Seven Characteristics of False Prophets

Q: What does the Bible say about false prophets?

The Bible warns that false prophets come in sheep's clothing and lead many astray with deceptive teachings. Scripture contains numerous warnings about false prophets, emphasizing their dangerous nature. In Isaiah 56, God describes them as blind watchmen and ravenous beasts who devour God's flock. Our Lord Jesus also cautioned us to beware of false prophets, who outwardly appear righteous but inwardly are full of deceit. These individuals often preach a message of works-based salvation, contrasting sharply with the Biblical doctrine of salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone.

Q: How do we know false prophets are among us?

False prophets can be identified by their teachings focused on free will and works righteousness instead of salvation by grace. False prophets are characterized by their message and their personal character. Their teachings often center on free will and works-based religion, diluting the core message of grace. For instance, they might preach that salvation is possible if individuals meet certain conditions, which fundamentally contradicts the sovereign grace of God. Their character is equally telling; they often exhibit traits of greed, laziness, and a lack of genuine concern for the souls of their congregants, indicating their primary interest is self-serving rather than God-honoring.

Q: Why is it important to recognize false prophets?

Recognizing false prophets is crucial to protecting the integrity of the Gospel and ensuring adherence to Biblical truth. Discerning false prophets is vital for the health of the church and the salvation of souls. They threaten to dilute the true message of the Gospel by promoting a false narrative of salvation that undermines God's grace. By embracing teachings of free will and human effort, these prophets lead people away from understanding the complete work of Christ and the sovereignty of God in salvation. The Apostle Paul and other scripture passages urge believers to be vigilant and test all teachings against the truth of God's Word to avoid being led astray into spiritual danger.

Q: What can we learn from Isaiah 56 about false prophets?

Isaiah 56 describes false prophets as greedy, ignorant leaders who fail to guide their congregations towards truth. Isaiah 56 serves as a sober reminder of the traits and consequences of false prophets. God describes them as ‘dumb dogs’ unable to warn the flock of impending dangers, and as greedy leaders who care more about their own gain than the well-being of their congregation. This passage illustrates the essential need for faithful gospel preachers who carry the weight of their responsibility and seek to guide believers in truth. A faithful minister's heart for God’s Word stands in stark contrast to the lazy and self-serving nature of false prophets mentioned by Isaiah.

somewhat apprehensive about that because I realize that sometimes we can become negative and gloomy in our presentation of divine truth, and that ought never to be the case. I hope that I can deal with the same theme in an instructive manner this evening. I want to talk to you about false prophets.

Before I get into the text, Isaiah 56, I want to make three statements. And I hope you'll hear me. This first statement I make not only for your benefit, but for the benefit of many whom I know will hear this message on tape and perhaps by other means. This is a statement And I would make, if I were not a pastor, it's a statement that I believed to be true before I ever began preaching, and it's a statement that many women sitting where you are must understand. The greatest blessing God can ever grant to anyone, to any individual, or to any group of people, is to send them a faithful gospel preacher to preach Christ to them.

Oh, what a blessing. Turn back to Isaiah 52, and let me see if I can make good on that. Isaiah 52, verse 7. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth."

Oh, how blessed are those people to whom God sends such a messenger. The Apostle Paul picks up on this in Romans chapter 10, where he's dealing with this matter of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And he demonstrates that faith is given by God to men through the instrumentality of gospel preachers, these fellows who come and publish salvation. And in Romans chapter 10, verse 13, the apostle says, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And then he raises some questions. How shall they call on him in whom they've not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they've not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher. And how shall they preach, except they be sent?

As it is written, we read it back in Isaiah, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things. But they have not all obeyed the gospel, for Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Now in Martin Luther, commented on this passage in Romans 10, he made these statements. He said, here the apostle teaches us that all things are impossible.

First, no one can call upon Christ. That is, no one can worship Jesus Christ who does not believe in him. You've got to trust him before you worship him. You've got to believe him before you call on him. Secondly, no one can believe on Christ until he hears the gospel.

God has ordained by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. And thirdly, Luther said, no one can hear the gospel without a preacher. You've got to have the gospel preached to you. That is, in some way, the gospel must be communicated to you by the authority of God.

And then he said, fourthly, no one can preach the gospel, truly preach the gospel of Christ and the power of God, the Holy Spirit, until he's sent of God. In other words, I'm standing here tonight with the responsibility to speak to you, eternity bound men and women, the truth of God, the gospel of Christ.

But I can't do it. I can't speak to your hearts. I can't preach the gospel to you in the power of God's Spirit unless God has sent me to do it. I keep praying. Lord God, don't let me stand in that place unless you send me to stand in that place. Don't let me speak to these men unless you send me to speak to these men. I pray that he has sent me to speak this to you.

Now, in the light of those things, turn over to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. The greatest blessing God can ever bestow upon any people is to give them a faithful gospel preacher. And the Apostle Paul, here in 1 Thessalonians 5, connects the peace and blessedness of a local church to their attitude toward that man who preaches the gospel to them.

I have this thing on my heart because I am constantly called aside by people in other congregations who, for one reason or another, get upset. Get upset with the pastor. Get upset with little quips and personality things. Usually folks get upset with nothing. They get upset with nothing. They get upset over trivial, insignificant, meaningless things. Meaningless things. And I keep saying to them, now listen. Listen. Don't forget who taught you the gospel. And don't forget who ministers to your soul. And follow what Paul says here. Listen to what he says. 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 12.

We beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you. Understand the care and the burden as best you can that your pastor has for you and for other folks to whom he ministers. Know them. Know that which is the burden and work of their hearts and lives. Know them. Know their needs and know their circumstances. Seek to know them. Make yourself acquainted to them, but make them acquainted to yourself. Know them. Look at it now, which labor among you.

Any preacher who's worth his salt is a laboring man. He labors in the Word. He diligently seeks to give himself to the ministry of the Word, and he seeks opportunities to make the Word of God known to others. He labors in study and in preparation. He labors in preaching. He labors in his writing. He labors in the Word and in the doctrine, and are over you in the Lord. over you not as tyrants over servants, no, over you as a husband is over his family, over you as a father is over his children, over you as one who has been placed in responsibility to lead and guide you under the authority of God for the glory of God and the worship of God. They're over you in the Lord and admonish you. That's what a pastor is sent to do. He sees things out of the way.

If I care for your soul, Bobby, I've got to stand here and tell you which way to go. Cut. I've got to, now wait a minute, don't let this get you. Don't let this, don't let this thing destroy you, admonish you. Know them. And then he says, and to esteem them, listen to it. Very highly in love. Hold him up. Hold him up.

It's so easy to tear down. It's easy. It's easy as it can be to look Rex Butler over real good and start picking. And it's not hard to find kinks in his armor. There's plenty around. There's plenty around. That's easy. But tearing him down does nothing but destroy him, destroy folks around him, and destroy your relationship with him, and destroys you in the process.

Don't do it. And especially don't do it with regard to God's servants. Don't do it. These men come and preach to you from around the country from time to time, don't become followers of men and start nitpicking. This fellow, he doesn't use good grammar. This fellow, he doesn't do this. He does that. Don't do it.

There are plenty of kinks in their armor and most of us are aware of it. Keenly aware of it. What does he say though? He says to esteem them. They're God's servants. God's servants. Esteem them. Not because a pastor desires that men should Lift him up and exalt him and praise him. No servant of God wants that. Doesn't want it. He doesn't want it.

But esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Now Rex, that means that what I'm doing right now, what I give my life doing, is worthy of your highest honor. It's worthy of it. Not the man who's doing it. but what I'm doing, worthy of the highest honor. So esteem them very highly in love. Love them, because they brought you the gospel. Love them, because they publish peace. Love them, because they declare the sign. God bless! And seek to it that when you speak of them, you speak of them honorably. I try to encourage this not only with regard to God's servants, but with regard to all relationships.

When you sit down at your dinner table with your wife and your children, and you speak of one of the brethren or one of the sisters, guard your tone. Guard your tone. Because what you say, they're going to hear. They're going to hear. And be sure you speak honorably.

They're worthy of honor. They're God's children. Worthy of honor. They're God's servants. This is what Paul says concerning pastors. Esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Look at the next line. And be at peace among yourselves. I've had telephone calls and letters and visits from folks from one end of the country to the other.

And churches are on the verge of exploding. large ones and small ones, because people get something in their craw for the man who labors to preach to them. And honestly, honestly, if the man's a man of reputable character and he preaches the gospel of God's free grace, nothing else really ought to matter a whole lot. So what if he didn't have any personality? So what if he didn't do things the way another fellow does them?

He tells you the truth. He tells you the truth. Honor him. Esteem him very highly. The highest honor God can bestow upon any people is to give them a faithful gospel preacher to speak to their souls by the power of God. Secondly, the greatest curse God can impose upon any people. The greatest judgment God can bring upon men this side of hell is to silence the voice of a faithful preacher and send in his stead a self-serving hireling and a false prophet." Now, the scriptures are full of warnings, full of warnings about false prophets. You can read them in numerous, numerous places.

Our Lord said, beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they're ravening wolves. The apostle Paul warned over and over of deceitful workers who would come and bring to you deceitful doctrine to the damning of your soul. Peter said in the last time, wicked men will slip in unawares, denying the Lord God false prophets. The Apostle John warns us to try the spirits to see whether they have God, for many antipostles have gone out into the world, false prophets. Now false prophets, this is the third thing, may be known by two things. They can be known by their message and known by their character.

The false prophet's message is a message of free will works religion. Brother Don, are you saying that any man who preaches free will, works, religion is a false prophet? That's exactly what I'm saying. No, it doesn't matter what I say. That's exactly what God says in his Word. False prophets are the preachers of free will, works, religion.

We preach grace, they preach works. We preach the sovereignty of God's will, they preach the freedom of man's will. We preach God's choice, they preach man's choice. We preach redemption accomplished, they preach redemption possible. We preach Christ, they preach conditions.

There's as clear a distinction as it can possibly be. But there is also a distinction between God's servants and false prophets in their character. You see, God's servants are men of character. They're men of character. They're men who can't be trusted. False prophets are men without character. They can't be trusted.

Not only how to stress this sufficiently, but if a man will lie on God, he'll lie about anything. If a man will pervert the truth of God, he'll pervert anything. Those men who do not speak truthfully for God cannot be trusted in anything. Now, in our text, back in Isaiah chapter 56, the Lord 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! Look here if you will, Isaiah 56 verse 9. All ye beasts of the field, come to devour. Come on, come and devour. Yea, all ye beasts of the forest, his watchmen are blind. They are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs. They cannot bark, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand.

They all look to their own way, every one for his gain from his quarter. Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink. And tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant." Thank God he will save his elect.

He will gather the outcast of Israel, but those who will not trust his son, to them he will send darkness, delusion, and deception by sending false prophets. signs, wonders, miracles, so that they all might be damned who receive not the love of the truth. God will send them a strong delusion with the word of false prophets. Now here in this passage, Isaiah gives us seven characteristics of false prophets. By their fruits you shall know them, our Lord said. Let all who hear take note and be warned. Here are seven characteristics of false prophets.

Number one, they are devouring beasts. All ye beasts of the field come to devour. Yea, all ye beasts of the forest. I read numerous commentaries on this text and I think that they are exactly right. when they say this has a reference to the coming of the Roman armies into Jerusalem for the destruction of that city, literally. But I am certain, without question, that the primary reference here is not to Roman armies, but rather is to preachers. Preachers who claim to be God's servants. Preachers who are howling pastors who pretend to be the shepherds of God's flock, but inwardly, really, they're ravening, beastly creatures. I want you to show you that. That's not just my opinion. Hold your hand here and turn to Jeremiah chapter 12. Jeremiah chapter 12. Our Lord Jesus uses the same language.

He said, beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly, they're beasts. They're ravening wolves. Here in Jeremiah 12, the Lord God speaks of false prophets in just the same way. In verse 9, mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird. The birds round about are against her. Come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field. Come to devour. Who on earth is he talking about? Read the next line.

Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard. They have trodden my portion underfoot. They have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. They have made it desolate, and being desolate, it mourneth unto me. The whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart."

The beast, then, are the pastors who come to devour. They're called beast, devouring beast. because they come to rend, and to tear, and to devour. That's what they do. They're beasts. They're spoken of in the plural because there are many of them. In fact, the word has the idea that there is nothing but beasts here, and it calls for these men in great multitude to come as devouring beasts to destroy. They are beasts in the forest. They come out of the darkness, and they bring darkness, darkness and destruction.

Secondly, false prophets are blind watchmen and ignorant shepherds. His watchmen are blind, they are all ignorant. Verse 10, down in the middle of verse 11, they are shepherds that cannot understand. It is the calling and responsibility of God's servants to be watchmen in Zion. But those self-appointed watchmen are blind leaders of blind men, Our Lord said repeatedly in Matthew's Gospel of the Pharisees, he said, you're blind leaders of the blind, and if you're leaders of the folks, and the folks that follow you are blind, both of you together fall into the ditch. He said in Matthew 23, he said six different times, you're blind guides, blind guides, blind guides.

These folks are false prophets who are blind leaders of blind men, having no message from God. They do not know what to say to punishing sinners. They think that the righteousness of the righteous will save them, and that the wickedness of the wicked will destroy them. And so they preach up works. They don't know that salvation is of the Lord, and that it's all together in a substitute. They don't understand the work and the message of a watchman. Turn over to Ezekiel 33. Let me show it to you again. Ezekiel 33. I stand here as a watchman, a watchman sent of God, to stand watch upon the walls of Zion, give warning, to instruct. And this is what God says. Verse 10, Therefore, O thou Son of man, speak to the house of Israel, thus you speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? How can we live? How can we live?

Saying to them as I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Your death will never satisfy my justice. You can never satisfy me. But that the wicked turn from his way and live, Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel? Mark read to us back in the study how God will rejoice over his people and rest in his love. He said, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Oh, but you terror. Oh, God finds pleasure in saving sinners.

Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression. Won't do it. I'm talking to folks who are pretty good. I look at you and I'm looking at finest folks in Danville, Kentucky. Just fine, fine people.

But in the day you commit one sin, all your righteousness is useless before God. That's what he says here. The righteousness of the righteous will not save him in the day of his transgression. As for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not follow thereby in the day that he turns from his wickedness. Your sins will not be imputed to you if you look to Christ. Neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.

As long as you cling to your righteousness, you're going to perish, because you don't have any. When I shall say to the righteous that he shall surely live, if he trusts to his own righteousness and commits one sin, if he commits one iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered. But for his iniquity that he committed, he shall die for it. Again, when I say to the wicked, Thou shalt surely die, if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right, if the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity, he shall surely live, and shall not die."

Well, how on this earth can you do that? Only in a substitute. The false prophet comes and he says, now if you live right and do good, God will honor you. If you are wicked and vile, God will send you to hell. The preacher comes along and says, no, that's not the way it is.

God has established a substitute, and in Christ the substitute, we do that which is lawful and right. We pay what we owe. We satisfy the justice of God, and perfect righteousness is imputed to us, and we shall live forever by faith in him. And none of his sins that he committed shall be mentioned to him. He hath done that so far as the law and justice of God is concerned, which is lawful and right, and he shall surely live."

These false prophets, they were ignorant shepherds. They cannot understand. They know nothing about caring for and tending sheep. And they don't have the ability to feed them with knowledge and with understanding as God said the shepherds of Israel must do. They do not understand. They have no ability to understand the message of holy scripture. They may easily, they may easily grasp the facts of scripture. That's not hard to do. They may easily grasp various theories of theology. That's not hard to do. But they don't understand the message of scripture. They can't see, rid by the fall, redemption by the blood, regeneration by the Holy Spirit, running throughout the scriptures. They don't understand that Christ crucified is the message of scripture. They don't understand the gospel of Christ. They don't have the ability to.

They don't understand the necessity of our Lord's incarnation and death. You remember last Sunday afternoon I talked to you about discerning the Lord's body. They don't discern his body. They don't understand why it was necessary for the Son of God to assume human flesh, live in obedience to God, establishing perfect righteousness, and die as a sinner's substitute at Calvary.

They don't understand that God's justice must be satisfied, and sin must be put away, or we can't be saved. They don't understand it. That's the message of the gospel. They do not understand. the person and work of Jesus Christ. They can't grasp both his eternal divinity and his real humanity in one glorious person. Just can't grasp it.

They do not understand how it is that the Lord Jesus, as a representative man, born in everlasting righteousness of infinite value, for the full compliance with God's holy law for all God's elect." They don't understand it. They don't understand how that one man can die as a penal substitute for a multitude of men. They don't understand how that one man's death can satisfy the justice of God for the sins of all his elect, because they don't realize that that one man who died is God Almighty, and his blood is the blood of the infinite, holy, righteous God who died at Calvary. They don't understand, then, vicarious atonement, and they cannot know the message of salvation by grace alone.

Sometimes I listen to fellas, and I think, well, he's trying to preach a little grace. I listened to preachers several years ago, I was listening on television one night, shovels over banging pots together after services, on a red table TV, and I could still get some of the religious programming.

This fella started, he got real close. I said, shall we sit down and listen to this? Sit down and listen. He's going to say it. He's going to say it. Then he'd get right up to the edge and back off. But I thought all the time, he's finally going to say something. He tried to talk about election. And he talked about God's election. Then he'd turn around and make the election depending on what you do.

They talk about redemption, or they talk about what Christ accomplished and how Christ finished the work of redemption, and they turn right around and declare that work of redemption to be vain unless you believe. Talk about justification? How that God has freely justified the ungodly by imputing Christ's righteousness to them, and then turn right around and tell you that God won't do that unless you let Him. You've got to let God into your life. You've got to let God take control of you. The false prophet just simply cannot grasp salvation is by free grace without works.

If it works, it interacts somewhere in the beginning, in the process, in the middle, or in the end, but somewhere it's going to make your standing before God depend on you. Somewhere. Either in election, or in redemption, or in regeneration, or in sanctification, or in glorification, but somewhere he's going to say, now you've got this, and this is your work. This is your work.

Thirdly, False prophets are here described as dumb dogs. Do you see that? They are dumb dogs. They cannot bark. Dumb dogs. And you thought I was mean to preach this. Dumb dogs. And it doesn't say they won't bark. It says they can't bark. They got nothing to say. They've got nothing to say. They're as useless as they are ignorant. Dumb dogs give no warning of danger approaching. Dumb dogs can never gather any sheep to the shepherd. Dumb dogs are worthless animals. But there's more here than a reference to uselessness. In this title, Dumb Dogs, these vicious intruders are represented as unclean men who prostitute the gospel. The Apostle Paul said, beware of dogs in Philippians 2, or in Philippians 3 verse 2, rather. And that reference has got to be found in its beginning back in Deuteronomy 23. You want to turn there for a minute? Deuteronomy chapter 23. Verse 17.

In the law God commanded, there shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel. The correlation is plain. There should be neither male nor female prostitute among the people of God. that thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore or the price of a dog into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow. For even both of these are abomination unto the Lord thy God." Now he is not suggesting here that somehow there's something evil about raising dogs and selling them.

He's talking about male prostitutes. And the apostle Paul, as well as the prophet Isaiah, picks up on that title, dogs, and applies it to false prophets. They are men who have, for a price, prostituted the gospel and the glory of God in Jesus Christ the Lord. And I lay this charge at the door of every preacher who, for any reason, alters his message, alters the message of Holy Scripture, making it suitable to the folks who listen to him. He is a prostitute, a prostitute of the worst kind, for he prostitutes the gospel of God's grace.

Fourthly, false prophets are lazy, loitering dreamers. Look at the next line. lying down, loving to slumber. God's servants labor in the word and in doctrine. These lutter in the world. They have no concern for the souls of men, the glory of God, and the truth of God. Therefore they slothful, indolent in the business of a watchman. Oh, they roll from house to house and drink coffee and spread gossip. But they won't study.

I listen to folks talk in their religious circles. There's someone, as we talked about the picture, he just works himself to death. As though running from house to house, drinking coffee all day, is working yourself to death. He just works and works and works, but won't study a lick. Won't study a lick.

A pastor's work, I hope you'll listen to me, if I drop dead tonight, a pastor's work, Bobby's going back there to study. It's not done running the roads. They run from place to place, but they won't watch over the souls of men in prayer. They provide entertainment for men, but they won't preach to and feed men. They won't do it. They just will not do it.

They're loiterers, dung dogs, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. And when they do open their mouths, they talk like delirious, ranting men. They're talking in their sleep. If you have a margin of reference, look at how it translates this. Dreaming or talking in their sleep. That's exactly it. Go home tonight, turn on your television. I don't care which picture you turn on. Just turn it on and listen to a fellow sleep talking. Just talking nonsense.

Billy Graham talked about election. I heard it one time. This is what he said about it. Now this is an educated fellow. Of all the fellows running the country, I guess he's the sharpest. He said elections like this. God voted for you. The devil voted against you. You cast the deciding vote. Isn't that wonderful? Well, it's stupid. The devil wouldn't have registered murder if you weren't around. God's election took place in eternity.

He said, concerning the will of man, he said, man has a sixth sense. He has the ability to believe in Jesus. He has the ability. He's dead, dead, spiritually dead, but he has the ability somehow to lift himself from his spiritual death into life and believe on Jesus all by himself.

My mother's pastor a couple of weeks ago decided to preach on predestination. And he got up and talked about predestination. He said, now predestination is in the Bible. And you see him, little old sissy. Predestination's in the Bible. It's God, God knowing everything that's going to be. Now we recognize that, but that doesn't, that doesn't change man's will. Sleep talking.

One of the fellows here in town a few years ago, fighting over inspiration. You know, every now and then they have to act like they're serious about this thing. So the church got fighting over inspiration. And I read with some amusement comments in the newspaper. The newspaper picked up on it and they interviewed all these Southern Baptist preachers in town.

And one of them, he said, he said, well, I think we ought to quit fussing about non-essentials and just win souls to Jesus. Sleep talking. as though the word of God is non-essential, as though somehow you're going to win souls to Jesus by ignoring the word of God. Fifthly, false prophets are covetous, greedy men. They give themselves away. Listen to them talk. They talk about numbers and size and things that impress men. Yea, greedy dogs which can never have enough.

Turn to Micah chapter 3. Micah chapter 3, verse 5. Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth and cry, And he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against them. Verse 11. The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money. Oh, what an implication. What an implication.

Yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, is not the Lord among us? You wonder where on earth they'll get their God? They teach, and they divine, and they prophesy for money, and they say, God's with us. The concern is not what shall I do, but what shall I get?

They don't feed God's flock, but they fleece it. They are men whose concern is for themselves, not for Christ, not the glory of God, and not the souls of men, but for their own bellies. Their God is their belly, the apostles said. They propagate their own name, and they advance their own cause, and they look after their own interest.

And they can never have enough. They can never have enough money. Never. John Gill commenting on this, that they bill up their salaries all they can, and take the benefits and the tithes of God's people, and they never get enough. They're greedy, greedy, greedy, covetous men. Here in Ecclesiastes, the wise man said, He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver, nor he that loveth abundance with increase. This also is vanity. Their hearts cry, money, money, money. By fair means of fowl, we must have money. They get all they can, even if they must devour widow's houses to do it.

Preachers have a way of keeping their hands in men's pockets that's utterly disgusting. Utterly disgusting. If they don't out and out steal, they constantly whine and murmur and complain, well, I haven't got enough, I just can't make it, it looks like I'm going to have to do this, I'm going to have to do that, and you get to feeling sorry for them, well, what do you need? I get missionary letters, I get, ah, enough of that nonsense. Greedy, greedy. But many who are not so greedy for money, are greedy for fame, and they can never have enough of that. Oh, give me a name. Give me a reputation. I want men to know who I am. I want folks to know I've been here. Listen to a preacher one time say, we want to leave our footprints in the sands of time. Well, your footprints and mine need to be erased quick as we get out of here, because we make a mess of things.

Our Lord described them as those who will encompass land and sea to make one proselyte. The apostle Paul said, Out of your own selves, when I have gone, greedy men shall arise, leading away disciples after themselves. Sixthly, false prophets are great lovers of pleasure. Look at the next line in our text. Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink."

Now, there are two things here. First, this is clearly a reference to the insatiable need to entertain and be entertained. Somehow in our generation, kids have grown up And children always have liked to play. When we were kids, many of us, playtime was a reward of long time working. These days, playtime is all day long stuff. When Faith was a young girl, she learned early in our house, don't ever say I'm bored, because I can fix boredom. I can fix it. We've always got plenty to do. But somehow, men and women grow up with an insatiable desire to entertain and be entertained, to play, to just have a good time.

And the church picks up on it. And churches spend millions of dollars building gymnasiums and swimming pools and having things for the young folks and the teenagers and the young adults and the singles and the rebels and the old rebels and the young rebels. All of them together just let's entertain folks so they'll feel good while they go to hell. Come, let's get wild and we'll have a good time. It's so much fun to go to church over here. We had such a good time down at our church.

But there's also a reference here to the wine of the fornication of false religion, the wine of the fornication of the great whore. Turn back to Isaiah 28. You remember the judgment of God falling upon those in Revelation 14 because they've been made to drink of the fornications of Babylon, the great whore? Here in Isaiah 28, verse 7, they also have earned through wine and through strong drink are out of the way.

The priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink. They are swallowed up of wine. They are out of the way through strong drink. They err in vision. They stumble in judgment." Now, it's not a picture of the preacher standing up talking to folks, inebriated. That's not it.

But rather, it's a picture of a man standing up, talking, with all seriousness, who is totally drunk on false religion. Just totally, totally, his judgments totally perverted so that he sees everything backwards. The wine of Babylon's fornication is the intoxicating, flesh-pleasing, idolatrous doctrine of free will works religion. Once more, false prophets are confident and secure in their delusions.

Tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant. They've made a refuge of lies and a covenant with death, and they're sure that everything's all right. We've got everything fixed up between us and God. Everything will be all right. Tomorrow is going to be just like today, and we're going to be better, fellas. You come, and we'll take our wine, and we'll enjoy our lives, for we're God's people, and God's with us.

Oh, beware of false prophets. Their message, the message of man-centered salvation, a freewill works religion, is belittling and the denial of the gospel of God's grace. They're methods. In these days, there's come to be a disdain for preaching, for preaching the gospel. And I know folks don't like it. I know that. I'm aware that I'm out of step with the times. I've been out of step with the times ever since God saved me. And I plan to stay out of step with the times.

But folks, today, you know, we got to reach people. And preaching's not done yet, but folks will come and watch a theatrical production. Folks will come and watch if you have a dialogue and not be so dogmatic, just give your opinion, let somebody else give their opinion, and we can decide for ourselves. Folks will come to that. Folks will come to a piano concert, or they'll come to an organ recital, or they'll come to watch children sing in the booster band and get up and stumble over each other. They'll come and be entertained.

Well, our object is not to entertain men on Rodell. My object is to teach you by the power of God, the truth of God, so that you must walk in it. That's my object. The false prophets will do what they have to do to get a hearing. And their manners, as God here describes them, are inconsistent with the gospel of God's free grace, and the character of our God. So beware. May God add his blessings to that portion of his word and his blessings to that message on it.

We're going to again, as a body of believers, observe the Lord's table. and remember him who loved us and gave himself for us. Now, if you're a believer, if you're a child of God, this is for you. Take the bread and the wine, eat it and drink it in remembrance of the Savior. If you're yet without Christ, watch carefully. This is how we were redeemed.

The Son of God, who lived in perfect righteousness, sacrificed himself for us under the wrath and judgment and justice of God Almighty, and poured out his life's blood unto death. Having brought in everlasting righteousness, he made atonement by the sacrifice of himself and put away our sins. Believe him, and his righteousness and his atonement is yours.

Seven Characteristics of False Prophets

What does the Bible say about false prophets?

How do we know false prophets are among us?

Why is it important to recognize false prophets?

What can we learn from Isaiah 56 about false prophets?

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Seven Characteristics of False Prophets

What does the Bible say about false prophets?

How do we know false prophets are among us?

Why is it important to recognize false prophets?

What can we learn from Isaiah 56 about false prophets?

Sermon Transcript

About Don Fortner

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