I think it would be fair to say that most in the church who teach or preach believe they are shepherds after God’s own heart and teach truth. Therefore, they believe that they are teaching the only way, truth and life, yet there is a problem with that. Jesus said John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” You cannot get to the Father if you are following a different Jesus. Everyone in the church is preaching or teaching very distinct doctrines and theology from end times to the supernatural and each group believes the others are wrong. Yes, many will say we agree to disagree but that is nonsense, as deep down they don’t really believe that, plus it is not possible to have many ways and truths when there is supposed to be one way, truth and life. Jesus said John 16:12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” That means there will not be many different views. Each group teaches different ways, different truths and many do not live wholeheartedly for God, but they all say that they are the way to God and eternal life. False teachers and preachers say follow me and I will lead you to green pastures, but it is not God saying that.
Proverbs shows us that there are two voices calling out. The first is wisdom. Proverbs 9:1 “Wisdom has built her house; she has set up its seven pillars. 2 She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table. 3 She has sent out her servants, and she calls from the highest point of the city, 4 “Let all who are simple come to my house!” To those who have no sense she says, 5 “Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed. 6 Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of insight.” We were told that Proverbs 2:12 “Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, 13 who have left the straight paths to walk in dark ways, 14 who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, 15 whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways. 16 Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words, 17 who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. 18 Surely her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead. 19 None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.” That is the other voice that is calling out. Proverbs 9:13 “Folly is an unruly woman; she is simple and knows nothing. 14 She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city, 15 calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way, 16 “Let all who are simple come to my house!” To those who have no sense she says, 17 “Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!” 18 But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead.”
The first voice is the few that are speaking truth to a rebellious people like Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Jeremiah 1:4 “The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations. 17 “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them. 18 Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land—against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land. 19 They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.” Ezekiel was told Ezekiel 2:4 “The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’ 5 And whether they listen or fail to listen—for they are a rebellious people—they will know that a prophet has been among them. 6 And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people. 7 You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.” Most people do not want to hear these voices and many of those voices were killed. Ezekiel 3:7 “The people of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate.” Isaiah 30:9 “For these are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the Lord’s instruction. 10 They say to the seers, “See no more visions!” and to the prophets, “Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. 11 Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!
Every Sunday and more, with books and the internet, the other voice is calling out. Come follow the Catholic way, or the Methodist way, or the Baptist way, the Reformed way, the Independent way etc. Sadly, in today’s church most are only hearing the voice of other gospels that leads to death and destruction, not the way to life and prosperity. Jesus said to the Pharisees, Matthew 23:15 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.” Peter said, 2 Peter 2:17 “These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” Jeremiah 23:11 “Both prophet and priest are godless; even in my temple I find their wickedness,” declares the Lord. 12 “Therefore their path will become slippery; they will be banished to darkness and there they will fall. I will bring disaster on them in the year they are punished,” declares the Lord. 13 “Among the prophets of Samaria I saw this repulsive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray. 14 And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen something horrible: They commit adultery and live a lie. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that not one of them turns from their wickedness. They are all like Sodom to me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah.” Proverbs 12:22 “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.”
This voice does not warn of the dangers but makes it appear everything is okay until it is too late. Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” Jeremiah 12:10 “Many shepherds will ruin my vineyard and trample down my field; they will turn my pleasant field into a desolate wasteland. 11 It will be made a wasteland, parched and desolate before me; the whole land will be laid waste because there is no one who cares.” Jeremiah 10:21 “The shepherds are senseless and do not inquire of the Lord; so they do not prosper and all their flock is scattered.” Lamentations 2:14 “The visions of your prophets were false and worthless; they did not expose your sin to ward off your captivity. The prophecies they gave you were false and misleading.” Jeremiah 23:20 “In days to come you will understand it clearly. 21 I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. 22 But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed my words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.”
For those listening, most do not test the spirts and compare what is being spoken with God’s word. They don’t read the Gospels and Acts and then ask why is this not happening and if they do, those in leadership positions will explain away the missing power and those questioning will stop searching and continue to live out their life deceived and deluded. People do not set out to be deceived or to become a false prophet, teacher or preacher. They have either been brought up with a distinct denominational belief system or they became part of one. They did all that was asked and they dedicated their lives to those very distinct doctrines and some would go on to continue to teach others a distinct way and distorted truth that they have been taught. Most who attend really have no idea what the doctrines and theology mean that are taught nor do they look into it. I believe the only way you can read the Gospels and Acts and be content with today’s church, is if you have been deceived or deluded. That sounds harsh but deception and delusion is what happens when God’s people rebel against His word.
When Jesus came to Jerusalem, as we talked about on Sunday, Matthew 21:2 “Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. 13 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.” Right after that we see what the church really should have been doing instead of being a marketplace as it is today. 14 “The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they were indignant.” Today’s church is a marketplace and everything is for sale from sermons, music, visions, books, trinkets and many leaders are living the high life. Earlier I mentioned life and prosperity but the prosperity gospel is not what I was talking about. The wealth of many churches and their leaders is beyond ridiculous. Their wealth is seen in the clothing, cars, planes and homes and often their family members benefit from it. In the prosperity gospel it is usually only the leaders that enjoy the wealth while others are persuaded to give so that they too will be blessed as that is the pitch. Many of these gurus write their books and say God gave them a vision and many try to emulate them but usually doesn’t work. Their books become bibles to those trying to be successful. If they had tested the spirits, they would know that God already gave us the design for the church in His word. Yes, from a world’s perspective they are successful but as you just read above where the blind and lame were healed, these gurus do not have power from on High, although they are powerful. They do not teach the gospel of Jesus Christ but still many try to follow them and want to be like them, meanwhile Jesus is offering power and authority but most prefer the manmade and continue to be powerless.
Paul said 2 Corinthians 2:17 “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.” Most are following the wrong example and are trying to make money off the gospel but call it making disciples. Paul also said, 1 Corinthians 11:1 “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” To truly follow God wholeheartedly means you will set aside the ways of man and return to the word of God. When Jesus chased out the moneychangers, we see Mark 11:18 “The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.” Returning to the word of God is not a message most want to hear and there will be strong resistance. Isaiah 30:15 “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”
With all the false prophets / teachers in the church and so many submitting to a different Jesus and following other gospels, it would appear to be hopeless for the church. What we have now is Isaiah 56:10 “Israel’s watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep. 11 They are dogs with mighty appetites; they never have enough. They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, they seek their own gain. 12 “Come,” each one cries, “let me get wine! Let us drink our fill of beer! And tomorrow will be like today, or even far better.” The good news is what Paul said about Elijah. Romans 11:2 “Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me? 4 And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.” Isaiah goes on to say Isaiah 30:18 “Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! 19 People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. 20 Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” 22 Then you will desecrate your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, “Away with you!” Isaiah 49:1 “Before I was born the Lord called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name. 2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver. 3 He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.” 4 But I said, “I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing at all. Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand, and my reward is with my God. 8 This is what the Lord says: “In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, 9 to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’”
God said the true teachers would be hidden no more and Jeremiah 3:15 “Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.” As Paul said 1 Corinthians 11:1 “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” These true servants of God are how it was supposed to be. Ephesians 4:11 “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” Isaiah continues Isaiah 49: 5 And now the Lord says— he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord and my God has been my strength— 6 he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” 7 This is what the Lord says— the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel— to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of rulers: “Kings will see you and stand up, princes will see and bow down, because of the Lord, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.” Once again the shepherds will do as Jesus did and as Paul did. Matthew 8:16 “When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.” Acts 26:17 “I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’” Matthew 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
