The Message They Wanted To Hear

If we have the Bible and endless commentaries, commentaries that are solid in their exegesis, then how is it that so many are led astray? How can we have a solid track record of Biblical Christianity where the truth has reigned and yet false teachers can rise up? How is it possible for a man such as Rob Bell to be the “hottest” preacher in America and to have a widely received blasphemous book? Because it is prophetic and the Apostle Peter warned us nearly two thousands years ago:

    “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.” (2 Peter 2:1-3)

Destructive doctrines is the subtitle in my Bible for this passage and not only does Peter warn us that there will be false teachers, but worse there are people who will receive them. Some of you may still not be convinced that these false teachers could have any influence but look at the reason they follow: “By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words.”

That means these slick snake oil salesmen are going to know just how to package their wares in the manner they know you will desire. Whether it is “Love Wins”, “Your Best Life Now” or “It’s Your Time”, these Peddlers of Christ know what your itching ears want to hear and they are more than willing to give it to you for just $19.99.

Now mind you this was not just a 1st Century or modern day occurrence. This has been going on since the time of the Old Testament prophets. Warren Wiersbe reminds us:

    The nation of Israel was constantly being led astray by false prophets. Elijah had to contend with the prophets of Baal, but they promoted a pagan religion. It was the Jewish false prophets who did the most damage, for they claimed to speak for Jehovah God. Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel exposed this counterfeit ministry, but the people followed the pseudo-prophets just the same. Why? Because the religion of the false prophets was easy, comfortable, and popular. The fact that the false prophets preached a false peace did not worry the people (Jer. 6:14). That was the message they wanted to hear!

You see we want an easy, comfortable, and popular Christianity. We don’t want to think about someone going to hell so “Love Wins” wins! We don’t want to believe that as Christians our life circumstances may not change overnight when we profess Christ so we desperately want “Your Best Life Now.” We don’t want to wait; we want to hear that “It’s Your Time.” We seek the message we want to hear.

So why, again, why does this happen? I know better. You know better. Rob Bell and Joel Osteen know better. I will even go as far as saying the Mr. Bell and Mr. Osteen are saved, for all I know. If you, me, and these men are all saved, how is it that we can be led or lead others astray. One word: worldliness.

Worldliness has been Christians’ Achilles heel forever. Israel had been a nation set up by God and yet they wanted to be like the rest of the world:

    “Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, ‘No, but we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.’” (1 Samuel 8:19-20)

We have a king in America now because the people wanted from a president something that the office was not meant to be and so the man in the Oval Office is not only a usurper of our Constitution, he manifests his abuse of power daily by appointing czars, refusing to enforce laws such as the Defense of Marriage Act, ignoring court orders, and defying the people. We have our present day King Saul because we refuse to obey God’s commandments, primarily “thou shall not covet” and look to men to bring only what God can provide. We steal from those who work and give to those who refuse (not cannot) to work and call it leveling the playing field. If you think I’m being too hard on Barack Obama or you for that matter, go read the Book of 1 Samuel and then tell me differently.

I do not blame Mr. Obama for anything he has done; he’s done exactly what he intended. He was the change we were waiting for; he was the message we wanted to hear. We as in America that is. Our nation’s worldliness is such that we could not hear the truth even if we wanted to. WE the People have become the soil among the thorns:

    “And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them… Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.” (Matthew 13:7, 22)

We have become a nation who will listen only to the message we want to hear. It is time for that nonsense to stop. The Lord has showed me what I am to do. I am to bring to as many as I can reach across this nation the Aletheia Truth. This truth is going to make many a person mad; why? Because we are going to learn that separation of church and state as it is taught and enforced today is a lie from the pit of hell. We are going to learn that we were indeed founded as a Christian nation. And more importantly for Christians and those who consider themselves patriots, that the change we seek in America is going to mean we, that would be you and me, will have to sacrifice much of what is easy, comfortable, and popular in our own personal lives. That’s right, all that you’re clamoring for is going to fall at your doorstep. As my brother in Christ David Triana said last week at lunch, are we here at this table ready to make that sacrifice?

Are you?

Am I?

I’m sure this is not the message you wanted to hear this morning. I can promise you it wasn’t the one I wanted to write nor thought I would. We were going to learn about destructive doctrines and false teachers. We did, go back and read this again. God just wanted us to see its outcome before we actually learned about the false teachers and their outcome.

We’ll start that tomorrow by looking at their doom.

In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4

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    Copyright © 2011 David Jeffers

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