Beware of the Wolves Luke 11:45-11:54

Wolves are Offended by the Truth

Luke 11:45 ESV

45 One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.”

Luke 11:47–48 ESV

47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. 48 So you are witnesses and you consent to the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs.

-Has been said that four tombs at the Mount of Olives - four prophets, perhaps what Jesus had referenced

-The point: they thought they were better than their fathers because they honored the prophets, but they were the same because they would kill the King of the prophets

-False teachers hate the true Christ, the true gospel, they try to find a way to go against the truth, they go to great lengths to try to distort the gospel

Luke 11:49 ESV

49 Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’

-prophets and teachers - preachers of the New Testament church

-What we find in the book of Acts - Stephen, Paul, Peter, and the list goes on

Luke 11:52 ESV

52 Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”

-what is the key of knowledge?

-key - the means of

-led others away from the knowledge of the gopsel

-False teachers may talk around Scripture, they may mention the name of Jesus, but they twist the truth to fit their agenda, we must seek the truth and expose the false teachers

Wolves Teach the Unattainable

Luke 11:46 ESV

46 And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

-All false religion is unable to transform the sin sick heart

-burden - cargo

-The lawyers were the ones who made the man-made laws, laws that none could follow, none could achieve, not even the lawyers themselves could fulfill

-Even the Law that we Find in the OT cannot transform our hearts, it cannot make us right with God, that was never its purpose

-So what was the purpose of the Law? To show that we are all sinners in need of a Savior

Galatians 3:19 ESV

19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.

-When a so called preacher or teacher spends more time teaching on what is external then what is internal then stop listening, if it is about money stop listening, if it is all about your works stop listening, if it is about worldly gain stop listening

Matthew 23:2–4 ESV

2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.

Wolves will Receive the Wrath of God

Luke 11:50 ESV

50 so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation,

-Isn’t this harsh? How could they be judged for what has happened in the past? Why would they receive a worse judgment? Because they have had what the prophets foretold for years upon years, they had John the Baptist prepare the way, they had the Messiah right in front of them, they rejected the message of the prophets

Luke 11:51 ESV

51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation.

-Abel to Zechariah, one of the first martyrs in the OT to the last, Zechariah martyred in 580-570 BC

-what judgment?

Luke 21:20 ESV

20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.

This was fulfilled, 70 AD the Temple was destroyed led by Roman General Titus, has been said 80,000 men

-God takes seriously those who lead others astray from the truth

-Beware of who you allow to teach you, seek the truth, do not seek a sensational speaker, do not see entertainment, do not seek what is popular, seek the truth, dig deep into the depths of God’s truth