The Danger of Demonic Doctrine
The Truth about Truth • Sermon • Submitted
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· 6 viewsThe text warns of immoral and greedy false teachers, the doctrine proclaimers of Satan, who will use people as a means to the end of reaching their own selfish goals.
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Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
There is growing confusion in America pertaining who gets to go to heaven and who does not. In a survey taken concerning salvation and how to get to heaven 55% of all Americans said that a good person could earn their way to heaven. Of that 55% affirming this, 58% were Episcopalians, 59% were Methodists, 76% were Mormons and 82% were Catholics. Before we Baptists pat ourselves on the back we need to be aware that 38% of Baptists also affirmed this works-based soteriology that supposedly gains entrance into the land of eternal bliss.
I am reminded of the story of the farmer who was aiding one of his mother cows in giving birth. The calf was about halfway out of the mother cow when he noticed his four-year old son at the fence taking in the entire thing. The man thought to himself, “Great! Four years old and now I have got to start explaining the birds and the bees.” He was about to say something when suddenly he thought to himself, “No, I will just let him ask questions and I will answer.” After he had safely delivered the calf and laid the calf down and everything was over, the man walked over to his little son and inquired, “Well son, do you have any questions?” The wide-eyed boy responded, “Just one, dad. Just how fast was that calf going when it hit that cow?!”
Why did I share that. I did so because everyone who comes into a church is not always what they seem. We are too eager to fill in a name on a line on a nominating committee report. What happens is that the church trusts that form more than they do the Lord. The result is that people are put into places where they never should have been allowed to be put. It has happened in every church I have been in and such people have done great damage to the body of Christ and to His kingdom.
We need to make sure we get it straight when it comes to what we are to believe and what we are to do. The issue today concerns the danger of false teachers and their demonic doctrine. The Apostle Peter warned believers in His day, just as Jesus had warned Peter and the other disciples of the immense danger of false prophets and teachers. Jesus continues to warn believers in His church today of the ever present danger of false teachers that make their away in among His people. You may be here today or listening today and asking yourself, “Pastor, why are false teachers and false teaching so dangerous.?”
You may be assured that there false teachers in our day and we are in danger of them whenever we fail to embrace the truth of Christ and His Word. Our text is going to give four characterizations of false teachers and why they are so dangerous to believers today.
1. False Teachers are Characterized by Deception (2:1a).
1. False Teachers are Characterized by Deception (2:1a).
The message of false prophets is as false as the false prophets themselves. They are stealthy and destructive. They “secretly bring in destructive heresies.” The word heresy is the Greek word from which we get our English word “here say.” It literally means “faction.” This is what happens when false teachers spread their false doctrine. Factions disrupt the unity and peace in the church. False teachers are able to do this because they are “among you.” They come in with an agenda and look for the weaknesses in people and then they attack through confusion and deception. A false teacher will eventually force you to make a choice between what he says and what the Word of God says. Be very careful if you ever hear these words, “Are you on my side or are you on the pastor’s side?” Such a person is on a mission and has an agenda of control-namely theirs.
There was a little boy who apparently became lost in a large store during the rush of the Christmas shopping season. He was standing in one of the busy aisles of the store crying, “I want my mommy!” People as they passed by this little boy felt bad for him. Therefore, they began to give him money: nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollar bills. Eventually, one of the store’s employees came over to the lad and said, “Son, I know where your mommy is.” The little boy looked up at the helpful employee with tear-drenched eyes and said, “So do I…just keep quiet!”
This little boy learned at a young age how to use deception to get his way. Unfortunately, it happens in the church of God as well.
False teachers can be recognized by their deception.
2. False Teachers are Characterized by Denial (2:1b).
2. False Teachers are Characterized by Denial (2:1b).
False teachers are better known for what they deny more than they are known for what they affirm. They deny the foundational doctrines of the Bible. They deny the doctrine of the Trinity. They deny the doctrine of sin. They deny the doctrine of the atonement. They deny the doctrine of the resurrection. They deny, as did the false teachers of Peter’s day, the doctrine of the personal and physical return of Christ to rule and to reign.
The result is that they ultimately deny the Master who bought them. Most of the time in the New Testament Jesus is referred to by the term “kurios” which means “Lord.” Not so here. The term used for Jesus in this verse is “despotes” which denotes a ruler with absolute power. Thus, Jesus is the King with unlimited authority. It is to this one with absolute power and authority that the false teachers refuse to submit. They seek to remove the authority from Him and raise themselves up in authority instead. Does this sound familiar? That is exactly what Satan did. Did he not seek to raise himself up against the authority and power of God? What happened to him? He was subsequently ejected from heaven and all those who were dumb enough to follow him.
The word bought is “agorizo.” It is a word that means “to buy back.” It is always used in the New Testament as a term of redemption. It means to redeem out of a slave market. Spiritually it means that these were bought out of the slave market of sin. Folks, these people claim to be saved . The question is, were they?” These were not people who were once saved and then forfeited their salvation. These people never truly experienced the regenerative and transforming power of saving grace in the first place. They had religion but they never experienced the regeneration of salvation.
False teachers can be recognized by what and who they deny.
3. False Teachers are Characterized by Defamation (2:2).
3. False Teachers are Characterized by Defamation (2:2).
There are a couple of things to notice in this verse. First, false teachers have many followers. The Bible clearly states that “many will follow their sensuality.” The word sensuality refers to the attitude of “lustful indulgence.” This one word reveals why false teachers ultimately deny the truths of the Christian faith: they want to fulfill their own lusts and they want to do it under the banner of religion. Thus, false teachers attract many followers.
When I think about that statement, I cannot help but think of Jim Jones. You might remember that he called himself a prophet of God. He had 949 people drink down cyanide-laced off brand kool-aide. Here is the said part of all this. Of the 949 people who died, 276 of them were children. Jim Jones was a “pseudoprophetes”- a false prophet.
I find it amazing that so many people are so gullible to follow such people. Those who follow such people will follow them into eternal destruction. Mohammad was a false prophet. Judge Joseph Rutherford was a false prophet. Joseph Smith was a false prophet. Every one of those wacky woman on The View are false prophets. Anyone who speaks, acts and does not line up with the Word of God are false prophets.
There is a second thing to notice in this verse. The Bible states that “because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.” Do not skip over the phrase, “the way of truth. “ This is no coincidence. Jesus is thinking of John 14:6 where Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Because of the horrible reputations of people living ungodly lives the reputation of the gospel is hindered.
I am thinking of a young man who so many times came so close to surrendering to Christ and receiving the salvation He offers. He grew up in a home where the Bible was believed and Christ was honored. The problem was when he went to church and he observed the behavior of people who called themselves Christians. In his mind he concluded, “These people are nothing like what the Bible says Christians are supposed to be.” Every time he was close to surrendering, one of those “good church people” opened their mouths.
The good news is that Christ placed other people in his life that patiently walked with him and helped him see that those people were not Christians at all. They were spiritual phonies. This young man eventually did come to Christ and I had the privilege of leading Him to the Savior.
False teachers can be recognized by the defamation of their lives.
4. False Teachers are Characterized by Destruction (2:3a).
4. False Teachers are Characterized by Destruction (2:3a).
The first thing we notice is that they are greedy. Greedy people are not tithers. Greedy people do not give of their time. Greedy people come to church only for what they think they should and can get from the church. Greedy people exploit people. The word exploit in this verse literally means”to travel for business opportunities.” False prophets want to make a living off of people for financial gain. If you need help, give one of these guys a call. They will be glad to help and they will be glad to send you a bill. They also have an unholy ambition for rules and regulations to which they themselves will not submit to. Enough of the almost former governor of California.
The second thing to notice is how they exploit people. They exploit them by “plastois logois” literally, “plastic words.” What are plastic words? They are words that are fabricated and made up for the purpose of control. The question is how. How can this ever happen. I like what this Christian author says about the situation.
“False teachers arise when the church begins to embrace the worldly culture around it. As a result, congregations no longer desire to “endure [hold to] sound [healthy] doctrine. God-centered worship and preaching is replaced by man-centered antics and entertainment. A biblical emphasis on sin, repentance and holiness is replaced by an emphasis on self-esteem and felt needs.”
Conclusion
Conclusion
How do you spot a false teacher? You become alert to how they operate. You can recognize them by their deception. You can recognize them by what and ultimately by who they deny. You can recognize them by the defamation they cause and you can recognize them by the destruction they leave in their wake.
What is the opposite of a false prophet and a false teacher that is characterized by deception, denial, defamation and destruction? When I think about that question I often think about Mr. Adoniram Judson. He was the man for whom this church was named. He preached for seven years. In all those years of preaching and teaching, he had brought one person into the kingdom. After two decades he had a congregation of around twenty people. Here me today. It is more important to have people of spiritual quality and experience unity in a local congregation than it is to have the quantity of numbers and godless divisiveness. Just because there are large churches with large numbers of people does not mean that the pastor is preaching the truth of the Word of God. In all likelihood, it could mean that he isn’t, especially given our current cultural situation. God determines our effectiveness not by how many people like us, but by how faithful we are to follow the biblical standards of the Word of God.
I had a meeting with someone this past week and after the meeting I came away with the following quote:
“True teachers of the Word are not secretive, selfish, or self-serving. They openly and boldly proclaim the perfect Word in their imperfections as they allow the Holy Spirit of God to bear them along to share selflessly the truth that brings salvation, spiritual growth and therefore spiritual life. They are about strengthening the whole life of the sheep and not about deception, denial, debauchery and death. They openly profess the name of Christ and leave no doubt that they live for Him. A true teacher of the Word will teach biblical truth despite what popular opinion is, how everyone else lives and the only assessment that such a teacher is concerned with is the assessment o f Christ Himself. Such a teacher realizes that He has not been called to be successful in the eyes of men. He has been called to be faithful and obedient to His Savior.”
I want you to seek to apply four truths into your life this week concerning the Word of God. These four things will help keep you focused and alert. They will also ward off any false teaching of any false teacher that may try to deceive you.
I want you to know the Word of God in your head (2 Timothy 2:15). This requires much reading, study and even memorization of God’s Word. This means you need to make a purposeful investment of your time to it.
I want you to stow the Word of God in your heart (Joshua 1:8). This requires memorization and meditation upon the Word of God.
I want you to show the Word of God in your life (John 14:21). Seek to fully obey God’s Word this week.
I want you to sow the Word of God into someone’s life this week (Psalm 126:6). This is what it means to be a witness-sowing the good seed of the Word of God into another’s life.
If you begin to do these things, God will give you Word Power and the deceptive ways of the false teachers will have no chance to succeed.