David Diga Hernandez - Exposing False Gospels

Thank you, God, for joining with us tonight and allowing us to worship You, Jesus. Father, we thank You. I want to get right into this because there’s a lot on my heart regarding this topic. There are three gospels that are actually false gospels, and I only use the term «gospel» for the sake of communication. The three gospels I will be addressing are the Prosperity Gospel, the Extreme Grace Gospel (or Hyper Grace), and the Gospel of Works. These three gospels sound true, good, and enticing, but when compared to Scripture, they are found to be just deceptions that have entered the church. I’m not presenting this message to be critical, negative, or mean; I’m presenting this message so that you can recognize the true gospel. When we preach false gospels, it produces false conversion; when you preach the true gospel, true conversion comes about. Jesus said you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. But if you don’t know the truth, then you’re still bound. I will discuss these three gospels and present the true gospel in comparison. As you see these gospels contrasted, I pray that your heart, mind, and eyes are open, and that from now on you’ll be able to recognize them for what they are. Now, terminology aside, I will be using my own definitions for these gospels because I’m not one to divide the body of Christ or criticize someone just because they believe a little differently than I do. In fact, I look more for points of unity than I do to expose error, and that’s not how I like to spend my time. I prefer preaching the real gospel, but this is necessary to present to you, the believer, so that you can be one who preaches the gospel in truth and fullness. It needs to be clear, compelling, uncompromised, and correct. I’m going to get into this now, but first, I want to talk to you about the standard by which we measure all messages. You could say, «Well, Brother David, you only believe that because that’s how you were raised or taught.» But the truth is that aside from how beliefs are formed, what matters most is whether or not those beliefs are true. So, I will give you my criteria for determining truth. Once we set that standard, we will objectively compare all the other belief systems I mentioned against it and see how they hold up. First, I want to share this scripture with you; it’s found in 1 Corinthians 2:2, and this is what the Bible says: «For I decided that while I was with you, I would forget everything except Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified.» Second Corinthians 4:5 in the King James Version says, «For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’s sake.» Thus, we see that Jesus is the gospel; He is the standard, the plumb line, and the measurement. All beliefs, ideas, philosophies, and thinking must be compared to the standard that is Christ. If Jesus is the standard of the gospel, then we can actually see where these deceptions find their root. We can examine these gospels and pinpoint exactly what causes such beliefs to be formed. The nature of idolatry is not what you might think. You’ve probably heard it said that idolatry is when you put anything before God, right? The term «idolatry» is often used to describe putting your priorities out of order. For example, let’s say anything can become an idol. They might say, «If you love your car more than you go to church, or if you spend more time with your family than at church, or if you enjoy entertainment more than reading the Bible, that’s idolatry.» We claim God needs to be number one, which is true, but that’s not what idolatry is. If that were the case, idolatry would be an arbitrary standard, and there would be no real truth to determine whether we are violating it. It’s different for each person; God may require more time from me in ministry than He would from the average believer, and He may require something else from you. So, even though the convictions, commandments, and truths are consistent and objective, God still has a personal relationship with each of us. Therefore, to label idolatry as simply a wrong priority list…