Listening For What Is Not Said
By George Stroh, Senior Pastor
June 15, 2009
"But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep."(2 Peter 2:1)
In the first century, inspired by the Holy Spirit, Peter warned the Church that the time will come when "false teachers among you will secretly introduce destructive heresies". Almost two thousand years later, we are seeing the fulfillment of Peter's warning to the Church. Of course every century has seen it's share of false teachers peddling their false doctrines. But it seems to me that we are living in a time when everything is accelerating, including increasingly deceptive heresies that are being ignored and often even embraced by the Church. Maybe this is another sign that the return of our Lord and the pre-tribulation rapture of His Church will soon happen.
Satan, the father of lies, will do whatever he can to distort and discourage the clear proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Although false prophets and false teachers come and go, their deceptive tactics are predicable. They try to "secretly introduce destructive heresies" by adding to or taking away from the truth of God's Word, even "denying the Master" (Jesus Christ). I don't think Satan minds people going to Church as long as they don't hear too much truth, especially the Gospel.
Even in many so called "evangelical" Churches, much of the teaching and preaching lacks what the Bible calls "sound doctrine" and the Gospel message is no longer clearly proclaimed. The focus, rather than on the Word of God and the Gospel, is about trying to be culturally relevant. They offer "sermonettes" that are entertaining, but avoiding any mention of Biblical doctrines that might in anyway be considered negative or offensive, especially the doctrines of sin or coming judgment.
The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths." (2 Timothy 4:3)
In these last days, every believer must continue to be diligent and discerning, listening not only to what is said, but also listening for what is not said. Maranatha!
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