This is weird. But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand. (Mark 13:2223; see also Matthew 24:24). It may seem odd to speak to Christians worldwide about one specific church. When sermons appeal to peoples emotions, rather than appealing to Gods word, theyre equipped to be led by emotion. But as I listened to more sermons, I realize that those gaps I mentally filled in werent accidental slips, but intentional omissions.Heres the basic layout of a Life.Church gospel presentation: That sounds good because we know that none of these things are absolutely incorrect. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. He doesnt need to be mindful of things like the historical context, the original audience, word meanings, or any of that other exegetical, verse-by-verse stuff that helps us understand why things are said. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. Churches also find that having them in community with older members and answering their whys help them stay in the church. They will continue attending and feeling like they were filled, but only because their spiritual maturity is so weak that they dont know any better. 2. Discernment primarily comes through knowing God through Jesus Christ. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words . His warning may sound clear and simple at first, but as we all know, trees dont bear fruit overnight. And I suspect that replacing absolute surrender to Gods word in favor of a business mentality is where Life.Church finds many of these red flags Ive discussed. False teachers take on many forms, custom-crafted to times, cultures, and contexts. I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. The Doctrine Of Annihilation. However, the weak emphasis on sin isnt surprising based on everything else discussed. We begin by acknowledging not just the possibility of false teaching, but the certainty of it. 1. Jesus is not only the greatest and truest teacher who ever lived, but he also is the great rescuer, who has redeemed us from sin and will keep those who are truly his from soul-destroying error. Taking Gods name in vain isnt just using it as profanity. First, look at their motivation. Jesus said that each tree is recognized by its fruit (Luke 6:44). Why, then, for so long was he able to avoid being denounced as a false teacher? The false prophets claiming God said this! were taking Gods name in vain. To that end, anyone who regularly listens to Life.Church and comes away feeling like they heard a deep or challenging message is almost guaranteed to be either spiritually immature or not saved at all. If you watch a sermon on their website, theres a built-in chat feature with hosts who strike up conversations and even seem to recognize frequent attenders. False teaching no. Conclusion: Is Life.Church safe for Christians? . 2:1). The challenge is simple, and I will again quote their website: If youre not tithing already, a great way to start is with the Three-Month Tithe Challenge. They will be known by their fruit not the fruit of ministry quantity and numbers, but quality and endurance and ultimately the quality of their own lives. Transition to "why" 1. The Holy Spirit Is A Force. Our leaders need to be held accountable, and not held in such high esteem that we give them a pass on the normal Christian life. I dont know if Groeschel frequently deals with sexual purity issues with his own congregation or if he just speaks to the culture around him, but he frequently calls people to embrace a biblical understanding of sexual purity and marital faithfulness. We are seeing the enormous consequences of this kind of heresy every day, but we dont always name it as such. History serves as a helpful reference point. However, in light of everything, its difficult not to question how fit he is to be a spiritually mature pastor, and by extension whether Life.Church is walking in obedience to Christ. Is regularly giving money to support our local church biblical? 3. The only reason this isnt a red flag is that the stories (usually) drive people to understand biblical truth. Jude continues: For certain intruders have stolen in among you, people who long ago were designated for this condemnation as ungodly, who pervert the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ (v. 4). Heaven is capitalized (meaning its a proper name), but hell is lowercase (meaning its not an actual location). The particular, electing love of God from before the foundation of the world is the reason why anyone becomes a Christian. Consider the ways Groeschel lacks the basic discernment and maturity necessary for a pastor: Im not questioning whether Groeschel is a Christian, nor am I saying that he is a false teacher, because I dont think theres clear evidence for either accusation. However, the message being preached to thousands of people is that Gods will is for them to make choices that will ultimately lead to their happiness and self-betterment. They contain what Christians were handed onwhat the word tradition meansand also what the church has concluded is essential to preserve and pass down. I am compelled to examine my own life too. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? The first reason why elders must rebuke false teachers is because they divide healthy churches. No matter how twisted the teaching, no matter how publicly shamed the church may feel over the expos of an unethical leader, no matter how dark the days become, no matter how helpless we may feel in guarding gospel doctrine and preserving gospel-worthy lives, we have this great sustaining hope: Jesus knows how to rescue the godly. Is the Bible so prominent that you could remove its use that the sermon would absolutely fall apart? Here is a list of of the more obvious heretics/false teachers to be marked & avoided: (not exhaustive) Angley, Ernest [Word of Faith] Armstrong, Karen [Progressive] Arnott, John [leader Toronto "Blessing", Latter Rain] Bakker, Jamie [Emergent Church] Bakker, Jay [Emergent Church, neo-liberal] Bakker, Jim [Prosperity Theology] He claims God gave him a vision to start the church. Other False Teachings of the Manifest Sons of God (MSOG), Latter Rain, Five Fold, Apostolic . And it is his embodied teaching that causes the weak to stumble, leads many astray, and drives countless others away from Christ. Test me in this and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Malachi 3:10 NIV. In fact, its the one area in the Bible where God tells you to test Him. Though the details of the stories vary, all were men who had the right doctrinal content in their books and sermons. God storing up wrath because we mess up makes Him sound like Hes making mountains out of molehills. What we might find surprising both from Jesus and his apostles is how revealing the everyday lives of false teachers are about their falseness. If someone really had faith, they would give beyond what makes sense because they believe God will bless them abundantly for it. 1. Someone whos never heard the Bible before can understand nearly anything being taught during a sermon. Emily Hunter McGowin is an assistant professor of theology at Wheaton College. The few benefits they may offer are nothing compared to the serious issues faced by the church and its leadership. One of the phrases on their website is No matter who you are or where youve been, youre welcome here. From what Ive seen, they stick by this. Eventually, however, the fruit (or lack thereof) will be manifest. As I researched Life.Church, I was surprised to see solid Christians giving their (sometimes begrudging) support. [ This article is also available in Carl Lentz, pastor of Hillsong East Coast, was let go in November 2020 for moral failures, including an adulterous affair, and now stands accused of sexual abuse. Another way to see it is that their falseness comes out in sin against themselves, against others, or against God. In their greed, they fleece the flock for material gain. My hope is that the church might get better at assessing corrupt practices that qualify a leader as a false teacher, even if that person espouses all the recognizable elements of Christian orthodoxy. Fundamentally, orthopraxy and orthodoxy are inseparable. identify and select different instructional resources and methods to meet students' varying needs. In his head, he might have what many consider to be the right doctrinal content. His post was liked over 18,000 times and had more than 2,500 shares. That being said, here are four tips that Christians can use in cultivating discernment against false teaching. 4:15-16 ). (2 Corinthians 9:7). Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers" ( 1 Tim. As Ive discussed in my series on psychology, worldly thinking and the Bible just dont work together. God Isn't A Trinity. However, growing in spiritual maturity isnt something we should gamble on, nor ignore for the sake of entertainment. We need pastors who know themselves first and foremost as sheep, and only secondarily as leaders and teachers pastors who are manifestly more excited to have their names written in heaven than they are to be used as vessels in mighty ministry (Luke 10:20). This was an alarming reality I noticed as I listened to sermon after sermon. So it is very important that you know how to recognize a false church. (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Certainly, when we consider someones pattern of life as part of what potentially qualifies them as a false teacher, then leadership assessment gets very messy very quickly. Heres a basic example of how people are told to repent of their sin and trust in Christ for salvation (if the video doesnt automatically begin there, its at the 29:40 mark): The number of hands raised or comments written in the chat give Life.Church a sense that so many new Christians are being redeemed by Christ. Sin is never specifically explained in the majority of sermons unless the sermon topic is about a very specific sin (porn, anger, etc). My Experiences with False Teachers. Watching a sermon allows us to enjoy one aspect of church, but it also denies us the ability to fully take part in a community like God has called us to. The themes and emphases repeated week after week tell the congregation what is important in life. One of the mysteries of the Christian faith can be found in Jesus' warning that the way to life is "narrow" and that "few" would actually find it. People arent excited about what God reveals in the Bible, but instead live through the stories and experiences of others while dreaming of someday, somehow, having their own experiences. Munich, by far the largest city in southern Germany, lies about 30 miles (50 km) north of the edge of the Alps and along the Isar River, which flows through the middle of the city. . John Calvin speaks of a "certain charitable judgment whereby we recognize as members of the church those who, by confession of faith, by example of life, and by . Life.Church must shrug their shoulders, say I guess God was a liar this time, and refund the investment of someone who trusted God for three months and saw that He isnt everything they were promised. And so Paul instructs leaders not only to pay careful attention to their people and to their teaching, but also to their own lives (Acts 20:28; 1 Timothy 4:16). However, the purpose of any goal is to reach it. Conversions credited to women evangelists sharing the good news one-on-one in conversations. His life and ministry make clear that what we teach others includes both whats in our heads and what we do with our bodies. This is made evident in books of the Bible such as Acts, Colossians, and 2 Timothy, to name a few. (1 Corinthians 2:1-5). The question is not whether you ever hear the voice of false teachers. This mentality, honestly, spins my brain in circles. But you know what? What false teachers throughout history have shared in common is not the specific nature of their doctrinal error, but the inevitability of moral compromise in one of these three general areas. We preach the unadulterated word of God. Making Life.Church a part of your walk with Christ risks far too much for so little gain. And if a simple click a button or raise your hand if you want to be saved gets ten times the numerical results compared to biblical discipleship or an intentional, personal gospel presentation that accurately explains what salvation is no businessman in their right mind is going to shy away from the bigger results. However, in both cases someone who is mature should immediately realize that something is not only lacking, but theyll realize that they need more for the very sake of their health. They tell people to test His faithfulness, set Him up to be a liar, and thus blaspheme His name. So, we should not be caught off guard that false teachers have arisen throughout church history and likely have multiplied in our day. However, I realized I was hearing the gospel as someone already familiar with the reality of sin, Gods law, holiness, and what Christ accomplished on the cross. For example, 1 Corinthians deals with teachers who denied the bodily resurrection of Jesus. The Who We Are section of their website gives a good summary. A false teacher leads into the emptiness of self-righteousness and death, but a true teacher leads to the fullness of Christ and life. Theres no doubt that Life.Church makes its content easily accessible for people around the world. But in this scenario, Jesus is our means to an end. "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ." ~Colossians 2:8. 9. ,and Often, this is also a sign that the speaker doesnt actually know how to read and understand the Bible. At the end of the three-month period, if I am not convinced of Gods faithfulness to bless my life as a result of my obedience to His Word, then I will be entitled to request a refund of the full amount of contributions made during that three-month period. A typical sermon would begin with a long and entertaining story, the speaker would then read some verses, then launch into more stories or share experiences about what this passage can mean. In fact, in nearly every letter, some false teaching or heresy is exposed and dealt with. The first false teaching that you will commonly hear in mainstream Christianity would be the teaching, "faith alone.". The answer, based solely on the gospel presentations Ive heard, is I have no idea. And if someone were to attend Life.Church with no background in Christianity, they would likewise have no idea. Sometimes Craig Groeschel or a guest speaker would keep returning to the context of a passage while giving a topical sermon (yellow flag). We dont teach that feel-good, soft message. As an Anglican priest and theology professor, I have watched these stories emerge with deep sorrow and not a little anger. If we had any doubts at this point, Peter joins the refrain to add another voice: There will be false teachers among you (2 Peter 2:1). That is, to stay firmly rooted in the passage and draw the lesson from the biblical text itself rather than starting with an opinion and finding whatever verses might support it. We can boil it down to three essential categories and all three are about character and conduct, not teaching: Pride, or defying authority (verse 10) verse 1: they deny the Master who bought them (also verses 1213 and 18). Jesus is the one who helps us be who were meant to be. Perhaps, if pressed, the various speakers would better clarify their statements. It comes as no surprise that God warns us many times in Scripture to be aware of false teaching. But what exactly does this faith entail? An off-center idea may be way out but not necessarily heresy. However, its exciting to hear, and people are drawn to the idea that they can have everything their greedy hearts desire if they just believe hard enough. But time will tell. If a weaker message gets more clicks, then clearly thats Gods will. 1) Rick Warren's Purpose Driven movement offers a Broad Way Christianity. (Hebrews 10:24-25). Life.Church is committing God to something He hasnt committed Himself to. Of all the themes frequently repeated, purity is one that really stands out. Image: But he is teaching with his whole personwords and deedsnot just explicitly named doctrines. Consider, for example, evangelical pastor-teachers like George Whitefield, who not only enslaved Black peoplemany of whom were Christian sisters and brothersbut also fought to secure the institution of slavery in the state of Georgia. For the past several years, weve watched over and over as famous pastor-teachers go through very public falls from enormous heights. Teaching through experiences, not the Bible. ]. Or in their pride, they despise authority (2 Peter 2:10), and the greatest authority, who upholds all authorities, is God himself. Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. Heres what we can learn from their failures. We arent called to just grow personally, but to grow together. At best, they are being wildly irresponsible by allowing false teachers to come in and speak with authority and support. This is nothing new to Life.Church. Jesus warned about false prophets from among the people who outwardly come in "sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves" (Matt. I would like to test Gods faithfulness by accepting the Three-Month Tithe Challenge. But there is also longstanding historical myopia when it comes to the embodiment of doctrine in daily practice. The sermons may bring out a simple spiritual truth, but the delivery is often so light and motivational that any relevance to God can be easily dismissed. [emphasis mine]. Within that goal, they recognize that our holy God has likewise called us to holiness. Again, Im not talking about a one-time poor explanation or accidental omission. 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