A Warning About Wolves

False teachers consider Christ dying on the cross as foolishness. Why do you need to believe all that stuff about Calvary… Atonement. Paul wrote in first Corinthians 1 for the word of the cross is to those who are perishing, foolishness. But to us who are being saved it is the power of God for it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the cleverness of the cover. I will set aside. Where's the wise man wears describe the teacher of the college professor, where is the debater of this age has not God made foolish the wisdom of acts examine who they are. What these godly shepherds are to do if you miss that message you can go back and listen, after this broadcast today we examine a different group of people, in addition to shepherds who guard the flock of God. There are also wolves who seek to destroy how we spot them.

How do we know if a Bible teacher is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

This is wisdom for the heart stay with us for this important message called a warning about, I was sent a little email this past week.

It was a little boy. The story says that went to his pastor after the service. He said to his pastor pastor. When I grow up and get a job. I'm going to give you some money.

The pastor smiling. He thought that's nice, but he said son, why, why would you want to do that, and the kid responded well. My daddy says that you're about the poorest preacher is ever heard. Still wondering why I got that.

What is the job the role of the pastor Elder Bishop while Paul told the elders in Ephesus, he noticed verse 28 he emphatically states be on guard for yourselves tells the guardians of the flock to guard their own spiritual walk because that can sometimes take second place when you're involved as a Sunday school teacher. Our small group leader involved in ministry, you often cares.

So for the needs of others.

The emotional needs. The physical needs are so engrossed in an and where they are in their spiritual walk in your concern about the sins of others that you often sorta shove your own life over here in the closet as a just way to get to you and I can so guard yourselves as you try to draw others to closeness with the Savior now noticed further in verse 28.

He says not only be on guard for yourselves but for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit is made you overseers, the shepherd boy mine.

The church of God which he purchased with his own blood. That is how precious you are to God. He died for you the flock to redeem you.

So be on guard for yourselves and be on guard for the flock why the urgency Paul wind the warning to be on guard. The next verse tells us first 29 because I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock to Paul you guess the coming now I know they're coming. Now why did Paul know or not told why here, but we can only we can only guess that Ephesus, with what we know, was the most effective church in Asia minor. At this point in time and if you want to be involved in an effective church. If you want to have an effective testimony as an individual you might as well send a clarion call to hell to come after you because they will you become a target and so he says being on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, which I called you to guard the predators from without our seeking to get any basically talks about two guys those from without those from within. Jesus Christ had already warned his disciples of those would come in or seek to their wolves. He said in sheep's clothing, which is an interesting image.

Paul warned the Corinthians of those who will lead them away from the purity of the devotion to Christ pure devotion to Christ and second rent is 11 three they would be preaching another Jesus segment is 114 that is, they would be describing somebody that they would call Jesus, they talking about the Lord. They talk about God when you take the God that they are describing the Jesus that they are describing and you compare him to the words of God's revelation you come up with two totally different people. He said that they would bring a different gospel in Galatians 16 and Paul said in Galatians 19 of these false teachers that I would wish they were accursed great passion in the life of this man to guard the church and since the first century, ladies and gentlemen, the accursed false teachers have been knocking banging away at the door of the church to gain entrance through various means. Some seduced the church with sweet sounding messages of prosperity and materialism. Others threatened to persecute the church. Others attempt to have a church compromise and stand on through doctrine and other false teachers seek to completely pervert the church by means of false teaching. Know what I want to do is move rather quickly through several characteristics of these wolves from without seek to invade the church for the sake of time I've written the text into my notes so I'll read him as I give you the characteristics.

First of all when she did note the false teachers deny the deity of Jesus Christ by the way, when anybody knocks on your door there seeking to sell you a magazine or they'll start by saying I would interest you and reading the Bible and on and on and on. All you have to do is just ask them one question, do you believe that Jesus Christ is God, the flesh is all you want to spend a lot of money on seminary learned that when I just gave the is free just just as that one question, do you believe that Jesus Christ is God, the flesh, and that's we divide everybody is a false teacher. Those who know the truth. John wooden first John 222 who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ. That is the Messiah God in the flesh.

This is the antichrist, the one who denies the father and son. That is the one who denies the quality of the father, with the sun that they are somehow less than the other. Anyone who denies that John says is a liar and so we guard the flock from those who deny the truth part of you may wonder why we have 70 guards up around her children. A lot of it is been a progression that is emanated from our concerns of those who teach believe the doctrinal truth that we hold dear.

Some of it began several years ago when a couple came into the church and volunteered to work in a children's class before we had all the hoops and and and guards in applications and badges and and blood types and fingerprints and all that you do more that by the way, and I never met them with anointing about them, but they had evidently been begun volunteering in and then they'd sorta been elevated because we are short on teachers, will you been volunteering much good teacher would be glad to teach that knowing they were a member of cult's agenda basically is a worm their way into the church as apostates do and make friends, and eventually invite people over, startle, study, and eventually leader pervert the amended the Arabs away and I wouldn't own it except that very first son and heir to teach somebody came to me and said people live dentistry from your teaching the class.

I instead a part of cult he told me the name of my heart went to my shoes and then afternoon I why made a few calls first and then I called their home, got her on the phone and said I've never met you, I don't know who you are but you know who I am. I give my name and she said yes I know you are. I said I want to ask you one question because it's come to my attention the Nina believe we believe deeply that Jesus Christ is God, the flesh, but we believe that he is the son of God. I said that is what I asked you I said you believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate. Come as Redeemer, God, equal with the father in the spirit. She said what you need to talk to my husband. I said I do not send somebody over and will get the curriculum from you. I said a few of the things we seek to guard the church from those who deny the deity of Jesus Christ. Those who are pitiful those who are needy. Those were captivated by the lie.

Those we seek to reach, do we not well.

Secondly, false teachers consider Christ dying on the cross as foolishness. Why do you need to believe all that stuff about Calvary you know that that atonement thing why what he had to have people dying.

I need anybody that died for me. Paul wrote in first Corinthians 1 for the word of the cross is to those who are perishing, foolishness.

But to us who are being saved it is the power of God for it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the cleverness of the clever. I will set aside. Where is the wise man wears describe the teacher.

The college professor, where is the debater of this age has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world member of the flock, hands me a stack of newspaper articles every other month or so and I love it. Effective unit during the research team you read magazines and newspaper articles in all of that in and do things out of the end and know you get when you're having devotions or whatever you just pull that stuff that may have okay keep it, here's one called Sophia's children. This was in the Wall Street Journal five years ago, the feminist reimagining movement burst on the American religious scene with a conference refer to this participants sing praises to the goddess Sophia rather than Christ.

They address their deities as mother God earth mother or womb of creation.

One speaker who happens to be this woman who happens to be a professor at Union theological seminary, which is not necessarily the center of conservativism. Her name is Dolores Williams, announced quote I don't think we need a theory of atonement we call it a doctrine around here. She said a theory of atonement. I don't think we need folks hanging on crosses and blood dripping and weird stuff this poor woman did nothing more than fulfill the words of Scripture that said that those who deny that Christ is God will also do what believe that the cross is foolishness. Each speaker by the way this conference was blessed in the name of Sophia.

The conference ended with participants there more than a thousand of this is the fly-by-night by the witnesses gaining momentum more than a thousand people in this conference ended their conference by biting into large red apples to express their solidarity with the they were commanded or encouraged to quote rejoice in our resistance in our solidarity with all women who seek to be the word to bite the apple is to recommit ourselves to resisting all those forces who oppress us. This is from the pit. Paul went on to say in first Corinthians 1 verse 23 but we preach Christ crucified to Jews a stumbling block to the rest of the world foolishness, but to those of us who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Third, false teachers suppress the truth of creation and create their own speculations all Romans chapter 1 reveals how they deny the creative acts of God, for Christ. Christ being the creative agent of creation according to Colossians and in order to to the firm up their faith in what they believe they have not only denied his creation, but they have come up with their own speculations and every generation has its own they knew about God from creation. Romans one says that they did not honor him or give thanks to him and so they elevated the creature to the position of creator and they worshiped the creature rather than him forth false teachers twist the grace of God into light sensuousness or lasciviousness. In fact, wanted to take your Bibles and turn a June fork is because were in a camp out here for the rest of our time. LAS CIV IOU S and ESS. Another thing they taught me in seminary for free. I just gave it to you in there you have it yet to spend any money on June 4 is right next to Revelation. For certain persons verse four have crept in unnoticed. Those who were long before hand marked out for this condemnation on godly persons who turn the grace of our God into light sensuousness could render lasciviousness.

Basically what that means is the false teachers that you will go on a moment to describe further. It begins by telling us that these teachers turn the grace of God around so that you can use it as an excuse to sin, grace now becomes the justification for error. William Barclay provoke my thinking as he wrote decades ago.

These men, these false teachers do reference is believed that since the grace of God is wide enough to cover any sin a man considers the likes. He will be forgiven anyway. The more he sends the great race. Therefore, why worry about sin, grace will look after that.

So grace has been perverted into a justification sin.

In other words, what that means many women as you live anyway you want to cut a clock in a church and you get cleansed and go back to live anyway want.

The more we sin the more grace the more grace we need. The more of the grace of God is applied to our lives.

So why not send more member Paul in Romans said, God forbid that you live like that now want to bring this down to where we live, get really practical. I consider the threat of light sensuousness to have long replaced the threat of legalism in the church.

A generation ago, our forefathers struggled with legalism that is a list of do's and don'ts in the attached that list to spirituality which is legalism. And if you didn't do these things. Or if you did do these things you are a mature Christian today and they missed the mark we have in our efforts not to be legalistic.

Have swung over and reacting to. I believe lasciviousness where we no longer have any dessert of we do anything we want to and in fact the mark of a mature Christian is no longer what you do or what you don't do. But the fact that you can do anything head of anybody should ever raise a question about what you do what you don't do.

They are relegated immediately to the role of what weaker brother and he was to be that to the church is been silenced as it has overreacted from legalism into lasciviousness so that it does what it wants to do and it doesn't do it, does one we have now characterized legalist is anybody who has any at all. Well the church I think is hanging around sensuousness more. The legalism and is conveniently silence those who question what I thought we could just have fun this morning… Pick a topic showing. I wonder how many fathers are asleep at the wheel or totally clued out about the way their wives dress and their daughters dress in our efforts to be freed from legalism that you know measured the hem of the skirt and the links of shorts and on and on and on. To be free from that now want to be over here where, how can you ever question what it wears you mature. I'll never forget Chuck Swindoll several years ago, hollering out in his sermon as he was addressing this kind of subject. He said husband is way up to the way your wives are dressing fathers wake up to the way your daughters dress that isn't legalism that shepherding note. My oldest daughter is 10.

So that tells you the most of my battles in front of me, behind me. She came in last week after cutting the grass down by the road, trying to earn a little more money she was cutting at them either and she came in all excited. She said she said that he was after cutting the grass and in some some boys and a car came by and rolled her window down and they and they whistled at me.

I said did you get your license.

She she enjoyed it. AA's later she was Artie talked in a witness and I would say something whenever any boys drive by and roll down your window and whistle with you, spit in their window unnecessarily biblical advice, but I hope it works. I think we've gone too far. Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for somebody to stand up and say let's bring standards of dress and conduct back into the church for false teachers are unaccountable to others. June 7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them since they, in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example and undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.

Yet in the same manner. These men, that is, these false teachers also by dreaming. That is a kinda created is up to all the Sunday they said we heard the voice of God. We had a vision. We had a drink. They defile the flesh and noticed they reject authority. One of the marks of the false teacher men and women is that they are not involved in a local assembly. They created their own religion.

They created their own followings.

They are the church. They have their own worship and they propagate their religion through television or radio or various other means to draw after them an audience are unaccountable men. Six. They magnify personal importance or authority. The next phrase in verse eight of do they reject authority and revile angelic majesties.

That is, they claim to be bigger than greater than the voice of authority over angelic majesties. This sounds exciting.

Sounds courageous but these false teachers actually lack of a proper respect for the terror of the of the church movements today are flourishing as I've mentioned in previous sessions. In the event women had to do a study with you who are blessing Satan around them blessing the demons around as if they have some of their power notice when Jude writes in verse nine but the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses. That is where the body Moses was very did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, that is, you have the highest created angelic confirmed holy being, and you have the highest created confirmed on holy being, and he had so much respect for this one that he dare not even accuse him or revile him or tell him where to go. He simply said the Lord revile you, and he had behind, but these men verse 10 revile the things which they do not understood and they are poor theologians. I imagine that one of the first modern-day preachers, at least in our century. To do this kind of thing.

Blessing Satan was a man named Billy Sunday Billy Sunday was a poor theologian, but an exciting speaker who came out of the professional baseball world to begin preaching and he would draw thousands of people to come in here and what he would do that was so shocked and and ignite his audiences that he would he would invite the devil to come up on stage and he would have these rather lively debates with the devil and he would even put on mock boxing matches with the devil he would eventually, of course, TKO the devil and he would always win. Trouble was, Billy Sunday didn't always win.

By the end of his ministry people. It stopped coming to him even while he was still in his prime felt partly because of the disaster of all of his children becoming alcoholics, partly because of the accusations that seemed confirmed of the way he mishandled more than $1 million that came through his ministry and in depression era years and William dollars was an incredible amount of money now not saying Billy Sunday was a false teacher far from a don't believe he was, but he sort of opened the door of what is now developed in this current day fascination with verbal bullying and the speaking of authority over demonic majesties. Be careful when more characteristic here.

False teachers find fault with the church and create your own.

Following Jude 16.

These are grumblings finding fault following after their own lusts. They speak arrogantly flattering people for the sake of gaining advantage ultimate with false teachers want are for the people to follow them and so they discredit the church.

They discredit the under shepherds. They find fault in Jude worldwide.

For the sake of gaining an advantage forward to the Colossians he said what they want to do is abduct you they want to kidnap you. You could render it that way and take you from the land of truth to the foreign land of error and he said to them, being careful see to it that no one kidnaps you through philosophy and empty deception.

Colossians 2. Put your things away. Let me say a couple of closing, maybe you're thinking lastly that figure that the church didn't seem to have a whole lot and there seem to be so many enemies.

So many deceivers are so much against the church. What are we to do the first of all, remember that God bought his church. God ultimately builds his church. God has gifted men to lead the church God indwells the church God purchased the church with his own blood, and he promised the church that the Holy Spirit would indwell it.

He promised them that even though the gates of hell would mount an incredible offensive and it is been going on now for nearly 20 centuries that even still, the church would not be overcome. According to an ancient legend or story. Leah 90s the Spartan general who was defending Greece against the Persians when the Persians were outnumbering the Greeks 10 to 1.

They were involved in battle and one of the lieutenants came up to generally 90s and he said general Persians. So outnumber us that when they shoot their arrows into the sky. It darkens the sky. What are we to do and generally 90s responded. We will fight in the shade so we will as an oasis surrounded by the waiting encroaching dangerous desert of error. We will continue to look to the chief Shepherd to study the word to be cautious; careful thinking, ultimately, is a body of believers and as individuals. As this oasis holds the water of life offer. This water gospel life first to be free desert. Thanks for being with us today.

Huron wisdom for the hearts Stephen's message today is called a warning about wolves. It's part of our vintage wisdom archive Stephen first preached this message back in 1998, but the truth is just as relevant in the application is just as practical. If you haven't already, I encourage you to install our app to your phone when you do, you'll be able to quickly and easily access all of our Bible-based resources.

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