Characteristics Of False Prophets- Part 1

[0:01] Welcome. Thank you for choosing to listen to this Spirit-filled word by David Entry. When you catch a word, you have caught God. May you catch a word today that will cause God to change your story.

[0:13] Be blessed. 2 Peter 2, verse 1-3 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who previously shall bring indomitable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift distraction.

[0:41] And many shall follow their pernicious ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you, whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

[1:07] Here ends the reading of God's holy word. Amen. Amen. Wow. What a scripture. Last week I started by talking about how we have to be aware of false prophets because Peter, towards the end of his life, found it necessary to inoculate the church against the insurgent of false prophets and false teachers particularly.

[1:37] And if it was true in the days of the early church, then in these times it's even more true. So if Peter, just before his departure, had to strengthen the church and fortify the church against false teachings, then we, about 2,000 years afterwards, we needed more.

[2:03] And especially in these times where secularism has become so aggressive and there are people behind puppets who don't have business in being in church.

[2:17] They are not Christians, let alone to even be teachers. And there is a lot, a lot, they're all over the place. Because in the various denominations and various Christian persuasions, the Orthodox churches, in the Catholic church, in the Protestant churches, the Orthodox churches, in the Pentecostal churches, in the Evangelical Pentecostal churches, charismatic churches, everywhere.

[2:50] So you can only restrict it to, say, Charismatics or Pentecostals or the Presbyterians or Methodists or Lutherans or Catholics.

[3:01] There are a lot of them in the Catholic church, a lot of them in the Church of England. And a plethora of them in the Charismatic self in independent churches. But that even makes it easier to start your own thing.

[3:18] It's just the order of the day. Jesus said in Matthew chapter 24, verse 11, he said there will be many false prophets.

[3:31] Right? He said, then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. There are many and deceiving many. Jesus, they asked him, what are the signs of your coming?

[3:45] How do we know the end times, the end time has come close? And he said that these are some of the signs. He told them many of them and then some of it is verse 11, that many false prophets will arise.

[4:02] Now, the problem is, a false prophet will not announce that I'm false. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

[4:12] No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No.

[4:23] No. No. No. No. No.

[4:39] No. No. No. can look like the original, even though it came from Dubai or China. It doesn't really spoil much because it doesn't put life at stake.

[4:56] Now, if someone tells you he's going to give you injection and it's not proper medication, it's something fake, that your life is at stake. Now, even that is not as dangerous as false teachers.

[5:11] So the Bible says that damnable heresies. It says damnable. Some translations use the word pernicious. K. James says damnable amongst you false teachers who privately bring in damnable.

[5:28] It's not like it's worthy of condemnation, but it actually also introduces condemnation. You follow those kind of teachings and your life is doomed. But how would you know?

[5:41] Because when you go, when you went to secondary school, you invested, they didn't teach you how to know when teachings are false. And Jesus himself was classified as a false teacher.

[5:54] They said Jesus was false. The early church, they said they were a sect. They said they were false by the established churches. So now, by the established system.

[6:04] So now, if Jesus himself was called false, there's the possibility for false teachers to come and once they are identified as false, they will say, oh, but it's always normal for everybody to be called false.

[6:19] So now, you must have the apparatus to be able to tell which one is the actual false. Did you understand that? Because some of you have passed all kinds of comments about people like us.

[6:32] All these people who speak in tongues and some of you have family members. Ah, don't touch it. Ah, don't touch it. Don't touch it. Don't touch it. You know, but you know that it's true. They are wrong. You are on the right path.

[6:43] But how are you able to discern and tell? Then it's the job of the master to be able to help us to discern what is false because the impact of false teachers has eternal consequences.

[7:00] Yeah, their impact transcends natural life. So then it's important to be able to have the tools to tell what a false teacher is. So in 1 John chapter 4, verse 1, the Bible says, Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are born out into the world.

[7:29] Oh, this is interesting. He said, don't believe every spirit. But how do I know if this is one of the spirits I can believe or this one of the spirits? How do I know? So if you are telling me not to believe every spirit, you might as well teach me and help me how to identify what is false.

[7:49] He said, believe not every spirit because many false prophets. Wow. So, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

[8:01] Because many, watch, they start by saying, believe not every spirit. So if you are not to believe every spirit, that means false prophets operate by spirits. That's right. The reason why you shouldn't believe every spirit is because there are some spirits you may end up believing and you actually believe in the wrong spirit and they are introduced by prophets.

[8:22] I know, I know, I know, I know you're concerned at this moment. But pastor, why should we even, people call themselves, why do you call yourself a prophet? Why, are you like Moses?

[8:36] Are you a pastor or you're a prophet? I think it would be necessary to just throw a little bit light on that and then I move on. The reason why I say I stand here as a prophet, I'm not speaking as a prophet in the office of a prophet, but I am speaking as a prophet in the light of, I am handling the oracles of God.

[9:02] The oracles of God. So, as I'm teaching the word of God, there's a prophetic dimension of the teaching and there are times I will speak something and not, like the other time a pastor was teaching last Thursday and he was talking about, pastor say, he has said something and you may look like, oh, what's the evidence?

[9:19] And then you wait for time and then he manifests. It's there. God is a prophetic God. And so, when I say I'm speaking as a prophet, I'm declaring a word from God which will change a story in your life.

[9:31] In that sense. But primarily, the New Testament is teachers because what we read earlier on, it says that there were false prophets amongst them. It says that 2 Peter 2 verse 1, it says that but there were false prophets also amongst the people even as there shall be false teachers.

[9:49] It didn't say false prophets, false teachers. So, in the New Testament it's more teachings. It's teachers. Yes, what keeps the church going is their teachings. But, we teachers of the New Testament are almost like prophets in the Old Testament.

[10:06] We speak on the behalf of God and we teach God's people the ways of God. So, there will be false prophets and Jesus said there will be many false prophets and in the book of John, he said that don't believe all spirits for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

[10:26] Verse 2, he says that thereby know ye the spirit of God. Every spirit that, this is very fundamental. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus is come in the flesh is of God.

[10:42] Now, what does that mean? Jesus is come in the flesh. Every one of us is in the flesh. Being in the flesh means physical life, human living. Okay, human living. So, he said every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ had human living and human life came to partake in human life is of God.

[11:00] Now, what does that mean? It means that for him to come and partake in human life, that means he had existence before he showed up. That's very important. That's what is called incarnation. He became incarnated, took on humanity.

[11:13] So, before he was born, he was. That's why you could say before Abraham, I am. So, before he became a human being, he was. Now, that is so important. In the beginning was the word, the word was God and the word, they were God and the word became flesh.

[11:27] So, now, when he says that the only thing or only person who has always been is God. Now, that's why you can't ask the question who gave birth to God because that undermines the definition of God.

[11:43] God means the one that has not got beginning. Every other thing has got beginning. God alone hasn't got beginning. So, when we say God means that the unbeginning beginner.

[11:56] Okay. Unbegan. He wasn't begun. Uncreated creator. He is the one who was not created. So, once you say who created God, you have stepped outside of the definition of God because God is the uncreated one.

[12:08] Now, Jesus Christ being the uncreated one became a creature. Now, that's a serious one. Now, he said anything that denies the fact that God didn't become humanity is not of God.

[12:20] The fundamental aspect of false teaching and false prophet, anything, it doesn't matter how good they are, how powerful they are, miracles, anything that deviates from this truth is not of God.

[12:33] In the verse 15 of 1 John chapter 4, verse 15, it talks about how whoever shall confess that Jesus is the son of God, God dwells in him and he's in, this is a serious one.

[12:46] What makes you a Christian is your confession. Matthew 16, 16, Peter said, you are the Christ, the son of the living God. So, the confession, what we believe, accept, and confess is what makes us Christians.

[13:00] So, as I said last week, it doesn't start with behavior. It starts with believing. Christianity does not start with behavior. It starts with believing. So, what we believe and what are we supposed to believe?

[13:12] In John chapter 20, verse 31, it says that there are many things that Jesus did that were not recorded but these have been recorded but these are written that he might believe that Jesus is the, there is a certain Christ.

[13:24] Christ is the one who all the prophets have always spoken about. So, you are not a prophet until your message is pointing to Christ. Anybody who, anyone in the Old Testament who claimed to be a prophet and didn't point to Christ is not authentic prophets.

[13:38] So, if you investigate all the things they said, they spoke about, you can tell that the core, the heart of their message was Christ. But it was Christ in a disguised way because Christ has not showed up yet.

[13:50] So, all the people who listened to the prophets expected the Christ. Then the Christ showed up but he was so ordinary, he didn't look anything extraordinary. So, the disciples, he asked them, who do you see? Peter said, you are the Christ, the son of the living God.

[14:03] Another one, the one who was not created. You are God and you became man. You are the Christ. Jesus said, blessed are you for flesh and blood. Now, this confession is what makes you a Christian. So, you can't say you are a Christian.

[14:13] Tell your auntie, I said, she is not a Christian for the fact that she is saying because she is saying that, you know, Jesus just is a good teacher. He came and lived the life away. That's what makes you know that she is not a Christian.

[14:24] He is not a Christian. Not your uncle who is a pastor in their church. He is not a Christian. That's right. Tell him, I said, based on scripture, he is not a Christian or at best, he is a false teacher.

[14:39] He is a false teacher for attempting to suppose that Jesus Christ is just an ordinary person who lived a good life and he died as a martyr and he showed us the teachings of how we should live good and he died.

[14:53] To suppose that that's all there is about Jesus and that's the reason of Jesus, that's a sin. That's a false. Yes, sir. Now, now, now, now, that's where the rabbi, he's the road between Christianity and non-Christianity.

[15:06] There are many people who are in the church who are not Christians. Being in the church doesn't make you a Christian, please. Believing in a prophet doesn't make you a Christian.

[15:16] Now, if you believe in a prophet, the prophet you are believing is supposed to point you to Christ because in Acts chapter 10, verse 43, I love that one. I read it a few days ago. I loved it.

[15:28] Sometimes, there are things you see when you read the Bible. He says that to him, give all the prophets witness. Every prophet gave witness. Now, he was talking about Jesus.

[15:39] That's Peter in the house of Cornelius when he was preaching to Cornelius and his family and the people in there. He said, Jesus Christ was raised from the dead from verse 40. God raised him from the dead and showed him, opened him, not to other people, but to witnesses who have been appointed by God before him.

[15:54] We, even us, who sat and ate with him. And then, verse 42, and he had commanded us to preach unto the people and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the judge of the quick and the dead.

[16:08] Watch this. Look at the next verse. To him gave all the prophets. So, say all the prophets. All the prophets. What kind of prophet is this who is not giving witness to Jesus? In Revelation chapter 19, verse 10, he said, for the testimony of Jesus is the heart of prophecy.

[16:25] What kind of prophecy is this that is not testifying about Jesus? The heart, the weight, the core, the core ingredient, the essential element of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus.

[16:41] So, he said, to him, all the prophets gave witness. In the book of Luke, chapter 24, verse 25, he says, all foolish, he says himself when he resurrected, he was telling the guys, he said, all fools and slow of heart to believe all, how many?

[17:00] All that the prophets have spoken. He said, all the prophets have spoken, you have to believe it. Why? Because they are talking about me. And look at the verse 27. I love it. Bible says, beginning at Moses, beginning at Moses, and all the prophets.

[17:13] So, it's not just the prophets. Moses. Moses himself spoke about Jesus. So, when Jesus was having a discourse with the Jews in John chapter 5, verse 39, he said that, you people, you search the scriptures thinking that in them you have eternal life.

[17:32] And these scriptures are testifying of me and yet you will not come to me. it's in your Bible. He says that, he said the scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life and they are they which testify of me.

[17:48] The scriptures, Jesus said, the scriptures are about me. The scriptures are about me. And you claim you have been reading the scriptures. How come I've come and you don't know me? The scriptures are about me.

[18:00] And yet he said, you will not come to me. And you will not come to me that you might have life. I like that. Then they told him that we are disciples of Moses.

[18:12] He said, ha. Verse 46, look at verse 46, very serious statement. For if you believe Moses, why? What will happen? You believe in me. Why? Because actually, I was the subject of Moses' message.

[18:30] Jesus said, I was, everything was, Moses was about me. And he said, he believed him. But he said, if you did not believe Moses, there's no way you will go accept me. The next verse. Yeah. He said, there's no way.

[18:42] Verse 47, he says that, but if you believe not his writing, how? How? How? How? How? The authenticity and credibility of Moses' ministry was pointing to Jesus.

[18:55] That's why in Luke chapter 24, verse 27, as I quoted, he said, beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded, he expounded unto them in how many, in all the scripture that things concerning him is there.

[19:12] Yes, this whole thing is about him. He expounded to them all the things concerning himself. He explained and when you read in the book of Acts chapter 3, verse 18 and 23 particularly, but 18 talks about how all the prophets which God before ensured by the mouth of all his prophets that Christ should suffer.

[19:34] God has been talking about this in the past. Look at verse 23 and 24. Verse 23, and it says that, and it shall come to pass that every soul which will not hear the prophet shall be destroyed from amongst the people.

[19:45] Look at verse 24. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that followed after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

[19:59] All of them. All of them. All of them. The message is about Jesus. The Christ. The one and the living God.

[20:10] In Acts chapter 26, verse 22, he says, the having obtained help from God to this day, I stand. Saying nothing. Saying nothing. But oh, the message that the message I'm preaching is just concerning what the prophets and Moses have said should come.

[20:24] That's, what I'm preaching is no news. It's not new. They were preaching it. And he said, Paul said, I'm continuing to preach it and they want to kill me. In Acts chapter 24, verse 14, he says that, but I conferred that after the way which they call heresy.

[20:39] Don't forget this word. Heresy. You know we have mentioned it already in 2nd Peter. I'll come back. So they are calling Paul's preaching heresy. Now, Peter was telling them that there will be people who will bring in damnable heresies.

[20:51] So we have to not take heresies lightly because they were accusing Paul of heresy. He said, after the way which they call heresy, he says that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which were heredity by the law and the prophets.

[21:09] in Romans chapter 3, verse 21, he says that the righteousness of God without the law is manifested. Being witnessed by the law and the prophets. This thing was everything the scripture was pointing to this Jesus thing.

[21:22] So then, does it make sense when somebody, watch this, you can't claim to be a Christian if you don't accept this truth. That's the acid test of Christianity.

[21:35] It's not behavior. It's believing. Believing. He said, oh King Agrippa, believe thou the prophets. What is Saul saying that these things the prophets have been saying that God is going to one day become a human being and live a human life and die a human death to pay for the price of humanity and save humanity from the judgment coming and call for himself and people who believe.

[22:01] Do you believe? Do you believe it? Now watch this. When it comes to the gospel, Christians, this is so important, we are not only called to believe the gospel.

[22:13] How do you become a Christian? By believing the gospel. What's the gospel? What I've been talking about about Christ, all right? The message about Christ. That's the gospel. We are not only called to believe the gospel, but we are also called to preach the gospel.

[22:26] Oh, hallelujah. We are called to believe so we start by believing. We continue by preaching, but we are not only meant to preach, believe and preach the gospel.

[22:39] We are also supposed to defend the gospel. We have the responsibility to defend the gospel and to tell people, no, no, you are getting it wrong.

[22:50] This is not right. This is not the gospel. This is not what church is about. We are supposed to defend the gospel, but above that, so we are believers, preachers, defenders, not only believers, preachers, and defenders, but number four, we are also meant to contend for the gospel.

[23:09] Yeah, when it comes to the gospel, when it comes to the core essential elements of the gospel, we don't take things lightly. We don't handle things lightly. And you come and say that, and you know what?

[23:21] Mary just was a teenage girl who got pregnant and then the Jews had to take advantage. So, you know, no, no, no, listen, listen.

[23:33] Listen. We are permitted by heaven to dissociate from you so long as fellowship is concerned if you believe differently from these cousins. We are, I don't have a business.

[23:46] I'm not supposed to fight with you because God doesn't, you know, I'm supposed to love you and help you but I don't have business worshiping with you, fellowshipping with you if you don't believe that Jesus is the son of God.

[23:58] How, I mean, how can we worship together? How? Tell me how. On what grounds? On what grounds you are installing an app which is only compatible with Android but my own is Apple.

[24:14] He doesn't cross the platforms. So that means that there are some people who call themselves Christians who we Christians really cannot worship together with let alone other religions that all religions are towards God.

[24:27] Excuse me. Do you understand what you're talking about? Yeah. So you can be my uncle but we don't have, we are not on the same ground when it comes to Christianity and spirituality.

[24:41] Our core beliefs are different. If you are a real Christian, the core of your life is Christ and the message about Christ. That's the core of your life. If those things don't matter to you and you know, I'm just looking for money, you know, I just look for romance.

[24:55] Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. I want to go to the Shard or Duchess start to go and have afternoon tea. Keep going and having afternoon tea. I'm saying some very, we, it says that, watch this, in Jude verse three, when I gave diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful, I realized that, no, I think I have to wait.

[25:21] It was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that ye might earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the sin. In fact, I was about to write to you about common salvation but it has become necessary that I suspend that and rather focus on writing to you to contend, contend, contend.

[25:41] Why? Why? Do you know why? Look at the next verse. Because they are going to come into our own secretly. For there are certain men crept in unawares. Give me New King James.

[25:53] For certain men have crept in unnoticed. They came in. They have become like one of us. Wow. So I need to teach you to contend for the gospel. He said, they crept in unawares, unnoticed.

[26:07] Who long ago were marked out for this condemnation? Ungodly men who turned the grace of God into lewdness and denied our only Lord God and our Lord.

[26:19] They deny him. They deny him but they are just like one of us and some of them are even teaching. Some of them are just teaching but they are denying this. He said, that's why I have to cry to you to contend for their faith.

[26:33] Because they are coming among us. They are coming and they are inside already. Unnoticed. Surreptitiously. Clandestinely.

[26:46] They come. They come in. You will notice them. You will notice them. They look like us. I'm going to give you I'm just going to give you characteristics of false teachers. That's what I'm teaching about today.

[26:59] Characteristics of false teachers. Because how would you know that? Because they sing our songs. They even sing it better. They dance better. They shout louder. How do you identify them?

[27:13] How do you identify them? And some of them will gradually make themselves or work themselves to their teaching positions. To be leaders. Care group leaders.

[27:23] To teach. They want to wield influence. Because by having, doing that, Satan's job is being done for him. And that is the only way to weaken the church and attack a church from inside.

[27:37] When you attack the church from outside, it becomes stronger. But if you can get inside, it's called the faith column. Attack the church from inside. And the only way you can attack the church from inside is not even letting people fornicate.

[27:49] It's not that one. The only way is by watering down the teachings. When you water down the teachings, everything is gone. Say, so say, till I come.

[28:00] Give attendance to doctrine. Watch your doctrine. Watch what you believe. Doctrine is the teachings. Watch what you believe. You are a Christian. You must pay attention to what you believe.

[28:14] It's not how close it is to your house. It's not how many of your friends go there. If you are a believer, watch what you believe. If you are a Christian, I announce to you, watch what you believe.

[28:28] Watch what you believe. Else you'll be a victim. And it will cost you eternal rewards and it will have damaging and serious eternal consequences.

[28:39] watch what. So, Peter said, I have to. Then, before he even spoke about that, he spoke about how the word of God was given, how holy men of God, the prophets of old, they spoke, second chapter one, towards the end, 21, they spoke, for prophecy came not of the will, but holy men of God spoke when they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

[29:01] Then the next verse, look at the next verse. Chapter two, verse one. The next verse takes you to chapter two where it says that there were false prophets, even though holy men of God prophesied, at that time, there were still false prophets.

[29:14] And so, in the times of Moses, Deuteronomy chapter 13 had to tell them from verse one to five how you have to watch out for false prophets because don't judge a prophet by the manifestation of his word.

[29:26] I think we should read that big again because it's quite good. If there arise amongst you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams and giveth thee a sign or a wonder and the sign or the wonder comes to pass whereof he spake unto thee, saying, let us go after other gods which thou hast not known and let us serve them.

[29:52] Thou shalt not harken unto the words of that prophet and that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God proveth you to know whether ye love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

[30:06] Ye shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice and ye shall serve him and cleave unto him. And that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death because he has spoken to turn you away from the Lord your God.

[30:27] That's the problem. After all that you have benefited your heart is turned away from God and he didn't it didn't bother him. You can't tell me pastor just pray for me for my marriage or my job as for Christianity it doesn't matter whether you know and you know it's somebody's husband but I still want him so pray for me and I'll give you a lot of money if you can do that and then he's also praying for you to pray that that man's marriage will dissolve for you for yours to be resolved.

[30:59] The devil is a liar that's a false prophet. That's a false prophet. I will not be part of such nonsense. I will not be part of something that makes God secondary.

[31:13] It doesn't matter how much it costs so let it be. So false prophets have always been the problem of God's people. False prophet.

[31:24] In the olden days as I mentioned at that time there are so many false prophets of Baal but the dangerous ones are the ones who come in the name of the Lord. They come in the name of the Lord and that's what we have because okay let's go to the text I think it's 2 Peter chapter 2 now I had to establish what the foundation of Christianity is.

[31:46] Okay that's so important. In fact before we go to 2 Peter let me add this scripture so that in 1 John chapter 5 verse 1 what makes you a Christian? It's there!

[31:57] What makes you a Christian? It's there! Whoever believes that Jesus is Jesus is the Christ that Jesus is the Christ is born of if you believe that Jesus is the Christ you are born of God.

[32:09] That's what makes you a Christian. So simple. It didn't say whoever behaves nicely. So stop telling me that he's not a Christian but he's well behaved. So you want to marry him?

[32:23] Please stop stop those games. I'm not interested. I'm not interested. If you want to go you go at your own risk. We Christians some things are just core.

[32:37] Core. So it says that whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Now it's so important to understand it says that if you don't believe that Jesus is the son of God or Jesus is the Christ you are not born of God.

[32:50] It is it's that serious. So anyone who does the job of Jesus the Christness of Jesus what does that mean? The Christness I think we have to establish that the fact that he is God he became man and lived a human perfect human life without fault without sin and died at the death of that an innocent man on our behalf he didn't die his own death he died on our behalf to save us from our sins and not just that he resurrected from the dead that's the that's what the savior means.

[33:21] Now if you don't believe any of these things that you don't accept him that he's a savior you are not born again. I don't know who I'm talking to. All along you thought you were born again you are not born again. He said pastor but I don't understand it properly I want to me I want to understand everything.

[33:33] It doesn't start with understanding it start with believing. It's not with believing. And you don't believe because you are smart. You believe because God is working on your heart. How many of you when you became born again there are still questions you had but you just and up to now you have a lot of questions.

[33:51] It's part of life. Science has more questions than church. I know you didn't get what I mean. Up to now there's so much science doesn't know.

[34:03] There's more that science doesn't know than we don't know in church. Because all the things that we are supposed to know they are captured here. So through systematic studies we can get to know.

[34:18] But science doesn't know how the deepest ocean how deep the deepest ocean is. How far the farthest star is. How many stars there are.

[34:28] You can't tell. How many planets and whether there are other human beings they are trying to explore that. there's so much science that says no. You know and where the coronavirus came from.

[34:40] Science doesn't even just say that. You don't even know where the virus came from but you want to know where God came from. Yeah. So it starts with believing.

[34:55] Believing. Somebody say I believe. I believe. And you must be able to defend what you believe. You must be able to defend from where? From scripture. Not from other text books.

[35:07] From scripture. That's the only word of God. And if you can't defend what you believe from God's word I think you have to forget about it. Pastor, I believe things but I can't really defend it as I'm growing.

[35:20] That's different from where you there's no defense what I mean. There's no defense for what you believe in scripture. There's no defense. Maybe you haven't seen it but your teachers have taught you so you know and they show the scriptures but sometimes you don't remember.

[35:35] There are a lot of scriptures you don't remember. Right now if they ask you give three scriptures on the resurrection it will be like. So what makes us Christians is our believing in Jesus as the son of God.

[35:52] In 1 John chapter 2 verse 22 and 23. Very interesting text. Who is a liar by he that denies that Jesus is the Christ?

[36:03] Did you see that? Yeah. All those religions Bible says that we are never the same okay. You not choosing to believe doesn't change the fact.

[36:18] But at least you can't say you didn't know someone said it. So my job is to say it to you and defend it. And defend it. But I can't force you to believe. The religions that force people to believe is also you know yeah.

[36:34] Do you know why Christianity we can't force you to believe? All those in the mid 1500s and those people who went to fight killing people most of them were not they were genuine but they were not Christians.

[36:48] Most of them were just politicians and soldiers and they were trying to possess lands. They went in the name of Christianity crusaders and all the most of them most of them because it was just cultural approach.

[37:05] So if you use crusaders because of that Christianity you don't know what you're talking about. Most of them we can't fight you to become a Christian you know what because he says that no one can come to me except the Father God draws you.

[37:18] John chapter 6 verse 46 or so except God draws you so how can I dare fight you to become a Christian? It's not possible. You have to be drawn by God. So how did we get in?

[37:29] He drew us. Where are the others not in? He hasn't drawn them. So you don't have to we don't force anybody but we keep preaching because he uses our preaching to draw them. Yeah.

[37:40] John chapter 6 verse 44 he says no man can come to me except the Father so how can a Christian fight and force you can't even force your son your daughter to be a Christian. You can't.

[37:52] It doesn't work like that. It doesn't work like that. So it's important to understand what makes you a Christian so then all our teachings and our doctrines and everything must be built on that.

[38:06] Anything that deviates from that is deviating from mainstream Christianity. Now heresy is opinions that deviates from the acceptable no no the normal ones that are accepted.

[38:19] So opinion personal opinion my own opinion ask for me those who say ask for me to me to me excuse me you don't matter that much. Yeah. Things have been going on before you came and you go whilst things still continue.

[38:31] So this to me to me to me to me to me this my truth who are you? You have an exaggerated opinion of yourself excuse me you can't look at me and say so long as you are concerned David Denshi is a white man it doesn't matter to me it's mental problems.

[38:54] I look at you say that David Denshi is Japanese he doesn't even know but me to me I've done research I can't I can't I can't show. But when we talk about heresy it's deviation deviation from main set of truths that's why what we are teaching on Thursdays are important the apostles' creed the main set of truth deviation it says in the last days many shall will make shipwreck of their faith in 1 Timothy chapter 1 verse 9 holding faith and good conscience which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck so there's a need for please don't say ask for me I just go to church why do you have to go to church some people don't understand why you should even go to church and you who are going to church can't even explain why you are going to church you can't defend why you are going to church and so you and them so long as understand this what's the difference you must be able according to 1 Peter chapter 3 15 that you'll be able to give a defense for the hope that is in you certify the and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you of the reason for that hope that is in you why are you going to church like that because I'm a Christian but are Christians supposed to be going to church regularly yes it's as simple as that yes but I know people who are

[40:17] Christians they don't go to church they are not proper Christians there's something wrong with their faith life there's something wrong with their faith life they only wait for trouble then they run to church or they wait for christening then they go to church they wait for christmas then they go to church that's not I'm not talking that's not a proper Christian that's not a solid Christian most of us here have colleagues and contemporaries at work who don't understand why you should go to church every once a week they think it's too much and some of us have beaten into that lie once a week is too small for you when you look at how far you are with your work with God you once a week I put it to you once a week is too small too small once a week is too small I ain't trying to say I don't go to church I'm not a Christian no you are you are a Christian but your faith life is not solid that is why we too church leaders must make sure people coming to church they won't waste their time because sometimes really it's like what's the point what's the point it's the same oh there's nothing if it's going to help you get closer to God through teaching and grow in the grow in grace and godliness 2 Peter 3 verse 18 grow in grace grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord

[41:42] Jesus Christ so you have to grow in the knowledge grow in the knowledge grow in the knowledge that's the genuine spiritual growth is growth in knowledge and I'm not talking about just mental research some people want to do their own research before they determine which one is a true religion he said the rulers of the people of Jerusalem you people of today are reading Acts chapter 13 verse 27 said you people of Jerusalem he says that for those who dwell in Jerusalem and they are rulers they are rulers less inclusive because they did not know him Jesus alright because the rulers and the people of Jerusalem did not know Jesus nor even the voice of the prophets which are read every Sabbath the voice if you know the voice of the prophets it will point you to Jesus but they didn't know it so they end up fulfilling the negative aspects of the voice they have been hearing every Sabbath because the voice of the prophets is equal to knowing

[42:46] Jesus if you know the voice you will know Jesus if you know Jesus Christ you realize that's oh that's what they have been saying oh wow oh wow and if you know their voice when you see he says that's what they have been talking about that's why the greatest of all the prophets Matthew chapter 11 is John the Baptist there's no prophet greater than John the Baptist all the ones said he's coming John the Baptist said behold the lamb John the Baptist said behold the lamb of God John chapter 1 verse 29 behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world he is the one who could say behold I present you to him his job was to come and introduce the arrival of the Messiah that's why it's greater than all the others the others said he's coming he's coming he's coming he said ah behold behold the lamb behold the lamb that makes him greater and so your greatness has everything to do with your proximity of Jesus so long as the plans of God is concerned now so let's look at the text again and then I can round up is someone learning something at all it says that 2nd Peter chapter 2 again but there were false prophets also among the people even as there shall be false teachers amongst you now this leads me to the characteristics of false prophets you can say false teachers the same the characteristics of false teachers number one is there

[44:12] I'm restricting myself to this particular text okay so even as there shall be false teachers where where where okay number one they are amongst us he's there he's there where are the false prophets they are amongst us they are in the church one of the characters is your false prophet Matthew chapter 7 verse 15 let's all read the alarm from the screen let's go why is sheep clothing we call we are sheep we are the flock of God so they come to us like sheep they are with us they are just you might not be able to tell the difference if they come here if a false prophet is here that's why I have to show you how to define a false prophet so just in case

[45:14] I am operating like what you should be able to ah say God forbid but it's important it's important so all the teaching teaching teaching I have to point you to what test whether I'm a genuine man of God or not yes the lit monsters acid test you gotta know you gotta know is this a false prophet is he a true prophet or maybe he's a genuine person but his operations are now he's deviating he's going off he's beginning to enter into the realm of the false there are people who start out right but they deviate so then I have to teach all of us because we have pastors and branch pastors and all that we have to know so that when just in case any begin to deviate you can tell there you go there you go there you go somebody's alarm bells because we have been taught through scripture to be able to point out so that's why one of the things you have to use to define who they are is check their teaching check their teachings it's important but I don't care about teaching listen it's because you don't understand christianity christianity is a message christianity is a message so if you deviate from the message you have deviated from christianity that's it said in the beginning was the word alright so number one they are amongst us and second corinthians chapter 11 verse 13 it says that for such are false prophets deceitful workers transforming themselves into apostles of christ so they have to make sure that they learn the true ones they learn our mannerism and our act alright the next point quickly number two let's look at the text and say false prophets amongst you even as there shall be false teachers amongst you who will who shall bring in damnable erasies so number two they introduce erasies what are erasies something that is off from mainstream biblical sound teaching it's off what is this guy teaching yeah yeah yeah they like that a lot they said it's a new revelation it's not even in the bible god has god anytime you hear someone saying that i have new insight it's not in the bible please don't run take off your shoes and run when anyone tells you that what teaching teaching and they have a way of disdaining teachings teaching teaching teaching teaching teaching and there's another brand of people behind the puppets who call themselves teachers but they are motivational speakers just as practically they are better of going high hilton do seminar but don't call it church please church we have to expound the text we have to open the text and teach people show them what the text says that is why you point Jesus to people show them pastor show them open the text stop the ideologies it's too much now full of opinions and human ideas and social norms what fits in the society the order of the day the news of the day what is trending in the day stop that open the bible open the bible let's get let's get let's get the church let's get the church to focus on the text so the teacher's job is to teach what the scripture says there are other things we can teach having successful marriage having an all must feed there's a way you can be teaching saying things opinions and backing them by scripture

[49:14] that's not what I'm talking about come back then with the quotation and sometimes when we scrutinize the quotation is off you misapplied the quotation you misapplied the quotation so they will bring in heresis and clearly you can tell from the scripture it said damnable heresis the greek word is apolia apolia apolia damnable penitius destructive some translation I think I think NIV uses destructive it's destructive heresis yes okay is that how does the amplifier put it who will introduce destructive heresis heresis as I keep saying of my own opinion I'm making it it's varying from the men number three the word is there it says secretly privately we quoted Jude verse 4 where it speaks about they will come in unnoticed they will come in secretly in Galatians chapter 2 verse 4 it talks about how false brethren and this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in now that word secretly means that by the side they didn't come into the main entrance they came through the window on the side they slipped in so it's like actually another word for it they were smuggled in yeah so smuggled in false brethren have been smuggled in amongst us so some of the signs or characteristics of false teachers is they come not they come in from the side so that's why when you are in church you have to be careful of people who come and tell you that you know as for this it's just you it's between you and I you are the only one

[51:01] I can talk to you about people in the church they are not nice that's a false signs of a false brethren I'm going through a lot you are the only one I can tell I need you to loan me money to pay my rent as soon as they make it exclusive between you and them you have to watch it that guy says that you know what I want to marry you but I don't want anyone to know now that's a false that's a false brethren that's it why do I love you privately that means there's something dodgy yeah I love you but I don't want anyone to know about it they sneak in so normally false prophets they come in their teachings are private and sometimes it's very private they are not open to scrutiny they have started home fellowship but nobody knows

[52:03] I will show you something one of these visits will come they call you one on one and they add you to it but it's one group there's secrecy around them their relationship with you is never public there's something surreptitious about their dealings with you so they secretly and privately or they are smuggled in because leadership will notice them the way they are dealing with you none of the leaders know that this is the depth of your dealings with them yeah yeah yeah yeah you are going wrong borrowing money privately borrowing money from brother a brother b and you see those people who say that I have an agent and I need to raise 3,000 once they add whatever you can bring do you know what because they collect whatever this worker bring whatever this and they will tell you how many people you have to ask them how many people have given something first how many others and what did they give because you can realize they collected 9,000 but they came to 3,000 and they will sell their kids to you so formidably you will be touched because you to your

[53:31] Christianity so you know brotherhood there must be love let there be love shared amongst us let there be love so somebody is in need don't do it privately you know Jesus said let your right hand not know what your left hand is and then when the thing they bring it to leadership so the secret leader means that it's not obvious it's not open they are not plain they are quite private and secretive in some of their dealings number four is they deny the master that means that's the call but I just that should have been the first one if this one the Bible uses they deny the Lord other translations say they deny the master deny Jesus what makes us Christians is who Jesus is that's non negotiable so any preacher doesn't matter how powerful you are it doesn't matter what you are doing if you obscure or eclipse the lordship of

[54:43] Jesus Christ and the messiah role of Jesus Christ you are actually very dangerous you are very dangerous to the body of Christ and you are dangerous to the eternal destinies of people you yeah you deny the master he said in the book of Luke chapter 12 verse 9 that anyone who deny me before man I also deny Matthew chapter 10 verse 33 if you deny me I also deny you he told Peter that you you you deny me deny it a serious thing and so in the book of 1 John chapter 2 22 23 that's where I started by I didn't go let's go back to that place 1 John chapter 2 verse 22 23 it said who is a liar but he who denies ah the denied that Jesus is the Christ he is antichrist that denied the father and the son look at verse 23 verse 23 it says whosoever denies the son the same has not the father you can't say you have Jehovah God when you have denied Jesus you you have him yeah yeah you can't say you have the father when you have denied the son and these teachers denied the son they denied the

[55:54] Lord they denied Christ as master but he is master he is master in Jude 4 it says that let's look at Jude 4 again it says that for there are certain men crept in unawares who were before ordained to condemnation ungodly men turning the grace of God to lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord they deny and lasciviousness says that they turn the grace of God into licentiousness license to do anything it doesn't matter what you do it doesn't matter Jesus has paid for all our sins and so you are pure in your spirit your behavior does not matter they deny and when you do that some people are happy to accept Jesus as Savior but not as Lord he's not only Savior he's Lord and he must be Lord of all he's either Lord of all or not at all Lord of all and so even when you are struggling with a particular behavior or something you must admit that the

[56:59] Lord I'm going against the Lord but don't say it doesn't matter me this is what I will do no you can be a Christian and behave anyhow and anyway so they deny the master but it says that in a great house there are not only verses of gold but verses of anyone who purges himself shall be sanctified meet for who the master say the master say the master Jesus is our master he's our master anyone who any teaching that denies the mastership of Jesus is false it's actually a direct assault against the core of Christianity those who tell you how do they deny the masters they tell you that the Bible is you can't live by the Bible alarm bells it's critical red alert when you begin to disdain and downplay the Bible you have denied the lordship of

[58:00] Jesus you can't be a Christian and say the Bible is not holy true because I taught you a few weeks ago or two weeks ago that I'll tell you the difference between the Bible is inherent and infallible it's infallible means that it's perfect it doesn't have errors inside it's in this original maybe the translations that might differ or the translations maybe the translator got a word not 100% accurate but in the original the Bible is infallible and inherent means it cannot have error what if it cannot inherent means it cannot have error and infallible doesn't have error and it cannot whatever it says so if the Bible says that the earth is flat it's flat before scientists discovered that the earth is round the Bible have been saying that God sits on the circles of the earth and the normal scientific knowledge in those days in the days of

[59:01] Moses was that the earth was flat but Moses wrote things that were pointing way ahead it was different from the normal scientific it's later on science caught up with what the Bible has been saying condensation evaporation precipitation it's all been said in the Bible before scientists discovered that the Bible cannot say anything that is wrong so you deny the lordship of Jesus Christ you have denied Christianity there can't be any Christianity without Jesus being Lord someone shout Jesus is Lord even that I can tell some people are not comfortable of saying Jesus is Lord say for the last time Jesus is Lord I think let me add one in the end because I've said the master and that is the most important one denying the master denying the master oh this is a good one number five I think I'll end with number five you want to know number five fifth point of let's look let's go back into the text but there were false prophets among also among the people even as there shall be false teachers amongst you who previly shall bring indomitable herassies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift distraction let's go to the next verse and many shall follow their pernicious ways that means they have pernicious ways what's the meaning of pernicious is not what you think harmful that's what it means harmful very bad harmful let's look let's use the new living translation and see how it renders it many will follow their evil teachings and shameful immorality immorality is not a big deal for them dodgy behavior after church you can go and see behind the scenes and deal some deals with you when I go

[61:15] I will say it like this dodgy behavior dodgy behavior any man of God who doesn't care about immoral behavior is likely beginning to enter into the field of falsehood because when you walk with God immorality it bothers you it doesn't mean you are perfect you might not be perfect you might be struggling with your own issues but you can't okay some behaviors you are coming to me to pray for you so that somebody will divorce the wife and marry you God forbid I'm not a false prophet false prophets don't mind immorality they don't mind penitious ways they don't mind dodgy ways they don't mind but true prophets you can't you can't you can't I think I'll end here and I'll continue characteristics of false prophets next week did you learn something thank you for listening to this message by

[62:26] David Entry when God speaks works show and the works will surely show in your life to hear more from David Entry follow him on Facebook Instagram Twitter LinkedIn and subscribe to Caris Church on YouTube don't forget to share and subscribe to our podcast so you're always up to date be blessed