How to Spot False Teachers
Jude • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Please turn to the book of Jude.
Book of Jude. beginning at verse 8.
You and I have access to more content and information than ever before.
Sometimes, I will get messages—emails and texts from you or people in our community, saying “Rick, listen to this teacher, listen to this preacher. What do you think of this person, this teacher and preacher? and then you will say - Would you recommend I follow that person or not?” or “I read this book listened to this podcast—I love what they are saying about the Bible. Is it a good message, Rick? or should I listen to this worship band or leader?”
It’s a great question. and I feel the pressure, too—I got to give my stamp of approval (or I am leading you to heresy)!
and then sometimes you don’t ask me or others—and just love someone and may post about them—and I think “You are following that person?”
We have so much access to content—more than we can handle. How can we discern which Biblical teachers to trust?
How can we discern who false teachers are? and what false teaching is—b/c the NT is very concerned with it.
Because there is a lot at stake in this:
Think about it—what we believe affects how we behave NOW. Our beliefs matter-they are not just up here. Jude writes similarly —that false teachers have come in—and in verse 4 (on screen)—they perverting the grace of God into a license for immorality. “I can do whatever I want, God will forgive me.” so what we believe matters—like last week—it affects how we use our bodies and sexuality.
but also what we believe and affirm can affect us for ETERNITY. our eternity is at stake.
because if you look at Jude carefully—vs. 5—Jude says the Israelites started well—they were saved out of Egypt—but didn’t enter the Promised Land. that’s a warning for us! We can start well with Christ and not finish well.
vs. 6—the angels—created by God with God—rebelled against God. (and they were in the presence of God)
vs. 7 - those in Sodom and Gomorrah—God destroyed that city for their sexual immorality—their punishment serves as a warning to us it says “they serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire!!” (on screen)
What we believe—and how it affects how we behave—THAT MATTERS FOR ETERNITY!
There’s a lot at stake...so we better be ultra discerning and careful about who we are listening to, what messages we are absorbing.
so how do we discern false teachers:
Verses 8-16 will help us.
we are going to start at verse 8 and read a description of these false teachers - Jude is very blunt here: (please stand)
8 In the very same way, on the strength of their (false teachers) dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies (sleep around), reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings.
9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
10 Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand, and the very things they do understand by instinct—as irrational animals do—will destroy them.
11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.
12 These people are blemishes (or hidden reefs) at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead.
13 They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones
15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
16 These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.
What are some marks of false teachers?
I think overall there are 2 main categories and lot of sub-categories.
How to Spot False Teachers:
Bad Doctrine
Bad Character (ungodly)
what do I mean?
Doctrine—does what they are teaching match up with Scripture?
Does it match up with the Gospel, the good news of Jesus?
We have talked about this briefly—what they are teaching in verse 4 does NOT. a license for immorality. they are twisting it...yes God’s grace is the basis of what saves us—not works, but God’s grace leads to goods works—holiness, transformation—not perfection, but change!
but here in vs. 8-16, he focuses not on doctrine as much as BAD CHARACTER.
Jesus said very similarly:
15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
so let’s think from our text—what does bad doctrine and bad character look like to help us be more discerning about false teachers/teachings:
1 example of bad doctrine and 2 examples of bad character we see here:
Example of Bad Doctrine:
Relies on something else > the Bible
relying on something outside the Bible for the main source of my knowledge and direction
look at verse 8 -
8 In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings.
(back on screen)
It is true that God can speak to us in a variety of ways today—through other people, through signs and wonders, even dreams...however, these false teachers are giving too much weight to their dreams—to justify their behavior. polluting their bodies—probably a reference to sexual immorality, rejecting authority, and heaping abuse on celestial beings...they are using visionary experiences to justify their behavior that doesn’t honor God.
If you hear teachers backing up their teaching not mainly with the Bible but something else...watch out.
What could those things be?
—dreams and visions only- certainly...God speaks through those. but they must be weighed and sifted by God’s Word -if it doesn’t match up with God’s word—watch out.
—but things like “feelings” “I just felt like God wanted me to do this...” “Or I just had a feeling of peace about this.” certainly God does grant peace and can—but some of the things God’s Word calls us to will be hard. They won’t feel good. You won’t always feel happy following Jesus even though I think following Jesus produces real lasting joy and happiness. but remember - Jesus said if you are going to follow me, you must deny yourself, die to yourself and take up your cross. That will not always feel good
—instinct - if you look at verse 10—(on screen) they are like irrational animals who are following their instincts more than God’s Word and thinking. vs. 16 (on screen) says they follow their own evil desires—-that is driving them more than God’s Word. so they are looking more inside of themselves for inspiration rather than outside to God’s inspired Word....
and the same is true today—we are taught, see examples—of people who look inside to justify who they are — “I just have to follow my heart...” but Scripture warns us—that we can’t always trust our hearts—because they are affected by sin
—even circumstances is another example we have to be careful of- “God opened this door.” Scripture does use that language—but we must never use “open doors” as an excuse for sin—or avoiding what God is calling us to do.
so as you are listening or watching teaching—pay attention to how much do they back up their teaching with God’s Word? Are their messages saturated with God’s Word or not? what are they basing their teaching on? If it’s just feelings, visions, circumstances, experiences, but not God’s Word—watch out.
I have actually noticed this before—some speakers and teachers are so good—very talented...you listen to them and before you know it 45, an hour as passage—they get you laughing or crying—but sometimes I have noticed if I look back at the talk objectively and think about it—they hardly talked about the Bible or Scripture or Jesus at all—watch out. (do this next time you hear a message you love—did the speaker even quote or mention the Bible that often)
let me give you a couple of Bad Character qualities — bad fruit (b/c that’s really what Jude focuses on)
Examples of Bad Character:
Arrogance
or pride...
8 In the very same way, on the strength of their dreams these ungodly people pollute their own bodies, reject authority and heap abuse on celestial beings.
this is a lack of submitting to God’s authority - verse 4—they deny Jesus as sovereign or Lord. may claim Jesus as Savior but not Lord.
and also a lack of any other Christian authority in their life.
if you look at verse 11—a lot of OT characters are mentioned who rejected God’s authority—
Cain is certainly one—in Genesis 4—we read this...
3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord.
4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?
7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
God confronted Cain—but Cain did not respond well—instead of submitting to God’s authority, he grew jealous and angry and killed his brother. Our arrogance—though we may not literally murder people—has a way of ruining people’s lives! one sign of arrogance is not submitting to confrontation!
In addition, he mentions Korah in verse 11.
Turn to Numbers 16:1-4
1 Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and certain Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—became insolent (showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect)
2 and rose up against Moses. With them were 250 Israelite men, well-known community leaders who had been appointed members of the council.
3 They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, “You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?”
4 When Moses heard this, he fell facedown.
Korah led a rebellion against God’s chosen leader Moses and Aaron.
if you read that chapter—God made very clear who his chosen ones were—Moses and Aaron—not Korah, and God sent fire to consume some leaders,
and also this:
31 As soon as he finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart
32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions.
33 They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community.
now, the text is not saying you can never question your leaders or challenge them (that is often needed) but in this particular situation—God had made clear that Moses and Aaron were his chosen ones to lead.
so this arrogance comes out in —not being willing to be confronted or accountable; not submitting to any authority (that’s a huge red flag for false teachers)
some of you may have listened to the PodCast the Rise and Fall of Mars Hill—it explores the the church Mars Hill in Seattle and pastor Mark Driscoll—some of that arrogance that we see here I think is reflected in his story sadly)
another example of this lack of submitting to authority—rejecting authority—it says in verse 8, that they heap abuse on celestial beings.
blaspheming the glorious ones (like picking a fight!)
what on earth does that mean? Literally—the text reads they blaspheme the glorious ones. some scholars think they are slandering good angels. but I don’t think so? why look at verse 9.
it is hard to know exactly—but I think verse 9 gives a clue.
9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”
Michael one of the highest angels in God’s order—is mentioned in the book of Daniel and Revelation in the Bible.
and this account mentioned of Michael disputing with the devil about the body of Moses is NOT mentioned in Scripture.
it is found in another book called the Testimony of Moses or the Assumption of Moses. this is known as a pseudipigrapha work—meaning that it was attributed to a certain author like Moses but not actually written by Moses (or Enoch). they have a pseudonym.
I will talk more about this and book of Enoch (mentioned in verse 14 next week) but I don’t think by Jude referencing them that he though they were Scripture. They were well known quotes or stories that his people understood. Whether Jude actually thought this happened—or was it more of fictional legend kind of like Chronicles of Narnia that everyone knew—we don’t know.
but he uses this story to illustrate his point.
these false teachers were challenging, blaspheming, slandering, demons and the devil based not on God’s authority—but their own. almost like they are picking a fight—showing off.
One scholar says this reminds us of Acts 19.
13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.”
14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
15 One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?”
16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
they are presuming on God’s power—thinking they can challenge the kingdom of darkness on their own, not God’s power. t hey don’t really know Jesus but presume on his grace and power.
and Jude says—not even the highest angel does that. He relies on Jesus’ power. “The Lord rebuke you.”
It’s incredible arrogance.
and I think one of the biggest signs of false teachers, false leadership, bad character—is arrogance.
so arrogance is a sign...look out for...
signs of false teachers:
—like Cain—They don’t change when confronted (like Cain).
—like Korah...they assume they can do better than the current leadership (like Korah).
—heaping abuse on celestial beings...They pick a fight with everything and everyone—including the demonic realm based on their own authority, not Jesus’.
watch out for them...
(I feel like women especially are good at discerning false teachers who are arrogant....)
another sub-category of bad - fruit for false teachers...
Self-glorifying - “it’s all about me.”
look at verse 11 carefully...
11 Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion.
the story of Balaam shows up in Numbers 22-24. He was a pagan prophet—hired by the king of Moab to curse Israel, but he could only bless Israel. In some ways, he is presented positively in that story b/c he only speaks what God tells him, but we do see in this account that God opens the mouth of Balaam’s donkey to speak to him and confronts him, but most of Scripture does not look at him positively like here.
that story takes place right after Numbers 22-24 in Numbers 25. Balaam helped persuade the Israelites to worship foreign gods and commit sexual immorality—porneo.
but look at what 2 Peter says about Balaam
15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness.
16 But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.
look at what Revelation 2 says about Balaam
14 Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality.
so part of Balaam’s motivation as a pagan prophet was greed—he wanted money; he wanted fame...sexuality. money, sex, and power. and he loved wickedness.
He was about himself—and false teachers commonly—it is about themselves. it’s not about god—but about the extras that come with fame—money sex and power.
One of the most interesting Instagram pages you can find is called PreachersNsneakers (the letter N)
and on it—it is calling out well known preachers and the sneakers/shoes they wear—sometimes, $500, 600, well over a $1000.
and the comments are interesting b/c some say—well they make that much they can wear those, but they get a lot of push back.
and so I learned about that page from a friend—and sometimes he will take screenshots or ask me on Sunday morning, what shoes am I wearing?
verse 12 makes it even clearer: self-glorifying...
12 These people are blemishes at your love feasts (or yours may say hidden reefs—the translation could go either way—they are like reefs under water that a ship cannot see and wrecks it—they are wrecking the church’s community love feasts where they would get together and eat and usually take communion—they are wrecking it (b/c it is about them), eating with you without the slightest qualm (their conscience isn’t even bothered)—shepherds who feed only themselves (from Ezekiel 34). They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. (they look promising but fail to deliver like a farmer who desperately wants rain—sees the rain clouds coming but no rain comes down).
and then look at verse 16
16 These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.
false prophets are not only filled with arrogance...but all about themselves.
so bad doctrine-relying on something else other than the bible
Bad character -
—arrogance
—and self-glorifying...
I see at least 2 challenges with a passage like this that we have to make sure:
One of the challenges with YouTube preachers or people we follow—we can look at the Doctrinal Piece but the Character piece is much harder to examine, until it is too late. we don’t always know from a distance if the people we are watching or following or the teaching we are absorbing are coming from credible sources—so do some research, be discerning, ask your pastor—and I will say talk to Mike Wilson or Baer. They know all. :) but also one challenge is make sure at least some of your teaching is coming from people you can do life with—can see face to face in the flesh. This is one of the advantages of being part of a local church. The person you are listening to online—they probably won’t do your funeral if you die. make sure you are in community with people in the flesh...if possible.
another challenge—whenever you and I read a passage like this—we think— “hmmm...THOSE people. THOSE false teachers. it’s obvious they are messed up. It’s like we think of them in a whole ‘nother category...but the warning is this—we, too, could easily succumb to them and their teaching if we are not careful, and could easily become them. Most of us, more than we realize are leaders and teachers—whether we have an official platform or pulpit—leadership and teaching is often simply influence. if you were to ask the people around you—your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers—when they look at you—do they see:
good doctrine?
good character—not arrogant or self-absorbed?
The opposite of this list might be a list like 1 Peter 5. where Peter gives a list for leaders and elders in the church
1 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed:
2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain (like Balaam), but eager to serve;
3 not lording it over those entrusted to you (like Korah and Cain wanted), but being examples to the flock.
4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
Jesus Christ of course is the opposite of all of this.
I couldn’t help but think of our Lord and Savior and the kind of leader and teacher He is:
1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.
2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.
3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;
4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.
5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
look at this:
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
so what or who are you listening to/absorbing? Is it good teaching? where do you need to make a change?
if you have a platform of leadership/teaching—how are you doing?
Look to Jesus...
