Characteristics of False Prophets by Shane Idleman

you welcome to Westside Christian Fellowship if you have not been here before we are in the book of Matthew I'm attempting to go through that verse by verse but interestingly enough it's not going to be real what you would consider expository preaching I call it expository topical what I'm trying to do is go through expositionally and pull from Matthew but then also hit on topics that are relevant today so in doing so we're going to be kind of focusing in on certain aspects of Jesus's ministry and then we're going to kind of springboard off of that into different topics that affect us today and if you weren't here last week I would encourage you to go online and listen to last week's message because it's a twin to this message we talked about false worship last week and some bits of false prophets now this week we're gonna be spending most of the majority of the time at Matthew 2 still but talking about this issue of false prophets and you might say you know because in the Christian community there's different you know interpretations of what this word means false prophets and basically just to let you off the hook what it basically means is true spokesman for God or truth or false spokesman they are they are preaching err although it's mixed with a little bit of truth and there's other people who are proclaiming the truth of God's Word and it's getting more and more and more difficult in our culture to contend for truth is it 9 Tim Tebow comes out of the closet and and says he's a Christian the media says shut your mouth this guy with Colin's basketball player comes out of the closet and he's a hero where's it where's the where's the the disconnect there and you'll see the article in your bulletin tonight actually is in the a Novelli press today and I've already been getting some feedback on that you know why can't we all just get along and why do you have to do this and do that and what I'm doing on challenging and I mentioned him last week rob bell and I don't I'm not a name-dropper and I don't I don't take joy in this actually I don't like to do it but when you have Christian leaders coming out and saying these things are true according to God's Word you know same-sex attraction is okay and there's no hell and all these things and then you've got somebody like me on the other side saying no God's Word is crystal clear on these issues so where's the defining where it where's where how do you know that's why the culture loves to hear Christians like Rob Bell saying oh yes God is is for same-sex attraction he's for gay marriage and I don't mean to beat up on this subject I'm just pulling them from what's in the news showing you the contrast because we love we love those struggling with the same-sex attraction just like anybody else and if I preached on this before we're all in the same boat I'm in the sin boat sitting right next to the person struggling with same-sex attraction it's not my struggle I've got plenty of other ones I don't need another one the only difference is I've came out of that boat because of what Christ did on the cross see that's the only difference we're not hate mongers we're not prejudiced we're not narrow-minded we're just saying biblical truth biblical Christianity holds to this and it can't let go and you guys have heard me preach on that before that this is a hill on which to die this is going to be the defining moment you're gonna you'll already see the statements from the media now coming in out out against Christians witnessing in the military they're drawing some strong lines there the president speaking a Planned Parenthood's thanking them the number one abortion clinic in our nation you see all this contending for truth and either holding to it or you're not so we need this like never before because this is the only standard that we have this is it so that's why I want it when I I don't mention when I talk about false prophets I'm not talking about some guy saying thus saith the Lord next week this and this and this and this I'm talking about genuine men and women of God filled with the Spirit of God proclaiming his truth and then there's others that come in subtly that Christ warned us about he said do not be deceived there'll be false prophets and false Christ's coming in this octave Li and that's kind of what I want to pull from Matthew - now a true expositional teacher preacher would probably say you know I was changing taking a little bit too much Liberty there well yeah I am I'm gonna go through Matthew - but then I also want a springboard off of this whole prophetic aspect because I think it's important and I didn't finish Nick last week that's what bothers me a little bit when I have so much to say and I don't get to say it all and then I've got to bring it in this week and and and say it remember I he breaks my heart and then I break your heart that's that's kind of how it works but anyway last week we talked about true worship and this is this is vitally important because a lot of what's going on out there is not true worship and I in if you didn't see the clip I played if you weren't here last week go check it out online I showed you an example of false worship what it should not look like it's it's towards the end of the video there but the first thing we talked about was true worship flows from a broken thankful humble heart focused on truth so if you truly want to worship God if I truly want to worship God it has to start from a broken humble heart seeking God and there's a lot of new faces here so I'm kind of repetitive on a lot of these things and that's that's by design because we cannot hear too much about this because what happens we go into a a sex saturated culture that mocks God in His Word and we saturate ourselves in that all week long and then it's come we need it we need a spiritual shower we need to be reminded of the biblical of truths in God's Word so we talked about genuine worship it flows from a broken heart and false prophets for those who proclaim say they proclaim God's truth but bringing a lot of air they know nothing about brokenness and humility they are arrogant rebellious and divisive and unteachable for the most part so there are signs you can tell what direction somebody is going the next thing we talked about emotional responses often follow true worship and see that's a little you know that kind of ruffles some feathers - but when we're truly worshiping God there should be an emotional response he saved me he redeemed me he's he's my Creator and there's no emotions we get excited over Kobe and Lakers and this and but no emotions when we're worshiping God a birth of a child there's emotions marriage you get married there's emotions but when we come to worship God it's like this when we're gonna get it you know it's where is that so heartfelt worship it's ok to have emotions there and now and now as I was preparing this I was thinking about a couple people in the past have told me you know about worship when you're worshiping God in your and you get repetitive you know worthy is the lamb worthy is the lamb or let it reign and you're getting repetitive they said oh that's just brainwashing so I'm not necessarily that can be hard felt worship so we have to be careful there because it's ok to have our emotions engaged and feel deeply that's why God gave us emotion so we can fill him deeply can you imagine just going through dead ritualistic religion there's no emotion there it's disengaged let us worship the Lord and the power and the beauty of holiness and on this topic of worshiping the Lord I was I was reminded of Isaiah's call many of you know Isaiah the prophet and he he records later on in his ministry that it was in the year that King Uzziah died he saw the Lord High and lifted up and the Train of his robe filled the entire temple and the angels were crying holy holy holy is our God his glory fills the entire earth and the whole foundation of the temple was shaking holy holy holy is our God holy holy holy is our God and you can see that just that temple shaking the pillars and and and as I as a ax was so shook and by this that he said oh I am a man of unclean lips I dwell among of people with unclean lips Lord we are not worthy as they saying holy holy holy is our God he said I'm not worthy and the angel came he took the coal and he put it on Isaiah's lips and he says you're made clean you you can dwell and you can you can worship God now he was calling you setting you apart so there's emotions in that when people truly meant God they were emotionally stirred they were challenged they were changed but on the flip side a lot of the false things it's being taught in the church can be highly emotional it can be dead Orthodox you just go to certain places and it's just dead ritualistic there's nothing there but you can go the other side and there's just tons of emotion and and again go watch the video of last week's I don't want to repeat all that but that's why you got to find the balance in there and how do we find the balance what's a balancing act this this puts everything in balance and I can't for the life of me find Christians in here they're totally out of control they just going crazy ins out of control you don't see that you see people falling down in the mighty presence of God and repenting and coming to to know him in a powerful way but you don't see a lot of this weirdness that we that we see and again I talked about that last week but I just wanted to re reinstate it when I'm talking about the power of the Holy Spirit the church is divided on this whole issue when I think of the power of the Holy Spirit I think of dynamite it's like dynamite that ignites a hunger for God so intense that every aspect of life is changed we become bold not passive stable not fanatical and we commit we become committed not wavering that's the power the unction the anointing the filling of the Holy Spirit it's not a weird thing that's when God fills you maile with his spirit and as a result you want to worship Him so what's happening in the majority of churches is we are quenching and we are grieving the Spirit of God within us that's why there's not that heartfelt worship because the Holy Spirit's being quenched and being grieved but that's a sermon for a different day but that's what's happening so the last two points before I got cut off last week or this there is never ever ever heartfelt worship in religion nothing unless you are born again jesus said you cannot know God and let me add that you cannot worship God there is no true heartfelt worship and dead religion and finally on this issue of worship true true worship is a lifestyle not an event true worship is a lifestyle not an event and if anybody saying well I don't know what that guy is talking about then worship might not be a lifestyle because the psalmist wrote worship the Lord and the beauty of holiness it's that lifestyle that's being set apart and and focused on God our lifestyle is worshiping how we live our lives it's not just coming here and singing a few songs and going home that's a part of worship but worship worship the Lord and the beauty of holiness and our lifestyle should reflect that so that's what I wanted to recap and that's what I missed last week so with that said you can turn to Matthew to Matthew chapter 2 in Chapter 1 we read about the wise men and they came to and they found Jesus there in the manger you know we know the story we know the story very well from Christmas so now we're going to chapter 2 and this is when Herod the King wants to kill all the little children so let's pick up verse 13 chapter 2 now when they had departed which is Joseph Mary when they had departed behold an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and a dream saying arise take the young child and his mother and flee to Egypt and stay there until I bring you word for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him this is the same Herod that said come and tell me where Jesus is so I can come and worship Him well now we know what his worship was all about he wanted to destroy Jesus why because he was a threat to his kingdom let me destroy this child so when he arose Joseph he took the young child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt and was there until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the Prophet you see you see there the the prophetic their prophets of the Old Testament foretold of this time and they said it'll be fulfilled by the Prophet saying out of Egypt I called my son so the nation of Israel would know what he's talking about the prophetic the Old Testament prophets are saying out of Egypt God's going to call his son so the the writers bringing note to this listen out of Egypt I called my son verse 16 then Herod when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men was he is exceedingly angry and he sent forth to put to death all the male children who were born in Bethlehem and in all the districts from two years old and under according to the time which he had determined from the wise men so what does that mean can you picture two years and under all the male kids being killed that would be that would be absolutely horrific and then it picks up at verse 17 then was fulfilled here we go again here's that word then was fulfilled which was spoken by Jeremiah the Prophet saying a voice heard in Ramah lamentation weeping and great mourning Rachel weeping for her children refusing to be comforted because they are no more so see Jeremiah wrote about this hundreds and hundreds of years ago saying there's going to be come a time in Israel's history where that were there you're going to weep Rachel weeping for her children lamenting but she cannot be comforted all those children under two the male children are being killed why you've got to get rid of Jesus it's the same thing in our culture you got to get rid of Jesus get him out of everything get him out of city council prayer get him out of the public school system get them out of government god forbid you can't have a jesus bumper sticker any get him out of everything why because it's the only name under heaven and earth that saves even the demons tremble when you mentioned the name of Jesus Christ people get upset you can say Buddha Harry Krishna Joseph Smith you can say whatever nobody gets upset freaks me I'm gonna pray in the name of Jesus no you're not we've got to remove from our military we've got to remove them from everything why why does everybody want to get rid of Jesus because there's power in his name power that shakes the spiritual realm see when you name the name of Jesus you now have the power and the authority as he did to tell to tell the demonic realm no more to say no more to this in the name of Jesus Christ the only name that says there's power in that that's why they want to remove him out of sight out of mind right get him out of sight out of mind removed ten command the tenth commandment monuments remove God from everything get him out of here we don't want to need that we live in a pluralistic society shame everything is relative you can't say this and you can't say that and so we see the same thing today get Jesus out of everything so that's all he's doing here's coming a future King Herod said I'm going to take matters in my own hands kill every child under two that is a male and that's why there's tremendous weeping in this in this in this period and it actually reminds me of proverbs 29 with Herod ruling when the righteous are in authority the people rejoice but when the wicked rule they groan when we have men and women ruling and put positions of authority the people rejoice why because we're honoring God and all that we do and all that we say but we have people in positions of authority who are wicked and against God's word against his truth see a lot of people say they're Christians but you have to look at what they do what are their actions support you will know them by their fruit not by their words because words can deceive out of the abundance of a man's heart his mouth is going to speak but it's ultimately his character his choices it's his lifestyle that tells the story you have so many people especially in our in our in our government to say they're Christians but look at how they administrate look at how they make choices look at how they vote all these things speaks volumes as to the content of their character and when the righteous aren't Authority we will rejoice but when the wicked we will groan verse 19 now when Herod was dead behold an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt saying arise take the young child and his mother and go to the Land of Israel for those who sought the young child's life are dead then he arose took the young child and his mother and came into the Land of Israel you know it's really interesting there is God's perfect timing rarely matches ours they were probably rushing what's going on I mean they're gonna kill all kids under two years old so something's been going on for quite a while and I thought even in my own life God's timing we don't want his timing I want my timing I want things happen right now why aren't things happening we need to get that cross Christ child we need to get him into out we need to pull him out of Egypt - per fulfill one prophecy then we have to put him in Nazareth to become a Nazarene fulfill another prophecy Lord we got to do this it could take years so that was just encouragement to me that God is always his will is always on time because he sees what's going on out there he sees what's going on over here he sees a lot of things so he had to move the enemies of Jesus out of the way and then Christ could walk in and fulfill these these prophetic elements of the Old Testament same thing in our life he's got to remove difficulties enemies if you will remove people remove places out of our way but the most important thing that I will tell you right now is a living witness with the Word of God is my authority that he cares more about your character than where you're going we're being conformed into the image of Christ we're being shaped the chisel and the hammer not they are not pleasant tools it's not like a nice little massage he gets out the hammer and the chisel and begins chiseling away and shaping and conforming us into the character of his son so a lot of times God's will why is it taking longer well we've got some character that needs addressing we've got some attitudes that need to be removed we've got some things that God is working on as we're pursuing his character that's why it's always in his timing oh that's why I often say if he would have planted this church 1215 years ago I would have sunk this ship big time see you later why because it's not ready yet not ready yet you've got to be you've got to be you've got to go through the furnace of affliction Christians week we're supposed to come out broken and humble and strong not carnal and arrogant and immature yet we stay in this state we wonder why is this not happening why is it not happening and I'm often reminded that a and a journey through the wilderness took the children of Israel 40 years taking the 11 days to walk to Mojave God says nope you're gonna go down to Orange County over to San Bernardino up to Victorville and then then you'll get there why what does the Bible say to show you with the hardness of your hearts actually the sad reality is is he had to wipe out that whole generation in the desert read read read when they are entering into the Promised Land that whole generation because of their stiff-necked he would call these snippets oh that pride arrogance it would it was turning away from God 11 days to the Promised Land took them 40 years that's the other thing we can't ignore that when God's directing us God's calling us got weak seek Lord what is your will in my life get rid of these attitudes get rid of these things you got to work on this no no no no I don't want to do that show me my blessing show me I want to know what your will is I want to get to your will now I'll work on all that later God says you work on that now and then my will become crystal clear as you go and even crystal clear is a dangerous statement because as will is now is there's certain things that are crystal clear I have called you to worship me to be sanctified to be filled the Spirit of God to be saved to make disciples where there's some crystal clear things but when it comes to understanding God's will for your future should I move should I stay should I marry should I this should what should we do what should we do buy a house right now should we not buy a house right now what should we do with all the stuff and God's will but the the more you draw closer to him the more his will is revealed why because your hearts changing now you see the heart of God more you're in his word you start to see okay and the things I used to think we're important not nearly as important seek you first the kingdom of God and everything else will be added to you what do we do we want to seek you first this and that let hopefully this will follow later I'll follow this later nice to seek me first and then I will don't I know how to provide for you seek me first that's what God says if we could just get people to seek him first not the 401k not look at the stock not look at the housing market not look at the austan decks not look at the interest in all this what's gonna happen what's going to happen with the world we're out of control yeah we're out of control it's by the grace of God that he's sustaining us look to him look to the cross look to the Creator that's where our strength is out that's where our hope is that think about how important that is so when it comes to God's will it's in his time because he's moving enemies he's moving obstacles he's opening other doors and he's building our character even it's interesting with Jesus we don't hear for any ministry for 30 years we hear 12 years old he was ministering in the temple or listening and teaching asking questions but for 30 years I mean I would love to see in at 15 he flew somewhere and it at 16 he healed nothing because he was growing in the grace of God in the favor of men he was growing as well and how that all works I'm not sure but we know that God waited until his perfect time then he said at 30 years old you're gonna come on the scene John the Baptist is gonna pave the way he's gonna say repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world I must now decrease he must increase he's going to come on the scene he's gonna change the world and turn it upside down in three years with 12 men and one of them was a devil the whole world no other no we don't follow any other person even close nobody matches Jesus Christ the Bible has been in print and print and printed the best-selling book why why was all this has happened if it was a lie it would have died at its roots it would have never gained momentum a guy comes on the scene saying I am the son of God you would have lost everybody right there and then he begins to heal he begins to do miracles that confirm the Word of God then he had to die that perfect death on the cross to redeem mankind then now the disciples who were so discouraged now they're filled with the Spirit of God they go back to their houses so discouraged and down they killed him I can't believe they killed him then three days later he rose again he visited them he said look touch of me see of me I've been lit I've been lifted on I've been glorified death cannot hold me now they now they weighed in the prayer club room Jesus says go and wait until you receive power from on high and they wait and they're praying in their petitioning in that place read the acts recorders at the whole place shook like when like tongues of fire fell upon these men Bell upon these women 120 and they were filled Miley with the Spirit of God then they came out of there and they spoke Peter used to warm himself by the fire and deny Christ now he's saying you put Christ on the cross Peter saying that you put him on the cross what must we do to be saved Peter repent repent and turn back to him oh you're just drunk or speaking all these other tongues no this is what the prophet Joelle spoke of many many years ago again the Prophet Joelle spoke up this is just being fulfilled now and there will come a time when I will pour out my spirit on all flesh your sons and your daughters will prophesy your men your women will dream dreams and see visions and on my men's servants on my maid servants I will pour out my spirit on all flesh that's the event that turned the world upside down and that's why the church is still going the true blood-bought Church of Jesus Christ is humble broken men and women of God fill with the Spirit of God doing the work of God and that's a small minority because you have spectators going I'm interested in that that sounds pretty good but not too many people want to actually get in the game and surrender their hearts and finally repent of their sin and turn their lives over to God it's just that's just the truth and that so that that brings you back to verse after a very long rabbit trail verse 22 but when he heard that Archelaus Achilleas however you want to pronounce ya was reigning over Judah instead of his father Herod this is Joseph when he learned that there's a new king now he was afraid to go there as well and then again being warned by God in a dream he turned aside into the region of Galilee and he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets he shall be called a Nazarene so see just from what we read we see three three aspects and three confirmations of this is what the prophets wrote about hundreds of years ago I think Isaiah and Jeremiah don't quote me on this but I think there's six 700 BC the writing in that time prayer they're prophesying of what's going to happen so as we're talking about this this this thing of false spokesmen and true spokesman for God the number one thing you have to know is a true spokesman a true prophet of God or somebody who's speaking God's Word will line up with truth it will come to pass it's true it's the lines up with truth now I'm kind of walking of a fine line here because I'm not talking tonight about what some would consider the gift of prophecy and being able to speak into somebody's life and saying listen gods impress on my heart I mean God's speaking in a person's life and then to see if that comes to pass I'm not talking about that tonight we'll get to that those points in the churches again divided on this issue pretty much everything I talked about there's divisions on both sides and on this note I actually had a guy come in here about a month and a half ago just after the service kind of weird random and he just wanted to pray for me and to Lourdes put all this stuff on his heart about Westside Christian Fellowship you know what's gonna happen you know and he was he was he was doing he was prophesying and saying these things and so so he said what do you do shame well what I do is I take his email and when the years up I either thank him or I say you're a false prophet you see how that works the growth that we're gonna experience this this I mean is all is he just saying that to say it wants to you know you know some money I don't know so see how that works but on the other hand you can't just dismiss what God can speak through his people and usually it's a person who's humble they're not arrogant they don't have a business card that says profit on it you know they just say listen God is impressing on my heart too I am free to share this with you and he just they just impress upon your heart and you're like I needed to hear that this I needed that clarification it doesn't supersede this it confirms it but that's a whole different thing I'm not really talking about that tonight I'm talking about well the whole thing on false prophets the characteristics of that so we already talked about what is a prophet well it's somebody if you rather use a better word you can use the word receiver or preacher or somebody who speaks boldly God's truth with clarity and brings it to the culture and prophetically speaks out so that's what it is they're speaking on behalf of God so it's very important very very important that's one of the reasons I don't just come up here hop skip and a jump and yeah yeah let me see oh I wonder what my opinion it's very like Lord if you're not saying this if you're not directing I don't want to take opinions on some of these matters that I'm not really well real clear on because your word is kind of you know vague on certain things and farther Trinity and we're knowing that there's a Trinity but how to break that down I mean how do you you know so you have to come up here with humility and allowing God to speak through you it's not just a you know well let me see you this is what this means I think this what this means and that's why I'm so scared of these guys coming out and challenging God's truth because where do they where do they come up with this stuff where they come up with this stuff is they're probably not reading the whole Bible and they're probably not truly open to what God is wanting to say they want to be liked and everybody's friend tell me what I want to hear does that sound familiar Paul said there will come a time when we'll look for teachers who will tell us what we want to hear and you realize that's not just a judgment on the false teachers that's a judgment on the listeners because God says you want people to tell you what you want to hear go for it go listen to them we always think it's a false teachers but the Bible says they look for people who will tell them what they want to hear and when it comes to God's truth you don't need a second opinion those people is that when you when you counseling the Word of God God's truth they say well I'm gonna go get a second opinion there's no second opinions when it comes to essential absolute truth now of course it's good to get second opinions on medical things and making a move or things but I'm talking about when we start to barter God's Word we start to pick and choose we're at a very dangerous spot so that's basically what a person is doing this prophetic element they are speaking the truth of God that's why it's so important so God uses the prophetic to confirm first people and we sit here we go oh yeah that's interesting Isaiah said this Jeremiah said this can you imagine living in that time with the I mean the people they would they would memorize the first five books of the Bible at Genesis and Exodus Leviticus numbers Deuteronomy they the Jews had their stuff down they knew the prophets they knew the time they wrote they knew that I mean this was living this was their people their book their God so when God would say or the the Matthew would record this is that which the prophets spoke of remember out of out of Egypt I called my son this is that that the Prophet spoke of Rachel lamenting for her children this is that that the Prophet spoke up he will become a Nazarene you see all these prophetic elements coming up to life to life now for the children of Israel they confirm God's Word that's why it was so important and as I mentioned last week there are over 400 prophecies in the Old Testament about Jesus Christ let me give you all 400 just a few let's do a few that are familiar with most of to most of us Isaiah 7:14 remember 700 years somebody could check this I'm probably gonna email saying it's not this far but I think Isaiah was about 700 years BC before Christ he said behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel which is God with us Micah 5:2 but Thou O Bethlehem even though you are little among the thousands out of you shall come a ruler of Israel whose goings forth will be from everlasting to everlasting isaiah 40:3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness this is John the Baptist Isaiah wrote about this 700 years before John the Baptist comes on the scene he said a voice of one crying in the wilderness prepare the way of their Lord repent so what did John the Baptist say when they came and they said who are you who are you why are you saying all these things who gave you this authority he looks back 700 years and said I am the one the voice crying in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord so you see all this confirmation that we really can't appreciate here so in jesus's day you just have to outright deny him because there is so much when you have the prophetic accuracy and then you have the miracles of an just people being healed the Jesus never missed it I can't heal that one I don't know what's I mean you know he's just anybody anybody whatever he wanted to whoever he wanted to heal he told demons to leave he healed bodies he made lame the lame people walk again everything to confirm that was the main point we think we you know this there's also divide in the church on signs and wonders and signs and wonders and are they for day and signs and wonders conferences and signs and wonders the main the main purpose of signs and wonders was confirm that Christ was who he was the Paul the disciple that they were his even as handkerchief fell on people they got healed even a shadow that they people get healed to get up hill hill hill they're confirming the Word of God that was the major point there to confirm the Word of God so back on track Psalms 41 9 tells this is amazing when two it tells that Judas would betray him yeah my own familiar friend and whom I trusted which I did eat of my bread you have lifted up your heel against me Zechariah eleven twelve perfectly predicts the payment of thirty pieces of silver Isaiah 53 spoke of his sacrificial death by the by paying the price of our sins psalms 109 says that he will be mocked by those who watched him Psalms 34 said none of his bones would be broken Psalms 22 says that people would gamble for his clothing Psalm 31 contains the word that Jesus said when he committed his spirit to the Father Isaiah 53 says that he would plead for the forgiveness of those who persecuted him Amos 89 records the darkness that would follow his death in that day declares the sovereign Lord I will make the Sun go down at noon and darken the earth and broad daylight all these things are fulfilled fulfilled at the cross fulfill fulfill everything fulfill for can you imagine if you're a Jew that knew your Bible in that day and you're just putting the pieces together that's why when Paul and pre and Peter and and people would preach they would say oh it is written remember it is written you stiff-necked people got Isaiah wrote about you eight 700 years ago you you are not repenting you've been but your eyes have been veiled they've been closed off you need to repent and turn back to God for it is written a man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God for it is written in him I live and move and have my being for it is written they kept going back to that that's that how the prophetic element was so important and probably one of the most famous prophecies that I love to read is we all knows when Jesus finally taught that we have a recorded sermon that he gave in one of the temples there Jesus Christ preached a sermon can you believe that I would give anything to hear that but we haven't what did he do he walked up there they handed him the scroll of Isaiah he opened it turned to the spot and he said the Spirit of the Lord is upon me he has anointed me to preach the glorious gospel to set captives free to deliver those who have been bound to set the captives free to strengthen the sick to redeem the lost the Spirit of Lord is upon me he reads all of Isaiah wherfore where he nails it and then he sits down and he says what you have just read is now fulfilled in your hearing I am he can you imagine that the crowd the Spirit of the Lord is upon me to preach the gospel that scripture has just been fulfilled in your hearing I mean I wonder if you could hear a pin drop I would love to be would they say no that's just a carpenter's son we know him that's just a carpenter's son that's Mary and Joseph boy no way I can't be true now you see why all the signs and wonders to confirming who he was they would I mean if you just think that they would come to arrest him and the Sadducees the Pharisees would say why didn't you arrest him they would say no man ever spoke like this man he has authority even the demons tremble he has the authority say woman Thou Art Loosed from your infirmity and she stood up after many years woman thou art she touched him of his garment she was healed from that issue of blood there's no there's so much power in the name of Jesus Christ if we would just bow to that name on a daily basis seek him with all of our heart those things can still happen he can set the captive free he can still redeem the loss of spirit of the Lord not only is upon him it's upon Christians to preach the glorious gospel the same gospel that he preached we are preaching turn back to God repent of your sin and turn back to God we can say that as Christians the Spirit of the Lord is upon me we can read about that in the New Testament the Holy Spirit would would Peres come upon it come alongside people Paraclete us alongside and then we see the spirit in us en and then there's another Greek purpose preposition epi epi upon us and that's that feeling of the Spirit the unction of the spirit that comes upon us that is that's the power of God speaking his truth trying to convert and change man that's how powerful that is and Jesus walked up there he said today this has been fulfilled in your hearing and you might say yeah but they could just a rote they could just write that down and say he said this and all this well there's probably something that I would consider one of the biggest archaeological finds I would say in our lifetime other than finding the ark finding the you know the ten commandments finding you know finding certain things but you can go on and even google it it's called the Dead Sea scrolls and a Bedouin shepherd boy I think it was 1946 was around these caves and he threw a little rock he he could hear it was like like he hit some clay and what they began to unpack out of those caves when they would open them up is the same book of Isaiah that we read today written around two hundred or hundred BC before Christ was even there that was their job is to transcript to transit to write down the old testament and all they had all these parchment saved that's a huge discovery nobody can deny it not in the Jews nobody because it's right there dated way even before Jesus so there's a book of Isaiah a few variances here and they're the same thing we read today's the same thing he was reading I mean I can't imagine I can't imagine Jesus Christ stepping to the pulpit and saying the Spirit of the Lord is upon me he's been he's called me to set the captives free to preach the gospel to the poor now the scripture is fulfilled in your hearing I am he which is prophet spoke of and you'll see throughout the entire New Testament that's why I can courage people to read the Bible Jesus never never argued and debated he would just say I'm sort of God this is Who I am if I was at this world my armies would come and fight and you'd be wiped down I am he that you spoke I am he I am the resurrection and the life I am the son of God I am the Alpha I am the Omega I'm everything I was a bright and Morning Star I was a brazen serpent that Moses even lifted up I can even show you Christ in the feasts and the festival's not only that the Passover lamb he was our great Passover what about Leviticus the shedding of blood all this blood has to be shed Jesus steps on the scene that without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin he fulfills everything I mean the Bible is so I mean to think that just as a product of man boggles my mind because not only does it speak to you spiritually scientifically prophetically archaeologically it is interwoven everything saying the same thing consistency the truth there's coming up it's jumping out basically in transforming lives it can't just be the work of men it can't be that's impossible so why the deception why is there deception and John MacArthur's dad I was reading another book by him he said this and it really stuck out people do not counterfeit what isn't valuable so when we see the enemy coming in and doing holy spirit pep rallies or all this weird stuff he's trying to counterfeit what's valuable because I've seen a powerful move of God at some conferences and places and it's not pretty I almost can't I I almost can't I can't keep preaching I have to just I have to just sit down the worship team comes up people start breaking at the foot of the cross men are panting they're they're coming to the altar that's just God pouring out of spirit you can't fabricate that that's the spirit filled life that God wants for us so he's always trying to counterfeit something so see see see that's what the Holy Spirit can do in your life let's counterfeit it let's look make it look all weird and like you know what you see on TV let's counterfeit it so people get caught up in it what else does he counterfeit the Word of God most cults out there have most of the Word of God not quite if well that sounds like oh now you got to that point so you just lost me now why he counterfeits that I've attempted all week and I don't you know if I didn't tell you this story because it might take a long time and lose a sermon but it was it was so I mean it's God he has a sense of humor right thing but anyway had this sermon out I think it was Wednesday or Thursday up on the aqueduct I just got out of my truck okay I'm gonna I have this I usually walk and I just just study and met it you know change it around and just kind of pray over it well they're right in front of my truck pulls in a car about 20 feet away and four Mormon missionaries hop out and they're in there and they're studying their Bible they sit down on the curb and say oh my god Lord I just want to work out today you're not gonna even go to work alright so I ran it's I'm okay good luck guys you know I okay you've got to really show me you know if you're gonna want me to speak to these guys and so I mean they're they're fright right here to the third row like just sitting there hey I was going good so I'm kind of going and jogging and I just I just can't get it you know I just ah there's how do you how do you not sit and talk there 19 20 years old they're dressed nice and the reading their Bible right there actually they're reading the Book of Mormon the Bible is on the curb so I went over there you know and just I'm just some workout clothes and I said what do you guys are eating what are you what are you reading because all looking more in oh really what's what how is that different from Catholics and Christianity and Joseph wit hell me how is that different and they just laid for ten minutes I mean they know they got it down Joseph Suman Smith came to restore the new gospel the real gospel in 1800s and you know you know sounds you know you just laid it out I said well I said you kind of put me in a unique position well how's that I said because you can't have Joseph Smith right and Jesus Christ well sure you can the Book of Mormon complements the Bible I said no sir listen it's at odds with it on every point as your mouth kind of fella what's this guy talking I mean and then I just started for 10 minutes I said listen I appreciate your guys's heart I I mean you guys do a lot of good things but I just have to be honest with you to say to say that God was once like us and we're gonna be like God someday guys is blasphemy it's blasphemy I said the Word of God says nothing about that and I just went broke it down for marriage celestial marriage - you know I said salvation is through Christ right yeah okay we're on the same page and then through the Mormon ordinances right yep that's okay and then and then through good works yeah okay see see there see now I have to go back to what Jesus Christ said and I just preach the gospel lovingly if you just confess with your mouth that Christ is Lord you will be saved that's it no his finished work on the cross you have to belong to the denomination in it and they're just sitting there listening no chalant nothing and just was able to brighten just show them the contrast what no no no you can't say that you can't you can't you you know and they'd say what about ongoing revelation yeah right here as long as it's consistent with this ICC you have no plumb line you have prophets that come in from Hinkley Joseph Smith and bring him young they come in and they bring in the things that contradict this so I what do I believe this has to be the standard it is not written in addition to anything it is our standard and based on a widow I would just encourage you guys to check it out archaeologically nothing in the book of war has ever been found nothing not even a spear that they used nothing you see you've got it you've got a you said you opened yourself up to this burning in this bosom do you know that you can open yourself up to deception and an angel of light Galatians 1/8 says if we each to you any other gospel than what's been a preach let him be anathema which is to be a curse and I just laid it out to these guys in love and I mean they didn't have anything to say they're kind of like oh shoot what are we gonna do here now you know but I kept encouraging you do seem to repent and follow the right you know the right Christ and right in the finally one guy got a little little little brave he said cuz Wow I'll challenge you why don't you just beat why don't you just at least read the whole book of Mormon and just ask God to reveal it to you said I can't do that because I'll see you there you go I said no and that's that's not see here you go I can read your three guys Joseph Smith bring him young and normally Hinkley all these prophets what they're saying all of them goes against the Word of God so that's all I need to know I don't need to read the entire package when I know that there's already mislabeled and bad ingredients in the package I don't need a Snickers bar canned just read the ingredients to tell you it's not good for me they're not I know you guys like shakers bars you don't let me give you a five-minute lecture I'm partially hydrogenated oils and what that does so anyway so I said I can't read that I said I would encourage you to put that down to read the Word of God because there has to be a plumb line I will tell you guys I appreciate your hearts but they do not go together they actually are polar opposites they hit each other on every point that you you said and all they could say well I appreciate your time think so no arguing note nothing I didn't get loud I said and I even I even I did him the church you know the car to the website I said compare the Mormon preaching to this preaching just compare it just is it dead religiosity because there's no Spirit of God or is it somebody feel the Spirit of God proclaiming God's truth and I said we're humble we want to see God I want you guys to know God but you're going in a very very dangerous direction because it does not line up with the word of God back to what I said originally you cannot have Jesus Christ and Joseph Smith both be right you can't there's no way around it so that was my my intro into this this whole message this week kind of God has a sense of humor because I was not planning on that but and again you know anytime I talk about these things and mention names it's not you know lots a lot of people do to poke fun or I don't I really don't I just feel bad I mean I don't I don't I don't want to beat up Mormonism or Jehovah Witness I don't but as a pastor when they when they begin to bring in deceptive lies I've got to disseminate I've got to discern I've can say listen there's wrong here this is why a court if we if we don't want to use this well sure that anything goes why even come to church so this has to be the standard by which we judge everything so there's a big difference between attacking people and there's ministries out there all they do is attack an attack an attack and I go on I go on site and you read about their coming against Mormonism or Jehovah Witness they're coming there's no love and that no words are seasoned by grace you got to tell people you got nineteen year old kids that are going witnessing for the next two years I got appreciate their heart they're seeking God they want to do good you know that's that's to be commended now here's where you're you might want to consider this have you considered this you know you just just lovingly bring them back to the point because after that they could not say anything because I just quoting scripture and I even told them truth invite scrutiny air will run from it I'll sit and I'll meet with your bishops for the next three hours and we'll just sit and talk I guarantee they won't want to meet with me you want to know why air runs from scrutiny it doesn't want to be challenged by the Word of God but truth invites it sure let's sit down let's reason together let me show you the truth of God's Word so that's one of the main things right there that's why there's deception because people don't counterfeit what isn't valuable they want to they want to they want to you'll see new translations come out that begins to remove this sin and that's in in the gender-neutral Bible it let's make truth more appealing and you know that's what so that they're gonna try to counterfeit that so what does God think about destruct destructive doctrines any any any idea what God thinks about destructive doctrines that lead people away well few things Jude Jude verse chapter one verse three dear friends although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once and all entrusted to the Saints why for certain men whose condemnation was written long ago have secretly slipped in among you see the devil doesn't just come in with rent with red horns and a pitchfork he sit in the third row back over there again wanting to bring in destructive line said Jesus really said when if I could get into that men's group and start to shake their minds a little bit let me come in deceptively and see if I can do that bring it did Jesus really say does Jesus really I mean do you know do you guys you meet on Saturdays your Sabbath worshippers right so see how that works they bring in deceptive little lies you've got to be careful there I'll get in that when I get to that part of the Matthew they are godless men who changed the grace of our God into a license for immorality and they even deny Jesus Christ who bought them or who is our Lord so that's one of the things of false prophets they will they will they'll give a license for immorality I mean isn't Rob Bell doing that yeah you can embrace the homosexual lifestyle and still be a Christian absolutely they're giving license for this you can still do this you can still do that and on that note would I consider him a false prophet probably so based on everything he's been saying and reading and writing you know sadly I would say that is a destructive things he's bringing into the church I mean these are these are essential doctrines that he's denying hell he's denying this and that's a very dangerous direction that's why we all can't just get along because when he strays from truth and we try to hold it see I can't have company with that anymore I'm going to lunch with him and talk to him but I can't fellowship with that I can't acknowledge that as a true spokesman for God because they're denying the very essential elements of the gospel so that's that's why we and you have to do it look at Jude says this he points it out the right of the Bible points it out what about Timothy that I read earlier for the time will come when men will not endure sound doctrine instead to suit their own desires they will gather around themselves a great number of teachers who say what their itching ears want to hear so our culture is gonna start to look for people to tell them what they want to hear 1st Timothy 4:16 watch your life and your doctrine closely Paul so Timothy watch your life and your doctrine closely persevere in them because if you do you will say both yourself and your hears so that's one of the things they do they come in secretly they come in secretly and you know what they say a lot of times we must decipher God's Word for you you'll notice that right The Book of Mormon all these different thing we might we'll tell you what I mean I couldn't leave they thought they was they said the same thing obviously they're not reading one of the two or you see that the magazine watchtower Jove witness let us tell you what God's Word says let us decipher it for you for many years all that wood all that the priest would speak was Latin right so the people could know let us tell you what the word we don't want this in the common man's tongue we don't want this in in the language that everybody can understand why because there's some air there truth should be proclaimed truth should be announced and pronouns truth should be promoted this is a way that truth the life Christ is but this shows us that he is the way the truth the life this shouldn't be ran from it shouldn't be embraced get in the Word of God read it daily because then you'll see that what we're saying here it does line up with Scripture so that's one of the things you've got to always remember if people do not want you to get into the Word of God for yourself they want to tell you then that's a sure sign that there's some deception there I wish I could get through this whole thing but Peter second Peter clarifies I want I want you I want to leave you guys at this point when it comes to false teachers you look at their character during their ministry and their consistency of their ministry you look at their character during their ministry and their consistency during their ministry you look at all of that if not you go on websites and they'll say you know Billy Graham is a false prophet and Smith Calvary chapel's a false prophet and Mark Driscoll is a false prophet not they just like to lump everybody everybody in this big old group that doesn't meet right down the middle with their theology and that's not what I'm talking about I'm talking about looking at a man's character or a woman's character in their consistency in their ministry look at Beth Moore Kay Arthur and Graham Lotz you look at you look at their consistency and their character and what they're saying second Peter but there were also false prophets among the people even as there will be false teachers among you who will secretly here we go again bring in destructive heresies even denying the Lord who bought them and bring on themselves Swift destruction and many will follow their destructive ways because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemy by covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words for a long time their judgment has been idle has not been idle and their destruction does not slumber so the way of truth is blasphemy and I could keep going on but I'm gonna I'm gonna get ready to conclude this and maybe we'll do part three next week but that's the main thing that truth is blasphemy and then Peter says but these like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed they speak evil of the things they do not understand and will utterly perish in their own corruption they have eyes full of adultery and cannot cease from sin they entice unstable Souls see that's where I wanted to really get to those who are led astray into a lot of these are unstable Souls they're tossed around to and fro they don't really know their doctrine they don't know the Word of God so it sounds good it sounds good but and they're allowing man to teach them and say instead of listening looking into into for themselves so that's the whole point I want to get you to be to be a stable soul you got to know what the original looks like where we talked about last week bank tellers don't look at counterfeit money all week when they're training they look at the original they look at the original they want to see what the original looks like and that's what my whole point is to get you back in that so next week I want to talk a little bit more about this this whole issue but you know what I don't know how many a few of you here were at the mayor's Prayer Breakfast at the fairgrounds and the guy who spoke to get his video from Chris it's just a fantastic message he's president promise keepers and he talked about just this bitterness and strongholds and it really doesn't apply with where I just left a message because I had some more to get into but I thought it was relevant for us and it's gonna be on this note in Chapter why I talked about we have come to worship Him remember the Wiseman said we have come to worship Him and it begs a question have we have we truly come to worship Him have we or we just come to play Church because a lot of people are just playing Church they're not truly coming to worship Him and this guy talked about it really resonating with a lot of things in my past and other people is if we if we don't let this bitterness go this bitterness go and judgmentalism and being so bitter and judgmental everybody somebody's wounded me and somebody's upset me somebody's hurt me if you don't let that go it's gonna it's gonna prevent heartfelt worship it's at kink in the hose I've talked about before that when if we just hold this judgmentalism and actually I was gonna talk about some of it some in the church are so judgmental of people they'll call everybody a false prophet they're shooting brothers brothers are shooting brothers sisters or shooting brothers were holding their sisters we're holding in all this judgmentalism and all this bitterness and experience true worship we've got to let that go we have to so as Gabe and Chelsey comes up I just want to kind of end on that note they're gonna do a few songs before we conclude the service but I just want to just experience and Lisa to just a heart of worship you know one of the things I'm reading a good book by Warren where's be you guys should pick it up if you get a chance I believe it's called God is not in a hurry and in one of the it just goes through and one of the chapters he talks about many people are so rushed you know okay we came to church we read the Word of God but we never take time to meditate on everything we just heard we never take time just meditating let it sink and let the truth of God's Word just sink in because if you don't realize it in a whole hour I just laid out the message of the gospel to that we are sinners dead in our trespassers and our sins Oh Shane you just believe that listen that's what the Bible says we are lost in our sins and unless we repent of our sins and confess Christ as Lord we will be separated from God in eternity so this picture of hell is not some you know evil Gaga huh it's gonna listen if you're not in right relationship with me through the blood of Jesus Christ I cannot bear that I cannot be a holy God connect cannot stand with sinful man so that's what it separated turnitin eternity in hell it is a lot of people preach that just to get people stirred up I'm just preaching because it's the truth if we deny Christ and reject him we will spend eternity separated from God because that is the only provision our only hope so let that sink in to let that true sink in during worship meditate on these things if you don't know him why do you think you might have come tonight I always want to give people that opportunity because he's tugging at hearts and he's one he's drawing us back how does he Jaws back he draws us by the convicting power of the word of God preached to the power of the Holy Spirit to help and change man he's calling us back to him so he's either calling us to full repentance and to give our lives to the Lord or he's calling many of you many of me and it can be myself included to seek a deeper life that deeper life that Christ spoke of that true worshiping heart that heart that's broken and humble and seeking Him we can never get too much of that Jesus said the Spirit of the Lord is upon him he's done it all it's finished the finished work of Christ on the cross all we have to do is embrace it and without Lord I just ask that you would Lord begin to heal families Lord tonight I pray during this time of worship Lord begin to bring women and men Lord to their knees Lord break the heart but restore the family Lord I pray for men in here lord help us be the men that you've called us to be and to lead our families Lord in the fear of you lord I pray that you begin to mold and direct people right now as they seek your will Lord give them direction Lord give them clarity let prayers be answered tonight Lord for finances for the prodigal son to come home Lord we pray for the prodigal tonight the wayward daughter Lord we pray for them Lord we're petitioning we're asking that you would bring them home or bring them back to their mothers and their fathers have them cry out to you Lord just like the product or when he came to himself Lord how these people come to you quicken them with your spirit Lord convict them draw them back lord I pray that spouses would leave here tonight cherishing one another loving one another Lord in the fear of you as well the spouses would love each other Lord and raise their kids better Lord we want to know you in a more intimate way we pray that you bless us worship time we ask this in Jesus name Amen [Music] you

Channel: SermonIndex.net

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Keywords: Revival, Character Of God, Free Sermons, Video Sermons, Jesus Christ, What Is The Gospel, SermonIndex, What Is The Truth, Shane Idleman

Id: FUeNAI4ktH4

Length: 63min 29sec (3809 seconds)

Published: Mon May 06 2013