We're living in a time, as has always happened, when High Profile Christian Leaders are leaving the faith, and leading others to go with them. When they leave, they cite that "no one thinks the way I do, no one does this, or thinks that." I'll let other speakers more eloquent than I am (check out John Cooper's commentary here). I think that this is an epidemic within the church; we stand upon song lyrics, the mouths of popular leaders and preachers, and not upon the word itself. This is not new; the author of Hebrews writes: " 11About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, 13for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. " We have immature leaders leading people in to immaturity. The Blind leading the blind into a pit, as Jesus said (Matthew 15:14). We are creating an emotion based faith, a works based faith, a self-centered faith, instead of standing on the word of God, centered upon Jesus. Our only firm foundation is Jesus Christ. We should hear His words, and then do them; instead, we fight over things God decided on the cross, and we discuss, and lament, and toil in vain. Let us be hearers of the word, and not doers only (James 1 and 2), and let us seek Christ's words, and put them in to practice! Let us live as Paul told Timothy (1 Timothy 3): 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God[a] may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Matthew 7:15-29 English Standard Version (ESV)
A Tree and Its Fruit
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
I Never Knew You
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.22 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?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Build Your House on the Rock
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
The Authority of Jesus
28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
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