"For Such Men are False Apostles"

“ For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)

We have reached a time when the elect may feel unwelcome or uncomfortable in the modern church. The modern church has been changing for some time, and now in many ways it no longer resembles the church Christ started. In so many churches today, one feels as if they are at a concert, followed by a motivational speaker or a psychologist.

In some of these churches, the pastor has succumbed to modern, worldly beliefs and reverse morals and, in doing so, has all but eliminated expository preaching and exhortation in favor of feel-good, man-centered speeches. I refuse to call them sermons, because they are not. In other churches, those whom Paul warned us about are in control. From the modern mega church to the local feel-good coffee shop church, sin, hell, and the pain of the cross have been eliminated. The cross is no longer about the obedience of Christ and the shedding of His blood to pay for human sin, but a symbol of isolated love. Most pastors today do not know the word propitiation, Christ's act of sacrifice that appeased God's wrath against sin, and if they do, they do not want to use “big church words,” failing to realize that replacing this word with another diminishes the cross.

These false teachers twist scripture into a man-centered idea of what one must do to be saved. Ignoring what Paul wrote in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We are all sinners and cannot save ourselves. Paul also wrote, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” Believers must be vigilant to protect their faith from false teachings that distort core doctrines.

If you were a member of one of these churches before it changed, you may remember scripture-based, expository preaching in which the word was explained to you and you applied it to your life. You remember sermons that followed each book of the Bible, scripture through scripture. You remember songs of worship full of theology, and the emotion was received through the recognition of the sacrifice on the cross, not man-centered emotions.

Now the music is louder, and fog machines fill the stage, where an unused pulpit stands as the preacher paces. No longer empowered by God, they are empowered by numbers, growth, and money. In 2 Peter 2:3, Peter wrote, “And in their greed they will exploit you with false words.”   It does not take long for the elect to become “uncomfortable” in a place like this, and well they should.

When the elect attend a service in a place like this, it does not take long for them to realize they are starving. Their hearts and souls are no longer being fed the words that convict the sinner. It is a craving that forces one to leave a place like this for a scripture-based church. Paul talked about this when he said, “ I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:12-13) Believers can find hope and assurance in God's word, which nourishes and sustains us spiritually.

If you know Christ as your Savior and are in a modern charismatic church, leave. There is nothing good for you; the only thing that remains makes one ill. The lies, the absence of scripture, and the false teaching of the enemy are destructive.

If you are seeking Christ and are new to Christianity, take heed of this message, for there is no growth for you there. You may feel good, but heaven is not where you will wind up, all the while you were thinking the “pastor” was a good person. In all cases, find a solid, reformed Bible-based church where the pastor preaches the word of God verbatim, teaches, and helps you learn how to apply the lessons to your everyday life.

Jesus warned us all, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” (Matthew 7:15) Jesus does not lie.

Grace and Peace.