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1 Cor 15:1-2
“Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.”
Not everything you hear from behind a pulpit is true! Not every minister is sent from God. Signs and wonders are not proof of a God-ordained ministry. How do we know this? Because it is in the Word of God, and it is because of these three things that we need to hold fast to the Word of God. It is because of these three things that we need to know the Scriptures for ourselves.
We need to know the Word of God so well that when we hear something different we will get a check in our spirit. When we hear falsehood that inner buzzer or that light should go off and alert us that something is not right. We may not be able to recite book, chapter, and verse, but we will know intuitively that something is wrong.
Let’s look at 2 Peter 2:1-3
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
The Apostle Peter is warning the Church that false prophets and teachers will arise and have already arisen. Peter links prophesying and teaching together and does so with the idea that both are a declaration of what God is saying or has said. Prophesy communicates that which God is saying to His Church and teaching is communicating and interpreting and making plain what God has already said.
They are essentially inseparable. We have teachers in the Church expounding and making clear what God has already said by His prophets in the Scripture. We received the Scripture through prophecy or men being inspired by God to write down what He was saying, and now we have teachers in the Church explaining what God has said in His Word.
Peter said that false prophets arose among the people, speaking of the Children of Israel, and that false teachers would arise from within the Church. Peter realized that there is more room for false doctrines and ideas to take root in the heart and mind of mankind when so-called logic and rationale is used to support what is being said, than a blanket statement of “Thus saith the Lord: such and such.”
Peter describes the method of false teachers as “secretive”. It is not so much the blatant lie that Peter is worried about, it is that it is being done deceitfully. Most people can tell when there is a blatant lie…rat poison is rat poison and you aren’t going to sit down to a big bowl of rat poison and have it for breakfast, but you might if someone had deceived you and put rat poison in your coffee, cereal, and cornbread muffin!
And this is what the false teachers were doing and are still doing today. You mean, there are false teachers today? Yes! Wherever God has sent the genuine, Satan will always send the counterfeit. Just because people say that they are delivering what God has spoken to them, does NOT guarantee that they are genuinely speaking for God. For a prophet is someone who speaks for another. Jeremiah was God’s prophet to Israel who told them that if they would not repent of their willful sin and open rebellion and rejection of God that God was going to punish them with the sword and famine and pestilence. But there were two voices in the land: the true prophet and the false prophets.
Jeremiah 14:10-14
Thus says the LORD to this people, “Even so they have loved to wander; they have not kept their feet in check. Therefore the LORD does not accept them; now He will remember their iniquity and call their sins to account.” So the LORD said to me, “Do not pray for the welfare of this people. “When they fast, I am not going to listen to their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I am not going to accept them. Rather I am going to make an end of them by the sword, famine and pestilence.” But, “Ah, Lord GOD!” I [Jeremiah] said, “Look, the prophets are telling them, “You will not see the sword nor will you have famine, but I will give you lasting peace in this place.’” Then the LORD said to me, “The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name…”
Many times people will turn off their minds and just soak in some new teaching or idea just because someone is behind a pulpit and is speaking over a PA system, and saying “This is the Truth” and it sounds so good. We need to investigate the claims, the teachings, the ideas that they are giving and compare them with the Word of God. We mustn’t just take someone’s word for it, or just find one little Scripture that seemingly appears to back-up somehow what they are saying. It mustn’t be just one Scripture, it must be the whole of Scripture. Is it taught elsewhere, or demonstrated by Biblical characters?
Talk it over with other believers, and not just the ones in your little camp or clique. Scripture says that in the counsel of many there is safety. Especially talk it over with those who are left in charge with your spiritual care and are concerned with your spiritual growth. And don’t be afraid to be wrong in your thinking, don’t be afraid to embarrassed that you have bought into a lie. It is better to go through alittle embarrassment than to live an entire lifetime believing a lie.
Many times false teachers will preface their teaching with, “Now, you won’t hear this in any other church, and what I’m about to tell you may seem a little strange, but hear me out.” And it seems like some people just turn their brains off because they think, “Well here is this well meaning guy, and he seems like a good guy, he won’t lie to me.”
But a genuine teacher, preacher, minister will admonish people to know the Scriptures for themselves, to search the Scriptures out on their own to see if what they are saying is true, because they know what they are presenting is Truth, and that they live in the Light, they aren’t trying to hide anything. Luke writes in the Book of Acts 17:10-12,
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The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.”
Luke doesn’t say that Paul and Silas got upset because the people were daily searching the Scriptures to see if what they were saying was true, but refers to them as noble-minded, because they did study it out. Luke said that they were examining the Scriptures daily. That Greek word for examine means to “to scrutinize, i.e. (by implication) investigate, interrogate, determine: KJV uses other synonyms such as- ask, question, discern, examine, judge, and search. In Christianity the Bereans were people who have always been known for their desire to know the truth and to seek it out. They were known for not believing everything they heard just because it was declared from behind a pulpit.
No individual or group of people is your final authority. Only Scripture. Scripture is the final authority. It doesn’t matter what anyone says or how eloquently they say it or how good it sounds, or how much you may like it, if it not in the Word of God, then it is garbage. And garbage should be thrown out!
I mentioned at the beginning that not every minister is sent from God. How do I know this? Well, let’s look in the Word. Go back to Jeremiah 14 verse 14
“Then the LORD said to me, “The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility and the deception of their own minds.”
Lets also look at
Jer 23:16 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility; They speak a vision of their own imagination, Not from the mouth of the LORD. VERSE 21 says “I did not send these prophets, But they ran. I did not speak to them, But they prophesied.
Jesus even spoke of false prophets and teachers. He said in Matt 7:15-20
“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “So then, you will know them by their fruits.”
Jesus said that they would come in sheep’s clothing, but are really ravenous wolves. It would appear that they are legitimate followers of Christ, but they really are not. How will we know them then? By their fruit. Their teaching will line up 100% with whole counsel of Scripture. Their lives will be marked by holiness and Christ-likeness.
You will know them by their fruit, not only the fruit of their personal lives, but also of their ministries. Do they bring confusion, teachings that divide or cause conflict? Do they show favoritism to the rich and affluent of society (in hopes that their pockets might bulge as well). Are they always talking about receiving this new car from God, or this big mansion, or this worldly possession or that worldly possession?
Yes, its nice to have things, but what is the focus. Is their ministry there to serve them and get them things? Is it a means by which they increase wealth? Or is the ministry there to serve others, to equip the saints, to fulfill the Commission of Christ? Is it a means by which they increase souls in heaven?
2 Peter 2:3 says that false prophets and teachers, “in their greed will exploit you with false words.” They will tell you things that will woo and wow the crowd just to get a big offering. I once personally heard a minister say that God wasn’t happy with you unless you were rich and that’s why you needed to sow a big seed into his ministry, so God could make you rich. What’s the focus there? Is it on souls? Is it greater passion for Christ, a deeper reverence for Scripture? Or is it on money and the riches of this world that Jesus Himself said would rust and corrupt.
Paul says to Timothy in 2 Tim 4:1-4
“I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
Paul prophesies to Timothy that in the last days there will be those who will not endure sound doctrine, and they will pick out this preacher and that teacher and this minister who will give them what they want to hear. That term “endure” means to put up with. That in the last days people will not be satisfied with sound doctrine, but will be searching after some new teaching, some new revelation from God. But I’m here to tell you that there will be no new revelations, because we have the perfect revelation, right here in the Holy Word of God.
So if someone starts preaching something you haven’t heard before, and you can’t find it clearly spelled out in Scripture, then throw it out in the garbage because they have not been sent by God! They may say God told me to tell you this and that, or God sent me but if you can’t find it in the Word, find yourself out the door (or the television off)! Not everything said from behind a pulpit is true, not everyone claiming to be sent from God really is, and signs and wonders do not prove a true ministry either!
I know I just challenged some people’s theology right there! Signs and wonders are not the proof of a God-ordained ministry, but signs and wonders will follow those who believe. The using of gasoline for fuel is not the proof that an object is a car, but a car will use gasoline as fuel.
Let’s look at Matt 24:24-25 again. Jesus warns that in the last days “false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so
as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. “Behold, I have told you in advance.”
He is warning that there will be people who will demonstrate signs and wonders, but the power to do so is not originating from God.
He also says in Matt 7:22-23
“Many will say to Me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
Matthew Henry, in his commentary on this passage says, “Grace will bring a man to heaven without working miracles, but working miracles will never bring a man to heaven without grace.” R.T. France of London Bible College states that “‘Charismatic’ activity is no substitute for obedience and a personal relationship with Jesus.”
Just because someone has a “deliverance” ministry or “healing” ministry doesn’t mean that they have a right relationship with Christ. Just because someone can preach good, or even write deeply theological books does not guarantee a close intimacy with Christ.
Romans 11:29 says that the gifts and calling of God is irrevocable. That means that the gifts will still operate and the minister will stand in the office to which God had called him, but that doesn’t say anything about his moral character.
How many times have we seen ministries where people are getting saved and healed and delivered, and revival breaks out everywhere they set their feet, and then one day you hear that they’ve been caught in adultery, that they’ve embezzled from the church, or done some other heinous crime?
In Mark 9:38 John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.” Johns informs Jesus that there are others out there using His name to deliver people, but not following Him as one of His disciples. Jesus replies that he shouldn’t worry, because those who use His name will not soon be able to speak evil of Him. This, however, does not apply to those who once knew the Truth, followed Christ for a period, received gifts and calling into ministry, and then walked away.
If we receive a ministry and its teaching just because the minister heals the sick and casts out devils then we are in danger. We must never allow signs and wonders to numb our minds and hearts. We must always be on alert. Don’t just believe some weird theology just because the lame walk and the blind see. We must hold fast to the Word. If they are preaching the Word and only the Word thenwe have nothing to fear.
It all comes down to the Word of God. It is the sole foundation of our faith and practice and if anyone teaches something contrary throw it out in the garbage, even if they sound educated, claim they are sent from God, and perform signs and wonders. Many in the New Testament and even Christ Himself warned that false prophets and teachers would arise in their time and in the last days. And this is why Paul admonished in 1 Cor 15:1-2 “Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preachedto you, unless you believed in vain.” He also tells the Galatians in Gal 1:6-8 “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!
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