Don't Fall for Fool's Gold!

Preached at Northwest Christian Church

David P. Kautt

Sunday Morning, August 22, 2010

1 John 3:23 – 4:6, “And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Several generations ago in the history of our country, as settlers moved further and further west across this vast land of ours, a phenomenon known as the 'gold rush' began to take place. Word quickly spread that there were riches to be found in the rivers and streams of places like California and Nevada, and many set off on what they hoped would be the adventure of a lifetime. However, if you know your American history very well, you know that, though there were some who came back from such excursions with wealth untold, more often than not, the gold diggers came back empty handed, as least as far as the 'real stuff' is concerned. Why is that? Well, likely we could come up with a number of explanations for the fact that many, if not, most did not find gold. But, perhaps the best answers to the question, 'why didn't they find it?' relates to what they did find instead...

Anybody have any idea what I'm talking about here? The reason most gold-diggers, most pan-handlers came home just as poor as when they left home, comes back to this one factor: there is such a thing as 'fool's gold'. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world...”

My friends, did you know that there is such a thing as 'fool's gold' spiritually speaking? And did you know, do you realize that not everything that claims to be Christ, that is labeled with the word 'Christian', IS Christian?!

Like it was in the days of the pan-handlers and gold-diggers, there are many in our day who are looking for riches, spiritual riches, and there are many folks out there who claim to know where you ought to 'dig' to find those riches. But be careful! Be forewarned: there IS such a thing as spiritual fool's gold, and there are many out there who'll be more than happy to sell it to you!

1 John 4:1-6 – What do we have in this passage? Take a look... As you scan across these verses that the Spirit of God led the apostle John to write, what do we have here in this text?

Well, among other things, it seems to me that what we have here is, first of all, a declaration of doctrine. It is a straightforward declaration of doctrine of another of John's tests, another of his son-ship signposts, this pertaining to what one believes about Jesus!

Secondly, as I examine the overall message of this passage, what I detect here is an explanation of one of the fundamental principles of discipleship! That principle, simply put, is that genuine discipleship, or perhaps I should use the term, 'disciple-making', is not long distance, but up-close and personal!

Thirdly, what I see here, and what I'm sure you see here is the obvious fact that, through his words supplied here, the apostle John is putting forth a warning, an admonition for all potential gold-diggers. He gives a word of caution to all who are searching for spiritual wealth, and what is that warning? 'Be discerning! There is such a thing as 'fool's gold'! There are false teachers and phony prophets out there, so be discerning!' Let's look at these aspects of this passage together.

Fool's gold – I'm no expert on this stuff, but I can just imagine how it was, can't you? From the bank of a small river or stream, a pan-handler looks ever so intently into the water, hoping he'll see something shiny and gold-colored... As he looks, he notices something down stream from him, and near the opposite side of the river that is glistening ever so brightly. Indeed, it's 30 or 40 feet away, but he's just sure it's gotta be what he's looking for... 'Eureka!' 'Eureka!”, he shouts, as he wades across to it, stumbling to get there as fast as he can! Then, he reaches down into the water, and pulls it up quickly, and... and... *sigh* “Fool's gold, fooey!”

Changing the metaphor from metallurgy to agriculture for a moment, let me ask you to consider what Jesus meant when He said, “by their fruit, you shall know them”?

Take a look with me at the two places where he says this, would you?

First of all, Matthew 12:22-37. We won't take time to read that entire passage, but I do want you to take note of the context behind Jesus' words about 'fruit-inspecting'. And, then, to consider what principles with which we need to come away from this passage.

First, the background, verses 22-30. Jesus heals a demon-possessed man, a man whose blindness and in-ability to speak was caused, ultimately, by a demon spirit oppressing and possessing him. And, the response by the multitudes to this wonderful miracle is: “could this be the Son of David?” Could Jesus of Nazareth be the Messiah we've been waiting for? 'Nah! No way!' Retort the Pharisees! 'No! This fellow is casting out demons by way of Beelzebub, the prince of demons!'

Now, you think about the logic, or, should I, 'LACK of logic' behind that statement, and you'll understand why Jesus says what He says, about kingdom's dividing against themselves. And, you'll know the reason why Jesus comes down hard on these religious leaders – in verse 31 and 32 – in warning them not to be guilty of the unpardonable sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit!

Now, all of that in the background, the context behind Jesus' words, about fruit-inspection. Or, in the language of the pan-handler and gold-digger, how you can tell the difference between fool's gold and the real stuff! Verses 33-37.

Matthew 12:33-37: “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

Now, think it through with me, will you? What are we to learn from this text about fruit inspection? Number one, as the apostle John makes clear in our main text from 1 John 4, one of the key indicators that Christian should use to determine the difference between a false prophet and a true one is the indicator of words. Words. What a man says, a man's words, what are they, according to Jesus? They are the 'fruit', the overflow of his heart. The old times used to say it like this: “Yeah, ole so-and-so, he sure does speak his mind!” How are you and I going to be able to tell the difference between fool's gold, false prophet – and the real thing?

Listen! No, not like you do to the music on the elevator! But, listen, and like the Bereans of Acts 17 did, check out what you're hearing again THIS Book, the Bible! (See Acts 17:10ff)

2 Timothy 3:14ff – Please look it up with me, will you? And as you do, ask yourself, “why did God give us His word? What is the PURPOSE He had in mind for it when He gave it to us?”

Acts 17:10ff indicates that the Bereans were more noble, more fair-minded than the Thessalonians had been. How do we know that? What signals were there to that effect? Acts 17:11 – Number one, they received the Word through the apostle Paul, “with readiness”, eagerly and willingly. But, then, the text says, “they also searched out what Paul had told them, in the Scriptures, to find out whether what he was telling them was true or not...” Can you imagine that? They double-checked the apostle Paul!

How do you know, how CAN you know, the difference between fool's gold, false prophets, and true? You've got to listen - really, listen! And, you've got to look! Just like the Bereans did with Paul, you've got to look, and search the scriptures!

Now, why is that? What is it that's in this Book, that's really that important when it comes to this matter of spiritual discernment?

2 Timothy 3:14 – 4:5, “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

Here's what makes not only the listening, but the LOOKING so important – this Book – what God has done for us in speaking HIS mind, right here in the Bible, is this: He has provided a way for us to attain the wisdom we need to SAVE US. He has supplied, in this Book, not other so-called, 'inspired' writings, but in this God-breathed Book He has given to us what we need to be “complete, and fully-equipped to do all the good He wants us to do!”

But, listen, think it through with me. Look it up, right here in this passage with me. What happens to us when our listening is driven more by an 'itch', an 'impulse', a 'lust', than by what drove the Bereans to listen and look?

2 Timothy 4:3 – Sound doctrine, the REAL thing, goes out the window, the truth is rejected, and false teachers and their box loads of fool's gold move in to take their place!

Image credit.

By their fruit, the overflow of their hearts, by their words, you will recognize a false teacher!

Now, there's a second way we need to know about, that Jesus says is crucial to fruit-inspection. A second way that false teachers, and true teachers display who they really are. What is that second way? Matthew 7:15ff – The second way according to Jesus, in Matthew 7, is by way of their actions!

Matthew 7:15-23: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn-bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

What is Jesus' point in this section of teaching? And, what is His point through the famous parable of the wise and foolish builders, that follows? “By their fruit, their words, “Lord, Lord, look what I did in Your name', is that how you can tell the difference between a wooly-clothed, hungry wolf, and a real sheep? No! The final test, what we might call the litmus test must be applied to their deed, their actions! You see, not only do false prophets speak their mind - not only do their words, when lined up in comparison with Scripture - prove them to be fool's gold peddlers, but much more, so do their actions! And, where are their actions most easily discerned? Matthew 7:21 – Take a look at that verse again, and think with me once more about what I called the 'alignment principle'.

One's prayers - and the real, I mean the deep down, honest-to-goodness, real desire of one's heart – is it, “not my will, but Thine be done”? Or, is it, in fact, “not THY will, but mine be done”? You can know he's a false prophet, you can tell she's fool's gold, by watching what they do!

Not everything that claims to be Christian IS Christian! Back to 1 John 4 – One key principle for discerning the difference between false prophets and their fool's gold, and true prophets: Doctrine!Doctrine – And, the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth! Way back in Deuteronomy 18, Moses the lawgiver foretold of a day when God would send a prophet like him, like Moses, yet far greater than Moses to take his place. And, in Acts 3:22-23, the apostles Peter and John inform the people who had gathered around them in the temple, that that day had come. God HAD, in fact, already sent that Greater-than-Moses-Prophet. Now here's the $64,000 question: who was He? What is the name, the identity of this Greater-than-Moses-Prophet? Anybody know?

Matthew 17:1 – 7: “Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.”

Who IS the Greater-Prophet? Moses was there, on that mountain, with Peter, James and John – and Elijah was there, too!

But, suddenly, a bright cloud enveloped them, and, faster than a blink of an eye, Moses and Elijah had vanished. I mean, they were gone! So, Who's left? Oh, sure, Peter, James and John are there. Certainly. But, Who is the One whose face is shining like the sun? Who is the One whose clothes are as bright as the light? Who is the One the voice from heaven is referring to, when He says, “This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well-pleased. Hear Him! Listen to Him!”

Doctrine! And, the Person, the Identity and work of Jesus of Nazareth! In saying that fool's gold and false prophets can be discerned based upon what they say, what they claim and confess, or don't claim and confess about Jesus – what is the apostle John leading up to?

If a prophet, a preacher, an evangelist, a teacher, a so-called 'Christian author', or 'movie-maker' does not ultimately take his listeners or readers or viewers back to THE Prophet, the One the voice from heaven told Peter and the rest to HEAR, then guess what? Fool's gold! False prophet!

1 John 4:1-6: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”