1 John 2:18-27
“18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us. 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life. 26 These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. 27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.[1]”—1 John 2:18–27, NASB 95
Why do scams work? Are the victims uneducated, unintelligent, or constitutionally naïve? Unfortunately, for all of us, the answer is no. Even people at the top of their professions can be taken in. In their book Nobody’s Fool: Why We Get Taken In and What We Can Do About It, two researchers write:
Frauds are ever-evolving and can be complex and sophisticated, but even simple ploys can take us in … Most of the scams people fall for today are not new; they are remixes and mashups of tricks that have worked for generations … Taking steps to avoid deception means we have to abandon the myth that only the gullible can be taken in. There are scams out there waiting for each of us, no matter how sophisticated we think we are. Rather than “it can’t happen to me,” your mantra should be “accept less, check more.”
In some ways, that seems sad, but I think the Apostle John would agree. Some scams want our money, and some frauds want our minds and hearts. The readers of this sermon are the target! John does not want us to be cocky, thinking that being deceived will never happen to us. He wants us to be confident, not cocky, as we face the antichrists that are targeting us. Cocky says, “I am too smart to be fooled.” Confidence says, “I know I am a target, and I will humble myself to ‘accept less and check more.’”
Why do scams work? Are the victims uneducated, unintelligent, or constitutionally naïve? Unfortunately, for all of us, the answer is no. Even people at the top of their professions can be taken in. In their book Nobody’s Fool: Why We Get Taken In and What We Can Do About It, two researchers write:
Frauds are ever-evolving and can be complex and sophisticated, but even simple ploys can take us in … Most of the scams people fall for today are not new; they are remixes and mashups of tricks that have worked for generations … Taking steps to avoid deception means we have to abandon the myth that only the gullible can be taken in. There are scams out there waiting for each of us, no matter how sophisticated we think we are. Rather than “it can’t happen to me,” your mantra should be “accept less, check more.”
In some ways, that seems sad, but I think the Apostle John would agree. Some scams want our money, and some frauds want our minds and hearts. The readers of this sermon are the target! John does not want us to be cocky, thinking that being deceived will never happen to us. He wants us to be confident, not cocky, as we face the antichrists that are targeting us. Cocky says, “I am too smart to be fooled.” Confidence says, “I know I am a target, and I will humble myself to ‘accept less and check more.’”
Discussion Questions
1. Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a scam? What did the email, caller, or texter try to get you to do? How sensitive are you, in general, to recognizing scams? What are the indicators that help you recognize them?
2. What images come to your mind when you hear the word “antichrist”?
3. Why might that fact make these false teachers more difficult to recognize?
4. Russell talked about the difference between confident and cocky. How would you describe them?
5. John wants us to be confident. John 1:18-27 reminds us of three things to be confident in. How do the following three things help us navigate scams of false teachers?
- The anointing of the Holy Spirit
- In our abiding fellowship with Christ
- In our assurance of salvation
6. Is there any pattern of belief or behavior in your life that you need to check for false teaching? Russell gave four tests for determining false doctrine. Discuss how these could help check that teaching.
- Origin of the Doctrine (God or man)
- Authority of the Teaching (Bible or other)
- Consistency (all of scripture)
- Benefit or Profitability (spiritual growth or value)
2. What images come to your mind when you hear the word “antichrist”?
3. Why might that fact make these false teachers more difficult to recognize?
4. Russell talked about the difference between confident and cocky. How would you describe them?
5. John wants us to be confident. John 1:18-27 reminds us of three things to be confident in. How do the following three things help us navigate scams of false teachers?
- The anointing of the Holy Spirit
- In our abiding fellowship with Christ
- In our assurance of salvation
6. Is there any pattern of belief or behavior in your life that you need to check for false teaching? Russell gave four tests for determining false doctrine. Discuss how these could help check that teaching.
- Origin of the Doctrine (God or man)
- Authority of the Teaching (Bible or other)
- Consistency (all of scripture)
- Benefit or Profitability (spiritual growth or value)
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