Sermon On False Prophets & Hypocrites

Martin Luther, a German priest and theologian once remarked: “It is the nature of all hypocrites and false prophets to create a conscience where there is none, and to cause conscience to disappear where it does exist.” Matthew 7:15-20 reminds us: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”

According to Wikipedia, a false prophet, or pseudoprophet is defined as a person who falsely claims the gift of prophecy, divine inspiration, or to speak for God within the realms of evil intent. In stark corporeality, it is nothing short of deception, fraud, subterfuge or trickery. The perpetrators are often deemed as the sorcerers of life with the inequity of sin firmly embedded into their hearts, souls and minds. They are also often considered as the execrable vermin of life, by those inflicted, after the venomous snake bite has taken effect.

A ruse can take several forms, in religious terms it can include pleas for money to encourage the birth of a new religious sect, or advancement of the established. It can involve the false teaching of the trueness of God. There may be promises of great rewards, in both life and heaven for generous donations to the cause that eventually identify a hoax practice. Matthew 24:24 confirms: “For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.”

To watch an accomplished magician in full swing may create an element of awe and wonderment to the novice eye. The spectacular feats of artistry, so professionally performed, may create their own special illusion of reality and truth. However, those of discernment and wisdom recognize the sleight of hand that conceals the so-called amazing effects that appear so phenomenal and natural, but with the roots of deception as the foundation stone for its existence. Exodus 7:11 confirms: “Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts.”

Acts 13:6-12 relates the story of Paul’s encounter of a fake prophet during his missionary journey in Cyprus: “When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.”

Perhaps one of the most hurtful and frequently encountered experiences of deception can be considered as much closer to home. This may be in the form of unqualified tradesmen traveling door-to-door, or through advertising misrepresentation, promising superb work for a particular task, or entity, to an extremely high level of craftsmanship, then absconding before the work is started with all monies prepaid from the given trust.

Conversely, it may include performing the work to such a shoddy standard that the job has to be dismantled, and rectified by a competent person with the necessary professional skills.

1 John 4:1-6 reminds us: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”