years, were getting picked off one by one. But again, it's watching, it's being aware, and as shepherds over a flock, it's responsibility that comes from Jesus Christ the true shepherd, to those that would shepherd his people, to stand watch, and to defend them, and frankly, defend innocent blood that was purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Apostle Paul took that responsibility very seriously, and he was constantly on the lookout for predators and for threats to the church, because, you see, they were ever present around them. And what he describes is the fact that they're not always obvious. You know, the wolf doesn't always come prancing out in the middle of the daylight. They're not always obvious. And Paul understood by fact they even come by stealth. 2 Corinthians chapter 11. 2 Corinthians 11, we see through all of this, the warning is to the ministry and to the brethren to watch.

2 Corinthians 11 and verse 1, Paul says, Oh, that you would bear with me in little folly, and indeed you do bear with me. For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, for I have betrothed you to one husband, and I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. He says, But I fear, lest somehow as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For he who comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, he says, You may well put up with it.

Therein lies the trouble, brethren. Paul says, You may well put up with it.

You may entertain it. You may desire to hear more. You may say, Well, that's interesting. That's certainly different. Tell me more. And you may desire to chase after. And at the very least, he says, The danger you may well put up with it. Again, it's a ploy and it's a tactic. Verse 13, dropping down, 2 Corinthians 11 verse 13, Paul says, For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is of no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. And so again, it's false teachers not always obvious. They present themselves as light when inside they are darkness, and their message is darkness. And Paul's warning here is to beware, because he likens it to Satan's ploy, right, of deception, of coming in by stealth on unsuspecting sheep. So he says, Don't entertain it. Don't put up with it. He said, I marvel how quickly you've turned away. Watch and beware. But this is indeed a salvation issue in that apostles understood it as such, and Jesus Christ gave the message as such. Now additionally in the scriptures, they show a multitude of places that describe the fact we all have responsibility to beware, and to watch over our own spiritual condition, not just the ministry over the flock. You know, the sheep shouldn't just follow a shepherd over the cliff. The sheep should be aware of what's taking place around as well, and to have watch, stand watch, over their own spiritual condition. We're all admonished in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 21 to test all things. You know, to prove it, to test it, see whether it is true and whether it is false. Test all things and hold fast to what is good, which means grab hold. Grab hold of the good, but reject as well what is not.

So the question comes up then, what should we all watch for in false prophets and teachers?

And are just saying prophets and teachers in general. How do we identify one that is true and good and one that is false? What's the litmus test for determining those things? Because if we're all told to beware, then there must be a means by which we can determine these things, right? And be aware so that we recognize the truth when we see it, and we recognize the falsehoods when we see it too. Well, fortunately, the Bible gives us clear instructions in this regard. Shows us clearly how we can make identifications on whether a teacher, an apostle, a prophet, whatever they claim to be is true, or whether they are false. So I want to briefly cover four questions that we should ask when determining if a prophet or teacher is a true one sent from God or is a false deceiver. So four, we'll go through these rather briefly. Question number one, are there teachings and actions in agreement with the Word of God? Right? Paul told Timothy, you know this word. You've been grounded in it and hold fast to the things you've understood from the beginning. Are there teachings and actions in agreement with the Word of God? Because, again, Scripture is what makes us wise unto salvation. So do the teachings and the actions of those that would bring us a teaching agree with the Word of God, or do they not? That's one point of assessment we must make. Isaiah chapter 8 speaks rather directly to this point.

Isaiah chapter 8 and verse 19, again, how are you going to assess these things for your determination?

Isaiah chapter 8 verse 19 says, and when they say to you, seek those who are mediums and wizards and who whisper and mutter. Go get an opinion from someone who's not a prophet of God or a true teacher. Someone in the shadows. See what they have to say. Should not a prophet seek their God? Should not they seek the dead on behalf of the living? Is that really what we should be doing, chasing after these things? Well, the answer in verse 20 says, to the law and to the testimony. That's where we look. That's the source of truth. The Word of God, as Mr. Oliver said, thy word is truth.

The statutes to the testimonies, to the law and to the testimonies, says if they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

So we all have the Word of God. The Word of God. The Bible. And hopefully, from childhood or spiritual infancy, when we first came in as newborn babes into the Word, we were studying the Word of God and have been grounded in it if their teaching is not grounded there. It's because there is no light in them.

We're to be like the Bereans, hearing the teaching, considering it, and then searching the Scriptures daily to see whether these things are so. And it applies to anyone we would listen to who stands here and teaches. It's the recommendation, strong recommendation, that I give to you when you hear me teach.

All right? Because I think we have a relationship of trust.

We've been together a long time, of friendship, but you've probably heard the phrase, trust yet verify.

Right? Trust yet verify. That's not in the Scripture, in the Bible, in those words, but I think it is there in principle. Trust yet verify. Listen to what the person is saying, tells you, and then go and prove it for yourselves from the Word of God. And if it's not found there, you know, come get in my face. Set me straight. Let's have a conversation about it. But again, is their teaching in agreement with God's words?

Words and actions are identifiers to understanding who is true and who is not. 1 John chapter 2, verse 3.

1 John 2 and verse 3. The Apostle John wrote late, late in his life and late in the biblical record here, and he had a number of things that were popping up in amongst the people of God that he was confronting. And he's quite direct in some of his approaches to these things. 1 John, excuse me, let me get in the right book.

1 John chapter 2 and verse 3. John says, Now by this we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He who says, I know him and does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. He says, But whoever keeps his word, truly the love of God is perfected in him, and by this we know that we are in him. He who says he abides in him, ought himself also to walk just as he walked.

Those who claim to know or represent the truth of God and Jesus Christ but do not keep the commandments. The same as a liar, and the truth is not in them. And honestly, that's sometimes what a false gospel or a teaching of a false Christ can look like. Christ died to the law, so you don't have to keep it. He's been just swept away. He says he abides in him, ought himself also to walk just as he walked. And so that's the litmus test. It's not enough to speak the word of God. We have to live it as well. Otherwise, we're just hypocrites, right? We're not true Christians.

You can't just say one thing or do another. And this, by the way, is the test for truth, not only of a teacher, but each and every one of us. Do we live what it is that we proclaim? So last week, Darla was making reservations for the feast. She called through VRBO and was booking a house in Bend. And so VRBO is the online agent. They connect you, the purchaser, with the person who has the house on the market, the owner. And so Darla found this house. It met the criteria where they were looking for, and she booked it. And so she booked it one evening, and then it came back as our credit card was declined. And probably the purpose was we had just activated that card like two minutes before she had called to make the reservation. So it bounced back. So the next day, she again went in and she put it through, and it went through. It booked with that credit card through VRBO, and she booked a house. Well, in the meantime, the house owner himself called because you can communicate there. And she had sent him a message, and he communicated back. And as he communicated back, he said, you know what? We can just kind of bypass VRBO here. Save you a couple hundred dollars. Save me a few dollars, too. You can just book directly with me. And she said, well, I've already put the card through again. It went through and booked with VRBO. Well, you can call them. And, you know, this is a cancellation window, free cancellation. You can cancel them. Come back. You can book it through with me. And Darla said, you know, because she'd sent him an email. If you didn't notice, I'm there keeping a church festival.

We're coming to worship God. I can't bypass, dishonestly, run around the booking agent. You know, VRBO did their job. They connected the buyer with the seller. But it would have been dishonest for the sake of a small gain to just kind of run around that. She said, I can't do that. We're there for church. He's like, oh, yeah, okay, yeah, I get it. So, and moved on. But the point is, brethren, we have to live what we preach. That's what a teacher must do, a true teacher, and is what we all must do. God has called us to live not according to just knowledge, but true actions as well. And a true teacher will both live and teach obedience to the laws and the commandments of God. They'll never dismiss them. They'll never say, okay, we can take a break from these commandments today under these circumstances, and we'll do our thing and, you know, pick them back up later. They'll never give an exception to the rule. But it also means we need to know the Word of God very well also if we're going to be qualified to make that determination. Do they walk according to the Word? Well, I don't know the Word of God, so I don't really know. Sounds good. That's not good enough. We have to know the Word, and we'll know whether a teacher is true or not. Question number two, are there fruits according to godliness?

Are there fruits according to godliness? A part of determining a true prophet or teacher comes in recognizing the quality of the fruit they produce. What kind of fruit do they put out? Is it good fruit or bad fruit? What's the result of their ministry? Matthew chapter seven.

Jesus Christ speaks to this point. Matthew chapter seven and verse 15, because sometimes a teacher can sound good, and you can look at the scriptures, and you can question. Well, you know, sounds good. I could go this way with it, or I could go that way with it. If maybe you're a question on the scripture, but we don't look only to one point, what are their fruits? Are they according to godliness? Matthew seven, verse 15. Jesus said, beware of false prophets. Again, there's that word. Look out. Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. And it says these people are disguised like sheep, and they come in among the fold, and they look like sheep. They sound like sheep, but you know, the time comes, and you know, the right time comes, you know, the right time comes, you know, they unzip the sheep suit, you know, and they come out, and they're wolf, right? That's literally what he says. Comes to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. And he says to beware. And we go, well, how will I know? How will I know? Well, he tells us, verse 16, he says, you will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. And the point is, brethren, we have to learn to watch for the fruits of the individual as well. Not just the words. The words are important, but this is a package. You know, what comes out as a result of what it is that they're saying and doing? Because you see, the fruit is essentially the visible outcome or result that's produced, again, by the person's words, their actions, and their motivations as well. So the question becomes, what is their ministry producing?

Is this prophet? Is this teacher? Is this one who calls himself a Christ producing something that is good and godly? Is it the good and godly fruit of love? Of truth and harmony? Because that is good fruit. And good fruit comes off a good tree. Or are they producing the opposite fruit of contention, deception, and division? Christ says you have to know them, and you will know them by their fruit, but you have to make the evaluation. And you've got to do so guided by God's Spirit and according to his words. But the Bible tells us that all these things must be assessed together. Verse 18, Jesus again says, a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits you will know them. By their fruits, what they produce, are their fruits in accordance to godliness.

And is the outcome of their ministry according to godliness and good fruit?

Question number three. Is God's Spirit evident in this individual? Again, Christ said many false prophets will come, and they will prophesy, right? This is a sign of the end of the age, and they're going to be bringing a number of things that will be quite interesting to many to hear. But again, what is the Spirit behind the individual? Is God's Spirit evident? First John chapter 4 verse 1. First John chapter 4 verse 1. Again, very late in the New Testament record, but very shortly after the death of Christ, there are so many things that are coming into the church that would threaten to derail many, and the apostles were constantly contending with this. First John chapter 4 verse 1. Beloved, do not believe every spirit. He said, but test the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. He says there is a spirit there, and honestly, many times there's a power backed by the Spirit, but don't just take one size fits all. It must be the Spirit of God. He says, test the spirits. See what's there. Verse 2. By this you know the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. I don't have time today to go into the background of Gnosticism, but let's just say the big teaching he was contending against was the fact that people said, you know, Christ didn't really come in the flesh. He was a ghost, he was a vision, he was a phantom, but he really didn't come in the flesh because, you know, spirit is good and flesh is evil and spirit can't touch flesh. Therefore, he wasn't really in the flesh. Therefore, he really didn't die. Therefore, you know, you can follow that to its conclusion.

And John just says, you know what? That's not the Spirit of God. Let's bring that message. Verse 3. In every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the Spirit of Antichrist, which you have heard was coming and is now already in the world. So he said, test the spirits. Test the spirits. And what we find is that spiritual discernment, brethren, is important. Spiritual discernment is the ability to make judgments, not just on an academic level, not just on an intellectual level, but on a spiritual level.

All right? We make assessments on the spiritual level.

Spiritual discernment is seeing the spiritual reality of someone else. You know, what is the motivation? What is the driving spirit behind this individual? What is the attitude? And again, this ties in very closely with the fruits. The fruits are going to show the person, and it's going to show the spirit behind the person. But I would just say, if we have God's Holy Spirit dwelling in us, then I believe we ought to be able to recognize others with God's Spirit.

Right? Because He's called us to be one, bound together as one by His Spirit. So if you have God's Spirit, and you're in tune with God's Spirit and God's Word, you should be able to recognize quite readily when there's a spirit that's just not quite right. And you ought to be able to recognize when there's a spirit as well that is truth. God's Spirit is a spirit of love and joy and peace, loving-kindness, long-suffering, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

And when you have that spirit, you recognize spirit outside of that spectrum. And you'll recognize it rather quickly. And again, it'll be often tied to the fruit. For example, a spirit of anger, a spirit of bitterness, a spirit of contention should sound the alarm. And there's times where I've tried to determine something, okay, doctrinally, and I've studied God's Word and I've looked at it, and then also I've considered what is the fruit of this, what is the spirit behind this, and as, like, put the package together, and the alarm bells went off.

All right? We need to consider these things. If there is a spirit of pride and accusation, a spirit of deception, those things should put us on guard as well. And the message is, beware, right? Watch for these things. Look out. And as my message last week on bitterness was, watch yourself, okay? Watch yourself for these things.

Ask God to help us see them if indeed they are in us. But John just says, we need to be testing the spirits, determine whether they come from God or not. True prophets and teachers will have God's spirit clearly reflected, and it will be the motivation behind their words and actions, and it'll be clearly evident to the people of God. Fourth question we want to ask is, do the prophecies of that prophet come to pass while pointing people to God?

And this is kind of a two-part question, okay? It's, do the prophecies of that prophet come to pass? Okay, that's the first part. While pointing people to God, because they both have to be there. Deuteronomy chapter 18, Deuteronomy 18, we get a little insight into what identifies a false prophet directly.

Deuteronomy chapter 18 and verse 22 says, when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, which is, here comes a man who says, I'm a prophet and I'm coming to you in the name of the Lord by the authority of God to deliver this message, okay? He says, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken, the prophet has spoken it presumptuously, you shall not be afraid of him.

You know, you're not gonna, the prophet comes saying, you're going to be destroyed because X, Y, and Z, and X, Y, and Z doesn't come to pass. He's like, you know, that's false prophet, that's not a message from God. You know, Judah had problems with false prophets in the time of Jeremiah. As God raised Jeremiah up to deliver a message, and it's like, look, turn from your ways or you'll go into captivity to the Babylonians.

And it was a message that he sounded and was ridiculed for and thrown in the well and put in the stocks, and the false prophets rose up and said, you're okay. No problem here. Repentance, you know, we got the temple, God's in our midst, we're the people of God, it's okay.

Don't you worry about what that guy, crazy Jeremiah, is saying out over there, right? But what was God's response? God's response was, this punishment is coming on their heads. They are indeed false prophets.

Jeremiah was prophesying a true message. And so the prophecies of a true prophet of God will come to pass with very few exceptions. But I say few exceptions because there are occasion for exceptions. Jonah and Nineveh. He went and proclaimed a prophecy of destruction upon Nineveh, but then God relented, right? They sat cloths and ashes, they repented before God, much to Jonah's chagrin. But God relented. And that's God's prerogative. That didn't make Jonah a false prophet delivering a false message. It meant people heard the warning, they heeded it, and God relented. That's an exception. Another exception could perhaps be maybe even just simply understanding the timing. You know, sometimes the timing for things have been proclaimed when they should not have been. They didn't remove the truth of what God was doing. The Apostle Paul is an example of that who, when you look at his earlier writings, truly thought the return of Christ was coming in his lifetime. Paul was true. A true Apostle, a true prophet, and yet, okay, there were some things he needed to come to understand eventually that I will likely see death and will many of you. But it didn't change the truth of the words that he spoke. So there are times where there are very few exceptions, but the point is if they come in the name of the Lord claiming to have a direct message from God, then their prophecy falls flat. Okay, their false prophet. You're not to heed their words. Now we see another condition for false prophets expressed in Deuteronomy chapter 13, because what if somebody comes and proclaims a prophecy and it happens? Is that automatic? True prophet. Well, Deuteronomy 13 in verse 1 gives us the answer. It says, If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder comes to pass, okay, wow, he said it would be and it was, comes to the pass of which he spoke to you, saying, Let us go after other gods which you have not known, and let us serve them. So it's like he's coming, he proclaims a message, or he does some miraculous thing and it happens, and you think, wow, but tied up in his messages, hey, let's go worship Baal. He's a great god, and, you know, let's forget about this God of Israel. He says, verse 3, You shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. And so there's times when a false prophet is allowed to prophesy something that will come to pass, or maybe they're allowed to do a miracle. Wow, wonderful sign. Incredible miracle.

Wow, they must be true of God. Well, the message has to be considered as well. This is a package. Again, be careful about going after slivers. This is a package at the whole, and you can't just think that a miracle automatically makes this a man of God. I think I will follow him.

Indeed, the Bible shows that there will be men who come on the scene at the end of the age performing incredible miracles, right? Lying wonders, the Bible says, and many signs, things to deceive the people. And the greatest of these deceptions is found in Revelation 13. Let's just see an example of this that you and I may directly have to confront.

This ties in with the false prophets Christ was warning of at the end of the age. But again, the point is, what if you saw a sign? What if you saw a miracle? What if you saw somebody miraculously healed? What if you saw some, you know, fire come out of somewhere and devour something? What if you saw those things? Is that a servant of God for sure? Revelation 13 and verse 11, Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb, and spoke like a dragon. I would say this is the end time wolf in sheep's clothing, or in this case, dragon in sheep's clothing, okay, because like a lamb, but speaks like a dragon. Verse 12, And he exercises all authority of the first beast in his presence, and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. He performs great signs, so that even he makes fire come down from heaven to the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which are granted him to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. Okay, so this is exactly the description of what we saw in Deuteronomy.

Right? Signs, wonder, miracle, something that a false prophet performs, but it's in order to turn people away from God, not to God. Because he gets their attention with the miracle and he says, now let's go worship the beast. Right? And many will follow. So the point is, brethren, don't fall prey. Beware. Does it agree with God's word? Again, that was number one. The other teachings and actions agree with God's word. Number two, are there fruits according to godliness? Number three, is God's spirit evident in them? Number four, do the prophecies of the prophet come to pass while pointing people to God? This needs to be the consistent criteria in the package by which we evaluate if a teacher, if a prophet, is true and truly from God or whether they're false. So now that we've walked through this process, heard the warning of Christ, we've heard the warning of the apostles. There will be false prophets. They will come. Many will be deceived. We've seen what they look like. We've seen a glimpse of the damage that they can do in the church among the people of God. We've seen how to identify them. So what happens when you do identify a false prophet and teacher? What must our response be? What does the Bible say our response must be? Because I think maybe sometimes that gets a little fuzzy. Maybe sometimes we don't always clearly follow the dictates of what the scripture tells us we must do in those cases. Should we follow along with their teachings? You know, that was interesting. I know that's not right, but that's kind of interesting. I wonder what he'll say next. Maybe there's something I can glean out of this. Should we entertain ourselves with them? That was dramatic. You know, we can almost use religion for entertainment because we're an entertainment age. And just to hear something different that's exciting, it's entertainment. And we can almost chase after those things by entertaining them in our minds. Should we visit their website? Should we keep following what's next? What's next? What does the Bible say? If you've identified false prophet, false teacher, a teaching to be false, what must our response be? As we read earlier, Paul's concern over this was the church putting up. You may well put up with it, he said. And the consequences could be disastrous. I want to conclude with this point today, and we'll look at a few scriptures, but this is the final concept, our response. 1 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 3.

1 Timothy.

It was in here this morning.

So was Thessalonians and Titus, you know? They're just like, okay, here we go. 1 Timothy chapter 6 and verse 3.

Apostle Paul writing to Timothy, minister in the faith, and he says, This is the fruit of this type of teaching.

Pretty evident. From such, withdraw yourself.

Paul's telling this to Timothy. Well, I'm a minister. I can handle it.

Got to see what's going on. Timothy, from such, withdraw yourself. Withdraw yourself from those who teach contrary doctrine, from those who are obsessed with disputes and arguments over words. From such, withdraw yourself.

Verse 20. Still in 1 Timothy 6. Verse 20. O Timothy, guard what was committed to your trust. Avoid the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge. By professing it, some have, notice, strayed concerning the faith.

Paul said, avoid. First he said, withdraw. Now he says, avoid the profane and idle babblings. Don't get drawn into those things. By professing it, some have strayed concerning the faith.

Second Timothy, chapter 2. Verse 14. Again, Paul's instructions to young minister. He was mentoring.

Second Timothy, chapter 2 and verse 14. He says, remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no prophet to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. He says, but shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness, and their message will spread like cancer. Hamanias and Phyletus are of this sort who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already passed and they have overthrown the faith of some. Brethren, it doesn't matter whether it's a teaching the resurrection has already passed, or the Passover observance is fulfilled and done away, and you don't have to keep it, or any other false doctrine that may come out, the reality of the matter remains the same. And that is, imbibing in the profane and idle babblings is dangerous because it overthrows the faith of psalm. Overthrows it. Paul's described, used the word before as well, suffered spiritual shipwreck. What does that look like? What does what does overthrown faith look like? If you entertained a teaching and your faith is overthrown, what does that look like? Well, I was trying to walk that through in my mind this week, and to me it comes down to a couple of things.

Overthrown faith looks like somebody's saying, well, I don't know what to believe anymore.

I thought I knew. I thought I knew what the Bible said, but you know somebody came along and said, is that really true? Is that really what it says? What about this? What about that? What about that? And suddenly there's doubt, right? That's Satan's tactic, doubt. And so the person says, well, I don't know what to believe anymore, and they simply walk away.

And that's like the casualty in the field when the wolf has come and ravaged the flock.

They simply walk away. Their faith overthrown. The other way I think this looks is somebody says, I don't know. I thought I knew. I guess I don't know. Apparently you know.

So I guess if I stick with you, it's okay. You know. Obviously I don't. So I don't have the answer. I'm lost. Apparently what I thought was true and right is questionable. I'll follow you.

Faith overthrown, in my opinion. That's how it looks also on the other end of the spectrum. Again, it's Satan's tactic, and it causes some to simply throw up their hands. But Paul's clear instruction to Timothy was what? Shun such things. You know, shun's not really a word we use a lot in the Christian language. All right? What? Shun something. Slam the door on it. If you identify a doctrine, a teaching that does not accord with godliness and isn't the gospel that was delivered, Paul says, shun it. Don't even entertain. Doing so, many have had their faith overthrown. Romans chapter 16 verse 17. If you think Paul wasn't dogmatic about this, it's in here over and over and over. And if you think I'm harping on it, I am. Romans chapter 16 verse 17. Paul says, now I urge you, brethren, now we're talking not to the minister, we're talking to the brethren. Okay? Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned and avoid them. Avoid them. For those who are such, do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech, they deceive the hearts of the simple. Well, hearts of the simple. Sometimes we say, well, I'm not the simple, so it's okay. I can go listen. I'm safe. I can determine those things.

I won't be deceived, and I can just, you know, without risk, it's okay.

And my response would be, okay, fine. If you think that's where you're at, but what does the Bible say? Again, because this is the word. This is the standard. Not, I think I'm fine. Does the Bible say you are fine? Paul's instructions are that if the doctrine is contrary to what you've received from the Scriptures, what you prove from childhood, and it's their Scripture on top of Scripture, on top of Scripture, avoid those who contradict. Avoid those who teach another doctrine.

Sometimes that's hard. Last passage, 2 John, chapter 1. Again, we're coming to the end of the biblical age, the writing, at least of the Scriptures that we have here. John was seeing the reality of what was taking place around him, and he sounded the warning as well. 2 John, chapter 1, only one chapter. Verse 6, John says, This is love, that we walk according to his commandments. And this is the commandment, as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not profess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. He says, Look to yourselves. Again, beware. Watch out. Guard your spiritual condition. Look to yourselves that we do not lose those things we work for, but that we may receive a full reward. Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house, nor greet him. For he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. That might seem a little harsh, especially in our postmodern age, right? Especially in our age of tolerance, in this age in which everyone's opinion is sort of the doctrine of the day.

Don't greet them. Don't accept them into your house. Avoid them. Shun them. Don't tolerate it. You may well put up with it. That's the danger. Over and over and over, the warning is sounded.

Brethren, there is only one truth of God, and we're either walking according to it or we're not.

In entertaining those things that are different, those people who would bring different doctrines than what you've received from the Scripture and what you have proven from the Scripture, is spiritually damaging. The Bible warns us to beware. Beware false prophets. Beware false teachers. And this warning must not fall on death-eaters. Jesus Christ made it himself. And he said, you know what? It's only going to get worse. Paul says it will get worse and worse. Christ said it will increase. It is the sign of his coming and the end of the age. And that is why he said to beware. They will rise up. They will deceive many. And many means many.

That's exactly what it means. The apostle Paul warned Timothy that the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. As in, the teaching is solid. The doctrine is sound, and it is in the Scriptures clearly. But he says they won't endure it. They won't maintain to it. They won't hold on to it. But according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables. Paul said that time is coming, and brethren, that time is today.

And that time will continue on to the return of Jesus Christ. When Jesus the true returns, I call him the true. He is the true apostle. He is the true high priest. He is the true prophet of God. When the true returns, he will put an end to all false prophets and false teachers and false teachings that accompany them as well. But until that time, the warning is beware, be sober, be vigilant. Let no one take your crown. Brethren, take heed to yourselves.