2 Pet 1:19-21
19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
>>20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.<<
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
(KJV)
If you mark in your bible mark verse 20 God does not give anyone more insight into scripture than he does you, insight comes from study and when presented should be reasonable and understandable. When I became a preacher it amazed me the people that would start a sentence with “I know God shows preacher more than the rest of us” that’s not true anything I know is from prayer and study and prayer, Christ allows all to pray directly to him and anyone in this day and time has access to the Bible. If God gave me special insight how would you know if I was preaching Gods word or preaching my own agenda.
1Thes 5:21
21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (KJV)
Fake Physicians
An estimated 10,000 physicians have phony foreign medical degrees that brought one broker of fraudulent diplomas $1.5 million over three years, a congressional panel was told Friday. Claude Pepper, Democrat-Florida, said many American citizens may be receiving medical treatment from doctors who lied on their medical school loan applications, and used the money not to go to school but to pay a broker for fake documents claiming they completed school and training. Pedro DeMesones, now serving a three-year prison sentence for mail fraud and conspiracy, told the panel that in three years of “expediting” medical degrees, he provided about 100 clients with false transcripts showing they had fulfilled medical requirements of schools they didn’t attend.
“Clients paid me from $5225 to $27,000 for my services,” DeMesones said. “In all I earned about $1.5 million in those three years. I only got to keep about $500,000 of this total. The rest went for bribes and expenses.”
Ever check your doctor’s diploma? A lot of people are the same way about their teachers, if they say there Christian that’s enough. Peter had a different view.
2 Pet 2:1-10
1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
False prophets and false teacher have been around since time began, it was false teachers that had Christ crucified.
Today there is a book out by Dan Brown that is called the Da Vinci Code, it is amazing some that anyone would print such things, I even heard this week that in collage
Professors are failing students who are using the Da Vinci code for their information on history. But my concern is the Church and while this book is offensive and misleading the false teachers I want to talk about today are not so obvious.
This letter Peter wrote to the Church not to the world and he says there will be false teachers among us. This church is hunting a pastor, I ask you to consider these things when deciding who to follow.
Peter gives us some ways to identify false teachers,” who privily shall bring in damnable heresies” basically he is saying they will privately bring in destructive teachings that are contrary to what the Bible teaches. The Bible is the word of God and our text book anything contrary to it is false teaching.
Next Peter says they go so far as “even denying the Lord that bought them” there is only one that Laid down his life for all men and then took it up again. If anyone leads you another way find a new teacher. Now the hard part is most are not going to come out and say this but whoever their teaching glorifies is who they are wanting you to worship. By saying bought them Peter is saying they will represent themselves as Christians, but Christian means Christ like so the teachings should be the same.
Don’t let “bring upon themselves swift destruction” fool you it does not mean they will be struck down in the pulpit or before the walk out of Sunday School class but it does mean they have not escaped the eyes of God and he will deal with them in his time, but that’s not our concern, our concern is we don’t select false teachers to lead us or our families. If every church selects Godly leaders false teachers will not have any influence over Gods House. But that’s not the case.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
“Pernicious ways” means destructive ways these people refuse to live as obedient servants they refuse to do their masters will.
“by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” Peter tells us these people are the ones who give Christianity a bad name, they claim to be one thing with their mouth but their life and their teaching represent a different heart. “the way of truth” is Christ’s way, I don’t think at the day I meet Christ I would want to try to explain why I gave people a reason to speak badly of the only way to salvation.
3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
Their uncontrolled greed is their driving force they love money more than the truth, they fabricate words to exploit people. Their motives are not to farther the gospel, or teach people about Christ or to see others become closer to Christ; their motives are to farther themselves. If you are a teacher of Christ teach Christ.
Then Peter gives examples of Gods response to false teachers.
4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
Anytime you know the consequences before you commit the offence you can only blame yourself when punishment is handed out. God does not have to decide our punishment we decide for ourselves he laid out our choices we choose the path we take, it’s not a surprise what’s at the end of that path it already foretold yet people want to blame God for the out come. If you chose to follow false teachers you will follow them to the same end.
10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
If it walks like a duck, Quacks like a duck and has the appearance of a duck its probably a duck. If a preacher or a teacher uses the same foul language of the world, chases after the things of the world and has the worldly attitude, why would anyone think they are of anything other than the world. I can understand the world being fooled but Christians are supposed to know the bible, are supposed to talk with God, and if God is putting our leaders in place how do false teachers get in the church? The first time I asked my pastor for advice about the possibility of pasturing my first church he said something I’ll never forget, he said “pasturing is like a marriage you need to take time to get to know one another before deciding to marry”. seems simple, makes good practical sense so why don’t more churches do this theirs nothing wrong with having a preacher preach for a while before electing him as a pastor, if its Gods will it will work out you won’t be without someone to ask for any help you need and any preacher should be willing to help anyone not just “his flock”.
Now lets summarize this you will know Christian teachers by what they teach, if they are true Christian teachers they will teach Christ, any thing else and they are false teachers.
What are their motives are they trying to farther the kingdom of god or are they busy building there own? Can you find there teachings in the Bible or it from some other source? Who is being glorified are they servants or wanting to be served? Teacher and preacher are just different levels of servant not a promotion to master.
So what do you do if you suspect a false teacher? First before you talk to anyone else ask the teacher to show you where they got their information. You might find that it’s a communication problem, communication problems don’t make them a false teacher, and you haven’t started rumors that are harder to quiet than a false teacher, and you haven’t damaged his reputation, if you ask me about one of my sermons I’ll give you my notes, just hope their typed (if their hand written you probably cant read them) it should not offend them because if they have spent the time in prayer and study they should be confidant they are presenting what God has given them not a foreign agenda that Is secret. If they prove to be a false teacher don’t vote them in, stop the problems before they ever get the chance to take root.
At the first of this sermon I told you about Doctors with fake degrees, does that really matter? Does it matter if the person who diagnoses you and prescribes your medication is really a doctor? To most people it does this could mean the difference in life and death, or at least have a bearing on your quality of life. The same way the ones we trust with our spiritual well being can have an effect on our eternal life and our quality of earthly life. Who do you want teaching your children, a fake or a true Christian teacher?
