We are going to look to God’s Word today concerning false teachers and see what our responsibilities are:
I. RECOGNIZE DECEPTION
Deuteronomy 13:1 “If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder,”
a. Keyword: “dreamer of dreams”
b. In the Bible it was not uncommon that God spoke to people through dreams.
i. Joseph had a prophetic dream that he would one day be lord over his brothers which eventually came true.
ii. Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon had a dream about the destruction of his kingdom which Daniel the prophet interpreted for him.
iii. Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father had an angel appear in a dream who told him to not be afraid to take Mary as his wife.
c. In this verse however, the Bible isn’t referring to a person who simply dreams something –
i. This verse is referring to a person who ‘dreams up’ prophecy that is not from God.
ii. A good example would be these psychic television shows like ‘crossing over’ where a person acts as a medium to speak to the dead.
iii. Even though these shows claim authenticity, they are often far from it.
d. Illustration: Harry Houdini, the great magician, had two great loves in his life; his lovely wife and his dear mother. After his mother’s passing he became relentless about wanting to speak to her from beyond the grave. He tried desperately to find a real medium to make contact with her. After visiting many charlatans he decided that instead of looking for a real one he would begin exposing the frauds. Over and over he would go to places where psychics were setup and would show how they were performing their feats of amazement. Some caused bells to ring and wind to blow, all of which they attributed to the spirit world. Houdini would perform these same feats and then show everyone how they were done. What many people didn’t know is that Houdini really wanted to find a real medium – he wanted to find someone he couldn’t expose to contact his mother. Finally before he died he made an agreement with his wife. They had a special word that only they knew. After his death she was to go in search of a medium who would be able to contact him and reveal the secret word. After Houdini’s passing it is said that his wife spent the rest of her life seeking a person who could call the secret word of her late husband. No one ever did.
e. This verse says that they may very well be able to perform signs of wonder and amazement.
i. I can’t tell you how many times someone has said, “But this guy really can speak to these dead people, I know it…” or “It can’t all be fake”
ii. People are right, it can’t all be fake
f. Using mental tricks and emotional pulls is not what I would call ‘fake’, I would call it deceptive.
i. Jesus warned of teachers like this when he said “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” (Matt 7:15)
ii. Illustration: “What is fake?” Fake is a magic trick, like I did while working for ‘DeLand Entertainment’ while I was in high school. I was a professional magician. I was the king of ‘fake’, I could ‘fake’ people into believing I was reading their minds and even making things appear and disappear from thin air.
iii. This, however, was all fake – it was all illusion and people knew it.
iv. Quote: Deception is when people take these apparent ‘signs and wonders’ and create a following of people who hail their powers.
v. I don’t think what the host of ‘crossing over’ is doing is ‘fake’, it is deceptive.
II. UNDERSTAND DISCERNMENT
13:2 “and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ’Let us go after other gods’-which you have not known-’and let us serve them,’”
a. God’s Word is perfect and it always gives us the answers to our obvious questions.
i. The question would be, “how do I know if a person is a false teacher?”
ii. The answer is right here in this verse: “he spoke to you, saying, ’Let us go after other gods’”.
iii. If a person says they are receiving their power from:
1. ‘angels’ (like many religions say including Mormonism and even Islam)
2. or that they are seeking ‘cosmic energy’ (like in many eastern religions)
3. or they are tapping into their ‘hidden strength’ (modern humanism)
4. And they are not naming the name of Jesus it is obvious that they are being deceptive.
b. What’s more deceptive, though, are those who actually name the name of Jesus.
i. How do we know if these are teachers or deceivers?
ii. The only way to know is to know your Bible.
iii. Just because someone says Jesus’ name does not mean they are worshipping or honoring the Jesus of the Bible.
iv. Many people have created a Jesus in their own minds (which is a form of idolatry).
1. This Jesus does not even begin to compare to the Jesus of the Bible.
2. Listen to what they say.
3. If it does not line up with what the Bible says you know they are deceivers.
v. Illustration: I once heard a pastor on television say to one of his deacons that if everyone in the church would pay their tithes that his daughter (who was wheelchair bound) would be able to walk. It was the churches lack of faithfulness to give money that kept that little girl cripple.
c. Remember, just because someone names the name of Jesus does not mean that he of she is really following Him.
i. Matthew 7:22-23 “Many will say to Me in that day, ’Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ’I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
ii. Discernment is our ability to use God’s Word to determine right from wrong
III. PRACTICE DISCIPLINE
13:3 “you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”
a. It is easy to fall prey to a preacher or teacher who promises health, wealth, happiness and joy.
i. But if what they say does not agree with the Bible, they are what Jesus called ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing”.
ii. The Bible says that God is allowing these men to do what they do as a test for true believers.
iii. For us to be able to show whether we love the Lord with all our heart, or not.
1. But the only way we will be able to discern the real teachers from those who are false is by disciplining ourselves to the study of His Word.
2. We need to know what this book says and spend time in prayer about what it means.
b. Question: Why do you think so many false teachers have snuck into the church?
i. It is because most people are not reading the Word for themselves, but being spoon fed by deceitful men.
ii. You are the next generation of Christians.
iii. You are the church of tomorrow.
iv. And Satan has His men out there fighting to warp your minds with things like ‘moral relativism’, ‘Darwinian evolution’ and ‘secular humanism’ which teaches us that the answers all lie within us and not with God.
v. Let’s discipline ourselves to study and learn God’s Word, keeping our swords sharp for battle.
CONCLUSION: I will end with a short story…
Illustration “Deceived by the Devil” In an old episode of ‘twilight zone’ an American walking through Europe was stranded during a storm in a castle that held a brotherhood of monks. Late that night as he was touring the castle alone he discovered a cell that held a prisoner. The prisoner had a kind face and a gentle voice and he told the American that he had been imprisoned by the insane head monk. The American then confronted the head monk about the man. The head monk said that the man was actually Satan who was being held captive. The American now really believed that the head monk was crazy and went to release the prisoner. Upon releasing him, the prisoner immediately changed from a man to a hideous horned beast and vanished into a puff of smoke. The stunned American, knowing he had been deceived, told the head monk what he had done. “I just didn’t recognize him” said the American to which the head monk replied, “That is man’s weakness…and Satan’s strength”
(Let us pray)
Share the Gospel
God created us to be with Him
Our sin separates us from God
Sin cannot be repaid by good works
Paying the price for sin, Jesus came and died on the cross
Everyone who puts their trust in Him alone will have eternal life
Life forever is with Jesus in heaven
Now, how many of you know for sure that you have that life eternal through a real relationship with Jesus? If you don’t you can tonight through repentance and trust.
