Introduction: God has not yet separated the sheep from the goats. And not only goats, but there are also wolves among the sheep. Paul said to the elders in the chuch of Ephesus:

"Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears." (Acts 20:28-31).

The Japanese snuck up on us in WW2, and bombed Pear Harbor. When Osama Bin Laden attacked the World Trade Center, he caught us by surprise. The sneak attack is more dangerous than open confrontation. The false apostle seldom launches a direct attack on Scripture, rather he/she claims to honor Scripture, but actually twists it to his/her own purposes.

There are four words which summarize verses 1-15:

I. Humility

A. Paul says he is acting foolishly, but he really isn't. But he is embarrassed at the need to blow his own horn, because he was a humble man.

B. False teachers are not humble. They love $1000 suits, expensive jewlery, lavish accomodations, chauffered limosines and private jets. They are constantly asking for your money. They themselves are at the heart and soul of their ministries, and when they die, their ministries die with them. May God help us to be humble as Paul!

II. Faithfulness

A. Paul was faithful to his calling as apostle to the Gentiles. He didn't swerve from God's path for him. He didn't give up when the going got rough.

B. In the Old Testament, Israel became famous for being unfaithful to God (Hosea 4:1-3) (page 1398).

C. Paul was zealous that the Corinthians would stay faithful to Jesus. We live in a time in which we are constantly "proselytized" by our society, from every conceivable direction. It is hard to remain faithful. How are we doing at being faithful to our Lord?

III. Watchfulness

A. Because of the numerous (and they are a multitude!) false apostles, we must be alert to preserve the real Jesus, the real Holy Spirit, and the real Gospel.

B. False apostles preach a Jesus different from the one in the Bible. For example, T.D. Jakes, a very popular TV preacher, denies the Trinity, and teaches an ancient heresy called "Modalism." Joyce Meyer and Kenneth Copeland teach that Jesus did not go to Paradise the day He died, as he said, but rather that he went to Hell to be tormented by Satan for three days, and then Jesus became the first man to ever be born again.

C. False apostles look to a different Holy Spirit than the One in the Bible. They believe in a Holy Spirit who makes people laugh uncontrolably, bark like a dog, roll on the floor, makes you speak in nonsense sylables, gives new revelations, and who makes you fall down when Benny Hinn waves at you.

D. False apostles preach a different Gospel. For example, the Bible says that everyone, both Jew and Gentile, must turn to Jesus Christ for salvation. Popular TV preacher John Hagee teaches that Jews already have a covenant with God, and that they do not need to believe in Jesus. False apostle usually avoid the topic of salvation altogether, and stick with promising you health and wealth. They know what people want.

E. If our views don't agree with what the Bible teaches, then we need to change our views. We must not try to change the Bible. Illustrate: The story of the two "ships."

IV. Missions

A. Paul didn't actually steal from other churches, but he did solicit and use funds from other churches to help him plant the church in Corinth and to continue his mission work.

B. Thank God for church planters and missionaries! Wayside supports many, many missionaries (list). It is the Christian's duty and joy to give and support missions.

Conclusion: In order to survive, and even to do well, as sheep among wolves, we need to have humility, faithfulness, watchfulness; and we need to be busy planting churches and reaching the lost with the message of the Gospel. Amen.