This is our second and last discussion of the passage on false prophets found in Matthew 7:15-23.
Another kind of false teacher believes in the full gospel as it is written, but due to selfish motives, he preaches the Word to benefit himself. “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear,” (2 Timothy 4:3).
This is the real danger to the sheep, because this person teaches to please people and make them feel important. He preaches prosperity and goodwill messages and does not encourage people to obedience and service, which please the Lord. This teacher puts the sheep at ease, reassuring them that God wants to bless and prosper them as long as they give financially—a gospel business deal. “Men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain,” (1 Timothy 6:5b).
Who is this teacher’s real master—God
or Mammon? What is the fruit of these trees (people)? How many of them have
gone to the trouble of visiting prisoners, giving sacrificially, opening their
homes to the needy, or clothing the naked from their own wardrobes?
How many hungry people could have
been fed, how many-long term missionaries could have been supported, and how
many Bibles could have been printed and distributed with the money that pays
for these teachers’ luxurious cars, houses, and church buildings? We can always
use the Bible to justify our actions. Some of these teachers might say, “The
Lord blesses me because I am giving and doing His work well. We teach the
people to give so they may receive.”
By their fruit you will recognize them. If we examine these prosperity churches, we can’t help
On the other hand, why do the leaders
and pastors of many missionary organisations, who do the will of God, live
average lives? Surely the Lord blesses them just as He blesses all His
children. Maybe in their case it is because they correctly use the funds that
the Lord provides for His work.
Bad or diseased trees do not have
only financial motives. The devil thought up many motivations for hindering
God’s work. Other common motives are control, power, manipulation,
self-fulfillment, and ambition. In many such churches the pastor maintains
control and people become passive, not being used in their gifting. Preachers
with these motives are not spiritually healthy, so their followers do not get
healthy spiritual food and end up in an unhealthy spiritual state.
What is a healthy spiritual state? It
is when believers follow the Lord independently, through hearing from Him
personally and responding in resulting faith, by actively flowing in their
gift.
What is an unhealthy spiritual state?
It is when anybody apart from the Holy Spirit is in control of your life. These
could include your flesh, the evil forces, or other people. When others
manipulate us, either by opinion or direct control, our relationship with the
Lord is not healthy. Anything that determines our decisions should be tested
against the will of the Lord through prayer, fasting, and the studying of the
Word of God. “Diseased trees” use control to keep people under their power and
away from the fullness the Lord has in mind for them. They do not preach and
teach complete obedience, and they stop their people from hearing it from other
sources such as other churches or television.
Jesus taught
this lesson for a reason. He knew the power of Mammon. He also knew our hearts.
He wants us to be like Him and His disciples—obedient in spite of suffering.
When Jesus died, He owned nothing but a garment. When the apostles died, they
had experienced much suffering as a result of their obedience and also owned
nothing. When John Wesley died, he owned a horse, some clothes, and a Bible.
They all, however, had one thing in common—a rich harvest of saved souls.
Read Hebrews 11 again. On which side will you be?
Dear Papa Father,
We live in a world controlled by
Satan. We are only pilgrims on a journey. We have a mission to bring as many
people as possible to heaven with us when we return there.
Life in this world, however, is not
easy. Mammon hammers us with his demands, and even the church often preaches
his doctrines. We pray, Lord, that you help all your children to obey your
commands. Let none of those you have chosen and have drawn to you hear the
words ”I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” Please help all of us to
know Your will for our lives and to do it. Help us always to preach the
truth.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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