Christ or Cult?
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A few weeks ago we looked in detail at what will ll take place in the end of all things. The tribulation, the judgments and the second coming.
Now while all of that is vital it is however a looking into the future. These things will take place.
Today i want to take what will happen and bring it into the present.
Scripture tells us that as the end gets nearer, we will face problems in our present. And a big problem we are currently facing is the fulfilment of the warning given in 1 Timothy:
1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,
You will not believe the fear i have for all of you. I am afraid FOR you.
As your local shepherd i echo the words of the Good Shepherd Jesus Christ when he said:
16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be as wary as serpents, and as innocent as doves.
Now if the wolves looked like wolves i would not be as concerned as i am. We seek the deep, mature things of God here at UFGC and i am confident in the maturity to spot wolves.
However, its not that simple, because these false prophets, false teachers, demonic pastors, cult leaders are wise and camouflage themselves, just as scripture says they do:
15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
This is no surprise as they simply follow the example of Satan who also disguises himself:
13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.
14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
So we have a very real and dangerous problem here:
How can we as christians spot the wolves? The cult leaders? when they look, talk and pretend to be sheep?
Well, there are always clues if you look carefully.
Today i want to show you these clues, like little red riding hood.
1: “God told me to tell you...”
1: “God told me to tell you...”
This is a common tactic that you HAVE to be on the look out for.
This is a way of giving their words more authority, the authority from God.
There is however a very big and obvious problem here: Its totally unbiblical.
5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,
There is only one mediator, one go between between you and God and that one person is Jesus Christ.
God does not go through me, through you, through anyone to reach his people.
If God wants to tell you something, He will tell it to you through Jesus Christ, specifically through the Word, which IS Jesus Christ.
2: Making Scripture subject to them.
2: Making Scripture subject to them.
The bible is our highest authority. Everyone and i mean everyone, there is not a single exception is subject to the scriptures.
That means that we have to do what scripture tells us. We answer to it, not the other way around.
20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture becomes a matter of someone’s own interpretation,
The mark of a false teacher is when they make scripture subject to them.
And the easiest way to see this is if they deny the clear instruction of the text.
Scripture says a + b = c.
But they say, well in bible times it was like this, or it does not mean this today...
Whatever their excuse they are basically saying: I dont submit to the authority of the bible, The bible must submit to me and what i believe.
So how can we spot this? Well there are many ways to spot this but there is in our time a huge obvious example.
The bible says something very clear, very simple and very final - However what it says is also very opposed to the cultural climate of today, but so what.
And this is an easy way to spot whether or not a pastor/ church is subject to the authority of God or if the bible is subject to them:
11 A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness.
12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.
This is one of the clearest instructions in the NT.
It is NOT cultural. It is NOT time specific.
It is a test to see whether a person is under the authority of what God said.
God said:
“I do not permit....”
So what am i to do with this instruction? Question it? Ignore it? Explain it away?
If i do then its clear that the bible is subject to me.
Or am i to humbly submit to this instruction even though i may not fully understand the full reason why God said it?
Does God have to explain himself to us? Does he need our permission to instruct?
3: Image obsessed
3: Image obsessed
If you remember our end times series you will remember that the Antichrist is obsessed with setting up his image in the temple to be worshipped.
15 And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause all who do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.
Cult leaders are just as obsessed with their image.
Their picture is everywhere.
In the church, on the walls, in the foyer, on their letter head, on every page of the website.
Every social media post will have their photo on it.
There is just the most extreme self promotion imaginable.
This of course flies in the face of true biblical stewardship, as the greatest man to ever live, John the Baptist said:
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
Decrease is the greek is “Ela-tor” and it means to fade away into the background.
Far from cults leaders who are always desperate to remain in the foreground.
4: “Something new is coming..”
4: “Something new is coming..”
A classic mark of a master manipulator is keeping people in constant anticipation for the next big move of God.
There is constant talk that:
God is doing something new...
Something new is about to happen...
Your breakthrough is almost here....
And of course this new thing never actually comes, its just replace by the next “move of God”.
This is wrong on so many levels because it makes a person discontent with God’s current provision.
The bible tell us:
5 Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever abandon you,”
9 And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
10 Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
17 Even if the fig tree does not blossom, And there is no fruit on the vines, If the yield of the olive fails, And the fields produce no food, Even if the flock disappears from the fold, And there are no cattle in the stalls,
18 Yet I will triumph in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
19 The Lord God is my strength, And He has made my feet like deer’s feet, And has me walk on my high places. For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.
11 Not that I speak from need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.
12 I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.
6 But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.
7 For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it, either.
8 If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.
9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge people into ruin and destruction.
10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
Do i need to go on?
Why do they do this to people?
Its simple really: To make people unhappy now with a false future hope enslaves them to the cult because if they leave they will “miss it”.
Again imply that God is somehow more favourable to “that” church than to all the other of millions of blood washed, holy spirit filled christians all around the world.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
Church i can go on and on and on.
5: Money lovers
5: Money lovers
1 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these.
The apostle Paul warns us:
17 For we are not like the many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.
I can think of no greater insult to the free gift of God than to charge money for its teaching.
The bible says:
8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.
Do you know why anyone or church would charge for a bible study? Because what they are teaching was NOT freely received by God.
If God gave it freely, then it should be given freely.
Now there is nothing wrong with asking for costs to be helped.
We asked for R100 for the growing in Grace course - but as you know it was not a requirement to do the course. The course was free - but we asked if you could make any contribution you could even R1.
Our Christmas dinner. The cost is R100pp.
But as have said: If you cannot pay that it does not matter at all, we want you there to enjoy the fellowship.
Conclude again:
Oh church what can i say? All i can say is to echo the Words of Your saviour:
16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be as wary as serpents, and as innocent as doves.