Dangers of False Teachers

Transcript

GR1775
9/14/2014
Dangers of False Teachers
I Timothy 6:3-5
Gil Rugh

We are going to return to our study of I Timothy so if you would turn in your Bibles to I Timothy chapter 6, I Timothy chapter 6; just a little reminder of the context that we have with this letter. The Apostle Paul founded the church at Ephesus where Timothy is when he receives this letter. He found it on his third missionary journey, Acts chapter 19. He spent three years there in intense ministry.

Why don’t you turn back to Acts chapter 19 just for a moment, Acts 19. It was a ministry that was fraught with opposition. There was a strong worship of the goddess Artemis or as we know her by her Latin name, Diana in Ephesus. So as Paul ministered there, verse 20 of Acts 19: “The Word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.” But that doesn’t mean there wouldn’t be opposition. The more the Lord works with His Word the more the devil moves to oppose it and so you had the opposition from the silversmiths who made their living from making these silver shrines of Artemis. So you have everybody gathering in the arena there shouting “great is Artemis of the Ephesians" down in verse 34. That went on for two hours. Then Paul leaves and goes on over to Greece but then he on his way back stops and calls for the Ephesian elders to meet him.

Down in verse 31 of chapter 20 he tells these elders from the church at Ephesus: “Therefore be on the alert, remembering that day and night for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.” So it was a rather long ministry, three years. It was intense. Paul was emotionally involved in this ministry and here he reminds them of the dangers that face them as a church. We looked at this in Acts chapter 20, verse 28: “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things,
to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert.”

Verse 32: “Now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

Later Paul would be imprisoned in Rome. What we refer to as his first imprisonment and he wrote a letter to this church in Ephesus. We have it as the letter to the Ephesians in our new Testament. After his release from that imprisonment he visited the church at Ephesus with Timothy and other business required Paul to move on to go into Greece and begin and so he left Timothy there to deal with matters that need to be dealt with.

This first letter to Timothy if you come back to I Timothy is the letter he wrote to Timothy in Ephesus. So Paul has a history with this church both in his personal ministry. Both in a very significant letter that the Spirit of God directed him to write and to have preserved for us and now this letter to Timothy regarding the situation at Ephesus.

In chapter 1 of I Timothy, Paul reminds Timothy of why he was left there. Verse 3: “As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus, in order that you may instruct (or literally command) certain men not to teach strange doctrines. Nor pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.”

Verse 6: “Some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion. Down in verse 20 he called out two men by name that he had excommunicated if you will, exercised discipline upon, removed them from the church at Ephesus. Verse 20: “Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan.” This is similar kind of language that he used in I Corinthians chapter 5 where the Corinthian church was to deal with a man in continuing immorality. Put him in the realm of Satan and he’s removed from the fellowship of the church.

Now when we come over to chapter 4 Paul again refers to the issue of the false teaching and the false teachers. He begins in verse 1: “The Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.” Where does this false teaching come from? It comes from the spirit world, from demonic beings who direct and influence and inspire, if you will, these false teachers who corrupt the truth of God.

Now we come over to chapter 6 and we get near the end of the letter. For the third time, he did it in chapter 1, he did it in chapter 4 and now in chapter 6 he comes back to the subject of these false teachers again. He’s concerned for the church at Ephesus. He’s concerned for the seriousness of the danger that faces it and it is always a greater danger when it comes from within and that is the situation there. These false teachers had somehow gotten a hold in the church at Ephesus. They were accepted as teachers and the church needed to exercise discernment.

The church is to be the pillar and support of the truth. If the church is no longer standing for the purity of the Word of God, being a pillar and support of the truth, its very purpose for existing is undermined so these false teachers Satan is very, very clever. We are not ignorant of his schemes. He goes to erode the foundations, to attack the heart of what the church is. It is a truth center. It is where the Word of God is defended and proclaimed. If he corrupts that Word of God then the work of God is effectively hindered and even nullified.

So at the end of verse 2 in chapter 6 Paul said, “Teach and preach these principles.” “Teach and exhort these things.” What he has been unfolding to him, the truths of this letter. Now what has immediately preceded, but really what he has been talking about in this letter. He is to be faithful and hold to the truth. He said the same thing back in chapter 4, verse 11: “Prescribe and teach these things.” Here is the word “command;” command or keep commanding and teaching these things. Preach and teach these things. You stay with the truth. You are faithful to the truth. Now he is going to focus again on those who disagree with the teaching that Paul and others have been used of God to proclaim. They are teaching contrary doctrine so verse 3 picks up, “If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing.” And he continues on with this extended sentence. “If anyone advocates a different doctrine.” And it is not indicated that there is doubt here. Some of you have taken Greek and this is sometimes referred to as a first class condition. It assumes that this is true, that it is going on. This is happening and he makes it broad. Not just specific individuals like Hymenaeus and Alexander, anyone involved in teaching, promoting contrary doctrine is included here. These kind of teachers are operating in the church at Ephesus. The corruption of the church began very early. God gives His truth and immediately the devil begins to infiltrate with his counterfeits and it confuses often the church and as we have talked about we sometimes are unsettled and we get involved emotionally. We look at things, you know these people seem sincere, we like them, maybe the Lord has used them in various ways in our lives it seems and we are deluded.

How could the church at Ephesus be tolerating this? There were elders at this church. Remember we read back in Acts chapter 20 Paul met with the elders from the church at Ephesus and warned them to be alert, be on guard. “From among your own selves men will arise.” Now he has to have Timothy here in Ephesus to put a stop to this false teaching. Somewhere along the line the elders had failed in their responsibility to deal with these matters. Timothy I left you in Ephesus so you command certain men. Perhaps some of them had infiltrated among the eldership which would make it even more difficult to deal with it. So if anyone advocates a different doctrine is in contrast to what he said, teach and exhort, preach these things; if anyone advocates a different doctrine.

Timothy was left there to command certain men not to teach strange doctrines in chapter 1 and verse 3, "doctrines that are contrary to the truth that God has revealed." This is false teaching. It is contrary, it is in opposition to the truths that God has given. Anyone who advocates a different doctrine, another doctrine, a different kind does not agree with sound words, healthy teaching, healthy words. We get the English word hygiene from this word translated sound; a verse that refers to health. You know like new born babes long for the pure milk of the Word that you might grow. The purity of God’s Word is health producing in His children but anyone advocating a different teaching, doesn’t agree with these healthy words, the healthy teaching, the teaching of God’s Word in its purity that produced spiritual health is what he is talking about.

He’s concerned for the health of the people of God. God is concerned for the health of His people. Think about your children. You are concerned for their health. It is important. You don’t want anybody feeding them stuff that might negatively affect their health. It’s amazing how lax the church can be about how God is about His children. I want them to have healthy teaching, health producing teaching.

Come back up to chapter 1. Just see this emphasis in what we know as the Pastoral Epistles, I and II Timothy and Titus; this emphasis on the spiritual health of God’s children. Chapter 1, verse 10, talks about these false teachers and their misunderstanding of the law. At the end of verse 10 he refers to whatever else is contrary to sound teaching. That word “sound” again is our word “healthy.” Whatever is contrary to healthy teaching. You see false teaching is dangerous because it is harmful to the health of God’s people. It undermines their health, spiritually. It weakens them. It corrupts them. It stunts their growth and so on.

Come over to II Timothy, Paul’s second letter to Timothy, chapter 1, verse 13. “Retain the standard of sound words, (healthy words) which you have heard from me.” And then verse 14: “Guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” These are the words that will produce health, spiritual soundness in God’s children. You hold on to that and you guard it, preserve its purity.

Come over to Titus chapter 1, verse 9: “Holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine, (healthy teaching) and to refute those who contradict because there are many rebellious men,” teachers that would infiltrate a church even though they are in rebellion against God and His truth.

Down in verse 13: “This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely” for not functioning as they should; that they may be healthy in the faith, sound in the faith. This is serious business.

Down in chapter 2, verse 1: “But as for you, speak the things which are filling for sound doctrine.” Here we are again, healthy teaching, sound doctrine. The word sound is healthy. The word doctrine is the word teaching. Things are fitting for healthy teaching. “Older men are to be temperate (verse 2), dignified, sensible, sound in faith,” healthy in faith. This is what God’s intention is. You care about the health of your children if you have children. You want them to take in that which will nourish them and produce health. Somehow we think latitude is okay in the church. This is God’s family. We saw that you know. This is the family of God. It’s the pillar and support of the truth. He wants His children to be developed healthy, strong and mature.

Back up to II Timothy again, chapter 4, a word of warning. Verse 2: he says, “Preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season.” That involves “reprove, rebuke, exhort,” why? Verse 3: “For the time will come when they will not endure,” here we are again, healthy teaching but they will accumulate teachers who are saying what they like to hear, what they want to hear.

There seems to be cycles in the church and in different areas in the world where God gives opportunity to hear the Word but it seems then over time even God’s people they lose their appetite for the truth and they no longer have a passionate hunger for it. Then they just don’t want to hear that. It’s too narrow, too negative. Ever notice, I believe we are going through that change in our country. Look around. How many churches have services on Sunday night? Sunday night is not the measure but God’s people are happy to have less and then pretty soon the little they have they want it lighter, easier. Oh we don’t want to have this conflict and we are right and they are wrong and it has to be this way so pretty soon we are dealing with the Word in a superficial way and God’s people are no longer healthy. Just like children who are not healthy they can’t function as they should and then they become susceptible to other things. When you know your system is weakened physically pretty soon you become open to other kinds of diseases or whatever. That happens spiritually and the way the devil successfully corrupts the church. But the church, oh yes, we still have church. The problem is, verse 4: “They have turned their ears away from the truth.” When they do that what are you left to replace it with, myths, men’s ideas. We have this in abundance today, church growth. It is just a bombardment. God hasn’t called me to build the church. He has called me to preach the Word. He builds His church but we begin to make adjustments subtlety and it corrupts us.

You understand, he is talking here about believers. I mean unbelievers have never had an ear for the truth. So when he says there is going to come a time when they will not put up with healthy teaching he is talking about believers or professing believers; the church that ought to be the pillar and support of the truth. The pagan world never did have an openness to the truth. He is talking the danger that will face the church. It doesn’t start out as an open denial. It’s just a loss of interest. You know, just a declining passion, consuming desire for that truth.

So come back to chapter 6, verse 3: “If anyone advocates a different doctrine, does not agree with sound words (healthy teaching), those of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This is truth that comes from Him, the head of the church. This is not my words, this is not your words; these are the words of Christ. This is why this is important and this is why we believe in verbal inspiration . The very Words of Scripture are of utmost importance because if you don’t agree with these healthy words, these words that come from our Lord Jesus Christ with the doctrine conforming to godliness. When you advocate a different doctrine you no longer advocate healthy teaching. You are no longer encouraging and promoting the truth that has come from Christ.

Back up to the book of Galatians chapter 1, Galatians chapter 1, verse 11: The Apostle Paul says, “For I would have you know, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.” I didn’t get it from men. It’s not men’s teaching. “For I received it neither from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” So we believe the entire Word of God is a revelation from God; holy men of old spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit Peter says regarding our Old Testament. Here Paul says Jesus Christ unfolded and revealed it and He does through His Spirit so we have a completed revelation from God. So what does that mean? Verse 8 of Galatians 1 if you are still there: “Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, he is to be accursed (anathema, cursed to hell.)” “As we have said before, so I say again, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, he is to be accursed.” I am not about pleasing men is the next verse. I don’t seek the favor of man and if I were trying to please men I couldn’t be a bond servant of Christ.

These are serious matters. I mean we even as Christians get this idea of God being more in the grandfatherly mode of tolerant, open, acceptable, accepting. No, this is the way it has to be, this is My Word. There is no variation. The greatest responsibility I have in teaching the Word is to be faithful to it, to be accurate in my handling of it. Everyone who handles the Word has that responsibility. You being taught the Word have the responsibility to be discerning in what is being taught.

Come back to I Timothy chapter 6. Anyone teaching a different doctrine that opposed Christ. That is taking the truth He has given and twisting it and corrupting it. These false teachers have been successful at making inroads in the church at Ephesus. They didn’t come in and say, “Oh no, we don’t believe these matters.” They have come in and corrupted that truth and gotten believers confused enough to be accepting of it. These false teachers they are not honoring Christ. They are in rebellion against Him. It’s the doctrine conforming to godliness.

You know the truth of God isn’t an end in itself. By that I mean it’s just not so that we could acquire greater knowledge. This is health producing teaching. It brings salvation to those who believe and then it is the nourishment that enables us to grow and develop to be brought into conformity to the character of God, godliness. “Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creation (a new creature) old things have passed away. Behold new things have come.” II Corinthians 5:17 says. This is a transforming truth. It is supernatural. It’s not something we just decide we will adjust to. It has to take place with a transformation of heart, being made new.

Back up to the letter that Paul wrote to the Ephesians, Ephesians chapter 4, look at verse 24: “Put on the new man (note this) which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” You see that godliness, the new man which in the likeness of God is created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. This is what is to characterize us because we have been made new in the spirit of our mind we talked about earlier in our study today. Romans chapter 2: “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the making new of your mind so you may prove what is acceptable to God.” Put on the new man created in righteousness and holiness. It’s in the likeness of God. This is the truth conforming to godliness.

Back up to II Corinthians chapter 3, II Corinthians chapter 3, look at verse 18: “But we all with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” And the mirror is the mirror of the Word. And as we are beholding in the Word of God the glory of the Lord a supernatural process is taking place. The Spirit of God as we hear the Word, we are taught the Word, we submit to the Word, the Spirit of God is transforming us and bringing us more into conformity to the character of Christ. We are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory just as from the Lord, the Spirit. This is the supernatural work of God. As the difference between trying to conform ourselves and being conformed supernaturally, this work comes from within. It is supernatural. You see why the devil wants to corrupt the truth of God. As newborn babes, Peter wrote, long for the pure, the unadulterated milk of God’s Word that you might grow. You know good that is corrupted.

I was reading an article on the drought in a portion of California. They were talking about some of the water they have. They even tell the children not to open their mouths. Be careful, don’t get it in your nose when you wash. You can’t drink it but it is dangerous. It has the potential to corrupt. Well it’s water isn’t it? Well it’s water but it’s not good drinking water. Why? It has been corrupted.

And you know that can happen with the Word of God. You take the Word of God. What group doesn’t corrupt it? The Roman Catholics, the Mormons, liberal Protestants. They will corrupt the Word of God. But they will quote verses. You hear men that are so far from the truth of God but they are quoting portions of Scripture, meaningless, worse than meaningless, dangerous because it undermines the health of God’s people and God’s Word produced godliness. Well, that’s just doctrine. We need more practice and less doctrine. Well you know what? We need more doctrine that conforms to godliness because that is God’s process in transforming us so that we now live conformed to godliness, what God intends us to be.

Come back to Timothy and then turn back a few pages toward the back to Titus, I and II Timothy, Titus, verse 1 of chapter 1: “Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness.” The truth of God transforms a life, makes us new. It’s the truth that is according to godliness and no division between doctrine and practice, not true doctrine. That’s why one of the works of the devil is to cause us to lose interest. Well I have studied all that. I think I pretty well know it and there are other things to do and I don’t feel like going and studying the Word. And pretty soon what? Our lives begin to unravel too. Now you can also hear it and not be responsive to it. It’s the doctrine that produces godliness. It conforms to godliness.

Come back to I Timothy 6. The other side, what are these people like? Verse 4, this kind of teacher, this kind of person, “is conceited and understands nothing.” The person who has replaced the truth of God with his own insights and thoughts knows nothing. He understands nothing. He referred to this back in chapter 1, verses 6 and 7: “Some men straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.” They are using the Word of God but they don’t have a clue. They are conceited, they are puffed up. They may be able to quote a lot of the Word of God but that doesn’t mean it has taken root in their heart. They don’t understand anything.

So here are teachers in the church at Ephesus and they are teaching them about the law and the Scripture and how these things relate together and God’s evaluation is they don’t know anything. They are arrogant, conceited, self-centered, no-nothings. This kind of teacher has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words; a morbid interest. A word that denotes something that is sickly or unhealthy, just the opposite of healthy teaching. This is unhealthy. Oh, they want to get in the debate about different things about the Scripture. We are not talking about true believers wrestling with portions of the Word and you know discussing it, interacting about it, challenging one another to clarify it. These are false teachers. In their own arrogance they are twisting the Word and they just like to keep the controversy rolling and arguing about words in the Scripture and this use and that use and they are just creating confusion, uncertainty. The result of the teaching of these men is they just have mere speculations, disputes about words out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicion.

Back in chapter 1, verse 4: it was these things “give rise to mere speculation.” Down in verse 6 it was called, "fruitless discussion." There have been times you know with certain people I just say, “We don’t have anything more to talk about. This conversation is going nowhere.” The teachers come to my office, pastors and a group to corrupt the Word of God and they came a couple times and I said, “You know, this is going nowhere. This is just fruitless, worthless discussions.” We are not open to that. They get into the church, these kinds of teachers and what do they say? “Well look, I just want to find out the truth here. I am just looking for the truth.” No, you are just conceited, arrogant, no-nothing person. You say, well boy that sounds harsh. I mean they say they want to learn, don’t. That’s not acceptable, that’s not tolerable. They won’t be tolerated here. They cannot come and promote error under the guise of just wanting to know more about the truth. It doesn’t mean we don’t discuss the Word of God, we do. It doesn’t mean we don’t challenge one another about perhaps the interpretation of a passage but we don’t put up with those false teachers who want to come in and stir controversy and raise disputes and worthless discussions.

Turn over to II Timothy, chapter 2, verse 14: “Remind them of these things, solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words which is useless, leads to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved unto God as a workman that does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the Word of God but avoid worldly, empty chatter. This will lead to further ungodliness. Their talk will spread like gangrene.” And here are a couple of examples: Hymaneaus and Philetus, men who have gone astray from the truth. They say the resurrection has already taken place. We had a spiritual resurrection. They had no place for this. The Word of God is clear. We are not open to talk about these things. Oh, you’re just afraid you might be proven wrong. I am afraid that your lies and worthless discussion will have a corrupting influence, will allow this stuff to infiltrate and work its way in and bring confusion.

You’re in II Timothy, look in chapter 3, verse 7. He says at the end of verse 5, “You avoid such men as these.” The men described in the previous verses. They are men, verse 7: “Always learning, never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” They are men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith. This is harsh language. We need to be serious about these things. This spiritual war, it is not a game. We don’t sit down thinking we are going to play this game with the devil. We are not going to play this game with false teachers. It is not a game, it’s too serious and don’t underestimate the opponent. Oh I couldn’t be confused.

I have shared with you I was in a doctrinal program and when I left I had to tell them I can’t stay. I am afraid I might come out corrupted. You know you don’t want to underestimate the devil. Oh, I’m strong. Oh many men have gone off for training in schools where they have come out and they have been twisted? Where in the Scripture do you find out you will go and sit under the teaching of men who are corrupting the Word of God and you sit there and sit there. Oh, not me, and pretty soon you begin to think like them. Yes, I think they begin to make sense. I think I can see where they are coming from. I think that makes sense. Don’t underestimate the devil. It is a terrible thing, worse for our young people to go to so-called Christian schools that are corrupting the truth than to go to secular schools who don’t make any claim for the truth. At least you know you are in the midst of the enemy; but how dangerous it is to sit with those who claim to be believers but are twisting the truth.

The devil is brilliant. We don’t want to underestimate him. Come back to I Timothy, chapter 6. What is the result of this, the teaching of those who are conceiting and understand nothing but they are interested incontroversial questions, disputes about words which produce what? Out of that arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicion, constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth. Do you know what happens to churches that don’t hold the line on this and get infiltrated by false teaching? Envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicion, constant friction? That is what comes out of it and the church gets corrupted and divided and conflict occurs. Then it happens again and again and again. The devil is great and we ought not to allow it to happen. Well we say the truth is divisive. It’s your narrowness; it’s that you are the only one who is right. I am not the only one right. God is the only one right and if you disagree with His Word you’re wrong. And if you persist in disagreeing with His Word when you have been presented with the truth I don’t want to have anything to do with you. There is a difference. We are not talking about we are carrying the Gospel to the lost. I mean how much tolerance do you have for someone who wants to come in and corrupt your children? Well, I am going to help them and you know what they are telling them, what they are giving them is harmful but you know I don’t want to come across as harsh. You are pretty firm. You get out and don’t come back. That’s the way I want my family to be. Anybody who disagrees with the Words of Christ can go. Any unbelievers are welcome to come to this church and sit here but anyone trying to promote and teach doctrine contrary to the Word of God will be asked to leave and we have had to do that on occasion. It can’t be tolerated. Well I just want to know the truth. You just want to stir trouble. “Constant friction, (verse 5) between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth.” I mean these are those who are corrupted in their minds and this perfect tense here denotes that settled condition of their mind. They are twisted. They have corrupted, depraved minds. Their way of thinking is not Biblical.

You know trying to teach the Word of God is a serious thing and James says “Don’t many of you be teachers. You will be held to a greater judgment.” So we are not talking here about people being confused, not about people maybe who have been in a religious system where they have been incorrectly taught. We want to teach them the truth. We want to be careful. I use the Jehovah Witness – they want to come to your door. Well we would just like to come in. Can we come in and discuss the truth. I can share with you the Gospel. Here, let me tell you what God says. But no, I am not going to sit down and argue it with you. There is no place to go with that. You expose false teachers. We go round and round and round and it goes nowhere.

These teachers suppose that godliness is a means of gain; men deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain and there are so many examples of that. So many false teachers seem to be successful. Well the whole world lies in the evil one and we’ve got some very wealthy people in the world. I mean the devil has a lot of wealth to spread around and he pays his servants well, often so it shouldn’t surprise you that someone promoting false teaching seems to be doing very well. I have been through this, visited with men promoting the growth of churches and they have talked about it. You are looking at men who are successful and well to do and look what they have done and they are corrupting the truth. They think that godliness is a means of gain.

He is going to go on and elaborate on that in the next section we won’t be going into. They are deluded. The measure of “the success of our local church” is not how big it is, not how many people who come, not those kinds of things; it’s how faithful we are to the Word. What God does with that Word in hearts only He can determine. We have to be faithful with you. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the message of Christ so if we don’t tell people about the Gospel how are they going to be saved. That is a responsibility God has given to us, to nourish and nurture people in the Word of God is a responsibility God has given to us but to build a large successful church is not a responsibility that God has given to us. Some places He chooses to bless His Word and more people are saved. In some places people are faithful in sharing the Gospel and there is not that response. That is in God’s hands. I have to be careful that I don’t think I have to take on God’s responsibilities to do what only He can do. He is the Sovereign One.

I am going to take you back to II Corinthians and then we will be done. II Corinthians chapter 11, II Corinthians chapter 11; the danger that we face is clear because you see repeatedly in the letters to believers in the New Testament the warnings and here, verse 3 of II Corinthians 11: “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” That is his concern with the Corinthian church. A church so much on the heart of the Apostle Paul but I am afraid you are becoming susceptible to the deluding influence of the devil just like Eve did. “If one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached and you receive a different spirit which you have not received or a different Gospel which you have not received you bear this beautifully.” The trouble with the church at Corinth was not that they were too narrow. They were too broad. They thought that it was a beautiful thing. You know, we are tolerant, we are open. Paul says that is a sign of turning away from faithfulness to Christ.

Come down to verse 13: “Such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.” That is crucial. The greatest danger to our church comes from those who claim to be followers of Christ. It is not from the Muslims, not from the Hindus but from those who claim to be following Christ, proclaiming the truth concerning Him. I am not saying that Satan doesn’t use these false religious systems in people’s lives, he does, but we as a church? Well that is clearly wrong. It’s those who say, well I am a believer, I believe like you do but they are twisting, altering, adding to and taking away. “Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness whose end will be according to their deeds.”

Now if the devil wants to create a counterfeit he is a being of great power, great ability; not as great at God, obviously. Greater is the One, the Holy Spirit who is in us than the one, the devil who is in the world but make no mistake about it, the devil is very good at what he does and since we are in a battle, not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenlies we need the full armor of God and we need to be grounded in the Word and committed to the Word. This is our life. This is the nourishment for our souls. I want to take it in. I want the Spirit of God to conform me to It. I want to be intolerant of anything in my life that is contrary to this Word. I want to be intolerant to anyone who twists it or changes it or tries to bring that corrupting influence into my life or the life of this church family.

So are we narrow? We are very narrow. We believe that the Word of God is the Word of God and it must be proclaimed in its purity. It must be defended. Those who oppose it must be opposed. And what is the only thing to do? If the truth is corrupted and destroyed what is left? That is why God has raised up the church, established the church and with all the battles, with all corruption that goes on here we are 2000 years after the establishing of the church and God still has His churches established around the world as centers where the truth is faithfully proclaimed. What a privilege it is for us to have been established by God in this place.

Let’s pray together. Thank You Lord, for Your Word. Lord we hear these warnings again and again and again. We read them in Your Word. Lord it is easy for us to become lax, indifferent. Lord may we not lose our passion, our hunger for the truth that You have given. What would be more precious than Your Word which is the revelation of Yourself which enables us to know You better and to become more like You in our character to experience the transforming power of Your Spirit as we take in Your Word and submit to Your Word, put Your Word into practice, allow it to control our thinking. Lord may we be a church that is found faithful. May we be faithful to the Word. May we set a pattern and example for the young people growing up here of the importance of Your Word. May we model our passion and hunger for Your truth, our love for the Savior who gave us the Word and our desire to see others come to know Him and to grow in Him as well. Bless us in the week before us Lord wherever we are, whatever we are doing; may our light shine bright in the darkness. I pray that you will use us, the Gospel that we share to impact many lives I pray in Christ’s name, amen.