Beware of False Teachers

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

(Colossians 2:8)

Today, it’s very easy to find a church that will tell me whatever I want to hear. If I want to hear a guarantee of healing from my infirmities; I can find a church for that. If I want to hear my faith will prosper me with great wealth; I can find a church for that. If I want to hear, with enough faith, God will give me whatever I want; I can find a church for that. If I want to hear the Bible is old fashioned and God doesn’t really condemn everything the scriptures calls sin; I can find a church for that. All of those churches really exist, and every one of them are heretical in their doctrine and apostate in their practices.

There is only one gospel, and it is wholly contained in the Bible. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived a perfect life of service out of his love for us. He was betrayed, persecuted, and died on the cross as payment for your sins and mine. It was all part of God’s plan for salvation. He rose again on the third day to prove he had conquered death and ascended into heaven to sit at the Father’s right hand. There he waits for the Father’s command to deliver his wrath upon this sinful world. Our God is a jealous god. He will not share his glory. He does not want his gospel to be diluted or added to.

The church is here to change the world, not to be changed by the world. Satan is the Prince of the world. If he can’t eradicate the church, he will convince a weak preacher to preach his message. If I put up with a false message just to get along and not make waves, I am just as guilty as the false preacher. If I am offended by the true gospel being preached, I had better have a heart to heart talk with myself. I’d better figure out that everything in the Bible is true and without error. It’s meaning does not change with the times or cultural whims. It is true yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

If anyone preaches anything different from the pulpit, if they add anything to the message of Christ, flee from them. If what they preach or teach cannot be found in the scriptures, leave that church behind and find one that does. If they say something the Bible clearly teaches, doesn’t apply anymore, run, don’t walk away. It doesn’t matter if the church has hundreds of members. It doesn’t matter if all your friends and family go to that church. It doesn’t matter if you think what’s being preached is pleasing to your sensibilities and not offensive to our society. The message of the cross should offend today’s culture. It’s meant to change hearts and minds, not be watered down until it’s meaningless.

Heavenly Father your word is true, and your commandments are just. There are so many false gospels being preached today, it’s hard to find a church that speaks the truth from the pulpit. Please give us discernment to realize when a false message comes our way. Remind us to be like the Bereans, looking through the scriptures to determine the truthfulness of a teaching. We know that this world is the playground of Satan, and he will do everything in his power to lead us away from you. Please protect our churches from his influences. Give us the strength to resist the ear tickling, mind numbing sermons preached from an apostate pulpit. Help us to have the courage to leave behind any church that preaches those kinds of sermons. Bring us God-fearing preachers, who deliver sound doctrine. Help us to always be convicted when a message reveals something in our lives that we need to work on. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen!