Acts 20: 13-38 Part 2
The Apostle Paul is at Miletus with the Leaders of the Ephesian Church, warning them about the dangers of false teaching in the Church
3/ False Teaching divides the Church
Acts 20: 30 ‘…to lead the believers away after them’.
The people in theEphesianChurchwere so deceived by these false teachers that they even rejected their spiritual Father – the Apostle Paul!
2 Timothy 1:15 ‘I am sure you have heard that all the Christians in the countries of Asia have turned away from me’
Those people who listen to false teachers and reject their true spiritual Leaders…
2 Timothy 2: 14 ‘…ruins those who listen.’
2 Timothy 2: 16 ‘…become more and more ungodly.’
Paul said, their false teaching will…
2 Timothy 2: 17 ‘…spread like gangrene’.
Gangrene: ‘… decay & death of tissue because of a stoppage of the flow of blood to an area of the body usually the extremities such as the fingers, toes as well as limbs’.
The end result is…2 Timothy 2: 18 ‘…they destroy the faith of some people’.
Over the years, sadly, we have had people in this Church become deceived by false teaching, they have left our Church, become more and more ungodly and their faith has died
What a tragedy!
4/ False Teaching is almost impossible to stop
Acts 20:29 READ ‘I know that when I am gone, hungry wolves will come in among you. They will try to destroy the church’.
As the great Apostle Paul couldn’t stop it; we can’t stop it either, but we can fight against it!
5/ We must protect ourselves and others from False Teaching
Acts 20:28 ‘Keep watch over yourselves….’
In my many years of pastoring I have found that people who are vulnerable to false teachers…
►Won’t change after they become a Christian
►Their ‘heart’ is still in the World
►Only come to Church when it is convenient
►Won’t read their Bibles or pray daily
►Church ‘family’ means nothing to them
They may be in the Church for a short time or even longer, but, it is just a matter of time before the devil ‘picks them off’ and they are gone!
The Apostle Paul taught the Word of God to the Ephesian Christians for 3 years
Acts 20: 31‘…warning each of you night and day…’
So, it is our responsibility to guard our self, apply what we have learned, and grow!
Only then can we
Acts 20:28 ‘…Keep watch over all the believers…’
Acts 20: 36-38 Paul prays for them, says goodbye and continues on his journey to Jerusalem
revdotdavid 