• Wolves, foxes and jackals are scavengers. Did God Really • They only look out after themselves. • Jesus called them, “ravenous wolves.” (Matthew 7:15) Say to Me? • Paul called them, “savage wolves.” (Acts 20:29-30) 13:1-9 • They will devour instead of repair and build up. Matthew 7:15-20 • (v. 5) They will devour instead of repair and build up. (John 10:10) Jeremiah 23:16-27 • Preaching REPENTANCE and convincing people they had to turn back to the Lord was what the people NEEDED. Four Messages from Ezekiel 13 â “Did God Really Say to Me?” (vv. 1-9) They Say, “Thus Says the LORD . . .” (vv. 6-8) ã “Lies About Peace” (vv. 10, 16) • Just because someone says, “the LORD says . . .” does not mean God said it! ä “Fixing a Wall with Only Plaster” (vv. 11-15) • These men hoped that their words would be confirmed – they themselves were å “Hunting Souls” (vv. 17-23) deceived. • THEREFORE, because you have spoken NONSENSE and LIES – I AM Warnings of False AGAINST YOU. It is a SERIOUS thing to misrepresent God . • There will be MANY false prophets that will DECEIVE MANY . (Matt. 24:11) • False prophets will use GREAT SIGNS and WONDERS to use GREAT WARNINGS to US DECEPTIONS. (Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22) • We are to TEST ALL THINGS. (1 Thessalonians 5:21) - The Antichrist will use great signs and wonders to deceive the world. i NOT to do so is SIN and opens us up to DECEPTION. (Revelation 13:13-14) • Our HEARTS are DECEPTIVE. (Jeremiah 17:9) • False teachers will be IN THE CHURCH. (Acts 20:29- 30; 2 Cor. 11:13-15) • We are to speak ONLY what we KNOW God has said. • False teachers will get WORSE and WORSE. (2 Timothy 3:13) • WARNING about the language we sometimes use: • People in our times will follow seducing spirits and doctrines . (1 Tim. 4:1) - “God told me . . .” - “God has been speaking to me . . .” - “The LORD laid this on my heart . . .” - “God revealed to me . . .” • God has given us His Word. We are to LIVE our lives on EVERY WORD that THEN WHY DO PEOPLE TAKE TEACHING and PREACHING SO LIGHTLY? has been given to us. (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4; 1 Peter 4:11) • Question: Is what God told me INSPIRED? Is what we feel and think to the Speaking Things of God or of Our Own Hearts (vv. 1-3) authority of the ? • (v. 2) God commands Ezekiel to preach AGAINST the prophets of . • “If we casually say, ‘God said to me’ or ‘The Lord spoke to my heart,’ we blur - This would take COURAGE and CARE. the lines between what we know God said in His Word and what we think - It must ONLY be done because of a PASSION for TRUTH. He might have said through our inner awareness.” • (v. 2) These false prophets were preaching “out of their own hearts” and saying • “If we believe we are thinking in a manner that is consistent with His [God’s] to their listeners, “Hear, the Word of the Lord!” thoughts, then we need to say, ‘I think,’ or ‘I believe this is a course of action • (v. 3) God commands Ezekiel to tell these prophets and their listeners the REAL that would please God,’ or ‘I believe this direction is consistent with the THING — thus says the Lord GOD (the Sovereign Lord). teachings of Scripture.” • (v. 3) GOD says that these prophets are in TROUBLE because they have SEEN • Question: What if I say, “God told me . . .” and what He told me did not come to NOTHING. be true? Consider the judgment on false prophets in the . • God would speak through His prophets – He would give them the words to • Our commission as AMBASSADORS for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20) is to speak speak. (See Exodus 4:12: Jeremiah 1:7-9, 17; :17, 27) the what God has said and nothing more. • Even the Son of God was to speak ONLY the Words of God. (Deuteronomy • We are to live our lives on what is REVEALED. (Deuteronomy 29:29) 18:18; Isaiah 50:4; 51:16; John 7:16; 12:49 ; 14:10; 17:8)

Wolves in the Flock (vv. 4-5)