Latest / HBCWestminster / Matthew 7:15-23 Blindsided 6.2.19

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Matthew 7:15-23 Blindsided 6.2.19 · HBCWestminster

• 0:00
  Well, this morning we conclude our study on the hard sayings of Jesus, sayings which were either hard to understand and therefore hard to explain, or sayings which were easy to understand but hard to apply. Our first study, now many months ago, was from Matthew 5 in the Beatitudes and a redefining of what it means to be blessed, that the temporal worldly happiness we often settle for cannot possibly compare with the eternal joy that awaits those who know Christ.
• 0:31
  sermon was, do not settle for too little in terms of happiness. The next week, we studied Mark chapter 3, the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, the unpardonable sin. And although not a sin that I think we can commit today, nevertheless, we said there is an unforgivable sin. Dying an unrepentant unbelief is a denial of the very Savior that can offer forgiveness. Then we went to Matthew chapter 6, looked at Jesus's command not to be anxious.
• 1:02
  We said that many people carry a burden they were not intended to carry. That anxiety cannot possibly bring us joy in the future, but will only strip us of joy in the present. The next sermon was titled Bearing. We said that Jesus lived with a bearing, with an understanding of his purpose, and that everything he did ran through that grid. In Mark chapter 1, his threefold purpose is described.
• 1:32
  that Christ came to pray, to preach, and to pity those in need, and that our purposes are reflected in his. On Easter Sunday, we studied John chapter 8, the woman caught in adultery. Christ said that only those without blame should throw their rocks. And although he himself very well could have, even he dropped the rock. What a joy to hear the Savior say, neither do I condemn you.
• 2:04
  In John chapter 6, Christ called himself the bread. I had said that morning that we don't often think big enough in terms of our God, that our view of God is often too small. Our prayers for him, through him, to him are often too small. Our requests to him are often too small. We serve a God, Ephesians chapter 3 says, who can do more than we can even ask or imagine. And although...
• 2:33
  The people wanted to force him to become king. He withdrew because he knew that he was there to establish an even greater and spiritual kingdom. Pastor Sam then taught us from Matthew 5, verse 48, where Christ said, be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect. He titled his message perfect, right? To keep in the bees. He called it blameless. He helped us to understand that command in the context of love.
• 3:06
  If we want to have a perfect reflection of our heavenly father in heaven, then we must love on earth the way that he loves. We went to Mark chapter 7, looked at the story of the Syrophoenician woman who was willing to do anything for her daughter who was oppressed by a demon. She was willing to break down any barriers necessary in order to bring her daughter to Jesus. And we saw in that text the compassionate love of the divine healer who made her daughter well.
• 3:37
  Two Sundays ago, we talked about the danger of distracted living, that some who are rich in this present time are actually bankrupt in the kingdom. We considered the truth of Christ's statement that a person's life does not consist in the abundance of his or her possessions. Last week in our study of John chapter 1, we described Jesus as a bridge. Verse 51 in John chapter 1, it says that you see heaven open, the angels.
• 4:05
  descending and ascending on the Son of Man, that He is the connection between heaven and earth. And we said that although Christ was not seeker-sensitive, He was certainly sensitive to seekers. We studied the external call of God, that the Holy Spirit is wooing people to the kingdom. And then we studied the effectual call of God, that at some point, Christ interrupts the lives of His people with the gospel. He opens their hearts to understand and believe it, and they cross over in that moment from death.
• 4:35
  To life. And now this morning for Matthew chapter 7. I've titled this morning's message. Blindsided. Let me read our text. We'll pray and begin. Beginning in verse 15. Jesus says beware of false prophets. Who come to you in sheep's clothing. But are inwardly ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes. Or figs from thistles. So every healthy tree bears good fruit. But the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
• 5:09
  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, you will recognize them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and cast out demons in your name and do many mighty works in your name? And then will I declare to them, I never knew you.
• 5:38
  Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. And Lord, I pray that you would help us and guide us and teach us according to your word. Lord, we know that your scriptures teach that believers in your son really are saved, that they have really genuinely been forgiven because of the work of Jesus and that none of us in Christ need feel insecure, need doubt.
• 6:08
  the genuineness of our salvation. Lord, I do not believe it was your motivation and your purpose to preach insecurity to your children. You want us to be grounded and rooted in your word and rooted in the gospel so that we may bear much fruit. But God, we also know that because of the truth of this statement, that there may be those who are playing kind of a game with the gospel. And Lord, for them, I pray for revelation this morning.
• 6:41
  For those this morning even here who may think that because of their good works, they can win our approval and maybe merit your favor. God, I pray that you would open their hearts and minds to the genuine gospel, that they would lay those works down and depend wholeheartedly on the work of Jesus. We thank you for salvation in his name. Amen. When our son, Zach, who is now 14 years old, was first born, a family from our church brought us dinner.
• 7:16
  Right? We try to do that. We try to bless young couples who have had a child knowing that free food is nice at any time. But when you've got a baby at home, it's nice not to have to cook and not to have to worry about it and to do the cleanup and all of that stuff. And our church, Highland, does that as well. We love doing that and are really privileged to serve young couples in that way. But our old church did that and they brought us food. And the particular family that was bringing us food that night, the wife was known for being kind of a good cook. Everybody knew that she could cook.
• 7:46
  And so we were excited about the food that she would bring. She brought us a tray of food. Hallie happened to be, because we had just recently had the child, you know, Zach was just a tiny, tiny little baby in the back room. She was sleeping, resting. So I received the food, brought it into the kitchen, didn't really pay any attention to it. I knew that it was chicken that had been marinated and baked, had bacon on the top of that, and then melted cheese on the top of that. And so I was very excited about that, and I thought, you know, what could go wrong?
• 8:18
  So I took a piece of chicken and was watching a movie by myself in our living room. All of the lights were off because I was watching a movie. And so I just sat down and ate dinner by myself, was enjoying that, ate every bite. A little while later, Hallie came into the kitchen, was going to get some for herself. She looked at it. She said, hey, Danny, did you cook the chicken? What are you talking about? It's cooked. No, it's raw. She said, the cheese is melted, but the chicken's not cooked on the inside. Did you eat it?
• 8:56
  Chicken sushi, you know. Yeah, I ate it. I ate every bite of it. You know, the lights were off. It was covered in bacon and cheese. What was I supposed to do, you know? It had this marinade on it. It tasted delicious. You know, I didn't even realize the chicken on the inside was completely raw. I ate every single bite of it. But because the lights were off, I didn't notice. And I remember just thinking, you know, just keep telling yourself, Danny, it was cooked. It was cooked. It was cooked. It was cooked.
• 9:26
  All five of those other pieces, they're raw, but you got the cooked one. You know, like, you got the cooked one. There's a commonly held belief and teaching in America today that says that you can believe whatever you want as long as you're sincere about it. Just believe it hard enough. Believe it well enough. You just be genuine in your belief. Your sincerity will actually trump your truth. Ravi Zacharias.
• 9:59
  said we can be sincere and yet be sincerely wrong. This morning's text is an encouragement to any who are eating with the lights off, to any who are around the church, participating in the grace of God, right? And even being sanctified to a degree because you're hanging around other believers. And so you're taking on those morals and those values.
• 10:29
  but who don't actually know the Lord are just sitting there in the dark eating raw chicken. It's an encouragement to check the sincerity of our hearts, to ensure that we don't just know a lot about the Lord, but not actually know him. That we talk a lot about him, but we don't actually talk to him. We're studying this morning what might be the scariest thing Jesus ever said. First, by saying that not everybody who claims to be from God actually is.
• 11:04
  He's going to warn us about false teachers and the wolves that will actually seek to devour us. The second thing, though, is by saying that not everybody who claims to be going to God actually is. And so let's look at the text this morning, beginning first in verse 15 with a warning given. Verse 15 says, Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Notice a couple of things about this verse. First,
• 11:34
  He doesn't call them teddy bears. You see that? These aren't stuffed animals. These aren't sweet, cute, cuddly little puppies. He calls them ravenous wolves, wolves that will tear you apart, wolves that want to eat you alive. He uses a very vivid illustration here. He is painting a picture that is gory and gruesome and deadly and violent.
• 12:02
  There are those who would devour your soul. Be aware of them. And why? Why must you be aware? Because they don't look like wolves. He says they're going to come looking like sheep. Their message may sound very good. They come disguised in sheep's clothing. You say, well, why does he have to warn us about that? I think if you're honest with yourself.
• 12:33
  I think that you'll admit the reason we have to be warned about these ravenous wolves is because we are a gullible people. As ironic as it is that the truth has come under fire more and more in our generation, there are people lining up to believe almost anything else. J.C. Rouse says this, beyond all doubt, the regular study of the word of God with prayer for the teaching of the Holy Spirit is the best safeguard against false teaching. In other words,
• 13:07
  The book sitting on your lap is your best weapon against false teaching. The truth as it is revealed in these words is what we cling to, hold to, talk about, preach about. This is it. When Jesus in that moment in John chapter 6 looks at Peter and he tells his other apostles, what about you? Will you desert me like the other hundreds and thousands have? Will you desert me too? And Peter looks at Jesus and says, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
• 13:38
  It was these words of eternal life, this book contained within the covers, the pages sitting on your lap. J.C. Rowe continues, the man who reads the Bible to write will never be allowed greatly to error. It is neglect of the Bible which makes so many a prey to the first false teacher whom they hear. The plain truth is that there are many who are idle and lazy about reading the Bible. Now, make sure that you hear me, church. I am not casting judgment here. I don't mean to be looking down on anybody.
• 14:13
  In this, there is no condemnation from me. I'm not pointing fingers because I know that two of the adjectives that could be used about my personal study, my personal devotion to and discipline in God's word could be idle and lazy. I understand full well what this book is and what it contains, and yet I neglect it very frequently. I don't devote myself to it the way I devote myself to other things. And so I'm putting myself in there with us.
• 14:41
  But how convicting is that? The plain truth is that there are many who are idle and lazy about reading the Bible. I think that's true. They do not like the trouble of thinking for themselves. Nothing supplies false prophets, J.C. Riles says, with followers so much as spiritual laziness. Nothing supplies false prophets with crowds more than just spiritual laziness. Psalm 119, verse 105 is a verse we've all memorized, although you may not know that you've memorized it based on the reference.
• 15:12
  Psalm 119, 105 says, your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. A lamp to my feet and a light to my path. This is the headlights for our life. Otherwise, we're just fumbling around, stumbling around in the dark. We don't know what's truth from error. We have no way to tell. There's no dividing line. This is the headlight for our lives. We praise God for that old Amy Grant song.
• 15:42
  which caused us to memorize that verse. We didn't know when we were singing it all those years ago that we were memorizing Psalm 119, but there it is. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. When my oldest son, Pearson, had his driver's permit, he's got his license now, but when he had just gotten his permit 18 months or so ago, he had to log all of these hours. You know, the DMV says you've got to drive with one of your parents a certain number of hours before we'll give you a license. It's a pretty good idea.
• 16:08
  And, you know, some of those hours have to be during the day. Some of them have to be at night. And so when Pearson would drive at night and he was, you know, new to it, and I'm, you know, kind of got a death grip on the handles and everything else, you know, in the passenger seat. I'm teaching him how to drive. The most consistent reminder I had to give him was to turn on his headlights at night.
• 16:33
  He'd just forget. You know, there's a million things that you have to remember to do when you drive that we all who have been driving for years and years just take for granted. We don't even think about it. But when you're brand new, first time you've ever sat on that side of the car, you're so nervous. There's other people honking at you and driving past you, you know, faster than you're comfortable with and whatever. And he's just, it was funny because he'd get in the car at night. All the streetlights were on. Everybody else's headlights were on. So it was light enough. He would just forget to turn on his headlights. And I would wait.
• 17:03
  to see if he would remember. We'd pull out of the parking lot or pull out of the driveway. We'd get out here out of church right on a Wednesday night. We'd come out here and he'd make the left right onto Utica and then the right onto 92nd. We're cruising down 92nd like there's no headlights, no headlights, no headlights. And I'm just, you know, come on, come on, come on. Okay, Pearson, turn on the headlights. You know, like you forgot the lights. We're driving around in the dark. I think it's possible for we who know Christ, who genuinely know him.
• 17:35
  whose souls are regenerated, we know we have forgiveness. The Holy Spirit dwells in us. It is still possible, even with all of that, to drive around with the headlights off. It's possible. If we're not regularly in the Word of God for ourselves, studying, applying His Word to our lives, it's like having the lights off. We're gullible. Those wolves are dangerous to our souls. But also, why do we need this warning, verse 15? Because God really does care how His sheep are treated.
• 18:09
  You know, when the Bible says that God loves you, it means it. He really does. If what you're imagining is the father up in heaven, kind of with his arms crossed, brooding, angry, disappointed, kind of pacing back and forth and just watching for you to mess up so he can whack you with a ruler. That's not him. He loves his people. He wants what is best for them. And when his sheep get hurt, it hurts him. So he warns us to be careful.
• 18:42
  about the wolves because he doesn't want his sheep to get hurt. That's first a warning given, but second, there's a command to watch out. Notice verses 16 to 20. Verse 16, you will recognize them, he says, by their fruits. I believe those fruits are unsound words and works. I mean, that's what we're talking about here. Their words will be false, but so will their works. He says, are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? So every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
• 19:11
  A healthy tree cannot bear good fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. I'm sorry, verse 18 again. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, you will recognize them by their fruits. We can recognize false prophets, these ravenous wolves, by their unsound words and works. The words of a false prophet, though perhaps convincing at the start, will always be revealed.
• 19:42
  For what they are. And that is a false gospel. Jesus in Matthew chapter 7. Had just finished describing. The way to destruction. And the way to heaven. And he said the way to heaven is narrow. And few find it. But the way to destruction is broad. And there are many on it. And you will be able to tell. The words of a false prophet. Based on which gospel they're preaching. If it's a gospel that is palatable.
• 20:10
  and easy to swallow. If it's a gospel that denies the existence of sin, if it's a gospel that does not call people to repentance, if it's a gospel that doesn't rely upon the work of Jesus Christ and his work alone, then it's a false gospel. That's the one that many are on. But if it's one that calls attention to the Savior and his merit rather than ours, it says you found what is true. False prophets will always eventually kowtow to what people want to hear.
• 20:45
  In 2 Timothy 4 and verse 3, 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, and they will turn away from the truth. And there are all kinds of teachers, even in our age, in our generation, all kinds of teachers who just like to scratch people's ears. All kinds of people who just want to hear what they like to hear rather than to hear what they need.
• 21:16
  to hear. You can always find advice givers, counselors who will simply tell you what you want to hear rather than what is true and what is right. And beware of such teachers and counselors. I've coached baseball for a long time, many years. One of my old teams, there was a young man who just had a really bad swing. He did. And it showed really every time he swung the bat, he very rarely even touched the ball.
• 21:50
  And so I tried working with him. And I worked with him for a long time. Here's what I see in your swing. If I was watching you and I'm pitching against you, here's how I would pitch you. And I even threw batting practice against him. And I said, here's what I would do. And he's just swinging and missing, swinging and missing, swinging and missing. Because I said, you've got this massive hole in your swing. I can see it. There are some things you need to fix. The problem with him was, and he's a sweet kid, but he was not teachable at all. He didn't want to receive instruction. So he always had all of these excuses.
• 22:19
  you know, for a while. Well, this is a new bat. I'm like, well, listen, it's not the bat's fault. You know, let somebody else swing the bat. He seems to be hitting pretty well with it. You know, it's not the bat. Well, you know, I mean, he always had all of these things, you know, the problem was somebody else's problem. And then he said this, you know, coach, I already have my own hitting coach. I'm going to do what he tells me to do. I said, okay. What I found out was that he was paying some guy, it's like $50 for 30 minute sessions.
• 22:47
  Like, listen, I'll charge half of that. You know, I'm just kidding. I didn't do that. $50 for 30-minute sessions and get together with this guy once a week. And he'd been doing this for months, months and months and months. And I'm watching. There's no improvement in the swing at all. And then it occurred to me, well, listen, if I was making $50 every 30 minutes, I wouldn't want your swing to be fixed either. If it works, he'll stop coming. I'm not going to fix the swing. I'll be out of a job.
• 23:23
  Trust the guy who's doing it for free, right? Who has nothing to gain except your good. Trust the guy who's going to tell you what you need to hear rather than what you want to hear. The same is true of gospel preachers who has nothing to gain. There are many who preach to their own agenda and for their own good, and so therefore preach their own gospel. Jesus said, watch out for them last. So there's a command to watch out for, but last. And here is really the hard saying this morning.
• 23:55
  Begins in verse 21, 21 to 23. There's an encouragement not to be found wanting. And Jesus says in verse 21, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my father who is in heaven. If you guys have grown up in the church, if you've read your Bibles, certainly you have come to this passage at some point and it has shaken you to your core. And you thought, oh Lord, may that not be me. But look at verse 22. On that day, many, and that word bothers me.
• 24:25
  Many, not a few, many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and cast out demons in your name and do many mighty works in your name? Prophesy in your name. Did we not teach? We were teaching in your name. They were actually speaking the truth. They were casting out demons in the name of Jesus. It doesn't say they were trying to cast out demons. It said they cast out demons.
• 24:56
  There were exorcisms happening and they were casting out demons by the name of Jesus. And listen, it was working. Can you imagine the assurance that would give you if you were the person casting the demons out? You'd be feeling pretty good walking a little taller. Even demons obey my voice, right? Doing many mighty works, miraculous things. They were doing miracles in the name of Jesus. All of these things. Did we not do all of these things, Lord? And it's like Jesus is saying, yeah, you did that.
• 25:27
  Yes, you did that. Yes, you did that. The problem is, verse 23, I never knew you. I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. I had the privilege of officiating a funeral this week, this last Thursday morning. Honestly, it was a really hard one. And all funerals are hard to some degree, but some funerals are hard, but with hope. Some funerals are hard, but with rejoicing. You do a funeral for a man like Ed Holt, who died a few months ago.
• 25:58
  who was in his 80s, had lived a full life, was loved by the Lord and who loved his Lord and honestly could not wait to be at Jesus' side. He was vocal about that. I can't wait to go. You do his funeral, it's a little easier. Honestly, it takes the sting out. There's laughter and fellowship and joy even in the service. We laughed. Why? Because we know where Ed is and he does not want to come back.
• 26:29
  But this last funeral, this last Thursday, was difficult because it was for a young man who had died a difficult death and unexpected. There were 250 people in the room. And I'm not the judge. The Lord is. Only He knows their hearts. But based on their fruit and their lifestyle and the way that they live and the way that they speak, I'm going to say very few of them know the Lord. Genuinely know the Lord. Very few. Very small percentage. And so I had the opportunity.
• 26:56
  to share the good news with a couple hundred of those people, 250 or so people. And during that brief message at the end of the funeral, I wanted to make sure that they understood that going to church, although good, and reading the Bible, although good, and giving to charity, although good, are not what makes you a Christian. Rather, knowledge of Christ alone. Being called by his name and walking like he walked.
• 27:29
  are the proof of a heart transformed. We can be involved in all kinds of things. Lord, didn't we serve in the children's ministry? Lord, didn't I mow the lawn? And Lord, didn't I teach? And Lord, wasn't I the worship leader? Didn't I lead worship in your name? Didn't I preach in your name? And he could say, yes, yes, yes, yes, but I never actually knew you. You talked about me a lot, but I never actually knew you. Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.
• 28:02
  phrase that last phrase workers of lawlessness that one really is tough that's a tough one to swallow because again if we're honest we're all workers of lawlessness all of us are so if workers of lawlessness don't get in then none of us can get in and that is a true statement the problem was it's not to say that workers of lawlessness don't get to heaven because if so none of us get there but rather the workers of lawlessness that know christ
• 28:30
  have had their lawless work forgiven and scraped clean. And so when he stands there and looks at those who are genuinely believers, he doesn't see workers of lawlessness anymore. He sees righteousness. Not to say that we stop working lawlessness, although we should, but rather knowledge of the Son imputes to us his righteous life. Martin Lloyd-Jones said this, a Christian can generally be known by his very appearance.
• 29:01
  Now catch this, the man or woman who really believes in the holiness of God and who knows his own sinfulness and the blackness of his own heart, the man who believes in the judgment of God and the possibility of hell and torment, the man who really believes that he himself is so vile and helpless that nothing but the coming of the Son of God from heaven to earth and his going to the bitter shame and agony and cruelty of the cross could ever save him and reconcile him to God.
• 29:32
  that man is going to show it in the way that he walks. It will transform your life, that knowledge, the genuine knowledge of the gospel, and that is that we are wretched and depraved apart from the grace of God, that there is no hope for us at all apart from his saving grace, the truth of Ephesians chapter 2, that we really are dead in our trespasses and sins if we come to grips with that knowledge that only Christ can save.
• 30:02
  It will give us assurance of our salvation. I want to be really clear on this point. This sermon is not meant to cause genuine believers to question their salvation. That's not my goal. I don't want to rattle anybody's cage. If you know the Lord, rejoice in it. You're saved. The gospel is true. You don't need to question the truth of the gospel. If you believe you are saved, repent from your sin, confess you're saved. But we can't also pretend like everyone who does the right thing.
• 30:35
  and says the right words, actually knows the Lord. And if you're one of those, if you've been playing kind of that gospel game, you've been eating with the lights off, you've been scarfing down raw chicken, can I just encourage you, and graciously, and I humbly say this, can I just encourage you to stop lying to yourself. It's easy to deceive yourself into thinking that something is true when it's not.
• 31:05
  It's easy to just whisper that mantra to yourself over and over and over that the chicken was cooked. The chicken was cooked. The chicken was cooked. When it wasn't cooked, be honest with yourself and before the Lord. It is, I believe, possible to be sincere and yet sincerely wrong. My encouragement is to repent, confess your sin and believe, and you will be saved. Allow us to introduce you to Jesus and then for the remainder of your life, get to know him more and more.
• 31:38
  And you will have nothing to fear over this hard saying. And Lord, I pray, again, a blessing over this people, God. You know those who are yours. And God, I don't doubt anybody's salvation, except probably my own sometimes. God, I pray that we would, who are believers, walk in security, knowing that we know you and knowing that the works of Jesus really do cover our sin. But God, if there are any here this morning, Lord.
• 32:07
  who don't know you, and they know that they don't know you, I pray, God, that they would come to salvation even today. I pray that we could introduce them to the Savior and that they would be saved and that they would know you for the remainder of their lives. We love you, Lord. As we celebrate communion now, God, be glorified in it, that we would remember the work of Jesus on the cross. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.