False Prophetes Acts 13 1-12

Scripture

Acts 13:1–12 ESV

Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

Introduction

What is the warning in this passage about false prophets? Are there false prophetess today within the church? How shall the church handle them? This subject is often not preached from today’s pulpit, much less do ministers of the gospel practice church discipline among those under their watch. Today Christian I will point you to what a false teacher is, the matters of due diligence of a minister, and to encourage you to take guard yourself.

The attack within the church

So many Christians today are unaware of what they believe and why they believe it. I have seen even good intended ministers of the gospel allow wolfs in sheep clothing to shape the culture of the church. These ideas or culture changers appear as a sheep and even attempt to promote the name of Jesus. It is not something that is so open as to spot the fake from the real. The wolf intends to cause harm to the church, and does. Even solid denominations are not prone to avoid the attack of the wolf; and if not caught it does in time destroy that denomination and the local church.

The great concern today is while the Apostle Paul rebuked a false Jewish prophet Bar-Jesus who was in attempt to turn others from the true pure religion given to us by God almighty, in the same today we have Bar-Jesus trying to do the same. The condition of the Church today is they are prone to accept false teaching all the while believing it is of God.

Over the last few years church’s have been prone to accept teaching of pentecostal movements from the likes of Bethel Music, Hillsong or the O same famous Elevation Church. Whose ministers of those churches are teaching heretical teachings such as Jesus did not perform the miracles as God, denying Jesus as fully man and fully God. Or modalism as the hidden teaching in churches like Elevation.

False representations of Jesus being taught by Mormon studios called Angel studious, the very producers of the Chosen. Yet if you were to attend a modern day even baptist church today their worship bands are playing music written by the Bethel, elevation, Hillsong. The pastor is so excited about the next season of the Chosen and have invited the church over for a watch party. Ditching the singing of the Psalms and the reading of the word for entertainment.

Then the argument and I have heard it from friends, even people I do ministry with is but it’s speaking about Jesus and speaking their language. No, it is not speaking about Jesus and it’s further damning their souls to hell. That is the point of the wolf, to steal! Unfortunate dear friends the wolf has fooled many of minsters right along with the congregation.

No longer is the majority of churches teaching the pure gospel of Jesus Christ, but rather accepting Bar-Jesus into their congregation and he maybe even the Preacher himself.

Christian can you identify when the triune nature of God is being attacked?

Can you spot a works based salvation?

Do you hear the songs that place Jesus as a mere man and not fully God?

Do you know of the heresy's of the denial of the Resurrection to come?

Christian can you explain the gospel to your friend as the word of God teaches it? Are you in the word of God where you know false teaching from truth?

These attacks from within are an attack of the bride of Christ, Christ who gave himself for the church.

The Pastoral Duty and the side wolf

While Paul was approaching the scene there another there to seek to keep the truth out. While wolfs are the main teachers, they often have a wolf pack with them. Those who will fight to keep true Preachers away, and most certainly Pastors who don’t mind using the voice of a shepherd. This comes into the church through the backdoor, today is it through Christian entertainment, often portraying a message of works, false teachings of the trinity, or portraying a soft Jesus who is your friend rather than God.

It is backdoor teaching, it is the side wolf ensuring the main wolf is not found out. Case in point Angel Studios or major Christian publishers even as such as Life-way who when they had stores open would often sell books that were as far from gospel truth and nothing more than humanism with a false Jesus. Yet many Christians today and even Pastors in major Evangelical denominations are blinded to the side wolf who intentionally distracts to keep truth away.

The Pastoral duty

The duty of the Pastor is to point the sheep to Christ, promote Christ, and give Christ. Christ who is the very head of the Church and the author of Salvation. Christ is there for the heavy burden to give rest, Christ who is the sinners righteousness, Christ who is God . There is a voice for the sheep that Pastor’s must use, firm yet always pointing to Christ.

There is a duty of Pastor that must be aggressive, you do not want a soft bellied Pastor, you do not want a people pleasing Pastor, and you don’t want a Pastor who is the best friend of everyone. Despite the Americian desire of Pastor being a soft spoken male who can’t or won’t fight. This is not the model of Pastor within scripture nor it is the model of Christ who said he did not come to bring peace but a sword. Matthew 10:34-36

Matthew 10:34–36 ESV

“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.

Pastor’s are undersheperds of the Great shepherd and their duty at appropriate times is to bring the sword against the wolf, never the sheep. The staff is for the sheep and yes at times it hurts to get bonked on the head, but discipline of the Christian is love, but the sword which kills is for the wolf. Here are the words of Paul, a true Pastor who is now fighting for the sheep. “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.”

This is a duty of a Pastor, to fight with the sword against that which divides.

There are times where wolfs have spent some time within in the church; This is crucial that church discipline and a plurality of elders is established at each church; to guard the sheep from the wolfs and if an elder is a wolf heaven forbid, but the others elders can remove him with proper church discipline. This protects the sheep.

The congregation duty of guarding against False Teaching

How does a congregation guard against false prophets?

First: Be careful to lay hands or call any minister to fulfill Pastoral duties; we are not talking about personality differences every Church will have different feelings on a Pastor, but we are talking about false prophets, not persons you don’t care for. Biblical elders appoint elders to churches, we see this with Paul appointing Timothy, we see this when the church elders gathered to replace Judas, we do not see a biblical model of congregational voting on a Pastor or calling a Pastoral search committee. It just leads to problems.

Second: Upon having biblically strong and quaiflied men as your elders, elders who should maintain the protection of their flock; the church needs and should be a Church where the congregation is in the word of God and study’s the word. Christian if you don’t know the word of God within your own heart, then you have not guarded yourselves against false proheptes.

The best example I can give you is within church history; The Roman Catholic Church is clear evidence of this if you are in a protestant there is a reason. The doctrine of salvation in Christ alone not by works is in my opinion a critical doctrine of the Christian faith. Rome and I’ve heard this is still the practice today, just not as bold. Holds that the priest is the one who interprets the word for “laity” and Rome decides the doctrines. Not the word of God. This is why reformers like Martin Luther who knew the word of God went against Rome.

Christian know the word of God.

Third: Do not trust your heart. The worst advice a mother can ever give a child is follow/or trust your heart. Your heart is depraved and even if you are born again still battles the flesh until glory.

John Calvin states, “The heart is an idol factory”

Christian this is why so many are blinded to follow teachings from Bethel, Angel Studios, or worse be okay with accepting a non-trintiian Hispanic religoin , thinking they are good people. They are not good people, that is bad theology. They are sinners in need of Christ. They are as Paul claims Son’s of the devil. Many Christians will accept this false form of Christ, because 1, they either never were saved, or 2 they don’t the word of God. False idol worship is damning to the soul, and creating a false Jesus is the devils tactic.

Fourth: Do not loose sight of Christ. Christian if you loose the real Christ, you are in a danger of apostasy. I don’t know the state of your salvation, I don’t like to give congregations false assurance. Examine your soul Christian. If you are in Christ, then you can’t loose Christ. But if you are not in Christ, not truly born again these false teachings will grab your heart, you will start to despise preachers of truth, you will defend the likes of Bill Johnson of Steven futrick, worse men like David Mendoza who don’t know Christ.

You will quickly fall into apostasy, which is just a sign regeneration has not happened to you.

Christ care for His Church

Christ cares for the purity of His bride, because he commands that we worship Him in pure truth and action. Christ is the author of your salvation and you Church are His bride. He will not accept unrenegerate faith, and false worship is not pleasing to him. To worship an idol who carrys the name of Christ but is not Christ is blasphemy. Bill Johnson, the Pentecostal movement in America, and the false “christian” cults such as LLDM, Jehovah witness, Mormonism is blasphemy against Christ.

To follow or even mildly accept such things could lead to the damnation of your soul as evidence of an unregenerate heart that has created another Christ that is not the Christ.

Christ gave the church great Pastors like Paul and Barnabas who stood against the wolf; many today do not want a Pastor like that. Yet Christian that is the Pastor you need, because that Pastor knows Christ. Christian you need Christ, and Christ has sent his undershepereds to point you to him. Do not loose focus of Christ, Christian the wolf is out there.

Let us pray.