To Whom Do You Listen?

Tim A. Reger

1 John Walking in the Light • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

1 John 4:1–6

Discipleship

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Introduction

Last week, we looked at the second part 1 John chapter 2, and chapter 3. There John talked about antichrists. He tells us that there are antichrists in the world today. These people are tied to, or controlled by Satan. John wants us to understand that these people—these antichrists—are in our world today. As we continue our study in the book of 1 John I want to encourage you to turn with me to chapter 4 and we’ll begin reading with verse 1. In 1 John 4:1 we read:

1 John 4:1 NIV84

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Do Not Believe Every Spirit

Don’t believe everyone!

This is one of the biggest problems of our world today. No one seems to know to whom they should listen. There are voices—so many voices that all seem to be yelling and competing for our attention.

Many people today have lost their ability to discern truth! Which side, which person, which voice it really true? While this is true about every issue we face, no place is it more important than when it comes to our understanding about God and His Word.

John tells us that we should not believe every spirit. The word spirit is the word “pneuma” which, in the New Testament, is most often translated “spirit” but it can also mean “wind, breath,” or “way of thinking” When it comes to God’s Word we must be careful that we don’t accept every way of theological thinking that comes down the line. John goes on to tell us that we need to test the spirits.

QUESTION 1: Do you find yourself believing everything someone tells you? Do you simply hear it and believe it?

Test the Spirits

The word test means to “examine,” “prove,” or “Determine the genuineness of.” This is often called DISCERNMENT.

Here’s the key question: How does the teaching line up with God’s Word? If some “new” teaching is from God it will easily line up with God’s Word. You see, we shouldn’t have to do mental gymnastics to make something line up with what God has to say!

QUESTION 2: Do you seek to determine the genuineness of the spiritual teachings that you hear?

Many False Prophets

Once again, John warns us that many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is the very reason that we cannot simply accept every “spiritual” teaching that we hear, but rather we must seek to prove that it is in line with God’s Word!

So how do we do this? John is going to tell us in the next verse. Look at verse 2

1 John 4:2–3 NIV84

This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

Recognizing False Teachings

John’s standard for testing a teaching (and/or a teacher) is based on who they say Jesus is. In verse 3 John tells us, “every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.” In John’s day, there were many false teachers that denied the incarnation of Jesus. They taught that Jesus was NOT the Son of God. They taught that Jesus was NOT God!

This is the essence of 1 John 2:18-27, when John talks about the antichrists. So how does this apply today?

Anyone who in any way, shape, or form denies the deity of Jesus, or lessens the deity of Jesus is the antithesis of Jesus.

Today there a number of teachings that seem to lessen the significance of Jesus. Some treat Him like He’s a genie in a bottle, others treat Him like He’s good luck charm.

Just because something is “spiritual” or sounds godly does not automatically mean that it is. And is certainly does not mean that the message is “true.” John wants his readers (and ultimately us) to be discerning. That means as followers of Jesus we must work hard to carefully evaluate both the message and the messenger against the Word of God.

The Difference

When we come to verse 4, John tells that we do not need to fear the world.

1 John 4:4 NIV84

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

Look at this verse. First John refers to us as dear children. This is a term of endearment. Next John reminds us that we are from God. And because we are from God we have overcome them. The first thing that we notice in this little section is that with God we are overcomers! With God you and I can overcome the world and its ways!

The next thing we have to ask is who is the “them”? It refers back up to verse 1. Remember it says, “but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” So down in verse 4, John is talking about these lying prophets.

Finally, in the last part of verse 4 we are told “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

QUESTION 3: Are you living in fear of the world, on in victory with God?

Now here’s the thing. People who do not know Jesus do not live by the standards that Jesus set. While those of us who know Him should live by those standards. Look at verse 5

1 John 4:5–6 NIV84

They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

This passage helps us realize that the world’s ideologies, and Christ’s ideologies do not mix. They stand in opposition to each other! We should not be surprised that many who live in the world are opposed to the things for which Jesus stands!

John tells us those from the world. . .speak from the view point of the world. In contrast, we are from God and so we listen to God. John says whoever knows God listens to the disciple, and those who don’t know God don’t listen to the disciples.

QUESTION 4: To whom are you listening?

In our world today, we have to learn to be discerning. Now here is the problem. Many followers of Jesus have stopped depending on Him, and have begun to depend on a person, political party, or ideology to save us, rather than in the sovereignty of God. That can cause us to loose the ability to discern truth.

QUESTION 5: In what or whom do you trust?