Watch Out!

In 2 John 7-11, John warns against allowing false teachers to gain ground. The church should be a place that is inhospitable to false doctrine and false teachers.

Second John 7, compels us to remember that deceivers are lurking about. John is speaking specifically about teachers who teach that Jesus didn't come in the flesh, but his words apply to other false teachers as well. False teachers not only deceive, but they also function as the antichrist. They are empowered and employed by the antichrist. They serve his ends.

For this reason, John compels his readers to keep themselves from being carried away by such doctrine. He points out the danger of doctrine that "runs ahead," or teaching that "does not" continue in the apostolic teaching. False teachers usually have some extra-biblical knowledge that gives them insights into deeper meaning hidden in the texts or opens all new texts to them. John says too much is at stake to be carried away by their false doctrines.

The only practical solution is to ignore unbiblical teaching. In fact, John encourages us to create an inhospitable environment for false teachers. We are not to let them into our homes or churches. He tells us not to even say, "Hello." People might see us speaking kindly to false teachers and assume that we agree with them.

This passage has a lot to say about how the church should respond to false teachers. Some of the implications for us are:

1. We must know the truth. We come to know the True and Living God though Jesus Christ the      Truth as the Spirit of Truth applies the Word of Truth to our hearts.

2. We must walk in the truth. It isn't enough to know it, we have to live it.

3. We must be vigilant. If we ever let our guard down, it could lead to grave consequences.

4. We must despise all false teaching. Although we should oppose all false teaching and false teachers, we must be gentle in our approach toward those who have been caught up in that teaching.

Arachnophobia

Arachnophobia is the fear of spiders.  There are varied reasons a person might fear a spider: their fangs, their eight hairy legs, their fangs, or their clusters of eyes.  I think spiders are cool to look at (from a distance).  And though I might be tempted to scream like a schoolgirl if one got on me, I am not afraid of spiders.  However, I do hate them.  Well, not the spider so much as its web. 

I think most spider webs are a work of art—best viewed from a distance. Yet, when I unknowingly walk through a spider web, I come unglued.  I want to pat my body down like it’s on fire to extinguish the life of the million little invisible spiders that go flooding over my body like a tsunami wave.  I thrash about like a man under attack by a swarm of bees. I want to run screaming into a body of water, or throw myself on the ground and roll around like a dog with fleas. My skin is crawling just thinking about it.

I hate those webs, but they’re the only webs I hate.  I hate the webs sin weaves around my life.  Sin is a subtle weaver, working tirelessly in the background, spinning and spinning.  Sin is content to set the trap and wait; because it knows that sooner or later we’ll come stumbling along.  If only we would flee at the first contact with the trap.  But it seems we are content with wrapping ourselves within its sticky confines.

Paul urges, "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving" (Col. 4:2).  We are to be watchful in prayer always anticipating the next trap, and always seeking wisdom from the Lord to escape that trap.  Watchfulness isn't easy, but it is necessary.  If we let our guard down for even a moment, we are headed for trouble.  Let us seek the Lord, who is ever watchful, and who is able to make us to keep watch.

Keep Watch Over Your Heart

"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life" (Prov. 4:23, ESV).

Although I preached a sermon on this verse over a year ago, I think I am only beginning to grasp its significance. Each passing day, I find this verse's relevance growing more and more.

I am learning that there is never a moment when we can let our guard down.  We can never take a vacation day where our heart is concerned.  We must continually keep vigil over our heart.  Given the opportunity the heart would mutiny, and sell us into slavery.  We must keep watch.

If we allow our heart to turn to its own way, we poison our life.  The heart is the wellspring of life.  From out of the stores of the heart the mouth speaks.  If we are not careful, our heart can be swept away by any number of enemies: lust, covetousness, hatred, complacency, apathy, rebellion, laziness, self-worship, addiction, etc.

The heart is susceptible to many attacks.  We all have weakened defenses.  We must all be on our guard.  Are you vigilantly watching your heart to ensure that you remain loyal to the Lord?  The only way we can succeed at guarding our hearts is to ask God to enable us to guard it and to keep us watchful.  Friends, keep watch over your hearts.

Beware the Lion

This article was originally published here, on July 14, 2009.


"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5: 8).

Do you believe this verse? Is it possible that there is an actual devil? And that he prowls around seeking someone to devour? Really? I mean, do you really believe that there are actual forces of darkness that are seeking to destroy mankind in general, and God's people in particular? Before you answer, let's look at Peter's analogy.

Peter tells us that the devil is like a lion on the hunt. I have watched numerous nature documentaries on predators. When lions hunt, they often attack the weaker animal, and they go about their attack by separating their target from the herd. Once cut off from the protection of the the herd, the animal becomes essentially helpless.

Watching these documentaries can be very helpful. The camera crew watches the herds to see how they react to the approaching danger. Often, the older battle-wise leaders in the herd, graze a little, watch a little. Their ears twitch, this way and that, in order to pick up any hint of danger's approach. Younger, inexperienced members of the herd, play and explore with little observation. Most of the time when cameras capture the lions bursting out of the tall grass into open, the observant older animals have already began to sprint away. Younger animals seem to be notified of danger, not by a sound, but by the mad rush of the herd away from their position. And many times, it is too late; the lions prevail.

I doubt Peter ever saw a documentary on lions, but he had probably witnessed a lion attack. Obviously, Peter was aware of the cunning tactics that lions use.  Most likely, his audience was familiar with these tactics as well.  This familiarity is precisely why he uses the image he does.  Peter explains that Satan "prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." The lion's roar is meant to throw the victim into panic, to scatter its wits, to terrorize and disorient. Likewise, Satan seeks to make a lot of noise. He likes to hit us from all sides. He wants us to feel like destruction is inevitable. He needs us to believe that he will prevail.

Now back to the initial question: do you believe 1 Peter 5:8? Is the devil (and his demons) really out there trying to destroy us? Let me answer the second question: yes, there is a real devil (with demons) who is seeking to devour whomever he can. But, do you believe that?

The only way to know if you truly believe that the devil is out there waiting to pounce is by the way you live. Are you sober-minded and watchful? Are you like the older animals in the herd who graze a little and watch a little? Or are you busy playing and exploring? Are your ears ever vigilant, straining for the first sounds of warning? If our life isn't marked by sober-mindedness and watchfulness, then it doesn't matter what we say we believe. If someone says, "Yes, I believe 1 Peter 5:8," but fails to be watchful and sober-minded, then they too will be devoured.

We have forgotten our Master's instruction, "Pray then like this . . . And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Matt. 6:9, 13). We have also forgotten his warning, "Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt. 26:41). I believe, in part, that Peter calls us to sober-mindedness and watchfulness, because he would spare us the shame of failing our Lord. A shame he knew too well, and probably never totally overcame. The lion is out there, keep up your guard and be ready to call to your protector, that Great Shepherd of our soul, Lord Jesus.

Preparing the Heart

A wise minister once told me that preparing the heart is more important than preparing the message. I must admit, I really didn't understand him at the time. I knew that he meant that a preacher must be "prayed up" and "studied up," but I don't think I fully comprehended what that meant. I think I am beginning to understand.

Let me see if I can explain what I think he meant. Think of a world class neurosurgeon getting ready to perform a delicate procedure on a patient's brain. He has many tools that he can use. The human head can be opened with a club as easily as with a saw, but the club would most likely do more harm than good. Likewise, a minister or believer who is unskilled and untrained in the word of God may be used by him to bring someone to repentance, but they might also drive some people away.

We are called to rightly handle the word, which at the most basic level means that we interpret it accurately. But, I think it means more than that. I believe it means that we are to handle in a manner that is consistent with its teachings. That means we are to read it, memorize it, meditate on it, speak it, hear it, trust it, and live it. We have not rightly divided the Word, if we are not practicing what it preaches.

Thus, ministers and believers must wrestles with the Word to fully grasp its meaning. Part of that is the preparation of the heart through humble submission to the Word. As we accept, by faith, that the Word is flawless and our only source of authority, we begin the process of training our heart to submit to God's Word. Through the Word, he speaks and we listen with the intent to obey. Thus, a message is never ready to be preached apart from a prepared heart. A minister may present a sermon that is factually accurate, doctrinally sound, and pleasing to hear, but all of that will miss the mark if the minister has not set the sights properly.

You might say, "That's well and good for ministers, but I just an average believer. I don't prepare or preach messages." While that may be true, in some since, it falls short of what God intends for you. As a believer, you are a minister. You may never preach a sermon, but that doesn't mean God doesn't want to use you to speak to others about him. God may want you to rebuke a loved one who is struggling in sin. If there is sin in your life that is unconfessed and unrepented of, you most likely will balk at the idea. Like Moses you'll make excuses as to why it should be you. But if you are waging war against sin in your life, you will be able to find the boldness to speak to them, not as their judge, but as their friend. The call to prepare the heart is a call to every believer, because you never know when God will send a divine appointment your way. You don't want to be caught unprepared.

Beware the Lion

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5: 8).

Do you believe this verse? Is it possible that there is an actual devil? And that he prowls around seeking someone to devour? Really? I mean, do you really believe that there are actual forces of darkness that are seeking to destroy mankind in general, and God's people in particular? Before you answer, let's look at Peter's analogy.

Peter tells us that the devil is like a lion on the hunt. I have watched numerous nature documentaries on predators. When lions hunt, they often attack the weaker animal, and they go about their attack by separating their target from the herd. Once cut off from the protection of the the herd, the animal becomes essentially helpless.

Watching these documentaries can be very helpful. The camera crew watches the herds to see how they react to the approaching danger. Often, the older battle-wise leaders in the herd, graze a little, watch a little. Their ears twitch, this way and that, in order to pick up any hint of danger's approach. Younger, inexperienced members of the herd, play and explore with little observation. Most of the time when cameras capture the lions bursting out of the tall grass into open, the observant older animals have already began to sprint away. Younger animals seem to be notified of danger, not by a sound, but by the mad rush of the herd away from their position. And many times, it is too late; the lions prevail.

I doubt Peter ever saw a documentary on lions, but he had probably witnessed a lion attack. He knew the cunning tactics that lions use. That is precisely why he uses the image he does in this verse. Satan "prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." The lion's roar is meant to throw the victim into panic, to scatter its wits, to terrorize and disorient. Likewise, Satan seeks to make a lot of noise. He likes to hit us from all sides. He wants us to feel like destruction is inevitable. He needs us to believe that he will prevail.

Now back to the initial question: do you believe 1 Peter 5:8? Is the devil (and his demons) really out there trying to destroy us? Let me answer the second question: yes, there is a real devil (with demons) who is seeking to devour whomever he can. But, do you believe that?

The only way to know if you truly believe that the devil is out there waiting to pounce is by the way you live. Are you sober-minded and watchful? Are you like the older animals in the herd who graze a little and watch a little? Or are you busy playing and exploring? Are your ears ever vigilant, straining for the first sounds of warning? If our life isn't marked by sober-mindedness and watchfulness, then it doesn't matter if we say we believe. If someone says, "Yes, I believe 1 Peter 5:8," but fails to be watchful and sober-minded, then they too will be devoured.

We have forgotten our Master's instruction, "Pray then like this . . . And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" (Matt. 6:9, 13). We have also forgotten his warning, "Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matt. 26:41). I believe in part that Peter calls us to sober-mindedness and watchfulness, because he would spare us the shame of failing our Lord. A shame he knew too well, and probably never totally overcame. The lion is out there, keep up your guard and be ready to call to your protector, that Great Shepherd of our soul, Lord Jesus.