How can we discern false teaching? Can we have confidence in the direction we are heading? Pastor Andy shares two ways to stay grounded in truth — we must soak in God's Word and spend time with the Holy Spirit.
Audio Transcript
"How do I know if you're telling the truth or they're telling the truth?"
I wish I could tell you. I wish I could give you some kind of litmus test where you can throw a chemical on a preacher and find out if they're telling the truth, or you could dip your husband's hand in a solution and see if he was being truthful. That would make some money, wouldn't it? Take your kids, take this pill and they can't tell a lie. Oh we would mash that up in their food every day, but that can't happen.
There's only two things that I can give you to help you not fall for what Eve fell for.
Number one — get in the Word of God. Get in the Word of God.
Did you know that if you were working for the FBI... I was talking to somebody who was doing all this stuff in town for the fair recently. And I guess that this is a great time for all kinds of counterfeit money to come through. And here's how they find counterfeit. Are you ready for this? They don't study the counterfeit. They study what's real so that when something fake comes through, they just know something's wrong.
Let me try that one more time. You don't spend all your time figuring out the lies. You get so familiar with the truth that when the lie comes through you go, "Meh, something ain't right."
When somebody tries to bring you back into legalism — when Christ has set you free by the cross, even though they're using God terminology and telling you Jesus stuff — you go, "Meh, something ain't right, right there."
When somebody gives you that all of a sudden you can know because you've been in the truth. If you're not reading the Word, if you're not listening to messages, if you're not studying and singing and worshipping and putting this in your heart, then you're susceptible to the lies.
Here's the second thing. This one's really important — trust the Holy Spirit of God.
I know this is gonna sound crazy but here's the promise. Jesus said I'm going away but it's better for you because I'm sending the counselor, the Holy Spirit of God.
You see, when Peter needed wisdom he had to go find Jesus in the marketplace and go, "Jesus I've got a question for you."
You and I, we don't have to do that. Are you ready? The Holy Spirit of God has been given to believers to reside in our hearts.
So that feeling that you get, that thought that you get, that understanding that comes out of nowhere, do you know what that is? That's the Holy Spirit of God and you have to learn to trust.
You say something's not right. Something's not gelling. This is what God wants me to do.
You say how do I know if it's true? You've got to get in the Word and you've got to start spending time with the Holy Spirit so that you know his voice.
Watch the full sermon here.