Warnings Against False Teachers Series

Introduction

This is my last sermon here at GCC. When the realization that I was going to resign and move on into other avenues of ministry came to me. One of the first areas I mulled over was what I would say during my last message. I had always considered this day to be much further ahead in the future and that the last time I would walk off of this platform would come when I was an old man. But here we are and I have to now share some final thoughts and words with you.

So in considering this, I felt the Lord impress upon me that I should continue on in our study of Luke without breaking the rank of the passage. When I saw where we were going to land in the passage, I knew why. I do not think there is a more important conversation in the church than the issue of false teachers.

I came to this church with a mission. That mission is to do something about the incursion of biblical illiteracy in the modern church. I’ve over the last 5 years I’ve delivered 236 messages here at GCC. Every time, I wanted to leave you with something that was from God. In season and out of season, my primary burden and mission were to deliver the truth of God’s Word.

Anyone can deliver a message or a sermon. Someone with an opinion can stand up and talk for a long time and be convinced they are right. That’s why everyone wants to tell the pastor how to do his job because everyone thinks they can do it. Just throw a few points together and wha-la! But that’s not where the weight of the ministry of preaching exists and to be honest, it’s been treated lightly and thereby with irreverence.

There is a spiritual battle that ensues when the truth of God’s Word is conveyed in preaching ministry. This is where so many struggles to understand. A worship service or a preaching ministry is not primarily an organizational exercise; it’s a spiritual praxis that must be rooted in careful study, reflection, and prayer. The burden of the preacher is to present the truth of God’s Word, not the opinion of a man. So if the church is biblically illiterate and spiritually dead, then the truth of God’s Word will not be known. This is the heart of Jesus’ message today.

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39 He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they, not both fall into a pit? 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone, when he is fully trained, will be like his teacher. 41 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 42 How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye. 43 “For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, 44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. 46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” (Luke 6:39–49 ESV)

1. We Need Spiritual Sight of God’s Word and The Holy Spirit

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39 He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they, not both fall into a pit? 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone, when he is fully trained, will be like his teacher. (Luke 6:39–40 ESV)

The meaning of this parable is fairly obvious: we need to be careful whom we choose to follow. If we follow the wrong leader, we will end up falling into a ditch. “Can a blind man lead a blind man?” No, because they have the same disability and thus they both need help to see where they are going. “Will they not both fall into a pit?” Yes, they will; sooner or later.