Ten Ways to Spot a False Prophet

So, last week I gave part one of a two-part series on false prophets. I talked about the title being your favorite false prophet. You'll know that you have favorites. I have favorite stories of false prophets. I'll put that one in particular. But today's sermon title is 10 Ways to Spot a False Prophet. I've never heard that given before, but I've taken it upon in my job. It's also something I need to be looking for.

It might have helped me in the past, as I would listen to various people, who I thought were telling me the truth or who were actually taking me down the right path. Yet I found out it wasn't the right path or the right motives. Let's put it that way. I want to finish up where I ended up last week as a talk about false prophets.

God had many true prophets, and he has a history. But one of God's favorite prophets is involved in the story of my favorite story about false prophets. Here we go back to the story of Elijah the Tishbite, who just showed up out of nowhere, other than Tishbeak. Nobody knew where that was. They didn't know who it was. His father wasn't a prophet. His father wasn't a priest. But Elijah just shows up and confronts the king Ahab, who's a king over Israel, who is not a nice guy, but he married an even worse woman, had her for the wife and queen, called Jezebel.

Such a bad name! Do you even know any women named Jezebel today? I don't think many people want to name their daughters or grandkids. Oh, why don't you name her Jezebel? But these people were so wicked that God sent Elijah to wake them up and try to get them to repent, turn around. And so Elijah comes on the scene, warns them, and then proclaims a drought for three years.

Now imagine three years of getting no rain in South Florida. We would be brown all over and no green, as I'm sure they were in Israel, which usually their lands were so abundant, so green. They had farmland. But all of a sudden things had changed. So let's go to that story as I'll touch on it before I move on.

Let's go to 1 Kings. I'll go back to 1 Kings 18 and I'll jump around here, read part of the story, and tell part of the story so we can go right through this. But they have said, get this man! You've got to find this man who's causing all this trouble. We were doing fine as a nation until this prophet shows up. I'll read from 1 Kings 18, verse 18, in the New Living Translation. Ahab meets him and says, you've caused us so much trouble. Elijah says, I have made no trouble for Israel.

You and your family are the troublemakers, and you have refused to obey the commandments of the Lord and have worshipped the images of Baal instead. Now summon all Israel to join me at Mount Carmel, along with 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Azeroth, who are supported by Jezebel, his wife. Mel, someone representing Baal, is the male, 450 men, and 400 representing Azeroth, or go back in time, Nimrod and Samarimus.

And so, he challenges him then. Send all these prophets, and I'll stand alone on that mountain with your 850 prophets. And we'll see who God really is. As it says earlier, if the Lord is God, he told the people, follow God. If Baal is God, follow Baal. Let's see. It's a showdown on top of Mount Carmel. So in verse 24, we see, as they bring, they set up this altar. I mean, think about it. He sent all of Israel.

Send all of Israel up there. It's estimated Israel had between 750,000 people and a million people. But the king said, go up there. I want everybody to see. It's amazing because I can find, I believe most of the people came except for two. King Ahab and Jezebel. They're not to be seen, but they didn't need to. They were going to send these 850 prophets of Baal. This should be the end of Elijah, as we know him, because I'm going to have 850 of my prophets. But it's interesting when Elijah said this to them about follow God or follow Baal.

My Bible says, but the people were completely silent. They didn't know. They weren't sure. Yet they had history, and they all knew their history. They had incredible blessings that God had blessed the nation of Israel with, but now they had corrupt leaders.

So they brought the bulls up. Then in verse 24, he said, then, he told them, you go ahead. There's 850 you, just one of me. Go ahead. You go first. Then call on the name of your God, and I will call on the name of the Lord. The God who answers by setting fire to the wood is the true God.

And all the people agreed. Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, you go first. For there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls, prepare it, and call on the name of your God, but do not set fire to the wood.

The God was going to do that. Baal. So they prepared one of the bulls, placed it on the altar, then called on the name of Baal from morning until noon time.

I've preached some long sermons, but never that. I've had some prayers, but I don't know if I wanted that. In that heat, you have to remember, there's no rain. It's hot, and they slaughtered that bull, cut him up, and there it is so dry. Can you imagine the flies? The blood everywhere flies, gathering. It wasn't a pleasant thing. A million people standing around watching. Where's that fire? A miserable that must have been.

And then they shouted, O Baal, answer us! But there was no reply of any kind. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar that they had made. They were maybe good dancers. I don't know. They were just like, oh, come on, come on, come on! But it didn't happen. And about noontime, Elijah began mocking them. That's why I like this story. Can you imagine sitting there watching? He knew there wasn't going to be any fire. He knew their God couldn't do it. But yet, obviously, there's a million people who didn't know, did they? They didn't know. How pitiful, how pathetic was that?

That they would sit around in this heat, flies, the smell of blood, the iron of where they slaughtered this.

And there, all of a sudden, beginning to think, maybe did I sacrifice some of our children to these gods? My relatives did.

About noontime, Elijah began, you have to shout louder! He scoffed for surely he is a god. Perhaps he is daydreaming, or maybe he's going to the bathroom. He's relieving himself. And if I knew Elijah, he probably put it in a lot cruder terms than that.

Or maybe he is away on a trip, or he's asleep, or needs to be wakened up. So what does 20 say? So they shouted louder!

And following their normal customs, they cut themselves with knives and swords until the blood gushed out.

How stupid!

How entertaining! This must have been to Elijah, and to God, and to the people who were beginning to think, these are the fools we followed.

They're going to kill themselves, dancing around! They raved all afternoon until the time of the evening sacrifice, but still there was no sound, no reply, no response.

What do you think the people were thinking then?

Then Elijah says, get rid of all that stuff. Here, let me put it in. He grabs the stones, and he puts the altar there, and puts the calf on the altar.

In verse 36, at the usual time for offering the evening, Elijah the prophet walked up to the altar and prayed.

Look at this prayer. You think a quick prayer doesn't work? You ever been in a car, and all of a sudden you need to make a quick prayer? Hey, it works! You may be in trouble. You may be walking down the wrong side of the street sometime with some wrong people coming in. Hey, it's worth a prayer. It worked for Elijah, so let's hope we are the people of God, too.

But here he says, Lord, answer me! Answer me so the people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you have brought them back to yourself. Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven. And burned up the young bull, the wood, the stone, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench, which he had told them, Keep pouring water on! It was soaked just to mock the prophets of Baal. And when all the people saw it, they fell down on their face on the ground and cried, The Lord, he is God! Yes, the Lord is God! Then Elijah commanded, Seize all the prophets of Baal! Don't let a single one of them escape so the people seize them all! And Elijah took them down to the Kishan River Valley and killed them there. Got rid of it! False prophets! Was able to change some things.

Oh, yeah, not able to do that today. God hasn't commanded Jeff to go out and find a false prophet, Take him down, and call Mike to get some assistance there. He's a little bit bigger than I am, so he hadn't called us to do that.

He didn't call Christ to do that at his time. But, let's see what he did do. See, because we have that warning of the Old Testament, but we also have so many warnings in the New Testament. Go with me to Matthew 7. Jesus Christ is teaching here, and he's telling the people, and he's telling us today, those in this world, those who are in the United Church of God, those who profess to be following God.

He says, in verse 15, Beware of false prophets who, what? Come, disguised as harmless sheep, but they are ravenous wolves. You can identify them by their fruit. That is the way they act. And that's what I'll be getting into the ten ways to spot a false prophet. Because we can actually tell. We can actually tell. Can you pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.

A good tree can't produce bad fruit. A bad tree can't produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people, false prophets, by their actions. And then he goes down to say, Not everyone who calls out to me, Lord, Lord, Lord, O Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, only those who, what? Do the will of my Father in heaven. On judgment day, many will prophesy, saying, Lord, Lord, we prophesy in your name. We cast out demons.

Talking about ministers here, talking about leaders here. Cast out demons in your name. Perform merry miracles in your name. But I will reply to them, I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God's law. He's serious. This is serious about false prophets. This is serious about people who follow false prophets. Like you, too, because Christ wasn't done. Christ wasn't done with just telling them. He talks about the future. He talks about our time and the time ahead of us.

And he does that when he gives the sermon from the Mount of Olives, the Olivet prophecies in Matthew 24. Matthew 24, he mentions time and time and time again about false prophets. Matthew 24. Wow. How about Matthew 11? 24. Don't let them mislead you. And many false prophets will appear, and they're going to deceive many. Then he goes down 24 for false Messiah, false prophet will rise up and do all these things.

And a lot of people are going to be fooled because it says in 44 that before you know it, Christ will come as a thief in the night, and those people don't know it. In his prophetic tale laid out in Matthew 24, he has to tell us at least three times, they're coming.

They're coming. They're coming. Do we realize it? I've talked about false prophets before, but I never gave a series. But I just look around this world, and I see them. And I've seen them. And Christ said, they're coming. Do we know what to look for? Because they don't all look alike, and they don't all act alike.

So today I'd like to give you ten ways to spot a false prophet. Ten ways to spot a false prophet. And I think they're important. Now, I'd like to give you, this is not a fully comprehensive list. There are other things too, but I wanted to give you at least ten. Ten that's laid out for us in Scripture. So that you too. So that I can. Grace can. Charmaine can. Mike can see them.

And you know them when you see them, and you know when you hear them. And not be fooled. Because eternal life is on the line for us. So number one, ways to spot a false prophet. False prophets spread false teachings while claiming to speak the Word of God. They spread false teachings while claiming to speak from the Word of God. That will even hold it up and tell their lives.

And people will follow them, or people will say, Oh, have you heard? Have you heard this guy? Wow, he's just so impressive. Or I had this woman tell me, Oh, I follow this woman. Oh, she's so inspiring. And I get so much from her.

I watch her all the time. Don't you? And I said, No. No. She teaches so many things it's not in here. She'll throw a few words in, but then, Moses is false. She teaches we're wrong for being here on the Sabbath. She keeps Christmas, and she loves it, and teaches Easter. And so these other people, they may speak the Word of God, but they speak so much false stuff. If they're not teaching what's here, they are false.

I didn't come up with this. I didn't come up with this teaching. Jeremiah chapter 23 is where I got most of these, most of the ten. Jeremiah lays it out because that's what it was like in his day, and that's what it's like now. Because they do the same thing. They're motivated by the same thing. Someone says, Oh, I know they don't know the truth, but they just teach this stuff really good, and I got so much out of it. Really? So did the people on Mount Carmel. Otherwise, a million of them would have marched up in the heat with the stinking flies and gnats.

We need to spot them. We need to spot them, not be so influenced. The second way, number two, spot a false prophet. Most of them have egos. Not egos. Egoes. Ah, I know God has called me. I know God has put this on my heart. And it's all about them. They've been in God's church, too. They're the ones that know all the Bible, and they know everything inside now.

They don't need you to tell them. They don't need to get your advice on everything. They know. They know everything. They don't need interactive Bible studies because they don't want to hear. They don't want to hear what you've got to say because they know it all.

You seen them? I have. Egoes. I've got to dress really nice. I look good. I drive a nice car. I have all this stuff. And they love to talk about themselves. And they'll listen to you sometimes, but most of the time they're looking around while you're talking. Seen it! Seen them! We need to spot. Not every false prophet has all these ten, but these are things you spot.

There are certain things you can do and spot things, like the Miami Dolphins. You go on their field. You can tell who works in the office and who's an athlete. You can spot them. He walks like an athlete. He carries himself like an athlete. Look at the cabs. Look at the bill. Look at the... We can tell! We can spot because God's told us what they're like. How they act, what Christ said. So much of this is act, not just appearance, but it comes with appearance, too. So egos. Anybody who loves to just talk about themselves are really pontificate. Are they having an answer to everything? Boy, did I ever have those in the past. They had an answer to everything. You find out ten years later, their answers weren't right. They weren't even close, but yet they thought they were. Third way, number three, they love money. You see them on TV. Those are, oh, here they always have, send in a love offering. Yes, put your hands on the TV and this healing will come about and you can send us in that check. Yeah, but isn't that easy to see? But there's others not. Those who have a love of money. And they talk about nice things. And they talk about what they have.

You got these false problems out there. I need an airplane. You people send in money so I can have this airplane. So we can do this, we can do that. And if it isn't that they show money, they love people who have money. I think James talks about it. Right? Or at least I think we get there when I first got here.

They love to talk to people who have money and show money and they make them their good friends. And they're just like, oh, let's move them up. We need to make them a deacon. I didn't check your checking account, did I, before I made you a deacon? I should have. You know, I was like, man, some money can take me out for lunch.

Many times. We can go to the fountain bloom down there. No! So these are things we need to be watching. We need to be careful. I used to have an old radio DJ in Nashville. He used to put on this preacher and he would take this character as a preacher. Brother Jonah, he'd always be asking for money. And he had this saying, help me, help you, help me. Because, you know, that's where it's at. With God, that's not where it's at. Number four, what's the way to spot? To spot a false prophet. Wolves in sheep's clothing. Wolves in sheep's clothing.

That means you have to look. Because they may look. Oh, yeah. I've seen them come into congregation. And everybody else, they'll just pull people off to the side and want to tell them their own pet doctrines. Let me tell you where the United Church of God is wrong. Let me tell you. Yeah, your pastor's a nice guy. Yeah, I see no... Let me tell you. I've got this special understanding. It happens. Wolves in sheep's clothing. I love this picture because I raise sheep. If I had a sheep like that, I'd be running. Because I've had them, you know, they don't really have teeth.

They just gnaw and knuckle on things and pull things. I had my fingers in their mouth many times. Wooden with that one, and neither should we. Neither should we entertain if we see... There's something wrong with that sheep. Right? Doesn't look right. Doesn't smell right. Doesn't act right. That's part of our job. We need, brethren, to be on the lookout. To be on the lookout.

So go through, if you have a Bible study, go through sometime. Jeremiah 23, and see all the various ways. It's a good Bible study sometimes. It keeps you sharp. It keeps you on your toes. And he had to be. And number five, adulteress. Adulteress. We've seen those stories, haven't we? I've seen them from various people. Have various things to get into. Get into trouble. But it isn't just all that. Maybe... And I know the women here can relate to this because I've noticed it with people before. And it isn't just like, oh, well, you know, he sleeps around with anybody and everybody.

No. What can I say if you look upon a woman? And haven't you women? Charmaine, young lady. I'm sure you may have. You can tell when a guy's just kind of... He's like, got that look. Yep. He's acting like he's talking to you and all of a sudden his eyes are not in your eyes.

They're about 12 inches lower. You know? And then, yeah, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I've seen it in the minister, too. They just kind of watch this young lady or different ladies just kind of walk by and just eyes just follow. That's not a man of God! Women can pick it up a lot easier than men because I've had men go, oh, well, that's just how men are. Yeah, that's how some men are. Not a godly man and not a leader.

Number six, treacherous. Treacherous. Get that from Zephaniah 3 and verse 4. Treacherous means deceptive, untrustworthy. They're out there. You can't trust them. They don't keep the word. They may say, yeah, I'll do that and then they don't even remember later. Their focus is not on the sheep. Their focus is, a lot of times, just shearing the sheep. Number seven, drunkards. From Isaiah 28 verse 7. Drink too much. I've got a conscience to work out. So they can see their conscience even more. I like wine. I like good wine. I don't think I could ever be drunk to wine because I can't afford to buy the wine that I like.

Maybe that's why God didn't make me rich. But you gotta watch how people act. Always have a drink in their hand. Number eight, wicked. Wicked. Cruel. Cold. Not everybody. They don't come across as wicked, but you find out later they were. It starts with being a little cold. Then you begin to see some cruel acts. A lot of times it happens because they put themselves up here. And they put the brethren down here. Be on the lookout for that. Those who don't have time to talk to you. Number nine, liars. Liars. I take this one personally.

I've heard of them. You have too. Matter of fact, I wouldn't be here right now. I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for a liar. A false prophet, a liar, who started his church ten years ago on a lie. And more than one. He wanted a following. He wanted to be a leader. So he told a bunch of lies, one, that we wouldn't be keeping that the United Church of God was going to do away with the Sabbath and the Holy Days. And he got thousands to follow him, and he got a lot of ministers to follow him.

I want a lie. The whole church was built on a lie. And I see somebody now from that in ten years. It's been ten years. We're going to wait another fifty for us to change the Sabbath? I had one of their ministers tell me one time, well, they're going to change it. I say, if I do, you'll be the first one to know, because I'll be the first one to be kicked out for standing up and telling.

And telling everybody in Cincinnati's liars. But we ain't changing. As long as I'm here, we ain't changing. They ain't changing up there. It wasn't even in the plan of anything. But yet, that's what they started. Call like it is, it's a false prophet. A lie to start your church, what will you do to keep it? Number ten. Teach a little truth with the lies.

Just like the first one. Some people want to just, you know, they'll have just a little truth, and then it's so mixed in with the lie, and they use words. And so pretty soon, you're just kind of like, I don't really know what he was really talking. He sounded good, though. Ever had those? Oh, well, yeah.

We're not really doing away. Yeah. Watch the tongue. What is it? Be aware and beware. Be aware and beware. Be aware of these people, these false prophets, and then beware of their actions, their leadership, and how far you can be carried down that hole. Second Peter. Second Peter 2 and verse 1. Second Peter 2 and verse 1. Peter had to warn about this.

So you have God warning all through the Old Testament, and you have Christ warning and warning and warning about not only them but the future. Then you have Peter, you have John, you have Paul all dealing with false prophets. And Peter is saying just before he's in prison, he's going to be killed. He knows that. And he says there will be false prophets among you. Rather than we've had false prophets among us, you will have false prophets among you in the future. He says, well, maybe I don't need to be in United, though. They're in every church. They're in Sunday churches, they're in Saturday churches, they're people that are just motivated by their own sick delusions.

They want to feel big about themselves. They want a following. They want to feel important. There will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach. It's our job, it's our job, brother, to be on the lookout. Be aware, and be aware. I leave you today with a man that told me this many years ago, 10 or 15 years ago. I still think a lot of him will love to get him down here sometime. He could preach you a message. His wife and his wife died earlier this year, last year of COVID. But he had been through a lot of this and seen false prophets all through the years of him following God on his ways.

I leave you with his words. He said, I know God's Word when I hear it, and I know when I don't. Brethren, we need to know God's Word. That's why we study His Word. We're not going to be caught unaware. We're not going to be caught where we don't know. If we go to God's Word, we have God's Spirit. Brethren, you're going to see more than 10 ways to spot a false prophet.

Keep yourselves in the Book and close to God.