 Several summers ago, I was studying first John in order to teach the ladies in my church and Usually I only at that time I was sitting now. I've learned to stand and study I sit and stand because I don't like sitting very much But anyway, I took a little break to go get the mail and at that time My husband was taking a certain newsletter and I don't usually read the necessarily the mail that he receives But anyway, my eyes happen to catch this newsletter and one of the articles and I don't think it was by chance I'm sure the Lord had something to do with it and it started like this It's getting a little depressing to attend the various messianic conferences around the nation There seems to be the acceptance of virtually every new wind of doctrine and almost every year There's a new wind blowing Sadly, some people do not have the discernment to evaluate doctrine on the basis of scripture In fact too often truth is determined on how good it makes one feel or Accepted or on the basis of the personality and the forcefulness of the one presenting the doctrine due to a lack of proper discipleship so many never move from milk to meat and Even the milk seems to be diluted with a lot of water end of quote Now right now around the same time I was emailing Martha peace about a certain matter and I happened to mention to her about a friend of mine Concern that I had who was getting caught up in a recent popular writer and speaker and her Response to me was funny, but sad She said your friend must have a theological disconnect And I thought yeah, I think she does now with that in mind. I have to ask some questions Can you discern truth from error? How do we develop? discernment Can you and I as genuine? believers be led astray by a false teacher Well, I am very thankful that I don't have to answer those questions for you Because God the Holy Spirit through the aged old Apostle John answers those questions And so let's read the first six verses of first John chapter four together and note what John says Beloved do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world By this you know the Spirit of God every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh as of God Every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God And this is the spirit of antichrist of which you heard that it is coming and even now already it is in the world You are of God little children You have overcome them because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world They are of the world therefore the world hears them We are of God he that knows God hears us by this We know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error Now we're going to look at first of all our responsibility to discern false teachers then our method for discerning false teachers How do we discern false teachers our promise to overcome them and then lastly our vast Differences with false teachers now again as I mentioned last night when we were looking at first Peter I don't really like to jump into the middle of an epistle or a sermon and John's case first John is actually a sermon. I don't know if you know that First John is a sermon more than an epistle, but I really don't like jumping into the middle of it But here we are in the middle But there is a transition because John has just written at the end of chapter 3 About the Holy Spirit look what he says by this we know that he abides in us How how do we know that we abide in God by the spirit that dwells within us the Holy Spirit? And so the transition remember Translators added chapters and verses. This was one sermon and so their transition is really very easy Because ladies those who truly possess the indwelling Holy Spirit Will be able to discern truth from error So it always makes you wonder about those that can't discern what a false teacher is you wonder if they have the Holy Spirit Ladies God has given us the Holy Spirit. This is true But we must be discerning Because there are other spirits out there that have nothing to do with the Holy Spirit So John begins by warning his children notice what he says and he reminds them of their Responsibility and ladies I want to remind you this morning of your responsibility to discern false teachers beloved do not believe Every spirit now I Love that John starts this portion by saying beloved. You know why because it is a term of Endearment John loves These people that he's writing to that he's preaching this sermon to ladies I don't know you but I have a love for you as a sister in Christ and dearly Beloved sisters do not believe every teacher test the teachers and so I can understand John's passion here and so the readers would have to understand his affection and Concern remember John is very old as he writes this epistle this sermon in fact the first generation Christians are gone already and so he's writing to second and third Generation Christians and most of them have not seen Christ and so they needed to be reminded of the importance of Discerning truth from air and ladies many generations have come and gone since then and so how much more careful do we need to be? To discern truth from air. So John says do not believe every spirit the word in the Greek means stop it stop believing every spirit Do not have faith in every spirit don't accept everything as true and As you know it if you know about first on many of them were being led away by false teachers So instead of believing everything that comes down the pike instead of believing everything you see on YouTube and everything else John says test the spirits test them now. What does it mean to test the spirits? Well, it probably doesn't mean what you think it means. Okay, it means to approve or examine in hopes of Finding them to be true Now, you know why I say that? what I have found is When I and I'm guilty of this too when someone says, oh have you heard of so-and-so or here? I want to send you this link. Will you listen to this teacher and tell me what you think? Often I start listening Not in hopes that I find them to be false But almost knowing that I'm gonna find them to be false not hoping that I find them to be true John says test the spirits approve examine then with an Optimistic attitude that you hope and pray that what they're teaching is true, but often we hope, you know Oh, man, there's another false teacher, right and so and it's an interesting word because it talks about The idea when coins were tested in the biblical world what they would do They would take those gold coins and put them in the fire in hopes of what that they were genuine, right? I mean who wouldn't want some gold coins, right? So you put them in the fire and you hope they're the real deal Well when we're testing new teachers, we put them in the fire and we should hope what they're the real deal Ladies we need real deals today, right? We need men that are the real deal that are teaching truth We need women that are the real deal, right and teaching truth and so as John says test them Test them to see if they are of God Test them to see if what they say comes from God's word In fact the word is in the present tense, which means we have to continually do this now ladies This is very important in our day. The reason I say this and listen very carefully many men many women start out teaching what appears to be sound Doctrine and then I don't know what happens. I don't know if their heads get too big I don't know if they start doing it for money. I don't know if their motives become false I I don't know what happens I think I told you about the time Deb and I were attending a conference and I wasn't speaking by a book table and There was a speaker there. I guess he was well known I didn't know him but he was one of the big speakers there and I heard him sitting at another table during the lunch hour And I heard him say yeah, you don't know me You don't know who I am Well, I'm so and so and I read wrote such and such and I was like wow I looked over at Debbie I was like, I don't know who that guy is but I'm not gonna go listen to anything. He has to say at this conference He's very arrogant. I found out a year later He was caught in the act of adultery actually had committed adultery with many women He had to step down from his position So I don't know what happens to these people, but we have to keep testing them That's what John is saying. Don't stop it. You might hear something or you might hear a male or a female and you think yeah This is sound doctrine. This is good But you know what John says keep testing them keep testing him I know men and women that started out good and now they've apostatized or now they're teaching false teaching now They're taking out scripture out of its context and they're leading people astray Ladies don't ever let your guard down because false teachers are abundant and there seems to be a new one on the scene Every week we need to keep testing them. You might say Susan come on Why should I spend my time? Testing false teachers. Isn't that what I pay my pastor to do? I mean he's supposed to protect me from the wolves, right? I mean, that's why I give my offering every Sunday so he can be doing the work Why should I do that? I got I got diapers to change. I got laundry to do. I've got a house to clean I don't have time to be testing false teachers Well, I agree that your pastor should be protecting you and I'm thankful for my husband He's not afraid to speak out and I know a lot of pastors My husband has said recently from the pulpit the problem with churches today is pastors are politicians and cowards and I agree and I'm thankful that my husband is not a politician or A coward and he's willing to speak up. But if you'll notice here John doesn't just say pastors test false teachers, right? all of us Ladies all of us need to be on guard. He just says beloved all of God's children Should be testing false teachers and then he gives a reason why? Why should I be testing him notice what he says because many false prophets have gone out into the world? This word many means abundant Abundant there's an abundance of them and ladies We should even be more concerned today because Jesus says as the end of the age comes false prophets and false Christ are gonna rise and if possible to see the very elect And so there we know as we get towards the end of the age that more and more and more are gonna come on the scene Now since we're supposed to test these rascals. What does it mean to be a false prophet? It means to be a religious imposter Religious imposter now in John's day. It was the Gnostic teachers who were invading the church in our day We've got so many I can't even I mean I'd have to stand up here for three or four hours and tell you about all the False teaching out there today, but in our day, we would say there is a super abundant amount of false teachers false prophets and doctrine So if you're taking notes, what's our responsibility and discerning false teachers? To not believe every teacher, but test every teacher They might say well Susan How can I know a false teacher or not? How can I know? Well? John tells us how we can know in verses two and three and here we have our method in discerning false teachers By this, you know the spirit of God every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is Of God John says you want to know a false teacher? Here's how you test a false teacher He says in fact the word know here means knowledge that is obtained by observing the evidence and then drawing a conclusion How can I know if someone's from God or not? John says those who are genuine those who are true teachers will Confess that Jesus has come in the flesh. What does that mean? It means he was once a spirit, but he took on a body, right? He came down from heaven He took on the form of a man He had a human form just like you and I did the Gnostics did not teach that They did not teach that and so John is can definitely combating the Gnostic teachers In fact John spoke of this right at the beginning of first John He says that which we have that was from the beginning which we have seen which we have heard Which we have looked upon and our hands have handled we've touched him Jesus is the real deal. He had a human body, but the false teachers in his day were coming in and saying and ah Jesus wasn't a human. He didn't he didn't have a re he wasn't flesh But ladies those that are of God will confess this truth now listen very carefully Because he uses an interesting word here, and this is how you and I contest today a false teacher Because he says those who confess The word confess means to make a public proclamation Expressing a commitment To Christ to his lordship and so ladies this confession is Continual and it's not just shown by what they teach. It is shown by the life It's not just a confession of Christ It is a possession of Christ. It is the way in which a person lives their life Ladies when we make a covenant or a commitment to Christ He becomes our master. He becomes our Lord and it should show itself By our obedience to him and so you should be able to listen to a teacher They should have right doctrine But you must watch the life That's why when that guy said you don't know me. You don't know who I am. I was like what? How arrogant is that? Listen to the lips listen to how well ask their husband ask their wife What they're like at home? You know, it's just like in a marriage when I got married. I made a commitment I made a covenant before God and others right a Commitment to till death do us part in sickness and in health and my husband for better for worse and my husband's always saying honey I'm sorry. You got the worst, but you know, I'm faithful to the one I married and I confess to you I can confess to you this morning. I am married all I want with my mouth But if my behavior doesn't show I'm a married woman if you see me out in Orlando You know running around with other guys or at the at the clubs or the bars are gonna say is she really married? I mean, she's not very faithful. I mean she says she's married, but she doesn't act like a married woman You probably wouldn't believe me and so it is with the confession of Christ It should manifest itself in how we live our lives, right our commitment to him If the life and the lips don't match, you know, they're not of God. They're not of God If not, then, you know, they're not of God Loads what John says in verse 3 every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God Anyone who does not confess that Christ came in the flesh and whose life does not back it up has a spirit of anti-Christ and Definitely the Gnostics fell under this category because they taught that Christ was separate from the man Jesus They denied he came in the flesh. That's why to them it didn't matter what you did in your body You weren't responsible. Isn't that convenient? Not responsible for all those sins you commit in your body, right? That doesn't matter In fact, they also lived unrighteous lives and they took no responsibility for it So if anyone not just the Gnostics of John's day deny the Incarnate Christ John says first of all They're not of God and secondly, they have the spirit of antichrist. What does that mean? They're opposed to Christ They're opposed to any doctrine that Christ would teach ladies any false religion that is opposed to Jesus and the truth is Antichrist in fact John says this which you've heard was coming and now it's already in the world John says you're not ignorant of this There are many now. There is one anti-Christ, but ladies there are many anti-Christ In the world and if there was a bunch of them in John's day, can you imagine how many there are in our day? It's crazy many anti-Christ Now you might be saying when did they hear about this John said you've heard about this Well, we don't have time to get into it But through the apostolic teaching sometime take some time to read Acts 22nd Thessalonians chapter 2 and 1st Timothy 4 They'd heard about this the church at Ephesus knew about all the many anti-Christ out there Now before we go on Let me say this is not the only way we test a false teacher according to the Bible Deuteronomy 1315 talks about testing prophets how you do that Deuteronomy 1820 also gives ways in which you can test false teachers Matthew the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says by their fruits You will know them do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles and so you can look at false teachers And you can see their fruit. Are they bearing good fruit or bad fruit? Galatians 1 8 is another way of testing false teachers 1st Timothy 4 great things Jesus our Paul says Now the Spirit speaks expressly that in latter-day some will depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons forbidding to marry and commanding you to abstain from food which God has created to be received with Thanksgiving and so Paul calls there's these doctrines of demons in the last days people are going to say don't get married Hello, and command to abstain from food and I as a pastor's wife I see this a lot in churches. It's ridiculous, you know, don't eat this don't eat that like I'm gonna eat what I want You know because God gave us everything right to enjoy that's what I that's what I read in my Bible And those are doctrines of demons doctrines of demons 1st Timothy 4 as I mentioned So there are lots of scriptures that we can look at but I also want to give you some helps very practical helps These are not mine, but from the application Bible commentary I thought these would be very helpful to you in discerning a cult or a false teacher because as I said That seems like there's new ones every day springing up The first thing is they allow an authority to make the decision get away from any Denomination church that has one man who is the authority. We've seen this in the past Reverend Moon Jim Jones, David course I mean ladies Stay away from that. That is a cult secondly They claim to have new truth or revelation special revelation As mentioned I come from Tulsa, Oklahoma, which is the heresy capital of the world But we also have many in our day two of probably the most popular women In our day one would be Sarah Young who wrote all the books Jesus Calling In fact, I thought it was comical one of the churches I spoke at gave me this thank-you card and guess who's on the back It's a Jesus Calling card and I'm so I'm just reading what's said here. Okay, this isn't my words These are on the back of her cards, but here's Sarah Young. She's been writing in her prayer journal for years It was one-way communication. She did all of the talking Increasingly she wanted to hear what God had to say to her personally So she decided to listen to God with pin in her hand Writing down whatever she believed he was saying Now ladies my Bible says something a little bit different. It says men moved, right? The Holy Word of God was written by the Holy Spirit as men were prompted to write, right? And so she claims special revelation. In fact, and if you've read her book She says God spoke and she wrote she writes down what she believes God is saying Ladies the Bible says you have a more sure word of prophecy by which you do well to take heed, right? That would be a very scary thing Especially with women whose many times are led away by their emotion. She has occult practices. She accepts That she had concept concepts throughout the book She believes in contemplative chanting visualization one of the things I wrote down She wrote in her book is feel your face tingle as you back in my love light What? Yeah, that's what I said. What was she saying? But these kind of things you'll find throughout her book. She's one Beth more is another one Beth more came to have a vision for a one-world church. She embraces all religions such as Catholicism Ladies Galatians 1 8 is very clear if anyone teaches another gospel there anathema the Roman Catholic Church Teaches another gospel She says this is all from her words. I'm not Exaggerating she says she has dates with God at the zoo. He's her playmate. He speaks to her. She builds snowmen with God Ladies that's blasphemous She builds snowman's with the Almighty God She laughs with her with God and she and he laughs with her She's also into contemplative chanting which has its roots in mystic occult. She has frequent visions revelations She says I didn't say it. She says her writings are divinely inspired She can bind Satan not nice. She can also lose spirits by her own admission and you can check me out She said this if I'm America's Bible teacher America is in trouble Well, that's true. America is in trouble Ladies we need to be careful We need in fact the first time I ever heard of her was many many years ago Even before I started writing books I'd never even heard who she was and someone asked me what I thought of her and I said I don't even know her and Back then it was you know videotapes so that tells you and I put one in the TV and and after 15 minutes My husband said I'm going to bed And I said well, I'm going to be I'm going to listen to the whole thing because I want to give a report back to my friend and I remember turning the television off and saying Lord that was Adulterating your word and if you want to use me for your glory here am I send me? That's what I said. That's really when all this started and I remember her saying things like the broad the problem with Christians is they have attention Spiritual deficit disorder and they need to sit still and know he's God. I'm like what that's not what Isaiah is saying And that was throughout her teaching and that was many many years ago Ladies be careful thirdly thirdly. They attack the Christian church They call Christians hypocrites immoral. They do this in order to attack Christians and they say they're not the true church number four They twist Christian doctrine They twist doctrine like the doctrine of the Trinity or the deity of Christ or the virgin birth Number five they undermine Scripture they twist scripture. We're seeing this now with the LGBT community. They're twisting scripture for their own purposes they want to prove some viewpoint and so they will do a Spiritual gymnastics with the word of God to prove their point. They undermine scripture number six They promote salvation by works they promote salvation by works Salvation to them is not by faith alone through grace alone. It's by meetings trainings promotion of their cult number seven They undermine the assurance of eternal life in God's grace Ladies false teaching cults. They teach salvation happens when you adhere to their teaching Not in the saving grace of Christ and Christ alone If a man or a woman draws people to themselves and not to God watch out You know, I've met a lot of people that get up and they would just tell one story after another story after another about Themselves they want to draw you to themselves If a man or a woman draws people to themselves and not to God watch out If a man or a woman does not teach consistently from the word of God and contradicts what scripture says watch out if A man or a woman's moral character does not back up what they teach watch out if A man or a woman only says what pleases your ear and not what the Lord says watch out Watch out. So what is our method for discerning false teachers? Anyone who confesses Jesus is the Christ came in the flesh as of God those who do not confess that Jesus came in the flesh Are not of God. You might be saying Susan. You're scaring me. I mean, what if I'm not able to discern all the false teachers out there? Well, John has some encouragement to us ladies Those of us that are of God can discern false teachers notice what he says. This is our promise to overcome them You're of God little children and you have overcome them overcome who the false Teachers why because greater is he that is in you right the Holy Spirit? Then he that is in the world ladies notice John's tenderness You are of God little children and because you are of God little children You have overcome these false teachers You've subdued them with a calm victory In fact the tense here of the Greek word overcome means that the Christians that John is writing to had stood Against the false heresy Sometime in the past and they were still standing against it You've overcome them You've overcome them, but John is saying you better continue to overcome them ladies Why because there's new ones out there every day Every day they're out there This affirms to you and I that those of us who know Christ cannot be led astray by false teachers Ladies you and I will not accept if you know the Lord now you might be in a cult for a while I know women who have been in churches that were false, but you know what they've come out of them That's a promise. That's a promise a genuine believer cannot be swept away by false teaching Ladies it's comforting and that what Jesus said false Christ and false prophets will arise and if possible Deceive the very elect and guess what it's not possible. He said if it were possible, it's not possible Praise be to God, right? Now you might say well, why will I be able to discern the false teachers? Why why will I overcome them? Notice what John says because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world Just in case you're thinking well, you know, I've got discernment, but I don't understand why the sit lady sitting next to me Doesn't have any discernment. How come she doesn't have any discernment? Well true there is a gift of discernment and some people are more discerning than others and it is a spiritual gift But ladies all of God's children Should have that discernment because it's not of us. It's of God Greater is he that is in us Then he that is in the world Ladies God is greater than Satan who's behind all anti Christ all false teachers and all false teaching False teachers and I Christ and the like all have their origin from Satan and he is their mouthpiece in fact Paul warns us about this in Second Corinthians 11 13 he says for such are false apostles Deceitful workers transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ and no marvel don't marvel about this for Satan himself Transforms himself into an angel of light Ladies they're out there to deceive you You know, I've been traveling a lot now for over 20 years and I cannot tell you there have been many churches that have Asked me to compromise truth and it's out there. They want you You can't say this Susan don't say this and we'd rather you not say this and you know You can't do this and it's you got to stand firm And I have But I can understand why some of these people that are false teachers you go to these places and they don't want you They don't want you to speak truth. They don't want you they want you to compromise the word of God No wonder we shouldn't be surprised at this Well, John gives us promise here in this verse that we will overcome false teachers because greater is the one that is in us Then the one in the world and he goes on to describe the vast differences that we have with false teachers in verse 5 and 6 Notice what he says They're of the world Therefore they speak as they are of the world and guess who hears them not Christians The world hears them that's sobering, isn't it? So you see these false teachers out there and all those that are listening to them I look at sometimes I don't look very often, but Joel Sting, you know, he's got 20,000 people in his church Who who are these people listening to him? I? Don't have to answer it's right here. They're of the world Right those are the ones that listen to the false teachers The false teachers are of the world the antichrist are of the world and because they're of the world They speak of the world and who hears them Not Christians. In fact, do you know we're told in the Bible to get away from false teachers reject them? Don't give them an ear in fact when usually Someone sends me a link and they say will you tell me what you think about this or what do you think about this and usually? I can listen five ten minutes and if I hear something I turn it I go. I'm sorry. I don't want to listen to 45 minutes I don't want to waste my time. I can tell you in the first ten minutes. This is not biblical and why it's not biblical Ladies were not to give them a voice John says they the world hears them What does it mean when it says they talk of the world they talk about trivial pursuits worldly matters Have you ever know have you ever listened to a false teacher long enough to to note? How much they avoid the word of God and talk about trivial drippings? Worldly matters they just tell stories about themselves. They try to get you to laugh they entertain you Their conversation is not centered on Christ in his kingdom. Why would it be? Why would they want it to be? And ladies this should make us all consider our conversations and the things we spend our time discussing Do we spend the bulk of our conversations with others centered on the trivial pursuits of life? Or do we center in on the things of Christ and pursue how we can provoke each other to love into good works? Do we socialize with you with each other or do we fellowship? You know, I think you can often tell a lot about a believer by the way the conversation goes ever notice that There have been times Debbie and I have been traveling and we've been with a group of ladies and Two or three hours at a time and Christ's name and he mentioned like how's that happen? How does that happen so disappointing? In fact, I've always loved that verse in Malachi 3 16 which talks about those who fear the Lord and they speak often of him And there's a book of remembrance for them. Isn't that interesting? There's a book in heaven and if you sit around and talk about the Lord, I guess your names in that book Malachi 3 16 There's a book of remembrance written for those who fear the Lord and talk about him But those who are of the world notice what John says they talk about the world and the world hears them What does it mean the world hears them? They listen to false teachers who are of the world Ladies believers don't listen to such nonsense They have spiritual discernment to realize it's not of God Jesus put it well in John 15 19. Those are to the world those that are of the world. They love their own Well in contrast to those who have the spirit of antichrist to those who are of the world We now have in verse 6 those who are of Christ and who are not of the world notice what he says as we close We're of God little children He who knows God hears us He who is not of God does not hear us By this we know the spirit of truth And the spirit of error In contrast to those who listen to false teachers. We have those who hear true teachers And notice what John says these guys are of God John says those who know God they hear us Ladies if you know God this morning Then you listen to truth You want to right? You're delighted in the word you want to know what God's word says And you should be growing in your understanding of what God says Ladies when you think back to when you became a christian and what you knew then about God and reflect Now what you know about God there should be Wow lots of knowledge right and growth spiritually That's the meaning behind this word no He who knows God hears us But those who do not know God do not hear us Ladies people who are not of God will not pay any attention to truth They don't in fact, I've always found it interesting to go to funerals of a believer And it's all great when the eulogy's are going on in the music and you know As soon as the pastor gets up to give the gospel Observe the audience next time You know, it's fidgety, you know, they're they're they don't want to listen They don't want to listen to truth Try it next time see if i'm not right People who do not know God don't want to hear truth People who are not of God will not pay any attention to truth God's people will listen to God's message into God's messengers Ladies a true christian will hear and receive the doctrines of Christ So what are our vast differences with false teachers? They're of the world they speak like the world and the world hears them Those of God however know God and they listen to true teachers Well, john now ends his thoughts on discerning truth from false the antichrist from those who are of christ And he says this by this we know the spirit of truth And the spirit of error How do we know truth from error? John has spelled it out for us truth equals Those who confess that jesus came in the flesh Which manifests itself in their growing knowledge of god discernment of truth and lovers of truth error Equals those who deny jesus came in the flesh and it manifests itself in being of the world And speaking of the world So what's our responsibility and discerning false teachers? To not believe but test every one of them and keep on testing them I hope you keep testing me. I've been here 12 times but ladies you should test me every time You should you should test my teaching our method for discerning false teachers What's our method anyone who confesses jesus as a christ came in the flesh as of god and those who do not confess That jesus came in the flesh are not of god What's our promise to overcome false teachers john gives a promise We will overcome false teachers because the one in us is greater than the one in the world What's our vast difference with false teachers? Our vast differences are there of the world. They speak like the world and the world hears them Those of god however know god and they listen to true teachers John mccarthur also gives a few helps on false teachers. He says check their doctrine Check their goals check their motives Check their followers Check their doctrine. Are they going are they are they going beyond scripture? Check their goals Do they love god? Do they love others? Is money their goal? Check their motives. Are they selfish in their motives? And check their followers I've had a few bet more followers email me recently There it's interesting Very interesting check their followers Ladies i've had a growing concern over the past few years With the number of especially christian women who are being swallowed up by false teachers I see women following a name, but do not consider the message That is being preached I have heard several women and men speakers over the past few years that take liberties with scripture They pervert the gospel They use the bible for their own means They give no thought to study or what the original meaning or the context is And what is so sad about this men and women Are sitting in the audiences with their mouths wide open just taking everything in like water Be careful about following the masses and those who teach large crowds If you faithfully teach the word of god, you're not going to win a popularity contest People aren't going to like you People don't want to hear about sin They don't want to hear the demands that christ makes on them or how to change their life Be careful about listening to teachers who are cunning And try to convince you by their experiences and miraculous things that have happened to them Some people are swallowed up and duped when hearing of people share their experience Ladies experience alone is worth nothing Do you know all kinds of cults and false teachings can give you their experience stories? But the crucial questions to ask are Not tell me about your experience But here's the crucial questions to ask. What do you teach? Can it be backed up with the word of god? Do you live out what you teach? In fact, I knew one woman who asked a potential pastoral candidate when was the last time he looked at pornography. Now, there's a bold question You should be able to ask teachers that right? What about your moral life? What about your personal life? What would your spouse say about you? How do you behave at home? Ladies be careful about believing everything you hear There's a lot of stuff out there even in christian bookstores have nothing to do with christianity Don't be gullible Don't believe everything you read in here Protect yourself and you know how to protect yourself By knowing the word of god, right? That's what this conference is about being a woman of the word You and I should be like the berean believers who paul says in act 1711 They were more fair fair-minded than those in thessalonica They received the word of god with readiness and they searched the scriptures daily Daily to see if these things were so may god help us to be women that are discerning. Let's pray Oh father in heaven, we come to you with humble hearts Because lord, we know that many in our day are being swept away by The false teachers the false prophets of our day I know john must have been just overcome with sorrow As he wrote this sermon for the church at Ephesus And lord, I know many in our day are grieved at the amount of Of teachers out there that are professing to know christ And teach his word and yet Their message is far from the truth In their lives are in shambles I pray that you will raise up many strong teachers who love you and love your word because lord We are living in an age where there is a famine for the word of god I pray that you will raise up men and women who love you deeply Who be willing to deny themselves for hard study They would sacrifice whatever it takes even as we just been singing about the martyrs who Shed their blood for the bible to be preserved. I pray you would raise up men and women like that Who love you that much Who stay true to the word to the end we need them lord I pray for the ladies here I I know there's many churches represented and I don't know what they all teach But lord you do and I pray that you would give them A growing discernment of truth from error As they study your word And I pray they would study your word more and more each and every day That they might know you in a deeper way Not in a necessarily experiential way lord, even though we thank you for those times But lord that they would know you because of what you say about yourself In your word so father give us grace We are living in very difficult days and we pray that you would give us The grace we need to stay faithful to the end for christ's sake in his glory. I pray amen