Early Church Pulpit Peter Preached From
Judging Verses Discerning
We are living in a time where the false prophets are clearly seen. You hear a lot of statements of beliefs without sound biblical doctrine to back it up, or you have people offering you many different views on what the truth is by taking scripture out of context. What are we to do as Christians when false doctrine is presented to us? How do we put truth in order without judging a person? We're going to look at these issues and get some understanding of them.
People say you are judging when you correct the spirit of error. Truth and discernment can only come straight from the Holy Spirit. John 16:13-14 says, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, (the truth) and shall show it unto you."
Thank God for the Holy spirit that guides us into truth. Are you judging people when you stand up and preach the truth? Of course not, you are speaking the truth God has given you from his word. It is not directed at an individual but for all to hear and discern the truth.
There's a difference in judging a person than judging a person's truth. Let's look at the definition of this act.
1. Kriro -Greek is the word judge and it is to pronounce an opinion concerning right and wrong. This is the context of judging that Jesus uses in Matthew. This has nothing to do with judging the teaching of God's word.
2. Discern - to perceive, to discover or to recognize a difference.
Are we scripturally right when we speak out and expose heresays of the word of God? The bible has a lot to say about this and we're going to look at the scripture on this. How many of you know that there are a lot of false teaching going on behind the pulpit? Do you believe everything you hear, or everything that is spoken with conviction and passion? It was a 10% lie that the devil told Eve that separated all mankind from God. The devil is all about 90% truth and 10% lie, and I'm going to give you an example of that a little later in this article.
What the false teacher does not have is discernment of the Holy Spirit, nor does he rightfully have the truth of prophecy in him. The devil did not understand the prophecy and mystery of the blood, otherwise he would have never killed Jesus that won victory for us over sin and death. When the devil told Jesus that he would give him all the kingdoms on earth, Jesus had a discernment that Satan didn't have. Jesus knew that God owned all the kingdoms on earth and they were not Satan's to give. We see in Revelation who becomes the King that will reign over all the earth and that every knee shall bow to and every tongue confess that he is Lord. So, it's clear that if you don't have Holy Spirit discernment of the word Satan is going to deceive you along with the world.
3. Diakriro - Greek
This is the definition of examining, judging whether something is right or wrong. John 7:24 says, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." We have a right to compare someone's teaching to biblical truth. But the devil tries to get you all tangled up and convince you that you are judging someone's heart, another 10% lie. It is a deception to try to shut you up so he can carry out his own false agenda. Ministers have to pray over their sermons for the Holy Spirit to them revelation and discernment of rightly dividing the word line upon line and precept upon precept. I want the people I teach to be able to go to the scripture to confirm what I'm preaching to be scriptural truth. There are false prophets and there are true prophets, read the word to see which one is the false one.
We, as Christians are not to support any false teaching or doctrine. Nor are we to sit silent and be a part of false teaching. The bible says to run from that. If you have one person telling you that you have a second chance at redemption after the great white throne judgement and then another one telling you, that once you are condemned to eternal hell there's no coming back, then you've got to be able to judge righteously the false truth and the righteous truth. So, you've got yourself a problem here because you've got one speaking the truth of the word and another speaking a lie to you. One has discernment and another has twisted the word into a lie.
What are we to do about the people that avert the truth? We are to go to them in love and bring correction. Paul the Apostle was tougher than that when he went to correct false teaching. He said to outright rebuke them. In 2 Timothy 2:15-18, Paul instructs Timothy, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus: who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.
How do you prove yourself? By rightly dividing the word instead of twisting it. It's not truth spoken that sets you free but knowing truth has comes freedom. We actually have a responsibility to set a lie straight. A good gauge to truth: If it's new it isn't true, if it's true it's not new. That Jesus was married and had a child is good example of a lie pulled out of the hat that's new. God gave us all the truth in the 66 books in the bible, the cannon has been completed, and there are no new discoveries like that Jesus was gay or married, or that the real truth lies in the absent book of Judas. These are the lies of the devil to keep you in the dark and to justify sin that God has condemned throughout the bible.
If anyone tries to convince you of tales of any new thing that has not been written about in the word he is a false prophet. We need to continually pray for discernment so we will be armed for the false prophets. This is what God tells us not to do in judging and speaking his word, "Let us not therefore judge one another any more; but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way." (Romans 14:13)
The church is not taught to condemn the person in sin, but to condemn the sin itself. We are not to judge each other, but when you see adultry in the church, someone doing drugs and saying they are walking right with Christ, then we need to properly address that from the pulpit. Galations 6:1 says, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." We are to restore them to right living again as we are instructed in 1 Corinthians 2:15. But you make sure you are living right so the Holy Spirit can empower you to right someone. The real question is do we have enough righteous or love in us for others in the church to do this mandate Jesus and the Apostle Paul calls us to do when one of our own stumbles. We are not to get on our phone gossip ministries and condemn them or judge their hearts but to go to them and restore them. So when we allow sin and carnal mindedness to run rampant in the house of the Lord we too are in danger of being tempted by worldly living and views, and become unable to restore a cat back to the Lord. The bible tells us to come out of this type of fellowship and be holy and separate from the world system.
4. Anaknne - Greek, means to scrutinize, to investigate, to discern and to determine. We have to study these things and not jump to a quick judgement attacking the person instead of their act or wrong words. We have a right to ask; is their behavior righteous or wrong and then compare it with the teaching of the scripture.
The example I will use on this subject concerns a well known television minister. He gave the definition of what the difference is in an old bible prophet and a new testament prophet. He said, "he's more fun than the old prophet and he doesn't judge sin as much." But I'm going to give you scripture that refutes his claim.
First of all, don't believe everything to be monitored by scripture by the net works. Most preachers that buy time on networks have signed liability contracts releasing the net work for untruths spoken. That ought to tell you something right there.
A preacher that doesn't show people their sin is not of the Lord. John the Baptist did this and had the spirit of Elijah on him. Jesus said, there is no greater preacher than John the Baptist. He spoke with power on his tongue and brought repentance to the people which brought their hearts back in line so they could receive Jesus. I'm looking for the spirit of Elijah to come into the pulpits of America, because the bible says it will come to pass in the end days, because we have lost the truth to the gospel. We have sold Jesus out, and repentance is in order biblically for the end time church. If a preacher doesn't preach the truth about sin, how can anybody get saved? There's no repentance without conviction, and there's no conviction without truth. If sin was preached, the altars would fill up, but feel good messages does nothing to save souls. We have forgotten the call to the great commission.
So lets go back to the preacher on national t.v. teaching the difference in the old and new prophets of the bible and judge his words. Let's go to 2 Timothy 4:2-4, "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves, teachers, having itching ears. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." If we listen to things like this long enough sound doctrine disappears and the people's ears turn to fables of false teaching. This is why biblical doctrine is important to know. Don't confuse legalistic doctrine with Christ's doctrine for they are far apart.
Look at what Paul says about sin in 1 Corinthians 6:9, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, no adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind." It goes on to list all sins that will keep you from going to heaven. You were bought with a price and it is your reasonable service to present your body, mind and spirit holy and sanctified unto him. I used to be full of sin, but I was washed by the word and regenerated in the blood of the lamb. I was drawn to the altar and taught sound doctrine and now I'm going to preach the truth given to me of the word by the Holy Spirit.
The Apostle Paul had no problem correcting people. His position in the body of Christ was the five fold ministry of apostle, teacher, preacher, prophet, and disciple. Paul wrote 2/3rd's of the new testament and he structures the church in the epistles, and gives revelation and order to the church. God chose him to write the Epistles to the church to bring order, a unified spirit, sanctification and fellowship to Christ's church. He strongly spoke out against sin and he exposed it. He wrote to the church, saying, "I'm coming, now I can come with love or a whip." This was when he found out that a leader of the church had slept with his mother- in- law and they were bragging about it. Sin has not changed in these two thousand years since Paul was a preacher. Sin does not change from generation to generation or change with seasons, it is the nature of fallen man and must be washed away by the blood of Christ. What changes is how we view sin from generation to generation and we are living in a church age that has grown soft on sin. Results, no one getting saved in the altars. the gospel not being preached.
What did Peter say about sin? 2 Peter 2:`7 says, "Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, but was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with the man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet. These are the wells without water, clouds that are carried with the tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever." They are flesh driven and full of pride and come with swelling words of vanity.
Peter further tells us that sin brings you back into bondage. After you escape and are saved, preachers are to watch over you to see that you don't stray. There is a terrible consequence to falling back into sin, when you crucify Jesus all over again. 1 Peter 2:21-22.
Jesus preached against sin himself. The scripture shows you can't sin and win. You can't have one foot in the world and one foot in the spirit. I hope that I have shown you by the scripture that this t.v. preacher erred in his speech scripturally, and I can and do rebuke that. I have been led to draw the treasures out of the people so they can become what God has destined them to be, holy and righteous unto him; to be the praise of his glory. You can't be holy if you have a preacher that is soft on sin or feeding you untruths. Ephesians 1:4.
We're not judging an individual but judging his biblical truths. When a person is asked, Is there more ways to heaven than one? Is Jesus the only way? When a preacher or teacher says there's another way, we have a right to judge that person's teaching. All the false teachers are saying, there is this way or that way, but don't you believe it. Jesus said, I am the way to the truth and light and no one goes to the father except through me. I am the only way! John 14:6.
What does Jesus say about all these roads that false teachers say you can follow and get to heaven? The road to truth and salvation is narrow, and wide is the road that leads to sin and destruction. There is no other name by which you can be saved but Jesus. Marvel not, you must be born again of the spirit. Budha, Mahamed or any other false god did not die on the cross and resurrect. There is the only one that died and resurrected for the atonement of our sins and his name is Jesus Christ. He is the only hope for suffering humanity. We would be eternally lost without the cross. Romans 1:16.
Those who have been justified live by faith. No one is saved that does not walk in faith. 1Corinthians 15:13-14 says, "Your preaching and teaching is in vain if you're not preaching the blood and resurrection of Jesus." Don't sell Jesus out, and don't listen to false teachers about him and the gospel. If someone is telling you that Jesus didn't die and resurrect or that he was'nt born of a virgin then he is a false prophet.
We are to judge righteousness and we have to judge it against the scripture. You don't have a right to hypocritically judge a person when you deliver hypocricy from your own tongue, and probably have a bigger plank in your own eye. Get the plank out and you will be able to discern truth and wrong words and restore those who have stumbled instead of condemning a person.
I speak God's truth to be others into righteous living not just to talk to try to impress others of my knowledge. It is through a deep love of the body of Christ that I long to see perfected in him and be the unblemished bride. It's a difficult task and before anyone embarks on delivering truth of the word, pray because it will take all of you to be what he has called you to be to benefit the children of the Kingdom. It cost John the Baptist his life, yet today's preachers are afraid to speak the truth about tithing. If you are afraid of offending false teachers then you will have a difficult pleasing the Lord. But your motive for preaching the word must be love of the people as Jesus loves them. Real love and truth does not come without reproof and correction.
This teaching came from my notes and commentary on a sermon of Rev. Jerry Nelson at Westmoreland PHC. If you would like to have a CD with this sermon's entirety you can contact the church at www.Westmorelandphc.org or djbraman@gamil.com
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