✝ Daily Encouragement (11/14/23) "A Vital Warning"

Published: Tue, 11/14/23

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Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Brooksyne hiking along the Appalachian Trail in Swatara State Park. This bridge was built in 1890 as a vehicle bridge in Lycoming County and was too narrow for modern use. In the 1980's it was dismantled, repaired, moved and rebuilt to provide a crossing for the Appalachian Trail over Swatara Creek.

"A Vital Warning"

Message summary: Deception and deceivers abound but we need to keep before us this question, “Am I a professing and practicing follower of Christ seeking to do the will of the Father?”

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"Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:15-23).

Increasingly, when being sold a product or service I often assume I am being lied to or deceived in some way. There is a fine line between deceptions and clever marketing.

A recent experience I had illustrates this and I am sure others have had similar experiences.

Recently renewing a cell phone service I had the salesman repeatedly clarify the offer, both the breakdown per line and what my total monthly bill would be. I got home and checked my account online and saw it was more than he had said.

I went back and told him what I had found on my online account. He again clarified that the price he had told me was correct but I would just have to call the 800 customer service number to get it right. Well, many of you know how much fun it is to make those kind of calls! However I have a nagging feeling he was not telling me the truth but rather what he felt I needed to hear just to make the sale and get me out the door! (Note: The photo of our kitten Gracie watching a fish video on Ester's phone has absolutely nothing to do with the recent transaction but is used for illustrative purposes!)

Deceptions of this nature abound and we've all experienced them. But spiritual deceptions are the worst and have eternal consequences. Jesus dealt with this in the Sermon On The Mount in our daily passage. Our church is in a series of teachings on this sermon and Sunday one of our pastors dealt with the daily text. He illustrated with a Powerpoint slide to the right of a Lincoln "quote".

The internet has certainly increased the availability of deceptions but deceptions have been around from the very beginning, used skillfully by Satan in the Garden and all through the ages using many mediums. Jesus said, "Beware of the false prophets". We continue to need to heed that warning.

David, a longtime Texan reader and now for many years a friend, came across our messages in the course of searching for photos of Pennsylvania, where he had once lived. He told us how, before accepting our teaching he read up on us; finding out who we were and what we believed. He thoroughly checked our teaching using the standard of Holy Scripture and I am sure he still does. That’s the kind of readers we want, similar to the Bereans who were commended in Acts 17:11.

The self-identified label “Christian” can be used by anyone and those with practically opposite worldviews may even seek to identify themselves as a Christian, especially if it's expedient politically.

In our daily text Jesus is teaching about the necessity of judging between genuine and false prophets. “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15-20).

In this context Jesus continues emphatically, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven”. Just as there are false teachers, it is also true that there are false professors. Jesus goes on to say that many, on the grounds of a mere profession with their tongue, saying “Lord, Lord”, or even those who might demonstrate works such as "prophesying in Your name, casting out demons in Your name, and in Your name performing many miracles", would expect admittance into God’s kingdom. But the almighty Judge “will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”

J.C. Ryle (1816- 1900) says it like this:

“the uselessness of a mere outward profession of Christianity” pointing out that “The day of judgment will reveal strange things. The hopes of many, who were thought great Christians while they lived, will be utterly confounded. The rottenness of their religion will be exposed and put to shame before the whole world. It will then be proved, that to be saved means something more than ‘making a profession.’ We must make a ‘practice’ of our Christianity as well as a ‘profession.’ Let us often think of that great day. Let us often ‘judge ourselves, that we be not judged,’ and condemned by the Lord. Whatever else we are, let us aim at being real, true, and sincere.” (Expository Thoughts)

It won’t be the profession “Lord, Lord” or a demonstration of works but rather, "he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter" .

Pastor Steve Cole comments, “Obedience should always be the bottom line of Bible study or Biblical preaching.”

We need to keep before us this question, “Am I a professing and practicing follower of Christ, seeking to do the will of the Father?”

Be encouraged today, ( Hebrews 3:13)

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, Your Word teaches us that the way to heaven isn’t secured by what we say with our lips or the label we go by. Instead the way to heaven is found through surrendering our lives to Jesus Christ who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. As we surrender to Your will we will obey Your commands and live a life above reproach, conforming our will and desire to Yours. Spiritual showmanship will not assure us entry into heaven, for Jesus taught that some who cast out demons, perform miracles, and prophesy in His name did not gain entry into heaven since they were living double lives. Outwardly they performed great works in Your name, but inwardly they were sinful and disobedient. Hypocrites are usually exposed in time, but many will not be exposed until the final harvest. Help us to live humble lives, not seeking to impress others by our good works, but rather seeking to live earnest lives of obedience to Your commands with ever-increasing love for Your people and for the lost. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

For further study:

Exposition on Matthew 7:21, 22,23

What is the difference between discernment and being judgmental? A well-known passage at the beginning of chapter 7 states, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged" (7:1). Here's a helpful teaching. Another one here.

"Lord, Lord," Only four times in Scripture is the repetitive phrase "Lord, Lord," used (two times in the daily Scripture portion). The other two are in Matthew 25:11,12, "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’ But He answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’" and Luke 6:46 “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?" Thus in each instance in Scripture the dual "Lord, Lord" is uttered by those who had not done the will of God.

A full sermon on today's text.

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