1. Introduction
   1. There have been many times throughout the years, and I’ve learned a lot of things. I was taught the bible, line upon line, precept upon precept.
   2. I was taught a good word. When someone speaks something contrary to what God’s Word says, I know it right away because I’ve studied.
   3. With all of that being said, that doesn’t mean that I’ve learned everything I need to know, but it does tell me what I need to stay away from that can lead me or someone else astray.
   4. In my soul winning, going out into the community and talking with many types of people, many educated, some not educated at all, atheists, and God-haters.
   5. What has kept me all of these years is my continuing to study and saturate my mind with God’s Word. I’ve always wanted to be used of God in a very special way.
   6. I wanted to be a voice for Him. A voice to speak the truth. I’ve been in conflict and contended earnestly for the faith.
   7. I believe I am where I am today because of the position, the encouragement, and the calling that God has on my life.
   8. What is the calling that you have in your life? Do you have correct teaching? Do you have correct doctrine?
   9. Do you know the history, the spiritual content that it takes to sustain you, especially in this climate, this day and age in which we live?
   10. Are you sabotaged by false doctrine? Or do you just not care, or maybe you don’t feel it’s necessary to study, or you just want to drift through life on the laurels of “I’m saved and that’s enough.”
   11. I tell you, God hates this! Just study God’s word. Now let’s look into our study, Sabotaged by False Doctrine.

 

2. What does it mean to be sabotaged?
   1. Sabotage is the destruction of property. It is also an act or process tending to hamper or hurt.
   2. The ultimate saboteur and the one who can influence you to sabotage your walk with God is none other than Satan. John 10:10: The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. You can sabotage your spiritual growth with false doctrine, or you can choose to follow Jesus and His Word, and have abundant life as you walk with Him.

 

3. What is false doctrine?
   1. Anything taught, that isn’t found in the word of God, is called false doctrine.
   2. False doctrines have been part of Satan’s attack on God and God’s people since Adam and Eve.
   3. Some of the most prevalent of false doctrines are worshipping Mary; Saying that Jesus Christ is not God; baptism by any means other than immersion etc.
   4. Some of the popular newer ones are: name it and claim it; God does not judge; live like the world to reach the world; and the prosperity gospel.

 

4. Why do some people study for a while, then fall away?
   1. Here are some reasons people don’t stick with studying God’s Word.
   2. Lack of understanding
      1. Have you ever read a passage of Scripture that left you feeling very confused, and saying to yourself, ‘I have no idea what I just read’?
      2. Many Christians have this experience. Unfortunately, most will then decide that understanding the bible is too hard, and then stop studying it altogether.!

• The bible was written in a 4^th to 6^th grade education. Before you study, pray this scripture:

1. Psalm 119:125: I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies.

1. The next reason many stop studying God’s word is a Lack of Desire
   1. The less we read the Word of God, the less we desire to read it, and the less we pray, the less we desire to pray.
   2. If this is the case for you, let this be your prayer. Psalm 119:36-37. Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.
2. The next reason is plainly that it’s not a priority.
   1. If we stay so busy doing everything but studying the bible, we miss out on building our relationship with God and all the blessings and benefits that come with getting to know Him more.
   2. Jesus says this in Matthew 6:31-33: Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
3. The next reason people stop studying, is a lack of discipline.
   1. Some Christians truly seek to spend time in God’s word, and have even tried to implement a regular bible study routine.
   2. Then at some point, their discipline and consistency begin to diminish.

• Galatians 5:22-23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

1. Finally, people stop studying the word because they don’t want to be convicted or confronted with truth.
   1. The reason for not wanting to study the bible regularly that most Christians won’t readily admit to is that they don’t want to be convicted or confronted with truth.
   2. We don’t want to be confronted with our sin in our personal study, in conversation with others, or during a sermon at church, so we avoid the bible altogether just to avoid such confrontation or conviction.

• Paul addresses this in Romans 12:1-2: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

1. Who has encouraged you to keep studying and pursuing to know as much of what God wants for your life and someone else’s?

 

5. How do you know that your upbringing hasn’t been filled with false doctrines? Did you ever check to see what the pastor is preaching, or whomever it is that’s giving a teaching?
   1. It is important to note that just because someone says “thus sayeth the Lord” does not mean that every word they are giving is true. John tells us this in 1st 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. This is why it is so important to be studying God’s Word, to make sure that what you are hearing is correct.
   2. John goes on to tell us how we can know whether someone is speaking from God or not. 1st John 4:2-3: Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. The spirit of antichrist is in the world today, trying to keep people from coming to the saving knowledge of Christ, and living a life centered on His Word.

 

6. Why did the Bereans constantly check those that were giving the word of the day to make sure they lined up with scripture and weren’t preaching false doctrine?
   1. Paul writes about the Bereans in Acts 17:11: These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Here is some important information we can learn from these people.
   2. They received the Word with readiness of mind. They weren’t sleeping, or thinking about other things. They weren’t looking at their phones. They received the word readily, and were focused.
   3. They didn’t just take what they heard as fact because the preacher said it. They searched the scriptures, to make sure that what they were hearing was accurate.
   4. Why did they do this? Because they wanted to know for sure, that they were getting the true Word of God.

 

7. Who in the bible was preaching false doctrine and needed to be corrected?
   1. Jehoshaphat was seeking a word from God, whether to go with the king of Israel to Ramothgilead. The king of Israel gathered prophets that would bring a positive word, rather than the accurate word. 1st Kings 22:5-6: And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee, at the word of the Lord to day. Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear? And they said, Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king. This was not a true word from God, but a word that the king wanted to hear.
   2. Jehoshaphat pressed in and pursued a man of the Lord that would speak the truth. 1st Kings 22:16-17: And the king said unto him, How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the Lord?

And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace. The king was not happy with this word, but the false prophets were corrected, and a true word was given.

 

8. The way the world is going today, do you feel that it is a necessity to study God’s Word, press in to be all you can be, to educate the world? Are you sabotaged? Are you preaching false doctrine?
   1. Do you feel it is necessary to study God’s Word? We read in Psalm 119:2-4: Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. If we study God’s word and apply it to our lives, we are blessed!
   2. Do you feel it’s necessary to press in and be all you can be? The bible says this in Hebrews 12:1: Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Let’s all be diligent about God’s Word, and be all that God has called us to be in these last days.
   3. Are you sabotaged, or preaching false doctrine? God’s Word is powerful, and needs to be handled correctly. Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. If we mishandle the Word of God, it is like reaching up and grabbing a 30,000 volt line without being properly trained as an electrician.

 

9. Story – Sithani’s Spoon
   1. As we’ve discussed, the way to ensure you are not getting into false doctrine, is to dig into God’s Word the bible.
   2. Here is a story of a couple that said they were studying God’s Word, but were they really. Here now is today’s closing story, Sithani’s Spoon.
   3. A wealthy family invited the pastor to their home and held a thanksgiving prayer.
   4. During the prayer, the pastor preached by emphasizing the importance of reading God’s Word (the Bible) daily.

 

 

1. On this the wife of the rich Seth spoke in the middle… Yes, Pastor, we don’t even start our day without reading the Bible.
2. We read the Bible every morning and evening. Reading the word of God gives us a lot of blessings.
3. Hearing this, the Pastor smiled and ended the meeting with a prayer.
4. The family immediately served food for the pastor in the same table and the food was on a beautiful plate and the pastor was given a golden spoon to eat with.
5. All the utensils looked expensive and were shining. After eating the food, the pastor went to his house after they thanked him.
6. But the mistress of the house (Sithani) was very restless. She Was looking for something for a long time. Seeing this, Seth asked “What are you looking for?”
7. Sithani said “The spoon which was given to Pastor ji to eat is not being found.” Rich Seth said “No no he is a man of prayer…we should not doubt him!!”
8. “Hey who else came after him who could’ve taken our spoon? … otherwise why is it not visible? I’ve seen the whole place, the spoon is not visible anywhere.”
9. Seth said “Oh no problem, it is only a matter of a spoon, let it go” But Sithani was not being silent, saying “My spoon set got spoiled.”
10. Seth couldn’t believe that the pastor could also do this… but no one was daring to ask the pastor.
11. After about four months he again held a prayer meeting in his house and invited the same pastor to his house.
12. As soon as the pastor came to his house and sat with Seth’s wife, she said, “Pastor, you do not mind but I want to ask you something.”
13. The pastor said, tell what sister do you want to ask. Seth’s wife said to the pastor, “Since the last time you came, Pastor, I haven’t been able to get my golden spoon.”
14. The pastor asked her, have you read the Bible today?? The woman said yes, we read the Bible twice a day. The pastor said “Will you open your Bible?”
15. The woman said “Yes, I will definitely open it…”
16. The pastor told that on that day he had washed the spoon after using it and kept it in the Bible of Sithani.
17. So we can gather from this story that they hadn’t cracked open their bible for four months! They might have easily been sabotaged by false doctrine.
18. If they had cracked open the bible to study it, they would have known what treasures were inside of it, including their golden spoon.

 

10. Conclusion – 3 questions
    1. Do you have the right translation, or are you mixed up in a bag of who said what? It doesn’t really matter, you say. As long as I have some word, that’s all that matters.
    2. Are you just calling it good and done because you go to church, you mix yourself up with a bunch of people that never read God’s word, know nothing about God’s Word, never go soul-winning, never witnessing, just always looking for the fun and entertainment that the church has to offer?
    3. These are all good things, but when it comes to educating people, where are they? Where do they stand? Where do you stand?
    4. Ask yourself this question. In all of the messages we preach here at the Little House, have you learned anything? Are you absorbing the messages?
    5. Or are the lights on but no one home? Are you being filled with a cup overflowing with God’s Word, and are you applying it?

 

 

1. Are you checking to make sure that the word of God that’s being preached is accurate and correct as the Bereans were in the book of Acts?
2. Or are you plagued with the upbringing, not willing to change, not willing to hear the truth of God’s Word because of being blinded by men with great swelling words, enchanting and entertaining you, who stand in great reputation of themselves, but for those who are serious students who have studied God’s Word, God is not a respecter of anyone, only those who obey him, follow him, know him and know the difference between man’s teaching and the God-breathed Word. Iask you today, do you fall into this category? Or do you feel you might be sabotaged by false doctrine? R