November 4, 2007
Sun Oak Baptist Church

Introduction

        See 1:19-2:3.

I. 4 marks of false teachers.

        A. Mark #1: a false prophet or teacher has not been called by God.         See 2:1.

        The essence of a true prophet or teacher: they are called by God and false prophets and teachers are not. True teachers do not spin out their own theories or elaborate their own ideas; they are men who do not will to speak or decide to speak; they are men taken hold of by the Holy Spirit; they are men that are given a message; moved; and then carried along in stating it.

                1. For example: the idea of being “little gods” can’t be found                 anywhere in Scripture. See Rev. 1:9-18; Isaiah 6; etc.

                2. Here’s another theory, not determined by the will of God, but                 determined by the will of man: the theory of evolution. Evolution                 isn’t scientific fact – it is theory.

                3. How about psychology?

                People today in mass believe that psychology has utterly exploded Christianity and religion. But what is psychology at its core? It is nothing more than theory – psychology in all its form is nothing more than theory.

                4. There’s also “higher criticism” which makes statements like                 “miracles are impossible.”

        B. Mark #2: a false prophet does not have a true message. See 2:2-        3.

                1. Peter tells us that many shall follow their destructive ways,                 and that “…by covetousness they will exploit you with                 deceptive words…” The word “deceptive” means “misleading,                 false, or not true.”

                2. False teachers don’t make us feel that we are sinners; or lost.                 They are always telling us in one way or another that we are                 wonderful: that’s clever words not true words.

        C. Mark #3: there are times that they will even deny the Lord that has         bought them. There are a number of different ways of doing this.

                1. For example, someone can deny the Lord that has bought                 them by just leaving Him out altogether.

                2. The Lord can be denied by not making Him absolutely                 central, vital and essential to their message.

                3. The Lord can also be denied by denying His Person, meaning                 that they regard Him as a man only, as a great teacher, a                 wonderful example, but denying His Deity in all the glory and                 fullness of His blessed Person.

                4. The Lord can also be denied by denying His atoning work.

        D. Mark #4: they are false in their lives and living.

                1. False prophets don’t have a true calling; they haven’t a true                 message; they even will go so far as to deny the Lord Jesus                 Christ; and finally, neither do they have a true way of living –                 a true life. Read 2:2. Their ways are destructive – pernicious –                 some translations even have the word “lascivious.” False                 teaching always leads to false living.

                2. One of the ways that this manifests is through the so-called                 “ethical Gospel.” The purpose of the Gospel is to just lift man up                 and what has this led to? It always has the same effect. Look at                 the state of society in these days, with all its immorality and vice.                 If the message is wrong, the life will always be wrong. A false                 view of life always leads to wrong living and a lower ethical                 standard, even though someone may preach ethics.

Conclusion