Several years ago one of the greatest scandals ever to hit the music industry occurred. Two young men had formed a group called Milli Vanilli. They cut an album called "Girl, You Know It's True." For that album they won a Grammy Award. They were invited to give concerts everywhere. They were making money by the boatloads. There was only one problem.
They had lip-synced the entire recording, and they had to return the Grammy. When you played their tape, when you listened to their music, it sounded just as good as the real thing. But it was all a fake; it was all a sham. There is a type of religion that I call "Milli Vanilli" religion. It is practiced by people in the pulpit as well as people in the pew. Satan attacks the church primarily in two ways; from the outside and from the inside. From the outside he attacks with fierce persecution. But on the inside he attacks with false prophets, false profession, and false preaching.
I want you to learn a very valuable lesson. The devil is not opposed to personal religion. He is opposed to biblical revelation, and he is opposed to a true spiritual relationship with God. Satan is doing all that he can to poison the biblical well of truth, to pervert the gospel, and to prevent people from leaving spiritual darkness and coming to the light of the Lord Jesus Christ and one of his greatest weapons is "Milli Vanilli" religion.
Now there is a word I want you to see in this passage, and it is the very first word, "Beware." Any time that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, tells you to "beware" that is "code red." That is the highest security alert; you had better sound the alarm and ring the bell; widen your eyes and perk up your ears because danger is lurking.
I remember when I was a boy taking a little sugar tablet; it was an inoculation against polio. Now it is very interesting how that inoculation defends me against polio. Inoculation against a dangerous disease such as polio involves the introduction of a harmless or a dead form of the bacteria of an otherwise deadly disease into the bloodstream. This causes the body to produce antibodies that will defend it against future attacks by that very same form of the disease.
Well in a strange way, Christianity is a disease against which it is very easy to become inoculated. There are many dead and decaying versions of Christianity that build up people's resistance against the real thing. We have a responsibility as Christians to defend ourselves, our families, our children, and our churches, from "Milli Vanilli" religion. We are to do three specific things as we stand for what is true.
I. Discern False Prophets
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." (v.15) False prophets wear wool on the outside but they are wolves on the inside. False prophets never advertise themselves as false prophets; they're too smart for that. Like a counterfeit dollar they try to pass themselves off as the real thing. In Bible days shepherds wore the wool of the sheep as clothing. These false prophets deceive not by impersonating the sheep, but by impersonating the shepherd.
Learn this about Satan. He is the captain of camouflage. He is the master of disguise. Paul said about him in 2 Cor. 11:13-15: "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works."
Don't ever assume that just because someone is a so-called theological scholar that he is a Christian. Just because someone teaches in some Christian institution, or has been ordained to the ministry, does not mean he is a true Christian. There are people who enter the ministry for all the wrong reasons. Some people make theological skepticism a full-time profession. Some are motivated to study all they can about Christian theology so they can disprove it and deny it.
I was reminded of the fact that we sometimes call an academic diploma a "sheepskin." There are professors and ministers who cover their hypocritical intentions with the sheepskins of higher learning; all the while using what they've learned to damage the faith of those who hear them. I went to a Baptist college and a Baptist seminary and had wolves in sheep's clothing in both of them.
That's why Jesus said, "Beware." Now the word "beware" literally means "to pay close attention to." Today he would say something like this: "Watch them like a hawk." Now before you can beware of false prophets, you must be aware of false prophets.
You see a false prophet will speak just enough truth to camouflage his lies. Henry Ward Beecher, a great preacher of yesteryear, once said, "Whatever is only almost true, is quite false, and among the most dangerous of errors because being so near truth, it is the more likely to lead astray." You see these false prophets will use our vocabulary but not our dictionary. What they mean by Jesus and what we mean by Jesus are two different things. What they mean by the word of God and what we mean by the word of God are two different things.
That is the problem. They "wear sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." Now why do you think Jesus compared false prophets to wolves? Well a little study of wolves may explain it to you. A large wolf may weigh in excess of 160 pounds and be able to jog up to 45 miles a day on one hunt. They are tireless and persistent.
They are also incredibly strong. A wolf can bite clean through the back leg of a horse with one snap. A German Shepherd exerts 750 pounds per square inch of pressure with his jaws; a wolf can exert 1,500 pounds per square inch.
But what is also interesting is wolves by and large hunt weak prey, and they hunt mostly at night when their prey cannot see them, because they are blessed with enhanced vision because of a chemical called rhodopsin. Their eyes literally glow in the dark, and they can see animals who cannot see them. They are not easily detected and they love to come in under radar.
Don't get the idea that there are just a few false prophets out there. The Apostle John said in 1 John 4:1, "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." You can listen to false prophets on the radio, you can watch them on television, you can read their books.
But that raises a question. How do you discern a false prophet?
"You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes 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." (vv.16-19)
Now a wolf can wear sheep's clothing, but it cannot grow a sheep's coat. You can put grapes on thorns, and you can put figs on thistles, but they cannot grow there.
Likewise, you can tell a false prophet, not by what he preaches, but by what he produces. You cannot judge a tree by its leaves, but you can judge a tree by its fruit.
I'm not a horticulturist, but I know a few things about plants and trees. One thing I know is what determines the fruit of a tree is the root of a tree. That's why Jesus said in Mt. 7:17-18, "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."
But another thing I know is it is the fruit of a tree that discloses the root of the tree. If you want to know whether or not a tree is an apple tree, all you have to do is find out one thing. Does it grow apples? That's all you have to know; the fruit discloses the root every single time. Jesus said, "Therefore by their fruits you will know them." (v.20)
II. Detect False Profession
"Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven...." (v.21) Now the Lord Jesus moves to people both behind the pulpit and in a pew who profess Christianity. They call Jesus Lord; they do pay lip service to Jesus.
Now it is important that you understand here that Jesus is not talking about people who are not religious. He is not talking about atheists or agnostics, people who just out-and-out deny the Lord Jesus. He's not even really talking about cults and those who make no pretense that they deny the divinity of Jesus, or the humanity of Jesus, or the truth of the Word of God. He's not talking about pagans or heretics or apostates. He's talking specifically about people who are religious; who are convinced they are on the road to heaven when they're really on the road to hell.
Anyone can say that Jesus is Lord. But only a true Christian can show that He is Lord, share that He is Lord, and surrender to Him as Lord. That is exactly what 1 Cor. 12:3 means. "Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit."
So many people misunderstand Baptists and their belief popularly known as "once saved, always saved." People think that we believe a person can walk down an aisle, shake a preacher's hand, fill out a card, be baptized, get on the church roll, and never darken the door of the church again; live any way they choose to and still go to heaven because "once saved, always saved."
I want to say this as strongly as I can. That is not what Baptists believe, and that is not what I understand as being "once saved, always saved." You see, the thing that we must remember and that Jesus is teaching is this: You can never jump to the conclusion that just because someone says "Jesus is Lord" makes them a Christian.
Let me tell you a true story that happened in California. There was an elderly lady in her 70s who went to the grocery store to shop. When she walked outside she found four unknown males in her car. Well, this was a pretty tough old grandma. She dropped her shopping bags, reached into her purse, pulled out a 38 Smith & Wesson, ran up to the door, got in a policeman's pose, pointing that gun at them and screamed at the top of her voice, "I know how to use this gun and I'll use it if I have to. Now get out of this car!"
Well, these four men didn't say one word. Those doors popped open in a millisecond, and they ran like mad. Before you could say "scat!" those men were gone. Well the lady put her gun back in her purse, and picked up her shopping bags; went to bring them into the backseat of the car and got into the driver's seat. But there was one problem. Her key would not fit the ignition. The reason why it would not fit is because this was not her car. Her car was identical to this car, but it was parked five spaces further down. Well, she reloaded her bags into her car and decided she had better drive to the police station.
Well the sergeant that she told the story to nearly collapsed in laughter when he pointed to the other end of the counter where four pale white males were reporting a carjacking by an elderly white woman.
Now bad things can happen when you jump to conclusions. Never jump to the conclusion that someone is a Christian just because they say "Jesus is Lord" or, just because they've been baptized, or just because they've joined the church, or just because they sing in the choir or teach Sunday School, or even preach in a pulpit. Jesus said the true Christian who will enter the kingdom of heaven is "the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven." The real issue is obedience to the will and the word of God. Heb. 5:9 makes it so plain. "And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him."
Let me give an example of just exactly what I'm talking about. A man named Glynn Scotty Wolfe was a flamboyant Bible-thumping minister. He would have been called a fundamentalist. He claimed to believe all of the orthodox doctrines of the church. He never said a word against Jesus. He literally preached the word of God, but there was only one problem with Glynn Wolfe.
For 35 years this "minister" held the Guinness Book of World Records as the most married man in the world. This man took 29 trips down the aisle. Why did he get married so often? He said it was because he was against "living in sin." Even though the Bible says "God hates divorce," he divorced one wife for eating sunflower seeds in bed. He divorced another one for using his toothbrush.
He left behind 19 children, 40 grandchildren, and 19 great grandchildren, and never once met any of them. [1] We must detect false profession.
III. Denounce False Preaching
"Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name…" (v.22a) What a great lesson here. Just because somebody attaches the name of Jesus to his message doesn't make his message true. There are many things that are preached in the name of Jesus that I am convinced have nothing to do with Jesus, and with which Jesus would have nothing to do.
For example there is the "Name It and Claim It" message. That is, if you want it you tell God and He's got to give it to you. Some call it the "Health and Wealth" prosperity gospel. It is the will of God that every Christian should be rich, every Christian ought to have two Mercedes in his garage, a Rolex on each wrist, and a beachfront mansion in Hawaii. Well, I believe that would have been news to the Son of Man who had nowhere to lay His head.
Then there is the "Feel It and Heal It" message. This is the other side of the health and wealth prosperity gospel. This says it is the will of God that every Christian be well. It is God's will that every Christian always be healed and always be healthy. Well that would have been news to the Apostle Paul who left Trophimus in Ephesus sick.
Then there is the "See It and Be It" message. Otherwise known as the power of positive thinking. In other words, "what the mind can conceive, and the heart can believe, man can achieve." According to them there is no room for sickness, sorrow, or suffering; which would have been news to the suffering Savior.
When these false preachers stand before God, He's going to say, "I never knew you." (v.23) Now the word "know" here means more than just intellectual knowledge. It refers to an intimate relationship. The Bible says in 2 Tim. 2:19, "The Lord knows those who are His," and the Lord also knows those who are not.
There are three lessons I want you to learn from what Jesus said here, and always remember them. If you do, it will guard you against swallowing false prophets, false professions, and false preaching. First of all, confession is no substitute for conversion. You can call Jesus Lord, but talk is cheap. Those who are going to enter the kingdom of heaven are not just those who confess Jesus with their lips, but were committed to Jesus with their lives.
You call me Master, but obey Me not;
You call me Light, but see Me not;
You call me the Way, but walk Me not;
You call me Life, but live Me not;
You call me Wise, but follow Me not;
You call me Fair, but love Me not;
You call me Rich, but ask Me not;
You call me Eternal, but seek Me not;
If I condemn you, blame Me not.
Lesson number two is, religion is no substitute for relationship. There will be some people who will go to hell empty handed, and there will be some people who will go to hell with a tithing envelope in one hand and a baptismal certificate in the other; but both still lost.
There were two churches—a Baptist church and a Christian church. They were trying to merge. All of the members of both churches agreed except one old timer in the Baptist church. "No, I'm not going to do it."
They said, "Mr. Smith, why won't you do this?" He said, "I'll tell you why. My mother and father were Baptist, my grandparents were Baptist, all of my ancestors were Baptist, and nobody is going to make a Christian out of me!" Well, I tell you I thank God I am a Baptist, but I'd rather be a saved Presbyterian than a lost Baptist.
Finally, service is no substitute for salvation. Neither miracles nor ministry can take the place of the Master. Dr. R. A. Torrey once said that "A man is better off with no hope than with a false hope. Because at least with no hope he might be open to the true hope." Now there is only one way to discern false prophets, and detect false profession, and denounce false preaching, and that is to know the truth of God's word inside out.
Treasury agents are trained to spot counterfeits not by studying counterfeits, but by studying authentic dollar bills, and knowing those from top to bottom. When Isaiah was warning the children of Israel about false prophets he said, "To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." (Isa. 8:20)
Go back to December 7, 1941. It's seven o'clock on Sunday morning. Two United States military officers—one naval and one army—were rising in their respective quarters. They had a golf match. They looked outside at those partly sunny skies and they thought what a great morning for golf! They did not realize at that exact moment more than 175 Japanese planes were only 130 miles off of the Island of Oahu. But what is significant is that these two men who were caught by surprise were Husband E. Kimmel, Admiral over the fleet stationed at Pearl Harbor. The other was Lieut. General Walter C. Short, commander of all the military forces in Hawaii. Both should have known their security was false—neither of them didn't.
There are many people who are as falsely secure about going to heaven as these men were about security of Pearl Harbor. Beware of Milli Vanilli religion. Make sure you've got the real thing.
[1] "Down the Aisle 29 Times, Most-Married Man Dies Alone," Jennifer Bowles, The Atlanta Journal/Constitution, N.D.