“Satan doesn’t control us with fang marks on the flesh but with lies in the heart. . . . Our best defense in the fight against [his] lies is not the production of incantations but the rehearsal of truth.” – Tim Keller
Prayer
Truth or a Lie?
1 John 4:1-3
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.
Heaven’s Gate, was a religious group founded in the United States on a belief in unidentified flying objects. Under a variety of names over the years, including Human Individual Metamorphosis, Bo and Peep, and Total Overcomers Anonymous, the group advocated extreme self-renunciation to the point of castration. It burst into public consciousness following the suicide of 39 of its members in a suburb of San Diego, California, in March 1997.
Founders Marshall H. Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles met in 1972 and soon became convinced that they were the two “endtime” witnesses mentioned in Revelation 11. In 1975 they held gatherings in California and Oregon that attracted their initial followers. Those who attached themselves to “The Two” dropped out of society and prepared for the “transition” to a new life on a spaceship.
When the expected transition did not occur, the group settled in Texas and lived a quiet communal existence practicing disciplines that they believed would prepare them for the eventual movement to a “higher level” of existence. They had few contacts with outsiders until 1994, when their expectation of the imminent transition was again heightened, and they began a new round of proselytization. They also divested themselves of most of their possessions and began a pilgrimage that led them to California.
Settling in the San Diego area in 1996, they supported themselves by creating sites on the Web for Internet users and established their own Web site to offer readers a gate to heaven (hence the name by which they would become known). Early in 1997 a rumour circulated among the New Age community that an artificial object, or spaceship, was following the recently discovered Comet, Hale-Bopp, which would approach close to the Earth around the time of the spring equinox. As the comet approached, the Heaven’s Gate group, which had shrunk to only 39 members, took poison in three waves of 15, 15, and 9 in the belief that the spaceship would arrive to take them to a better place. Prior to the event, the members of the group made a video explaining their individual reasons for their chosen path.
Remember we are watching this pattern in 1 John – Believing, Loving, Obeying
This passage is about believing (rightly) but if you are wrong in that, then you can’t love or obey rightly, so it’s all connected.
1 John 4:1-6
Test the Spirits
[1] Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. [2] By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, [3] and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. [4] Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. [5] They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. [6] We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
You have to be like….pastor, surely you know that we don’t believe in stuff like Heaven’s Gate, or Jim Jones, or David Koresh. Yeah, but most of the time these things aren’t that obvious.
Genesis 3:1-5
[1] Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” [2] And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, [3] but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” [4] But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. [5] For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Subtlety and deception are tools of the enemy. It’s hardly ever a frontal assault like Normandy. He’s playing chess, not checkers. Look here in our passage.
1 John 4:3
[3] and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.
Seems straightforward, right. Looking for bad spirits, we see what they say? But it’s not just what they say, but what they leave out.
John did not say that every spirit that denies Jesus, but every spirit that does not confess Jesus (v. 3)
That’s how it works in the evil part of the spiritual realm…and it’s all around us.
Ephesians 6:12
[12] For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
24/7 All of the powers of darkness are working against you. If you’re not saved, then they want to keep you that way. If you are, they want to ruin you. Steal, Kill, Destroy
So then since this is a warning how do we “know” truth vs a lie? Or know who to listen to about spiritual matters? Or know God’s will?
Things in our passage (signs of false teachers)
- Evil (antichrist) spirits won’t confess that Jesus is from God
1 John 4:3
[3] and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.
- They sound like the world
1 John 4:5
[5] They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.
- They won’t listen to the Word (Bible) and won’t listen to those speaking it (apostles)….arguing with God means you are wrong and on the wrong side
1 John 4:6
[6] We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
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So just because someone mentions God every once in a while, it doesn’t mean they are a believer.
If someone sings Amazing Grace on TV it doesn’t mean they are a believer.
If someone thinks it’s nice to pray before a ballgame, it doesn’t mean they are a believer.
Satan and his minions are perfectly fine with all of that. Close but not too close. Nominal Christianity.
If a televangelist reads a bit of scripture and twists it to make you feel better, or skips over the hard parts, or asks for money or heals everyone on the spot….. “there’s your sign” They are puppets.
This is a serious matter. It’s the difference between eternity in Heaven or eternity in Hell.
Deuteronomy 18:20
[20] But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’
Ezekiel 13:9
[9] My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who give lying divinations. They shall not be in the council of my people, nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
Jeremiah 14:14
[14] And the LORD said to me: “The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them or speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own minds.
Matthew 24:24
[24] For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
2 Timothy 4:3-5
[3] For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, [4] and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. [5] But as for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Matthew 7:15
[15] “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
So when watching, reading, listening…ask yourself is it a truth or a lie?
Truth won’t be found in horoscopes, ouija boards, fortune tellers, palm readers, crystals, encantations, visions, tarot cards or Scientology or New Age mysticism, let alone the many false religions of the world. And my pet peeve, it’s not your truth and my truth….it’s just truth.
Worst of all it’s not some slight variation of the gospel which is what you will see most of all. The others should be obvious, but these are quick fix books, name it claim it, a “new bible book that was just found”
How do I know? Does it match God’s word. That’s it. Rule of thumb: If it appeals to your flesh you shouldn’t listen to it.
So we have to read our bibles. We have to learn truth. We have to listen to trustworthy teachers. So we’re learning to discern, right?
Helps me in eternity! Helps me with spiritual things! But how does that help me now? Glad you asked.
Hint: EVERYTHING IS SPIRITUAL
I think this is one of the biggest oversights in our faith, in modern Christianity. Since we live in affluence we don’t see that…… it’s all connected. We can’t live like the world and listen to the world and then come running to God for just the big things. It’s not compatible.
Save me Jesus!!!! Just stay out of my personal life, my checkbook, my bedroom, and my choices. I’ll see ya when I get to heaven, but I’ll do what I want now. Oh, except when it goes off the rails and I have to come find you, only to see that you never left me.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
[16] Rejoice always, [17] pray without ceasing, [18] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. [19] Do not quench the Spirit. [20] Do not despise prophecies, [21] but test everything; hold fast what is good. [22] Abstain from every form of evil.
[23] Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. [24] He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.
If we’re talking discernment and determining God’s will then what about Who to marry?
Where to go to college?
What career to choose?
What house to buy?
How to handle a problem child? Problem boss, problem spouse…
Our passage is really focused upon listening to God vs spirits/demonic forces and the world on spiritual matters or how to discern heretical teaching. The passage not specifically pointing to everyday things, but I am going to take us there because I believe in the greater context of the New Testament and specifically the teachings on discernment that this all fits together and has application for us.
So are we all in? Or kinda in? Want to hear truth or kinda truth from spouse, kids, preacher, boss?
It’s all spiritual, God’s word or the World or evil spirits? Truth or a lie? You’d better know the difference.
