Disclaimer:
Due to the large amount of sermons and topics that appear on this site I feel it is necessary to post this disclaimer on all sermons posted. These sermons are original to the author and the leading of the Holy Spirit. While ideas and illustrations are often gleaned from many sources including those at Sermoncentral.com, any similarities and wording including sermon title, that may appear to be the same as any other sermon are purely coincidental. In instances where other minister’s wording is used, due recognition will be given. These sermons are not copyrighted and may be used or preached freely. May God richly bless you as you read these words. It is my sincere desire that all who read them may be enriched. All scriptures quoted in these sermons are copied and quoted from the Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible.
Pastor James May
THE LEGACY OF LYING PROPHETS
The church needs to hear what God has to say if we are to be the church that is without spot or blemish and be ready to meet the Bridegroom when He comes. This speaks of a process of sanctification and purification that we must go through if we are to be ready.
The problem we see is that there are many churches where the truth of the gospel message is lost somewhere in the mixture of teachings on the Love of God, faith, prosperity, and a host of other, more comfortable, ideas.
The world needs to hear about the Love of God for those that are lost. We all need to feel the Love of God and the Mercy of God – but that isn’t the only message that we need to preach. Along with the message of Love and Mercy, must come the message of Holiness, Righteous living and Personal Sacrifice for the Kingdom of God! An obedient servant to the Lord Jesus Christ won’t always have a comfortable life. There will be times when serving God will require you to stretch and grow.
We all love to hear of faith! Faith is taught, in our present world, as though it were a magic talisman to give us everything and anything we want. There are a lot of preachers who tell us that is we will, “Just have faith to believe and we will receive anything we desire.” There is some truth to this statement but the real truth doesn’t lie in just having faith to believe – it is also tempered with having the Will of God in your life.
You can have faith to believe anything you want but if it is not according to the Will of God for your life, God won’t bring it to pass, and if it does come you better wonder about the source. I’ve seen too many Christians whose lives have been wrecked by the teachings of “hirelings” who promised them that God was with their decisions when God was nowhere in the equation.
Ezekiel 13:1-3, "And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!"
God is bringing an Indictment against those who will not preach the truth but bow to the gods of money, prosperity and big crowds to create their own legacy of a mega-church. I want you to understand that there are some very large churches where the truth of the gospel is preached and those that teach in these churches are walking in obedience and are reaping the benefits of God’s blessings.
I also want you to know that God blesses the smaller churches the same way. It’s not the size of the church that makes the difference; it’s the power of the Holy Ghost and the presence of God in the church that makes the difference.
No matter how large or how small the congregation, Zechariah 4:6 still says, "… Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts."
God doesn’t care whether you drive a Hummer or a “Junker”. He just cares that you have what you need to get the job done that He has called you to do.
God doesn’t care if you have $10 or $10000 in your wallet, as long as it is what you need to accomplish your mission for Him.
God doesn’t care if you have on Bill Blass, and carry cash; He is more concerned about your immortal soul and whether you are running for His goal!
There are a lot of “preachers” who say they are called, but God didn’t call them and the messages that they bring are not from God, but originate in the dark recesses of their own minds.
I want you to know that if a “man of God” doesn’t spend time with God, to hear the voice of God, then he isn’t really a “man of God” at all. It would be very easy to stand before you each week and bring you a message of comfort. I love it when God gives me those rare messages when He wants to bring praise and let me tell of His love and mercy to the church. I believe that God’s love is proven to us with every breath, with every meal we eat, with everything that we have – for all blessings come from God and every good thing is a gift from the loving heart of God. We don’t need to be reminded constantly of God’s love because it is constantly being manifest in life.
What I see is that God is bringing condemnation upon those who will not stand and preach the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Their message is so watered down that you have to wring the honey out of it to even see if there is any true substance to what is said.
Soft words of praise, comfortable words that teach self-gratification of the flesh, and sermons that don’t step on your toes and make you squirm in your pew from time to time are not sermons from God. God doesn’t care if you are uncomfortable with His Word. God doesn’t bring praise where no praise is due. Most of all, God’s Word to you is always designed to bring about a change in your life and to help you live a more sanctified life. If you don’t squirm from time to time, then its time to find a new preacher that will tell you the truth or you may just leave this life of comfort to end up where you don’t want to be for all eternity.
The problem with a lot of preachers is that they are too concerned with the cash flow to be concerned with the “Spirit Flow”. They are too concerned with the presence of people to be concerned with the presence of God. They may have a big bank account, a lot of activity, big crowds and a show of excitement, but where is God in all of it? Is God standing on the outside knocking but unable to get their attention?
I know of one church in Baton Rouge who has not dismissed their mid-week service but changed it into an “entertainment night” instead. They don’t have preaching. They don’t hear a message from the Word of God. They all get together and have a sort of “Dinner Theater”. They have a huge meal, dancing on the dance floor, perhaps a skit or two. Then they will hear a rousing rendition of “Oh my Darling, Oh my Darling, Oh my Darling, Clementine” or some other foolishness and then they have the audacity to say that they have been to church.
It may all be fun and games but I wonder how many lives are changed by the roast and gravy? I wonder how many hearts are made pure by “waltzing with Matilda”. I wonder how many souls are saved by the recognition of birthdays and anniversaries? I wonder when the last soul was saved or even when the Holy Spirit was in attendance at that church?
God help us when we have preachers and teachers who spend their time on the golf course or in the Beauty Shop and not in God’s Word. I want to hear from the prophets who have been on their face before God, seeking for the message that God wants to give. Don’t give me some watered down, soft soaped, wimpy little message that doesn’t have the power to change a flea. I want to hear from the Lord. I’d be better off staying at hope and watching TBN or some other channel.
Ezekiel 13:5-7, "Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD. They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The LORD saith it; albeit I have not spoken?"
Every week, prophets (teachers and preachers) stand in their classrooms or behind their pulpits and bring forth the true “Word of God”. I thank God for those who have spent time in prayer and preparation. I thank God for those who stay on their knees and stand in the gap for the souls of the house of God. I thank God for those who will uphold the children of God in prayer and plead the Blood of Jesus over every soul under their care. I thank God for these true men and women of God. We need all of these kinds of prophets that we can get. I dare say that these are few and far between.
In a recent survey that I read (I have forgotten the source) it said that, among ministers, who pastor churches across America, it was determined that the vast majority spend less than 15 minutes in prayer for their message and spend less than 30 minutes preparing it. I believe in the spontaneous move of the Spirit and in letting the Spirit have His way in the message but I also know that, if we are to really hear from God, it takes time and preparation.
Teacher, preacher, evangelist, Youth Pastor – any leader of this church, Victory Temple, let me tell you right now that you better stay on your face before God on behalf of your class or your ministry. Don’t ever assume that you know enough or that you know it all. Don’t ever take the presence of God for granted. Don’t ever just show up to teach your class, or minister to God’s people without having spent time before God and in study. God doesn’t bless laziness nor will He honor a half-hearted effort.
Remember this, whatever you teach and whatever you preach, it must bring wisdom, knowledge, strength and power for the battles ahead. If the message you bring doesn’t have the Power of God behind it, how will the church members be able to use it in overcoming the devil next week?
It had come to the place, in Israel of Ezekiel’s day, that a majority of the prophets of the land were making false predictions and teaching things that made people feel good even though God was trying bring forth a warning to Israel of impending judgment. These prophets were saying, “Thus saith the Lord” when it was really “Thus saith the false prophet”.
We have seen some similar things in our day. I can remember when there were dire predictions that the world would come to an end in 1982 because of the alignment of the planets and stars. I can remember just a few years ago when many of those who called themselves “Christians”, advocated that we should buy up all the food, ammunition and supplies that we could and prepare for disaster because of Y2K. I can remember those who made predictions that they would be taken away in a flying saucer as the “Hale-Bopp Comet” flew past the earth. I know of people who listen to such false prophets as Jeanne Dixon, Nostradamus, and others, and have based their life upon those prophets and been shipwrecked on the sea of lies and deceit.
I know of many who base their lives on the teachings of the Prosperity Doctrine and are facing financial ruin as a result. I have friends that believe that if they will only follow the teachings of their church, as handed down from the false vision of a man, that they will become a god themselves. I know some who believe that just because they believe in Jesus and yet have not surrendered their heart to the Lord, that they will go to Heaven.
Just as it was in the days of Ezekiel, so it is today. False prophets and teachers are everywhere proclaiming that they have a vision from the Lord when that vision is not from God. Their vision is from their own imagination and spawned from the pits of Hell in an all-out effort to deceive men from the real move of God.
Ezekiel 13:10-11, "Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with un-tempered mortar: Say unto them which daub it with un-tempered mortar, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it."
Israel’s prophets were promising peace when God was promising judgment and war. Their soft words and flattering tongues convinced the people of Israel that all was well. If you will look at this scripture you will see that the false prophets taught just enough of the truth to get the people to at least build a wall but it wasn’t much of a wall. In the days of ancient Israel, the only thing that could keep an enemy from annihilating you was to have a strong defensive wall.
These prophets preached that we should prepare but they never took those preparations far enough. They had a sort “watered down gospel”.
Does that sound like the prophets of our day? What about those who preach that Jesus will never condemn a soul to hell forever and that we will all be in Heaven after we stay in the pit long enough? What about those who preach that all it takes to shake hands with the preacher or be baptized as a baby to make it to Heaven? Where is the message of repentance for sin? Where is the message of surrendering your life to Jesus? When do they say that you are to be born again and put down the deeds of the flesh?
It never ceases to amaze me that you can see a “new thing” happen in a revival somewhere and suddenly everybody jumps on the bandwagon and begins to promote the same thing in their church in an effort to “force the move of the Spirit” and bring on the “appearance of miracles”.
I can remember when people used to claim that oil appeared on their hands all the time. I hear of those who are constantly saying that the Lord spoke to them in an audible voice. I hear of those who say that God gave them specific direction when the direction they take is absolutely destructive to the church. I remember those who taught the “Shepherding Movement” who believed that they had to give everything they own to the church and then let the preacher dole out to each member what he thought they needed. I have seen the leg-stretchers, the demon casters, the “slayers in the Spirit”, and so many others that fake it until they make it! They talk a good talk but they don’t walk the walk.
Building a life, or a wall, based on a false foundation and without a personal commitment to Christ is like building brick house and putting in bad mortar mix. The bricks will fall out and the wall will crumble. It will never stand against the storms.
In the lands of the Far East, and even in the desert lands of the western United States, if you are going to build a wall you have to get down below the surface of sand to find a solid foundation. If you just throw up a wall on the sand and then use bad mortar mix, the wall won’t last for long. The first time a torrential rain comes, the sand will wash away and the foundation will be destroyed. Then the wall will begin to crack and finally crumble away. That’s the way a life will be that is not based upon the truth.
None of us likes change. None of us likes to be told where we are wrong. No one likes to be told that they need to repent. But those are the types of sermons that help us build a strong wall that will stand the storm.
In conclusion let me say to you right now that we must ever be on guard as to the voices we will listen to. There are a lot of good preachers and teachers in the church that will preach and teach the truth but there are a lot of false ones too.
People flock to false teachers and preachers because they like to feel good. People go to large churches because there is little or no commitment required to be a member. People like to hear teaching that tells them that they are okay, just eat drink and be merry. People like to be praised, honored, recognized and gratified.
Be on your guard! If the message you hear makes you angry at times – maybe God is trying to change your thinking! If the preacher steps on your toes – perhaps your feet are walking where they shouldn’t walk. If the Word that comes forth makes you squirm in your seat or makes you feel under condemnation, maybe there is something in your life that God wants to clean out.
I want to see you build a strong wall, strengthen the hedge, and get ready for the battles ahead. I want to see you stand the tests that will surely come because you have used the correct balance in life to “mix the mortar” and secure the presence of the Lord in your life.
How do you get the right mortar? Prayer, studying the Bible, being committed to the House of God and to one another, meditating upon the Word, and all those things that bring a deeper walk and a stronger relationship with the Lord.
Mix your mortar well and build your wall strong! Listen to the voice of God – you can hear it as well as any prophet can. Let God speak to you! Examine every word you hear by the Bible because that is your roadmap to victory!
