Bible Text: 1 John 4: 1-3 | Preacher: Pastor Troy Garner |
Counterfeit Christianity
*1John 4:1-3 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try
the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 3And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come;
and even now already is it in the world.
1. Christians Are Not Presumptuous.
—a. Christians are not superfluous..
—b. Christians are not superstitious.
*1Tim.4:7 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables,
and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
2. Christians Are
Not Pompous.
—a. Christians are not haughty.
—b. Christians walk in humility.
*Ephes.6:5-7 Servants, be obedient to them that are
your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
6Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
7With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
As Christians we are to do the will of God from our heart.
*Psa.40:8 I delight to do thy will, O my God:
yea, thy law is within my heart.
Christians walk in humility.
*Luke 16:15 “And he said unto them, ye are they which justify
yourselves before men; but God knows your hearts;
for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God”.
Gal.6:3 “For if a man think himself to be something
when he is nothing, he deceives himself”.
We can’t be like the Pharisee in Lk.18 that bragged on his righteousness…I thank GOD that I am not like the publican.
I fast twice a week, I give my tithes…
—c. Christians are to strive to live holy.
*1Pet.1:15,16 But as he hath called you is holy,
so be ye holy in all manner of conversation
because as it is written, be ye holy; for I am holy”..
3. Christians Are Not Pretentious.
*1John 4:20 “If a man say I love God and Hateth his brother,
he is a liar; for he that love the not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath seen?”.
*Matt.23:27,28 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
*Matt.7:3-5 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy
brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
*Matt.7:21-23 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord,
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me,
ye that work iniquity.
*Mark 7:6-8 He answered and said unto them, Well hath
Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
*1John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin;
for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God
*James 2 talks about practicing your faith instead of preaching you got faith.
*2Timo.3:5 “Having a form of godliness
but denying the power of thereof”.
In the old school they talked about having a show, form & fashion religion.. You just putting on a show, fake.
*Titus 1:16 “They profess that they know God but in works
they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate”.
*1John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us;
for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might
be made manifest that they were not all of us.