On Apr 12, 12:22=C2=A0am, "OB...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
" <OB...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On Apr 10, 7:45=EF=BF=BDam, Carl <sai...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> ---------
> You have to prove the Bible is applicable to our times first ! Then at
> least you will have some basis to apply the verses you give to our
> times ! The references you give apply to the people who lived back
> then at the right time !
With so many heretics, false teachers, cultists, etc. (like OBVES for
example teaching false doctrine in an attempt to deceive people into
thinking what they present is Biblical doctrine it is im****tant to be
able to recognize them as well as
their false teachings. John MacArthur's lesson goes to great lengths
to offer instruction to Christians to be able to make such proper and
necessary discernments.
May God bless,
Carl
my website -- http://www.nettally.com/saints/
my blog -- http://www.anniemayhem.com/cgi-bin/wordpress/
---
BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS
by John MacArthur
Introduction
Matthew 7:15-20 is the text we will be studying in this lesson:
"Beware of
false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they
are
ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather
grapes of
thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so, every good tree bringeth forth
good
fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth bad fruit. A good tree cannot
bring
forth bad fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Every
tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into
the
fire. Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them."
A. The Call Pronounced
The climax of the Sermon on the Mount by our Lord presented us with
an
ultimate choice. Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter in at the
narrow
gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to
destruction, and many there be who go in that way; because narrow is
the
gate, and hard is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be
that
find it." The Lord is extending an invitation; He calls for a
decision.
1. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
That is not a unique passage, for the Lord calls for a decision
elsewhere
in Scripture. The compassionate, loving heart of Christ longs for men
to
enter into the right path. He wants men to forsake their sin and self-
will,
and come repentantly to the only source of true righteousness. In
Matthew
4:17 He cried, "... Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." In
other
words, "Turn around and go the other way." In Matthew 11:28 Jesus
recognized
the burdens that men had from their sinfulness and impossible
religious
duties. He said, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden,
and I
will give you rest." In John 7 He said, "... If any man thirst, let
him come
unto Me, and drink" (v. 37). In addition, Jesus said, "I am the bread
of
life ..." (Jn. 6:35), "I am the good shepherd..." (Jn. 10:11), "I am
the
way, the truth, and the life ..." (Jn. 14:6), and "I am the
resurrection
=2E.." (Jn. 11:25). Jesus repeatedly offered an invitation for men to
come to
Him.
2. IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
In the book of Isaiah we find a foreshadowing of the invitation of
Christ: "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the +LORD: though
your
sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red
like
crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient ..."
(1:18-19). God has always wanted to wash away the sins of men, but men
have
to recognize their need for that before they will seek Him. A person's
sins
will never be white as snow or wool until he realizes his sinfulness.
Another invitation appears in Isaiah 55: "Ho, every one that
thirsteth, come
to the waters, and he that hath no money; come, buy and eat; yea,
come, buy
wine and milk without money and without price" (v. 1). In other words,
when
you recognize that you need to have your sins cleansed and that you
have no
resources to meet that need, then "come, buy wine and milk without
money and
without price." You have nothing to offer God; you come to Him
strictly on
the merits of His good and gracious gift in Christ.
The invitation appears in both the Old and New Testaments. The end of
the
Bible even climaxes in a great, final invitation: "And the Spirit and
the
bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that
is
athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life
freely"
(Rev. 22:17). The invitation appears throughout the Bible: Enter the
narrow
gate; be converted; come unto Me; if any man thirst, come without
money and
buy; if your sins are as scarlet they will be white as snow or wool;
the
Spirit and the bride say, "Come." The loving heart of God constantly
beats
in compassion toward men, desiring that they be saved (2 Pet. 3:9). In
Jeremiah, we read that God shed tears because men turned their backs
on Him
(Jer. 3:21). In Matthew 23:37, Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem
because
the people would not come to Him.
The heart of God compassionately calls out to man. But I must add that
the
Lord's compassion has some wrath in it. God is not all love. In fact,
if you
don't listen to God's call and come to Him the way He wants you to,
then you
are on the road to damnation. God's compassion is mingled with
judgment. In
His invitation, the Lord is saying, "Love calls and judgment tarries,
but
the time will come when love is set aside and judgment is imminent."
So, we
are to come to Him on the narrow way.
B. The Choices Presented
Every man and woman stands at the crossroads. On one side is the
narrow
gate and the narrow way that leads to life. On the other side is the
broad
way that leads to damnation. Both ways say they point to heaven, but
one is
right and the other is wrong. The narrow way is the religion of divine
accomplishment, and the broad way is the religion of human
achievement. You
choose one or the other. Remember, it is not easy to get through the
narrow
gate. Matthew 7:14 says, "... few there be that find it." Once you've
found
it, you must agonize to enter into it.
C. The Caution Proclaimed
One reason it is difficult to enter the narrow gate is that while
you
stand at the crossroads before the two gates, there are false prophets
doing
everything they can to push you the wrong way. They obscure the narrow
gate.
Like spiritual traffic cops, they wave people onto the broad road that
leads
to damnation. That's why Jesus follows His invitation in Matthew
7:13-14
with a warning about false prophets: "Beware of false
prophets ..." (v. 15).
They stand at the crossroads, obscuring the narrow way and pu****ng
people
onto the broad way. They do that successfully, too! If you don't think
so,
verse 22 says that "many" will go along the broad way. Verse 13 says,
"...
many there be who go in that way."
The many people that complete the broad way and think they've arrived
in
heaven will say, "... Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name?
And in
Thy name have cast out demons? And in Thy name done many wonderful
works?"
(v. 22). They will say, "We are religious!" But Jesus said, "And then
will I
profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from Me, ye that work
iniquity"
(v. 23).
Many people will go on the wrong road because there are false prophets
pu****ng them that way. In this passage, Jesus says, "As you strive to
enter
that narrow gate, beware of those who try to mislead you."
I am going to outline Jesus' lesson about false prophets with two
points:
Warning and Watching. Let's look first at the ...
I. WARNING
In Matthew 7:15, Jesus said, "Beware of false prophets, who come
to
you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." The
Lord
was very clear; it is obvious He was talking about false prophets.
What does the Bible say about false prophets?
False prophets are frequently spoken of in the Bible. Let's
look at
the ...
1. WARNINGS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
In the Pentateuch, penned by Moses under the inspiration of the
Holy
Spirit, we find God's instruction about false prophets in the earliest
times
of redemptive history. The following appears in Deuteronomy 13: "If
there
arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a
sign or
a wonder, and the sign or the wonder come to pass, whereof he spoke
unto
thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known,
and let
us serve them, thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet,
or
that dreamer of dreams; for the +LORD your God testeth you, to know
whether
ye love the +LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
ye
shall walk after the +LORD your God, and fear Him, and keep His
commandments, and obey His voice, and ye shall serve Him, and cleave
unto
Him. And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to
death,
because he hath spoken to turn you away from the +LORD your God, who
brought
you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you ..." (vv. 1-5). In
other
words, "If you find a false prophet, kill him. They are very deadly."
In Isaiah 30:9-10, we read, "... this is a rebellious people, lying
children, children who will not hear the law of the +LORD: who say to
the
seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right
things;
speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits." Isaiah said that there
will
be some who want to prophesy deceits, and others who want to hear
false
prophets. There is always a demand for false prophets because people
do not
want to hear the truth.
Jeremiah repeatedly warned about false prophets, starting in chapter 5
and
continuing to chapter 23.
There are also ...
2. WARNINGS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
Matthew 24:11 says, "And many false prophets shall rise, and
shall
deceive many." Notice the word "many" in that verse: Many false
prophets
will deceive many people. Multitudes will say, "Lord, Lord" (Mt.
7:22), but
Jesus will say, "I don't know any of you" (v. 23). The people will
say, "But
we have prophesied in your name!" (v. 22). False prophets will come to
the
same end that their followers do. They will claim that their deeds
were done
in the Lord's name, but their claim will not stand.
Matthew 24:24 says, "For there shall arise false Christs [Gk.
psuedochristos], and false prophets, and shall show great signs and
wonders,
insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very
elect."
There will be people who try to present themselves as Christ. They are
phonies and liars.
Romans 16:17-18 says, "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them who
cause
divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned;
and
avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but
their
own body, and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of
the
innocent." Paul told Timothy, "... some shall depart from the faith,
giving
heed to ... doctrines of demons" (1 Tim. 4:1). Peter said, "... there
shall
be false teachers among you, who secretly shall bring in damnable
heresies
=2E.." (2 Pet. 2:1). John said, "... test the spirits whether they are
of God
=2E.." (1 Jn. 4:1).
The Bible warns us repeatedly about false prophets. There have been
and will
be many false prophets as long as we live on this earth. They will be
here
until the Second Coming of Christ.
There are four words I want to use in explaining the warning Jesus
gave in
Matthew 7:15. The first word is ...
A. The Definition
What is a false prophet? Whom are we dealing with in Matthew 7:15?
Let me
give you some background information first:
1. THE PURPOSE OF TRUE PROPHETS
Ever since the fall of man (Gen. 3), every person has been
hopelessly
lost. Everyone has turned his back on God and has fled from Him. No
man
seeks God (Rom. 3:11). Every man runs to hell as fast as he can. So,
God
picked certain people, redeemed them, and used them to draw man's
heart back
to God. Those people were His prophets. In both the Old and New
Testaments,
a prophet was known by two things: He had a divine commission and a
divine
message. He was called by God and he gave God's message.
God selected men for that strategic function. A true prophet was God's
voice. In Exodus 4, Moses argued with the God about his speech
problems. The
Lord said, "Don't worry about what you're going to say. I will put My
words
in your mouth" (vv. 10-12). Prior to that, God had called to Moses
from a
burning bush and commissioned him to become a prophet (Ex. 3:1-10).
The Lord
chose Moses and gave him the content of His message. That consummated
his
role as a prophet. He was God's man; he spoke God's message. Yet as
soon as
God assigned His true prophets to be true shepherds to draw wayward
sheep
back to Himself, Satan brought along counterfeits.
2. THE PROBLEM OF FALSE PROPHETS
a. In the Old Testament
When you study the Old Testament, you continuously see the trouble
that
false prophets caused. They were everywhere in the Old Testament era,
just
as they are today.
1) Jeremiah
We could spend days studying what Jeremiah said about false
prophets. He
talked about them more than anyone else did in the Bible. In Jeremiah
14:14,
he said, "Then the +LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in
My
name. I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spoke
unto
them ...." God said that false prophets were deceiving the people, and
doing
a great job of it. In Jeremiah 5:31, He said, "The prophets prophesy
falsely
=2E.. and My people love to have it so ...." The people accepted what
the
false prophets said, because they tickled the people's ears. That's
the way
it will be in the future: Men will "heap to themselves teachers,
having
itching ears" (2 Tim. 4:3). False prophets give platitudes that people
want
to hear, which are nothing but lies.
In Jeremiah 23:14-16, we read, "I have seen also in the prophets of
Jerusalem an horrible thing; they commit adultery, and walk in lies;
they
strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his
wickedness; they are all of them unto Me like Sodom, and its
inhabitants
like Gomorrah. Therefore, thus saith the +LORD of hosts concerning the
prophets, Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink
the
water of gall; for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone
forth
into all the land. Thus saith the +LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the
words
of the prophets that prophesy unto you. They make you vain; they speak
a
vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the +LORD."
False
prophets make men proud; they appeal to their egos. They are evil,
fleshly,
adulterous, and they strengthen the hands of evildoers. False prophets
are
evil; they say what people want to hear.
Finally, in Jeremiah 23:21, 28, God said, "I have not sent these
prophets,
yet they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.... The
prophet
that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath My word, let
him
speak My word faithfully...." In other words, "I don't want to silence
all
prophets, just the false ones."
2) Zechariah
Zechariah 11:16 gives a vivid picture of a false shepherd: "For, lo, I
will
raise up a shepherd in the land, who shall not visit those that are
cut off
=2E..." Can you imagine a shepherd that doesn't bother to find lost
sheep? The
verse continues, "... neither shall [he] seek the young one, nor heal
that
which is broken, nor feed that which standeth still, but he shall eat
the
flesh of the fat, and tear their claws in pieces." The false shepherd
described here won't help a little stray lamb or injured sheep.
Rather, he
eats the fat of the sheep. What kind of a shepherd is that? The fact
that he
tears "their claws in pieces" means that he will literally rip the
hooves
apart to get every little morsel of meat.
God said, "Woe to the idol shepherd that leaveth the flock! The sword
shall
be upon his arm, and upon his right eye; his arm shall be completely
dried
up, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened" (Zech. 11:17). The
false
shepherd described in Zechariah 11:16-17 is the Antichrist, whom God
will
judge. The Antichrist is the prototype of all false prophets. He cares
nothing for the sheep. He masquerades as if he were Christ, but tears
apart
the flock.
The scribes and Pharisees were classic examples of false shepherds.
They
crucified Jesus because He mercilessly unmasked them. They paraded
themselves as if they were godly, but they were rapacious and self-
serving.
They took advantage of people for personal gain.
b. In the New Testament
False prophets were called many things in the New Testament: "false
brethren" (2 Cor. 11:26), "false apostles" (2 Cor. 11:13), "false
teachers"
(2 Pet. 2:1), false speakers (1 Tim. 4:2), and "false Christs" (Mt.
24:24).
The Greek word for false in those verses is psuedo, which means "sham,
or
phony."
Despite the fact that false prophets are liars, they always have an
audience. Jesus said in John 8:45, "... because I tell you the truth,
ye
believe Me not." The people Jesus spoke to couldn't hear the truth
because
they listened for lies. Why? They were "of [their] father the
devil ... he
is a liar, and the father of it" (Jn. 8:44). In Jeremiah 5:31, God
said,
"The prophets prophesy falsely ... and My people love to have it
so ...."
People heap to themselves teachers that lie (2 Tim. 4:3). False
prophets
will always have an audience. We need to be aware of that.
B. The Danger
1. DECLARED
Matthew 7:15 not only tells us to beware of false prophets; it
tells us
why we are to watch out for them: They are dangerous. We can all be
easy
prey for false prophets. The word "beware" in verse 15 should be
enough to
let us know that they are dangerous. Whenever I see the word beware on
a
sign, I stop. I don't want to run into a gorilla or a huge dog! I want
to be
careful not to get electrocuted. Beware is a strong word; the Greek
word for
it means "hold your mind away from." Don't ever expose your mind to
the
influence of false prophets. Don't pay attention to them; they pervert
the
mind and poison the soul.
a. By Peter
Second Peter 2:2 tells us the result of their work: "... many shall
follow their pernicious ways ...." Many people will take the broad
road
thinking they are religious, but they are following a pied piper who
will
lead them into damnation. Peter calls false prophets "natural brute
beasts"
(v. 12), "spots...and blemishes" (v. 13), and beguilers of unstable
souls
(v. 14). He said that "they allure through the lusts of the
flesh ..." (v.
18).
b. By Jude
Jude calls false prophets "brute beasts" (v. 10). He said that they
"are
spots [or `scabs'] in your love feasts ..." (v. 12), and that they
flatter
people for personal gain (v. 16). They are dangerous and clever.
You would be better off to embrace a cobra or crawl in bed with a
hungry
lion. It would be better for you to drink a bottle of poison than to
come
near a false prophet. Then you would only be affected physically.
False
prophets pervert the mind.
2. DEFINED
Why are false prophets so dangerous? Matthew 7:15 says it's because
"inwardly they are ravening wolves." They don't appear to be wolves,
but
that's what they really are. The fact that false prophets are ravenous
wolves appears in the Old Testament, too, in Ezekiel 22:27-28. Let me
explain about that in greater detail from the book of ...
a. John
The primary enemy of sheep in Palestine was the wolf. Wolves roamed
the
hills there. When one spotted a flock, it would sneak up on it. Then
it
would snatch a sheep and rip it to shreds. Sheep were totally
defenseless
against a wolf. In John 10, when Jesus talked about the
characteristics of
good shepherds, He said that they are always on the alert for wolves.
A
shepherd who cares for his sheep always watches after them.
John 10 talks about three kinds of characters that deal with a flock:
1) The Shepherd
A good shepherd cares for his sheep. He will give his life for them
(v.
11). He will do anything to keep them from a wolf.
2) The Hired Laborer
When a hired laborer sees a wolf, he runs (vv. 12-13). He says,
"This is
only a job; I'm getting out of here!" He doesn't care about the sheep.
When
things get tough, he is gone. He is like a paid church professional
who
enjoys the glamor of his work. He likes collecting his checks. But
when
things get rough, he leaves.
3) The Wolf
The worst enemy of sheep are wolves. Hired laborers just run away,
but
wolves eat the sheep. A good shepherd protects his flock; a hired
laborer
abandons the flock entrusted to him; but the false prophet destroys
sheep.
They are "ravening wolves." The verb form of the Greek word for
"ravening"
in Matthew 7:15 literally means "to snatch or to seize." You can
picture in
your mind a wolf sinking his teeth into a sheep and running off with
it.
That same word is used in reference to a grasping extortioner in Luke
18:11
and 1 Corinthians 5:11. False prophets are ferocious, merciless, and
devouring. They are extremely dangerous. That's what Jesus is saying
in
Matthew 7:15.
False prophets are so dangerous that we are to be wary if we are in
the
presence of one. Even if you associated with one and weren't
influenced by
him, a person with less discernment might think you were condoning him
and
consequently would get hurt.
b. Jude
The book of Jude, which talks about apostasy, says this in verse
21:
"Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy
of our
Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life" (+NASB). In other words, make sure
you
are in the place of receiving God's blessing. Make sure your life is
right
and that you are keeping yourself in a place where God's love is
manifest.
Once you have taken care of yourself, then you can win others to
Christ.
Verses 22-23 talk about that: There are three categories of people
that we
can reach:
1) The Doubters
We are to "have mercy on some, who are doubting" (v. 22;
+NASB).
When you find someone who has doubts, you are to love him and be
merciful to
him. That kind of person will say, "I think I believe in Christ; I
think the
gospel is true, but I'm not sure." Be merciful to him.
2) The Endangered Unbelievers
The second group of people we are to reach out to are endangered
unbelievers: "Save others, snatching them out of the fire ..." (v. 23;
+NASB). Such people are not believers; they are on their way to hell
and you
have to grab them. They are indifferent outsiders.
3) The Cult Members
The third category of people are those who are involved in false
religions. When you reach out to them, you are to "have mercy with
fear,
hating even the garment polluted by the flesh" (v. 23; +NASB). When
you try
to win a person who is under the influence of a false prophet, you
have to
go after him in the fear of God, or you might be influenced by that
false
prophet. Jude is saying that trying to win a person under a false
prophet's
influence is dangerous because you can be defiled by them. They are
vile,
dangerous, brute beasts. They are like lepers--you don't want to be
near
them.
Don't think that false prophets are good, well-meaning, misguided
people.
Basically, they are devouring wolves that endeavor to shove people
onto the
broad road to hell. Some of them may be deceiving themselves, but many
of
them know what they are doing.
We have seen the definition and danger of false prophets; let's look
now
at...
C. The Deception
False prophets are dangerous because you don't see what they really
are.
Matthew 7:15 says that they "come to you in sheep's clothing, but
inwardly
they are ravening wolves."
1. THE CLOTHES OF FALSE PROPHETS
a. Imitate a True Prophet's Clothing
In the Old Testament, and in the case of John the Baptist in the
New
Testament, a prophet was known by what he wore. Elijah, for example,
wore a
rough, hairy, burlap garment (2 Kgs. 1:8). That was a statement to
society
that he was foregoing creature comforts for the Lord's cause. John the
Baptist lived in the wilderness, ate locusts and wild honey, and wore
a
rough camel hair coat. Camel hair products today are not the same as
what
they used to be. John the Baptist's garment was very uncomfortable. He
wore
the clothes of a prophet. God's prophets had no worldly goods and did
not
wear worldly clothes. They wore rough garments and looked as if they
had
come from the wilderness, where they communed with God.
Whenever someone wanted to pretend to be a prophet, he put on a
prophet's
clothing. He would wear a rough, burlap garment. Zechariah 13:4 even
says
that a false prophet will "wear a rough garment to deceive."
b. Imitate a True Shepherd's Clothing
When Jesus said that a false prophet wore sheep's clothing, He
wasn't
talking about a person crawling on his hands and feet wearing a
sheepskin
and sheep's head. Most shepherds wore cloaks made from sheep's wool.
The
mark of a shepherd was his wool cloak. They needed a warm cloak
because in
Israel, the evenings are cold, much like they are in California. So
when
Jesus spoke of false prophets in sheep's clothing, He was talking
about
people dressed like shepherds. "Sheep's clothing" is another term for
wool.
Just as a false prophet would wear the clothes of a prophet, a false
shepherd wears the clothes of a shepherd. Jesus wasn't talking about a
sheep's disguise; He was talking about a shepherd's disguise. A false
shepherd looks like a shepherd, but he is really a wolf.
2. THE CATEGORIES OF FALSE PROPHETS
There are three kinds of false prophets in the Bible. The first two
kinds
fall into the category of ...
a. The Obvious
1) The Heretic
A heretic says, "I don't believe the Bible is true." Sometimes a
heretic
will say that he believes the Bible, but he teaches heretical doctrine
by
misusing the Bible. That kind of false prophet is openly heretical.
2) The Apostate
Apostates deny Christianity and depart from it.
Heretics and apostates aren't hard to spot. It's easy to detect false
doctrine. All you have to do is compare it with the Bible. It's easy
to
identify apostates--they deny the Bible.
Heretics and apostates are talked about in Matthew 7:6: "Give not
that
which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before
swine ...."
It's easy to detect the hogs and dogs; they are in the mire and vomit
(2
Pet. 2:22). Heretics and apostates are made obvious.
The third kind of false prophets are ...
b. The Obscure
These are the ones you have to watch out for. I call them the
deceivers.
Jesus referred to them in Matthew 7:15. Deceivers wear the cloak of a
shepherd. They talk about Jesus, the cross, God, the Scriptures, the
church,
and the Holy Spirit. They mingle with true Christians and appear to be
evangelical. They are on the radio and television, they speak from
pulpits,
and write books. They look like Christians. They are not as obvious as
heretics. Titus 3:10 says that we are to rebuke heretics. Apostates
are
obvious because they have denied the faith. But deceivers are subtle.
The Lord is not warning us about heretics or apostates in Matthew
7:15. He
is warning us about people who sound like Christians and appear to
teach the
gospel. We shouldn't be surprised that there will be people like that.
Second Corinthians 11:14 says, "... Satan himself is transformed into
an
angel of light." He is hidden among us. Verse 15 tells us, "Therefore,
it is
no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers
of
righteousness ...." They are subtle deceivers in our midst. Jude 4
says,
"... there are certain men crept in unawares ...." I don't know if you
are
finding them, but they are everywhere.
3. THE CHARACTERISTICS OF FALSE PROPHETS
Sometimes when I point out a false prophet with the help of the
Word and
Spirit of God, other Christians get upset. They say, "That person is a
deceiver? Impossible!" But all the criteria needs to be examined. Let
me
tell you what they look like:
a. Their Words
False prophets are pleasant. They mingle with Christians and
talk like
Christians. However, it's not what false prophets say that gives them
away;
it's what they don't say. They talk about Jesus, the cross, and
heaven, but
never talk about sin, hell, mourning, meekness, and humility. They
only talk
about how to be happy.
b. Their Ways
False prophets appear to live right. You say, "If someone is a
false
prophet, his life wouldn't be clean." Some of them live superficially
clean
lives, but deep inside they are rotten. I agree with what commentator
John
A. Broadus said, "When some false teachers of ruinous heresy are men
of
scrupulous conduct and pleasing general character and even appear
devout,
this may be morally ascribed to their early religious
habits" (Commentary on
the Gospel of Matthew [Philadelphia: American Baptist Pub. Society,
1881]).
False prophets appear to walk the Christian walk. They may appear to
be
fine, but are vile on the inside. They suppress their depravity for
the sake
of their reputation. Sometimes when such a person's sin is revealed,
the
people in his church just say, "We are supposed to be forgiving," and
the
false prophet continues in his sinfulness.
False prophets are deceptive. Beware: Deceivers are all around us.
They are
not as obvious as heretics and apostates; they look like Christians.
The fourth point in our outline is ...
D. The Damnation
1. THE CONVERSATION DETAILED
False prophets will have an end. According to Matthew 7:22, they
will say
to Jesus at the time of judgment, "... Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in
Your name? ...." In other words, they will say, "We were Your
preachers."
Prophets of Revelation and Prophets of Proclamation
The false prophets mentioned in Matthew 7 were not the kind of
prophets that
received revelation from God. There were Old and New Testament
prophets that
God spoke through directly, but not all prophets received direct
revelation.
The word prophesy means "to speak before." That's why the gift of
prophecy
still exists: It is not just a revelatory gift, it is nonrevelatory
also. A
prophet is one who proclaims God's Word. I have the gift of prophecy,
because I proclaim the Word of God.
The false prophets in Matthew 7:22 will claim to have prophesied in
Christ's name. Some of them might say they received revelations from
God,
but basically they will claim to have declared Christ's name. The Lord
will
say to them, "... I never knew you; depart from Me, ye that work
iniquity"
(v. 23). Christ will send false prophets into everlasting damnation.
2. THE CONDEMNATION DETAILED
a. They Will Not Be Alone
The great tragedy is that the false prophets won't go to hell
alone; for
"many there be who go in that way" (Mt. 7:13). Second Peter 2:2 says
that
"many shall follow their pernicious ways ...." A great number of
people will
be deceived, and their end will be eternal destruction. Second Peter
2:1
says, "... there were false prophets also among the people, even as
there
shall be false teachers among you, who secretly shall bring in
destructive
heresies, even denying the Lord that brought them, and bring upon
themselves
swift destruction." They are not alone; many will follow them to the
same
fate.
b. They Will Not Be Spared
Second Peter 2:4-6 says, "... God spared not the angels that
sinned, but
cast them down to hell ... and spared not the old world, but saved
Noah ...
and [turned] the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes ...." If God
did
all that, then He will not spare false prophets. Verse 9 says that He
will
"reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished." False
prophets
will "utterly perish in their own corruption" (v. 12). They are cursed
children (v. 14), for "whom the mist of darkness is reserved
forever" (v.
17). In Revelation 19:20, we read that the false prophet of the
Antichrist
and the Antichrist himself will be thrown into the lake of fire, which
will
burn forever.
Christ has warned us. The first word in Matthew 7:15 is "beware." We
have
examined the definition, the danger, the deception, and the damnation
of
false prophets. Be on the lookout: They are very dangerous because
they are
deceptive--and their deception leads to damnation.
In our next lesson, we will learn more about how to recognize them. It
is
im****tant for us to be able to separate the true from the false. Too
many
Christians today are vague about doctrine and gullible to anyone who
talks
about Jesus. There are many false prophets around us. We need to
understand
how to determine who is of God and who is not.
Matthew 7:15-20, the text that we are examining, says, "Beware of
false
prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are
ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather
grapes of
thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so, every good tree bringeth forth
good
fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth bad fruit. A good tree cannot
bring
forth bad fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Every
tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into
the
fire. Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them." The emphasis of
that
text is in the first few words: "Beware of false prophets ...."
A. The Tragic Commentary of a False Prophet
In our lifetime, an incredible tragedy occurred. It has simply
become
known as Jonestown. If anyone needs an illustration of a false
prophet, Jim
Jones is the person to look at. In him, we see the character,
teaching,
life-style, and approach of a false prophet. Unfortunately, not all
false
prophets are so obvious. That's why Hebrews 5:14 talks about the need
for us
to have our "senses exercised to discern both good and evil." False
prophets
aren't always patently obvious like Jim Jones, nor do they all work
the same
way. Jim Jones reached out to down-and-out people; other false
prophets
reach out to well-to-do and middle class people.
The greatest tragedy of Jonestown is not that nearly a thousand people
died.
Everyone dies anyway. The tragedy is that they died and went to hell
thinking they were serving God and on their way to heaven. It's sad
that
they had untimely deaths, but even more so that they are in timeless
eternity. Jim Jones fooled people into thinking that he represented
God and
Christ. His followers thought they were serving the Kingdom of God,
but they
are in hell now. Satan is a liar and deceiver, as are his emissaries,
who
masquerade as angels of light (2 Cor. 11:14-15). Jim Jones isn't the
only
false prophet there is. Jesus said, "For there shall arise false
Christs,
and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch
that,
if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Mt. 24:24).
Jude
wrote, "... there are certain men crept in unawares ... turning the
grace of
our God into lasciviousness ..." (v. 4). False prophets will always be
around. Jim Jones was just one of them.
Not all false prophets are like Jim Jones in their modus operandi. He
reached out to poor people; other false prophets go for rich people.
Jim
Jones practiced blatant, flagrant authoritarianism; some false
prophets are
more subtle. He was outwardly vile; others appear almost virtuous.
False
prophets come in all kinds of packages. However, their hearts are
always the
same: They have the heart of the devil.
B. The Three Categories of False Prophets
There are three kinds of false prophets. The first two kinds
are ...
1. THE OBVIOUS
First, there are heretics. They openly defy the truth. Paul said
that
they should be admonished and then put away (Tit. 3:10). Heretics pit
themselves against the Bible. They are flagrant and don't fool anyone.
Second, there are apostates. They know the truth, but turn their backs
on
it. They too are flagrantly against the truth.
The third kind of false prophets fit into the category of ...
2. THE OBSCURE
These false prophets are what I call the deceivers. They never openly
admit
that they are against the truth. They will not accept the fact that
they are
heretics or apostates. Deceivers are wolves wearing a shepherd's
garments.
As Jude 4 says, they creep among us when we're not aware. Some of them
may
be found out in the end, like Jim Jones. They stand at the crossroads
where
people make a choice between the narrow gate that leads to life and
the
broad gate that leads to destruction. While the Spirit of God calls
men to
the narrow gate, false prophets shove them onto the broad way that
leads to
hell. The deceivers vary in how sophisticated they are, and have
different
levels of education. They wear all kinds of clothes and ecclesiastical
trappings, but they are all the same.
When our Lord said, "Beware of false prophets ...," He had in mind the
Pharisees and scribes. He saw them as false prophets. They acted
religious,
and tried to keep every minute aspect of the law. The scruples they
maintained for their religion were beyond imagination. They assumed
that
their religiosity would put them in the highest level of the Kingdom
of God.
Yet Jesus called them false prophets. Vance Havner said, "You can dot
all
your i's and cross all your t's and not spell the word right." In a
sense,
the Pharisees and scribes kept all the jots and tittles of the law,
but
didn't spell Jesus. They were acting religious, yet they damned their
followers to hell.
So, Jesus is saying, "In your effort to enter the narrow gate that
leads to
life, beware of the emissaries of Satan. They will try to deceive
you."
False prophets aren't at the crossroads saying, "Hey, everybody, let's
go to
hell"! They are saying, "This is the way to heaven."
There are two words in our outline for Matthew 7:15-20. The first one,
which
we looked at in the last chapter, is ...
I. WARNING (see pp. xx-xx)
Men and women all over the world are standing at the crossroads before
the
narrow gate and the wide gate. False prophets stand there trying to
deceive
them. We have to preach the truth; we must warn people about false
prophets.
To find out more about them in the last lesson, we looked at ...
A. The Definition (see pp. xx-xx)
The Greek word for "prophets" is proph^et^es, which means "those who
speak
forth or speak before." False prophets are found in the Old Testament.
True
prophets were known by two things: They had a divine commission and a
divine
message. They spoke for God, and spoke from Him. False prophets didn't
have
a divine commission or a divine message. They stood on their own
authority
and spoke their own false messages. False prophets were addressed by
the
Greek words pseudoproph^et^es (false prophets; Mt. 24:11),
pseudochristos
(false Christs; Mt. 24:24), and pseudoadelphos (false brethren; 2 Cor.
11:26). The Greek prefix pseudo means "false."
Next, we looked at ...
B. The Danger (see pp. xx-xx)
Verse 15 starts with the word beware, which in this context means "to
hold
your mind back from." In other words, don't expose yourself to false
prophets. Jude 23 says that if you try to reach out to people under
the
influence of a false prophet, do it with fear, because that false
prophet
could subtly influence you.
1. DECLARED (see pp. xx-xx)
2. DEFINED (see pp. xx-xx)
3. DEPICTED
Second John 7 illustrates the danger of false prophets: "For many
deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus
Christ
cometh in the flesh [i.e., they do not hold a biblical view of who He
is and
what He did]...." What are you to do if you meet such a person?
Recognize
that "this is a deceiver and an antichrist" (v. 7). Verse 8 continues,
"Look
to yourselves [examine yourselves], that we lose not those things
which we
have wrought, but that we receive a full reward." In other words, if
you are
deceived by a false prophet, you won't lose your salvation, but you
will
forfeit the reward you've already earned by your service to Christ.
Verse 10
says, "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine [the
doctrine
of Christ; v. 9], receive him not into your house, neither bid him
Godspeed." Don't expose yourself to false prophets, and don't wish
them
well. They are so wretched and deceitful that you shouldn't even
welcome
them. You can deal with a heretic or an apostate, but you can't deal
with a
deceiver without getting stained by his filthiness.
4. DESTROYED
What is your protection against that danger? Second Timothy 3 talks
about
that:
a. By Comparison
Concerning false prophets, verse 8 says, "Now as Jannes and Jambres
withstood Moses [they were false prophets in Moses' time], so do these
also
resist the truth, men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the
faith."
What are we to do about those evil men? We must recognize that they
will be
judged (v. 9). They don't believe what we believe. Then Paul says to
Timothy, "... thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life,
purpose,
faith, long-suffering, love, [and] patience" (v. 10). Paul was saying,
"You
know that I am different from false prophets. You know how to
distinguish
between them and those who are right." Paul then said, "... evil men
and
seducers shall become worse and worse, deceiving, and being
deceived" (v.
13). Some false prophets are deceived themselves. Someone once asked
me, "Do
you think false prophets really know they are false prophets?" Some do
and
some don't. They continue in satanic delusion, and draw others into
it.
b. By Consecration
In 2 Timothy 3:14-17, Paul says more about how to protect yourself
against false prophets. You must hold your mind back from them.
However,
your mind cannot be in a vacuum. You've got to put something in it:
"...
continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been
assured
of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them" (v. 14). Remember godly
people
and what you've learned from them. Paul says to Timothy in verse 15,
"...
from [when you were] a child thou hast known the holy scriptures,
which are
able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ
Jesus." Verses 16-17 continue, "All scripture is given by inspiration
of God
=2E.. that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all
good
works." Give yourself to studying Scripture. Hold your mind back from
false
prophets, and fill it with the Word of God. Have your mind on God
(Isa.
26:3). Peter said, "... gird up the loins of your mind ..." (1 Pet.
1:13).
Keep your mind on God and the Scriptures, because if you don't, a wolf
in
shepherd's clothing will tear you apart in a ferocious, devouring
manner.
Third, we looked at ...
C. The Deception (see pp. xx-xx)
False prophets wear sheep's clothing (the wool garment that a shepherd
wears). You may think you can spot them, but you're going to have to
look
very carefully. They aren't outwardly manifest. Many Christians are
fooled
by false prophets, but don't know it. Many Christian leaders work with
them
for common causes. False prophets are deceitful.
The last thing we examined was ...
D. The Damnation (see pp. xx-xx)
Jude 13 says that false prophets will be condemned to "the
blackness of
darkness forever." The Lord will say to them and their followers, "...
I
never knew you; depart from Me, ye that work iniquity" (Mt. 7:23).
So, we've looked at the warning. The second word in our outline is ...
II. WATCHING
Let me say something that is im****tant in this day of compromise: Many
false
prophets today are claiming to be Christians, and many true believers
are
linking arms with them. Since we have been warned, what do we watch
for? How
do we recognize false prophets? What are their characteristics?
A. The Measure of False Prophets
1. THE PASSAGES
God didn't just instruct us to beware of false prophets; He helps
us
recognize them. Because of how dangerous they are, He helps us
understand
what to look for. Matthew 7:16 says, "Ye shall know them by their
fruits...." That is not a command; it is an assurance. Verse 20 says,
"Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them."
2. THE PRECAUTION
There is an old proverb that says, "Like root, like fruit." The
Jews,
Greeks, and Romans all said that a tree is judged by its fruit. If you
want
to know whether a prophet is true or false, look at what he produces.
Be
careful: just because a person is associated with Christians doesn't
mean
that he can't be a false prophet. Christians are deceived by false
prophets.
Matthew 7:16 identifies them as grapes stuck on thorns and figs stuck
on
thistles. Grapes don't grow on thorns and figs don't grow on thistles,
but
you can stick them on. Only close examination will reveal that a thorn
didn't produce a grape and a thistle didn't produce a fig. There are
Christians who unwittingly attach themselves to a false teacher who
appears
to be a Christian.
3. THE PRINCIPLE
A simple principle is presented to us in verses 17 and 18: Good
trees
make good fruit, and bad trees make bad fruit. That is simple. A bad
tree
will have bad fruit and bad sap. That doesn't mean the tree and its
fruit
will look wretched and shriveled. Both a good tree and bad tree look
alike.
It's not until you taste the fruit that you are going to be able to
distinguish between them. It's easy to be deceived. That's why when
God
evaluates men, he looks at their hearts, not their outward appearance
(1
Sam. 16:7).
So, when you look at a false prophet, you might see real fruit
attached to
him, but it's only stuck on a thorn or a thistle. The fruit that he
really
produces is going to be bad--no matter what it looks like on the
outside.
B. The Makeup of False Prophets
What are you looking for when you examine a person's fruit? There
are
four things to look for in false prophets. First, you look at ...
1. THEIR CHARACTER
When you examine the life of a person that might be a false prophet,
ask
yourself these questions: What kind of character does he have? What is
his
personality like? What are his attitudes and actions like? Look at his
motives, thoughts, and perspective toward life. Examine his life-
style:
watch how he thinks and acts. Character is the first element that
manifests
fruit. The Bible confirms that. Let's look first at the fruit of ...
a. Actions
1) Of True Believers
a) Their Occurrence
In Luke 3:8, John the Baptist said this to a group of scribes and
Pharisees: "Bring forth, therefore, fruits worthy of repentance ...."
He was
saying, "You say that you have repented and committed yourselves to
God.
Let's see the fruit." Starting with verse 10, we read, "And the people
asked
him, saying, What shall we do, then? He answereth, and saith unto
them, He
that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that
hath
food, let him do the same. Then came also tax collectors to be
baptized, and
said unto him, Teacher, what shall we do? And he said unto them, Exact
no
more than that which is appointed you" (vv. 10-13). John the Baptist
was
telling those people that the fruit of repentance included giving to
someone
in need and not taking more than you deserve. Fruit is an action; it
is a
life-style. Some people have thought that the fruit in that passage is
manifest in doctrine, but it is really manifest in action.
Another example of fruit manifest through action appears in John 15:8.
Jesus
said, "In this is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit ...."
How do
we bear fruit? By keeping God's commandments (v. 10). Fruit is
obedience; it
is action in response to God's commands.
b) Their Origin
Fruit is not only your actions, but also the attitudes behind your
actions. Galatians 5:22-23 says that "the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy,
peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and]
self-control ...." Ephesians 5:9-12 talks about the fruit of light. It
is
the light of God in your heart that produces certain kinds of
attitudes.
Philippians 1:11 refers to our actions and attitudes as "the fruits of
righteousness ...." Colossians 1:10 talks about "being fruitful in
every
good work ...." Fruit includes both actions and attitudes.
So, the first test of a false prophet is his character. Watch his
actions.
True righteousness can't come from a rotten tree. Check a person's
life-style, because whatever is in his heart is going to come out (Lk.
6:45).
2) Of False Prophets
a) The Internal Reality
Speaking of false prophets, Peter said, "... Spots they are and
blemishes, reveling with their own deceivings while they feast with
you;
having eyes full of adultery ..." (2 Peter 2:13-14). They go after
their
lusts all the time. Peter also called them covetous, cursed children
(v.
14). They hunger for money. They are lascivious, brute beasts.
b) The External Image
False prophets won't always look like that outwardly. They can
cover
themselves with ecclesiastical robes and a supposedly Christian life-
style.
They make themselves look good by belonging to Christian
organizations;
working with Christian leaders; and talking about the Bible, Jesus,
and
salvation. False prophets hide the truth about their moral lives. A
man may
appear to be living out the gospel when in reality he isn't. Sometimes
you
can't detect a false prophet by his actions. The Pharisees looked
good,
didn't they? They didn't openly murder and commit adultery. They
fasted,
prayed, and tithed. They appeared to live good lives. But if you
examine
false prophets carefully, you'll find many skeletons in their moral
closets.
There will be wretchedness, greed, or immoral women in their lives.
If you can't find wrong actions in the lives of false prophets, then
examine
their ...
b. Attitudes
Often, false prophets can suppress their vileness. Their evil may
not be
obvious by their actions. That's when you need to take note of the way
they
think and their attitudes.
1) The Contrast
Second Peter contrasts the attitudes of true believers with false
prophets. Chapter 1 verse 4 says that true believers are "partakers of
the
divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world
through
lust." A true believer has received the very nature of God, and
escaped
corruption. In other words, he is not rotting internally. However, 2
Peter
2:19 says this of false prophets: "While they promise them liberty,
they
themselves are the servants of corruption ...." They have not escaped
corruption. However, verse 20 says, "... they have escaped the
pollutions of
the world ...." Peter is differentiating between internal corruption
and
external pollution. He is saying that false prophets have never
changed on
the inside, but they have externally washed off the ashes of the
world.
There are many false prophets that deal with the pollution on the
outside.
They look good tem****arily; their actions appear right. You can't find
any
moral skeletons in their closets. When that happens, you need to go
beyond
their external actions to their corrupt, internal attitudes. Try to
find out
the motives for what they do.
2) The Criterion
It is im****tant for you to check out suspect prophets not only for
your
sake, but for the sake of the people who are trapped in their evil
systems.
If a person's motives do not include a desire to glorify God, magnify
Christ, live holy, overcome sin, be humble, and be selfless, then all
of his
goodness is "as filthy rags [menstrual cloths] ..." (Isa. 64:6). If a
person
appears washed on the outside, check what he is like on the inside.
Jesus
said to the Pharisees and scribes, "... ye are like whited sepulchers,
which
indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's
bones,
and of all uncleanness" (Mt. 23:27). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus
tried
to communicate that it is what's inside you that counts. The Pharisees
had
managed to get the pollution off on the outside, but they still needed
to
deal with what was inside of them.
a) The Traits to Analyze
When you examine a false prophet, check for the presence of a
Beatitude
attitude. That's the evidence of internal transformation. Is he poor
in
spirit and meek (Mt. 5:3, 5)? Does he mourn over his sin (Mt. 5:4)?
Does he
hunger and thirst for righteousness, and long for mercy (Mt. 5:6-7)?
Is he a
peacemaker, and willing to be persecuted for the sake of Christ (Mt.
9-10)?
No! False prophets are absorbed with pride, power, prestige, and
promotion.
They want to be famous and loved, not persecuted. Second Peter 2:3
says they
are involved in religion for money: "... through covetousness shall
they,
with feigned words, make merchandise of you ...." Second Corinthians
2:17
says that false prophets are hucksters of the Word. They are not
sincere.
Such people sell Jesus like He's cheap glass and not a diamond!
They're
involved with religion for prestige. Second Peter 2 says, "...
Presumptuous
are they; self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of
dignities....
they speak great swelling words of vanity ..." (vv. 10, 18).
False prophets are self-centered, proud, jealous of others, and
impure. You
won't find a shred of humility in them. They don't mourn over their
sin or
stand meek before God. They don't have the same fear before God that
Paul
had.
Commentator Martin Lloyd-Jones said, "A Christian can generally be
known
by his very appearance. The man who really believes in the holiness of
God,
and who knows his own sinfulness and the blackness of his own heart,
the man
who believes in the judgment of God and the possibility of hell and
torment,
the man who really believes that he himself is so vile and helpless
that
nothing but the coming of the Son of God from heaven to earth, and His
going
to the bitter shame and agony and cruelty of the cross could ever save
him,
and reconcile him to God--this man is going to show all that in his
whole
personality. He is a man who is bound to give the impression of
meekness. He
is bound to be humble. Our Lord reminds us here that if a man is not
humble,
we are to be very wary of him. He can put on a kind of sheep's
clothing, but
that is not true humility, that is not true meekness. And if a man's
doctrine is wrong, it will generally show itself at this point. He
will be
affable and pleasant, he will appeal to the natural man, and to the
things
that are physical and carnal; but he will not give the impression of
being a
man who has seen himself as a hell-bound sinner, and who has been
saved by
the grace of God alone" (Studies in the Sermon on the Mount [Grand
Rapids:
Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1977] pp. 258-259).
b) The Test to Apply
False prophets attract both unbelievers and believers. They appeal
to the
natural man and look good. Scrutinize their lives carefully. If you
can't
distinguish them by their actions, look for humility. Jesus said, "He
that
speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory ..." (Jn. 7:18). He also
said,
"... I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father who hath
sent Me"
(Jn. 5:30). If Jesus applied that standard to Himself, we can use that
test
against any man. John Calvin said, "Nothing is more difficult than to
counterfeit virtue." You'll find the truth if you look.
The second fruit of false prophets to examine is ...
2. THEIR CREED
This refers to the teaching of a person. A false prophet's teaching
will be
wrong. He will also subtly leave certain things out of what he
teaches. What
he says might sound good because it's what he doesn't say that's
really
im****tant. Matthew 12 says, "Either make the tree good, and its fruit
good,
or else make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is
known
by its fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak
good
things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh....
For by
thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be
condemned"
(vv. 33-34, 37).
a. Discerned
Listen carefully to what a person is really saying. Does he
speak from
the Bible? Does he give the whole counsel of God from beginning to
end? Can
he say with Paul, "Wherefore, I testify unto you this day, that I am
pure
from the blood of all men; for I have not shunned to declare unto you
all
the counsel of God" (Ac. 20:26-27)? Isaiah 8:20 says, "To the law and
to the
testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because
there is
no light in them." You show me a man who does not teach from God's
Word, and
I'll show you a false prophet. Sometimes false prophets talk about the
Bible, but not from it. They can't expose their lives to the light of
the
Word.
If a man doesn't teach what Scripture teaches, he is a false prophet.
Compare what a person teaches to the Bible, and watch out for what he
doesn't say.
b. Described
You can always detect false prophets because they have a twisted
view of
Christ's person and work. What was Christ's work? Salvation. When you
deal
with a false prophet, look at what he teaches about salvation, because
that's the issue every false prophet always mixes up.
1) Their Doctrinal Error
The Lord said that it's not easy to become saved. He said that you
must
go through "the narrow gate" (Mt. 7:13). At the end of verse 14, He
said,
"... few there be that find it." You must agonize to enter the gate--
it is a
hard way. However, a false prophet doesn't teach that. His doctrine of
salvation says that the way to heaven is broad and that everyone can
come.
He says, "All you have to do is believe in Jesus." He talks about
Christ's
death and resurrection, and sounds like he is preaching the gospel.
But he
says that everyone can enter heaven easily.
Commentator Arthur Pink said, "False prophets ... are to be found in
the
circles of the most orthodox and pretend to have a fervent love for
souls,
yet they fatally delude multitudes concerning the way of salvation....
the
pulpit, platform, pamphlet hucksters [I'm sure he would have added
radio and
television if he were alive today] have so wantonly lowered the
standard of
divine holiness and so adulterated the Gospel in order to make it
palatable
to the carnal mind" (An Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount [Grand
Rapids:
Baker Book House, 1953]).
False prophets have a cheap doctrine of salvation. They say that a
person
can become saved by signing a card, walking an aisle, raising his
hand, or
loving Jesus. They say it doesn't matter what your life is like.
2) Their Deceitful Evangelism
False prophets do not teach that there is a narrow gate. The
deception is
in what they don't say. They don't want to offend anyone. Their
message is
comforting and happy. They are praised by liberals and sometimes even
by
evangelicals. False prophets may present Christ as "the way, the
truth, and
the life ..." (Jn. 14:6), but they won't say anything about the narrow
gate.
They teach easy salvation: All a person needs to do is come down an
aisle
and get baptized. Their message emphasizes health, happiness, and
positive
thinking. They are compromisers.
False prophets say everything is fine when that's not true. They don't
talk
about repentance, judgment, brokenness, a contrite heart, or deep
sorrow
over sin. Their words are comforting, positive, and lovey-dovey.
That's why
people flock to them: They like happy Holy Spirit healers, positive
thinkers, and cheap grace preachers. Those men say, "Peace, peace,"
when
there is no peace (Jer. 6:14).
a) Discussed by Martin Lloyd-Jones
Martin Lloyd-Jones was right when he said that false prophets are
characterized by an almost entire absence of doctrine. They don't want
to
talk about doctrine or theology. Everything they say is vague and
ethereal.
False prophets don't speak about holiness, obedience, righteousness,
justice, and judgment. They focus on happiness, health, positive
thinking,
and easy believism. They please men to hell; there is never a call for
repentance. Martin Lloyd-Jones said that is unlike the evangelism of
John
Wesley, George Whitefield, and the Puritans. He said, "John Bunyan
tells us
in his Grace Abounding that he endured an agony of repentance for
eighteen
months. There does not seem to be much room for that today. Repentance
means
that you realize that you are a guilty, vile sinner in the presence of
God,
that you are hell-bound. It means that you begin to realize that this
thing
called sin is in you, that you long to get rid of it, and that you
turn your
back on it in every shape and form. You renounce the world whatever
the
cost, the world in its mind and outlook as well as its practice, and
you
deny yourself, and take up the cross and go after Christ. Your nearest
and
dearest, and the whole world, may call you a fool, or say you have
religious
mania. You may have to suffer financially, but it makes no difference.
That
is repentance" (Studies in the Sermon on the Mount [Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans
Pub. Co. , 1977]).
False prophets don't preach like that. They are vague about
everything. We
had better listen to the true prophets and not the false!
b) Discussed by Arthur Pink
Arthur Pink said, "Certain it is, my reader, that any preacher who
rejects God's Law, who denies repentance to be a condition of
salvation, who
assures the giddy and godless that they are loved by God, who declares
that
saving faith is nothing more than an act of the will which every
person has
the power to perform, is a false prophet, and should be shunned as a
deadly
plague" (An Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount [Grand Rapids: Baker
Book
House, 1953]).
How can you detect false prophets? By their fruits. Look at their
character and creed. You can also tell by ...
3. THEIR CONVERTS
When you want to learn more about a leader, look at the lives of
his
followers. Peter said, "... many shall follow their pernicious
ways ..." (2
Pet. 2:2). Part of a leader's fruit is his converts. Paul called
converts
"fruit" in Romans 1:13. Look at the people following a leader and
accepting
his influence. Do you see humility in their lives? Are they striving
after
holiness and hungering and thirsting for righteousness? Or, are they
just on
the Jesus bandwagon? Do you see real virtue and godliness in them?
The fourth way you can identify false prophets is by ...
4. THEIR CONSUMMATION
Matthew 7:19 says, "Every tree that bringeth not forth good
fruit is
hewn down, and cast into the fire." Ultimately, you can tell a
false
prophet by his condemnation.
Why has God allowed false prophets to exist?
God has ordained that false prophets exist. I used to wonder why He
would do
that, until I learned the answer from Scripture. First Corinthians
11:19
begins, "For there must be also heresies among you ...." You say, "Why
does
the Lord allow heresies? Why does the Lord allow false prophets to
trouble
us? The end of 1 Corinthians 11:19 gives the answer: "... [in order]
that
they who are approved may be made manifest among you." In other words,
heresy is a magnet that draws false disciples and leaves manifest true
ones.
It's like a wind that blows the chaff away. Error separates the chaff
and
the wheat. With the existence of both true and false prophets, God
reveals
whom is genuine. It's true that some true believers associate with
false
prophets, and that there are unbelievers sown among believers (Mt.
13:25).
But generally speaking, false prophets are ordained by God to draw
ungodly
people to themselves. They damn those who follow them. That's a part
of
God's judgment.
Second Thessalonians 2:11-12 says, "... for this cause God shall send
them
strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all might
be
judged who believed not the truth ...." God allows delusion because it
attracts those who reject Christ-- it separates them from the wheat.
False
prophets are ordained for judgment.
Conclusion
A. The Peril
1. THE WAYS OF FALSE PROPHETS
We've seen the warning, beloved. Watch out for false prophets. Many
of
them will look like true believers. They will be pleasant, sincere
people
who talk about Jesus, the Bible, and salvation. They will be
inoffensive,
accommodating to other people's viewpoints, rarely criticized by
others, and
praised by many. Large crowds will listen to them and think they are
great.
It is those people that the false prophets shove onto the broad way
that
leads to destruction.
2. THE WORDS OF FALSE PROPHETS
Listen carefully, because false prophets don't talk about a narrow
way.
They talk about God's love, not His wrath. They talk about people
being
deprived, not depraved. Their message is about God as the loving,
understanding Father of everyone. Nothing is said about a holy God
whose
only children are those of faith in Christ. Their message has gaps;
they
leave out the truth that saves.
B. The Protection
I want to conclude with Paul's warning to the Ephesian elders in
the book
of Acts: "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous
wolves
enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves
shall men
arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Therefore, watch, and remember, that for the space of three years I
ceased
not to warn everyone night and day with tears" (20:29-31). The words
watch
and warn appear there. Paul told them, "I've warned you; watch out for
those
wolves! They will be in your midst." Then Paul said in verse 32, "And
now,
brethren, I commend you ... to the word of His grace ...." God's Word
is our
protection.
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