When I talk about the false teachings from pastors, priests or elders, you need to look at them from an overall perspective. Don’t make a final decision on one bad comment or event. We are all human and make mistakes but look at the person’s overall history and their normal behavior.
There are 3 areas in a teacher we can analyze. We need to check
- Their Heart
- Their Fruit
- Their Character
Their Heart
The heart can tell a lot about a person. If a person has the Holy Spirit dwelling in them you will be able to see the love of God in that person.
1 John 4:12, If, we Love one another, God abides in us.
Let’s see what kind of things flows from the heart of a person.
Mark 7:20-22, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.
Here are some other descriptions the bible says about a heart.
A person’s heart can be Troubled John 14:1, Broken Psalm 34:18, hearts can be hardened Mark 6:52, darkened, Romans 1:21, Some hearts trust the Lord Proverbs 3:5, Some are clean, Psalm 51:10 and some are pure Matthew 5:8.
Your heart cannot be darkened and enlightened at the same time. It will be one or the other. Your heart cannot be attached to the world and attached to God at the same time.
Matthew 6:24, No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.
It does not mean you can’t be blessed with money but if your hope and trust moves from God to that money, your master has changed.
Matthew 6:21, For, where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
What is valuable to your pastor or teacher? Where is his treasure? What does he spend money on? What does he spend his time doing? What is his main focus? Your pastor should have the same desires God has. Is it your teachers desire to see everyone growing spiritually? Is your elder or pastor proud and craving prestige or is he humble admitting he is a sinner like all of us? These types of questions can help you determine where your teacher’s heart is.
Galatians 1:10, For, am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Check and see how your pastor or elder treats those who disagree with him.
Luke 6:32-33, “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
Is your pastor or teacher, loving his enemy or do you see anger and resentfulness, or do you see love with compassion with patience? Keep in mind no-one is perfect and we all have feelings that we know are wrong. Look at how they handle bad situations on a regular basis.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Their Fruit
Another sign to look for in a teacher is their fruit. What are they producing?
Matthew 7:15-20, 15“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Galatians 5:22, The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness,
The best time to watch someone is when they are with their family. That’s when they are more relaxed and themselves. Anyone can put on an act for others. Like an apple can appear fine on the outside but the inside can be rotten when you cut it open.
Matthew 23:27-28, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Actions speak louder than words. You can tell if a spouse loves their partner by how they treat them. If they say they love them but treat them badly, especially, if they cheat on them, then you know their heart is not truly with that person.
Titus 1:16, They profess to know God, but they deny Him by their actions.
James 2:17-18, Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.
Please remember we are never saved by our works but our works show we have a love and heart for God.
Their Character
Another sign to look for in a teacher is his Character. There is a list of qualifications for what a leader of a church should be and should not be.
They Must Not Be
They must not be Titus 1:7 not self-absorbed, not quick-tempered, not greedy for money.
They Must Be
Titus 1, 6 blameless, the husband of but one wife, having children who are believers and are not open to accusation of indiscretion or insubordination. 7 As God’s steward, an overseer must be above reproach.
8 He must be hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it was taught, so that by sound teaching he will be able to encourage others and refute those who contradict this message.
1 Timothy 3, He must be 2 respectable, and able to teach. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?
Keep in mind that no child is perfect. If you see a pastor with a child who is acting out, don’t jump to conclusions. Letting a child throw a temper tantrum and not giving in to them is honorable. Children from toddlers all the way through the adult years will make mistakes as they grow up. Parents and children are not perfect but you have to look at the big picture. Are all the kids disrespectful, do they act out and talk back or do you see the Holy Spirit working in their hearts?
I went over what kind of heart your pastor or teacher needs, what kind of fruit they should be producing and what kind of moral character they should have.
Does God speak through your teacher?
The last thing I want to touch base on is how do we know if a pastor who is claiming to be a prophet is really hearing from the Lord? A prophet is someone who will reveal a future event or will give you a word directly from the Lord. That word will never contradict the Bible. God will never tell you that you’re going to marry someone who is already married. That’s a word spoken from the enemy.
Deuteronomy 18:20:22, But, the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die. And if you say in your heart, how may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken? When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.
If the word does not come to pass it’s because your teacher is not being led by the spirit of God and everything they are preaching should be questioned.
Investigate the leaders of your church even those who started your religion to see if they have any failed prophecies.
All the prophecies in the Bible about the Messiah came true. All the prophecies about Israel and the Jewish people have come true. Prophecies concerning the end times are currently being fulfilled just as the prophets have spoken. We can see Israel regathered in her land and the nations aligning just like the bible predicted would happen in the end times.
Be observant, keep testing and look up to God, your divine GPS.
Be observant, keep testing and look up to God, your divine GPS.
