Discernment in the Face of Counterfeit Christianity

There were also false prophets among the people just as there will be false teachers among you that's a definite statement it's a matter of history that there were false prophets among God's people in the Old Testament you remember what the penalty was for false prophecy we spoke about that last week the truth was that the people rarely had the will to deal with false prophets and so instead of being restrained are cast out from the community they multiplied and just read the Old Testament you will find that false prophets caused Untold spiritual damage to the life of Israel. [00:49:40]

Satan he says is the counterfeiter he has a false gospel preached by false ministers producing false believers and Satan plants his counterfeits wherever God plants True Believers that's the principle of Jesus parable of the wheat and the weeds whatever the wheat is planted the enemy comes Jesus says and he plants the weeds among the wheat wherever God is doing a work in any church Satan will always plant weeds beside the wheat so this is the issue that's before us in second Peter it's relevant for us as a congregation we are not exempt from this no church in any time or place ever is. [00:56:36]

The true and false operate with different sources, chapter 1 and verse 16 Peter says we did not follow cleverly invented stories but if you look at chapter 2 and verse 3 the false teachers exploit you with stories they have made up we don't invent what we're saying it's the word of God Peter says but the false teachers they are not drawing primarily on the word of God they are developing Ministry on the basis of their own creativity rather than on the basis of the word of God the false teacher makes up his own message. [01:04:11]

The true Christian escapes the corruption in the world caused by evil desires chapter 1 and verse four but listen to what Peter describes the counterfeit chapter 2 and verse 19. promise freedom but they themselves are slaves of depravity because a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him so two very different dynamics of work here the True Believer is one who is escaping the corruption that is caused by evil desires the false believer is one who is mastered by the corruption of evil desires and his position has not changed. [01:09:39]

The true teacher appeals to script to script chapter 1 and verse 19. we have the word of the prophets made more certain and you'll do well to pay attention to it why should you listen to what I'm saying the true teacher says because it's the word of God but when you come to the false teacher in Chapter 2 and verse 18 notice that he appeals to the lustful desires of sinful Human Nature in other words the the while the true teacher shapes his message by saying what is in God's word and how can I say it well the false teacher starts from saying what if people want to hear what is really going to ring the bell with the folks and that works from there. [01:21:23]

The true and the false are in a different position thirdly the true Christian escapes the corruption in the world caused by evil desires chapter 1 and verse four but listen to what Peter describes the counterfeit chapter 2 and verse 19. promise freedom but they themselves are slaves of depravity because a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him so two very different dynamics of work here the True Believer is one who is escaping the corruption that is caused by evil desires the false believer is one who is mastered by the corruption of evil desires and his position has not changed. [01:09:39]

The true and the false make a different appeal and if you're listening to think teacher or you're listening to a Christian counselor it's always worth asking the question what are they appealing to here the true teacher appeals to script to script chapter 1 and verse 19. we have the word of the prophets made more certain and you'll do well to pay attention to it why should you listen to what I'm saying the true teacher says because it's the word of God but when you come to the false teacher in Chapter 2 and verse 18 notice that he appeals to the lustful desires of sinful Human Nature. [01:21:23]

The true and the false make a different appeal and if you're listening to think teacher or you're listening to a Christian counselor it's always worth asking the question what are they appealing to here the true teacher appeals to script to script chapter 1 and verse 19. we have the word of the prophets made more certain and you'll do well to pay attention to it why should you listen to what I'm saying the true teacher says because it's the word of God but when you come to the false teacher in Chapter 2 and verse 18 notice that he appeals to the lustful desires of sinful Human Nature. [01:21:23]

The true and the false make a different appeal and if you're listening to think teacher or you're listening to a Christian counselor it's always worth asking the question what are they appealing to here the true teacher appeals to script to script chapter 1 and verse 19. we have the word of the prophets made more certain and you'll do well to pay attention to it why should you listen to what I'm saying the true teacher says because it's the word of God but when you come to the false teacher in Chapter 2 and verse 18 notice that he appeals to the lustful desires of sinful Human Nature. [01:21:23]

The true and the false make a different appeal and if you're listening to think teacher or you're listening to a Christian counselor it's always worth asking the question what are they appealing to here the true teacher appeals to script to script chapter 1 and verse 19. we have the word of the prophets made more certain and you'll do well to pay attention to it why should you listen to what I'm saying the true teacher says because it's the word of God but when you come to the false teacher in Chapter 2 and verse 18 notice that he appeals to the lustful desires of sinful Human Nature. [01:21:23]

The true and the false make a different appeal and if you're listening to think teacher or you're listening to a Christian counselor it's always worth asking the question what are they appealing to here the true teacher appeals to script to script chapter 1 and verse 19. we have the word of the prophets made more certain and you'll do well to pay attention to it why should you listen to what I'm saying the true teacher says because it's the word of God but when you come to the false teacher in Chapter 2 and verse 18 notice that he appeals to the lustful desires of sinful Human Nature. [01:21:23]

The true and the false make a different appeal and if you're listening to think teacher or you're listening to a Christian counselor it's always worth asking the question what are they appealing to here the true teacher appeals to script to script chapter 1 and verse 19. we have the word of the prophets made more certain and you'll do well to pay attention to it why should you listen to what I'm saying the true teacher says because it's the word of God but when you come to the false teacher in Chapter 2 and verse 18 notice that he appeals to the lustful desires of sinful Human Nature. [01:21:23]