Sermon
# 194 Series: Isaiah
Title: Seven Characteristics of False
Prophets
Text: Isaiah 56:9-12
Subject: False Prophets
Date:
Sunday Evening – October 23, 1994
Tape # Q -59
Introduction:
This
morning I preached to you about false religion. Tonight I want to talk to you very plainly about false
prophets. The title of my message is Seven Characteristics of False Prophets. My text is Isaiah 56:9-12.
1. The greatest blessing God can
ever grant to anyone, to any individual or to any group of people, is to send
them a faithful man to preach the gospel to them.
Isaiah 52:7
Romans 10:13-17
Martin Luther once wrote that four things
are impossible, four things cannot be done.
1st
No one can call upon Christ (worship him) until he believes
on Christ.
2nd
No one can believe on Christ until he hears the gospel.
3rd
No one can hear the gospel of Christ without a preacher.
4th
No one can preach the gospel of Christ; truly preach the
gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit until he is sent of God.
The
greatest blessing God can ever bestow upon any people in this world is a
faithful gospel preacher.
I Thessalonians 5:12-13
Hebrews 13:7, 17
2. The greatest curse that God
can impose, the greatest judgment God can bring upon any people this side of
hell is to silence the voices of faithful men and send in their stead
self-serving, hireling and false prophets.
The
Scriptures are full of warnings against false prophets. Our Lord and his apostles warn us
constantly.
Matthew 7:15
Matthew 24:11, 24
II Timothy 3:1-5
II Peter 2:1
I John 4:1-4
3. False prophets may be known by
two things, their message and their character.
The
false prophet’s message is the message of freewill, works religion. We preach grace. They preach works.
We preach the sovereignty of God’s will. The preach the freedom of man’s will. We preach grace. They preach works.
We preach the sovereignty of God’s will. They preach the man’s choice. We preach redemption
accomplished. They preach redemption
provided. We preach
Christ. They preach conditions.
But
there is also a distinction between God’s servants and false prophets in their
character. God’s servants and false
prophets in their character. God’s
servants are men of character, who can be trusted. False prophets are men without character, who cannot be trusted –
If a man will lie on God, he will lie
about anything!
Proposition: In our text God calls for
false prophets to come and devour those who will not receive his word, who will not
receive the love of the truth. WHAT A JUDGMENT!
II Thessalonians 2:10-12
NOTE: Thank God, he will save his elect! He will gather all the outcasts of Israel
(v. 8). But to those who will not trust
his Son, he will send darkness, delusion, and deception.
Here
Isaiah gives us Seven Characteristics of False
Prophets. “By their fruits you shall
know them.” Let all who are wise hear,
take not, and be warned.
I. False Prophets are Devouring
Beasts (v.
9).
Without
question, the reference here is to preachers, particularly to pastors, those
who pretend to be shepherds of God’s flock.
But they are ravening and devouring beasts.
Jeremiah 12:9-11
Matthew 7:15
A. The Beasts are Many
B. The Beasts Devour – Dead – Tear – Eat Up!
C. The Beasts Are In The Forest – Darkness.
II. False Prophets are Blind
Watchmen and Ignorant Shepherds.
It is the calling and responsibility of God’s servants to be watchmen in Zion. But these self-appointed watchmen are blind leaders of blind men.
· Matthew
· Matthew 23:16,17, 19, 24, 26
A. Having no message from God, they do not
know what to say to perishing sinners.
They think that the righteousness of the righteous will save them and the wickedness of the wicked will destroy them, not knowing that salvation is of the Lord and that it is altogether in a Substitute.
· Ezekiel 33:10-16
B. They are ignorant shepherds that cannot understand – (vv. 10-11).
They know nothing about caring for the Lord’s sheep. They do not have the ability to feed them with knowledge and understanding – (Jer. 3:15).
They are ignorant of and cannot
understand…
1.
The Message of Scripture – Facts, Yes/
Message, No.
2.
The Gospel of Christ – “Just God and a
Savior.”
3.
The Person and Work of Christ.
4.
Salvation by Grace Alone.
III. False Prophets Are Described
As Dumb Dogs Throughout The Scriptures.
They
are useless as they are ignorant. Dumb
dogs give no warning when danger approaches. Dumb dogs gather no sleep for the Shepard. Dumb dogs are worthless animals.
But
there is more here than a reference to uselessness. In this title, “dumb dogs,”
these vicious intruders are represented as unclean men who prostitute
the gospel of Christ.
IV. False Prophets are Lazy,
Loitering, Dreamers – “Sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.”
A. They have no concern for the souls of men, the glory
of God, and the truth of God – Therefore they are slothful and indolent in the
business of watchmen.
B. When they do open their mouths, they are like delirious men, talking in their sleep – (See Margin).
Illus: Billy Graham on Election – On
the Will.
Ken at Blountville on
Predestination.
Jerry at Willow Grove on
Inspiration.
V. False Prophets are Covetous
Greedy Men – “Yea,
they are greedy dogs which can never have enough.”
Their concern is not what
shall I do, but what shall I get. They
do not feed God’s flock, but fleece it.
They
are men whose concern is for themselves not for Christ, not for the glory of
God, not for the souls of men (Phil. 2:21).
They propagate their own
name. They advance their own cause. They look out for their own interest.
A. They can never have enough
money – (Eccl. 5:10).
Their hearts cry, “Money, money, by fair means of foul, we must have money!” They get all they can, even if they must devour windows houses to get it (Matt. 23:14). No matter how much they have, they cry and whine for more.
B. They can never have enough
fame.
VI. False Prophets are Great
Lovers of Pleasure – “Come ye say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with
strong drink.”
A. This has a reference to the insatiable need
to entertain and be entertained – “The Church is the poor man’s country club!
B. This also has reference to the wine of the
fornication of the great whore (Rev. 14:8) (Isa. 28:7).
The wine of Babylon’s fornication is the intoxicating, flesh pleasing, idolatrous doctrine of freewill, works religion.
VII. False Prophets are Confident
and Secure in This Self-Delusions.
“Tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant. (See Matt. 7:23).
They
have made a refuge of lies and a covenant with death. And they are sure that everything is alright between them and God
(Isa. 28:14-22).
Application:
Beware of False Prophets (I John 4:1-4).