16: Beware False Prophets & Build on the King's Commands (Mt 7:15-29) Communion

The 32nd President, Franklin D. Roosevelt disliked the long receiving lines at White House receptions. The guests were so busy talking and trying to impress one another that no one listened.

One evening as FDR greeted guests, he reportedly shook hands with each person and said, “I murdered my grandmother this morning.”

Guest after guest smiled and offered the usual niceties in return.

One dignitary, however, heard the president and understood the humor of the moment. He replied, “I’m sure she had it coming to her.”

Funny how easy it is not to listen what the most important person is saying because of all the distractions around us.

That might true about how we treat the words of Jesus too - we say we are listening…but are we really?

And in a world full of false teachings and false teachers, how can we KNOW that we are listening to the right voice? Today we discover that answer.

Last week we ended our study with some difficult words from Jesus, words that many people seem to pay little attention to….words that should shake our souls.

Matthew 7:13–14 (NIV)

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

But that’s not true according to Facebook posts and funeral services.

I know it might surprise you, but we often learn some BAD THEOLOGY from facebook, friends, & funerals. According to FB, people die because God needs another angel in heaven, angels who watch over their family and friends.

Note: People don’t become angels & we don’t need their watchcase when our heavenly Father watches over us.

And according to what we hear at funerals - evidently, most everyone goes to heaven. When is the last time you attended a funeral when the person who died DIDN’T make it to heaven?

But if Jesus has it right, this is NOT the case. Few enter the narrow gate…that leads to life.

So those who claim there are many ways to God and most everyone’s going to make it are in disagreement with Jesus.

Next, you’ll remember that Jesus warned His followers about false prophets.

False Prophets & Bad Fruit

Matthew 7:15-16a (NIV)

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them.

As we mentioned last week, false prophets are those who claim to speak for God, who pretend to be a part of the flock (in sheep’s clothing), who are really ferocious wolves licking their chops to feed on the sheep.

But Jesus says we can recognize them...by their fruit.

So, WHAT FRUIT should we be inspecting? Very simply, what a person SAYS and DOES. Jesus illustrates it this way…

Matthew 7:16b-20 (NIV)

Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Do their LIVES match what their LIPS say? Are they teaching the right things - and if they are - are they practicing what they are preaching?

When it comes to false prophets, it’s not that these people never speak SOME truth - it’s that these people point others away from THE TRUTH - who Jesus is and what Jesus says.

What might these wolves look like? Will they be ugly, unkept, poor communicators that no one will want to hear? Unlikely. In fact, they likely smile a lot , tell good stories, have thousands of followers, & quote some Bible - BUT - that doesn’t mean they are true prophets speaking on behalf of God. They will likely comfort & soothe without warning of God’s judgment & the need for turning from sin.

Paul also warned of False Teachers

2 Corinthians 11:13–15 (NIV)

For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

We mentioned last week, we aren’t to leave discernment at the door when people teach. We are expected and commanded to judge rightly.

John, one of the closest of Jesus’ disciples, wrote this about the same issue:

1 John 4:1 (NIV)

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

The Berean people who heard Paul teach, tested what HE taught to see if what he taught lined up with the Scriptures

We are to test what people teach, and see if it matches what the Spirit of God has said through the Scriptures.

So, what kind of fruit we are looking for?

Test what teachers say about God, Man, Sin, Jesus, & Judgment.

GOD is the Creator & Lord over all. He is perfect - the standard of what is right. False teachers attempt to dethrone God as the perfect Creator of all things...

VIDEO and bring God down to our level and subject to our laws.

Mormons do this. Listen the the words of Joseph Smith, their founder, just 2 months before his death:

“God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!” Is that what the Scriptures say? NOPE! [1]

Many ‘word-faith’ teachers treat God as if He is not all powerful, just some sort of elevated man. I will never forget hearing Kenneth Copeland say these words about God:

AUDIO Kenneth Copeland

“The Bible says [God] measured out the heavens with a nine-inch span. Well…my span is eight and three-quarter inches long. So God's span is a quarter of an inch longer than mine. So you see…God…stands somewhere around 6'2",6'3", weighs somewhere in the neighborhood of a couple hundred pounds, little better.” [2]

He’s also the same guy that ‘prophesied’ that Trump would be President a 2nd time - along with a bunch of other false prophets. FALSE. (And a bunch of other crazy things)

MAN is created in the image of God, with value (tell someone). Man is relational, creational, & eternal. Yet mankind has also sinned against God.

VIDEO False teachers not only attempt to bring God down to man’s level, but they lift man up to God’s level.

There is little focus on repentance (turning from sin & agreeing with God on what is right & wrong) & more focus on mankind’s goodness and spiritual authority.

Word-faith teachers like Kenneth Copeland, Jesse Duplantis, TD Jakes, Joyce Meyer, Paula White, & Joel Osteen claim that Christians have the ability to - LIKE GOD - speak life & death into existence. To be sure, we can HARM or HELP other people with our words. But these people twist the Scriptures (e.g. misquoting Rom. 4:17) and say things like this: “Your words become your reality…Words are like seeds. When you speak something out, you give life to what you’re saying…Whether you realize it or not, you are prophesying your future.” [3]

Hear it for yourself.

VIDEO Joel Osteen

Joel Osteen These people believe you - like God - can speak your own reality into existence…and THIS is FALSE. Further, they abuse the Scriptures misquoting & taking out of context.

For example, Joel said “James said in the Scripture, with our tongue we can bless our life or we can curse our life.” Where did he get that from? The only place would have come from here, and as you’ll see, it is NOT teaching us to bless our own lives with our words.

James 3:9–10 (NIV)

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

What does the person teach about SIN?

SIN has separated us from relationship with God. We must turn from our sin and change our thinking to agree with what God says is right and wrong. Those who never talk about sin…instead calling sin ‘mistakes’…if they never talk about repenting of sin, it’s FALSE TEACHING.

One of the guys I have appreciated in the past - Andy Stanley - has now moved away from the Scripture to say those who participate homosexual activity don’t need to repent of this sin, as long as they marry one another. This is FALSE!

JESUS is God-in-skin (fully God & fully man), who came to live the perfect life without sin & pay IN FULL the penalty for our sins. Because of this, it is by God’s grace that we are saved, and not by our good works (Eph. 2:8-9). False teachers add something to the cross, it’s the cross PLUS. They either 1) downplay the need for Jesus to die, 2) claim He didn’t pay for ALL our sin, 3) or teach that Jesus broke the law of God to pay for us.

Mormons teach that it is by grace AFTER ALL YOU CAN DO. Jesus didn’t pay it all. [4] (And Jesus is just one of many deities - our spirit brother & the brother of Lucifer)

Jehovah’s witnesses deny that Jesus is God. They teach that the Trinity is a doctrine of the devil. They don’t believe that Jesus physically rose from the dead, nor should He ever be worshipped. After all - according to them - Jesus originally created by Jehovah as the archangel, Michael. (Craziness)

Word-Faith teachers claim that Jesus had to make a deal with the devil and suffer in hell to pay for our sin - which is NEVER taught in the Scriptures. Jesus is God the Son who paid for our debt - ON THE CROSS!

JUDGMENT is coming, as we will see in our text in just a moment.

Following Jesus = Eternal Life. Not Following Jesus = Eternal Punishment. False teachers often claim that God will forgive everyone.

Years ago a well known pastor, Rob Bell, whose videos we had used here at Fellowship, began to teach that God loves everyone so much, that he would never let anyone go to hell for eternity. He became very popular through Oprah Winfrey. His popular message is NOT what Jesus teaches.

Pope Francis, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church recently assured a young boy that his atheist father would certainly be in heaven. He further said this during a mass: "The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! 'Father, the atheists?' Even the atheists. Everyone! And this Blood makes us children of God of the first class! We are created children in the likeness of God and the Blood of Christ has redeemed us all!" [5]

And while many Protestants and Catholics now believe God will let most people into heaven, because most people are ‘good’ - Jesus has a different perspective.

Matthew 7:21 (NIV)

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

The doubling of “Lord, Lord” is amplifying the claim that Jesus is Lord over your life, passionately proclaiming that Jesus as your ultimate AUTHORITY. What HE says, you will DO.

The problem is that many listening to Jesus…maybe many listening to me, proclaim Jesus is Lord with their lips, but not with their lives.

This is like saying: 1) I respect you…2) I trust you as the Ultimate Authority in my life BUT.... I refuse to DO what you SAY.”

And THIS is a clarifying characteristic of those who will enter the kingdom of heaven - It’s only the one who does the will of the Father - those who actually obey what God says.

BIG TRUTH: Trusting Jesus as LORD [means we] pledge allegiance & practice obedience.

Allegiance without obedience is just talk. Don’t call Jesus “Lord” if you don’t obey His word, because you’re fooling yourself and confusing others.

Think of the audacity of one of your Bible teachers saying what Jesus is about to say...

Matthew 7:22–23 (NIV)

Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Jesus is claiming to be the ONE who judges false followers who claim He is their Lord, and send them away for eternity. Who CLAIMS that!!!!???? JESUS!

And just look at the FRUIT these people offer to prove their legitimate relationship with God.

Have YOU ever prophesied - spoken of behalf of God to others, how about driven out demons, or performed multiple miracles? These are incredible claims, but Jesus isn’t buying what they’re selling because...

BIG TRUTH: Trusting Jesus as LORD [means we] pledge allegiance & practice obedience.

And Jesus says that these people are evildoers. They aren’t obedient to God.

And just where is Jesus sending them away to? Matthew later records what Jesus says about this.

Matthew 25:31–33 (NIV)

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

Matthew 25:34, 41 (NIV)

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world...Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Do you think Jesus believes in an eternal place of punishment we typically call HELL? Yep.

And Jesus finishes His sermon on the mount with this illustration that summarizes everything He has been teaching.

Matthew 7:24–25 (NIV)

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

Matthew 7:26–27 (NIV)

But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Notice: they both built houses. One took the time to dig deep to find a foundational rock to build on; The other didn’t worry about all that extra work and quickly started to construct his house.

Notice that a flood came to both houses. What does this flood represent? Scholars seem to disagree.

Some say this is referring to tough times that come to all people (see Wiersbe).

Others say that Jesus is pointing to what will happen on Judgment Day (see Stein).

Whether both are intended, certainly both are true. All people WILL go through tough times. Followers of Jesus are NOT immune to difficulties. And bigger than that…ALL people WILL face judgment one day.

Finally, one house stood & the other collapsed. What made the difference? Whether or not they built their houses (representing their lives) on the words of Jesus or not.

This is HUGE!

Can you imagine ME or some other pastor or teacher talking like THIS?

“Whoever hears MY WORDS and puts them into practice…” Jesus was not just another Rabbi pointing to the words of a former rabbi. Jesus speaks of people BUILDING THEIR LIVES on His Words!

BIG TRUTH: Trusting Jesus as LORD [means we] pledge allegiance & practice obedience.

Examine Yourself: If judgment were to happen TODAY for you…would your LIFE stand…or COLLAPSE? Are you building your LIFE on the words of Jesus or not?

Do you Pledge Allegiance & Practice Obedience? Or are you just FOOLING yourself & CONFUSING others?

Matthew 7:28–29 (NIV)

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

What are we going to DO with what we heard today? May we compare all teachings to the words of Jesus and His apostles who wrote the Scriptures. May we bend our beliefs to fit the Bible, and never do the reverse.

And may we Beware False Prophets & Build on the King’s Commands.

Is Jesus Your KIng? Have you surrendered to Him? Do you walk in obedience to Him?

Are you studying Scripture on your own? Are you involved in a GROUP and have some solid Bible teachers that you can ask difficult questions? PLUG IN on Sundays or Wednesdays!

PRAY (Deacons come up for Lord’s Supper)

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Lord’s Supper

Today we conclude by celebrating the night that Jesus literally bowed His knee to wash the feet of His disciples - a task expected of a servant, NOT a KING! That meal was more than a meal, it was the last night of Jesus life before He carried the cross to pay for our sins.

Let me briefly remind you who SHOULD participate and who SHOULD NOT.

Our deacons will now pass out the bread and juice, and as the do, let’s pause and reflect on what Jesus has done for us as we sing together.

Read from Luke 22:14-20 and take Communion.

Luke 22:14–20 (NIV)

When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

Remind of Paul in 1 Cor 11:26 “Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”)

___________

https://www.lds.org/ensign/1971/04/the-king-follett-sermon?lang=eng (Joseph Smith)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPUCL5qDmkM (Kenneth Copeland)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA6uE2CPo1I (Joel Osteen)

The Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 25:23.

www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2013/05/29/187009384/Pope-Francis-Even-Atheists-Can-Be-Redeemed