Don't Feed the Wolves
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
A couple of years ago we were traveling and I was flipping through the channels and came upon a news story that caught my interest. They were making a point using a bunch of stats and using the information to blast those that had different ideas than they did. After a couple of minutes I decided to turn to another channel and I found a different news station that had the exact same stats on the screen but they were defending the opposite side of the issue. They were blasting the opposition using these stats as their defence.
Two news stations same facts two completely different conclusions and completely different interpretations of the same information. Both claimed to be experts and to be reporting the truth. But both cannot be true. The facts are the facts but each group was weaving the information for their own best interests.
We have become used to jaded and unbiased news. We have made decisions about which station we will or will not listen too. We come to conclusions about who we believe will tell us the truth using the facts available.
But what about those that use the facts of the scriptures and history to communicate the will of God? Are we as concerned about who we listen too about the things of God as we are about the news of the day. We hear accusations of fake news but what about false teachers. How do you determine that a news station is providing fake news or the truth? What are the tests that you would perform?
Like today the early church was repeatedly influenced and troubled by false teachers. There was a continual challenge to determine who were and were not false prophets and false teachers. Today we come to one of those passages that was written to help vet out the false from the true teachers. Find the wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Paul gives Timothy instruction how how to flush out these false teachers. There are always those that are obvious where they just deny full truth but there are many who are subtle and crafty and Timothy is given a way of finding out who are false teachers and who are godly teachers.
3 If anyone teaches false doctrine and does not agree with the sound teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the teaching that promotes godliness, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing, but has an unhealthy interest in disputes and arguments over words. From these come envy, quarreling, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant disagreement among people whose minds are depraved and deprived of the truth, who imagine that godliness is a way to material gain.
The first test is to look at is what they teach.
What do the wolves teach?
What do the wolves teach?
3 If anyone teaches false doctrine and does not agree with the sound teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the teaching that promotes godliness,
First false teachers teach false doctrine. False doctrine is from a Greek compound word that simply means other teaching.
A doctrine is an instruction or belief that is held by an individual or a group.
It doesn’t matter if it sounds good or not. A false teacher will teach other ideas than those that God’s word teaches. They may not even directly contradict a doctrine or teaching of scripture but will teach in areas that the bible does not speak on or they will take what is said and ignore it to teach what they want about it. Or they may just be ignorant and be teaching what they think the bible says.
7 They want to be teachers of the law, although they don’t understand what they are saying or what they are insisting on.
False teachers will make claims about what God instructs that are contrary to what God has taught. These will not agree with the “sound” teaching of Lord Jesus. With the healthy life giving teachings of Jesus. They teach more or less than what Jesus taught. They add and subtract to his words and his teaching.
Jesus’ teaching promoted godliness. It drives men and women to be more like God. A false teacher will promote attractive ideas and philosophies that lift up man in its fallen state and justify who they are in that state. The results of false teachers will be followers that are not growing into the head of the church, they are not maturing, they are not being transformed, they are enjoying the community that teaches that they don’t need to change.
There are recent studies attempting to look at believers and to get a picture of the spiritual maturity of Christians in America. Each one looked at the topic in different ways but they seemed to trend that 80% of those that are spiritual toddlers at best. There is a common perception that Christians are growing each year but when asked some basic questions year over year the reality is that there just isn’t much growth in the average believer.
False teachers become more and more apparent when a person is gaining a deeper and deeper understanding of the scripture alone with a growing maturing in their faith. False teaching does not promote growing in the Spirit but growth in the flesh.
Do those that follow the teaching of a leader show a growing maturity? Does the teacher teach what Jesus taught? If not, then Paul points out that these teachers should be confronted.
3 As I urged you when I went to Macedonia, remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach false doctrine
The first test of a teaches is what they teach and what it promotes.
What motives the wolves?
What motives the wolves?
4 he is conceited and understands nothing, but has an unhealthy interest in disputes and arguments over words.
The next test of a false teacher is how does he see himself. To be conceited is to have a false sense of pride. Pride in their own ideas and their own thoughts. They have exalted themselves in to a place they are not qualified to be. We saw in the qualifications for elders Paul used the same word.
6 He must not be a new convert, or he might become conceited and incur the same condemnation as the devil.
The devil wants the place of God. He want to exalt himself above his rightful place under God and so does the false teacher. The Greek word here means to be puffed up and full of pride. It has the idea of being surrounded by smoke so that a person does not see clearly. When they look in the mirror they have a false sense of self.
They see themselves as full of wisdom and great new insight into the ways of God.
13 Who among you is wise and understanding? By his good conduct he should show that his works are done in the gentleness that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and deny the truth. 15 Such wisdom does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.
They are wise in their own eyes and many will follow their so called wisdom.
1 There were indeed false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved ways, and the way of truth will be maligned because of them.
This is a common trait of false teachers. They have some new idea, or thought. God has revealed special knowledge to them. They are the only ones who have found these truths. But Paul says they are conceited and don’t understand anything.
How could they? What type of arrogance does it take to change the words of someone? To deny what was spoken. What would you do if you walked into your child’s room and said “Tommy please clean your room?” Seems like a fairly clear instruction. You come back an hour later and nothing has changed. “Tommy what haven’t you cleaned your room?” How would you react if his response was:
“You didn’t tell me to clean my room?” or
“You told Jessica to clean my room? or
“You told me to enjoy my room?
Are any of those what you said? No. What kind of arrogance is there to take the words of someone and to deny or change them. The false teachers do just that. Except they do it with God himself. They definitely are lacking understanding. They do not understand God’s character, his justice, his wrath, his discipline, their precarious position, and the final punishment for those that do not come to submit to Jesus as Lord.
10... Bold, arrogant people! They are not afraid to slander the glorious ones; 11 however, angels, who are greater in might and power, do not bring a slanderous charge against them before the Lord. 12 But these people, like irrational animals—creatures of instinct born to be caught and destroyed—slander what they do not understand, and in their destruction they too will be destroyed. 13 They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. ...
Instead of a fear of the justice of God they have
4 ...but has an unhealthy interest in disputes and arguments over words.
They sit and theorize, speculate, philosophize and argue over the meanings of God’s words. In the pursuit of their own position and following.
18 Let no one condemn you by delighting in ascetic practices and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm. Such people are inflated by empty notions of their unspiritual mind.
Their minds are unspiritual and focus on their own self. Paul boasted of much and he was able do so because he was just proclaiming what God had done and how God had exalted him to a position that he was not worthy to be.
13 even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I received mercy because I acted out of ignorance in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, so that in me, the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his extraordinary patience as an example to those who would believe in him for eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
God lifts his appointed teachers up to places of leadership, false teachers lift themselves up. A teacher that has been appointed by God feels the weight and responsibility of carrying the word’s of God to the bride of Christ. The Holy Scripture are not to be trifled, with they are to be carefully taught to the people. The warning of James rings loudly in their ears.
1 Not many should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we will receive a stricter judgment.
False teachers will not be concerned with warnings like these. They will continue to argue and teach what they want to teach. This is the second way that false teachers reveal themselves.
The third is the result of their teaching.
What do the wolves produce?
What do the wolves produce?
... From these come envy, quarreling, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant disagreement among people whose minds are depraved and deprived of the truth, who imagine that godliness is a way to material gain.
The end results are disunity . False teaching cannot bring unity. As it is based on arguments and personal ideas that will conflict other personal ideas of other people. False teachers cannot produce what should be the fruit of teachers.
11 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
Unity can only be found when a group of people come to a common place. Even if a group seems to be unified under false teaching it is not unified with God.
4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
Disunity is a mark of false teachers. They look out into the flock to find those that will follow them and then they discard those that disagree or raise an objection by raising up the word. False teachers will show favoritism for those that agree and will slander and separate from those that do not.
They support those that support them. They are not motivated by care for the flock just gain by the flock. So they fight they argue. They are characterized by five things.
Envy of those that maybe seen better than them. There is an unhealthy obsession with comparing to other churches and other leaders.
Quarreling they must defend their position against the truth so there is constant conflict. They hold onto power though winning constant battles.
They slander those that oppose them. They cannot bring forth the light of the truth otherwise that would reveal themselves so they make up false accusations about other people. They exaggerate the reality of other peoples lives.
Evil Suspicions is part of their make up. They are always looking over their own shoulder. Looking for their opponents. They are weary that others will rise up against them to take away what they have built for themselves.
The last characteristic is that there are constant disagreements among false teachers.
5 and constant disagreement among people whose minds are depraved and deprived of the truth, who imagine that godliness is a way to material gain.
False teachers do not love the Lord with all of their mind. For there are three things that describe their minds.
They are depraved. A true believer cannot come to the place where they blatantly blaspheme Father God, Perfect Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. They don’t see it this way but they are hostile towards God.
7 The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so.
The things of God are revealed to the people of God by the Spirit of God.
9 But as it is written, What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived— God has prepared these things for those who love him. 10 Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, since the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except his spirit within him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God. 13 We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. 14 But the person without the Spirit does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually. 15 The spiritual person, however, can evaluate everything, and yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone. 16 For who has known the Lord’s mind, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
True believers have the mind of Christ, who was perfectly obedient to God and fulfilled every command of the word of God. He never once sought a position of authority beyond what God had given him.
False teachers are unable to understand the truth because they are unspiritual. Even though they have heard and even taught the scriptures they have not the faith to understand them. So they make up their own interpretation and that is reinforces by the following and adoration of immature and weak believers.
False teachers are used by the enemy to spread confusion into the church.
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit now working in the disobedient. 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath as the others were also.
How do the wolves feed on the church?
How do the wolves feed on the church?
The false teachers are still walking according to the spirit at work in the disobedient. Living for the flesh and what they see when they look at the church is a way to financial gain.
5 and constant disagreement among people whose minds are depraved and deprived of the truth, who imagine that godliness is a way to material gain.
They are lost without truth and seek to live off of the church. Off of those that they have seduced into following their cause. This is another characteristic of false teachers. They use the church in creative ways to exploit the church for their own personal gain. They are not interested in the welfare of heart of the people they exploit but they see them as a means to an end.
There becomes a disconnect between the being supported by the church to better care for the church and and using the church to gain wealth and status.
15 “Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. 16 You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Timothy finds himself in a church will false teachers. Many it would seem as Paul has mentioned false teachers multiple times. He speaks of the truth and the battle for the truth. He calls the church the pillar of truth.
This was an issue for the church of Ephesus. Paul warned them many years before.
26 Therefore I declare to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, 27 because I did not avoid declaring to you the whole plan of God. 28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Men will rise up even from your own number and distort the truth to lure the disciples into following them. 31 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years I never stopped warning each one of you with tears. 32 “And now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified.
As he gathered the elders of the church he gave this warning. That after he leaves that their own will take the truth of God’s word that Paul had taught for three years, and they would distort it. For the purpose of luring the disciples, the followers of Jesus, into following them.
He commits to them the only thing that will keep false teachers at bay, keep them from drawing men and women away. Lives that are commited to God and the word of his Grace. The truth of God. They knew the truth and they knew were warned to be alert.
He would write to this church again.
11 And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. 14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. 15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ.
God had appointed leaders and they were to equip and build up the body. Until what? Until we all reach unity in the faith and knowledge of Jesus. So that they wouldn’t be tossed around by what? By every wind of teaching. Teaching grounded in human cunning and cleverness of deceit.
But they were to speak truth to each other. Truth in love, helping every one mature and grow.
What is truth? This is the question Pilate asked as Jesus when he was brought to Pilate to be tried. During his questioning of Jesus
He asks Jesus
37 “You are a king then?” Pilate asked. “You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. “I was born for this, and I have come into the world for this: to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 “What is truth?” said Pilate. After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no grounds for charging him.
Jesus states that everyone that is of the truth listens to his voice as he came to testify about the truth. But Pilate asks the age old question “What is Truth?
When we open this letter to Timothy we find like many of the other letters that one of the main themes that is running through Paul’s instruction is the battle for the truth. The battle against false teaching.
What is truth? We hear people talk about relative truth, absolute truth, cultural truth, objective truth, hidden truth and personal truth.
Tanna Story and personal truth to perfect truth.
Even with the proper training, proper warning, proper instruction, Paul finds them in a place that the false teachers are not just present but they are accomplishing the destruction and corruption that come from false teachers.
Paul called them cleaver and deceitful. to the Corinthians he warned deceitful workers that disguised themselves as apostles of Christ. They masquerade in the image of the righteous but inside they are filled with lies and treachery. (2 Cor 11:13-15)
Peter calls them boastful, seductive and the make great promises of freedom. They are like slanderous irrational animals. (2 Peter 2)
Jude says they have gone the way of Cain, they are dangerous reefs, selfish shepherds, waterless clouds, fruitless trees, wild waves, wandering stars, discontented grumblers, living to their desires speaking with arrogant words and flatter people for their own advantage.
Over and over they are described, and warned about and over and over again they are found thriving in the midst of God’s people.
These tests stand in great opposition to many leaders of churches today. Churches have allowed those that throw out the biblical doctrines including leader qualifications and appoint for themselves their own teachers.
3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear.
The teach much that does not line up with the teachings of Jesus. They claim new revelation. Special appointments. Divine instructions that are not found in scripture.
There are great big churches and very small churches that year after year, decade after decade, there is no evidence of spiritual maturity. There is no fruit from teaching that promotes godliness.
There are leaders that lead with power and arguments, who have gathered a following and set themselves into the place of power. Hiring like minded individuals.
And probably one of the most revealing test in our day is those that it becomes obvious that they are in it for the money. It is one thing to be cared for well by the blessings of God and his provision and it is completely different to wear a pair of shoes in the pulpit that costs ten of thousands of dollars.
This teaching is even more dangerous today. because of media. The teachers that Paul was speaking of was transparent in the way that they had to be in the community to be teaching. They sat in front and there was a way to observe but today. We hop on a podcast, or and online sermon. We trust without question. It is a blessing to have access to all of this teaching but the warning still but ring out. Be careful who you follow. Are they wolves in sheep's clothing or are they appointed teachers but the holy Spirit of God.
The simple weapons that will fight against the infiltration of teachers is the
Appointment of Godly leaders
7 As an overseer of God’s household, he must be blameless, not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not an excessive drinker, not a bully, not greedy for money, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, righteous, holy, self-controlled, 9 holding to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it.
Having the word dwell in the church
16 Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
Sword of the Spirit.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God.
And we hold on
13 Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Let us pray.
Let us pray.
Prayer
Communion
Warning
Children, Lost, Sin
19 And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
27 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Prayer
Song
Closing
Blessing/Benediction
5 Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.
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