29th January 2024

29th January 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read - (1 John 4:1-6)


Message (Alan Burke) 


Some time ago I was accused of being a liar by someone who had no reason to doubt what I had said but apparently what they heard from my lips that they found so unbelievable that they had to verify it for themselves. In a sense I was reassured that they took the effort to check out what I had said for themselves but the thing that really got to me was that they were more concerned with the truthfulness of an illustration than anything else I had said that day and came to me and told me that they had to check it out for themselves because it was so unbelievable. The inference was of course most of the time they don’t believe a word I say but I can guarantee they have never ever doubted the truthfulness of some of the so called christian books written by so called christian authors that they have read sitting on their shelf that I know talk an absolute nonsense and yet they had an issue with an illustration, it’s madness!


I’ll get over it honest, but there is a reason why I start this way, because here John as he writes to the church tells the church, not to believe every spirit but to test them to see if they are from God. The reason of course is simple, as he goes on to state there are many false prophets who have gone into the world. The truth matters, an illustration not so much but the truth of the gospel of its teaching and as a result believers are to test what they hear. While those to whom John wrote as he had said at the end of chapter three had the Spirit of God there are others who claimed that they had the spirit of God but they didn’t and because of this John encourages the church to have decrement, they are to test the spirits, those who come to them to see if they are from God. 


This isn’t the first time that John has warned the church of the reality of false prophets, false teachers. Back to chapter 2 John warned about those who were trying to lead the church astray (2:26).  The church to whom John writes had resisted being led astray but had doubts as a result for the false teachers had undermined the truth and it was important for them to be on the lookout, to be ready, able and willing to assess what they hear because they need to know that there were those who were trying to deceive them. Jesus likewise warned that false Christ's and false prophets would appear and try to deceive (Mk 13:22), and the church that John wrote to were experiencing the fulfilment of that. 


We need to heed the warning that Jesus has given us, to heed the warning of John, we are to be on our guard as Jesus warned his disciples and he warned us of what would take place ahead of time so we could be prepared (Mk 13:23).  So just as the believers that John first wrote to were to test the spirits to see if they are from God because there were many false prophets in this world we are to do likewise. It is because the truth matters, the truth is important that we are to test what we hear.


In this world right now false teachers, false prophets abound, they may from the outside look the part, they may wear fancy robes, have perfect credentials but they are trying to take the appearance of something they are not. Jesus warned his followers in Matthew’s gospel; “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.” 


We need to test the popular names of which some are best selling so called christian authors but are nothing more than false prophets who have gone out into the world but they sell millions of books and make money so they are rarely questioned. As believers we should be those who are desiring to grow in our knowledge and love of the Lord, we should be those who are in the scriptures, who know the scriptures, who know the truth and desire to know more and have our beliefs corrected by the word of God. 


Are you showing discernment, heeding the warning of John and your saviour Jesus Christ about false teachers? Sometimes that might mean you have to leave the fellowship your family have been part of for generations because of just how important the truth is. An illustration is one thing but the truth of the gospel matters. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q54 What is required in the third commandment?
The third commandment requireth the holy and reverent use of God’ s names, (Matt. 6:9, Deut. 28:58) titles, (Ps. 68:4) attributes, (Rev. 15:3–4) ordinances, (Mal. 1:11,14) Word, (Ps. 138:1–2) and works. (Job 36:24)
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