Reverend Ravenous - Pastor Stacey Shiflett

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Reverend Ravenous

Matthew 7:15

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Intro: Today’s message is as necessary a message as anything else that Jesus Christ ever said.

A. The Wolves that are Devouring

RAVENING: robbing; to prey upon; to plunder

These wolves are on the prowl.

They are looking for vulnerable sheep that are ignorant and oblivious.

They are looking to take advantage of sheep that are inattentive and unlearned.

Unstable, ungrounded, unspiritual and unattached sheep are their greatest targets.

B. The Wardrobe that is Deceiving

They wear sheep’s clothing.

They wear church clothes.

They appear to wear the cloak of righteousness.

They may wear a three-piece suit with a tie and matching handkerchief, or they may preach in ripped up blue jeans and hoodies.

They look innocent.

They look harmless.

They look like one of us.

But they are not.

Their exterior is a lie.

Their outward appearance is a false identity.

Their testimony of salvation is not real.

Their call of God to preach is a fascade.

Their agenda is masked; their motives are secret.

Their identity and their intentions are deceptive.

They look so much like sheep that if you’re not careful, you’ll miss it!

C. The Warning that is Daunting

Jesus was crystal clear – BEWARE!!

He wouldn’t have said it if they were immune to the lies and deception.

Jesus clearly warned the children of God to beware! You could become a casualty!

·       BEWARE: to attend to one’s self, give attention to, take heed

Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

If we are commanded to beware of wolves, then we are able to discern who they are.

Paul warned the church in Acts 20 of the great danger.

·       Acts 20:29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

Thanks to the internet and social media, a new convert can be exposed to more false doctrine, heresy and bad theology in one week than young Christians used to be exposed to in a lifetime going all the way back to the book of Acts.

Watch out for pastors that try to make the Bible cool or rad or hip.

The difference between good theology and bad theology could be Heaven or Hell.

The difference between rightly dividing the word of truth and appealing to the hearers could be the difference between a life of sanctification, holiness, or carnality and worldliness.

Beware of preachers that minimize and mock things that have made Christianity unique for almost 2,000 years.

Never in the history of the New Testament local Church has there been such a love affair between sheep and wolves.

And never before has there been such a hesitancy in pastors to point out wolves and warn their people about the real danger.

The lack of discernment in the pew is at an all-time high.

And the lack of courage in the pulpit to call out the wolves is also at an all-time high.

I can’t decide if Pastors are more afraid of offending their church members with the truth, or offending the wolves by calling them out.

We are living in a day and age where calling out ravening wolves is not only politically incorrect, but is deemed by many to be biblically incorrect.

With the emphasis that is being placed on love and grace, the wolves are ripping our churches apart with their false doctrine.

Truth has been replaced with tolerance.

The Word has been exchanged for the Woke.

Boldness has been drowned out with smugness.

Courage has become a casualty of complacency.

Churches have become social clubs with Reverend Ravenous as the CEO.

The Great Commission has become the Great Omission in many places.

Strong men have been labeled toxic masculinity.

Submissive wives are called oppressed and weak minded.

Bold leadership is demanded in the sports arenas but reprimanded in the sanctuaries.

Rebuke and reproof is the bread and butter of the very pundits that forbid it in the pulpits.

Calling names for clicks and likes is cool, but naming names for conversions is considered critical and cruel.

Highlighting the hypocrisy of politicians is acceptable; but pointing it out in the pulpit is anathema.

If most churches were voting on a pastor, Reverend Ravenous would beat out the Apostle Paul in most cases.

The very people that insist people be more Christ-like couldn’t handle Jesus as their pastor for two weeks.

They’ve become so accustomed to a watered-down, weakened theology that truth offends them anymore.

Jesus Christ warned the disciples to beware of false prophets and false teachers.

I’m going to be honest with you. I’m not nearly as worried about the false doctrine of the Catholics or the Mormons or the Jehovah’s Witnesses, as I am the false teachings and practices of many independent Baptist pastors and evangelists that are deceiving thousands of church members because nobody will say anything.

A salvation message that leaves out repentance and conviction is just as damning as Mary worship.

Preaching salvation without transformation and a Christian life without holiness is just as unbiblical as teaching infant baptism and purgatory.

A pastor that will not preach against sin is just as unbiblical as one that doesn’t preach salvation.

A pastor that will not warn the Saints is just as wrong as one that will not win the sinner.A pastor that is scared of controversy is as big a threat to Christianity as one that is void of conviction.

A pastor is just as obligated to be an example of sanctification as he is to be an expositor of the scriptures.

There’s no greater threat to biblical Christianity than a pastor that expounds the Word and embraces the world at the same time.

A preacher that won’t preach the whole counsel of God, lift up the blood stained banner of salvation by grace, through faith, without works, that produces a changed life and a new creature in Christ might as well change his name to REVEREND RAVENOUS.

He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing!

A preacher that is more interested in restoring sexual predators than their victims and their families is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

A preacher that will start a ministry to put criminals and degenerates back in the pulpit is a wolf!

A church that thinks you can run a child molester through your independent Baptist carwash and erase the disgrace and the disqualification is a wolf in sheep’s clothing!

Excuse me, Reverend, but your fangs are sticking out!!

READ the text: Matthew 7:16-20 YE SHALL KNOW THEM!!

2 Peter 2 gives us tremendous insight into their character. Turn to 2 Peter 2:1

I. Their Fixture

Jesus said in Matthew 26:11 For ye have the poor always with you…

You know who else we will always have with us? False teachers and false prophets.

            A. The Previous Cruelty of False Prophets

·       vs. 1 “But there were false prophets also among the people…”

There have been false prophets and false teachers as far back as the beginning of the Old Testament.

The havoc and destruction that they have brought on God’s people is immeasurable.

Everywhere that God’s people existed, there were those that sought to pervert and corrupt them.

Since the days of Cain, false religion has been a reality. Abel was murdered because of false religion!

It wasn’t just the idolatry and practices of the pagans that were an issue, but the infiltrating of the ministry and the work of God that was constantly a threat to God’s people.

Korah was a Levite, and his 250 princes of renown were highly influential, even with Moses on the scene.

The victims of Molech and Baal are too numerous to list.

            B. The Promised Certainty of False Prophets – vs. 1b “…even as there shall be false teachers among you…”

·       Matthew 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

·       1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

What a horrible mistake it would be to think that our generation is exempt from the wiles of false prophets.

They are here. Not only do they exist in our day, but we know them.

We’ve met some of them. We’ve heard some of them preach.

            C. The Pernicious Calamity of False Prophets – vs. 1c - 22

PERNICIOUS: destroying, utter destruction of vessels, a perishing, ruin, destruction, the destruction which consists of eternal misery in hell

II. Their Features

The men of God and prophets of old wasted no words in describing the false prophets.

In Isaiah 56, the prophet said it like this:

·       10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

·       11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

·       12 Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.

They are known by their:

A. Fraudulent Entry – vs. 1

1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you:

13 …sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

B. Fleshly Enticement

·       10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness…

·       18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

C. Filthy Endeavors

·       13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

·       14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

·       15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

III. Their Forfeiture

A. The Way of Truth was Slandered – vs. 2

·       2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

B. The Way of Right was Forsaken – vs. 15

·       15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray,

C. The Way of Righteousness was Rejected – vs. 21, 22

·       21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

Let’s make this clear – you cannot reject the way of truth, the right way and the way of righteousness and die and go to Heaven.

These people are lost. They are unregenerated. They were never saved.

And they are prophets and teachers.

Many shall follow their pernicious ways.

These wolves are taking multitudes of ignorant souls to hell.

Not only have they forfeited the truth; but their life mission is to get others too as well.

IV. Their Future

Make no mistake – these clowns have a short shelf life.

The clock is ticking on Reverend Ravenous!

They may look good now, but their day is coming.

They may appear successful to the untrained eye, but payday is coming!

The Word of God is clear, from cover to cover – the ungodly are not so!! (Psalm 1)

They are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish!

God went to great length to inform the church of what’s coming for false teachers.

God went way back to before Genesis 1 to remind us of how He handles liars.

If you want assurances; if you want verification; if you want evidence of God’s intent, look at the fact that He:

·       Delivered the angels into chains of darkness – vs. 4

·       Destroyed the old world with a flood. - vs. 5

·       Decimated the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. - vs. 6

God’s Word is clear in verse 9 – God knows how to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.

They will stand before God and give account for all the souls that died and went to hell deceived by their lies.

They will stand before God and give account for the truth that they distorted, denied, and degraded. ‘

The same God that burned Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron in Leviticus 10 will not let these wolves go unpunished.

The same God that sent a lion to kill the old prophet in 1 Kings 13 will deal with these liars and deceivers.

The same God that allowed Elijah to kill 450 prophets of Baal on the top of Mt. Carmel will have His vengeance!