Beware of False Prophets - Voddie Baucham

as we rapidly move toward the culmination of the Sermon on the Mount we've come as we looked on last week to this last section where we see these four comparisons or these four juxtapositions if you will we've come to this moment where Jesus actually applies the Sermon on the Mount where he where he brings his message to a conclusion in a very pointed way basically calling for a response from his hearers and in the first of those four segments we saw on last week he calls his hearers to recognize these two roads that there are two entrances there is the broad gate and the narrow gate there are two paths there is the easy path and the difficult path there are two crowds the many and the few and there are two destinations one leads to life the other leads to destruction in these middle two sections they're actually combined if you will so we're going to look at this week and then again on next week the same group of individuals what we've looked at these two groups of individuals those who go in through the narrow gate and those who go in through the broad gate we've looked at those who basically in one sense hear the Sermon on the Mount believe the Sermon on the Mount apply the Sermon on the Mount are converted by this message that they hear from Jesus and those on the other end who choose another route whether that route is something as far away from Christ as imaginable or whether that route is something that is as close to the route that Christ prescribes as possible without actually coming to repentance and faith and here we see that there's another obstacle along the way and that obstacle along the way false prophets will see them in the next two paragraphs false prophets today we look at the false prophets and Jesus illustration of the trees and the fruit beginning at verse 15 if you'll join me there Matthew chapter 7 verses 15 through 20 he says beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves you will recognize them by their fruits our 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 fruit now before we even begin let me say that we are allergic to the kind of teaching that Jesus puts forth here in this passage our culture has rendered us allergic to this kind of teaching that Jesus puts forth in this passage but we'll talk more about our allergy as we continue on here but it makes us very uncomfortable when we talk about this issue because Jesus identifies the fact that there are first and foremost false prophets there are false prophets there are people who are out there who are false prophets there are those who speak the truth and there are those who tell lies there are false prophets listen to da Carson as he puts a finer point on it warnings against false prophets are necessary or are necessarily based on the conviction that not all prophets are true that can be violated and that the Gospels enemies usually conceal their hostility and try to pass themselves off as fellow believers there are false prophets this is not new by the way listen to this just a few passages of scripture Matthew chapter 24 and verse 11 we read for false Christ's and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders so as to lead astray if possible even the elect Matthew chapter 24 and verse 24 for false Christ's and false prophets will arise and perform great side I'm sorry Matthew 24:11 many false prophets will arise and leave meaning astray when I read to you the first time was Matthew 24 24 mark 13 22 is a retelling of this teaching of Christ and in Luke chapter 6 and verse 26 reads this way woe to you when all people speak well of you for so their fathers did to the false prophets Acts chapter 13 and verse 6 when they had gone through the whole island as far as Pecos they came upon a certain magician a Jewish false prophet named bar Jesus and in 2nd Peter chapter 2 and verse 1 we read but false prophets also arose among the people just as there will be false teachers among you who will secretly bring in destructive heresies even denying the master who bought them bringing upon themselves Swift destruction so again this is not an isolated incident here in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus bring this brings this up a number of times in his ministry and we also have this in the Acts of the Apostles and in the epistles the idea that there are false prophets we have to be aware of this fact there are false prophets the second thing we need to know is this false prophets are not always easy to spot notice what Jesus says here look with me if you will again in verse 15 beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves in other words Jesus says the first word he uses that beware be alert look carefully because there are false prophets and these false prophets will clothe themselves outwardly in the clothing of the sheep but inwardly they are not so usually we think it's easy and by the way that's not what we're allergic to in our culture we're not allergic to the false prophet who's an obvious false prophet that's not what we're we don't mind that at all when someone stands up and tells just blatant bold-faced lies we have very little problem saying well that's a false prophet or if false prophets are doing horrendous things and hurting people and manipulating people you know the Jim Jones of the world we have no problem saying that's a false prophet but Jesus puts a finer point on it here Jesus says beware of false prophets that not because they're going to be easy to spot they're going to be out there for you to see and for all the world to see and you'll be able to know hey that's a false prophet ding-ding-ding-ding red flag no jesus says you need to be where you need to be on the lookout because these individuals will dress themselves in the uniform of my sheep they will hide who they truly are they will learn to use narrow gate language they will learn to emulate hard road living they will learn to masquerade as small crowd people and they will learn to trick you into thinking that they are on the road that leads to life and yet they are false prophets here's why it's difficult for us to identify false prophets number one because of biblical and Theological illiteracy that's our first problem biblical and Theological illiteracy that makes it difficult to identify false prophets if we don't know the Bible if we don't know doctrine if we don't know theology it is virtually impossible for us to identify false prophets that's also by the way while we're allergic to those who identify false prophets we're allergic to it we really are we don't like it it makes us uncomfortable somebody's identifying an individual as a false prophet we just got to go we'll know that person is not a false prophet because they actually stand up and they use Bible verses and of course if it was a false prophet they would stand up and use what the bhagavad-gita do you think you think that would be a successful false prophet if he stood up and didn't use Bible verses no of course they use Bible verses of course they use narrow gate language of course they do and what they do is pray on individuals who are biblically and theologically illiterate secondly it's difficult because of the prevalence of ecumenism and syncretism as a friend of mine calls it rodney king theology can't we all just get along the answer is a resounding no we cannot what do light and darkness have to do with one another can't we all just get along you know the problem with the can't we all just get along is that it flies in the face of what Jesus just said here beware of false prophets yeah I know Jesus but can't we just all get along no I'm trying to tell you they have sheep's clothing on on the outside but on the inside they're ravenous wolves yeah Jesus I know but really wouldn't it be more like you to just get along with regardless of the fact that they are lying on you doctrinally and theologically nobody said was beware not go along and get along he said beware but we're allergic to that why because of this false and dangerous notion that somehow drawing a line in the sand and saying this is true and that is not is somehow unchristian because remember the new John 3:16 remember the old John 3:16 is actually John 3:16 the new John 3:16 is Matthew 7:1 used to be that everybody knew the old John 3:16 you put John 3:16 up and anybody goes yeah I know what that is you know now you put John 3:16 up and people go what is what is what is what is that of course they don't know the verse Matthew 7:1 they don't know you know if you put that number up they would have no idea but if you just started it judge not lest if they could finish it lest you be judged never seen a Bible a day in their life but if you start Matthew 7:1 trust me they will finish it here's what's interesting Matthew 7:1 if you just use a little logic here comes just before what we're reading now if you figure that out we're in Matthew 7:15 which means Matthew 7:1 just came a very short 14 verses earlier and those who would manipulate Matthew 7:1 would have you believe this that basically Jesus said in Matthew 7:1 that you should not judge under any circumstances therefore when we read Matthew 7:15 we have to understand it in the context of not ever judging beware but don't judge yes voting yeah I was just wondering if I Phi was going to be where and you know watch really closely and discern if somebody was true or false I was just thinking you know maybe that would kind of by definition be judging give that man a prize here's the other thing turn with me if you will to Titus turn to the right with me if you will to Titus I quote this all the time but I want you to go and see it and touch it and feel it and taste it and everything else all right Titus chapter 1 just turn there and look at that for a moment if you will Titus chapter 1 because I get I get letters from time to time and emails from time to time with people who are upset with me because I identify false prophets from time to time and and usually basically all I do is send them back this Titus chapter 1 verse 9 by the way Titus chapter 1 beginning at verse 5 we have the requirements for elders the biblical requirements for elders at the end of those requirements verse 9 he must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it that's my job description folks - no sound doctrine to teach sound doctrine and to rebuke those who contradict sound doctrine that's my job it's not a suggestion it's a command and any pastor who is not rebuking unsound doctrine it's not doing his job you can't say man you ought to say ouch does that mean we have to be mean and nasty to people sometimes you usually not back in our passage back in our packs by the way that's why it's difficult for us again it's difficult for us because false prophets are difficult to identify they're there but they're difficult to identify we're not just talking about the obvious ones who are out there Jesus says these are individuals who have clothed themselves in the garments of my sheep my followers see the false prophet that's the scary one is not the one who is out there teaching doctrine that is completely in opposition to biblical truth no the false prophet who's the scary one is the one who has the meat of a lie covered with the skin of the truth listen to this John chapter 10 verses three through five because the third thing we need to know as false prophets are not a danger to the true church to him the gatekeeper opens the sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and he leads them out when he has brought out all his own he guilt he goes before them and the Sheep follow him for they know his voice a stranger they will not follow but they will flee from him for they do not know the voice of a stranger amen do we need to be on guard yes but here's what you need to know true sheep follow the true Shepherd and they do not follow the voice of a stranger yet false prophets are still a danger why listen what Jesus says first of all the ammunition beware beware why be on guard I mean if there's no danger why be on guard secondly what does he call these individuals ravenous wool in other words they come to do much harm like the thief who comes to steal and to kill and to destroy here's what you need to know a false prophet is ultimately not going to take a narrow gate hard road small crowd on the way to life Christian and turn him into a broad gate easy road big crowd on the way to death non Christian we talked about that last week we talked about the perseverance of God's elect last week so that's not the danger but here's what you need to know a believer can have his or her life turned upside down by a false prophet a believer who knows God loves God and is following God can have his or her life turned upside down by a slick-talking false prophet sometimes for years a false prophet can have a true follower of Christ twisted and tied all up in knots until they are ultimately delivered from the falsehood so don't you think for a moment that just because you're a follower of Christ just because you've been born again that you don't need to be careful about what you listen to and that there is no danger of listening to false prophets there is a danger and they can do you and your family much much harm that's one of the reasons that God has given elders to the church to protect the doctrine of the church to protect the teaching of the church to refute false teaching that would come in and impose itself on the church that's one of the reasons that God gave the office of elder to protect the body especially in those circumstances because there are people out there who look good who sound good they're on Christian radio they're on Christian television some of them have household names and our best-selling Christian authors and their revenues wolves what do they do false prophets bear bad fruit and they bear bad fruit in two main ways bad teaching bad living bad teaching bad living look at what Jesus says again you will recognize them by their fruits outwardly they may look really good but you need to become a pretty good fruit inspector you will know them by their fruit our grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles so every helping tree bears good fruit but disease trees bear bad fruit a healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit can't happen that way what do you do examine the fruit that's our responsibility as believers examine the fruit here's what I want you to see the first fruit is bad teaching in Deuteronomy chapter 18 I just had to read this for you listen to this Deuteronomy chapter 18 20 through 22 but the prophet who presumes to speak a word and my name that I have not commanded him to speak or who speaks in the name of other gods that same prophet shall die and if you say in your heart how may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken by the way as New Testament believers we have an advantage over those to whom Moses was speaking the advantage that we have is we have God's Word so God who in times past spoke to the prophets and the father's and many portions and in many ways in these last days has spoken to us in his son through whom he made the world so understand this so we're reading here in Deuteronomy individuals who did not have a completed cannon we however do have a completed cannon so we have a different set of criteria so as I read this and I'll explain that more in a moment but listen to this how do we know how are you going to know that this person hasn't spoken from me when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord if the word does not come to pass or come true that is a word that the Lord has not spoken the prophet has spoken presumptuously you need not fear him does what he say come to pass that's the test Moses gives the people of Israel Moses says if you're wondering whether someone is the false prophet or not it's very easy you just ask yourself this question did what they said was going to come to pass actually come to pass but remember I just told you according to Hebrews chapter 1 verses 1 & 2 that's no longer our test our test is does what he said come from and line up with the Bible amen see our Bibles are bound in leather not three-ring binders folks and that's for a reason we are not in the process of getting continued revelation from God so the first sign of a false prophet is he speaks things as though they're from God but they're not found in God's Word he speak things as though they are from God but they are not found in God's Word we've talked about this before but I have to take a moment to do it again I beseech you I've beds you before from this very spot but I'm going to beg you again from this very spot to be very careful and to stop using language like God said God told me and God spoke to me don't talk like that that's heretic language people because when you use words like said spoke and told you are referring to audible speech and you are equating whatever comes after that with what we have in the Word of God and that's heresy now what we usually mean is God enlightens me God brought something to my understanding God impressed upon me you use those words all you want but do not say God said God told me or God spoke to me because if you do you are out of line theologically that is unbiblical speech because God does not say God does not speak God does not tell in those terms anymore not because I say so but because the Bible says so we have a closed cannon so one of the ways that you know that someone is potentially a ravenous wolf again there are individuals who just speak these kind of things and they don't mean it it just sort of comes out because we're so used to hearing it in our culture and we'll say things like God told me this God said that God spoke this and will say it's not what we mean that's not what I'm talking about that's somebody who just needs to be corrected and you and I vote all of us in this room are more than likely guilty of having been loose with our speech and that way before we did not mean I am speaking to you with the same authority as Moses or Paul or Jesus that's not what we meant we were just loose with our speech we adopted a bad habit from our culture and that's not what we meant but there are individuals in our culture who say those things and mean them they're false prophets they're false prophets according to Hebrews chapter 1 verses 1 & 2 they are false prophets I just sounds so judgmental welcome to the narrow gate not only do we have false teachings like that but we also have false teaching just like the stuff that we found for example there in Deuteronomy people making predictions that just don't come to pass for example probably the most famous Edgar reasonand anybody know that name at your reason it if you know that name you probably know that name because of one of the most notorious Christian books ever published 88 reasons that the rapture will come in 1988 invited from premiere at that title it was a best-seller sold over a million copies 88 reasons the rapture will come in 1988 how many of you know he wasn't thrown out on his ear in 1989 but yet still had a ministry and still published false prophet Ellen G white predicted that the world was going to end the night in M skews in 1843 1844 and 1851 here's what's amazing by 1851 people were still listening and who can forget the first Gulf War when TV n was filled with false prophets basically saying folks this is the Battle of Armageddon Babylon has arisen again in fact they would tell us things like you know Saddam Hussein thinks of himself as the we coming of Nebuchadnezzar this is that how about all the y2k crazies this is it go get all your stuff and get ready it's over the clocks going to strike midnight 1999 and that next second will be the end of the world as you know it get your stuff and get ready false prophets everyone every okay not only is there the bad teaching but there's also the bad living look with me if you will and this is annex it's not that extensive a passage but look with me at second Timothy chapter three we can't talk about this and not read 2nd Timothy chapter 3 it would be criminal not to read 2nd Timothy chapter 3 look with me if you will 2nd Timothy chapter 3 really almost the whole chapter not almost all chapter we do we have to read the whole chapter we just after ok 2nd Timothy chapter 3 but understand this that in the last days there will come times of difficulty now here's what you need to know ok from a theological hermeneutical perspective when he uses this term just like when the author of Hebrews uses the term in Hebrews chapter 1 when he this term in the last days what he's referring to is the time between the first coming or advent of Jesus Christ and the consummation of all things so when he says in the last days he doesn't mean you know when it's really close to the time of the rapture that's not what he's saying this term when we read it in the New Testament when we read it from the author of Hebrews we read it from Paul and others in the New Testament again he's not like he's talking about the last day different term altogether when he says in the last days here he's referring to that intermittent period between the first coming of Christ and the consummation of all things when he comes again but notice that in the last days there will come times of difficulty for people will be lovers of self lovers of money proud arrogant abusive disobedient to their parents ungrateful unholy heartless on appeasable slanderous without self-control brutal not loving good treacherous reckless swollen with conceit lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of god having the appearance of godliness but denying its power avoid such people stay away from such people well that sounds so judgmental welcome to the narrow gate for among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women burdened with sins and led astray by various passions always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth just as Janice and Jan were supposed Moses so these men also oppose the truth men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith Wow they're disqualified regarding the faith that's more judgmental but they will not go very far for their folly we'll be playing to all as was that of those two men you however have followed by teaching my conduct my aim in life my faith my patience my love my steadfastness my persecutions and suffering that happened to me at Antioch at Iconium at Lystra which persecutions I endured yet from all of them the Lord rescued me here's what's interesting you remember last week we talked about that term that comes after the narrow gate that term for the way it says the way is hard remember I told you last week that the word used there in the Greek is the word from which we get the word persecution so in essence Jesus was saying one of the evidence is that you are a narrow gate hard road Christian is persecutions here Paul is saying to Timothy you know those liars those liars are not like me and one of the ways is they're not like me Paul says what you know my persecutions you've seen evidence of my narrow gate hard road few friends life and that's one of the distinctions Paul says between himself and the false prophets listen to the other thank you so much listen to the rest of this indeed verse 12 all who desire to live godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted not might not good but will while evil people and imposters will go from bad to worse deceiving and being deceived but as for you continuing what you have learned and have firmly believed knowing from whom you've learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching rebuking correction for training in righteousness that the man of God may be competent equipped for every good work what is Paul tell Timothy you're okay because you've got the scriptures two distinctions between the true prophet and the false prophet number one they're teaching number two their life look at the fruit look at the fruit of what they teach look at the fruit of how they live this is what they teach line up with what the scriptures say this how they live line up with what the scriptures say by the way and if we're looking for the way that they live where would we look again think about the sermon that Jesus is preaching don't disconnect it where do we go to find the kind of lifestyle that Jesus is talking about how about all the way back to chapter 5 and verse 1 the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount he lays out for us what the kingdom lifestyle is like that's what we're looking for go back to the Beatitudes go back to the six antithesis go back to chapter six true prayer true fasting true giving go back and look at the true religion of Christianity as Jesus has already laid it out in chapter five chapter six in the beginning of chapter seven and you have the kind of fruit for which we are called to look finally none of this matters if we're not ready and willing to test and judge now this matters if we're not ready and willing to test and the judge it's meaningless if we're unwilling to test and the judge by the way why do I say judge the last phrase that Jesus uses is very important this weekend next week the last phrase he uses in this paragraph is the tree that does not bear good fruit it's going to be cut down and thrown into the fire that's what you call judgment next week we'll hear depart from me I never knew you you worker of iniquity you practice ER of lawlessness seein none of this matters if it basically we don't believe that we're supposed to test we don't believe that we're supposed to make judgments again I'm not talking about being judgmental go back to the messages on the early part of chapter 7 all right we're not talking about turning your nose up at individuals who don't like the things that you like who don't agree with you on non-essentials that's not what we're talking about here we're talking about false prophets and identifying false prophets who are destructive in the life of the church and if all we believe that we're supposed to do is read this for reading sake and not apply it and not exercise sound judgment and not distance ourselves from false teaching and not exposed false teaching whenever we find it then we'll have a problem listen to this if you will first John chapter 4 verses 1 through 3 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 will 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 Hurd was coming and is now in the world already again is this the only test no it's not the only test remember the series we did through first John there are many tests but here dealing with false prophets he says test what you hear from them test the spirits by the spirits this is judgment folks and it's the way Christians are commended to live look with me if you will of Acts chapter 17 verses 10 and 11 the brothers immediately said Paul and Silas away by night to Berea and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica how about that these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica what pray tell made them more noble than the Jews in Thessalonica glad you asked they received the word with all eagerness examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so folks this is the Apostle Paul did you follow this this is the Apostle Paul this guy comes into town and he's been bitten by serpents and lived this guy has a man listening to him one night falls out of a window and dies raised him back to life he comes to Berea and they say all that's fine and good but here's what we're going to do we're going to take what you said today we're going to go back and look in our Bibles we're going to search the scriptures to see if what you're saying is actually true and the Bible says that made them more noble do you test what you hear even from here from this place we're far from infallible folks we are do you test what you hear that's one of the reasons that we teach the way we do that's one of the reasons that we come and bring your Bible open your Bible look in your Bible read it touch it taste it see it because we want you to develop the habit of testing what you hear don't you dare trust me you trust the word I'm a frail fragile wounded broken messed-up the individual by the way welcome to the club because that's what every one of us is and as such we've got to have something more than just the power of our own persuasion and personalities we have to test everything by the word test everything by God's truth test everything by what's been spoken here's what's sad actually had this seen with my own eyes in churches disagreements about certain things or disagreements about you know what's going on here what's going on there seen it with my own eyes heard it with my own ears yeah you keep opening that Bible you keep reading those verses I really don't care what those verses say I've heard that from people who've been in church for years for years we got to be like the Bereans we must test everything according to the scriptures and we must be ready and willing always to identify expose and flee from false prophets don't like the way that sounds turn with me to one more passage look at Ephesians Chapter five and look beginning at verse six with visions chapter five let no one deceive you with empty words for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience therefore do not become partners with them for at one time you were darkness but now you are light in the Lord walk as children of light for the fruit of light is found and all that is good and right and true and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness but instead expose them for it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret but when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible for anything that becomes visible is life therefore it says awake o sleeper and the rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you our culture says that's mean and nasty that's judgmental that's not Christian the Bible says test the spirit beware of false prophets expose the deeds of darkness refute those who contradict sound teaching and now I will expose myself as a liar because there's one more passage of Scripture and I said that was the last one but I already told you that I'm a weak and frail and fragile individual Jude Jude gives us this just while I was making every effort to write you concerning our common salvation I felt the need to write you and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith to at the agonies of my to agonize greatly to wrestle the term is used in classical Greek for wrestlers who are engaged in combat he says I want you to engage in combat to agonize greatly the faith that was once for all handed down to the Saints why because certain persons have crept in unnoticed those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation ungodly persons who do two things one turned the grace of God into lawlessness that's bad living and number two deny our only master and Lord Jesus Christ that's bad teaching Jude says agonized greatly against false teachers war with them those who turn grace into lawlessness and those who deny the essential truths of the gospel agonized greatly in that field of combat wage war and that field of combat refute those who contradict expose their dark deeds hold firmly to that which is true why because we delight in the combat no because we delight in the truth and there is a major difference between those two let us delight in the truth and beware of false prophets and when you find them show them much love but no quarter [Music] you

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Keywords: Voddie Baucham, Beware False Prophets, False Prophets, Prophets, Christian Sermon, Christian Preaching, Expository Sermon, Expository Preaching, The Holy Bible, The Holy Scriptures, Jesus Christ, God, Christianity, Christian Encouragement, Christian Motivation, Christian Inspiration, Matthew 7:15-20, The Gospel of Matthew, New Testament, Warnings, Jesus Warning, Watch For False Prophets, New

Id: PQd5Omm6Plc

Length: 46min 14sec (2774 seconds)

Published: Mon Nov 25 2019