A New and Living Way

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This is a sermon based on Hebrews 10:1-4, 11-24 and was preached as part of a worship service celebrating the Lord's Supper.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction

Today we are looking into a passage of Scripture that I believe has theological and practical significance in regards to our observance of the Lord’s Supper. The title I have chosen for the message is taken from verse 20, which appears in the middle of a long sentence. After making a few introductory comments about the book of Hebrews, I would like to briefly examine this subject, “A New and Living Way,” by considering these points:

1. How is the new way different from the old way?
2. How does this truth impact practical Christian living?

Hebrews:

We don’t know for sure who the author of Hebrews really is, but some scholars think it may be the Apostle Paul. The letter seems to be directed toward Jewish believers who were facing persecution for their faith and, as a result, some were turning back to the former beliefs of Judaism. They were returning to the tangible things of the former life including the temple, the sacrifices and the law.

The key word of Hebrews is the word, “better,” because the author uses various arguments to convince the readers that the new covenant is better than the old covenant. He is trying to prove to them that faith in Christ is better than faith in the temple and the old system of sacrifices. Some of the things he has covered include: Jesus is better than Moses and better than angels; Jesus is a better high priest; and a better sacrifice.

Now, these kinds of arguments continue in chapter ten where the author is making a contrast between the OT system of ongoing sacrifices and the one-time sacrifice completed by Jesus. He makes some clear distinctions to explain how the new is different and better than the old. He also defines some practical ways that this information should impact the lives of believers.

Let’s take a look at what the writer had to say and see how it applies to our lives today.

1. How is the new way different than the old way?

A. The old way was a temporary shadow (symbol, copy) of the eternal and the real. (vv.1, 4, 9, 10)

The sacrifices of lambs and goats; bulls and heifers were all necessary and required by God in the old system but they never were able to actually cover up the sins of the people. They were just a “shadow” to demonstrate the need for the only adequate sacrifice.

The old system was initiated with the original intent to be replaced by the blood of Christ when the time was appropriate.

B. The old way required repetition while the new way is complete. (vv. 2, 3, 10-14)

The author makes it clear that the old system was inferior because of the fact that it required repetition. Sacrifices were necessary on a regular basis for all types of purposes, including the Day of Atonement every year when the High Priest would enter the holiest place behind the veil to sprinkle the blood on the “mercy seat” – the lid of the Ark of the Covenant.

He argues that the repetition was proof that the sins were never permanently remitted until Jesus made the sacrifice of His own blood once and for all.

C. The new way provides privileges never enjoyed under the old system.

These privileges included:

·          Knowledge of sins forgiven and cleansed (vv. 10, 17)

·          Permission to enter the holiest place of the heavenly temple (v. 19)

·          Having a High Priest that forever intercedes

2. How does this truth practically impact the life of a believer?

The answer to this question can be found in the three “Let us” admonitions found in verses 22, 23, & 24.

A. Let us draw near (v. 22)

Since the new way has been provided and is completed through the offering of Jesus’ blood, we have the privilege to approach the Sovereign God of the universe with a “sincere heart” and with “full assurance” or confidence of faith. We know by faith that the blood of Christ has cleansed our hearts and our lives and His blood gives us access to the throne of God, from which we had been separated before. So, let us approach the throne of God often. Let us approach with confidence; not in ourselves, but in and through Jesus Christ.

B. Let us hold fast (v. 23)

Everything that needs to be done for our salvation has been done, so let us hold tightly to the faith we profess. (We can’t profess it if we don’t possess it!) Let’s not lose heart. Let’s not give in or give up.

Why? Because God is faithful. He can be trusted. He has done everything that is necessary to get us to heaven, so let’s not lose heart and through away our confidence or our faith.

No matter how difficult life gets, let’s continue to hold fast to our faith.

C. Let us provoke (stimulate) one another (v. 24-30)

Oh my, this is one admonition that most modern-day Americans do not like. We have become so accustomed to our independent life style and our “do-my-own-thing” attitudes, that we do not like it very much at all for anyone else to point out our deficiencies or failures.

The biblical writer proclaims that in light of all the arguments he has just covered, we need to “consider one another” (care enough about each other) to stimulate, motivate or provoke one another to a greater degree of love and good works. In other words, we are to encourage each other to show evidence of our love and commitment to Christ in our everyday lives.

We are to press each other to be more diligent about meeting together for worship, encouragement, accountability and fellowship. And, he says that we are to do this all the more as we get closer and closer to the “day” that is approaching (Second Coming). I believe the closer we get to the return of Christ, the more the Devil will try his best to get people to find more excuses to be absent from the accountability and fellowship of other believers.

Verses 26-30 emphasize the fact that this “provoking” one another includes warnings about willful, deliberate sin that is excused and ignored rather than confessed and forsaken. Verse 26 – starts off with the conjunction “for” which makes a connection to the verses before it.

“no more sacrifice” – I am convinced that the author is saying that the sacrifice he was just describing in the earlier part of the chapter does not continue to cover the individual who willfully and deliberately engages in sin against God even after having known and believed the truth of the gospel.

Dear friends, can I lovingly but firmly say that I’m concerned and even alarmed about how much our holiness churches have been affected by a Calvinistic-style of theology that emphasizes the impossibility to live victoriously over sin, and we all can’t help but sin everyday. This is not always true, but many people who believe that it is not possible to have victory over sin, often develop a careless attitude about sin and a tendency to excuse it. But, this passage in Hebrews 10 clearly warns against that kind of attitude.

He emphasizes it by saying, if those who despised Moses (the OT law) died without mercy, then how much more judgment will await those who trample the Son of God by living as though the blood of Christ was an unholy thing, and has “done despite” (insulted) the Spirit of grace. That is the reason why this passage, as well as other passages in the NT, urge us believers to watch out for one another and exhort one another and hold each other accountable. We are to pray for one another and to seek to restore every wayward or erring brother, because there is a real danger of being lost after we have once believed the truth and trusted in the blood of Christ.

Conclusion:

Today we are going to celebrate the Lord’s Supper once again in remembrance of the sacrifice of Christ for our sins. I believe it is fitting for us to reflect on these words in Hebrews regarding His sacrifice and how it should impact our lives as believers.

Let us draw near to the Lord in faith and confidence as we partake of these emblems. Let us hold fast to our faith and not waver or surrender under trials and pressures. And, let us stimulate one another to a greater level of love and service to our Lord, remembering that if we deliberately walk away from obeying the truth, it is just as if we trample under foot the blood that Jesus shed for us on the cross.

Before we share the sacrament of communion I want us to stand together and sing the hymn, “There Is a Fountain."

Five Conversations

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This is a sermon preached on Father's Day at Wayside Community Church by Rev. Wesley Rowan, son of Pastor Les Rowan. The extended title was, "Five Conversations We Must Have with the Next Generation." The message emphasized the importance of helping the next generation in our families to understand and embrace the Christian faith.

Laying a Firm Foundation - Obedience

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This is a sermon based on Matthew 7:21-23 that is part of Christ's Sermon on the Mount.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

Today we are finally finishing up a long series of messages that we have been doing in Matthew regarding the Sermon on the Mount. We have been examining the various topics discussed in His sermon as they relate to the story He gave at the end of the sermon regarding the wise man and the foolish man. Everyone who pays attention to the lessons and puts them into practice will be like a man who carefully and wisely lays a solid foundation before building his “dream house.” The obvious parable here is that the house represents one’s life. The storms represent the adversities and trials that everyone faces in life. The foundation represents the habitual practice of obeying the principles of Christ’s teachings. (see v. 24)

I think we can all agree that the presumed condition here is that everyone has a personal relationship with Christ by having been born again by the Spirit through faith.

A couple of weeks ago I spoke on verses 15-20 regarding false prophets / teachers and the need for discernment in order to distinguish between those who are true prophets of God and those who are not. Today’s theme seems to be somewhat similar except the focus is on false disciples rather than false teachers. There are a lot of people who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ and claim to have faith in Him for salvation. They may possess a spiritual vocabulary and they may engage in certain kinds of activities that we might expect a disciple of Christ to perform.

However, in today’s text, Jesus clearly declares that no one maintains a relationship with Him merely by saying certain words, or performing certain activities. The relationship must be validated or authenticated with a life of obedience.

We have all undoubtedly read and heard many biblical texts that emphasize the fact that we are not saved by mere performance of biblical commands or rules. However, Jesus is emphasizing here the balancing truth – that is, we do not authenticate or validate our salvation through merely saying the right kinds of words/phrases or by performing incredible exploits for God. The only thing that counts is authentic love that results in explicit obedience to His Word and His will.

As we examine the words of Jesus in this portion of His sermon, I want to notice the conditions that do not qualify for admission into the kingdom of heaven as well as the condition that does qualify for admission into the kingdom of heaven.

I.          Admission into the kingdom of heaven is not based on...

A. A mere verbal acknowledgement of God.

“Not every who says, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Adam Clarke ties this in with the previous verses by his comment.

(Clarke, A Commentary and Critical Notes.) The sense of this verse seems to be this: No person, by merely acknowledging my authority, believing in the Divinity of my nature, professing faith in the perfection of my righteousness, and infinite merit of my atonement, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven—shall have any part with God in glory; but he who doeth the will of my Father—he who gets the bad tree rooted up, the good tree planted, [vv. 17-18] and continues to bring forth fruit to the glory and praise of God.

(Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible.) He shows, by a plain remonstrance, that an outward profession of religion, however remarkable, will not bring us to heaven …

It would appear that the point Jesus is making here is this: verbal acknowledgment of the existence of God, and the verbal acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as Lord (i.e. the Divine Son of God), are not enough to guarantee entrance into heaven. Mental agreement with some spiritual facts merely qualifies one to have the same level of faith that demons possess according to James 2:19.

There are a host of people in our day, just as it was in Jesus’ day, who have learned to use a spiritual vocabulary and “talk the talk” of a person of faith. But deep down inside their hearts, they have no passion or desire to obediently live out the commands of the One they claim to love and follow. (The converse is also true – perform commands/rules w/o any love relationship that gives life and vitality.)

B. The mere performance of spiritual endeavors such as

1. Prophesying (Preaching)

As we have noted several times already in this series of messages, the word “prophesy” includes two meanings. (1) predict the future; and (2) proclaim the Word of God. The use here in this verse is probably the latter meaning, although either meaning or both could be intended.

(Matthew Henry) A man may be a preacher, may have gifts for the ministry, and an external call to it, and perhaps some success in it, and yet be a wicked man; may help others to heaven, and yet come short himself.

Various commentators made reference to examples in Scripture where people prophesied for God or in the name of God, but they were not necessarily servants of God. For example, Balaam and King Saul.

No matter how eloquently a person may preach the message of Christ, that, in itself, does not guarantee his or her acceptance into the kingdom of heaven. Many of you have perhaps heard stories of various preachers or evangelists who have enjoyed remarkable success in their ministry, particularly in preaching and seeing many conversions, but they were later exposed for various kinds of misconduct that had come to light.

The Apostle Paul said this, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” 1 Corinthians 9:27 (KJV)

It is possible for someone to preach the gospel and enjoy a certain level of success and expertise at it and still miss the kingdom of heaven.

2. Exorcisms and Miracles

I’m combining the next two examples of spiritual activities together because they both represent the performance of something supernatural. The supernatural demonstration might be in the form of driving out demons or in the form of some other miraculous display of power.

(Barclay) [In the ancient world] miracles were common events. All illness was thought to be the work of demons…. If a man succeeded in convincing… himself into a belief that a demon was in him or had him in his power, that man would undoubtedly be ill. And if someone could convince him that the hold of the demon was broken, then quite certainly that man would be cured.

The leaders of the Church never denied heathen miracles…. There was many a charlatan who rendered a lip service to Jesus Christ, and who used his name to produce wonderful effects on demon-possessed people. (Acts 19:13 KJV) Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.

Jesus clearly seems to imply that it is possible for someone to perform genuine miracles in His name without being in the right relationship with God himself. So His point is that one’s ability or history of performing miracles in the name of Jesus does not prove anything about the spiritual status of the one doing the miracle.

This reminds me of Paul’s statement in the love chapter, “…and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:2 (NKJV)

Miracle-working faith and power is not the litmus test. Genuine love for God and my fellow man that produces obedience to His commands is what counts.

II.        Admission into the kingdom of heaven is based on...

A. Obedience to the will of God.

Who are the ones that will make it into the kingdom of heaven? It is the people who do (practice) the will of God the Father in heaven. It is the people who do NOT practice iniquity (v.23). That is, those who do not practice lawlessness (NKJV, NIV, NASB). To practice lawlessness means to violate the commands of God and live according to my own will and my own desires rather than God’s will.

Obedience is the evidence of our love for God.

John 14:23 (NKJV)
²³ Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word…

Luke 6:46 (KJV)
⁴⁶ And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

What is the will of God anyway?

B. The will of God includes…

I’m convinced that the will of God includes the careful application of the principles in God’s Word into everyday life. This obviously requires reading and studying His Word, as well as the ongoing process of spiritual maturity that includes experience. This means that His will is not always clear, but it takes effort and commitment to discover what principles apply to each situation or decision in life.

Yet, we are not left completely on our own. The Bible does give us several references that speak directly about things that are or are not God’s will. A careful inquiry into God's Word will reveal numerous references that explicitly state what God's will is. Of course, all of His Word reveals His will implicitly.

Conclusion:

The whole point of Jesus’ message is that we can’t make it into the kingdom of heaven by mere professing certain truths, but it requires an authentic relationship of love that is backed up by obedience.

This brings us to the conclusion of His sermon where we started back in January. “Therefore” – (v.24) ties the story about the wise man and the foolish man in with the comments about obedience being a pre-requisite for entrance into the kingdom of heaven. It is as though Jesus is saying, “Obedience is not only the requirement for admission into the kingdom of heaven, but it is also the ingredient for a life of stability that will weather the most severe storms life can through at you.”

For our closing hymn today I have chosen a song that speaks about complete dedication to the Lord in the way we live out our faith in obedience. Please join prayfully in singing: "All for Jesus."

Laying a Firm Foundation - Choices

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This is a sermon that is part of a series of messages concerning the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew chapters 5-7. This message covers Matthew 7:13-14 regarding the choice between the narrow way and the broad way.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

For our study in God’s Word today we are going back to a couple of verses that we skipped last week.

We are looking at this passage and asking the questions, “How does this relate to the important task of building a solid foundation for living my life?” “What important principle is Jesus teaching here that I need to know in order to save myself from disaster in the future?”

The single word that best describes the principle found in this text that is so valuable for life is: “choices.” Choices, made multiple times every day, all have consequences. We have been granted the freedom by Bible to make choices for ourselves. The choices we make determine the path we will walk in life and ultimately lead to a destiny.

Many times throughout our lives we come to major crossroads where we must choose one path over the other, and that path chosen will inevitably lead to other crossroads and still more crossroads – each with their own direction and destiny. Take a look at your life today and understand that you are where you are today because of all the choices and decisions you’ve made in the past. Jesus speaks in our text today about two paths with distinct qualities, distinct travelers and distinct destinations.

The poet, Robert Frost, wrote a poem about two roads. I have no idea whether this biblical text was on his mind when he penned the words or not, but I think there is a fitting comparison between his poem and the words of Christ. Listen to the lines of his poem.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim

Because it was grassy and wanted wear,

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I marked the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

I saved this message on this Scripture text for today as we have given recognition to those graduating from high school this week. I don’t think there are many subjects taught in Scripture that are more relevant for those who are entering adulthood than this topic of choosing the path in life that will ultimately lead to the destination of eternal life and blessedness and joy. So for the next several moments I would like to speak to you about the choice that Jesus puts before every man, woman and child – which path will you take?

As we examine Jesus’ message, I want you to consider three things that He emphasizes about these two roads.

I.    The destination of each road

II.   The descriptions of each road

III. The travelers on each road

I.    The Destination of Each Road

I want to start our discussion first by talking about the destination of each road Jesus describes. I am beginning with this point, because of its importance. Destination is a very important part of any road, any trip and any life. Before anyone can ever give us advice on what road to take or what choices to make they need to know where we want to go; they need to know where we hope to end up.

We must decide where we are going before we decide which road to take. If you want to go to Pittsburgh, you must take “The Pittsburgh Road.” You can’t get to Pittsburgh by taking the “New York Road.”

In talking about making the choice between two possible paths to travel, Jesus clearly spells out the distinctly and drastic difference between the destinies of these two paths. One path ends up with life; the other ends with destruction. You and I only need to read through the Gospels to understand what Jesus had in mind when He spoke of life vs. destruction. Jesus frequently talked about heaven and hell; life and death; blessing and torment; etc. I believe that He is making reference to the same concept here – every human being will some day end up in one of two destinations; either heaven or hell.

And so, dear friend, whether you are young or old, every one of us must make a decision; a choice – where do I want to be 100 years from now, or a 1,000 years from now?

I don’t know about you, but I believe that this decision truly requires that we stop and take the time to give very serious thought and consideration to the full implications of these destinations. There must be a time of weighing my options, or counting the cost. There must be a moment when one truly compares the end result to the “cost of the trip.”

I am 56 years old, but I distinctly remember a time and the place in my life when God brought me to that crossroad of decision. Yes, I had already responded many times to the messages of preachers and evangelists that brought conviction on my heart and I went forward to pray. But that is not what I’m talking about. I can’t tell you the date, but I know approximately what age I was and I know the location where it occurred, when I pondered and meditated for possibly an hour and “counted the cost” of going with Christ and making it to eternity in heaven or rejecting His path and finding myself in eternal hell.

Believe you me, that was pretty heavy for a young teenager, but I’ll never forget the feeling that gripped my soul as I settled the issue in my bedroom that night – it will be worth everything I may have to suffer or everything it may cost to live my life for Christ and make it through to heaven.

Can I say something here as kindly as I know how, but as soberly and seriously as I know how? I believe that there are far too many people in our world who have never been to that crossroad I’ve just described. They’ve either never had anyone tell them that there is a heaven and a hell, or they’ve never allowed themselves to get serious enough for a long enough period to really and truly consider the enormous consequences of their choice.

Dear friends, if you want to heed the words of Jesus, you must first of all decide what destiny you really want.

II.   The Descriptions of Each Road

Jesus provides us with few, but adequate details of the two roads available. For the one road, there is a “wide gate” and a “broad way.” For the other, He says it has a “strait gate” and a “narrow way.”

One writer suggested that the Lord “seems to allude here to the distinction between the public and private ways mentioned by the Jewish lawyers. The public roads were allowed to be sixteen cubits broad, the private ways only four.” (Clarke, A Commentary and Critical Notes.)

He apparently uses this distinction that would have been common knowledge to the people to illustrate a spiritual truth regarding their eternal destiny.

A. The wide gate and broad way.

Wide and broad appear to be synonyms having pretty much the same meaning as we use the words today. It means to be spacious. It implies ease of entry and easy to stay on or follow. There’s plenty of “leeway” or “latitude” or “breathing space.” The way can be entered and it can be followed without much effort or thought.

There’s not a lot that can be said here to make it any clearer.

B. The strait gate and narrow way.

“Strait” – The word stenós means “narrow,” “thin,” “poor,” the noun stenochōría denotes a “narrow place,” and the verb stenochōréō means “to confine,” “to compress.” The ideas of a narrow door and a little trodden way occur in philosophy, e.g., in the difficult ascent to true culture. (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in One Volume.)

“Narrow” – English Words used in KJV: trouble 4, afflict 3, narrow, throng, and suffer tribulation (Strong's Dictionary.)

This word seems to carry the idea that this road involves anything but a life of comfort and ease.

The gate is narrow because Jesus is the only door. (Jn. 10:7, 9) The way is narrow because Jesus is the only way. (Jn. 14:6) It is a way that is restricted, because there is only One who claimed to be the embodiment of truth.

It is a way that includes adversity, persecution, rejection, etc. because that is the way of true discipleship. Jesus never offered His disciples and His followers an easy life or an easy way. He talked a lot about self-denial; about opposition from the world and even from family; and about persecution, and adversity. Jesus never tried to entice the crowds and gain followers by making them think it was going to be easy.

Now, let me be very clear. When you read all of the Bible, you learn that the “way of the transgressor is hard.” There are horrible consequences from living a sinful, selfish, indulgent life. I remember clients at New Destiny often saying their “worst day with the Lord was better than their best day with the Devil.”

I often struggle and have to remind myself that it does no good to try to get people to come to the Lord by trying to make it seem easy or enticing or pleasant. I’ve learned that those who come to the Lord or come into the church expecting an easy time and a pleasant way, are always the first ones to vanish when the going gets tough and there are  problems, reverses, disappointments, etc. If you’re going to follow Jesus, you’re going to have to do it because you want to know Him and make it to heaven, not just because it seems to be the relief you’re looking for today.

III. The Travelers on Each Road

Many vs. Few – This is a comparative. Compared to the travelers on the narrow road, the broad road has many travelers. Compared to the travelers on the broad road, the narrow road has few travelers.

Granted, the Bible declares that the number of people in heaven giving praise to the Lamb is a vast number, but in comparison to the number of people who have been lost it is few. There are millions of believers in world today who have made a life-time commitment to follow Christ in spite of great adversity, but they are few in comparison to the number of those on the broad road.

Young people, and older ones as well, don’t allow yourselves to be deceived by the number of people who accept or reject anything. I remember our Bible College president saying these words to us many, many times: “Wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it, and right is right even if no one is doing it.”

Conclusion:

There is a verse in Proverbs that reads like this, (Proverbs 14:12, KJV)  ^"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."

I’m convinced that the reason why the way seems right, is mainly because there are so many others going that way and because it looks so pleasant and seems so reasonable. But remember, our minds and ability to reason has been affected by the curse of sin. The only way we can know the right way and follow the right path is if we seek God’s divine revelation of truth and embrace it and follow it.

There are only two roads, and there only two destinies. Which one will you take?

In addition to this big choice between eternal life and eternal destruction, there are hundreds of lesser choices that are very important as well. You and I desperately need the guidance of the Holy Spirit in order to avoid the pitfalls and wrong turns on the path of life.

Let us close or service today by prayerfully singing the chorus, “Gentle Shepherd.”

Laying a Firm Foundation - Discernment

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This sermon is part of a series of messages based on the Sermon on the Mount. This message is based on the text found in Matthew 7:15-20.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction

Those of you who are really alert may have already realized that I have skipped over a couple of verses since last Sunday’s message. I did that on purpose, because I felt that the topic addressed in verses 13 and 14 were more appropriate to use next Sunday when we plan to honor our high school graduates and try to emphasize a message that would be appropriate for that occasion. So today we are moving on to the next section or paragraph which includes a warning against false prophets.

In reviewing this topic and trying to tie it in with the overall theme we have been using – building a solid foundation for life – I came to the conclusion that the core message Jesus is giving to us here relates to the need for discernment if one is to be successful in laying a firm foundation. In the warning that we read here it seems to me that Jesus is pointing out to us that every person needs to develop the ability to distinguish between truth and error or friend and foe. In this particular example, He talks about those from whom we receive guidance and knowledge and how important it is for each of us to have the ability to discern between those who would lead us astray and those who would guide us into the way of truth.

There are three primary thoughts I find expressed in these few verses. The first thought is a warning against false prophets. The second thought contains a description of the false prophets. And, the third thought emphasizes the method for identifying false prophets.

I.   The Warning Against False Prophets

Prophet – 1. One who predicts future events. 2. One who proclaims the messages of God.

Prophets in the OT were often associated with the king, the court and the official theocracy. There are indications that some prophets were part of the whole religious/political system of the monarchy. On the other hand, there were prophets that were independently called by God to expose and denounce what had become the status quo in the apostate religious practices of Israel. Many prophets were in danger of their very lives whenever they contradicted the wishes and plans of a wicked king and the “professional” prophets that were giving messages in harmony with the desires of the idolatrous leaders.

(Theo. Dict. of NT) The prophet is normally a biblical proclaimer of a divinely inspired message. Apart from Balaam (2Pe 2:16), only one Gentile, the Cretan poet in Titus 1:12, is called a prophetes. The biblical prophet can predict the future (cf. Ac 11:28), can know the past (Jn 4:19), and can look into the heart (Lk 7:39), but is essentially a proclaimer of the word, not a magician or soothsayer.

In the NT, the office of prophet is not as prevalent as in the OT.  Again, the ministry of “prophecy” includes both aspects of foretelling some future events and proclaiming the Word of God. However, it would seem that proclamation of the Word was more prevalent than predicting the future.

In the OT a prophet was identified as a false prophet by two primary signs: his prophecy did not come to pass or was not fulfilled; and his message(s) led the people into idolatry. A prophet may be described as a false prophet either because his message or his life was inconsistent with the actual truth of God.

I have come to believe that a preachers / teachers can be false prophets by what they don’t say as much as they can by what they do say. There are some preachers and teachers who always say things that are true, but there are certain topics and truths in the Word of God that they never get around to proclaiming at all.

For example, there are many preachers and teachers who always emphasize the love of God, but they never have proclaimed the holy wrath of God or the judgment of God. In fact, they would openly admit that they don’t see where that message has any place in the ministry of a Christian. However, dear friends, God requires His servants and His prophets to declare the whole counsel of God. To leave out any aspect of truth about God distorts the biblical record about who He truly is.

To leave out any aspect of truth about divine redemption that has been provided through the atoning death of Jesus Christ is to distort the biblical truth. That’s why I believe it is so important for pastors / teachers to be oriented toward preaching through the Bible in various ways that effectively covers all the truth of God’s Word, not just our pet themes that we like and that our people like to hear.

In our text today the disciples of Jesus Christ are admonished to be alert for false prophets. The warning itself implies a need for discernment and the ability to make “judgments” and distinctions. Jesus is simply alerting us to the fact that not everyone who claims to speak for God is worthy of our attention and our compliance.

II.   The Description of False Prophets

Sheep’s clothing – outwardly appealing, inviting, innocent.

Probably exhibit smooth, enticing words, actions.

One writer said that shepherds often wore vests or outer cloaks made from the hide of a sheep.

This could be Jesus’ way of saying that these false prophets appear outwardly like genuine shepherds, but in fact they are the worst enemy of the flock.

Ravenous wolves – inwardly they are hungry, devouring, destructive wolves.

Wolves care only for themselves. Wolves by nature are predators.

What they say may be true, but they use the truth to cut, slash, hurt and destroy.

They use a machete when a scalpel is needed.

Bitter (rotten) fruit – What they produce is the exact opposite of what they profess.

I won’t take any more time here. I think we get the point of what Jesus is describing.

III.   Identifying False Prophets

By the fruit they produce.

What are the results of their ministry?

Paul talks about the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5.

Does the fruit that is produced by the prophet resemble the love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness,  faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” that is defined as the fruit of the spirit?

By the spirit they exhibit.

1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

The spirit of a false prophet goes contrary to the spirit of Christ.

Christ – the perfect blend of love and holiness; compassion and righteousness.

By the message they teach.

1 John 4:2-3 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: ³And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

The core element of truth/heresy has to do with the question, “Who is Jesus?”

All false religions, heresies, etc. have doctrines about Jesus that are not consistent with all of the teachings in Scripture.

Emphasize His humanity to the exclusion of His deity or vice versa.

Conclusion:

Every Christian needs the help of God’s Spirit to discern between:

Light and darkness; truth and error; right and wrong; good and evil.

This is only possible through a vibrant, living relationship with Jesus Christ and a love for His truth.

Discernment is received by divine grace from God, but it is also an ability that develops through experience.

May the Lord grant each one of us the grace and ability we need to distinguish between those who teach the truth and those who teach and lead people into error.

Let us prayerfully sing our closing song:

Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us

Laying a Firm Foundation - Prayer

(To listen to this message, click on the play button of the audio player shown above.)

This is a sermon that was part of a series of messages on the Sermon on the Mount. This particular message was based on the text found in Matthew 7:7-12.

Written Excerpts:

Introduction:

How should a person live his / her life to adequately prepare for the common adversities that most people face in life? What principles are vitally important for a person to learn in order to be ready to meet the challenges of everyday life with all of its trouble?

Jesus said at the end of His Sermon on the Mount that if we would listen to and practice the principles found in His sermon then we would be like a man that had a rock solid foundation under his house that would be able to withstand the severe storms.

Today we continue looking at the principles and topics presented by Jesus in His sermon. I have chosen the general term “prayer” to refer to the topic that we will be discussing today. We did not do a sermon on the Lord’s Prayer found in chapter six, because I had already done a verse by verse study of it in our Wednesday evening Bible studies. But, here we are in chapter seven looking at another passage that is related to the same topic, so we’re going to address the subject of prayer in this context.

Prayer is a very intriguing topic. The Bible has a lot to say about prayer, and Jesus said a great deal about it as well. Perhaps you heard about the little boy who was praying and he said, “Dear God, thank you for the baby sister, but what I prayed for was a puppy.” Sometimes we adults feel the same way don’t we? But, let me ask you this question, “Aren’t you glad God doesn’t always give us what we ask for?”

Let us consider the message found in verses 7-12 to see what God would have us learn about the practice of prayer in order to be prepared for the adversities that await us in the future. As we consider the words of our Lord concerning prayer in this passage, I would like to have us think about the attitude of the petitioners, the response of the Grantor, and finally the consequence of the prayers.

I.    The Attitude of the Petitioners

A. The one who prays should use every form of prayer.

Each of these three terms implies a little different emphasis in prayer. Taken as a whole, they share some similarities in meaning, but they also carry some distinctions.

I believe that Jesus is emphasizing that our prayers should involve:

·          asking for that which we wish for or want, but most importantly, for that which we know we need;

·          seeking for that which we have lost or missed; and

·          knocking to gain entrance to every opportunity God has designed for me.

B. The one who prays should be persistent.

(Barclay) In the Greek language, there is a couple of different ways a command could be expressed. In one way (aorist imperative), the command is given once. For example: “Shut the door behind you.”

In the other way (present imperative), the verb implies repeated commands. For example: “Always shut the door behind you.”

Each of these verbs – ask, seek, & knock – are given in a Greek verb tense that indicates a repeated command. Therefore, Jesus is literally saying:

Always ask and keep asking; always seek and keep seeking; always knock and keep knocking.

In other words, don’t give up praying.

The parallel passage in Luke 11:5-8 includes the story of the friend who comes at midnight asking for bread because he has had a friend come to visit and he has no food to set before him.

C. The one who prays should have pure motives.

This point is not specifically mentioned right here in chapter 7. However, if we take into consideration the context of prayer with the Lord’s Prayer back in chapter 6, we understand that the focus and goal of our prayers is for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

This understanding should impact us and the real motives for our prayers. Are we selfishly dictating to God what we expect Him to satisfy our desires, or are we truly seeking His will to be done?

I’m convinced that all of us often pray for things that are so far below what God truly desires for our lives.

The Apostle James stated it like this, “You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss that you might consume it upon your own lusts [desires].” (Jas. 4:3)

II.   The Response of the Grantor

The second main point that I see Jesus making in these words on prayer has to do with the response one can expect to receive from God.

William Barclay said, “Every man who prays is bound to want to know to what kind of God he is praying. He wants to know in what kind of atmosphere his prayers will be heard. Is he praying to a grudging God out of whom every gift has to be squeezed and coerced? Is he praying to a mocking God whose gifts may well be double-edged? Is he praying to a God whose heart is so kind that he is more ready to give than we are to ask?”

Jesus presents this subject in a way that demonstrates an appropriate response. The one asking will receive. The one seeking will find. And the one knocking will have it opened to him. But, more than that, Jesus goes on to describe the infinite benevolence of the God to whom we pray. He does this by describing how fallible, fallen, error-prone earthly fathers would naturally respond to a request from one of his children, and then He basically says your heavenly Father is infinitely more gracious than any of you could ever be. Wow!

Think of it. If you’re a parent, think of how your heart yearns to bestow the very best gifts upon your own children, and then imagine that God is even more benevolent. His heart yearns just as much for us. A loving parent desires to not only provide gifts that the child wants, but most importantly, desires to bestow the gifts that are best for the child.

III. The Consequence of Prayer

Some people do not think that verse 12 is really about the same subject.

Many think that this is a principle (we call it the Golden Rule) that Jesus just sticks into the sermon as a stand-alone rule for living the Christian life. But, notice one little word – “therefore.” There definitely is an intentional link to what He has just been saying. I don’t know for sure if I have got it right, but it seems to me …

Jesus is saying that the ultimate goal God has in mind for us when we pray this way is for us to develop a heart and attitude toward others that is just like God has been and continues to be with us.

Golden Rule – goes farther than simply forbidding harm to our “neighbor”. It is requiring that we do the positive good that we would want others to do for us.

Conclusion:

There is so much more in God’s Word on the topic of prayer. We’ve barely scratched the surface today.

The closing thought that I would like to leave with you relates to the point we discussed earlier regarding the “response of the Grantor.”

God delights to answer prayer. He better than the best father we can ever imagine.

So, KEEP ON PRAYING!

Our closing hymn is a very familiar and loved song:

What a Friend We Have in Jesus.  (#63)

I’m glad that we can take every need and every burden to the Lord in prayer and have the confidence that He will answer.