Beware of False Teaching
The sermon warns against the dangers of false teaching and emphasizes the importance of checking what we hear against the Word of God.
J. Vernon McGee warns about the presence of false teachers in the church, emphasizing their deceptive nature and the danger they pose by spreading lies and denying the truth of the Word of God. He urges the congregation to be discerning and to test all teachings against the Scriptures, rather than blindly following charismatic leaders. False teachers often mix truth with falsehood, making them more deceptive and destructive to the church, as warned by Jesus and Paul in the Bible.
Text
But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. (2 Peter 2:1)
There were false prophets in the Old Testament, but there are false teachers today. I am amazed how easily people are deceived by all kinds of teaching. People will fall for anything. I urge you to check what I say by the Word of God. Don't believe it because Vernon McGee says it. The Word of God is what you are to rest upon.
False teachers are the danger for the church today, and believe me, they are dangerous. What is a false teacher? A false teacher is one who knows the truth but deliberately lies for some purpose. It is either for some selfish reason, or he wants to please people, or he does it for money. There are many teachers like that today. They preach and say what people want them to say, although they know what the truth is-that is a false teacher.
Now false teachers have some true doctrine. There is not a cult that I know of which does not have some truth in it. That is the one thing that makes them ten thousand times more dangerous than if they were 100 percent in error. These teachers generally believe some things that are true. Our Lord said, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matthew 7:15). Paul warned the church at Ephesus, "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock" (Acts 20:29). These wolves in sheep's clothing will absolutely destroy the flock and scatter them.
Our Lord made this clear when He gave us a picture of the condition of the kingdom after His rejection, crucifixion, and resurrection. He would not establish His kingdom on earth at that time, but He said that the kingdom of heaven would be like a sower sowing seed, like a mustard tree, and like leaven. Leaven has gotten into the bread today. The bread is the Word of God, and there is a lot of false teaching that goes out under the guise of being the Word of God.
Sermon Outline
- I. Introduction to False Teaching
- A. False prophets in the Old Testament
- B. False teachers in the church today
- II. Characteristics of False Teachers
- A. Deliberately lie for selfish reasons
- B. Want to please people or gain money
- III. Danger of False Teaching
- A. Has some true doctrine, making it more dangerous
- B. Can destroy the flock and scatter them
- IV. Warning from Scripture
- A. Matthew 7:15 - beware of false prophets
- B. Acts 20:29 - beware of grievous wolves
Key Quotes
“People will fall for anything.” — J. Vernon McGee
“The Word of God is what you are to rest upon.” — J. Vernon McGee
“Leaven has gotten into the bread today. The bread is the Word of God, and there is a lot of false teaching that goes out under the guise of being the Word of God.” — J. Vernon McGee
Application Points
- We must be careful not to fall for anything that sounds good but is not based on the Word of God.
- We should check everything we hear against the Bible to ensure it is true and accurate.
- We must be willing to stand up for the truth, even if it means going against popular opinion.