False Teachers: The Pattern (May 23rd, 2021)
Thank you, Eva. That was an encouragement to my heart. Both the reading and the prayer. Thank you for leading us this morning. I want to for the third and final time and I was the banns of marriage and announce to you that Joel Douglas Goodhand intends to marry Johanna. Rachel Young on June 5th, only a couple of weeks away. Are we Rejoice with them? But if anyone knows a good and legal cause why, this marriage may not occur, you are required to inform the church leadership immediately. What we're on our second of four messages on the book of Jude. And I was saying last week that Jude a very small book is one of the least studied books in the Bible. If you take a look at the research and who's earning their phds on Jude and who's writing books on Jude traditionally this has not been a hotbed of discussion and study but the Jude has experiencing a bit of a Resurgence of resurgence, all over the worldwide church because many Christian leaders sense that the errors the Manifest errors that are reaching critical mass in our society are going to begin to attempt to creep into the church, through Falls teacher. So, all over the world, people are turning to the book of Jude and heating. It's message. Then we need to as well. The danger of false teaching is real, the stakes are high and we must be on guard against it, just like Luke's Church. Today, we're going to study or false teachers the pattern Falls teachers come in all different flavors summer, one body shape and summer another and summer, men and summer women and some teach this way and some teach that way and some make this error and some make that error. There's a lot of diversity in false teachers but there is one point in common. There is one pattern that defines all of them and that is their fate. They get to it at different speeds and in different ways but they all false teachers end up in the same place each and every time and would like to take a look at the book of Jude in to figure out what that pattern is. But first welcome to Don's Financial seminar. Does anyone know who this is? Who is this man at home? I can see you through the cameras. Raise your hand. I see you. David? I see you, Paul. Let me give you some hints. He was born in Italy on March, 3rd, 1882.
He was a poor student as a child and when he grew up, he turned out to be a lazy worker.
Unfortunately, although he was a lazy worker, he loved to spend money. He once said, spending money is the most attractive thing in the world.
Still no gases. Well, he lists left, Italy in 1803, and came to the US. He arrived in Boston with only $2.50 in his pocket. He started off with more but he lost the rest of his money gambling on the boat on the way over. When he arrived in Boston had all jobs. Lost them all last time either because he was lazy or because he actually cheated is customers and employers, Around 1907, he forged the $200 check and was caught and spent 3 years in jail. Little monster that he spent two more years in jail for smuggling people across the border. Not the US, Mexican border, but the u.s. Canadian border.
When he got out of jail for the second time he had not learned his lesson, he developed a quick get-rich-quick scheme. The one problem with his little scheme is it is completely dishonest. Here's how it works. This man went to a person and said I have a super secret super successful way to invest money. You should give your money to me and I promise you a high return. I don't know what return He said but for my example I Never Promised You a 25% return. Every 6 months, that's not even every year. Sandy signs up Sandy. Give me all your money. I'll be happy to take care of it. So someone in his money with this person and they're expecting a 25% return after 6 months there. So there may be surprised that they get it. What is actually happened is this person has not invested the money at all. He's actually living off the money. He's buying cars and properties and at the end of the six months, he doesn't give 25% interest is 25% of the principal back to the person who invested it. I just want to pause your cuz it's important. This is the deception, the person. Receiving the 25% thinks he's getting 25% interest on his money and that his principal is still safe and exist. Sometimes that's not at all. What is happening? His principal is going down, down down as the scammer spends it, and when he receives his interest payment, it's not an interest payments. It's his own money, it's his own principle. And you can see how this is going to end pretty quick because pretty soon all the money will be spent and I won't have any money to bring to pay you your interest. So it's going to end pretty quick. Unless of course, I can find investor be. And usually investor be is easier to find than investor a because we can now use investor is a reference. You don't believe me. You don't think I'm a genius. Investor will just talk to one of my clients investor. A, what's been your experience? Oh well, I gave him all my money. I got 25% of it back after 6 months, and all the principal still free and I'm going to get another 25% back and 6 more months. So be says, here's my money. Of course. In many ways, the problems now worse, because in another six months is going to expect it another 25% because invested his money. He's going to expect to 25%. The swindler is still spending money like it's going out of style. We're actually closer to the end. Now then we were at the beginning we have less Runway now with more money than we did at the beginning. Unless we can find investor c. A b c are expecting interest payments. The money, isn't there? It hasn't been invested.
Well how did this all turn out what the Boston Post heard about these amazing returns 25%, every 6 months or whatever it is, he was offering and wrote a very positive article in the summer of 1920. The Boston, Post Road, and article hake Wonderboy has figured out a way to make money hand over fist. This is amazing. He won't tell us how he's doing it cuz he doesn't want to tip his hand to the competitors, but we talked to all these investors, there is happy as can be, they wrote a positive article the next day on July 26th. This man collected, 34 million dollars I've adjusted for inflation. That's thirty-four million 2020. $1. In one day, people were lined up around the block of his establishment to give them if their money.
He lived well obviously he loved Diamond pit tie pins. He had a gold handled cane. He had a lavish house. But there was trouble brewing. His publicist figured, I would just can't be possible and he looked into it and he realized what was happening. The money is not being interested, it is being spent. These people are not receiving interest payments, they are receiving their own money back, and he went to the Boston Post. The publicist didn't said, I hate, you have encouraged people to invest. This is all the scam you got to do something. And on August 22nd 1920. This article appeared Ponzi arrested admits. Now, he cannot pay $3 short. I love this part. Look at this headline. It says, has no great Financial Secret. Who is no secret. It was all a House of Lies. It was all a house of cards. What looks so good. And gave all the indicators of being good was totally for me. And as you may have guessed, this is man's name is Charles Ponzi. That's why it's now called the Ponzi scheme.
Does he may be curious on how the rest of the story when the wall started to crash in Charles Ponzi tried to intimidate the Press into not running any articles. Unfortunately the government had now been aroused and they started doing some investigation and they found out that the Chicago post of the Boston Post was wrong. He was not three million dollars in debt. He was seven million dollars in debt and the whole thing collapsed. The whole thing collapsed. And let me just tell you the whole thing collapsed because it had to collapse It was based on lies and it just didn't collapse for him. Everyone who believed his lies went down with them. Six banks. Six banks failed. As a result of the money that they had given to him, and now have lost. Think of all the account holders in that bank, think of all the employees of that bank, tens of thousands of people, tens of thousands of people lost their money when it failed, it didn't just fail for the liar. It failed for the people who believed his lies,
He went to jail. Have you got out? And again did not learn his lesson. He went to Florida and pulled the same scam this time using land. And what do you think happened? What has to happen? It all begin to collapse and when he could see his day was over, he tried to escape back to Italy. They actually caught him in New Orleans. Went to jail again and then was deported friends. Charles Ponzi lost everything. His wife, divorced him. He lost all his money. He lost his house shortly after the Florida thing, collapsed. He had a stroke and left to spend the rest of his life blind and paralyzed. He lived in squalor when he died, there was no money to bury him. Friends. He looked successful. He looked attractive. He looked smart. He look like he had figured everything out. But it was all a mirage. It was all lies. He was not successful. He was a failure. He was not attractive. He was ugly. He was not smart. He was dumb, he hadn't figured anything out. He fought the truth, but the truth one. You would think that be a lesson, but of course it isn't. People have been running the Ponzi scheme ever since he developed at. This is Lou Pearlman, a famous music producer, he produced NSYNC, he produced The Backstreet Boys totally legitimate business, but on the side, he was running a Ponzi scheme. He created companies with false documents, that didn't really exist, and people invested in the false company. You may wonder how it ended. It ended the way it has to end. It collapsed and everyone who believed in him lost. This is Gary gochi. He was a radio host in the show called it's God's money, gave biblical Financial advice, he ran a Ponzi scheme on 38th senior citizens in Florida. You may wonder how did it end up? It ended up the way it has to end up. It's built on lies that all collapsed in is hurt him and everyone who believed his lies. And of course the granddaddy of them all Bernie Madoff. Bernie Madoff brand, the biggest Ponzi scheme in history. He stole 65 billion with a B dollars. He lived a flashy. Life burning was different than Charles, by the way, when Charles had no Financial expertise at all, he got by on charm. Bernie actually was a very sophisticated man financially and so he was able to keep the scheme going for years so he could delay it but he couldn't change it. When you live on lies the truth, eats you up.
Will the scam was one running Bernie look wise and Discerning, but he was a fool. HBO has made a movie. I haven't seen it. I can't vote for it. But let me just tell you the movie is not call the wizard of Wall Street. The movie is called The Wizard Of Lies.
How did it end for Bernie? The way it has to end some business to start up in some succeed and some don't, it depends on little bit of skill, a little bit of luck, a little bit of time and you don't know how it turns out until it turns out of Ponzi schemes don't succeed or fail. They always fail. Something quickly, something big, something small, there's some variation, but they fail because they have to fail, they are based on lies and eventually the truth, eats it up. The heart of the den for Bernie, it collapsed. He lost everything.
Not only him, but everyone associated with him, hundreds of thousands of people lost their life savings just before they were going to retire.
His son committed suicide on the 2nd anniversary of his dad's arrest. Bernie just died 7 weeks ago and went to make meet his maker and explain why money was more important than Tegrity. It's not a conversation. I'd like to have Do you see the pattern? These men presented lies as truth. And for a while, it seemed true, what I let you see, is carefully managed, what? I don't let you see, he is carefully hidden the lies appear to be true, but they are not true, they are lies. And therefore, I don't know exactly when it will fail. I don't know exactly what will be the linchpin but it will fail lies. And never succeed. Long-term.
Doesn't matter who presents lies as truth, it all ends up the same way. When we run, when we come into a person, running a Ponzi scheme are only winning move is not to play the game because he's going to fall now, the quest, that's no question. There's no question. He is going to fall. The only question is, do we fall with him? The only winning move is not to play the game, it just as a public service announcement, here's how you recognize a Ponzi scheme. The offer of an unusually high return. With little risk and is not tied to market conditions, doesn't matter what happens to the market. You will win and you will win big and excessive secrecy. Exactly. How are you doing this Charles? Or I can't tell you that. I told you that my competitors would know this is always a Ponzi scheme. But the point I'm trying to make is this and what we've seen so far as this, Replacing the truth with lies, always ends up. In the same place. You might say that this morning so far, I have taken you on a journey in the financial Hall of Shame. The reason I'm doing that is because Jude is about to take his church on a journey, through the spiritual Hall of Shame. Where the lies are not built on dollars. They're built on false the ology. There are differences. Theology and dollar bills are not the same thing, but it's the same message. When you forget the truth, the truth each you up, when we build our life, for our church on lies, we are destined for failure. Here's our text for this morning. Jude versus 527.
Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, the Jesus who saved the people are and of Egypt, afterward destroyed, those who did not believe.
And the angels, who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept an eternal chains, under gloomy, Darkness until Judgment of the great day.
Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality, and pursued unnatural desire. Serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of Eternal fire.
That's the spiritual Hall of Shame. Let's go through a little more slowly and look at the three exhibits. First of all, who is June taking on this tour, he's taking his church. These are good people. These are believing people. These are people who have come to Jesus Christ in face. These are people who know that they need need to guard the truth. Well, at least they once fully knew it
They forgotten. They used to have their guard up. They used to be sensitive to error. But they don't fully know it anymore.
And so Jude ask them to pack a lunch, get your knapsacks, we're going on a tour. It's a tour of the spiritual Hall of Shame. And Judes intent is to scare these people straight. We have lost sight of the genuine Danger.
And the corrosive effects. And the certainty of destruction of false teaching.
Church Jude says, I'm not saying that. You cheating May destroy us. I'm not saying that false teaching May collapse. I'm saying it has a stew. A Ponzi scheme cannot work it defies the laws of physics. False teaching cannot bless it, defies the truth of God.
Church says Jude. I want to scare you straight. So when they come And they're on their way, you don't get involved. You may think your book successful. By their new teaching. You may look think that you'll look Wise by following their new teaching. You may think that you'll be in the cool crowd. The thing for people will think of you as sophisticated and Progressive, but I'm here to tell you, it's all lies. It will it must collapse. And when it does, if you've invested you lose everything. The only winning move is not to play the game.
I want to remind you that Jesus who saved the people out of the land of Egypt were talking about? Juice. In Egypt after Joseph before Moses Jews in Egypt. All ethnic Jews, all born to Jewish parents. They all looked like the people of God. There were some unbelievers in here. They were ethnic Jews but they were not believing juice. The trouble is in Egypt, can't tell the difference. They're all slaves are all working in the Deliverance. You can't tell the, tell the difference. They all walked across the Red Sea and the same way they were all happy about it. There were genuine Believers and then they were Pretenders people, who professed belief, but had never embraced y'all way in faith. The trouble is, you can't tell. You can't tell who. In Egypt, you can't tell who's who? In the Red Sea, but afterward, afterward. You remember what happened afterward? They ran out of food. They ran out of water. There was disputes in the camp. Afterward prices came and that's where you saw. That's where these two camps begin to separate. They were all ethnic Jews but only some were believing juice.
By the way, crisis often reveals unbelief.
Let me say that again, crisis often reveals unbelief. People look like the people of God. They are culturally the people of God, they do all the same things that the people of God do. And you can't tell him it if can't tell the difference, but afterward, but I have to work when the crisis comes, then it's clear.
and when it was clear, when their own Hearts were revealed, They were destroyed.
Do you see this church since Jude? They built their life on a lie on the profession of Faith but not actual faith and what was their fate? They were destroyed. By the way, I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that our church and the North American church is in crisis right now. And I would just encourage you to be faithful. I would encourage you. I am personally appealing to you. To come to drive in church next week. I know what you're thinking. You can't really sell the ship cuz you can't get out of your cars. And we are checking with the government to see if that is true, but right now, we believe it is, we believe that you will not be allowed to get out of your cars and it's a little less convenient. If it's a warm day, the car may be warmer and less comfortable than your living room. And why am I coming is so I can't tell the ship and it's going to be inconvenient, you're coming to send the signal to your brothers and sisters that corporate worship is important. It's not all about you.
To put your brothers and sisters and it's not all about your brothers and sisters. We are sending a signal to the Lord. No, we are not being dragged back into the church were chomping at the bit. And these opportunities may not be perfect, but I would just encourage you to consider responding to this crisis with faith. And demonstrating a desire. That we will that we want to be together will be sending out a note, by the way, either Monday or Tuesday with all the details of when you arrive. And there are a couple of unique rules about Drive in church, will explain it all as well. Just let me say one thing, I think we need you to arrive early. This will all be explained in the note, I think we need you to arrive early cuz we can only have 10 people out in cars and we think we need parking attendants. So we need you here and parked before 10. So the parking attendants to go to their call. If cars and not counting the 10 will explain all that, but I would just encourage you. It may not be perfect, but it's something I'll see you next week here at church.
I think exhibit one in our Hall of Shame shows, the professors stray from the truth and were destroyed. And of course, I don't mean professors as in University teachers, although this may strangely be accurate. I mean professors of professors of faith. We have looked at a group of people, professors of faith, not genuine Believers, but professors of Faith who built their life on Ally and it collapsed them and everyone associated with them. I was not much of a tour of it ain't over. We haven't even hit the halfway point Exhibit, 2, Are not professing. Believers. Their angels. Who hear the truth of God directly from God in the courts of heaven and say not good enough. I'm not embracing Yahweh in love, I'm not accepting his truth. I'm not happy with my position. I'm leaving it. I'm not happy with the truth. I'm going to build my existence on lies. What do you think happened when they did that? Judgment. Judgment. Do you see this church, says Jude? Professing Believers built their life on lies and were destroyed. Angels, drifted away from the truth into lies and are now being held in judgement.
Does Meadowood. We're talkin with? Professors are angels. The common point isn't who they are. The common point is they took the bait, they substituted lies for truth and we're judged and destroyed because of it.
Do I have one more exhibit for you? Sodom and Gomorrah, Sodom and Gomorrah or not professing Believers. No one in these cities said, hey, were followers of Yahweh. They were worldly people admitted that they were worldly. People who are happy. They were worldly people and they weren't Angels, he's or this is a totally different group.
Different dog. Same fleas. They left the truth. They weren't comfortable with God sucks that we're going to build this other thing over here, and we're going to call Aunt Ruth and we're going to live in that. How did that turn out? They were punished. They were punished. Do you see this church? Did you see Xzibit one? Professing Believers, leave. The truth. And they were destroyed. Angels, left the truth and they were judged. Unbelievers, left the truth. And they were punished.
These three demonstrate that it doesn't matter, whether is Charles Ponzi or Bernie Madoff, it's not the name that's important. It's the steam. It doesn't matter who runs a Ponzi scheme, it doesn't matter who runs a Ponzi scheme, it will fail. It doesn't matter who leaves the truth. Rich white black men. Women old new irrelevant. The only thing that matters is we left the truth. We were lured away from the truth by false teachers. This is a pretty dour message. This isn't exactly a pick-me-up. Yeah. Well the sermons got to follow the text and it's a pretty dour text. Is there any ray of sunshine is there anything interesting that we can bring out of this text? Yeah, yeah.
The false teachers are going to fail. And they are going to be destroyed. They are going to be judged and they are going to be punished. That is certain But it doesn't have to be true for us if we let them serve as an example.
That's the point of my tour says Jude. I'm not trying to depress the life out of you. I'm trying to give examples. Of what happens. They won't identify themselves as false teachers, they'll sell you their investment strategist who have found a secret that nobody else has found and it brings peace and happiness and wealth. Whelmed. What's really happening, is they're leaving the truth and they are subjecting themselves to being destroyed judged. And punished.
Sometimes. We're tempted to dabble in false teaching even when we know it's wrong.
Sometimes we think it may look cool to the world. It may look sophisticated the code word. Today is inclusive. It may be bright and insightful.
I would just remind you that that's exactly what Charles ponzi's investors would have said before the collapse.
That's exactly what Bernie Madoff investors said before the collapse. People were fighting to give their money to Bernie Madoff. They would request meetings with him and beg them. To take their money. They all lost. They all lost. Big Steven Spielberg the movie producer begged. Bernie Madoff to take his money and he did.
Yeah, false teaching always looks attractive. Sophisticated, loving inclusive, whatever. The buzzword of the society is it is specifically designed to scratch. I felt it. But it all ends the same way. There's a big difference between a Bernie Madoff, investor the day before, he's arrested, and the one after he's arrested, when it's all revealed that the money ain't there.
We need to resist the urge to embrace false teaching to please the world.
When full teaching collapses and it will, it takes everyone who bought in with it.
The threat is real, the danger is real, and the stakes are high. Will develop this moreover the next two weeks. But I would just say The wicked fight be on guard by knowing the truth. I said this several times. But you know, when the United States, the government agency responsible to spot counterfeit, bill is the Secret Service. They protect the president and the first family, and other dignitaries. But they also find and destroy counterfeit bills at most of their training is looking at the real thing. Don't really spend a lot of time looking at counterfeit bills cuz they keep changing over time. There's other all counterfeiting. Something new and Innovative way. You can't wear them all. But if you learn the real thing, you can always spot a fake. We need to know the truth. We need to reject error. We just need to fix it in our hearts that no matter what. Friendship with the world, this acceptance would buy it buys ended it with God and that's a bad deal. Whatever, the 25% investment return, it promises, it always ends in collapse and it takes everyone who bought in with them. We won't play the game. And love God. you know, the best
may I say, The best defense against adultery. Is loving your wife. Because you don't need a lot of willpower because the will is not there. You just don't want when you love God. You don't need a lot of willpower to resist false teaching. You just don't want to It would just mess up that relationship that beautiful life. Giving relationship too much pride to put it all in one sentence. I'd say this. The application today is we run away from false teachers or we share their fate. The only two choices. You either run away, or you share their fate?
Friends. It's my observation. I'm this little paragraph here. I'm about to return to the scriptures. This little paragraph is just my opinion. It is not exegesis, I may be incorrect, but it's my observation after 59 years of life, that when companies fail, or countries fail or churches, fail very often, They failed because they did not take the threat, seriously.
But domestic car companies are a shadow of them of their former selves. They never took the Japanese manufacturing things. Seriously, we're too big to fail. The banks in 2008 that failed, never took the danger. Seriously, we're just dabbling in this mortgage thing. What could happen? Churches fail when they don't take the danger, seriously. Prince, I would encourage us to take the danger seriously. In scripture, we read this. False prophets also arose. Among the people just, as there will be false teachers among you. It's going to happen. And when they get among you, they will secretly bring in destructive heresies. Even denying the master, who bought them bringing upon themselves with destruction. That this is not up for debate, this is going to happen. What is the app for the debate is? Are we included in this and the answer to that is, I don't know. Did you buy it? Did you invest? Yeah, I invested. Then includes you. Welcome to destruction. Welcome to judgement. Welcome to punishment. You weren't the false teacher, but your body in.
Today is Pentecost Sunday. Did you know that? A today is the Sunday and invariably Church of God, churches, Dover doing this more formally. But I'm acknowledging that today is Pentecost Sunday. We are celebrating the birth of the church two thousand years ago. And it's a glorious thing to celebrate. But since the birth of the church, the church has always been had challenges. And one of the main recurring, cyclical challenges is new crops of false teachers and that's for entering right now. But I just want to end as I invite the worship team to come and join me. I just want to end by saying that this is winnable. 2nd Peter 3:17 you there for beloved knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of Lawless people friends we can vote. No, we can be not carried away with the error and we will not use our own stability. Frenzy. There may be difficult times for the North American, and the worldwide Church ahead of us. But I wanted to leave you with this message. Even as the storm clouds are gathering in our society and moving towards the church, and we will soon be in the eye of the storm. Even in that moment, God is in control.