HOW TO IDENTIFY A FALSE LEADER

TEXT- 1 TIMOTHY 4:1-5

INTRODUCTION

This morning I am going to continue with our verse by verse study through the book of First Timothy where we have been learning about the Lord's church.

In chapter one we learned that the church was given a ... message to preach about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In chapter two and three we learned about the ... members of the church and that both the men and women have various responsibilities and those members who serve as leaders must first be qualified.

Many believe that the church that Timothy was pastoring at this time was the church in the city of Ephesus.

In speaking to the elders of this church Paul told them in Acts 20:29-30, "I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; [30] and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them."

It is not uncommon to find even today those who say they are ministers of God when in reality they are not.

Late one night in an insane asylum one inmate kept shouting, "I am napoleon, I am napoleon." after hearing this another inmate asked, "how do you know you're napoleon?" the first inmate replied, "I know I'm napoleon because god told me I was." just then, another voice from the next room over shouted, "I didn't tell you that!"

The presence of false ministers and teachers within the Lord's Churches in the last days leading up to the second coming of Jesus Christ is something that is predicted by the Holy Spirit.

In the first part of verse 1 Paul says, "but the spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith..."

Matthew 24:4-5,11, "and Jesus answered and said to them, "see to it that no one misleads you. [5] "For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many...[11] "and many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many."

Jude 1:17-18, "But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, [18] that they were saying to you, "in the last time there shall be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts."
This morning we are going to begin studying chapter four where Paul speaks to us about the minister of the church.

In doing this, he begins this chapter in verses 1-5 describing six characteristics of a false leader.