False Teachers
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False Teachers – Prepared by Uriesou T. Brito
One of my greatest heroes of the faith Dr. Walter Martin (author of the Kingdom of the Cults) has once written that: “Controversy for the sake of truth is a divine command.”
Introduction
Our theme text for this week and next week is found in Jude 3. I want to give you a foundation this week and next week we will enter fully to our topic. So, that you may see the reality of the issue.
Imagine that late one evening you board a plane to take a long flight from Los Angeles to Atlanta. As you look around the cabin, you notice that several passengers have begun to read magazines or newspapers. A man and his wife in the row in front of you are engaged in quiet conversation. Several passengers seem to be staring off into space, enveloped in a world of thought. Still others have already drifted off to sleep. You stretch sleepily and anticipate a quiet, peaceful trip.
Just before takeoff, however, the calm suddenly erupts into chaos as six screaming children and their mother board the aircraft. She sits across the aisle from you and appears oblivious to the disruption. Not only are her children loud and rambunctious, but also they seem to vacillate wildly between nervous laughters and tears.
The anger and irritation etched on the faces of your fellow passengers is obvious. Yet no one seems willing to do anything. Finally you can no longer contain yourself. Leaning over to the mother, you blurt out, “ Ma’am, can you please do something about your kids? They’re out of control! Can’t you see that people are trying to read? Don’t you realize how late it is? We’re tired! We need some peace and quiet!”
As though jolted back to reality, the woman looks into the eyes and in a shaky voice responds, “ Yes, yes, you’re right. I’m very sorry—forgive me! You see, I just received word that my husband was in a terrible automobile accident. He’s in a coma, and the doctors are not sure he’ll live. I’m having a difficult time coping, and… and… I’m not sure the children are handling this very well either.”
Imagine how you would feel at that moment! Suddenly you perceive reality from a whole new perspective. Irritation gives away to compassion. In an instant you view this woman and her circumstances through a whole new set of lenses.
In recent years, multitudes who name the name of Christ have adopted a wildly distorted perception of what it truly means to be a Christian.
Under the banner “ Jesus is Lord,” multitudes are being fooled by a gospel of greed and are embracing doctrines straight from the metaphysical cults. While convinced that what they hear is the real thing, they are in fact turning on to nothing more than a cheap counterfeit. Eternal truths from the Word of God are turning into bad mythology – and all the while Christianity in going into a crisis of unparalleled proportions.
My goal for the next two weeks is to help you see what is taking place and I don’t want to only share with you opinions, but rather evidence the error and prove to you from Scriptures how this is something we should be concerned about and also how the Bible predicts these things.
Let me begin by giving you a few quotes:
Satan conquered Jesus on the Cross
Kenneth Copeland
You’re not looking at Morris Cerullo—you’re looking at God. You’re looking at Jesus.”
Morris Cerullo
Never, ever, ever, go to the Lord and say, “ If it be thy will…’ Don’t allow such faith-destroying words to be spoken from your mouth.”
Benny Hinn
God has to be given permission to work in this earth realm on behalf of man… Yes! You are in control! So, if man has control, who no longer has it? God.
Frederick Price K. C. Price
Man was created on terms of equality with God, and he could stand in God’s presence without any consciousness of inferiority.
Kenneth Hagin
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Now, if the New Age Movement poses the greatest threat to the body of Christ from without, the deadly cancer represented by these quotes poses one of the greatest threats to Christianity from within. The true Christ and the true faith are being replaced rapidly with group of teachers who belong to what has been labeled “ Faith Movement.
Body
My burden is best expressed by the warnings of Peter, Paul and the master teacher, Jesus Himself. Listen to their words as they echo through the ages.
II Peter 2:1-3
But there were false prophets among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily (secretly) shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 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.
Acts 20:30,31
Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.
Matthew 7:15
Jesus says: “ Be aware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
It’s not a great joy to sound the alarm, but it necessary that as Bible-Believing Christians we understand the damage that these men are causing. The deception, the heresies must be pointed out.
Why? In Jude verse 3 he tells us to have love for this gospel and this is our theme verse for the next two weeks. So, turn there if you will and if possible have this verse memorized as a reminder of your duty today a Born-Again believer.
So, we know that this gospel is supreme above any other message. This gospel is pure because it changes the impure soul. This gospel is ours and anything that is against it must be dealt with. Read I Peter 3:15.
So, now here is the question: “ Are God’s anointed beyond criticism?”
During his sermon on the Mount, Jesus Christ exhorted His followers not to judge self-righteously or hypocritically. It is necessarily wrong what Christians do when they question the teachings of “ God’s Anointed” preachers and evangelists? Many teachers who claim such anointing would say so, and many more of their followers commonly reply to all manner of criticism: “ Touch not God’s anointed.”
As we have heard some of these teachers even threaten or carry literally grave consequences.
Advocates of such unquestionable authority assume that Scripture supports their view. Their key biblical passage is Psalm 105:15: “ Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.” But if we closely examine this passage we will see that it has nothing to do with challenging the teachings and practices of church leaders.
First, it needs to be noted that the Old Testament phrase “ the Lord’s anointed” is typically used to refer to the kings of Israel (I Samuel 12:3,5; II Samuel 1:14,16; Psalm 20:6).
Secondly, even the text could be applied to church leaders today, in the context of this passage the words “ touch” and “ do harm” have to do with inflicting physical harm upon someone. So, the text is wholly irrelevant to the issue of questioning the teachings of these men.
Finally, even if this were accepted how are we to know who God’s prophets are? Because they and their followers say they are? If you take that view, I would have to accept that Sun Myung Moon, Elizabeth Clare, Charles Taze Russell, Joseph Smith are all prophets because they have claimed to be of God ad besides they claim that their God is the God of the Bible. We have a problem here.
Now, here is our text. Jude by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is exhorting the believers to be steadfast in the hour of compromise. We are to be faithful in proclaiming the way of salvation in a world of iniquity and false prophets and teachers.
The Present Practices of the World
(4) Practicing atheism
(5 & 6) Practicing Disobedience
(7-9) Practicing a passion for greed which.
Conclusion
This is the prospective pathway of the Christian
A) Walking in Faith (v.20)
B) Looking for the Savior (vv. 14-15)
C) Witnessing to the lost (vv. 21-23)
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