Test the Spirits (Part 2)
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Bible Reading
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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. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
NOTE: The tests outlined in this sermon are found in the book “Strange Fire” by John MacArthur (2013, Thomas Nelson)
Introduction
Introduction
Last week we considered that we are to "test the spirits"
As believers, there are these repeated warnings in Scripture exhorting us to test what is being taught, to test what is taking place within the church, in order to discern if this is truly from God.
The reason that we are to test the spirits is that there are so many false prophets, and false teachers that would go out into the world (1 John 4:1)
This is the teaching of Jesus Christ; this is the teaching of the apostles; and so this is the reality that we must face....:
False teachers will be in the world, masquerading as angels of light, and deceiving many people into believing their lies.
As we began considering this idea of testing the spirits last week, we considered one particular key test that we are to engage in as we test the spirits.
The test that we considered last week was this: Does it Exalt Christ...
1. Does it point people to Christ?
2. Does it exalt the true Christ?
This morning, I want us to consider four further tests that we can consider when we are looking at whether or not a teacher is to be believed or not, or whether or not a church is conducting themselves in a manner pleasing to God.
These are general tests that are taken from the Scriptures themselves which can help us to discern whether or not a particular teacher / church / movement, is legitimate in God's eyes.
Test 2: Does it Oppose Worldliness
Test 2: Does it Oppose Worldliness
4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.
One of the great overarching themes of God's word is that His people should be holy
That holiness is specifically set out in Scripture as being set apart from the world.
If you look back at the Old Testament, and God’s laws to the nation of Israel, one of the great motivations behind God’s giving of the laws that He gave was that Israel would be a nation separated from all other nations.
They were not to look like the nations around them.
They were to be different.
So in the New Testament, believers are called to look radically different from the world around them.
Any preacher deeply concerned about God's holiness will urge people to flee from sin.
Any church that is committed to glorifying God will urge the members of that church to flee from worldliness.
Not only that, but these teachers will themselves be careful to not pursue worldliness and things of this world.
These verses in 1 John 4:4-5 speak about those leaders / teachers who are identifiable with the world.
They do not disassociate themselves from the world.
They do not distinguish themselves from the world.
They look like the world in terms of their pursuits.
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
The apostle John saw a problem in these false teachers of the day, and that problem was precisely that they loved the things of the world.
They used their platform in the church to chase after their own fleshly desires.
They pursued worldly things!
5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
Here, then, is the test of a true teacher or a false teacher.
A teacher that is led by the spirit of God, or the spirit of Satan.
Anyone who claims to love Christ, but has their minds set on earthly desires is not living in accordance with the Spirit.
As believers, we are not to be living with such desires as our focus.
As we consider those who are pastors and teachers, we must ask the question: how eager are these teachers to urge and spur the believers on in holiness, and to oppose worldliness?
This verse in Romans 8 draws a very clear distinction between those who are in the flesh (unregenerate) and those who are in the Spirit (true Spirits of God).
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Perhaps I could give you an example of such a worldly teacher.
Creflo Dollar is a Word of Faith teacher, heavy prosperity gospel preaching.
One of the things he’s said is: "The Word of God is the gateway to the world of wealth..."
Listen to some of his teaching in this...
As the righteousness of God, your inheritance of wealth and riches is included in the “spiritual blessings” (or spiritual things) the apostle Paul spoke of in Ephesians 1:5.
Based on Psalm 112:3, righteousness, wealth and riches go hand—in—hand. You have every right to possess material wealth—clothes, jewelry, houses, cars and money—in abundance.
It is that wealth that not only meets your needs, but also spreads the Gospel message and meets the needs of others.
The Bible says that wealth is stored up for the righteous (Proverbs 13:22, New American Standard). However, it will remain stored up until you claim it.
Therefore, claim it now! You possess the ability to seize and command wealth and riches to come to you (Deuteronomy 8:18).
Exercise that power by speaking faith-filled words daily and taking practical steps to eradicate debt.
Like God, you can speak spiritual blessings into existence (Romans 4:17).
Remember, doubt keeps silent, but faith speaks!”
The way such prosperity is activated is by the planting of seeds, so that the person who wants financial prosperity must plant a seed of financial prosperity. Needless to say, such seeds are usually through a donation to a ministry like Dollar’s.
You can say, “Oh, God, I need money! The rent is due. The baby needs shoes. And what about my breakthrough?”
But if you haven’t sown financial seed, how can you expect a financial harvest?
If you wanted to grow apples, would you plant cucumber seeds or pumpkin seeds? You would not!
So why do people expect to receive financial increase when they purposely plant anything and everything but what is needed?
They will plant hope seed, shout seed, dance seed, and even “claim it” seed! All of these are good things, but alone and without the appropriate seed, they are unproductive.
Part of that so-called teaching by Creflo Dollar is the idea that you can speak things into existence.
This is a teaching that is also known as “the Law of Attraction”.
Joel Osteen has written a book called “The Power of I AM”.
Essentially, he teaches here that whatever follows the “I AM” will come to you.
Test 3: Does it Point People to the Scriptures
Test 3: Does it Point People to the Scriptures
Theologian Jonathan Edwards: “That spirit that operates in such a manner, as to cause in men a greater regard to the Holy Scriptures, and establishes them more in their truth and divinity, is certainly the Spirit of God.”
6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
The us in that passage was the apostles with the teaching concerning Christ.
We must recognise the direct link between the Spirit of God and the Scriptures.
Last week we looked at some verses from John's Gospel which spoke of the Spirit coming in order to testify concerning Christ.
We also looked at the fact that the Spirit points to the Scriptures.
20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
No prophecy of Scripture came about the prophet’s own interpretation.
The Scriptures, then, are the work of the Spirit moving in God's chosen people.
The Scriptures are that which are directly inspired by God, and should never be minimized!!
They should never be undermined!!
They should never be critiqued, or down-scaled in importance!!
They should never be altered to suit our own whims and desires.
The Apostle Peter, in his second letter, writes to believers partly in order to exhort them to be careful of false teachers who distort the Scriptures.
1 Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.
Peter then goes on to explain about mockers that would come, contradicting the words of God through the prophets and apostles. (in this case particularly they would speak against the coming of the Lord…)
14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
Notice there that these false teachers are those who distort the teachings of the Apostle Paul.
Note also here that Peter puts Paul's writings as Scripture ("...as they do the other Scriptures")
Lifting up the Scriptures, and pointing believers to the Scripture is that which is truly a work of the Spirit.
Just to drive this home even further...
Notice if you compare Ephesians 5:18-19 and Colossians 3:16...
We need to recognise that these are parallel passages - teaching essentially the same truths.
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Again, we can consider Joel Osteen in this example.
He uses very limited Scripture when he preaches.
When he does use Scripture, it’s so twisted and contorted, that one can barely recognise it as Scripture.
As I was preparing for this message, I listened to one of his most recent sermons - it was again about the miracles in your mouth.
You have to speak things into being.
You have the power of creation in your mouth.
In such teachers, there is an absolute watering down of the word of God.
Test 4: Does it Elevate the Truth
Test 4: Does it Elevate the Truth
Closely linked to the previous test, the fourth test...
6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
This point of elevating the truth is very much tied in with pointing to Scripture.
Scripture ultimately is the truth of God spoken to us.
The Scriptures are where we go to in order to find absolute truth.
But very often in our day, churches are elevating their own experiences above the truth of God's word.
They will say that God has shown them that what they are doing is right / good / acceptable, even when these actions go against the teaching of Scripture.
One example of this is the Toronto blessings.
A movement that started in January 1994 in Toronto Airport Vineyard Church...
Characterized by things such as what was termed "religious ecstasy", ecstatic worship, being slain in the spirit, uncontrollable laughter, emotional and/or physical euphoria, Holy Laughter, even some roaring like lions, barking like dogs etc...
Really the whole emphasis was on apparently being under the power of the Spirit, and thus losing control of ones own body.
But what do the Scriptures say?
4 The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth.
Does this Toronto Blessing come from the truth, from the Spirit of God?
In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul addresses the Corinthian believers on the issue of tongues and prophecy within the church.
The church in Corinth was an immature congregation, exceedingly worldly in many respects.
Paul had to rebuke this congregation because of a number of the actions and failures as a church.
One of the aspects that he rebukes them about was their wrong use of speaking in languages (tongues) and also of prophecy within the church.
The key problem was that they had become self-centred in their "worship"
And they would talk over one another, and each one going on their own path would speak over the others... just everyone talking at one time.
And so Paul directs them, and tells them that this is not right.
He emphasizes to them the importance of order in worship...
Within that context, he said to them that if any of them are talking in another language - number 1 - there needs to be an interpreter, so that everyone can understand what is being said...
But number 2, they are to limit the numbers of people doing this - two or at most three...
And number 3 - they are to speak one at a time...
The whole point here was edification of the body of Christ.
Similarly, with prophecies, there was to be order.
1 Corinthians 14:33
"For God is not a God of disorder but of peace."
40 But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
Now let me ask this question: Were the Toronoto "Blessings" an example of orderly conduct? Of the workings of a God of order?
In churches today, where we find people slain in the spirit, falling down on the ground, making ecstatic noises, screeching, falling over, shaking on the ground... etc.
Are these of God?
According to Scripture, they are not. God is a God of order, a God of peace.
One of the fruits of the Spirit - a true manifestation of the Holy Spirit within a believer, is "Self-control" - not a lack of self-control...
9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, 10 and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
I would submit to you that much of what we are seeing today, that is being labeled as Holy, and as something that is from God, is nothing of the sort.
It's a work of the devil, the evil one deceiving people into believing that this is from God when it is actually nothing of the sort.
Test 5: Does it Produce Love for God and Others
Test 5: Does it Produce Love for God and Others
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
If we consider these ecstatic outbursts that we've just considered that took place in Toronto (and which continue to take place today in various places) would we say that this is producing a love for God?
Many who have come under the influence of such practices state specifically that this is a manifestation and experience of the love of God.
But is it really?
What is the true test of love for God? What is a true expression of loving God?
When we receive the Spirit of God (and remember, one of the fruits of the Spirit is love) - what will be the expression of this love of God?
Love for one another...
17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
The expression of love when God's love is in us is seen in our serving the needs of others.
This not only physically, but also spiritually within the body.
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Our spiritual act of worship is seen in serving the body.
As we use our spiritual gifts (these are practical, helpful gifts given for the building up of the body) then we are demonstrating the presence of God within us.
The presence of God, and love for God, is never a mindless self-centred activity.
Much of what we see today in the church is mindless acts of building up the self, self-edification... purely selfish acts of people that are seeking their own experience.
Is this truly from the Spirit of God?
There's another aspect that demonstrates love for God.
That aspect is obedience to the commands of God.
When we find people describing love for God merely in terms of their spiritual experience, but omitting to speak of that love in terms of a delight to obey God and His commands then their love for God must be questioned.
I can think of many situations in my own life where people have claimed a love for God, and yet they are willingly living in sin.
They claim that God's grace and love are in place in their lives, and thus that God doesn't condemn them for their actions.
This simply cannot be the case!!
A love for God results in a love for obedience to God, and pursuing a life of obedience such that the one who truly loves God hates sin.
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
Conclusion
Conclusion
As we draw to a close this morning, I want urge us to continue praying that the Lord would give us as His people discerning hearts and minds for what is truly of God, and what is not of God.
As we do that, let me remind you of the various tests that are to be utilised....
Does it exalt Christ.
Does it oppose worldliness
Does it point to the Scriptures
Does it elevate Truth
Does it produce love for God and others
Friends, we need to be about the business of serving God according to the Scriptures.
We need to be striving all the more, day after day, to exalt Christ in our lives - the true Christ.
We need to be living lives that are opposed to worldliness, and seeking after holiness.
We need to be pointing ourselves increasingly to the Scriptures, and searching those Scriptures out to see if what we believe and hold to accords with God’s word
We need to be delighting in the truth, and living according to that truth, rather than our own experiences.
We need to be growing in our love for God, and for others.
Let us continue to spur one another on to love and good works, to greater maturity in the faith.
Our God is faithful, and He has certainly promised that if we seek after wisdom, seek to know Him more, He will answer that desire of our hearts.
Let us encourage one another as we do that.