(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

Amen. You're in Acts chapter 20. There's quite a lot going on in that chapter of Acts. Acts chapter 20. I'm just going to read a few verses there from verse 26. So Acts chapter 20 and verse 26. And if you don't have a Bible just listen clearly. I'll try and read it clearly like Dan did there as well and we'll just try and just listen to the words which God's got to say to you. But if you do have a Bible have a look in Acts 20 and from verse 26 where we see this. Wherefore I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost have made you overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch and remember that by the space of three years I cease not to warn everyone night and day with tears. And the title of my sermon is from verse 29 the title is grievous wolves shall enter in among you. Grievous wolves shall enter in among you. Before we carry on I'd like to pray father thank you for your word thank you for what the many warnings you give us in your word Lord the warnings that we need to take heed to Lord help us all here just to just to bear you know just to focus on what your word saying Lord to focus on the warnings you regularly give us in your word Lord and to then act upon those warnings to do what you tell us to do to be able to to be safe to be to be safe from from these sorts of people from these sorts of attacks Lord help me to preach this clearly and accurately and boldly and full of your spirit Lord and help everyone who have attentive ears to the message in Jesus name we pray amen okay so there's an uncomfortable truth in biblical Christianity okay there's an uncomfortable truth and it's that we are stalked we are surrounded and we are regularly attacked by predators okay as Christians as believers we are regularly attacked by predators keep a finger here and turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 so if you have a Bible turn to 2nd Corinthians 11 if you don't just listen to what I've got to say it's it's a constant theme in the Bible if you think about it the serpent appears as early as Genesis chapter 3 three chapters into the Bible you've got the creation of the world the creation of mankind focused in on in chapter 2 then by chapter 3 we've got a predator straightaway we've got a snake we have a serpent right at the beginning of the Bible it's a constant theme and it's still you know it continues with with the serpent going out to deceive the nation's as late really as any time a thousand years on from now any time over that that is and you know we're going forward throughout the millennial reign that is into revelation 20 because that's who's behind it all it is Satan okay so those these sorts of attacks these sorts of people that we see as a constant theme through the Bible all the way through to revelation 20 from Genesis 3 it's all about the devil Satan the enemy of mankind and particularly the enemy of God's people yet contrary to popular belief and contrary to probably the popular belief that people are conditioned to believe did you know that the devil doesn't run around with a pitchfork and with horns on his head and a ghoulish face that's not the devil in the Bible second Corinthians 11 says it like this in verse 13 for such a false apostles deceitful workers transform transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ so rather than being obvious they were pretending to be apostles they were pretending to be working for God verse 14 says and no Marvel he said for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light Satan tries to appear as a good guy okay he doesn't appear as this evil scary creature he appears as a good guy as a good version of God through the tons of false religions the Bible says the devil's behind all of them so behind all these false religions is the devil and he appears as a good guy he appears even as a false version of Jesus Christ so the devil is behind all of these fake Jesus's where your works get you to heaven with this fake Jesus which has differing depending on which version of the devil's churches you go to a different line and different level of things you have to do to achieve heaven they're all fake Jesus's and the devil is behind all of them that that Catholic Jesus with the long flowing hair and the white skin and the blue eyes and the dress and and walks around that's a fake Jesus that's the devil that's the devil the devil comes across as a blue-eyed long flowing locks looks like a queer that's not Jesus of the Bible that's the devil he said in verse 15 therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness whose end shall be according to their work so what he's saying is it shouldn't then surprise us it shouldn't surprise us that his ministers his workers the devil's people the people that work for the devil his children the devil's children children of the devil try to appear as ministers of righteousness so it shouldn't we shouldn't marvel at that and first thing you've got to understand about that by the way is that there are people in the world who are children of the devil there are people of the world in the world that the Bible says a ministers of the devil they're his ministers they do his work and they appear like us they appear to be some sort of good person in your eyes it shouldn't surprise us he said now to some the Muslim imam is what they consider to be a minister of righteousness so for the many is like the many Muslims are many Islamists out there in the world the guy in the dress with the long funny beard and you know usually a magic hat for them they think this guy is a respectable righteous guy but he's a child of the devil according to the Bible he's a he's a he's a minister of Satan but for them they think this is a great guy what a holy guy he wears a dress and he's got a beard he must be holy for others it's the Catholic priest they consider the Catholic priest who also wears a dress even though the Bible says that's a shame unto a man but who also wears a dress and who also usually has a magic hat and and waves around incense and does a load of stuff that's not in the Bible but for many they look at that and I think that is a holy man that's a righteous man don't they he doesn't have pitchfork sorry doesn't have holes he said he doesn't hold a pitchfork but he's a minister of the devil turn to Matthew chapter 7 however they're not the only ones to others who accept the Bible is the Word of God so to those that actually believe that this is the Word of God the the devil's children the people of the devil his ministers have to look a little bit more subtle that minister of righteousness often carries a Bible did you know that just because someone carries a Bible doesn't mean they're a good person often when they're carrying a Bible they're still a child of the devil because they're coming as what as a minister of righteousness they're meant to look like they're good people they might even claim to believe it they might even claim to want to win souls they might even go out and even look like they're preaching the gospel to people to get people to pray with them they might even claim to be a pastor that's why in Matthew 7 Jesus warned us of the wolves in sheep's clothing look at verse 15 Matthew 7 verse 15 says beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly they are ravening wolves so they come in sheep's clothes they look like believers they look like Christians but inside they're ravening wolves they might even act like the sheep by the way at least in public in public they'll look like sheep in front of other people they'll act like sheep but inwardly they are ravening wolves what's their goal the ultimate goal is ravening or devouring that's basically destruction their ultimate goal is more people going to hell now you might think well wait a second if I'm saved and I'm going to heaven what can they do to me no they can't make you go to hell if you're saved if you've put your faith in Christ you're saved but what they can do is they could destroy your walk with God they could stop you going on to get other people saved so ultimately they're there what what's the result more people in hell that's their job they want to raven they want to destroy okay this is a big warning in the bottom we get it time and time again I'm only gonna go to a few places today for because of the time I could do what Paul did in that chapter and preach all night but I'm not going to the few two mosquitoes at night here but we are going to finish in good time but I am going to go to some chapters today just to show you that this is a constant theme in the Bible so they look like the sheep they act like the sheep what's their goal we saw ravening and devouring but there are different angles to achieve this okay so some like the aforementioned teachers of false religion so like I said the priest the vicar the prophet apostle whatever his name is all the all those different types for them it's just obvious for us they just teach work salvation open they say you have to work your way to heaven they're lying and and they're damning people to hell now that's obvious you say well how can they affect someone who saved you'd be amazed there are saved people out there who have got saved who right now Sunday have probably spent some time in a Catholic Church in a Pentecostal Church in a Apostle of Christ whatever Church give us all your money Church whatever type of Church and they're there they know they probably deep down they know they're wrong but they're like when my family go there my friends go there the music sounds nice I might as well carry on going there what are those people doing for God nothing what are they learning every single week lies what happens their faith they have doubt in themselves doubt in the Word of God doubt in their faith they go on to be basically lousy Christians useless Christians now others it's more subtle they claim it's not of works so there will be ones that these are funny these guys yeah we talked to you know we're so winning Church we talk to people a lot and we talk to false prophets a lot sadly and they'll say something like oh yeah yeah yeah it's face alone and go to heaven oh it's not of works but if you do a bad sin then you go to hell that's works that's work salvation that's working your way to heaven you can't say it's not of works then tell someone they got to do works and expect them to believe well just cuz he said it's not a works sadly though how many people go well I don't think he believes it I don't think he believes you got to work you at every just says repent of your sins to get to heaven what does that mean that means give up your sins that means turn away for your sins that's works that's hard work in fact it's impossible because if you say you have if you say there's no sin within you that you're a liar you're a liar if you say you have not sinned and you make him a liar too well often like a wolf shall tell you what they also do they target the young before they become a fully grown sheep so this is another worry another risk that that that's out there is is they target the lambs like what does a wolf do when a war for a pack of wolves often they work in teams when wolves try to take sheep they don't usually go for the big sheep they usually go for the young they go for the lambs or they go for those that are weak those that are maybe crippled those that maybe can't run away so quickly they go for the easy targets and the easy targets in Christianity aren't just children but also babes in Christ new believers wolves go for new believers because they're basically spiritual babies they're not able they're not strong enough they don't know the word enough to defend themselves from the attacks of false doctrine now some how do they do that well sometimes they'll weaken you through bad teaching just teaching you a load of lies bad teaching that just maybe gets you into different types of sin maybe the bad teaching just you know gets you into flesh one maybe the bad teaching is just a basically weaken your your will for soul winning they'll tell you no no no people can get safe from just reading a tract no they can't the Bible says faith cometh by hearing here and by the Word of God it doesn't come by looking at Bible verses yet they'll maybe promote that or they'll promote other things they'll put a doubt on soul winning to try and stop you going out and getting other people saved put doubt in your mind make your question make you wonder make you worry that I don't know if I could prove this cuz that false prophet told me a verse that seems like you could lose your salvation but the verse had nothing to do with salvation but they will target the weak who don't know the Bible maybe it's bad soul winning there are those out there we've had this before in our church where they'll come in they'll claim to be like us but then they'll become this big personality in our church and everyone wants to listen and look what they do and they do bad useless soul winning so people aren't getting saved they're just giving them a quick few verse and telling them to pray and it's a waste of time the result with these people whether it's coming into churches or whether it's less direct for example like promoting sin like causing division in churches this is another goal another way they do they come into a church and they try and pull their own group after them try and cause division slander the man of God slander other people in the church try and make division in a church all of it what's the goal it's destruction it's more people going to hell and this can be both from behind the pulpit these people come in behind pulpits obviously whether it's a legitimate church or a false church and outside of it from some form of leader to some form of church member they're everywhere with the result being less soul winning and more destruction now how do we spot them then so all that by way of introduction how do we spot a wolf do there is just pop out of the outfit not always now like I said some are obvious hopefully if you've just got saved it should start to twig in your mind that all those churches are all setting up all behind here over here over here all of those different people are not teaching what the Bible says to get you to heaven every single one is teaching you that you've got to do some sort of works to get to heaven now they might claim the name of Christ they might say oh yeah yeah you've got to believe and be good you've got to believe and follow its commandments you've got to believe and give up your sins you've got to believe and never do this sin in the future you've got to believe and get baptized whatever it is that adding works to self to faith alone in Christ like which means it's not faith only Christ alone they're adding works of salvation they're damning people to help so hopefully if you're saved you're starting to realize wow there's a lot of lies out there there's a lot of false prophets out there they're everywhere we've just been watching them go in and out of here all day pastors prophets whatever they call themselves some of them even call themselves apostles they're so stupid they don't even realize that there is no apostle after after that generation that had seen the risen Christ but people get conned by him people get tricked by these people they're charismatic they're very good with their words a lot of the time they make you want to listen to him they tickle your ears but they're wicked lying devils and they're ministers of the devil how do we spot them there verse 16 where you are Matthew 7 says ye shall know them by their fruits do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down a cast into the fire wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them so the fruits are what comes out of our mouths with the fruit of the righteous resulting in Salvations you don't have to turn there but Proverbs 11 30 says the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life and he that win of souls is wise so save people have the ability to get other other people saved wolves in sheep's clothing don't they cannot get people saved they cannot result in someone who's received eternal life because a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit what they say what comes out of their mouth cannot get people say now they could copy us they could say the same things as us they can look like us they can act like us they could go out and attempt to preach the gospel like us they could even get people to pray with them like us but it doesn't mean that those people are saved they cannot get someone saved the fruit of their mouths will not result in a tree of life the best will say what we say though they will bleat like a sheep but the result isn't genuine salvation's okay however with that eventually I believe the fruit will show in Luke 6 45 and you don't have to turn only gonna quote the one verse in looks 40 looks 645 talking of fruits Jesus said a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh eventually these people will reveal sometimes subtly sometimes it's pretty subtle what they really believe okay sometimes it just comes out sometimes it will be just in a conversation something something will blurt out they'll say something which shows that really they're trusting in their works he said in verse 21 not everyone that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven now the will of the father being stated in John 6 40 is that someone gets saved that's the will of the father John 6 40 says and this is the will of him that sent me that everyone which saith the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day the will of the father is that we'll put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and get saved that's his will now although this passage is a proof text for those out there calling Jesus Lord but trusting in their works ultimately it's talking about false prophets this passage here really is talking about false prophets it says in verse 22 many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not what prophesied they've preached their prophets they're claiming to be prophets of God they're claiming to preach the Word of God they're saying Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name of cast out devils and in thy name have done many wonderful works what are they trusting in their works they're trusting in their works to get them to heaven what does Jesus say to these people verse 23 and then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity so workers of iniquity being another name for wicked people for children of the devil for sons of Belial is another name reprobates false prophets wolves in sheep's clothing false brethren etcetera these are all types of children of the devil the ministers of the devil these people are trusting in their works and eventually like I said these people reveal that it will come out in one way or another I've noticed this with time with people it could take some time though you say but what kind of people sneak around pretending that they believe like us you might be sitting there thinking what on earth this sounds a bit far but I didn't know the Bible said this I thought the Bible just said love thy neighbor and then pat each other on the back and sing some songs what what on earth there are actually people people that will sneak around pretending they believe like us but waiting for a chance to raven to devour believers well I'll tell you what types of people these are they're the worst types of psychopath out there these people are wicked they're vile they're disgusting they're completely crazy that's what the Bible says that they're such their conscience is seared they have no conscience they have no empathy they're worse than the serial killer that kills dozens of people worse than the person that spends his life sneaking up on people and killing them for fun is the false prophet who spends their life trying to damn people to hell one way or another they're worse what they do is affecting people's eternities and that's a hell of a lot longer than the short life we have here do you know what they're even worse than the child abuser that destroys dozens of lives a lot of the time they are child abusers well in fact child abusers it's a it's a form of reprobate psychopath it's a form of psychopath but the ones that are sneaking into churches pretending to be churches pretending to be pastors prophets priests all that's different type of stuff those people are worse because they're damning people by the droves to hell they're wicked people false brethren and false prophets are responsible for droves droves of people massive amounts of people going to hell how wicked is that to think there are people like that all over the place they're called children of the devil their sons of Satan and there are loads of them first you have to know first John 4 one says beloved believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they were of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world the Bible says many many are gone out there are many false prophets they're people that have rejected the truth of God and purposely changed it into a lie and they're beyond hope they can't be saved they've rejected God they've chosen basically the way of the devil they change the truth of God into a lie they're done the Bible calls them reprobates or rejected of God twice dead okay they're dangerous and guess what they're very real they're dangerous and they're real they're everywhere like I said we've been surrounded by them all day today in every other one of those buildings surrounding us is a false prophet is a wicked vile child of the devil teaching lies they're everywhere and you know what they're all over Malawi all over the long way just driving around the long grid all I see is false Church fake Church false Church fake Church and who's leading those false churches false prophets liars damning people to hell so what do you do what you do well go back to Acts chapter 20 and we're going to make an action plan a way of not letting this work that we've started in Malawi get destroyed those people that are here today not to be destroyed the people that may be listened to this off the groups of the people's numbers we've taken off the people we're trying to disciple from afar for them not to be destroyed so in Acts chapter 20 the Apostle Paul has called the pastors of what was probably a big Ephesian Church okay it's a day's journey to Miletus okay so he's got them a day's journey they've got a day's journey to meet him in Miletus he'd previously done a great work in Ephesus resulting in loads of salvations at a church so in Ephesus at this point they've got a church they've got multiple pastors they've probably got assistant pastors there's a there's a lot going on there it's probably a big church at this point verse 26 says wherefore I take you to record this day acts 20 verse 26 wherefore I take you to record this day that I'm pure from the blood of all men for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood so the title is grievous wolves shall enter in among you and point number one or solution number one is so get fed so get fed Paul said that it's not his fault if they allow the wolves in because he's declared unto them all the counsel of God he said he said I'm not guilty anymore I've declared unto you all the counts of God he said I preached a whole lot he's preached them all of it he didn't avoid this part of it and just focus on the nicer parts he didn't go well we don't want to preach this part of it because it's a bit uncomfortable this isn't very nice people aren't gonna go away feeling good about themselves so let's swerve all of that stuff I'll just preach the nice rosy bits though he preached all the counts of God he preached a whole Bible he didn't avoid doctrine and just focused on encouragement now people need encouragement Christians need encouragement they need exhortation but you know what he preached doctrine I'll tell you why he preached doctrine because that's how they attack you is with false doctrine you need to know doctrine teachings from the Bible true teachings of the Bible you don't worry about offending people he didn't not preach the doctrine he didn't not preach once saved always saved in case half of the people left because they didn't believe no he preached it and I bet he preached it hard as well because you need to hear the doctrine you need reminding time and time again because the false the false messages the false gospels are everywhere and they're there to put doubt in your mind to put doubt in you to make you turn your head a little bit and not be so sure and not be so confident to preach to other people and he's saying to those that are left in charge to take heed by continuing to feed them he's saying to feed God's people turn to Psalm 91 because that's what the word of God is okay the word of God is spiritual food turn to Psalm 91 it's spiritual food and if you want to be strong enough to take on wolves then you need feeding wolves are scary animals if you imagine being a sheep and being surrounded by wolves you need some feeding don't you you need to be strong enough to battle the wolves you're turning to Psalm 91 and it's not just one two or three meals that you may have got this week if you've lived listened or come to any of our services you need constant food sheets need to constantly graze don't they sheep need to graze they need to be constantly eating the pasture they don't you can't just feed a sheep a little bit of grass and then expect to have some nice lamb chops at the end can you you can't give that lamb just a little bit of its mother's milk and as it gets a little bit older a little bit of pasture right you've had your one one bit of pasture a week off into the shed with you you're gonna have a pretty skinny nasty bit of bit of lamb there aren't you you want good lamb you need to feed it in these regular grazing to be strong to get fat for that soul to get fat and strong it needs regular feeding but this pasture this pasture this feed turns sheep into super sheep this this this pasture makes them into turbocharged sheep Psalm 91 says it like this because it turns you into a spiritual warrior Psalm 91 says in verse 9 because thou has made the Lord which is my refuge even the most high thy habitation well how do you do that how do you make the Lord your refuge or your home or the place that you could be safe this is word it's his statutes it's his commandments it's reading the word he said because you've done that because you've drawn nigh unto him and by the way we do that by reading his word firstly but also by hearing preaching by reading the word by hearing the preaching and not just being a hero of the word but being a doer he doesn't just say just read my Bible read my Bible and carry on living a wicked life no he said read my Bible don't just be a hero but be a doer as well change your life live for God read the word listen to the preacher you might be able to deal with the wolves and when we do that verse 10 in Psalm 91 says there shall no evil before thee neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling for he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways they shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foot against the stone now look at verse 13 thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet he said that when you make God your refuge when you make God your habitation when you draw close to him through his word through prayer through doing what he asked you to do through listening to preaching for doing the things that God wants you doing he said when you do all of that you could trample on these scumbags because that's what they are they're scum they're pure scum and they're everywhere false prophets everywhere they're scum and you could trample on them with your feet once you make God your habitation you'll see through their false doctrine you'll see through their lies give me wait a second the Bible doesn't say that the Bible doesn't say what that stupid banner on the front says in 1st John 4 10 it didn't say that what are you talking about you liars what does the Bible say you'll see through their lies you'll see through their fake exteriors you'll see through the fakeness because you'll start to say wait a second that big smile and that oh yeah we just love you so much that doesn't add up that's not what you're really doing you just want my money that's what most of it is isn't it it's money money money money that's what all these churches want they want your money you'll resist their attempts to destroy your walk if you actually are in the word if you've made God your habitation you don't have to fear them though okay just to make it clear you don't have to fear them turn to John 14 1st John 4 4 says it like this 1st John 4 4 says ye are of God little children and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world he said greater is he in you that's the Holy Spirit that's God indwelling you if you're saved than he that is in the world that's greater than the devil greater than all those false prophets all those wicked people is the Holy Spirit is God Almighty if you're saved you have the Holy Spirit and he is greater than the devil there's no competition God could kill the devil like that the only reason he doesn't is because the devil presents an option he presents a choice he presents a choice to people to choose the false prophets to choose the false religions or to actively choose God and you need to choose God because we all have free will but for that indwelling Holy Spirit to be most effective he wants feeding did you know that the Holy Spirit wants feeding inside you John 14 26 says but the comforter which is the Holy Ghost John 14 26 whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you do now you deal with these people do you know how the Holy Spirit is most effective is if you read the Bible if you read the word if you listen to the preaching but proper preaching not preaching when they don't use the Bible preaching where you're going to verses where you're where the word of God is the sense is being given to you it's been explained it's been preached from the Bible he said whatsoever I have said unto you that's the Word of God okay but for it to be brought into remembrance it needs to be read it needs to be heard preached so get fed you need to get fed how read the Bible morning and evening like I just did with a guy earlier just show just downloaded the Bible app just download it onto his phone King James Bible on your phone you got the whole Bible there and if you don't have a phone maybe a family member will let you do that if you don't have that then maybe we can find a way of getting you a Bible but you need to read the Bible it needs to be read morning and evening meditate there in day and night like we said this morning and get involved with our online preaching we live in a day and age where you can listen to preaching proper preaching you can listen to it live you can beat you your one-hour difference to us here you can listen on a Wednesday evening when we preach live you can listen on a Sunday morning on a Sunday evening you can listen to proper preaching from the Word of God not from a load of fakes you can listen to our new believer series and learn little truths right at the beginning of being a believer on our channel or not you just subscribe we've got an under playlist you believe a series you can look at the what we believe series I look at the doctrines we believe and why why we believe from the Word of God what we believe not because well someone else believes it someone told me to believe it but what does the Bible say that's what matters that's our final authority the Word of God go back to Acts chapter 20 and verse 26 says wherefore I take you to record this day or take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost has made you overseas to feed the Church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood for I know this that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock the title is grievous wolves shall enter in among you number one so get fed number two so expect them to enter expect them to enter he said he's sure of it in verse 29 he said for I know this that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock what does it mean to be grievous it's hurtful it's destructive but of course they won't look like wolves they will smile they will claim to want to do good they will claim to love you they'll claim they have all this love for you they just want to help you they just want to do good things for you but they want to destroy all of you they don't want anyone to escape every single one of you everyone every person that's got saved over the last week or two here the grievous wolves want to destroy you they want to destroy your Christian walk destroy your Christian life in one way or another stop you serving God and it's easier to do that before it even starts but on the flip side okay we do want to welcome in you believers don't we so as and when you find people that seem to be saved you want to welcome them you want to love you don't want to just be everyone you think must be a wolf so we have to get a balance with it we don't want to treat new people as if they're likely wolves we want to encourage people to want to work for the Lord we want to try and draw people in and get them working for God we don't want to treat these new people badly but let me tell you what to watch out for these are some obvious ones okay so-called pastors evangelists missionaries leaders trying to entice you to them okay whatever they whatever flavor whether they call themselves an independent fundamental Baptist or not whatever flavor if people come in and try and pull you towards them in one way or another believe me they're likely a problem turn to 1st Corinthians 4 I don't care whether they're from Malawi or whether they're from the USA whether they claim to believe the Bible or not don't let them come in and destroy you and destroy the work that we're doing here don't let them do it they'll try and pull you what every which way they can pull you into their little groups pull you into their little that's that their churches and whatever else pull you away from learning and listening and getting involved with a proper church that's what these people do in 1st Corinthians 4 Paul said this to those in Corinth of which so many he had personally one to Christ Paul had personally won many to Christ there he said I write not these things to shame you but as my beloved sons I warn you now why sons why sons why do you call them sons some of these men were probably older than him why sons he said for though you have 10,000 instructors in Christ yeah there's a lot of people that want to instruct you in Christ or claim to yeah have you not many fathers for in Christ Jesus I have forgotten you through the gospel he said there are thousands of people who want to instruct you but he said who got you saved who got you saved and if you're here and you're saved you know who got you saved if you're here and someone's preached to you this week or if you're listening online and you you've been preached to in one of the schools and you've got saved you know who got you saved so straight away if you believe in your heart you believe that you're that you're a sinner that was on the way to hell and you've put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and you know there's no way I can lose that salvation whatever happens I'm saved if you know that in your heart then you know who preached and you know preach that to you then you know that that person is saved and they cannot therefore be a wolf so do you know what you could do is trust that person trust that person who got you saved I trust them above anyone else if you're saved the person got you so you can trust above anyone else before you'd start doing fruit inspections straight away you know that person's safe because a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit so be very careful of people that are coming in you don't even know them oh well no no no because they preach exactly the same thing over in Texas they preach exactly the same thing over in somewhere in England or over who are they ask us we'll tell you and you know what considering many false prophets are gone out into the world considering there are grievous wolves everywhere the sad likely truth is they're probably going to be the same but we can tell you if you want if you want to be safe for starters just don't just let them pull you out stay in contact let us help you we want to build up people to serve God in Malawi but we can't do that if you let just any any Tom Dick and Harry come in and pull you one way or another oh well they seem okay well they've got a King James Bible they said they're Baptists yeah do you know what there's a lot of Baptists that are wicked Ravanee wolves look at verse 16 he said wherefore I beseech you be ye followers of me now because none of us are perfect and that includes the Apostle Paul you know what he said in first Corinthians 11 1 he said be followers of me even as I also am of Christ so sure follow the person that got you saved to a degree but as he is following Christ so not if he starts like look we're all we're all sinful flesh we can all get things wrong even say people get into bad things even right how do you get that right how do you know whether or not you're following them as they follow Christ well back to point one get fed read your Bible read it read it read it read it and don't just trust some random people coming in and telling you oh well you know we believe like you do that why you come and join us and if we if before we could get out here there's someone that we consider legitimate we'll let you know if you stay in contact with us and someone legitimate look we look it's not that we've got a monopoly on people that gets that got saved in the last two weeks if someone legitimate came to Malawi and planted a church here did some work here we'd be get involved get involved we want you involved great you can start meeting learning listen to preaching being involved with other believers but not just anyone it's actually when it comes to to the Christian world it's quite a small world where it is quite easy to spot fakes when you've been in it a while and we know who's legitimate and who's not but you need to learn you need to grow and in the meantime we'll help you we want what's better we just want you guys to learn and grow as well go back to Acts 20 and verse 26 acts 20 26 says wherefore I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counts of God take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost had made you overseers to feed the Church of God which he had purchased with his own blood for I know this after my deport departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock also of your own self shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them the title is grievous will shall enter in among you point number one is so get fed number two so expect them to enter in number three so expect them to arise so expect them to arise Paul said that of your own selves shall men arise did he say they might arise or did he say they shall arise he said they shall arise he said of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things he said it's a sad truth that there are wicked people that pretend to get saved they pretend to want to serve God now there are some people I believe that hear the gospel and maybe they're just kind of hanging around but they don't get saved then they choose in their hearts to change the truth that got into a lie they choose basically the other path and they become reprobate whilst being amongst but many will just come in many from the beginning are just planted there by the devil right at the beginning they pretend to get say they pretend they want to serve God but they're not genuine their fakes their false brethren that latch on early at the beginning we've experienced this over many many years fakes false brethren's coming in amongst us coming in from early and eventually being exposed why well aside from the devil's in them often their flesh craves the following they crave people to follow them to need them to want them they need it for their flesh for their pride for their ego that they they want that following they want to be teachers themselves they they they crave their own position of leadership he said in verse 30 also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them how do you spot them well they speak perverse things perverse here isn't talking about sexual things necessarily yes of course they can yes of course some of them do but it's first used in numbers in the book of Numbers when the angel of the Lord is talking to the false prophet Balaam and how his way is perverse and perverse here means literally turned aside hence distorted from the right or obstinate in the wrong disposed to be contrary stubborn untractable cross petulant peevish disposed to cross effects so it could be false doctrine okay that's kind of some of the obvious stuff it'll just be things opposite to what the Bible teaches or even just things to the contrary things that are opposite things that are just slightly different to what's being taught how you're meant to behave for example in the church things that the pastor wants you to do and not to do as part of a church we've noticed these people are just trying to get people doing the opposite might not be clear doctrine for the Bible it's just trying to do everything contrary and he's got to be different they've always got to find a way of getting a one-up on you winning somehow getting something so they're not following they can feel good about themselves that really they're doing it their own way causing trouble causing problems perverse things different things so it could be like I said it could be things country could be subtle ways to turn you against our church so there'll be people that do that they'll start trying to turn you against our church against what we preach what we teach and everything else again just to cause the vision to draw you away after them why well because they just want to destroy they want to devour turn of Romans 16 division causing is a big weapon of the enemy as unity is important when doing such an important work such a big work unity is needed so it's something to keep an eye out for isn't it division causing trying to cause a problem trying to divide the body of Christ the local New Testament Church Romans 16 and verse 17 and that's even before somewhere becomes a church it's easier to divide somewhere before it becomes a church it's much easier to destroy early Romans 16 of verse 17 says now I beseech you brethren he's saying I'm pleading with you please he said I beseech you brethren mark them which caused divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which he have learned and avoid them causing division is done in various ways okay but it's something to watch for he said for they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly and by good words and fair speeches deceive the heart of the simple look some are very clever with it did you know that they sound so wise they sound so sensible so serene so calm with the way they say it so so so wise he said with good words and fair speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple and being simple is not a good thing how do we get unsimple how do we get how do we stop being simple by reading the word by learning by growing in the things of God and that's how they draw away their own following okay by doing that but if you expect it if you remember they're gonna do it if you expect it's that much easier to spot if you just said no no no I know it says it all over the Bible but can't be true can't be true I know better everyone is nice really well you're gonna get deceived and you're gonna get pulled away you're gonna get destroyed but before you ever get a chance to actually do something for God who died for you and went to hell for you and he's trying to warn you throughout the Bible go back to Acts chapter 20 Acts chapter Acts chapter 20 again in verse 26 he said wherefore I take you to record this day that I'm pure from the blood of all men for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock of the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseas to feed the church of God which he has purchased with his own blood for for I know this after my deport departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perversings to draw away disciples after them therefore watch and remember that by the space of three years I cease not to warn everyone night and day with tears the title is grievous wolves shall enter in among you number one to get fed number two so expect them to enter number three so expect them to arise and number four so watch and remember watch and remember Paul said to watch and remember he said to remember that he preached this stuff for three years he preached it in morning sermons he preached in evening sermons you say why have I not heard this in other churches but I tell you what because they're not preaching aliment to because they're not declaring unto you the whole counsel of God the Apostle Paul the Apostle Paul preached this stuff for three years day and night and with tears he cared a lot about it because he knew it would happen he said you're gonna get torn apart you're gonna get destroyed straight away now you look at this stuff would think well then of course they will remember don't you so you're looking at that and you're thinking he preached by the space of three years he ceased not to warn everyone night and day with tears they must therefore remember this three years the Apostle Paul anyone think the Apostle Paul could preach or not I bet he could preach that was a spirit-filled man of God preaching the Word of God for three years he preached this night and day then he said watch and remember because you think they'll remember but don't be so sure people quickly forget they quickly get deceived it never ceases to amaze me you preach this stuff and you just see it happening throughout church life you just see it happening time and time again you're like I've warned you so many times how many times you have to preach this stuff they quickly get deceived they quickly forget all of those sermons and they get manipulated he said watch and remember watch and remember Turner Jude the book of Jude it's towards the end of your Bible just before the book of Revelation the book of Jude why was Paul crying do you know why because he knew how much would get destroyed that's why he's crying cuz he knew how how destructive wolves are whether they come in amongst you whether they rise up from you he just knew that they would just destroy it all so quickly he knew how weak people are to this stuff and you know why a lot of the time we're weak to this stuff it's not because everyone's a bad person it just lets it happen a lot of the time it's because really as a Christian as a believer you want to think the best of people don't you you don't want to think everyone is bad I mean often I'm kind of like you know I give people benefits of the doubt a lot and then it's like the next thing in the next thing in the next thing it's just like man you just don't want it to be true you don't want it to be the case you want it to just all be sunshine and flowers and skipping around just going this is such a lovely Christian life but that's not the Christian life it's hard work but it's rewarding work it's fulfilling work if God wants you to do that way he commands you to do the work but he knows he's warning you you will get destroyed if you don't listen to him the work will be destroyed before it even starts I'm looking at a small group here that have got saved there may be a minute maybe more from the schools that aren't so local and from people where we've sold win a bit further from here that maybe say maybe we'll listen to this online where we upload it maybe we'll encourage them to do a bit but you know what like Paul said there I know that grievous wolves shall enter in among you I know that wolf shall rise up amongst you and I know that they will not spare the flock and I know they want to devour you and whether they come from Malawi or whether they come from the USA whether they come from England or wherever that will happen and you have to watch and you have to remember remember this sermon rewatch it listen to every day maybe not every day get a bit depressing but listen to it listen to it because it's worth it because we want you to live for God we want you to be able to serve God not to get destroyed before it gets going he knew how effective they were he said in verse 4 there he said in in Jude and verse 4 for there are certain men crept in that means they creep in unawares no one spots them who were before of old ordained to this condemnation ungodly men turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ he then said in verse 8 about these types of people that creep in he said likewise also these filthy dreamers verse 8 defile the flesh despise dominion and speak evil of dignities they hate the leadership why do they hate the leadership because they want to draw everyone away as their own disciples they can't stand it they hate it they constantly wanting to to somehow get some one-upmanship something over on the leadership they can't stand cuz they want they want the sheep for themselves they crave it they desire it he said in verse 12 these are spots in your feasts of charity when they feast with you feeding themselves without fear clouds they are they are without water carried about of winds trees whose fruit withers without fruit twice dead plucked up by the roots they're twice dead they're done they can't be saved they've already rejected they're done they're done they've chosen the devil the Bible says they're reprobate concern the faith they cannot believe but they partake in everything like one of you he said they're in your feasts of charity they're feasting with you when they feast with you feeding themselves without fear they're amused by it he said in verse 16 these are murmurers complainers walking off their own lusts they always have some vile lusts and they always are being led by by their cravings for more their pride all these things and their mouth speakers great swelling words we've just read about these people haven't we we've just read how they that these people it's not just that they deceive them again with with the words of their mouth with fair speeches we saw in Romans 16 here it says with great swelling words having men's persons in admiration because of advantage so they the advantage of their swelling words of their charm of their charisma of them having no conscience so unlike normal people they will happily flatter to deceive they'll flatter you they'll coerce you they have a goal they have an endgame to what they say so it's an advantage because we don't spot it we don't see it because they're very clever with it normal people don't behave like that they have men's persons in admiration because of that advantage they get sucked in by their holier-than-thou nonsense like this just so holy it can't be a wolf it can't be a wolf because he just looks so holy he does all these holy things he says holy words he just seems so sinless by their words for show their subtle boasting their so-called knowledge that they're constantly trying to just slip in here slip in there their so-called holiness that they're trying to slip in here slip in there but beloved remember ye the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ what he say said remember he said remember he said remember just remember this sermon if you're saved and you're sitting here today and you want to go on to serve the Lord and I hope you all want to go and serve the Lord please just remember this sermon if you didn't if you forget the one in the morning that the one in morning is important as well but this is one to remember because you will be pulled away it will happen they will rise up you'll be shocked if you don't remember when the next person you just start to think what on earth they claim they believe they claim they were safe they claim to go and try and preach the gospel they were getting people to pray with them and now they're come what I can't believe it no I just don't know what to do I don't know who to believe why I'm out of here no no remember remember how that they told you that there should be mockers verse 18 and the last time who should walk after their own ungodly lusts these be they who separate themselves sensual having not the spit so they're led by the flesh they're not saying they don't have the Holy Spirit but ye beloved building up yourselves on your most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost so remember you're saved pray in the Holy Ghost he said get fed keep yourselves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life stay in the faith don't be led off into error stay close to God stay in the fight stay in the fight don't ruin your Christian life don't waste it if you're saved you're going to heaven great but you could do so much while you're here you could do so much or you could just let yourself get destroyed he said watch and remember watch and remember last bit and I'm gonna read it one more time so you can't not remember it Acts chapter 20 verse 26 says wherefore I take you to record this day that I'm pure from the blood of all men for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost of major overseers to feed the Church of God which is purchased with his own blood for I know this after my departing shall grievous walls entering among you not sparing the flock also of your own self shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them therefore watch and remember that by the space of three years I cease not to warn every one night and day with tears the title was grievous wolves shall entering among you number one so get fed get fed by the Word of God read the Word of God listen to the preaching learn from it grow in it do it as well do what you're being told to do by the Word of God number two so expect them to enter they will come in they will come in one way or another and don't don't let them come in it don't let them come in by by just turning up at the look at the nearest false Church don't just look around and go well you know they seem to have a nice bit of music going on let's turn up there no look you could go to them but but here he's warning he's warning people that hopefully have enough savvy that are sensible enough to not go there but know that they will come in to you they will come in one way or another he said number three so expect them to arise expect them to come up from sadly amongst yourselves amongst people that seem to have got saved recently that seemed to have done over the last couple of weeks and he said so watch and remember he said watch keep an eye you go well how do I watch I'm new to this I don't know what I'll tell you what you need to do you need to get in the Bible you need to start reading the Word of God and I tell you what else you could do is you can learn from some of our past preaching as well look I preached loads of messages on this type of thing because well I'm trying to look I can't even get close to your possible I'm not doing it day and night for three years with tears okay but I know it's such a risk you see it going on so much that you have to regularly preach it all over our YouTube channel over our website different messages on this we I've got a whole series on on on the book of Proverbs which is just all about wisdom so much wisdom and so much of the book of Proverbs is actually trying to get you to be wise to spot these types of people so watch watch firm learn how to watch and remember always remember that there are wicked people everywhere do you know that that look people have gone on missions trips all over the world they've gone and got loads of people saved sometimes thousands of people save but you know what usually happens grievous wolves come in among them and destroy them let's not let's let's make sure that doesn't happen in Malawi and make sure we can keep a remnant of believers of strong people of disciples here ready ready to carry on a work here so when we come back there's still some people going right who haven't been pulled left right and center and devoured and destroyed so watch and remember and on that we're going to finish in a prayer heavenly father thank you for your word thank you for the warnings in your word Lord thank you for everything that you warned us about in in the word of God and especially the subject of predators of wolves of these you know the these children of the devil that seem to be everywhere Lord and and they're trying to pull your people left right and center they're damning the unbelievers to hell they're trying to trying to destroy your people so we don't go and get other people saved ultimately just damning people to hell in one way or another please just help us Lord to spot them help everyone here to be strong help them all to now want to grow to want to learn to want to be strong to be a part of your army Lord to be a part of your people your your children here to go out and battle spiritually to get people saved and to destroy the work of the devil Lord help everyone here to understand that and also not be scared by this message to hopefully be strengthened by this message and to know that they have the power to tread upon these people they have the power to stamp them under feet they just need to grow in the word and and be willing to serve you Lord help everyone to do that and not to be destroyed help us to all get home safe for sound tonight Lord and in Jesus name pray all of this amen