Hananniah and The Marks of a False Prophet

I want to introduce you to a prophet.  You might not know his name.  But if you heard him speak, you would be impressed.  He would warm your heart by his charm, captivate your mind by his charisma, and inspire your will by stories of hope.  You would walk away knowing things were about to get better, that things are going to turn around completely.  You would be confident in his message because he speaks with authority; he even declares “Thus says the LORD”.  After hearing him speak, you would know that your Best Life Now was right around the corner.

His name is not Joel or any other preacher who may sit in the golden chairs with Paul and Jan on TBN.  Although, if he were alive today, he’d definitely be invited to sit with them.  His name?  Hananniah, the son of Azzur, the prophet from Gibeon.  We read about him in Jeremiah 28. 

To understand Hananniah and his message, we must first understand the context of the passage.  It takes place as Zedekiah began to reign in Judah.  Zedekiah was the final king to reign over the nation of Judah before they were taken into Babylonian captivity.  At the beginning of his reign, he apparently met with some ambassadors from other nations.  The topic of discussion: Babylon.  Jeremiah was sent by God to address King Zedekiah and the ambassadors.  The message: Submit to Nebuchadnezzar and you will be allowed to stay in the land or refuse to submit and be taken into captivity.  To illustrate his message, Jeremiah made and wore a yoke that symbolized the captivity Judah would experience if they didn’t listen to God. 

Jeremiah also warned Zedekiah about the prophets in Judah.  “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are saying to you, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon.’ For it is a lie that they are prophesying to you.” (Jeremiah 27:14)  Again, in verses 16 and 17, Jeremiah warns the King with the words, “Do not listen” to them!

Can you hear the people?  Can you hear what they’re saying about Jeremiah?  “He’s too depressing; I can’t listen to him.”  “He focuses too much on the negative.”  “I don’t feel lifted up after I hear him preach.”  “He needs to lighten up a bit, don’t you think?”

Then, in chapter 28, along comes Hananniah, a post-child for false prophets.  His message and mannerism shows how false prophets operate.  There are 6 characteristics of false prophets that are seen in Hananniah.

(1) They Sound Like True Prophets

His message begins eerily similar to Jeremiah’s.  He says, “Thus says the LORD” (28:2), nearly identical to the declarations of Jeremiah in chapter 27.

(2) They Sound Confident

Just like Hananniah, false prophets normally have a surplus of confidence.  When he speaks of what will happen, he uses a prophetic perfect when he declares that God has “broken the yoke of the king of Babylon” (28:2).  Who would question that?  He is speaking with absolute certainty.  I can hear someone say, “He really knows what he’s talking about, just listen to how confident he is!”

(3) They Contradict God’s Word

His message is in stark contrast to Jeremiah’s message in chapter 27.  Both of them can’t be right; one of them is lying.  The idea that Jeremiah sees it one way and Hananniah sees it another way and we should just leave them alone and let each one do their thing is absurd.  Both are saying, “Thus says the LORD”; their declarations are complete opposites.  Both of them can’t be correct.  Hananniah is twisting and contradicting God’s true Word (something false prophets are notoriously famous for).

(4) They Appear Credible

Hananniah adds some specifics to his declaration, saying that in two years God would bring back the vessels of the LORD’S house that Nebuchadnezzar had taken to Babylon previously.  Can you hear someone say, “He’s so specific!  He has to be right!”  That’s about the equivalent of a faith-healer standing before a crowd of 10,000 saying, “There is someone here who has lost your job and you are struggling because you have cancer.  God is going to restore your finances and heal your cancer.”  (Of course there is a caveat to being restored and healed; it usually requires a financial contribution.)

(5) They Erupt (Emotionally) When Confronted With The Truth

When Jeremiah confronts him about his message, what does Hananniah do?  Does he appeal to God?  No.  Does he discuss the differences in their message?  No.  He erupts with anger and emotions.  He takes yoke off of Jeremiah and breaks it.  He then declares, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all the nations within two years.”  What does he do?  He reacts emotionally; he doubles down.  Like Hananniah, false prophets love to speak about authority, but they hate answering serious questions.

(6) They Make People Trust In A Lie

This is the most heartbreaking characteristic of a false prophet: They make people trust in a lie (Jeremiah 28:15).  They though deliverance was coming; but captivity was their future.  They thought joy was coming; but mourning was their future.  They thought prosperity was coming; but famine was their future.  

Is Calling Out A False Preacher A Bad Thing?

“You shouldn't do that!”  “They aren't hurting anyone.”  “They inspire people.”  “They are even using the Bible.”  “Who are you to judge?” “Their doctrine doesn't matter, just as long as people listen to them.”  “They must be doing something right, look at the crowds they draw.”  “If they are so wrong, why do I feel so good after I hear them preach?”  “Why can’t you be more like Jesus and just love people?”  “Quit being a know-it-all."  "Your're so judgmental."

These are just a few of the questions and statements you often hear when you call out someone – most of the time a well-known televangelist – for preaching or teaching heresy.  It is seen as prideful, arrogant, mean-spirited, hateful, un-Christlike, divisive, and just plain wrong.  You are seen as majoring on minors, as building yourself up by tearing someone else down.

But does it matter?  Should we care about what we are listening to and what others are hearing?  Let me ask you this: Would you entrust the life of a loved one – your spouse, your parent, your child – to just any physician?  No, of course not.  We are particular about which doctors we see, as we should be.  But why do we take more precaution concerning the doctor who treats our body than the preacher who feeds our soul?  Could it be that we see the damage inflicted to our body by a quack doctor as more severe than the damage inflicted to our soul by a false prophet?  I think so.

Doctrine matters because souls matter.  (Please do not see this as an endorsement of a state-church or an endorsement to put false prophets on trial in American court rooms because it isn't!)  500 years ago, when false prophets were tried, convicted and punished (by death) the line of reasoning was this: False teaching is spiritual murder because false doctrine kills the soul.  And because it is worse to kill the soul than the body, false prophets were held accountable.

We don’t try false prophets in courtrooms today.  But as shepherds of God’s flock, we are responsible to call out false prophets and false doctrines, heresy that damns souls to Hell.  You see, it is not unloving to call out false prophets; indeed, it is loving.  A person who lovingly calls out false prophets for preaching error is not being a grouch; they are being gracious. 

Here’s the question we must ask and answer (and we will over the course of the upcoming week): What would Jesus say to false prophets?  What would Paul say about it?  What about Peter, John, and Jude?  Does the Bible say how we should respond to false prophets? 

Let us prayerfully heed Jesus’ words: “Pay attention to what you hear” (Mark 4:24).

The Proper Way To Leave A Church

People leave churches.  That’s nothing new.  If you’ve been in leadership at a church for any length of time, you’ve seen people leave.  People leave for a variety of different reasons: Doctrinal disagreements, worship style, programs (or lack thereof), jealousy (they or their children are not the center of attention), etc.  Yet, while people leave church, I can’t help but wonder: How many have left properly?  When people leave a church, I’ve observed that there are at least 4 types of people:

1. The Silent Dropout.  This person just quits attending.  Normally, it doesn’t happen overnight.  They begin by missing 1-2 Sundays per month; then 3; and then they’re gone.  They don’t cause a blowup on their way out; they silently slip through the back door.
2. The Avoider.  Like the Silent Dropout, this person also leaves.  Most of the time, there is much more going on with this person.  They have a reason for leaving; they just haven’t told the leaders what it is.  Most of the time, they are upset about something.  When leaders at church attempt to reach out to them (call, text, email, etc.), they get no response.  When this person sees church leaders out, they attempt to avoid them.  If they do talk, it is small talk that ends before the church leader has the chance to ask them about where they’ve been.  Deep down, this person knows they probably don’t have a biblical reason for leaving, and they don’t want to be confronted with this.
3. The Ring Leader. The circumstances surrounding this person’s leaving is seldom good.  Most of the time there is a blowup or major disagreement.  During the process of their leaving, they burn the phone lines up, calling people to see how many members agree with them.  In fact, I’ve known people who have called more members in one week (when they’ve decided to leave) than they had the entire time they were a member!  (There’s something horribly wrong about that.)  This person is not content to leave and find another church that they agree with; they want to destroy the church they are leaving.  Sure, they will talk about their love for their former church, but behind the scenes they are trying their best to destroy it.
4. The Model Example.  These people disagree with the leadership or the direction of the church.  It is normally doctrinal; it could be something else.  They, out of love and respect for church leadership, tell the leaders (most often the pastor) that they are leaving.  They tell them the reason they are leaving.  And they leave.  Unlike the Ring Leader, they are not interested in being a new Moses.  Unlike the Avoider, they are not afraid of explaining to the pastor why they are leaving.  And unlike the Silent Dropout, they don’t make the pastor run them down to find out what’s going on.  They take the initiative. 

As a pastor, I’ve seen and dealt with each person listed.  When anyone leaves your church, it hurts.  What hurts more than anything is when people follow the example of the Avoider (2) or the Ring Leader (3).  It still hurts when someone follows the Model Example (4), but it is different.  They have shown true love, Christian maturity and accountability by explaining their decision to leave. 

If you are member of a church, please resolve now that, if ever you leave your church you will do it right.  You will follow the example of 4.  You should follow this example because you’re responsible to your church, to your brothers and sisters, to your leaders (who, in turn, are responsible for you), and to your Lord.  

Tornadoes, Tragedies and the Trustworthiness of God

I’m sure your yesterday evening/night was spent much like mine: glued in front of the television watching the reports coming out of Moore, Oklahoma, as the search and rescue teams looked for survivors after a deadly EF4 tornado destroyed everything in its path.  My heart broke as I heard reports of devastation and death: children killed at Plaza Towers Elementary School, a mother and her child killed as they attempted to get into a deep freeze, and the stories go on and on, each one as lamentable as the other.

When we see such devastation, when we look at the loss, and when we feel the pain caused by disasters such as this, we tend to ask a few questions.  First, we ask, “Why?”  Second, we ask, “Where was God during this?”  Third, we ask, “How can a loving, gracious God allow something that produces so much hurt and pain?”  Fourthly, we ask, “Did someone’s actions cause this?  Is this disaster the direct result of personal sin?”  Some of these questions will never be answered in our lifetime (and that’s not a copout; that’s reality).  But there are several passages of scripture that can shed light on our questions and give hope in our despair.

Oftentimes, events, especially natural disasters of this nature, cause us to put things in proper biblical perspective.  In light of the disaster, there are 5 pastoral observations that I want to make.

1.     We Control Nothing.

Who among us had enough strength, enough power, and enough authority to stop what occurred?  Of course the answer is: No one.  For a control-hungry people, the fact that we face events in life that are completely out of our control is difficult and disturbing.

The fact that we aren’t in control begs the question: If we are not in control, then who is?  The answer is this: God is in control.  Do not think that God lost one ounce of His control and sovereignty on May 20^th.  It wasn’t as if God was in control, and then He lost it for a moment, thus prompting the tornado and destruction.  If He ever lost control the result wouldn’t be a powerful EF4 tornado, but the end of all things.  Please, don’t think that God loses control in Tornados, Hurricanes, or other natural disasters. 

Scripture is filled with declarations of God’s sovereign control over all things.  “29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.”  (Matthew 10:29)  “27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”” (Matthew 8:27)  A quick note: The winds obey Jesus, not Satan.  Satan has NO authority over winds, tornadoes, and hurricanes.  Even the smallest, nonessential issues are a product of God’s sovereign control: “33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD.” (Proverbs 16:33)  After the national tragedy of Judah falling into captivity in 586 B.C., Jeremiah wrote, “37 Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it?” (Lamentations 3:37)

In disaster and devastation, the only thing we can cling to is God’s sovereign control over the all things.

2.     We Must Not Boast About Tomorrow.

James 4:13-16 says, “13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”

I couldn't help but wonder this while looking at all the destroyed homes and listening to the reports of death: How many people, when they built or bought their home, expected it to be destroyed in this fashion?  How many people woke up that morning thinking it would be the last time they saw their children?  How many people woke up realizing May 20^th would be their final day upon this earth?  Sadly, we tend to treat the future so flippantly that it is classified as “evil” in James 4:16.   

Let us rejoice in the gift of today.  May God forgive us and remove from us the presumption that tomorrow is a guarantee! 

3.     We Live In A Cursed, Groaning World.

Paul says this in Romans 8: “¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. ¹⁹ For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.”

Tornados, hurricanes, and other natural disasters were not originally in the design of God’s creation.  You would not find a Katrina or an EF4 tornado prior to Genesis 3.  When God created all things he summed it up with these words, “It was good.”  It was only after Adam sinned and the entire creation fell under the curse of sin that disasters followed.

The Degree Of Suffering Doesn’t Correlate With The Degree Of Wickedness

One of the most helpful passages is Luke 13:1-5.  Here, we read:

“¹ There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. ² And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? ³ No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? ⁵ No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

This passage is remarkable.  Some people came to Christ, telling him about how Pilate had killed a group of Galileans while they were offering sacrifices (that is what it mean when he mingled their blood with their sacrifices).  Their assumption was this: For them to have suffered this terrible death, they must have sinned terribly.  Jesus’ response was this: The Galileans didn’t suffer to this degree because they were worse sinners than others.  In fact, Jesus told them that unless they (those who were questioning Christ) repented, they, too, would perish.  He then references a disaster: The tower of Siloam fell on 18 people, killing them.  Again, Jesus asks them if they were worse sinners than others because they were killed in this event.  The answer again is this: No!

To bring this home, let’s ask this practical question: Were the people of Moore, Oklahama, worse sinners than the people of Salyersville, Kentucky?  Moore, Oklahoma not only experienced devastation, they also experienced death (something Magoffin County was spared on our March 2^nd Tornado in 2012).  Were the people of Morgan County, Kentucky, worse sinners than the people of Magoffin County?  After all, Morgan County experienced fatalities on March 2, 2012, but Magoffin County didn’t.  The answer is, “No.”  God forbid that we have this mentality! 

Natural Disasters Are A God-Given Reminder Of Sin’s Destruction

One might not see it, but natural disasters, while acts of power and devastation, serves as a tool of grace.  While that statement seems odd, I hope we can see the biblical purpose of it.

John Piper described the why best when he said:

“God put the natural world under a curse so that the physical horrors we see around us in diseases and calamities would become a vivid picture of how horrible sin is.  In other words, natural evil is a signpost pointing to the horrors of evil…He disordered the natural world because of the disorder of the moral and spiritual world – that is because of sin.”

We can’t “see” the calamities associated with sin.  Why?  Oftentimes, the calamities associated with sin are unseen, in a sense.  But when the natural order is placed under the curse of sin, disaster ensues.  What do the disasters prove?  They demonstrate how serious, deadly, and devastating sin is.

Why do hurricanes hit the shore?  Sin.  Why do tornados obliterate towns?  Sin.  Every disaster is the direct result of one man’s sin: Adam’s.  D.A. Carson said, “God uses disaster as a mega-phone to call attention to our guilt.”

When we survey the damage, look at the debris, feel the hurt, and hear the stories of death, let it serve as a reminder to us of the devastating effect sin has on people!  You want to know what sin will do to your life?  Look at what an EF4 tornado did to Moore, Oklahoma: that will be your life if you follow sin!

Creation Is Waiting

Each disaster, each diagnosis of cancer, each death is this created order groaning, crying out, and longing for a brighter day.  Paul calls that day the “revealing of the sons of God”.  In other words, creation is waiting for the day when God’s children will be revealed as such: His children without any hint of sinful nature; we shall be perfectly like Him.  When this occurs, the natural order will revert to pre-Genesis 3 tranquility.  Why will this occur?  Revelation 22:3 says, “And there shall be no more curse.” 

4.     We Rejoice In A Hope That Can’t Be Destroyed

Romans 8 says that God also gave creation “hope”.  The hope he is referencing is the promise of Genesis 3:15.  In that promise, while God is speaking the curse of sin upon creation, He gave hope in these words: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”  God promised a deliverer, a Savior, a Christ!  The hope is this: Christ will restore creation to its original “good” design through His death, burial and resurrection! 

How Can We “Rejoice” In That?

I choose the word “rejoice” carefully.  When we watched the coverage, “rejoice” isn’t a verb that comes to our mind.  Sad?  Indescribable?  Horrific?  Devastating?  Maybe.  One doesn’t think of the word rejoice when they are standing in a pile of rubble that 24 hours ago was their home; nor do people think of the word rejoice when they see their loved one lose every worldly possession they have in a matter of minutes; nor do people think of the word rejoice when they have a loved one leave this world unexpectedly.  Yet, my biblical challenge is to rejoice.  And we can do just that.

For the child of God, our rejoicing is based on our hope.  If our hope endures, our rejoicing will endure.  If the object of our hope is destroyed, then our rejoicing will be destroyed as well.  In other words, if one’s hope is in a house, then a tornado can take it away.  If one’s hope is in a car, then hail can damage it.  If one’s hope is in physical well-being, then death can snatch it.  But if our hope is anchored in something eternal, then a tornado, hail, wind, or death can take away my rejoicing and joy.  Jesus said, “…no one will take your joy from you.” (John 16:22)  Jesus put this perspective on it: “¹⁹ “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

I encourage you: Have your hope anchored in something that a storm can’t take away.  Have your hope anchored in something that sickness can’t take away.  Have your hope anchored in something that death can’t take away.

5.     If You Were Frightened By The Sights Of An EF4 Tornado, Can You Imagine What the Judgment of God Will Be Like?

In most people’s heart (mine included), there is a fear of that which we cannot control, especially when that is a strong tornado that is leveling everything in its path.  Yet, that uneasy feeling and fear that gripped our heart when the sky turned black and the wind roared will not compare to the feeling we will have when we stand before God.  What is more terrifying than staring down a deadly tornado?  Standing before the God of the tornado.

Revelation describes how men will respond to the coming of Christ: “¹⁵ Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, ¹⁶ calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, ¹⁷ for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” (Revelation 6:15-17)

It is the living out of the old Negro spiritual:

I ran to the rocks to hide my face.
The rocks cried out, “No hiding place.”

Did God Turn Away?

We've all experienced it: You’re watching a television show and it goes to commercial, and the first commercial you see is that of starving children in a 3^rd world country.  They show children sitting on the ground, living in grass huts, and rummaging through garbage trying to find something to eat.  It breaks your heart.  You think about giving money, but the thought enters your mind: “If I knew they’d really get the money, I’d give.”  You watch it for a few more seconds, and then, after you've taken all you can withstand, you turn the channel – you just can’t bear to see the misery.

Did God “Turn The Channel” During The Crucifixion?

My question, especially as we near the Easter season, is this: Did God react the same way when Jesus was on the cross?  We've heard it said over and over again that God “ couldn't bear to see His Son”, so He turned away.  It’s the picture of a heartbroken God who can’t bear to see what is happening to His Son.  Even Jesus cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).  Did He turn away?  Did He refuse to look at the cross?  In what sense was Jesus forsaken by the Father?

.

Well, in one sense, there is a divine mystery that one can never fully understand or explain.  Martin Luther once studied Matthew 27:45-50 for a long time, even going into seclusion and refusing to eat.  After much study, he came forth and said, “God forsaken by God – who can understand it.” 

While there is a mystery surrounding that cry, we must understand what it is not.  It is not a cry that marks the complete abandonment of God’s presence from the cross – that He was so overwhelmed by the sight of His Son that he turned away. 

God was very present when Jesus was dying on the cross.  “In what sense was the Father present while Jesus was on the cross?” one might ask.  The Father was present with Jesus on the cross in the same way He will be present with unbelievers in Hell; He was present in judgment.  People are of the opinion that God is not present in Hell.  They are wrong; Hell is the undiluted, perfect exhibition of God’s wrath against sin.  Those in Hell will forever experience the holiness of God through His wrath that is poured out upon sin.  In the same manner, Jesus, when He was on the cross, experienced God’s wrath against sin.  The one who had heard the Father say, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17), now feels the hatred of God due sin and the wrath of God upon sin. 

We will never truly appreciate the price Jesus paid for our atonement until we realize this hard, yet Biblical truth: What the Father did to Jesus while He was on the cross was far worse than what the Roman soldiers did to Jesus!  Isaiah 53:4 says that the Jehovah’s Servant (Jesus) was “smitten by God”; Isaiah 53:10-11 says, “Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.  Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.”

Those who know Christ should rejoice forevermore because God’s wrath due our sin has been completely exhausted!  It was completely poured out upon Jesus.  My sins have already had God’s justice poured out upon them.  He cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” so that we may cling to the promise: “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).  

Read The Entire Sermon PLEASE!

Have you ever preached a sermon and someone quote you completely out of context?  Have you ever heard them quote you and you want to say, “That wasn’t ALL I said; and, furthermore, you’re quoting me incorrectly”?  If so, you’re in good company.  Jesus’ most famous sermon is often picked apart, quoted out of context, and cherry-picked to death!  By no means do I pretend to know the mind of Christ, but one would assume He is saying to a culture that loves to quote bits and pieces of Matthew 5-7: “Read the entire sermon!” 

Without a doubt, the most quote phrase in America today is taken from Jesus’ sermon.  It is found in Matthew 7:1: “Judge not, that you be not judged.”  Many pluck this verse away from its context and use it to justify their rebellion against God.  People who lie want to say, “You can’t confront me about my lie because Jesus said, ‘Judge not, that you be not judged.’”  People who cheat in business will say, “You can’t confront me about my crooked business practices because Jesus said, ‘Judge not, that you be not judged.’”  People involved in sexual immorality – be it pre-marital or extra-marital or homosexuality – will say, ‘You can’t confront me about my sexuality because Jesus said, ‘Judge not, that you be not judged.”  They quote Jesus as if He is standing in their corner, turning a blind eye to their sin – all because He said, “Judge not, that you be not judged.” 

Trust me, when people quote this verse to defend their actions, they are not interested in the words of Jesus.  That may be a bold statement, but here’s how I know it is true: THEY NEVER QUOTE ANYTHING ELSE HE SAYS IN THE SERMON.  Let’s just think of some of the truths Jesus spoke about in the Sermon on the Mount – the very same sermon in which He spoke the words “Judge not, that you be not judged” – and see if you can recall one instance in which the following verses are used by the people who cling to Matthew 7:1.

·         Matthew 5:10-12, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

·         Matthew 5:27-30, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.”

·         Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

·         Matthew 7:6, “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.”  This one is interesting.  Jesus just said, “Judge not, that you be not judged”, in verse 1, but then tells the disciples to avoid giving holy things to the dogs and pearls to pigs.  He is not speaking of animals; He is speaking of people!  Jesus calling people dogs?  Jesus calling people pigs?  QUESTION: How can you make that judgment if judging is wrong?

·         Matthew 7:21-23, “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; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Wow!  In this sermon, Jesus covers a variety of topics: Hypocrisy, Lust, Adultery, Retaliation, Loving Your Enemies, Fasting, Worry, Laying Up Treasures in Heaven, and – most shocking to our society – HELL.  Yet, all we hear our society quote from this sermon is “Judge not, that you be not judged.”  I think our society would do well to read the entire sermon and quit cherry-picking the words of Jesus to justify their sin.  Just READ THE ENTIRE SERMON. 

I Love The Church BECAUSE I Love Jesus

When you love someone, you oftentimes find yourself loving what they love.  We see it all the time with couples and sports.  A girl – who has no earthly idea what a football or basketball is – will date or marry a guy who has a favorite sports team.  The girl miraculously transforms into an avid (borderline rabid) fan of that team.  Why?  Because the love she has for her guy produces a love for something that he loves: his favorite team. Her love is a selfless love. 

The same should be true about our relationship with Jesus and the Church.  Have you ever heard it said, “I love Jesus, but not the church”?  People who say this seem to think that it is possible to have a flourishing, loving relationship with Jesus without loving the church.  But if you know Jesus, if you love Jesus, if you are so one with Jesus that you love what He loves, then this statement is absurd.  It is impossible to know Jesus and truly love Jesus without loving the church.  Why do I say this?  Because Ephesians 5:25 says that Jesus “loved the church and gave himself up for her” (ESV).  If Jesus loved the church enough that He died for her, it is contradictory to think that I can love Him without loving the church, his bride.

This sermon looks at the importance of loving Jesus through loving the church and being a faithful member of a local congregation.  

"i LOVE my church...BY JOINING"