February 20, 2011
Why is it important to listen intently to the word of God as it is preached, understand it and seek to apply it?
It is important to listen, understand and apply the word of God because our response to it either affirms our salvation or rebukes us for our unbelief. When we respond positively, even it brings pain to our hearts, it affirms our salvation. The opposite is a response of disdain for God and the things of God, this is unbelief. Instead of knowing, joy, grace, freedom and hope, the person begins to think that the Christian life is burdensome and crazy.
Not all people like the reality of 2 Corinthians 3: 18 and Romans 8: 29.
Matthew 23 shows us that there are 2 sides to eternity and seeing these 2 sides might cause us to either agree with Jesus of think that He is too harsh towards false prophets. However we feel, the Lord warns us about such people. In Matthew 24, the Lord tells his disciples that many will come in His name and lead many astray.
The Lord condemned the Pharisees and Sadducees for what they taught and how they hypocritically carried the name of God in the affairs of their ministry.
Jesus used “woe” not as an exclamation but as a declaration of judgment from God. He was certifying their damnation.
THE TONE OF SCRIPTURE
The Bible speaks in a very sharp tone or manner when talking about or talking to false teachers.
Examples:
Paul (Gal. 1:8) – it says that false teachers should be accursed; doomed forever
John the Baptist (Matt. 3:7) – calls the Pharisees and Sadducees brood of vipers
Jesus Christ (Matthew 7:15) – calls the Pharisees and Sadducees inwardly ravenous wolves
John the Beloved (1 John 2:18) – calls them antichrists
We should ask ourselves continually whether we are ready to courageously expose people who lead others away from God and into hell. What should we feel towards people who deceive others into committing eternal suicide?
Jesus condemned the false teachers in Mattew 7, at the beginning of His ministry until His final sermon, as He prepared to end his earthly ministry.
THE PIED PIPER’S PICTURE
Matthew 23: 13-15
13"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
14["Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.]
15"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
Note: older manuscripts do not include verse 14.
False teachers are hell’s angels.
Beware of false teachers, because they really are messengers of hell. They may seem to be speaking for God or look like they are calling people to the narrow road but they themselves have paved the wide road of destruction.
They shut off heaven from people.
Today, people are being shut out of heaven by:
- · Wrong teachings about Jesus
- · Teaching that salvation can be gained by works
- · Teaching that there is no need for repentance or that there is no hell
- · Emphasizing the importance of this present life over eternal life
- · Emphasizing good behavior over the need to come to terms with God
All these give people false assurances or a false sense of acceptable morality. We can be guilty of these if we give people false assurances in stead of sharing the Gospel to them. We should not merely show them the solutions to their earthly problems but show them the solution to their eternal problem.
Twice the son of hell.
Twice the son of hell means twice deceived, twice convinced of a wrong system to get to heaven, twice as hypocritical, twice as damned.
New converts are usually more zealous than the ones who convert them. They have more energy, they have more “willpower”, they have more creativity and more idealism even than their predecessors. . . They spew out twice the poison, twice the emphasis of false teachings, twice the lure of hell.
People are made twice the son of hell when:
- · We simply teach them the observance of the law
- · We simply teach them zeal over details of obedience;
- · We simply become concerned over the bare minimum;
- · We don’t make an effort to show any concern as to what is going on inside their hearts
Bringers of plague.
Matthew 23: 27
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”
The Pharisees or other false teachers contaminate just like dead bodies or grave sites make people unclean. They cause people to be excluded from the presence of God forever.
Without the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ, whatever they do to earn salvation just simply makes them more and more unclean—more and more a sinner! (cf. Rom.6:23)—the wages of sin. Damnation increases.
TERRIBLE EFFECT ON A DYING CLUELESS WORLD
- People who are already suffering and people who are continually indifferent to eternal issues, are continually being deceived—PEOPLE ARE STILL POURING INTO HELL.
WHAT IT ENCOURAGES US TO DO
Pray
We obviously need to pray, so we might not behave like these false teachers and shut out people, people who are hungry and seeking for God, out of heaven.
Praise
Give thanks to the Lord
· for the one He in our lives to open the door for us;
• that we are a church, by Biblical standards, that opens the doors of the kingdom for others.
Persevere
• We need to continue being faithful to the truth, faithful to the gospel message; fighting the good fight of faith!
“ We shall not flag nor fail, we shall go on to the end. We shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air...whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on beaches, landing grounds, in fields, in streets and on the hills. We shall never surrender. ”
Sir Winston Churchill
June 4, 1940
“All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
Edmund Burke
(1729 – 1797).
We need to be vigilant, until the very end. Until the day wherein we see the face of the Savior and commends us for fighting the good fight of faith—“Well done good and faithful servant!”
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