These are brief excerpts from a tremendous sermon by John MacArthur in 2012 called
And the Lord said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds. (Jeremiah 14:14-15)
Thus says the Lord of hosts: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, ‘It shall be well with you’; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart, they say, ‘No disaster shall come upon you.'" ...“I did not send the prophets, (Jeremiah 23:16-17, 21)
John MacArthur: You think that’s gone away? That hasn’t gone away.
False teachers are described graphically in both the Old Testament and in the New Testament like this:
The description of them goes like this, “They are leaven. They are whited tombs, whited walls, graves concealed, broken pots covered with silver, tares, wolves in sheep’s clothing, wells without water, they are presumptuous, natural brute beasts to be taken and destroyed, they are filth spots and scabs, immoral, covetous, cursed children, clouds in a tempest to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever, deluded dreamers who defile the flesh, spots on your love feasts, clouds without water, trees without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots, raging waves of the sea foaming out their own shame, wandering stars to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness. They are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts, their mouths speaking great swelling words, cloaks over sin, sensual and without the Holy Spirit.” (source)
That’s a sad state. That’s counterfeit religious authority. Why would you be looking for common ground with them?
The answer is obvious. Common ground with false teachers doesn't exist.
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| Clerical collar on a table in a pub. CC. Source |
Listen to the entire sermon. It's good.
I connected with a verse in Ezekiel 13 (passage excerpted)
ReplyDelete"10 “Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace...22 “Because with lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and you have strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that he does not turn from his wicked way to save his life. 23 Therefore you shall no longer envision futility nor practice divination; for I will deliver My people out of your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
The false preachers (Osteen et al) make sad the heart of the righteous (you, me, other discerning Christians) whom God has not made sad.
Feel weary? God has sympathy for us; Ezekiel 13 gives me comfort in that regard.
thanks for the good word. I also appreciate the Ezekiel verse. Good one!
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