False, Fake, Fibbing Preachers

In order to recognize these FALSE, FAKE, FIBBING preachers I want to preach about the gift of DISCERNMENT.

The gift of Discernment is one of the nine gifts that that we find in the Bible.

Look at I Cor. 12:7-10 We read, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.”

Question? Are all nine of the gifts of the Spirit still in operation today?

No!

Why Not?

Remember, the christians in the early church did not have a Bible as we have today.

God communicated with his church in four ways…

• The prophets,

• The apostle,

• Divers kinds of Tongues (languages)

• Interpretation of tongues to God’s people.

Today we have a Bible that is complete and there is no need for these gifts of communication.

Today God communicates to His people through the Word of God. And Paul instructed every preacher to “PREACH THE WORD!!!”

To handle the Word of God is a serious responsibility. That is; no one should:

• CLAIM THAT GOD SAID SOMETHING HE DID NOT SAY.

• TAKE AWAY SOMETHING HE DID SAY.

I would not like it (nor would you) if someone was going around…

• Adding something to what I said.

• Taking away from something I said.

And God does not like it either!!!

Look at THIS WARNING in Revelation 22:18-19 “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

Again, it is a serious thing to preach God’s Word.

Illus: All over this nation we have churches that have sprung up because one day a man or a woman decided to start a church for one reason or another.

• They go on the internet and for ten to fifteen dollars get ordained.

• And for a little more from the internet they get a college degree that is not worth the paper it is written on.

Preachers who do not know what the scriptures say often take scripture after scripture out of context because their knowledge of God’s Word is very limited.

Even when they hear the Word of God preached they do not know it is the truth.

For example, when you preach that some of the nine gifts are not in operation today, not knowing the scriptures, some are quick to say, “You do not believe in the gift of miracles and healings…DO YOU?”

Yes, I certainly believe in the gifts of miracles and healings; but not in the way it is being done today.

Illus: I do not see anywhere in the scriptures where it is taught I have to send some tv preachers a thousand dollars to get my healing.

Yes, I whole heartedly believe…

• God miraculously heals people every day.

• God still does amazing miracles, signs, and wonders every day.

God does these things but not through mankind.

Some of the gifts in the apostolic church are NOT in operation today!!!

For example, the Word of God clearly teaches that the gift of tongues is not for today. The Bible says “TONGUES SHALL CEASE!!!”

In fact, if you will notice in your King James Bible in I Cor. 14, everytime “tongues” is mentioned it is listed as “UNKNOWN tongues.” And notice, the word UNKNOWN is always in italics.

Why?

The translators of the King James Bible put UNKNOWN in italics because they were being honest with you, as a reader they want you to know it was not in the orginal manuscripts.

You can see that in verses 2,4,13,14, and 27, “UNKNOWN” is not in the orginal manuscripts.

“TONGUES” IN THE BIBLE MEANS LANGUAGES, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS UNKNOWN TONGUES IN THE ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS.

WHY DID GOD GIVE THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH THE GIFT OF TONGUES?

For two reasons:

(1) First, spreading of the gospel. The Bible tells us that every man heard the gospel in their own tongue.

Pentecost attracted Jews from all over the world to Jerusalem to celebrate the annual festival. They heard the apostles’ message in their native languages