 Hi, this is Pastor David Rosales of Calvary Chapel of the Chino Valley. Many years ago, my nephew was playing in the backyard as his mom did some gardening. I can still remember when my sister said to him, Patrick, what do you have in your mouth? Open it up, show me. At first he refused, but when he finally opened up his mouth, she discovered that he had picked up a snail and was trying to eat it. This only goes to show that babies will swallow just about anything. That is what is happening in church today. With the absence of actual teachers, the body of Christ has been plagued with many who are entertainers, comedians, storytellers, or magicians who apparently believe that pastors who actually rightly divide the word of truth are boring and not worthy of learning from and have begun following people that are not telling the truth and as a result are swallowing almost everything that they're being told by them. If you take a moment to survey the teachings of many regarded as pastors, it is sad to admit that many do not actually teach the Bible, but because they have a large group of people showing up to hear them, they're considered to be great teachers. If you want to see if they are actually great teachers, here is something you can do. Take the time to write out their message, wait for a month or two, then read it word for word. You might be surprised to see how that without the impassioned and loud speech or funny story or tearful memory, you end up with almost no Bible at all, and often the verses that are quoted are out of context and only used to bolster the point that he's trying to make. I'm sure many of you won't do this because for you, entertainment is more important than your spiritual life. If there were no groupies, these entertainers would no longer have a platform, but as long as there are those willing to applaud their error, they will continue using you to further their own kingdoms. Many believers are addicted to amusement, but perhaps we should take a time to remember that the word amusement is derived from the word muse, which means considering or thinking about something. Amusement means to have one's attention diverted to be beguiled, entrapped or diluted, and this is what is happening in many churches today. The sheep are being beguiled because they desire to be amused or entertained by the successful hero they've chosen to follow. When you look at 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, in the first 13 verses, the apostle Paul alludes to a situation that is concerning him as the church seems to be in the midst of being infiltrated by detractors of Paul and his ministry. In those verses, Paul reminds the church of his ministry amongst him and outlines three things that can help you to determine whether you are being taught by a genuinely gifted Bible teacher. He begins by establishing his credibility. He shared the fact that a church actually exists in Thessalonica because he had come and planted the church there. As such, he was their spiritual father, and that fact alone should have been cause for them to listen to his concerns. He went on to share with them concerning the afflictions and persecution that he had endured from hostile unbelievers and how that instead of such treatment causing him to become silent, he all the more was bold in his God to speak to them, the gospel of God even, he said, in much conflict. His motives were pure, his teaching did not originate in uncleanness or deceit. Instead, he knew he had been entrusted with God's word and spoke not to please men, but God who tested his heart. He did not seek glory from men, did not preach with a covetous motive. He never used flattery to win them to himself because his desire was for them to serve and love Jesus Christ. This is the true motive of a minister of the gospel. The question would be, does your teacher have credibility? Have they earned it over time through a consistent journey in Jesus? Or do they like to quote others to establish their credibility? Beyond that, are there illustrations always serving to make them the hero of the story? If so, they are preaching themselves and not Jesus. Paul went on to remind them of his compassion for them as a mother is gentle with her babies and a nursing mother cherishes her little ones. Even so, Paul loved these people. He loved them so much that he willingly imparted not only the gospel of God, but his very life to them because they meant so much to him. Not only did he love them like a mother loves her babies, but he instructed them the way a father exhorts comforts and charges his own children. Mildness and tenderness is always balanced by strength and authority, and the combination provides security and proper instruction for the people of God. Does your pastor love you? Does he let you know that he does? Is he known for compassion? Finally, Paul ministered to them with conviction. In verse 13, he makes it clear that his message was not the word of men and that the church had not received simply the word of men, but as it was in truth, the word of God. He rejoiced that they received the word and welcomed the word and that the word of God was working, he says, effectively in them. The gospel message had come to them, not in word only, but in power, in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance. And because Paul lived out the message, the people saw firsthand how powerful the gospel truly is. In today's church environment, these three elements are not always present when we decide what teacher we will listen to. And sadly, because we seek to avoid being bored, we end up being deluded. God help us all to spend time in the word, to get to know those who labor amongst us, to rightly divide the word, to prayerfully seek to grow in our understanding of God's ways and in God's word. In these last days, the church is filled with people having itching ears who turn aside from the truth and follow fables. May this not be so with you. This is Pastor David Rosales of Calvary Chapel of the Chino Valley, California.