“Beware
of False Prophets!”
Two
Marks by which False Prophets May Be Identified
Matthew
7:15
“Beware
of false prophets!” We simply must not ignore our Lord’s
warning. Men and women enter the wide gate and get on the broad road that leads
to everlasting destruction in hell by listening to and following the teachings
of men who do not preach the truth, men who peach another gospel. These false
prophets usually preach half truths; and that is worse than an out and out
denial of truth, because people who would never believe a man who openly denies
the Bible will believe the half truths of men who hold a Bible in their hand
and claim to believe it. Therefore, I want to show you from the Word of God two things by which false prophets may be
readily identified. I want you to give me your undivided attention for
just another four minutes and carefully search the Scriptures to see whether or
not what I tell you is the truth. I want you to check everything I say with the
Word of God. If what I say is not clearly revealed in this Book, then do not
hear me today and do not hear me ever again. But if what I have to say comes
directly out of the Book of God, you must either hear me now or wish you had
heard me when judgment day comes. Here
are two marks by which false prophets are identified.
Covetousness
False
prophets are men who preach for covetousness. This is the charge the Lord God makes against the
deceivers of men’s souls in Jeremiah 6:13: -- “From the least of them even
unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the
prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.” Because they
preach for gain, they handle the Word of God deceitfully. They can be bought,
intimidated, and persuaded to trim their message.
Any man who can be pressured by other men not to openly preach
the gospel with boldness, clarity, and distinctiveness is a false prophet. Any
preacher who is motivated, governed, or constrained in his preaching by what he
imagines is the will of the people to whom he preaches is a false prophet.
God’s servants do not take into consideration the reaction of men to their
message. They do not deal falsely with the Word of God and the souls of men.
False Peace
Hear
the next statement God makes about false prophets in Jeremiah 6:14; It is
repeated in the eighth chapter. -- "They have healed the hurt of the daughter
of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace." False prophets give men and women peace and
assurance when God has not given it. They speak peace when God has not spoken
peace. The deceive eternity bound men and women with a false assurance of
salvation.
Churches today are filled with people going to hell, people
whose only hope is a decision which was made for them by a slick soul-winner (soul-destroyer), to which
they simply nodded their heads or signed their names. How many of you still
rest your hopes upon a decision someone else made, a prayer someone else wrote,
and an experience someone else had? How many of you accepted a religious
proposition, instead of surrendering to the sovereign Lord? Of this you can be
certain: -- The only person who will give assurance to a lost man is another
lost man.
Amen.