June 23, 2024 – Can You Spot a False Teacher?
1 Timothy 6:3-5
Sermon: 2044 The Mystery of the Mustard Seed and the Devil’s Dirty Birds, Part 2
Pray Over This
“If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.”
1 Timothy 6:3-5
Ponder This
A young man finished his core curriculum in college, and he wanted to coast a little bit so he could get his diploma and get out of there. So, he started to wonder, “What is a course where I wouldn’t have to do any homework and could just coast through?” His friend recommended bird watching. He said, the professor is old and doesn’t expect much of the students so all you have to do is walk around with binoculars. So, he signed up for the course his friend recommended, but there was a new young professor just out of graduate school who took ornithology very seriously. They studied through each part of the bird and took note of what made various birds distinct so they could spot them well. What he thought would be easy required more than he thought.
We need a course in bird watching. We need to be able to spot and identify the false teachers, the dirty birds of our day. They’re not easily spotted because the devil is a master of deception and a master of camouflage. Our Lord said, “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). We need to grow in our discernment of false teachers. They may use the Bible and frequently do. They may have Sunday school, church services, radio programs, revival services, Bible conferences, magazines, books, tracts, miracle-working power, mission societies, and youth activities. Counterfeits often look like the genuine thing.
- What are some passages from Scripture to help us discern false teaching?
- What leads us to be susceptible to false teachers?
Practice This
Pray and ask God to open your eyes to recognize and guard against false teachers.
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