Matthew 16:1-12: The Call to Be on Guard

Teaching Outline: Matthew 16:1-12

Introduction

Scripture Reading: Read Matthew 16:1-12 together as a congregation.

Pastoral Prayer: Pray for illumination.

Illustration

Chernobyl Disaster (April 1986):

In April 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in Ukraine exploded, releasing massive amounts of radiation. The immediate danger was obvious—fires, a destroyed reactor, and radiation levels so high they were off the charts. Yet, the Soviet authorities refused to believe, or at least publicly acknowledge, the severity of the disaster.

Initial reports downplayed the explosion. Local residents weren’t evacuated for over 36 hours, despite visible evidence of danger—strange metallic tastes in the air, wildlife dying, and workers falling sick. Even as radiation spread across Europe, Soviet leaders delayed admitting the truth. Their denial wasn’t due to lack of evidence, but pride, fear of political embarrassment, and an unwillingness to face the consequences.

That delay cost thousands of lives and exposed countless others to harmful radiation. Denial of the signs didn’t change the reality—it only made the outcome worse.

Connecting the Illustration:

Just as the Chernobyl authorities ignored obvious signs, people today can ignore the signs of spiritual danger.

Jesus warns that ignoring the sign of His resurrection will lead to disaster.

Pride, comfort, or fear of change can cause people to ignore God's clear warnings.

Ignoring the truth doesn’t make it disappear—it only deepens the danger.

Connection to the Passage:

In Matthew 16, the Pharisees and Sadducees demand a sign from Jesus, despite already witnessing many miraculous signs.

Their refusal to see the signs points to a deeper problem: spiritual blindness and unbelief.

Jesus warns His disciples to beware of this "leaven" of unbelief.

Sermon

I. Caution Against Unbelief (vv. 1-4)

Context and Exposition:

Jesus is returning from the Gentile regions.

The Pharisees and Sadducees (unlikely allies) confront Him with hostile intent, seeking to test Him.

Their request for a "sign from heaven" wasn’t genuine—it was an attempt to trap Jesus.

Jesus’ Response:

He exposes their hypocrisy by highlighting their ability to interpret weather patterns but failure to recognize the spiritual signs right before them.

They really are being “blind guides,” supposed to be the great teachers, but leading their followers into the pit with themselves.

They were like a mechanic who ignores the check engine light and then acts surprised when the car breaks down.

Irony: The greatest sign—Jesus Himself—was standing before them, performing miracles and teaching with authority.

This is why in verse 4 he repeats his indictment on them from chapter 12 before walking away

4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.

The Sign of Jonah (v. 4):

Just as Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days, Jesus would be in the grave for three days before rising again.

The other sign: Jonah’s call to repentance, which echoes Jesus’ own call to repent and believe.

Key Idea:

The resurrection is the ultimate and sufficient sign.

Demanding more signs exposes a heart unwilling to believe.

Salvation History: The cross and the empty tomb are sufficient evidence.

Those who keep wishing for supernatural signs in order to believe are rejecting the revelation of God in the cross of Jesus Christ.

If you demand more "proof," it’s not due to a lack of evidence but a lack of faith.

Beware of a heart that always asks for "more" from God while ignoring what He's already revealed.

The demand for signs is a sign of a heart that does not remember and believe what God has already done.

Trust God's revelation through Christ—He doesn’t owe us additional signs.

Application Questions:

Are we blind to how God is working around us?

Do we trust the sufficiency of the resurrection, or are we always asking for more proof?

If you're constantly demanding more from God, consider whether it's pride or unbelief that fuels that demand.

Call to Trust:

Trust God by remembering the ways he has provided before.

Teach your children to trust God, even when they don’t understand.

Rest in the sufficiency of Scripture and the Gospel.

Jesus is the Word of Life. Where else can we go?

Transition

“So we must be on guard to recognize when our unbelief causes haziness in our vision of God so we can fight it to see clearly.

After Jesus finishes his rebuke of the Pharisees and Sadducees, he withdraws with his disciples to teach them more. Because he is preparing them to go on without him. He knows that he is about to start the journey to his death.

And the way he teaches them is to caution them against the dangerous influence of false teaching that can grow subtly and unseen. False teaching is dangerous because it distorts our understanding of God.”

II. Caution Against False Teachers (vv. 5-12)

Context and Exposition:

The disciples, worried about the bread they forgot, miss Jesus’ deeper spiritual warning.

Jesus says, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Leaven (yeast) is tiny but it multiplies and spreads invisibly throughout the dough, until it now is in everything—

just like how false teaching, once introduced and not immediately removed,

spreads throughout our understanding of God until we can’t even tell we don’t believe in the God of the Bible anymore.

False teaching leads to unbelief, which leads to judgement and death.

The Disciples’ Confusion:

They think Jesus is talking about literal bread.

They are confused and distracted because of the situation they have found themselves in, in a new place with no bread!

Jesus corrects them, rebuking their lack of faith and understanding of what he is saying

He then warns them again to be on guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

The discouraging, and encouraging, disciples

The disciples are a strange bunch.

They are being prepped to be the leaders of the church once Jesus leaves

And they constantly don’t get it! They seem to always be getting it wrong!

Can you believe that these are the guys Jesus is going to leave his followers to be shepherded by?

They literally just saw Jesus miraculously feed bread to thousands of people two different times!, and they still are so worried about not having bread that they’re missing the point of Jesus’ instructions to them!

Somehow, these are the same guys who wrote nearly all of the New Testament!

And that should be so encouraging to us.

Jesus takes screw-ups, who are humble enough to trust him and follow him alone, and makes them into noble sons and daughters of God.

That is encouraging because if Jesus can take these men and make them into great, bold leaders, what could he do with someone like you? And me?

And we see the encouragement of them finally getting it in verse 12.

After Jesus’ rebuke and repetition of his command, they finally understand that Jesus means the corrupt teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

The Danger of False Teachers

· And this is something we must recognize clearly: false teachers are dangerous.

· They’re not to be trifled with. They are to be treated with extreme caution, not with fear or indifference, but with caution.

Gospel Tie:

· False teaching distorts the Gospel. The true Gospel is that salvation comes by grace through faith in Christ alone.

· But false teaching creeps in by adding to or taking away from the Gospel.

· False teachers are something the New Testament talks about more than just about anything else

o And just in the time of the first generationof the Christian Church we see no fewer than five different groups that are leading the early church astray and are being fought against by the Apostles.

· In our own day we have no fewer than 10,000 cults worldwide with half of them being here in our nation

o and even more churches that are following other false teachings.

Key Idea:

False teaching spreads subtly and corrupts hearts and churches.

It distorts the Gospel by adding to it or taking away from it.

It tries to distract us from God and His Word

Common Tactics of False Teachers:

1. Undermining Scripture's Authority:

“The Bible contains God’s Word, but not everything in it is God’s Word.”

2. Minimizing Sin and Repentance:

"As long as you’re a good person, that’s all God requires."

3. Promoting Self-Centered Theology:

"God’s main goal is your happiness."

Or “Speak your dreams into existence, and God will make them happen”

4. Denying the Uniqueness of Christ:

"Sincere belief is all that matters. God wouldn’t condemn anyone to hell just because they get Jesus wrong.”

5. Twisting God's Character:

"A loving God wouldn’t judge people—He accepts everyone as they are."

6. Promoting Experience Over Scripture:

" God told me..." or “Don’t put God in a box”

7. Weakening Church Accountability:

"You don’t need organized religion. Your personal relationship is all that matters."

“You can connect with God better in nature than in a building.”

In all these things they take something that is true and twist it so it sounds nice, but really is a false leaven that we must be on guard against.

How Do We Guard Against False Teaching?

Illustration:

Detecting counterfeit money is done by knowing the real thing well.

In the same way, knowing Scripture helps us discern false teaching.

EXAMPLE: Acts 17:10-12 (Bereans):

They examined the Scriptures daily to see if Paul's teaching was true.

Be like the Bereans: Nobly test every teaching against Scripture. Submit joyfully to truth.

The Role of Scripture:

And this is something that is considered vital in Gospel ministry. The Scriptures must be believed and taught.

The Popular verse: 2 Timothy 3:16-17: 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

We too often stop there.

But that passage doesn’t end there, it continues into chapter 4.

Immediately after those verses about Scripture being the living Word of God

Paul continues with a charge for the young man Timothy who is trying to lead the church of Ephesus to faithfulness and help.

So Paul says to Timothy in the next verses:

2 Timothy 4:1-5: 1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

And friends, as American pastors drifted from teaching directly from the Word of God, and teaching directly what the Word of God teaches, this is exactly what we have seen happen.

People stopped enduring sound teaching, demanding shorter sermons and more stories. They began expecting pastors to preach to their passions, and they abandoned the truth for nice sounding myths that appealed to the traditions and culture they grew up in.

This is why my calling to you, as your pastor, is not dependent on what you think a good pastor should be. It is dependent on what God’s word says I should be and what I should do. And this is why I preach the Word of God, because that is exactly what is demanded of me by God.

Pastoral Responsibility:

Preaching the Scriptures is God's command to pastors in order to protect His people from false teachings.

This is why I take it very seriously. I care about what God has commanded and I care about you.

I don’t want you to be led astray, even by good intentions!

The saying is true: “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” and I am desperate to make sure that no one from this flock ends up in Hell.

We have to take these warnings with deathly seriousness.

Good intentions from preachers aren’t enough—only truth protects from deception.

Application Questions:

Are there teachings you are believing that distort the Gospel?

Are you submitting to the authority of Scripture or following cultural trends?

Are you familiar enough with the truth that you can detect the false teachers?

Transition

· False teaching and unbelief have always threatened God's people.

· Be aware that unbelief often begins subtly. Examine your heart for resistance to truth.

· Cultural "leaven" spreads discretely through media, politics, and education, shaping our hearts against Christ.

· And there lies the great issue. Because Jesus Christ alone can purify us from the leaven of sin. We must trust His word fully.

· As we deepen our trust in Christ we start to have greater understanding of what Jesus is doing in our lives. The ability to discern truth from error grows as we deepen our trust in Christ.

· And Jesus calls his people to discernment and trust.

III. The Call to Discernment and Trust

Explanation:

Discernment is recognizing and trusting the truth of Christ while guarding against distortions.

Distraction, like the disciples’ focus on bread, weakens discernment.

Charles Spurgeon: “True discernment is not knowing right from wrong. It is knowing right from almost right.”

Gospel Tie:

We grow in discernment as we grow more familiar and more trusting of Christ’s finished work at the cross.

The Gospel isn’t just the starting point for Christian life

It is our daily guide for recognizing truth!

Knowing Christ’s love and grace at the cross helps us to recognize the messages that contradict him

When we trust Jesus and his provision for us, who were once (or perhaps still are!) his enemies

through the sign of Jonah: his death on the cross, descent into the belly of the earth for three days, and his resurrection from the dead

We stop being so distracted by our lack, and by false teachings in our culture

Our focus must remain on Jesus Christ and his work first and then extend out from there.

Call to Trust:

Trust that God is faithful, even when we don’t understand.

Even when our bodies and minds are breaking down

Even when our culture and families turn against us

Even when we are worn out from the struggles of living in a sin-affected world

Trust in what God has already done and has promised to do

Trust that Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection are sufficient evidence of His love.

Trust in his promises of new, redeemed life in the New Heavens and New Earth

Trust that he will keep his promise to reward the faithful, and lean into that

Because when we forget and are distracted, it is only by remembering the truth that we can get back on track.

Jesus invites you to trust Him as God, King, and Savior.

Application:

Be diligent in guarding the true Gospel.

Ask: Are you responding to Jesus with discernment and trust?

Deepen your trust in Christ by meditating on what he has said, done, and promised to grow in your discernment of knowing what comes from him.

Conclusion

Summary:

The Pharisees demanded a sign but missed the greatest one because of their unbelief

False teachings still threaten to distort the truth, but Jesus calls us to trust Him and his Gospel message.

Reflection: Are you trusting in Christ's final sign in the cross, or are you still seeking more proof? Are you guarding your heart against false teaching, or are you letting it creep in unnoticed?

Challenge: Reject false teaching and reject self-reliance. Trust wholly in the sufficiency of Christ. Remember and rejoice in the gospel.

Key Verse: Matthew 16:12

12 Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Gospel Invitation:

"Jesus didn’t come to offer vague ideas or temporary comfort. He gave His life as a ransom for many. The sign of Jonah points to His death and resurrection—the ultimate proof of God's love and power. Today, you don't need to wait for another sign. The cross stands as God's invitation: turn from sin, trust in Christ, and find life in Him."

Call to Action:

If you have not trusted Christ, today is the day to believe in the sufficient sign of His death and resurrection.

If you are a believer, renew your trust and commit to growing in discernment by knowing Christ and his word deeply.

Closing Prayer: Pray for eyes to see the truth, hearts to trust Christ, and lives shaped by His Gospel.

invite people to come for healing prayer

Benediction:

Close with a benediction that encourages the congregation to go forth in discernment and trust, grounded in the sufficiency of Christ's work.

Introduction

Read Matthew 16:1-12 together as a congregation.

Pastoral Prayer for illumination.

Illustration

In April 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in Ukraine exploded, releasing massive amounts of radiation. The immediate danger was obvious—fires, a destroyed reactor, and radiation levels so high they were off the charts. Yet, the Soviet authorities refused to believe, or at least publicly acknowledge, the severity of the disaster.

Initial reports downplayed the explosion. Local residents weren’t evacuated for over 36 hours, despite visible evidence of danger—strange metallic tastes in the air, wildlife dying, and workers falling sick. Even as radiation spread across Europe, Soviet leaders delayed admitting the truth. Their denial wasn’t due to lack of evidence, but pride, fear of political embarrassment, and an unwillingness to face the consequences.

That delay cost thousands of lives and exposed countless others to harmful radiation. Denial of the signs didn’t change the reality—it only made the outcome worse.

Connecting the Illustration

In the same way, Jesus warns that we cannot ignore spiritual danger. There are signs given and the most important one is the sign of his resurrection. We can ignore the signs, but that will not save us from the very real danger such ignorance places us in. Ignoring the great sign of Jesus will lead us to disaster.

Scripture tells us that sin leads to death, and God’s Word gives clear warnings. But pride, comfort, or fear of change can cause people to ignore the evidence.

Like the Chernobyl authorities, some delay facing the truth, hoping the danger will pass or remain hidden. But sin's consequences are unavoidable unless we respond with repentance and faith.

Ignoring the truth doesn't make it go away—it only deepens the danger.

Connection to Passage: In Matthew 16, the Pharisees and Sadducees demand a sign from Jesus, though they have been shown miraculous signs time after time. Their spiritual blindness reveals a deeper problem of unbelief—a "leaven" that Jesus cautions His disciples to avoid.

Sermon

I. Caution Against Unbelief (vv. 1-4)

Context and Exposition

Jesus is just returning from his trip to the gentile regions

So the Pharisees and Sadducees come to Jesus and try to trip him up again.

“TESTING” - hostile intent

(Satan is the tester and he is sending his minions to do his dirty work)

Unlikely allies - Opposing groups in the Sanhedrin — both in politics and in religious teachings.

Working together to try to get Jesus in trouble

Ask for a sign from heaven.

The Messianic prophesies promised that the Messiah would do great signs for the people

But what is it that Jesus has constantly been doing? Great signs!

But those signs don’t count to the Pharisees and Sadducees.

They want something that they demand.

So, Jesus uses their basic understanding of weather patterns to show how they have learned to interpret the signs of the sky, but still cannot read all the signs being done right in front of their faces.

They are choosing to be the “blind guides” Jesus accused them of being in chapter 15.

They are being like a mechanic who drives his own car with the check engine light on for years, never changing his oil (even while the newer vehicles have oil life warnings), then when it finally breaks down he says “Well, I wish I would have been given some sort of a sign that this was gonna happen!”

The irony is that the greatest sign was standing right in front of them—Jesus Himself. His miracles, His teaching, and soon, His resurrection all pointed to His part in God's plan of salvation.

And this is why in verse 4, he then repeats his indictment on them from Mt 12:39 and then walks away.

Matthew 16:4 ESV

4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.

the sign of Jonah — 2 signs that we could mention

Just like Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for 3 days before coming out alive, Jesus will be in the belly of the earth, dead, for 3 days before coming out alive.

The other sign of Jonah — the Call to Repentance —the only thing he offered to the Ninevites.

Key Idea: Jesus’ Resurrection after 3 days is the only sign you need. Demanding more signs from God, when sufficient evidence has been given, exposes a heart unwilling to believe.

And Jesus says that the resurrection after 3 days will be the only sign given to this evil and adulterous generation.

Salvation History: And this covers an important truth: The resurrection is the best sign.

Those who keep wishing for supernatural signs in order to believe are rejecting the revelation of God in the cross of Jesus Christ.

So, if you are waiting for more "proof" before believing Jesus is the Christ, the cross and the empty tomb are sufficient evidence. It is your unbelieving heart that is the problem.

God has given evidence to us, but we refuse to trust that evidence and we demand something more.

God is perfectly complete and content in his own perfect goodness, and he offers to share that goodness with all who trust him, but when we demand signs and wonders we prove that we do NOT trust him. His love for his creation is genuine and gracious, but he does not need us.

Beware of a heart that always asks for "more" from God while ignoring what He's already revealed. For those struggling with faith, remember that God has already shown His love in Christ.

Trust that He has revealed Himself clearly; there is no further sign needed beyond His death and resurrection.

Trust that he is good, even when you can’t see the full picture. Teach your children to trust God, even when they don’t understand.

Are we blind to the ways God is working around us?

Do we trust the sufficient sign of the resurrection, or are we always asking for more proof?

If you find yourself constantly demanding signs, then that is a sign that you need to humble yourself before your creator and trust in the signs he has already delivered.

And when we look around at the church, we can rest unashamedly in the sufficiency of Scripture and the Gospel. We do not need to look to a certain time period or tradition to grant us feelings of fulfillment. We have the very words of Life. Where else could we go?

So we must take great caution to recognize when our unbelief causes haziness in our vision of God so we can combat it to see clearly.

After Jesus finishes his rebuke of the Pharisees and Sadducees, he withdraws with his disciples to teach them more. Because he is preparing them to go on without him. He knows that he is about to start the journey to his death.

And the way he teaches them is to caution them against the dangerous influence of false teaching that can grow subtly, and unseen. False teaching is so dangerous because it distorts our understanding of God.

This passage calls us to caution against unbelief and it calls us to caution against false teachers.

II. Caution Against False Teachers (vv. 5-12)

Context and Exposition

Now, the disciples are both discouraging and encouraging. They are discouraging because as we read the Gospels they seem to be incompetent in many ways. No matter how much special teaching they get directly from Jesus, they always seem to be missing the point! And these are the guys who are supposed to be leading the whole thing after Jesus dies! But they mess it all up!

But how encouraging are they in that though? God will use the biggest mess-ups to do some amazing things! These men are the ones who wrote most of the New Testament and they led the first generation of the church through some massive struggles.

But here in this passage the disciples then realize they forgot to bring bread, which was a big problem, but they almost humorously get fixated on that problem.

Humorous for us, but frustrating for Jesus.

So they’re talking about their missing bread, most likely arguing and blaming each other for forgetting the bread. “I thought you were getting the bread!” “Well, I thought you were!”

While they’re fixated on their problem of not having bread, Jesus makes a comment.

“Watch and beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Now for those who don’t remember, leaven is the same thing as yeast. In order to get nice fluffy bread it needs to be leavened.

Often, though, you would want unleavened bread because it makes it nice and flat for traveling.

So if you get a little yeast in bread that you wanted to remain unleavened, it’s going to ruin your whole batch of bread.

Leaven (yeast) is small but spreads through the whole batch—just as false teaching spreads and corrupts.

The disciples misunderstand, thinking about literal bread.

So when Jesus chimes in with this statement telling them to “watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees” you can just imagine the confusion spread across the faces of the disciples

“We don’t even have any bread, why is he talking about watching out for yeast?”

And as they keep talking about their need to find some bread, Jesus starts to lecture them because of their unbelief, and their lack of understanding — and we’re gonna focus on this more in just a minute, but it’s interesting to see that after Jesus lectures them, Matthew tells us that they did finally understand that Jesus wasn’t talking about physical bread. Matthew 16:12 tells us:

Matthew 16:12 ESV

12 Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

And this is something we must recognize clearly: false teachers are dangerous.

They’re not to be trifled with. They are to be treated with extreme caution, not with fear or indifference, but with caution.

Gospel Tie:

False teaching distorts the Gospel. The true Gospel is that salvation comes by grace through faith in Christ alone.

But false teaching creeps in by adding to or taking away from the Gospel.

False teachers are something the New Testament talks about more than just about anything else

And just in the time of the first generation of the Christian Church we see no fewer than five different groups that are leading the early church astray and are being fought against by the Apostles.

In our own day we have no fewer than 10,000 cults worldwide with half of them being here in our nation and even more churches that are following false teachings.

Common tactics and sayings of False Teachers

You see, False teachers often use subtle and persuasive language that appears spiritual but ultimately undermines trust in God and the authority of Scripture. They’ll say things like:

1. Undermining Scripture's Authority

"The Bible is a great book, but it’s outdated in some areas."

"The Bible contains God’s Word, but not everything in it is God’s Word."

2. Minimizing Sin and Repentance

"As long as you’re a good person, that’s all God requires."

3. Promoting Self-Centered Theology

"God’s main goal is for you to be happy and fulfilled."

"Speak your dreams into existence, and God will make them happen."

"God helps those who help themselves."

4. Denying the Uniqueness of Christ

"All religions lead to God as long as you’re sincere."

"God wouldn’t condemn anyone just because they don’t believe in Jesus."

5. Twisting God's Character

"God is love, so He wouldn’t punish anyone eternally."

"A loving God wouldn’t judge people—He accepts everyone as they are."

6. Promoting Experience Over Scripture

"I know what the Bible says, but God told me this in a vision."

"I just feel in my spirit that this is right."

“Don’t put God in a box.”

"That’s your truth, but my truth is different."

7. Weakening Church Accountability

"You don’t need organized religion. Just have a personal relationship with God."

"Church membership isn’t biblical—it’s just man-made tradition."

Many of the things said by false teachers sound really good, and may contain some truth, but they use the appearance of truth in order to deceive.

So what do we do in order to stand against false teaching?

We have an example in Acts 17:10-12, and this example is actually of a group who heard true teaching, but were only willing to believe it if the Scriptures taught it.

Acts 17:10–12 ESV

10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.

They daily sought out the truth through study of the Scriptures! And these Bereans are known even today for their willingness to test even sound doctrine and submit themselves to it once the truth was shown.

So that is what we must do as Christians. We must nobly test all teachings against the Scriptures, but if it is shown to be true with proper understanding of context then we must submit ourselves joyfully to the truth.

And this is something that is considered vital in Gospel ministry. The Scriptures must be believed and taught.

In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 there is the famous verse:

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

And we too often stop there. We like that Scripture is breathed out by God, his living Word, and we at least like to pretend that we believe it is profitable for teaching, rebuke, correction, and training in righteousness, but the letter doesn’t end there and this is one of those spaces where the breakup of chapters in the Bible harms comprehension of the truth being communicated.

Because immediately after those verses about Scripture being the living word of God, Paul continues with a charge for the young man Timothy who is leading the church in Ephesus to faithfulness and health.

Paul says this to Timothy immediately after talking about the primacy and sufficiency of the Bible in equipping for Christian life:

2 Timothy 4:1–5 ESV

1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

And friends, as American pastors drifted from teaching directly from the Word of God, and teaching directly what the Word of God teaches, this is exactly what we have seen happen.

People stopped enduring sound teaching, demanding shorter sermons and more stories. They began expecting pastors to preach to their passions, and they abandoned the truth for nice sounding myths that appealed to the traditions and culture they grew up in.

This is why my calling to you, as your pastor, is not dependent on what you think a good pastor should be. It is dependent on what God’s word says I should be and what I should do. And this is why I preach the Word of God, because that is exactly what is demanded of me by God.

Preaching the Word is the way that God has commanded me as a pastor to defend you from false teachings, to defend you from believing the lies taught all around you.

The Bible never commands pastors to teach what God lays on their hearts, but time and again it commands pastors to teach the Word of God, the Bible.

This is why I take it very seriously. I care about what God has commanded and I care about you.

I don’t want you to be led astray, even by good intentions! The saying is true: “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” and I am desperate to make sure that no one from this flock ends up in Hell. We have to take these warnings with deathly seriousness.

So friends, take caution against false teachers by loving and studying the Word of God.

Illustration: Describe how a person learns to detect counterfeit money by studying the real thing—likewise, we discern truth by knowing Jesus deeply.

False teaching and unbelief have always threatened God's people.

Be aware that unbelief often begins subtly. Examine your heart for resistance to truth.

Cultural "leaven" spreads discretely through media, politics, and education, shaping our hearts against Christ.

And there lies the great issue. Because Jesus Christ alone can purify us from the leaven of sin. We must trust His word fully.

The truth is simple and profound: we are saved not by works or status but by trusting in Christ's finished work.

Application:

Be diligent in knowing and guarding the true Gospel.

Ask: Are there teachings we've allowed into our lives that distort the simplicity and sufficiency of the Gospel?

As we deepen our trust in Christ we start to have greater understanding of what Jesus is doing in our lives. The ability to discern truth from error grows as we deepen our trust in Christ.

And Jesus calls his people to discernment and trust.

III. The Call to Discernment and Trust

Explanation:

Spiritual discernment is not about your ability to see the spirits that influence the world so much as it is to simply be able to knowing, trusting, and recognizing the truth of Christ and being on guard against anything that would distort that truth.

Trust in Christ helps us recognize what is true and what is false.

Distraction leads to a lack of discernment

Like the disciple’s lack of understanding the truth because of their distraction by the lack of bread,

We too can be easily distracted from Christ and the Gospel

Gospel Tie:

Jesus proved His love on the cross and His power in the resurrection. Trusting this truth grows our discernment.

"The Gospel isn’t just the starting point; it’s our daily guide. Knowing Christ’s love displayed at the cross helps us recognize any message that contradicts Him."

Trust in the faithfulness of God! He has always provided for his people and the greatest sign of that is in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ!

He took upon himself the sins of all his people and he invites you to join in as one of his people! To follow him into eternal life in his kingdom.

And we become one of his people by believing him when he claims to be God and King, and submitting our lives to him, repenting and turning away from all the things that he declares to be sin.

And the more we believe him, not just believe in him (because even the demons believe in God!), but really believe him and submit to him, the more we will understand his ways and the more we will trust his work in the world and in our lives.

So, as we go through our lives we must remember Jesus’ caution to his followers. We must take caution against unbelief and against false teaching.

We must really believe that Christ really does have what is best for us and we must be willing to trust him in submission.

We must fight the draw to pride, because pride leads us to forget how dependent on God we are.

We must fight to remember and trust as our minds and our hearts are prone to forgetfulness.

We must strive to teach our children and grandchildren to remember how God has provided for our families.

We must work as a church to remember and to trust in what God has done.

We must remember and take caution against our fickle, unbelieving hearts.

Application:

Grow in discernment by immersing in Scripture and the Gospel.

Ask: Do I seek deeper understanding of Christ to strengthen my ability to discern truth?

Transition: Ultimately, Jesus calls us not just to discern but to trust Him fully, responding to the sign He has already given.

Conclusion: The Final and Sufficient Sign

Summary:

The Pharisees demanded a sign but missed the greatest one because of their unbelief

False teachings still threaten to distort the truth, but Jesus calls us to trust Him and his Gospel message.

Reflection: Are you trusting in Christ's final sign in the cross, or are you still seeking more proof? Are you guarding your heart against false teaching, or are you letting it creep in unnoticed?

Challenge: Reject false teaching and reject self-reliance. Trust wholly in the sufficiency of Christ. Remember and rejoice in the gospel.

Key Verse:

Matthew 16:12 ESV

12 Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Gospel Invitation:

"Jesus didn’t come to offer vague ideas or temporary comfort. He gave His life as a ransom for many. The sign of Jonah points to His death and resurrection—the ultimate proof of God's love and power. Today, you don't need to wait for another sign. The cross stands as God's invitation: turn from sin, trust in Christ, and find life in Him."

Call to Action:

If you have not trusted Christ, today is the day to believe in the sufficient sign of His death and resurrection.

If you are a believer, renew your trust and commit to growing in discernment by knowing Christ deeply.

Closing Prayer: Pray for eyes to see the truth, hearts to trust Christ, and lives shaped by His Gospel.

Benediction:

Close with a benediction that encourages the congregation to go forth in discernment and trust, grounded in the sufficiency of Christ's work.