The Urgent Need for Spiritual Discernment
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Introduction
Introduction
There is a man by the name of Forrest Fenn, who is a US multi-millionaire, a somewhat eccentric chap by the sounds of it. He’s around 90 years old right now - still alive.
But what makes him so well known is the fact that he claims to have hidden a treasure somewhere in the Rockies mountains
The treasure itself consists of an antique bronze treasure chest with...
265 gold coins,
a 17th century Spanish emerald and gold ring,
hundreds of cherry-sized gold nuggets,
diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires,
Gold animal artifacts dating before the 1500s,
and numerous other extremely valuable items...
Total worth: estimated somewhere between two and three million dollars, although some claim it to be as high as six million.
Not only has he hidden this treasure in the Rockies, but he has written a poem (a somewhat cryptic one at that) which would direct would-be finders of this treasure to where that treasure is located / hidden.
As you can imagine, many people have engaged in extensive efforts to decrypt the poem that he wrote, and go out and find this treasure.
In fact, there have already been 4 confirmed deaths of those who have sought to find this treasure.
But the idea of a hidden treasure fascinates us, doesn’t it?!
I do wonder if such a treasure were to be hidden in the little town of Malelane, and we were informed and given the cryptic clues as to where this treasure lay, how many of our Saturdays (hopefully not Sundays!!!) would be spent up searching for this treasure, hoping to find it.
When such a highly valuable treasure is available and accessible, who wouldn’t want to spend considerable time searching it out, for the hope of reveling in and enjoying the physical benefit of such treasures.
Well, the author of Proverbs 2 speaks to us about the important topic of wisdom, understanding and discernment.
And in verse 4 of Proverbs 2, he makes the connection between seeking out wisdom and discernment, to a hidden treasure, waiting to be found.
This connection is a striking and important one, because the implication of his words is that there is great value and benefit to be found in obtaining wisdom and discernment, such that it can be likened to an earthly treasure of great value.
Turn in your bibles to Proverbs 2, and I’d like us to read the first 11 verses of this chapter, just to get a sense of the great blessing that the writer speaks of with regards to this wisdom and discernment...
1 My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding,
3 and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He holds victory in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8 for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
9 Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.
As we read this passage, I would trust that you get a sense of the great diligence that this man’s “son” is called to in pursuing wisdom and knowledge and discernment?
But I would trust also that you get a sense of the great reward and benefit that there is to be gained through obtaining this wisdom and knowledge and discernment.
This morning, I’m beginning a new mini-series on the topic of Spiritual Discernment - an aspect that is of great importance, and is so desperately needed in our day.
Today’s message I’ve entitled “The Urgent Need for Spiritual Discernment” and I do trust that we will get just some glimpse of how urgent a need it is.
The Scripture is filled with exhortations to obtain wisdom and understanding and discernment. And we as the church need to see that, and pursue this with all diligence.
We live in a day where wisdom, knowledge and discernment are being completely undermined.
The very foundations that would hold up a discerning mind are being attacked and eroded by society.
Just think about people marrying duvet’s, dating cockroaches, marrying a 300-year old ghost, and then wanting to divorce it because it hasn’t been good to you.
(Admittedly, these are the extreme fringes, but they are becoming more and more “okay” in a society where just about anything goes.)
But I think more importantly, and of greater significance, the church has moved to a place where there is such a great lack of discernment even within the church among Christians.
There is a lot of “superficial” belief in God, and great lack of depth of knowledge of God.
As a result of this, many churches have become powerless and ineffective in their Gospel witness.
Before we delve into our main points for consideration this morning, I would like to just give a few basic working definitions of what spiritual discernment is.
Tim Challies:
“Discernment is the skill of understanding and applying God’s Word with the purpose of separating truth from error and right from wrong.”
Charles Spurgeon:
"Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right."
Sinclair Ferguson:
"True discernment means not only distinguishing the right from the wrong; it means distinguishing the primary from the secondary, the essential from the indifferent, and the permanent from the transient. And, yes, it means distinguishing between the good and the better, and even between the better and the best."
And while these are all slightly different in their definition, the point is conveyed.
With that in mind, and with this as an introduction to this topic, let us turn our attention firstly to the sources of deception...
1. Sources of Deception
1. Sources of Deception
Why do we begin this study with a look at the sources of deception?
I would suggest to you that discernment is the act of judging things rightly (and we’ll look more at that further on in our study together).
Deception is when something causes us to judge wrongly!!
In the Garden of Eden, it was Eve who was deceived by the serpent. She judged wrongly.
And so in this sense, a lack of discernment was the beginning of all our woes today!
In the context of temptations that come into our lives, James says to us...
16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers.
Other relevant Scriptures… 1 Corinthians 15:33; Galatians 6:7; 1 Corinthians 6:9 etc.
In various places in Scripture, we are warned to not be deceived.
At the heart of a lack of discernment is deception - one of the key goals and aims of our adversary the devil.
And so with that in mind, it is necessary for us to take a look at and consider what are some of those sources of deception.
1.1 Internal Influences
1.1 Internal Influences
The first source of deception that we need to be aware of are internal influences.
In other words, these are the influences and deceptions that flow out of our own hearts!
In Jeremiah 17:9, the prophet writes.
9 The heart is deceitful above all things
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
The problem with our hearts is that because we are so greatly influenced in all of our ways by sin within us, we deceive ourselves according to our own desires.
In other words, we have desires that are within us that are contrary to God’s ways, and these desires are so powerful that people will rationalize and justify just about anything.
Any number of practical examples can be given on this.
Consider the situation of abortion in our day - an horrendous situation...
I was watching a video this past week of a US senator who correctly pointed out that lobby groups were decrying the killing of animals for the purposes of experimental testing, but at the same time Planned Parenthood (massive abortion provider in the US) was selling off the body parts of babies for experimental testing, all the while the activists were telling those against abortion that a woman is free to do as she pleases with her body.
Friends, that is massive self-deception, and justification of the killing / murder of babies simply because they’re an inconvenience.
And so we need to be very aware that our hearts are deceptive.
In James 4:1-3, we read these words:
1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
How many of us, after having a quarrel or fight with someone, will come to the table and say: “You know, the reason that I was fighting with you was because of my own covetous nature?! Very often we will justify our own actions, and tell the other person that they are sinning...
The point is this: If we’re going to grow in our levels of spiritual discernment, we need to have the understanding that our hearts are wicked, and that they will lead us in the wrong way.
It’s interesting to note in the book of Proverbs that we are told to deal very carefully with our hearts, rather than to listen to our hearts...
23 Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.
19 Listen, my son, and be wise,
And direct your heart in the way.
As we consider this important aspect of spiritual discernment, we need to be wary of our hearts, and they way they are tempted to go, and ensure that we direct our hearts in the right way… (which way we will come to outlining in due course)...
1.2 Spiritual Influences
1.2 Spiritual Influences
The second influence upon us that we need to be aware of as we consider this important aspect of spiritual discernment is spiritual influences.
In Ephesians 6:10-20, Paul speaks about the spiritual armor (armor of God) that we as Christians are to put on as we face the spiritual battles that confront us in life.
He uses very clear war-time imagery, which indicates to us that the spiritual battle is truly a battle - not something to be trifled with.
But in verses 11-13 of that passage, Paul says this:
Emphasize Verse 12!!
11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Emphasize Verse 12!!
In 1 Peter 5:8, Peter warns believers with these words:
8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
And in Revelation 12:9 we read...
9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.
Satan is the ultimate deceiver, and the battle that we face is against this great deceiver.
That should at the very least cause us to walk very circumspectly in this life…
1.3 Cultural Influences
1.3 Cultural Influences
We must never underestimate the power of the cultural influence around us, particularly a culture that is antagonistic towards much of Christianity.
As we swim in this sea of the culture around us, and the way of thinking in the world, there is significant chance of us being greatly influenced by that culture around us.
Listen to how Paul paints the contrast between the Christian and the ways of the world...
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
What are these “worldly passions?” The desires that are of the flesh. The ways of men in the world who do not have the Spirit of God in them, and thus they are living according to their own fleshly, sinful desires.
4 They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you.
The world, and the people of the world, these people that drive and create the cultural environment that we live in, are not driven by a motivation to bring glory and honour to God.
Rather, they are driven by their own desires which are after the flesh.
We certainly thank God for His common grace, and that the world is not as bad as it could be...
But the fact is, the secular culture around us is not Christian, and it is not seeking the honour of God.
And we need to be very weary of the culture around us.
1.4 False Teachers in the Church
1.4 False Teachers in the Church
The final Source of deception that I want to consider this morning is “False Teachers in the Church”.
It is amazing how often we find warnings in Scripture about false teachers that will arise within the church and deceive many people.
In our day, this has to be so carefully guarded against, because we live in that cultural setting that says you’re not allowed to make any judgments about anyone or anything...
But Scripture warns us to take note of false teachers, and to confront their false teaching, and to call them out.
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.
24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.
15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
And we could go on and read more verses which speak of these false teachers.
But the point that needs to be made here is this: False teachers will arise in what is called the church, and will deceive many people.
One of the primary responsibilities of Elders within a congregation is to guard and protect the flock against error creeping into the church.
But I want to make this observation: we live in a day where that is hardly sufficient!!
In the day of the internet, with all its positives and benefits, one of the great dangers is that every person has access to anyone else, and their teachings.
It becomes a near impossible task for the pastor to guard against heresy in the church, because the pastor has limited knowledge of what teachings are infiltrating the minds of members, because that teaching is not happening within the context of a local church body where he can evaluate and assess the teaching, and then provide guidance. Rather it is happening in the comfort of the home of the church member.
And so in a day such as we live in today, we need to be all the more vigilant as Christians, so that we will be able to evaluate these teachings by ourselves, at least to the extent that our spiritual whiskers start to twitch when something just doesn’t sound quite right!!
But one thing we can’t do, is just watch anything and everything, and think that just because the teacher uses some bible verses in there, or calls themselves a spiritual leader, that we accept that they’re teaching in accordance with God’s word.
We need to be a people exercising spiritual discernment.
2. Causes of a Lack of Discernment
2. Causes of a Lack of Discernment
The next aspect that I’d like to just look at briefly are the causes of a lack of discernment in the church.
2.1 Spiritual Immaturity (or Backsliding)
2.1 Spiritual Immaturity (or Backsliding)
Hebrews 5:11–14 (NIV84) — 11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Richard Phillips:
"The recipients of [Hebrews] were like many Christians today who think that theology is a waste of time. What difference does it make, people ask, whether God is a Trinity or not, whether Christ's righteousness comes by imputation or infusion, and whether regeneration comes before faith of after? What is important, they say, is that we get along with each other. Then they cite passages commending a CHILDLIKE faith, as if that were the same thing as a CHILDISH faith, that is, one that is indifferent to or ignorant of the Word of God." (in Challies:2007, 23)
Spiritual immaturity is a massive contributing factor to a lack of spiritual discernment.
Note the strength of the language of the writer to the Hebrews… he says that these believers are like infants, immature, and he’s speaking to them in a way that should lead them to repent of their failure to mature.
You see, it’s not that these believers are brand new believers, and they’ve only just begun their spiritual walk.
The fact is, he says to them that “by this time you ought to be teachers...”
Given the amount of time that they’ve been believers, they ought to be mature, but they’re still in such immaturity!!
Discernment, on the other hand, is Proof of Spiritual maturity
Again, verse 14: “…solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil...” - That is discernment right there.
2.2 Spiritual Death
2.2 Spiritual Death
Another possibility of the cause of a lack of discernment is “Spiritual Death.”
We don’t like to hear this, but it is important… We need to evaluate ourselves.
Romans 1:28–32 (NIV84) — 28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
What we note from these verses in Romans, is that there are those who know God’s righteous decrees, they know what they ought to do, they know the life that they are to live, and yet they continue in darkness; they continue their life in sin.
Such a person cannot claim to be in Christ or a Christian, since they are living in sin.
To then tie this in with spiritual discernment...
1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV84) — 14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
The fact is that discernment is a spiritual matter.
To be discerning is to know things from the perspective of God’s truth… to perceive truth and righteousness from the perspective of God’s word (we’re going to look at this in further detail later on in our study).
And so spiritual death means that a person lacks the spirit of God, and thus cannot accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, and thus they will lack discernment.
Where a person has a keen sense of discernment, on the other hand, that is an indication of spiritual life.
2.3 Weak teaching in the church
2.3 Weak teaching in the church
The third and final cause of a lack of discernment that I’d like us to touch on is “Weak teaching in the church.”
When teaching in the church is weak, and where that teaching in the church fails to equip believers and prepare believers for what they face daily in this daily spiritual battle, and to face what we as Christians must face in this secular culture, we can expect immaturity, we can expect backsliding, we can expect spiritual death in the church.
And so we will find that weak teaching really is a contributing factor to a lack of spiritual discernment.
And so in terms of this weak teaching in the church, I want to suggest to you three contributing factors to this weak teaching that is found in churches.
2.4.1 Low view of Scripture
2.4.1 Low view of Scripture
The first is a low view of Scripture.
The prophet Jeremiah prophesied against the nation Israel when they had deserted the Lord.
In Jeremiah 6:10, we read some of his words to them...
10 To whom can I speak and give warning?
Who will listen to me?
Their ears are closed
so they cannot hear.
The word of the Lord is offensive to them;
they find no pleasure in it.
When God’s word becomes offensive; when God’s word is minimized; when God’s word is seen merely as a book of wise teachings, rather than the actual word of the living God, then you can be sure that spiritual discernment will be disappearing.
Consider also the words of Paul to Timothy...
3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
Remember the above statement in light of 2 Timothy 3:16-17 - where Paul reminded Timothy that all Scripture is breathed out by God...
So these people did not want to put up with the teaching of Scripture, but rather what these ear-ticklers were going to say to them.
2.4.2 Low view of theology
2.4.2 Low view of theology
Secondly, in terms of weak teaching in the church, another aspect that contributes to this weak teaching is a low view of theology.
People find it boring and waste of time to study God.
They think that this is what Theologians do, not the average person in the pew.
And so they are content to get some kind of feeding, possibly based loosely on a Scripture verse or two (although often out of context) but that feeding that they want is more to their own egos, rather than with a view to know God better.
But this low view of theology is exceedingly dangerous for the life of a believer.
One author writes:
“Our concepts about the divine inform our lives more deeply than most people can trace. Whether we view God as distant or near, as gracious or capricious, as concerned or apathetic, the conclusions we reach—whether the result of careful reflection or negligent assumptions—guide our lives. Christians must care deeply about theology. If the true God is renewing our lives and calling us to worship him “in spirit and truth” (Jn 4:23), then such worship includes our thoughts, words, affections and actions. Do we want to worship Yahweh or waste time and effort on a deity we have constructed in our own image?”
He goes on to write:
“Theological reflection is a way of examining our praise, prayers, words and worship with the goal of making sure they conform to God alone.” [Kapic, Kelly M.. A Little Book for New Theologians: Why and How to Study Theology . InterVarsity Press. Kindle Edition. ]
What is our view on theology, and do we have a deep desire to be engaged in the task of theology: studying the God that we serve?!
2.4.3 Low view of God
2.4.3 Low view of God
One further aspect under this section is a low view of God.
This ties in with a low view of theology, because if we don’t see the urgency of knowing God deeply through His word, then we aren’t going to know God.
If we rely on our experiences and our own thoughts of who God is and what God desires of us, then we’re going to get a horribly skewed understanding of the true nature of God.
God is holy, and He calls us as His people to worship Him.
He says in Hebrews 12:14 - “without holiness, no one will see the Lord.”
If we fail to understand the grandeur and majesty and holiness; and purity; and wrath; and mercy; and compassion; His omnipotence; His omniscience; His omnipresence; His immutability.... all of these attributes of God.... if we do not know God, we will not have discernment.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
3. The Call to Discernment
3. The Call to Discernment
As we’ve started this short series this morning, what I’ve done is to give attention to some of the sources of deception.
Then I’ve also outlined some of those causes of a lack of spiritual discernment.
As we begin to close this message, I want to do that by sounding a call to you all, to pursue spiritual discernment.
Someone may ask: isn’t spiritual discernment a “Gift of the Spirit”? Meaning that some people have this gift, and others don’t....?
We cannot see it like that!!
Certainly, there are those who are particularly gifted, and who have this gift in extraordinary measure, because of the grace of God in their lives in this aspect.
But that does not mean that we all should not be pursuing discernment.
If someone’s gift is “showing mercy” - does that mean all other Christians are exempt from showing mercy?
We’ve looked at some important texts this morning.
One of those was Hebrews 5:11-14...
11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
My call to you this morning is that you pursue a deep knowledge of God, that you pursue wisdom and discernment.
Recall that as we opened, we looked at Proverbs 2, in which the writer spoke about the kind of diligence that is needed in the pursuit of wisdom and understanding and discernment.
Later in Proverbs 3, we read these words:
13 Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gains understanding,
14 for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
those who lay hold of her will be blessed.
19 By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,
by understanding he set the heavens in place;
20 by his knowledge the deeps were divided,
and the clouds let drop the dew.
21 My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment,
do not let them out of your sight;
22 they will be life for you,
an ornament to grace your neck.
23 Then you will go on your way in safety,
and your foot will not stumble;
24 when you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
26 for the Lord will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being snared.
Is the pursuit of wisdom, knowledge of God, discernment - is this a pursuit that you are engaged in as if you were searching for hidden treasure?
My prayer is that in doing this short series together, we would all be encouraged and motivated to pursue with all diligence, a deeper understanding of and knowledge of God.
This study is going to be focused on the importance of developing spiritual discernment, and some tools to help us in that task.
But friends, let us be praying.
Let us be asking God for this gift of discernment, because without it, we run the very real risk of being deceived by the evil one.