Being alert for false teachers can help you from getting the wrong message
We hear from the Lord and hear Him speak through His Word. The Bible, the word of God, and the only written, direct, divine revelation from God.
What is a prophet?
Someone who is authorized to speak on behalf of God; a messenger from God. The first prophet was Abraham, and the most famous: Moses.
How many believe that our bible is sufficient?
It contains everything we need in life. We don't spirits, divinations, magic, testimony, or spells to add to what God has given and revealed to us already.
False prophets are:
- sketchy
- spread misinformation
- spiritual monsters
- capping
- sus
- mposters among us
How do I know if someone is not legit?
1. They Say What People Want to Hear (2 Timothy 4:3)
2. They Teach a Doctrine Other than Christ (2 Peter 2:1-3)
3. They Use Tricks to Pull People In (Matthew 24:23-25)
4. They Are Dishonest about Their Real Intentions (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
5. They Seek to Divide Church families (Romans 16:17-18)
6. They Ignore the Need for Repentance (Lamentations 2:14)
7. They Gloss Over Any Sins They or Other Church Leaders Commit (Ezekiel 22:28)
8. They Substitute Their Own Words for God’s Word (Jeremiah 14:14)
9. They Do Damage to Church Families (Matthew 7:15-16)
When do false prophets usually appear?
Wherever there is a sudden rise of poor, drug addicted, vulnerable, helpless or uneducated people struggling with life.
Where are they most seen?
Poor neighborhoods
Why is this important?
Jesus warns: “beware of the false prophets”, and it's not just a fact, it’s a deadly warning, a warning to keep our minds clear from things spiritually, emotionally, and mentally harmful.
Peter warns that they are “like unreasoning animals. . . . reveling in their deceptions . . . enticing unstable souls” (2 Peter 2:12, 13, 14)
It was natural for Jesus to compare false prophets with wolves, since the mountains of Israel were overrun with wolves.
When a wolf found a defenseless sheep, it attacked quickly and tore the sheep to pieces.
Just like those brutal and scary animals, false teachers are always seeking new victims to manipulate.
Jude 1:10:
“But these people scoff at things they do not understand. Like unthinking animals, they do whatever their instincts tell them, and so they bring about their own destruction.”
Jude’s letter warns against false prophets and tells how we can safeguard ourselves against them.
Jude 1:21:
“ and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.”
Application
Our first priority is to be right with the Lord, living in a place of fellowship with God, with others, and relying on sound teaching.
Once we have the foundation laid, we can then warn others of false prophets and rescue them from the harmful influences. (Jude 22–23).
Charles Mattson
Student Ministries Director
