Who False Teachers Target | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

If you have your Bibles, please meet me in the book is second

Timothy and as you're turning, there may also add that just

because we are doing membership in this church.

Does not mean that we don't love our guests and visitors.

And so, if you are a guest or visitor here this afternoon,

welcome. We're so blessed that you can

sing with us and receive God's word together.

We hope that you would leave here loving Jesus more than when

you came in. That is our prayer for guests

and members. So God bless you.

If you're there in, second Timothy meet me in chapter 3.

Anna meet me in verse 6 of chapter 3.

And let's read and then we will pray.

The spirit of God says, for among them are those who creep

into households and capture weak woman burdened with sins and led

astray by various passions. Always learning and never able

to arrive at a knowledge of the truth just as jannes and jambres

opposed Moses. So, these men also oppose the

truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the

faith. But they will not get very far

for their Folly will be playing to all.

As was that of those two men? Lord, we ask you today.

Lord, we ask you today to help us understand these verses, but

we thank you for a place for people that love your word and

love. Would you honor our hunger for

righteousness and Phyllis this afternoon?

Lord. We confess our weakness or

inability to understand or even to communicate this truth apart

from the power of the Holy Spirit.

And so Lord, we just we just call upon you with desperation.

In our hearts, we want to know your mind, your heart, your will

we want to know your character, your ways.

So we pray o. God, that you would give us the

attention that would be able to receive this word and totality

and then the power to obey it the power to obey it, but we

submit ourselves to you in this time in Jesus name, we pray.

Amen. after Paul, for won't for Warren's of the deceptions that

will come in the last days and the characteristics that will

describe those who will Populate, the Earth. that will

become normal, that will become praised and commended These past

few weeks, we've been trying to understand these things

separately but we we haven't touched on each of them.

That's okay. But we come to the final portion

of this text and we see that before the, the verses we read,

we recognize that Paul is given Christians.

A brief instruction in relation to how we should respond to the

Future corruption, that has been prophesied in the scripture.

And the summary of how Christians should apply this

long list of Despicable practices.

And attitudes is found at the end of verse 5, it's only three

words really but it is deeply meaningful important for us to

grasp. Paul tells Christians, Paul

tells Believers. Paul tells Timothy after hearing

about lovers of self and pride and by those who are

disrespectful towards Authority and slanderous, he says avoid

such people Avoid such people, that is the Christians take away

of how we are to properly counter.

The flood of Filth, that will that will come our way, maybe

even our lifetime to avoid. Simply means to turn yourself

away to keep yourself at a safe distance from those who are

dominated by the flesh. But how was Timothy supposed to

avoid something that was supposed to happen in the

future? Is this not telling us of a day

to come? Is that telling us about the

people that will surface in a future time?

Surely absolutely but for there to be a present application,

implies something very important that the things, the evil

beliefs and behaviors, that will be known, then are in operation

right now. They are here, they were there

in Timothy's day. They were there long before that

and they're, they're here in America and 2022.

So the understanding here is not is not to just see it as a

future thing, but as a present reality and as we heard week

after week, those things that we learn in verse 1, to verse 5

will only intensify as we race towards the final hour before

the return of Jesus Christ. Avoid such people is that really

the best way to relate to those who are spiritual blindness?

Who aren't hypocrisy, who are consumed with wickedness?

Are we not supposed to reach those people?

Are we not supposed to relate to those people?

The answer is yes or no the answer is yes or no.

God clearly tells us to avoid such people but remember back a

few verses when he says that the servant of the Lord must I'm to

everyone able to teach with patients with the hopes that

some of them might be able to Escape From The Snare of Satan.

Our participation and seeing people liberated from darkness

is not possible unless we interact with such individuals.

And therefore, we cannot mistakenly think that to avoid

such people is equivalent to not engaging with these people.

At the same time, Christian listen to me, there is a warning

in these words to be extremely careful about who we entertain

in our lives about who it is that we allow to have close

proximity to us who we associate with, who we allow to be in our

Inner Circle because I want to tell you today that there are

many Christians who believe they have the restraining power.

To resist, being influenced by others.

And I want to tell you, you don't There are those who are

convinced that they are impervious to the influences of

attitudes and the actions of others, that it doesn't matter

who they are around, who is around them.

He had the Holy Spirit speaks candidly to Christians about

this being a deception. This is a deception that

Christians can fall under. And we are told by Paul in First

Corinthians 15, do not be deceived Bad Company.

Ruins good morals. We always emphasize on the

second part Bad Company ruins good morals.

And we forget the first aspect of that.

Verse do not be deceived. Implying what Christians can be

misled and thinking that I can have bad company without Then

consequences. This is dangerous.

There are many reasons why Christians would believe this.

That they have some inner fortitude, where they can't be

swayed by a person or a crowd into the wrong direction.

Some think that it's just harmless that is just

relationships. It's just, it's just just having

time together. Others would think that, well,

you know, it's just me being kind and, and that is what they

work with. When in fact, they are really

wanting to satisfy a fleshly pleasure by being associated.

To some And yet, there are other good-hearted Christians that

have good intentions, and they are willing to link themselves

to others and be present. Have them be present in their

lives for the sole purpose of saying, I want to win them to

Christ. I want to I want to attract them

to the gospel. I want to bring them closer to

the truth and that is a noble, cause that is something that we

should apply. That is something that we should

Endeavor to do. But let me remind you this

afternoon that as much as you might be trying to win some

people, there are some people who want to win you There's some

people who want to win, you away from Christ.

When you away from Holiness who want to win, you away from the

principles of God's word, you have to understand that today.

But at the same time we also want to be present and those who

are arrested by Satan and his lies.

So what do we do? How do we work this out?

Very simple, get wisdom. That is what Jesus told his

original band of Soul winners, while he was on the earth.

He says, behold, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves

and what did he say? Be wise as what serpents and

innocent as doves. That is very famous verse but

people don't often quote what he says, next.

The first few verse in Matthew 10, 17, that was Matthew 10:16

Matthew 10:16

after he says, be wise as serpents and innocent as doves,

he goes on to say, beware of men.

Beware of men. In other words, in your

endeavors to relate build relationships.

And your decisions are who you're going to let in, who

you're going to keep at a distance.

Be cautious, be alert, be Discerning, be realistic about

people. There are some who actually want

to lure, you away from the truth that you want to share as much

as you want to help people. Can I remind you today that

there are people out there that want to harm you I want to harm

your testimony your relationship with Christ.

You even physically, As much as you want to see people saved

realize that there are some people who want to take

advantage of your sacrificial love.

So, this calls for a discernment, this calls for a

wisdom. and if we don't, We may be inviting life-altering

problems. That could have been avoided and

that is exactly what Paul is. Teaching Timothy here in those

verses that we read. The potential threats of some of

those who are driven by carnal desires and those carnal desires

are listed in verse 12, verse 5. And that's in essence.

What Paul is telling Timothy is, hey Timothy, listen to me.

Understand what I'm trying to say that you and your people

need to learn to avoid other, some specifically, because as

much as they might be spiritually, blind, there are

some within that camp that are not just unaware, unbelieving.

They are vicious. And they're out for blood.

And they actually want to do more damage than you can

imagine. And Timothy, I want to tell you,

they are not immediately recognizable.

Some of them have the appearance of godliness and that is the way

they have their way, with those who are truly Godly.

Didn't we read it? And verse 6 we are told for

among them among who again the list of those people in verse 1

to verse 5, notice how honest the Bible is, it doesn't say all

of them, it says some of them. In other words, not everybody

who is outside of Christ is a lethal threat to you.

Not, everybody is a danger to you.

Now everybody's going to lead you into deception or two ways

of life that will be destructive, not everybody but

some of them will Because some of them will that alone requires

for us to be on guard and to seek God, for discernment.

Who to avoid who to allow, who to permit and who to disregard.

And these people here, some of them though, not all of them

have the potential, they have a goal, they were Twisted

ambition, and that is what we read to capture certain people.

Timothy, I need to tell you something that there are people

within the camp of those who do not obey Jesus Christ as Lord,

who don't just not believe in the gospel, but they actually

seek to take people captive And Paul is warning here, not a

physical kidnapping but about those who are skillful and

seducing, the Mind those who are able to trick people, the

Apostle is most likely primarily warning about those who have

false teaching and lure people into their damning Doctrine but

it's not just limited to that. He could very well be speaking

about those who have a cloak of Holiness, but it has since come

to those who are naive in order to manipulate them so that they

can take advantage of them physically.

Financially. And everything in between, can I

prove that to you go to the book of Jude with me right before the

Book of Revelation? 1 chapter verse for Jude verse

4, we are told as we turn our Bibles there.

For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were

designated for this condemnation, ungodly people who

pervert the grace of our God, into sensuality and deny, our

only master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

So there are people out there who not only attack the

authority of God's word, but there are false people out there

who take God's word twist it and Jude uses the word perverts it

perverts. It isn't, it isn't a language to

milk a verse for here who pervert, the grace of God.

Right. Look at before that, who have

crept in unnoticed, isn't it the same language that Paul uses in

second Timothy? Verse 6 and chapter, 34 among

them are those who creep into households.

So what's the idea here is that they cunningly come off as

knowledgeable and spiritual people?

They come off as innocent and so innocent, do they come off that

they are actually able to enter into people's personal domains

and sit and have dinner with them and sit in their living

rooms. And so they come into people's

personal lives under false pretenses.

And so it's not immediately seen they worm their way and they

convince people falsely. And some of these imposters will

create friendships friendships in order to lure people away

from the gospel or not tonight, even believe it in the first

place. But not just that there are some

who actually build relationships through the shared love of a

supposed gospel. when in fact they perverted practically and

they seek to cause you to join them in their perversion, Of

Truth. So we're not just merely talking

about people who are clearly in lies about God or false

religions. We're talking about those who

pervert the grace of God. And listen, as much as you and I

should feel safe in this Community of Faith, we should

not be foolish, we should not be foolish to believe that there

are not some who were willing to daringly enter into your Slither

away. In order to do just that Lure

some away. We cannot think for a moment and

be ignorant of the schemes of the minions of Satan, to think

that he just lurks outside. Oh no, he didn't just lurk

outside. He seeks to lure those from

within, from the protective care of Elders.

And those who make up the body of that local church, you got to

believe it. But these wolves are clever,

man. They are clever, they know who

to sniff out, they know exactly who to go for as a primary

target. They don't just go for anybody.

Paul is about to describe the Criterion who it is that these

men specifically gravitate towards who it is that they

often convince and draw away from the truth, either from

initial belief. Or because there are weak in the

faith into destructive Behavior. Read it again.

Would you in verse 6? For among them are those to

creep into households and capture weak woman.

Weak woman. You can breathe woman.

He's not saying all woman my sister's, he's not generalizing

your sex. He speaking about a certain

class of woman. He speaking about those that He

by the spirit has observed. There is a pattern here. that

when these false teachers in these false people come after to

devour, they often initially come after those who are women

And somebody cleverly pointed out that even from the

beginning, when Satan slid with his way, to the first parents of

humanity, he did not go to Adam first.

He went to Eve, And those who Advocate error have followed his

example ever since. Perhaps some would mistakenly

think that the weakness of woman.

Here, remember he's not saying all women are weak.

He's being about a certain category of women who are weak.

Some would probably think that this speaks of a unique gullible

nastas or are trustworthy spirit that just just believes anything

that they here and that would be a misinterpretation of what Paul

is saying here. About weakness, the weakness

that he is describing here speaks of a Frailty and

morality. And in spirituality, he's not

speaking about a less than average intelligence or ability

to reason that is not the case at all.

What he's saying about weakness is described in these verses,

the weakness here is and what we just read.

And what's profound about Paul's thoughts.

Your, by the spirit is that these characteristics of what

makes a woman or a man week is that it is connected to

deception. Meaning if these things are true

in a person's life they are more prone to being deceived and

there are evil men out there who are fully aware of that and will

take advantage of it. So let's look at these

characteristics. Remember weakness is not.

Speaking of all women, let me clarify weakness is speaking

about a category of women who through pattern have fallen

victim primarily to these evil men.

Number one, We are told here, they are burdened with sins.

They are burdened with sins. The idea of being burden here,

speaks of having sins heaped, upon them, and experiencing the

heavy guilt that wrongdoing often causes it speaks about a

conscience that is tormented, almost it speaks about your past

sins, or your present sins that stir up humiliation.

That caused you to be disappointed in yourself to the

point where it even affects your emotional stability.

False teachers, please pay attention and false professing

Christians love to play on people's shame and guilt.

They loved it. They can smell it.

And what they do often is that they cleverly seek to discover

your secrets, your failures of the past, maybe your struggles

in the present, because they realize that if having these

insights, they can easily manipulate you.

Sometimes that manipulation looks like promising, false

relief, or false salvation. Is it not true that many people

seek out spiritual things? When they've made a wreck of

their lives? When because of their decisions

they have been LED on a path of destruction and and emptiness

and being void, they begin to seek out Transcendent realities

and and that can be good because they can find the gospel but

false teachers also want to present something that is not

true. And so, sometimes oftentimes

people who are burdened by their way of life, crushed by what

they've done to people into themselves, begin to now yearn

for something else, some answers to what can fill and help them,

not realize their shame and help them distract themselves from

their pain. And they are introduced to false

teaching false teachers welcome to the world of Cults.

You know how many Cults bring in people you know how they bring

in people many reasons, one of them is this they bring a an

invitation into a communal life. And that's a perversion of what

we know in the church but they try to convince you of some

satisfaction of some kind of love which is a false love.

It's packaged with poison and people who are burdened by life,

people who are lonely, people who have made decisions that

have caused them to be in a certain place gravitate towards

these false teachers because these false teachers gravitate

towards them. But it's not just limited to

that. People who are burdened with

sins. These people who are false can

smell it and they capitalize on it.

Not to lead you into damning beliefs, but to use that as a

weapon against you. And what these people will do is

they will often smear your failures in your face especially

when you do not give them what they ask of you.

They know how to they know how to play on your guilt, in order

to steer you in a certain direction.

And if you don't believe what I am saying, this is biblical,

this is a psychology, this isn't scripture.

This is the strategies of those who are consumed with the Flesh

and want to consume others to satisfy their flesh.

Turn with me to Second Peter, chapter 2, verse 14.

2 Peter 2:14

So remember there are those who come after people?

Who are burdened with sins as Peter says, promising them

Freedom while they themselves are slaves to corruption.

That's the new age. That's every other religion

apart from the true one promising, you Freedom while

they themselves are slaves to corruption.

But there are others who will manipulate those who are

unsteady who are burdened in order to satisfy their sin.

Second Peter 2, 14 proves it. This is a this is a context on

false teachers and Peter says about these false teachers.

They have eyes full of adultery. You know what that means?

They are so consumed with lust that every woman they look at is

it 10 shal fantasy to being fulfilled.

Somebody that they can commit adultery with somebody that they

can get to commit adultery with them there.

Their eyes are full of adultery, they just see women as objects.

But look how they do it. Look how they lure people, they

have eyes full of adultery insatiable for sin.

They entice unsteady Souls. They have hearts trained in

greed, accursed children. I want to tell you that,

Predators can easily detect those who have broken pasts.

And they favor those kinds of people as prey because they

know, they know that they have an advantage with somebody who

is emotionally damaged. Or unstable and their soul or

not anchored, who don't understand their identity in the

freedom that they have in Jesus Christ have been set free by the

knowledge of the truth. Burden with sins.

These weak women are burdened with sins but not just burden

with sins. They are LED was we what are we

told and led astray by various passions.

At the end of verse 6, this is not the same as the previous

Point. What Paul is teaching here is

that the communicating truth is that these women are driven by

the flesh? Their decisions and their

desires are not governed by the word of God.

They are dominated by the natural mind.

Now, by the influence of the indwelling power of the Holy

Spirit by the Flesh, and notice he doesn't mention any

particular sins, he says, LED astray by various passions,

there is a wide spectrum of selfishness, that all have the

same effect and they can include anything that we've studied over

the past several weeks, from verses 1 to verse 5.

It can be women, who are unrepentant of, pride of Gossip

of slander of the Love of Money of materialism.

But here's the main point because their lives are not

governed by the spirit, they're easily Guided by the wrong

people. To tolerate any sin can be

catastrophic in many ways. But let me give you one

consequence of sin that many do not consider When sin when a

life of obedience is not repented of but cherished and

embraced it blunts it. Dulls a person's ability to

discern. It creates a fog.

It does something to reason. It does something to your

ability to see things as they are, as they should be seen.

And there are so many examples, but the one verse that comes to

mind that makes us so clear. It's found in the prophets book

Hosea and 4:11. I believe this is worth turning

your Bibles to to see the wisdom of God, concerning the

consequences of sin. He speaking about his people,

his people who were destroyed for, what a lack of what.

Knowledge is the same chapter Hosea 4:6?

Hosea 4:6

My people are destroyed, what a powerful.

Word destroyed shattered crushed because of a lack of knowledge.

And then he goes on to say in Hosea, 411 and speaking about,

The equation of lacking the truth of God.

And the addition of this, look at this and verse 11, whoredom.

Wine and new wine, which take away the understanding.

Whoredom wine and new wine. It does something.

It takes away understanding. Now, there's no debate that if a

person is intoxicated with drink that, they lose their ability,

at least a lot of ability to discern or to make right.

Judgments. That's obvious.

But what might not be obvious is that the Holy Spirit places in

the same? Verse of the category of wine

whoredom? A promiscuous, life Indulgence,

sexual immorality. And would you have ever guessed

that something like whoredom? Would have the same effects to

the mind to the spirit of a man, as alcohol does to the body.

Is anybody ever considered that? This sin can lead someone to

just as much foolishness as a person?

Who is intoxicated with alcohol can be That's why I'm Proverbs

6. We are told that he who commits

adultery lacks sense. He lacks sense.

She lacks sense. She didn't understand.

He does understand what this is going to lead to.

So there's an intoxicating influence from sin.

And we see that in numbers 25 you don't have to turn there

verse 1. When the sons of Israel are now

committing whoredom with the daughters of Moab, they're

getting involved physically with these Idol worshippers and then

in the very next verse, we are told that they start worshipping

these false gods. How did you go from Intimate

Relationships to Bow before an idol?

Well, because whoredom Takes away.

Understanding. What about, what about an

individual like, Solomon? That guy remember his community

of wives that he had. what a tragic figure a man with so much

wisdom, wisdom from God, wisdom to build God's house, but

because because of a lust, A lust for power, political power,

a Lust For Women obviously. That wisdom became blurred.

And it's not just lust, my brother and sister, it's not

just limited to whoredom and new wine.

So if you've been with us on Friday nights, we have a case

study of somebody who has lost all sense of perception,

concerning his fellow man himself and God King Saul.

Oh, the craziness of this man, believing things about God,

believing things about the right people about the wrong people,

it's just unfathomable. And where does it all start?

From all, you just trace it back.

He allowed pride and jealousy to rein in his heart.

And that pride in jealousy, bread deception.

And he couldn't see God, right? He could interpret events,

right? He couldn't see the people,

right? Sin impairs our judgment.

This is why we should flee from it.

Peter tells us to war against the passions of your flesh,

because they wore against you. Sin is not some little pet that

you can keep in your living room and visit once in awhile and

feed when you're hungry, when she's hungry, no sin will

destroy your life. It will shatter your life.

I'm just blown away by how under emphasize sin is, And many

puppets today. And if sin is cherished, if it

is tolerated, listen, it should be no question that it would

lead somebody to the wrong people and even to the wrong

beliefs especially when those beliefs allow you to hold onto

your sin. So Paul says these false

teachers, these people have an appearance of godliness, even

who might even hold a Bible. These people come after those,

who are LED, not by the spirit, not by the word, but by the

impulses of their flesh, Lastly says something quite

interesting. In verse 7.

Here's a third characteristic of those who are weak morally.

Weak spiritually. There are always learning and

never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.

So this verse alone deals with any controversy about the

weakness here being spoken of of being uneducated or

simple-minded. That's not the case at all.

In fact, the woman that Paul has in mind, when he is teaching on

this demonstrate, great hunger for knowledge.

They actually eager to acquire information and let's put it in

our context. Some of these women can have

their beees, they're amazed their phds.

Some of them can be Avid readers, they can be students of

History, they can be familiar with the political landscape.

They can debate philosophy and they can even attempt to satisfy

their spiritual pitch by listening to gurus and teachers

who might even call themselves Christians, when in fact, they

are not biblical. But with all of that education,

with all of that acquirement of general knowledge would all of

the questionable, faith-based teachings, that they are

plugging into their ears through podcast.

Paul has one main concern about these women, who are weak their

biblically illiterate They're always learning.

But they never arrived to the knowledge of the truth and

primary, that means that they reject the gospel all together,

but it's not limited to that the word knowledge here.

Speaks about a correct and precise understanding.

It's the same thing that Paul prayed for, for the Ephesians,

when he says, oh that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened

concerning the knowledge of Jesus Christ that you would have

a precise laser focus understanding of Jesus, a deeper

grasp of Truths of God. These women never arrived there.

They don't, it's not speaking about you having a memorized

Systematic, Theology. It's not about you being a

theologian. It's more than that.

Speaking about a disinterest, in the things of God.

Speaking about a failure, to see the beauty of the gospel and

wanting to discover deeper things in him.

He speaks about not being governed by the authority of

God's Sovereign word, And Hosea said it, my people are destroyed

for a lack of knowledge. Blend it all together.

Now, blend all these characteristics together.

What do you have when a person either rejects or is this

interested in discovering the glories of God's word?

What's going to happen eventually you will settle for

lesser things for cheaper. Substitutes that this world

offers namely sins, namely idols.

And when a person is ensnared, they are arrested by their sins

and they are void of the fulfilling Fellowship that comes

Through Jesus Christ, their candidates.

They are more susceptible to being led astray.

And sometimes being led astray means to believe heresy and

other times, it means being used and abused by merciless people

who claim to be religious. And sometimes they will abuse,

you financially, just look at the false teachers that are

being funded. And other times it can mean your

body being used by somebody Who tricked you with a few verses to

convince you that they were a man of God.

We've been speaking about week woman so far and again it's not

just limited to. Men are not exempt from this.

So, if your man in this place, you think you can be week as

well, but Paul again is seeing a pattern throughout history.

By the spirit. He understands something

specific. We've been speaking about week

woman. Let me address my sister's this

afternoon. As a brother.

God wants you to be strong. God wants you to be strong

strong and and a strength that the Bible describes, not as the

world describes. Not not financially strong, not

physically strong. Spiritually.

Strong. I want you to be encouraged by

this. I want you to leave here.

Built up with these thoughts. It is very difficult to

manipulate a woman. Who is secure in her adoption in

Jesus Christ. Someone who has truly tasted the

grace of God and seeks to grow in the knowledge of her savior.

It's very difficult to move. So, study study your word.

I know it's difficult. If you're a mom with babies

running around, But that does not exempt you from the

invitation of knowing your God. Jesus just as much as your

savior, as your husband, savior, as your brother savior, there's

this misconception that men should be more theologically

discerning. And sophisticated and woman

said, who asked Apollo's, how he felt when a couple came up to

him, and the wife knew just as much as the husband study, know,

your God be secure and understand these truths until it

causes you to worship. Not so that you can answer

questions. If somebody comes up to you to

see if your knowledge, oh no to cause your heart to be ravished

with the beauties of Jesus. Evil men will find it.

Very problematic to persuade a lady who like Mary of Bethany,

enjoy sitting at the feet of the Lord.

Who is mesmerized by him, who eats his every word, how can you

move a woman like that? When in that setting, there was

so much distraction but she was focused on the bread of life.

Oh, would you practice her posture?

Even if it's just a few minutes a day before the hoodlums, get

up. Before chores.

Come would you learn to do it while you're doing those things?

Just just practice the posture of looking at the Lord

worshiping him. Spontaneously, receiving his

words studying at talking about it with your husband talking

about with your friends, if you're single Satan and his

minions have little to work with. when they encounter a

woman who is led by truth rather than emotions, Who take this

word and determine how they discern.

How they decide? How they even feel, no matter,

who says what? Paul speaks of weak woman, but

we pray that the woman of MBC would be strong strong.

God wants you to be strong and brothers, encourage the woman

spiritually. Encourage them, spiritually

speak spiritual things, to them have conversations and be

patient. Be loving.

Ask questions, have debates. build up your sisters because

there are evil men of there that want to manipulate take

advantage of. We read here in verse 8.

That if you are strong, you'll be able to avoid people, like

who Paul is about to mention. Just as jannes and jambres

opposed Moses. So these men also oppose the

truth, men corrupted in mind, you might be thinking who would

dare take advantage of people especially women Men who are

corrupt in mind Twisted. Selfish driven by less.

That's who they're not just out there.

Sometimes they sit in places like this.

Men corrupted in mind, and disqualified regarding the

faith. Those names are not familiar.

They're not familiar to me. It shouldn't be to you, you know

why? Because only mentioned here, the

only mention once in all of the Bible.

And the debate is, where did Paul get these names?

Because it is often believed that these men were the Two

Chief magicians that stood against Moses, when Moses came

against pharaoh to see his people set free.

And so Jewish tradition claims that and we can spend the next

15 minutes talking about the sources that Paul had and how

that relates to this efficiency and the inerrancy of scripture.

But we're not going to go there because that's not Paul's main

point. Nor is it the holy spirit's?

That's a conversation for another time.

The main idea here is that Paul by the spirit points to these

two men, we have their names but we know what they did in Exodus

for a specific reason. There are many people in the Old

Testament that have opposed truth, that have stood against

men of God, the message of God but why?

These two specifically? Why these two men, why that

specific scenario? And I present to you three

potential reasons. Number one, the ambition of

these magicians is the same as false teachers and false

Believers today. What were they doing?

When Moses came and said, let my people go and God had given him

a host of Miracles to perform what were these magicians doing?

They were trying to perform the same Miracles with the goal of

making sure that God's people would not be set free.

They were trying to restrict and there are trying to cut off any

potential of pharaoh or anybody else being persuaded that, these

people deserve salvation and false.

Teachers do the same day bar people from the truth.

They don't want people to experience.

What only Christ can provide and whether they are aware of it or

not, whether they are intentionally doing.

So does not justify their falsehood.

Satan has all these false teachers with different masks

for the same purpose, to make sure that people do not know the

Deliverance of the Passover Lamb.

So they have the same ambition. And what's important here is

that it's not just a bar people from accepting the gospel.

But it's also to ensnare people. Again, who have might have

believed the gospel to bring you back to your former sins, to

bring you back into the days of Egypt, where you are governed by

pharaoh and not by the god of Israel.

So these magicians, desire to see you enslaved, desire to see

those two never be set free and those who have been set free to

do, just what those people were tempted to do in the wilderness.

Let's go back to Egypt. Some would even say that these

magicians followed Israel Into the Wilderness that's tradition.

And there are the voices that were continually convincing,

these people to go back to Egypt.

It's called the mixed crowd and the Book of Numbers and that's

not a far-fetched interpretation.

The ambition of these magicians are the same of false teachers

and Timothy's day. And today false people who come

into the church even, secondly, The deception of these

magicians. Has the same power as false

teachers today. Now, the way you're going to see

that is if you go to Exodus with me, so go with me to Exodus as

we close in a moment here, I want you to see something, you

know this, but I want you to see it for yourself.

Let's begin in Exodus chapter 7. Exodus chapter 7 verse 10.

Exodus 7 · chapter mention Exodus 7:10

This is after Let's begin in verse 10.

So Moses and Aaron went to pharaoh and did just as the Lord

commanded, Aaron cast down his staff before pharaoh and his

servants, and it became a serpent.

Then pharaohs summoned, the wise, men, and The Sorcerer's

and they The Magician's of Egypt also did the Same by their

secret Arts. Go to verse 22.

This is after the Nile was turned into blood and all water

sources were turned into blood. We're told an exodus 7 verse 22,

Exodus 7:22

but the magician's of Egypt did the Same by their secret Arts.

So Pharaoh's heart remain hardened and he would not listen

to them as the Lord had said go to chapter 8 verse 7, But the

magician's did the Same by their secret arts and made frogs come

up on the land of Egypt. So we see in the first few

plagues. The first few Miracles,

whatever, Moses did The Magicians matched it.

Now, I want you to imagine what an onlooker would think, every

time Moses did something The Magician's did the same, you

know what could potentially, run through their mind, there's no

difference between the god of Israel and the gods of Egypt.

There's similar they can do the same things, equal power, equal

messages, equal equal promises, maybe there's no difference

here. And so, you see here that these

men were deceiving people including Farrell primarily

pharaoh, to see that the god of Israel is not as powerful as he

says he is and listen false teachers do the same.

To the undiscerning, they see the package, they see the

performance, and they go, there's no difference here.

There's no, there's no difference here.

Very similar messages. Very similar ideas, very similar

Concepts, maybe even the same God.

And I want to tell you, that's not just for those who interpret

religions all, as one different packages, leading to the same

person you even have some Christians professing

Christians. Who are not Discerning and all

it takes is for somebody to come in and speak.

Christian he's quote, a few verses and hold the Bible and

maybe even have it highlighted and they show you.

It's highlighted. That must be the real deal,

really. Really.

They have an appearance of godliness.

Just like those magicians had an appearance of having the same

power as the power of God. So demented, a persuade people

with a form of power, a form of Salvation in falsehood and clear

faucet. But even in Christendom with a

false Christian message, by the way, can I let me just say this?

Please please, do not think that false teachers have pulpits all

the time. Did they creep into Pulpit?

So they creep into households. They crept into households.

Not all false people, where Shepherds clothing, they wear

sheep's clothing. And so they can very well be in

the pew. And today they don't just creep

into household, by knock on your door, like this ancient time.

They creep into your households through your television through

YouTube. Lastly, not just the Ambitions

of these magicians. Being the same as false teachers

today, not just the deception, but also the fate and Paul ends

this thought on an encouraging note in verse 9 back in.

Second Timothy, he tells Timothy something that he would not be

overly burdened by, as he brings us hopeful note concerning these

people, we are told that after he mentions these names of their

future and the future is clear of these men, but they will not

get very Far for their Folly will be playing to all.

As was that of those two men? Let me simplify what he's trying

to say. These people that persuade the

masses. These people that persuade even

naive innocent burdened people within the church.

They're not going to get away with it, they're not He says,

their Folly will be plain to all that's what happens to those two

magicians. What happened?

Eventually? It came to the miracle of the

Nats, right? Moses performs that miracle and

they try and they couldn't. And they look at Fair, they go,

that's the Finger of God, they've reached a limit.

They could, they could not cross a certain line with their

abilities and in the side of those who are Discerning, they

said these guys are fake, they're not the real deal,

they're not legit. And to a certain degree, God in

this lifetime is willing and has been and can expose people.

He can if he even think about these false movements throughout

history, they haven't lasted, they just come and go.

There are others who try to manipulate people from within

and they seem Christian they seem Godly and God exposes them.

Their Folly will be plain to all not.

Everybody will get away. but even if Throughout a lifetime or

throughout centuries. There are false things that are

not. They're not going away.

They're not being exposed. There is a day coming when God

will expose them. Remember, this is in the

context, here's full circle in this section of the last days.

And in the last days, not only will Things become more ugly.

But God will have the final say. Not only will deception be

rampant, but truth will penetrate and bring all things

to light. And you think about these men,

not only did they perform these deceptive Miracles, not only

were they exposed but in one of the Miracles were God in the 61

precisely brings boils on the Egyptians these magicians.

We were told were also exposed to the Boyles they were judged

by God. And that's what's going to come.

That's what Paul is saying. Timothy, although, you may have

seen people captured, although you seen people being hindered

from being saved, and maybe even seen people from within, who

were close to coming, who had some kind of understanding

Christian, but where were Swept Away?

Know this, God will have the final word.

And whether in this life or in the life to come, people will

see the Folly of everything or everyone who's outside of Jesus

Christ. And so I encourage you today to

be encouraged to be encouraged that no matter what people are

getting away with. Do you have to face God?

One day? They will oh many things have

been said, but I want to steer a direction out towards the Lord's

table. and I wanted to just prepare ourselves to meet with

the Lord and to reflect on our Redemption know this if you are

in this place and I want to make a gospel call here if you are in

this place, You're visiting, you may be a Christian, you may not

be a Christian. But this is, this is a message

for you. And what sense maybe you are

burdened with sins and you're trying to find relief.

And you've picked up books and you're listening to different

teachers and spiritist and you came out here for just for

curiosity sake. I want to let you know that no

one can give you Freedom apart from Christ.

No one you will fail. You'll be disappointed.

You will be empty. You might be happy for for a

brief season but you will realize that nothing has the

power to fill that void. Nothing can roll the burdens off

your shoulders, the burden of a conscience that is troubled by

your actions, your words Only Christ can deliver you and he

wants to deliver you today. Maybe you are LED Away by

various passions and it has led you into dangerous places.

No, this, no matter where your feet have taken, you no matter

what your hands have performed, no matter what you have, even

believe, no matter what you might even believe.

Now, Christ is ready to forgive you.

He is he wants to restore your redeem, you It may be.

You are always learning. Maybe to you Christianity is a

hindrance to intellect. I want to let you know something

that this book has been through intense scrutiny.

Men have tried to bury it, men of try to burn it.

Men of try to dismiss it, but the word of the Lord endures

forever, this word has transformed lives.

This word has test the stood, the test of time, this word will

be the very thing that will last forever with God.

And your conscience Bears witness to you this afternoon.

That you are a sinner that you have a judge to face.

One day, God is instilled that in man and that's why men wants

to dismiss God as much as possible.

They don't want to have to face the reality that when they give

their final breath, they will meet the king of the universe.

But may I add something to that thought that, that same King

that man will stand before. Came into this world.

He died on a cross. He went into a tomb heroes from

that grave. So that he can purchase your

Redemption. so, if your burden today, That burning can be

lifted off of you, but only one name can save you.

And that's Jesus call upon his name.

I've done my part and I'm here afterwards, with Pastor Daniel

and other leaders in this place. Other Christians in this place,

that might lead you to that truth.

More importantly, leads to this a living Christ who's willing to

intervene in your life right now.

Call upon his name Believers. Would you examine yourselves in

this moment? Are you walking right with the

Lord? Do you testify to the unity of

the body of Christ? Or is there disunity in your

language? Is there disunity in your

actions? Is there somebody that you're

supposed to reconcile with today?

Is there somebody that you're supposed to sit and say, sit

down with the say, hey, we have to deal with this before we come

to the Lord's table. Do that.

Don't come, don't come judge you.

Lest you be judged. That's what the text tells us.

And for those who are not Christians in this place, we ask

you kindly not to participate in this because this is an

ordinance reserved for those who have believed on Jesus Christ.

If you're in this place and you're not a Christian, we don't

we don't judge you. In this sense, we look down on

you with scorn. We just ask you kindly not to

participate because the Lord strictly reserves is for his

children. And so as we come you're going

to take the elements, bring it with you.

We just ask that you don't eat or drink yet because we're going

to sing A Hymn. And I'm Pastor Daniels going to

lead us in a few words to reflect and then we will eat and

drink together. Let's pray.

Louis, thank you for this word. Thank you, that even in a word

of warning you can encourage us. And we pray o God that we would

be encouraged to be strong, both men and women. we pray o God

that you would protect this assembly from those who are

false And that Lord we would be able to discern and dissect and

determine through the word who's for you, and who is against you.

Father in heaven. We ask that as we come to this

table, the Lord's table, that it would have a sanctifying effect

on this. People on all of us, Lord, and

Lord. If it will do anything, May

renew a joy in your salvation that as we hold this element of

bread and is element of the cup that we would remember that.

It's not about our good, it's not about our Behavior, it's not

about our performance that is purchase anything, but it's what

Christ has done. And Lord we might be going

through many trials, troubles, we might be wanting certain

things, but Lord made this may this time.

Now, remind us that we have all that we need in Jesus.

Please Lord, make that real in us, this afternoon in Jesus name

we pray. Amen.