Following Jesus Son of God …

What makes a false teacher a false teacher?

As we think through this our minds may go to what seems to be the most obvious. His teaching is untrue. Or he is evil and diabolical. Or he has fallen for the schemes of the devil. And all of those things may be true.

But that is not what makes him.

Those things are not the driving force behind the false teacher. Not the root issue. And we need to understand the root issue, the most underlying, fundamental characteristic of the false teacher, to be best prepared to watch for him and to avoid him.

So what is this root issue, this fundamental characteristic?

At the core of a false teacher is a person who serves himself first, above and before all others including God.

(We will see this in our text this morning.)

On the surface this may seem harmless enough or even insignificant. But you have to understand that the self-server, with his only concern being his personal interests, that anything and everything are at his disposal. Both sides of the line. Good, bad, evil, righteous, truth, lie. It doesn’t matter.

The only thing that matters to the self-serving false teacher is this: Does it serve my purpose to fulfill me, my interests and my needs.

This person will go to any lengths to forward his agenda. Teach truth? Sure. Teach the Bible? Even better.

And before we go to our text this morning, one more question.

Why do people fall for false teachers?

Answer? Because they tell us what we want to hear.

Message Title: Watch Out for False Teachers!

Message Text: Romans 16:17-23

MP3: LESSON 42 Watch Out for False Teachers – Romans 16:17-23 FFC dave scott 081615

Hello All,

Watch out for them! Avoid them!

Paul is urgent in our text this week.

• (Romans 16:17 NIV84) I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.

• (Romans 16:17 The Message) One final word of counsel, friends. Keep a sharp eye out for those who take bits and pieces of the teaching that you learned and then use them to make trouble. Give these people a wide berth.

Even though Paul warns us of savage wolf attacks (Acts 20:28–32), we so often think, “But not us. Not in our fellowship. No one here would be a false teacher. We are nice folks.”

And, yet, here in his final comments in Romans, Paul warns us of these very things.

So maybe we should take notice?

God in his wisdom is telling us to sit up and take notice. To watch out for false teachers. And to avoid false teachers.

Yes, we could go to the extreme and carry out witch hunts, finding a false teacher under every spiritual rock. Some do that. But that is not the norm. Usually we do the opposite. Sometimes we more interested in being nice … and courteous … than being faithful to God and his word.

And our churches suffer for it.

Why is Paul so urgent? Because it really does come down to heaven or hell.

Is “close enough good enough”? No!
Paul tells us that these people use smooth talk and flattery to deceive the unsuspecting. False teachers know what we like to hear. They say things close enough, and because we do not listen carefully to what is actually being said, then way too often close enough is good enough.

Maybe good enough for church on earth but not good enough before the throne of God!

Once in heaven, we will never again have the opportunity to stand in light and love against the darkness of sin. So what will it be?

• PDF LESSON 42 Watch Out for False Teachers : Romans 16-17-23 : FFC : dave scott : 081615 STUDY SHEET ONE
• PDF LESSON 42 Watch Out for False Teachers : Romans 16-17-23 : FFC : dave scott : 081615 STUDY SHEET TWO

Calling a spade a spade.

• In Joseph Devlin’s book How to Speak and Write Correctly (1910) … where he satirized speakers who chose their words to show superiority: For instance, you may not want to call a spade a spade. You may prefer to call it a spatulous device for abrading the surface of the soil. Better, however, to stick to the old familiar, simple name that your grandfather called it.

Let’s call a spade a spade. I am speaking of false prophets.

I am wearied by people who claim to speak for the LORD but who refuse to address the true needs of God’s Church and our world.

I am wearied by people who play loose with the text, with their word choice, with their biblical exposition and their logic.

I am wearied by people who in general are not careful to tremble before God and his word as we approach him for divine truth.

And I am sometimes wearied by how hesitant we are as the people of God to call a spade a spade, or in this case a false prophet a false prophet.

This evening we are going to look at what is possibly the most dominant characteristic of a false prophet.

Message Title: False Prophets Who Whitewash 

Message Text: Ezekiel 13

MP3: Ezekiel 13 : False Prophets Who Whitewash : ffc : dave scott : 080215 PM

Do we really want the fullness of God? The fullness of God means that God takes over.

What we typically want from God is an add-on, a supplement, a boost, a little something extra to make this life better. We want everything we can get without God taking over our lives.

You have probably heard the expression—“Lead, follow or get out of the way.” But an old Baptist preacher I heard just last week presented it this way: “Lead, follow or get out of the way? No … Just follow … Jesus … Just follow Jesus!”

Follow Jesus. Wherever. Whenever. Follow Jesus. Good times, bad times. Follow Jesus. Have little or have much, follow Jesus. Shipwreck. Beatings. Prison. Follow Jesus. Change my plans, redo my schedule? Follow Jesus.

Do you want to walk in the fullness of the blessing of Christ? Guess what? Follow Jesus.

Message Title: Walking in the Fullness of the Blessing of Christ!

Message Text: Romans 15:22-16:16

MP3: LESSON 41 Walking in the Fullness of the Blessing of Christ : Romans 15:22-16:16 : FFC : dave scott : 080215

• Three Dollars Worth of God by Wilbur Rees
  I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please. Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk, or a snooze in the sunshine. I don’t want enough of God to make me love a black man, or pick beets with a migrant. I want ecstasy, not transformation. I want warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack. I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please.

You have probably heard the expression—”Lead, follow or get out of the way.”

But an old Baptist preacher I heard last week put it this way: “Lead, follow or get out of the way? No. Just follow. Jesus. Just follow Jesus!”

The Apostle Paul was good at just that. Following Jesus. Wherever. Whenever. Follow Jesus. Good times, bad times, follow Jesus. Have little or have much, follow Jesus. Shipwreck. Beatings. Prison. Follow Jesus.

Do you want to walk in the fullness of Christ? Guess what? Follow Jesus the Christ.

• By Steve Highlander
  Some people think that God is a good thing to include in your life as long as He really doesn’t get in the way or require too many changes. As long as the cost isn’t too great, God is given His place—right beside all the other activities and obligations that vie for our attention.

  We are tempted to think we can get out of God what we put into Him. If I want a little more I can give a little more. I can read a few extra pages in the Bible, say an extra prayer, go to church a bit more. However, God is not for sale at any price.

Message Title: Taking Care of Business: Walking in the Fullness of the Blessing of Christ

Message Text: Romans 15:22-16:16

• PDF LESSON 41 Taking Care of Business- Walking in the Fullness of the Blessing of Christ : Romans 15:22-16:16 : FFC : dave scott : 080215 STUDY SHEET ONE
• PDF LESSON 41 Taking Care of Business- Walking in the Fullness of the Blessing of Christ : Romans 15:22-16:16 : FFC : dave scott : 080215 STUDY SHEET TWO

• (Romans 4:17 NLT) That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.

In today’s text the Apostle Paul writes: “I am convinced of your goodness.”

• (Romans 15:14 NIV84) I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.

In one sense, this week’s message is a very important lesson about our freedom in Christ. And that is our freedom to speak to the goodness and the badness of one another. Without feeling like hypocrites or liars or fakes or flatterers.

• I believe that we will see today that Paul provides a biblical approach in our relationships which deals with both the depravity of humankind and the redemption of God. Our goodness and our badness.

And we need this biblical perspective to develop our ability to build one another up in the faith. We need to know and live these truths so we build up and not tear down our brothers and sisters in Christ.

We are very good. And we can be horrid. This is consistent with our biblical identity while we are “still in process.” Never to be used as an excuse but still very true.

Our problem is that we sometimes forget where we came from.

The beginning of our spiritual journey was death. We started at dead. Jesus saved us from dead. This is a problem for some people. They don’t know where a true gospel story begins. So not knowing their beginning they have a much more difficult time understanding the goodness and the badness of their lives.

Have you heard the expression, “I’m in pretty good shape for the shape I’m in”?

Well, we are in pretty good shape considering that when we started we were dead, and now God is transforming us into his new creation which will be beyond measure in beauty and awesomeness. We are going to be like Christ. God says.

MP3: LESSON 40 : Full of Goodness : Romans 15:14-21 : FFC : dave scott : 071915

Hello All,

“I am convinced of your goodness.”

That’s what the Apostle Paul says, “I am convinced of your goodness.” He was writing to church people, and he said it with a straight face.

In one sense, this week’s message is about freedom. Possibly an area of our freedom where we seldom venture, but freedom nonetheless.

We now have freedom to tell each other how great we are. Without feeling like hypocrites or liars or flatterers. The Apostle Paul does just that in this week’s text.

• (Romans 15:14 NASB95) And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another.

No sugar coating. Definitely not flattery or positive thinking nonsense. But strong, true, biblical words of praise to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Of course this has to be true to say it with sincerity, but it is true much more than we realize.

Our problem is that we forget where we came from. The beginning of our spiritual journey was death. We started at dead. Jesus saved us from dead. This is a problem for some people. They don’t know where a true gospel story begins. So not knowing their beginning they have a much more difficult time understanding why we (as in Christians) are the way we are.

We have a hard time commending a person for his or her goodness when we know that at times they are still downright awful.

Have you heard the expression, “I’m in pretty good shape for the shape I’m in”?

Well, we are in pretty good shape considering that when we started we were dead, and now God is transforming us into his new creation which will be beyond measure in beauty and awesomeness. We are going to be like Christ. God says.

• (1 John 3:2–3 ESV) Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

So Paul commends them for their goodness, but he doesn’t pretend that everything is wonderful.

• (Romans 15:15 ESV) But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God.

They may be full of goodness but they are still full of other stuff too. Just like us.

So we must adopt a biblical approach in our relationships. We must acknowledge the goodness and the badness in our brothers and sisters in Christ. This is biblical. This is sound doctrine based on the depravity of humankind and the redemption of God.

• You’ve heard Longfellow’s poem “There Was A Little Girl”:
  THERE was a little girl, And she had a little curl,
  Right in the middle of her forehead.
  When she was good, She was very, very good,
  And when she was bad she was horrid.

To grow in our ability to build one another up in the faith, we need to know and live these truths. We are very good. And we can be horrid. This is consistent with our biblical identity while “still in process.” Never to be used as an excuse but still true.

This goodness and badness concept is very freeing as we relate to each other. For me personally, God uses it to build perspective and patience.

And, of course, these things only apply to those who are actually believers in Jesus Christ and have received his gift of eternal life. If you are merely a fake, a pretender, then that is a sermon for a different day. In this Scripture Paul speaks to followers of Jesus, and he continues his emphasis on the edification ministry we have in the lives of fellow believers.

Message Title: Full of Goodness!

Message Text: Romans 15:14-21

• PDF LESSON 40 : Full of Goodness : Romans 15:14-21 : FFC : dave scott : 071915: STUDY SHEET ONE
• PDF LESSON 40 : Full of Goodness : Romans 15:14-21 : FFC : dave scott : 071915: STUDY SHEET TWO

• (Romans 15:13 ESV) May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Oops! Have we forgotten that our God, the God of the Bible, is a God of hope?

• Maybe you’ve heard the story about the two churches located a few miles apart on the highway. Drive down the road past the first church and read their sign: “god is dead.” But drive a little farther down the highway to the next church. What does their sign say? “Our God Is Alive, Sorry about Yours!”

Well let me say today … Our God reigns. Sorry about yours.

• Sorry about your god whose purposes can be frustrated by the Supreme Court of this land. Sorry about your god whose power hangs in the balance on whether a Republican or a Democrat sits in the White House. Sorry about your god who allows the events of this world to rob you his worshiper of joy and peace. And very sorry about your impotent deity whose plan and purpose can be thwarted by mere humans.

But of course I’m not really sorry because that god is no god at all. Certainly not the God of the Bible. Our God, the God of the Bible, is a God of hope. He tells us that. And our God delivers on his promises!

• MP3: LESSON 39 : The God of Hope : Romans 15:8-13 : FFC : dave scott : 071215

Hello Everyone,

God is a God of hope. But could you tell that as you listen to us sometimes? Us as in Christians, people who profess to have been saved by Jesus Christ and living new life in him.

• (Romans 15:13) May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

What is God’s desire for us? That we are filled with joy and peace and abound in hope.

Let me ask: Can God not do this? Is he incapable of overcoming the darkness of this world and giving us hope as he promises … no matter what?

I received a booklet–HOPE: Choosing Faith instead of Fear–by Bill Crowder via Our Daily Bread Ministries. I ordered a bundle, and we are passing them out this Sunday to everyone. Here is an excerpt.

• The “Hope Vacuum”
  During a recent economic downturn, I noticed how communities around the world were affected by dire evaluations of an impending global financial crisis. I listened as analysts forecasted troubled times. I felt the emotional weight of problems no one seemed able to solve.Yet when I was among followers of Christ, I saw that our fears, frustrations, and political polarization mirrored the outlook of the society around us. It was as if our conversations and moods had been scripted by broadcast and Internet financial reports. Our comment and attitudes carried the same fearful, angry tone as those who do not share our faith. Any evidence of hope seemed conspicuously absent.

I have observed this exact thing for years now. We scare one another to death with our stories of gloom and doom. We are angry and bitter when legislation does not go our way. News of the most recent ruling of the Supreme Court has filled many with anxiety and fear. We sin time and again in our dishonor and disrespect toward our president. And we do it in the name of God.

But here is what bothers me most. This is what we EXPECT to hear from each other. And this is SO ACCEPTED. We have sinned in this way for so long that many actually believe this is the godly way to react to these things. In fact, if someone doesn’t join in our misery, we think something is wrong with them, maybe even question their walk with God.

How ironic!

One woman after sitting through a class of impending doom exclaimed, “Well, I’m about scared to death now.”

Many of us draw more hope and joy from a Republican gaining the White House than the truth of God’s promise.

So who are we listening to if we come away from our sermons and Bible studies fearful, angry and overwhelmed by anxiety? Do we really think that is God’s message to us? Please show me those Scriptures. But you won’t because you can’t because they are not there.

What is in Scripture is the following concerning God’s desire for us.

• (Romans 15:13) May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

What is God’s message? Joy, peace and abounding in hope. Faith in God. Believing him over the circumstances of our world and our lives personally.

Message Title: The God of Hope!

Message Text: Romans 15:8-13

• PDF LESSON 39 : The God of Hope : Romans 15-8-13 : FFC : dave scott : 071215: STUDY SHEET ONE
• PDF LESSON 39 : The God of Hope : Romans 15-8-13 : FFC : dave scott : 071215: STUDY SHEET TWO

Hello All,

Don’t know where my head was. Busy yesterday and today and spaced posting the study sheets.

Message Title: Not Pleasing Ourselves!

Message Text: Romans 15:1-7

• PDF LESSON 38 : Not Pleasing Ourselves : Romans 15:1-7 : FFC : dave scott : 070515: STUDY SHEET ONE
• PDF LESSON 38 : Not Pleasing Ourselves : Romans 15:1-7 : FFC : dave scott : 070515: STUDY SHEET TWO