Sermon Tone Analysis

*“Spiritual Discernment”*

*1 John 4.1-6*

 

 “Aren’t there more important things to do in this world than argue over doctrine?”

“Why can’t we all just follow Jesus and get along?”

“So what if his life isn’t perfect?

He says he loves Jesus.

Isn’t that enough?” “I picked up her book from the ‘Christian’ section at Chapters.”

Perhaps you’ve heard these questions or asked them yourself.

There is certainly within many of us an intense desire to work together for the cause of Jesus Christ.

And I’ll admit sometimes the fight for sound doctrine can be tiring.

It takes a lot of energy and focus to fight.

There is also a strong temptation to please people around you.

And yet as we are diligent in our study of God’s Word, we see that there is little option for the Christian but to stand firm on what we believe and what it is we are to proclaim.

I have seen quite prominently in “Christian” publishing that there is also strong temptation to introduce new teachings when it comes to God and the Bible.

It is also apparent that such things sell quite nicely.

The problem here is that there is either little /concern/ from those promoting these doctrines or that there is little /discernment/ in so doing.

It has been said that we are one of the most biblically illiterate generations in history.

THAT is a sobering thought!

I believe that this is largely attributed to a couple of reasons.

I think that we have many other things that compete for our time.

We have an unprecedented amount of distraction.

And what I’ve noticed is that it is much easier for us to entertain ourselves than to dig into God’s Word, memorize Scripture, and apply it.

But this is precisely what we must be doing!

As we know, the book of 1 John is purposed to demonstrate the difference between the Christian and the one who merely claims to be.

Through a series of tests, John is attempting to expose the false teachers and encourage those who remain faithful to Christ.

This passage today will include a doctrinal test, a practical test, and an exhortation for a response from John’s readers.

A. W. Tozer once said that, “What comes into your mind when you think of God is the most important thing about you.”

In other words, it is only as we have an accurate understanding of God, will we know how to have a relationship with him and to honor him.

This theme certainly emerges from our text this morning.

Please turn in your Bibles to 1 John 4.1-6.

*READ.

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In many ways, our passage this morning parallels 1 John 2.18-28 where John writes regarding the Antichrist and how presently there antichrists in the world.

In that passage, John sets out to help identify what signifies the one who truly believes in Jesus Christ and the one who is “antichrist.”

Our passage this morning involves a couple of tests as well.

Our first point is *Confessing the Truth.

*John begins with a strong prohibition, in verse 1, indicating that his readers should not believe every spirit.

Rather, they are to test the spirits to see if they are truly from God or are merely false prophets.

Even out of the gate, John will make the strong point that the messages that are proclaimed are spiritual in nature.

In other words, if we recall that a person is either for Jesus or against Jesus, we can also conclude that it is either the Spirit of God or the spirit of antichrist that is behind the messages.

John says that *many* false prophets have gone out into the world.

In chapter 2, he says that *many* antichrists have come.

Our grasping this truth alone should prompt us to diligence in the Word of God.

In Old Testament times, the nation of Israel was given criteria for which to discern true and false prophets.

And if the prophet was determined to be false, they were to put that one to death because of the extreme danger of leading the people astray.

In Deuteronomy 13.1-6, “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’ 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.

You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep *his* commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve *him* and hold fast to *him*.

But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of slavery, *to make you leave the way* in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk.

So you shall *purge the evil from your midst*.

“If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or the wife you embrace or your friend who is as your own soul entices you secretly, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which neither you nor your fathers have known.”

You can also find this in Deuteronomy 18.15ff.

This is a serious issue that needed to be addressed - and continues to be so even today.

This situation is particularly dangerous because such prophets “appear” or “proclaim” to be sent from God.

However, what is evident is that one should not receive every prophetic pronouncement as true just because there is a claim to divine authority.

Spiritual activity is not necessarily godly activity.

Jesus himself brought this to our attention.

Matthew 7:15 15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

Matthew 24:11 “11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.

Matthew 24:24 “24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.”

Mark 13:21–23 “21 And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it.

22 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect.

23 But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand.”

And how about Paul in the book of Acts?

Acts 20:28–30 “28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

Peter speaks of these in his second letter.

And we saw recently that Jude also speaks of those who had “crept in unnoticed” in the midst of the believers.”

So, with this reality, John commands his readers to not believer every spirit.

Don’t believe everything that you hear.

The tense of the verb here suggests that the readers were presently believing things they shouldn’t be.

And John tells them to stop doing so.

Rather… but… “test” the spirits.

The word for test is “dokimazo” and was used to refer to a metallurgist’s assessment of metals to test their purity and value.

Don’t fall for spiritual “fool’s gold.”

All that glitters isn’t gold.

Look at it.

Assess it.

Feel it.

Don’t just accept anything or anyone.

Test the spirits.

Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:20–22 “20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 *but test everything*; hold fast what is good.

22 Abstain from every form of evil.”

Verses 2 and 3 tell us what we’re testing for.

“By this… you know… the Spirit of God.” Ready?

Here is the litmus test.

“Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.”

In all of our dealings with people, we’ve got to get Jesus right!

Here we have content and confession.

The content is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God incarnate.

Upon this truth the Christian faith stands or falls.

The actuality of the incarnation is not secondary or optional.

It is essential!

John 1:14 “14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Philippians 2 tells us that he was born in the likeness of man. 1 Timothy 3:16 “16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

However, John isn’t just suggesting that as long as you believe that Jesus was born as a man, you are from God. Everything else we know of Jesus is contingent on this great truth.

Remember, in 1 John 2.2, John indicates that the antichrist denies Jesus as the Christ (or the Messiah sent by God).

In 4.2, it is that Jesus has come in the flesh.

In 4.15 it is those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God who are indwelt by God.

In 5.1 it is those who believe that Jesus is the Christ that are born of God.

In 5.5 it is again those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God who overcame the world.