Pulpit Speech I                                                KL Paulson 
Preacher Silcox                                                 9/10/1996
Text: "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are 
      of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."  
      (I John 4:1) 

Introduction:

     Brief background leading up to Chapter 4.

I. Who? BELOVED 

  -- Apostle John addresses his 1st Epistle to Christians.
  -- Written between 85 - 90 A.D. from Ephesus.

II. What? BELIEVE NOT EVERY SPIRIT 

  A. v.6 The spirit of truth (light)

     See v.2 Spirit of God

     Isaiah 8:20

  B. v.6 The spirit of error (darkness)

     See v.2 spirit of antichrist

     Xref: I John 2:18
     "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that 
     antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; 
     whereby we know that it is the last time." 

     John is saying his warning is just as relevant today as it was then.  
     Note the word NOW.

III. How? BUT TRY THE SPIRITS WHETHER THEY ARE OF GOD 

  A. You better test them out

     Xrefs: I Corinthians 14:29b 
     "Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge."
            I Corinthians 12:10
     "to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits;" 

  B. This phrase contains a BIG IF (whether)

     Are you being taught Jesus is fully God & fully man?
     Virgin birth & Incarnation - God manifested in the flesh.

IV. Why? BECAUSE MANY FALSE PROPHETS ARE GONE OUT INTO THE WORLD 

  A. See what they SAY.

     The same John in Revelation 2:2b counsels the angel of the church 
     of Ephesus: 
       "I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst 
       not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which 
       say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:" 

     Are we listening to true ministers of the Word of God? 
       OR
     Are we dealing with liars?

  B. See what they DO.

     Matthew 7:15-16a,20
     "(15)Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's 
     clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  

     Very interesting...these imposters will come to you.
     You won't have to attract in any way.  The trouble makers will come.  
     Satan will see to it. 

     "(16)Ye shall know them by their fruits."
     "(20)Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."
                     
     You can spot them by their fruit.

     Mark 13:22-23

Conclusion:

     Restate Verse & mention that all John was doing was repeating the 
     warnings of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospels & Paul in his 
     Epistles.