Build on the Rock

False Teachers Who Use Flattery Instead of Truth

Thank you for listening to this message from the ministry of Morse Corner Church in Leverett, Massachusetts. Morse Corner is a non-denominational church that is committed to the preaching and teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our church was founded in 1896 by two students of the famous evangelist D .L. Moody. We seek to encourage and edify the body of Christ through the proclamation of God's word through the ministries of the local church.

If you'd like more information, visit our website morsecornerchurch .com. We hope you enjoy the message. You know, there's one type of false teacher who if you question him or disagree with him, he like flies off the handle and gets enraged.

I mean, that's that's one bad sign. But then there's the other side. This is more common, I think, these days. I mean, the cult leaders might get mad and like they might really try to thrust you out the door and throw you out.

But this is more common today. The false teacher who has smooth and flattering words, right? Smooth, flattering words, doctrines that oppose the truth. But I mean, they sound so good. Like what if a pastor came up and said, you know, God, God is so loving.

God is so merciful. The love of God is so amazing that in the end. Everyone will be saved. You know, there's a lot of people who want to hear that. Or at least most people will be saved. He doesn't even have to take it to the extreme of universalism, which should be an obvious heresy.

He might just say the overwhelming majority will be saved. Paul said in Romans 16, 17 and 18. Now, I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you learned and avoid them.

For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly. And by smooth words and flattering speech, they deceive the hearts of the simple. Like if you buy into these people, because most of us, maybe you like to be flattered.

Some people enjoy it, but most of us can spot it. And when I hear someone who's just flattering me, which doesn't really happen that often, honestly. But, you know, I'm always a little on guard when I hear what sounds like flattery.

But some people don't mind flattering speech. Who does it deceive? It doesn't deceive people who have discernment. It deceives people who are gullible, people who are naive. In the book of Jeremiah, we've been covering this on Wednesday night.

The prophet Jeremiah, he had to contend with the false prophets in Israel. And what were they doing? They were filling people's minds and hearts with a false hope. God had given Jeremiah the true message that, hey, you better repent or else.

I don't think that's what most people want to hear. People want to come to church and tell me something that makes me feel good. Well, I hope you do feel good by the time you leave. But, you know, there's going to be some challenging parts before that.

But the message that God gave to Jeremiah was repent or else. Tell that to the people because Babylon is going to come in, destroy the city of Jerusalem, destroy the temple. The Jews will be led captive to Babylon for 70 years.

That was the message of God. And admittedly, it was a very negative message, right? So the false prophets, they're like, Jeremiah, you know, he's just a Debbie Downer. Don't listen to Jeremiah. Listen to us.

And they preached what?

Peace.

There's going to be peace. Peace, peace, when there was no peace. So most people listened to the false prophets because they were telling them what they wanted to hear. But in the end, what happened? Babylon came in, did just like the prophet Jeremiah said.

You know, Israel, if they had just listened to the true prophet, or as we might say, if they had just listened to the Bible, they could have had life. But they chose the flattery and the smooth speech, and they chose destruction.

Two Paths, Two Gates, and Two Destinations

So this is the choice that's always set before us. It's set before every person. Choose life or destruction. Believe the Bible or don't. Accept Jesus or reject Jesus, or the deceptive part, you know, accept this different Jesus that some people preach.

But Jesus says you must believe in me. So two paths, two gates, two destinations. How did it get to be 1135 already?

I don't know.

Just a couple minutes left. It has been said, you've probably heard this, if you are born twice, you die how many times? Once, right? Because a person needs to be born again. So you're born from your mother's womb, you get born again, you only die once, the physical death.

But if you're only born once, which everyone is from their mother's womb, and you're never born again, then you actually die how many times?

Twice.

This is called the second death. Look at Matthew 7 verse 21. Jesus says, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name?

And then I will declare to them, I never knew you, depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. Notice there's going to be people that reject Jesus, but then there's people that are going to stand before Jesus and appeal, hey, I have a personal relationship with you.

And they call him Lord, Lord. When you see that term, or a name repeated twice in scripture, it's not just for emphasis, it speaks to intimacy. You know, if I said, you know, Marcus, Marcus, you know, you can tell he's my friend, right, if I say his name twice.

But that's the same idea. They're saying, Lord, Lord, means they believe they have a personal relationship with Jesus. I think this is one of the most frightening passages in all of the Bible, that there are people who think they have a personal relationship with Jesus, and they don't.

And they hear those words, depart from me, I never knew you. Who would this describe? Well, I think these three things, it describes one particular movement, I think. Those who say they're prophesying, casting out demons, and doing all these miracles.

I mean, that's one group that says that they're hearing from God all the time, and I don't, they're hearing from another spirit, maybe. Or just their own human spirit that's making things up. There's the cults who have a different Jesus, right.

There's the liberal churches that don't really believe in the inerrancy of the word of God. They believe Jesus was just sort of a do-gooder, a good teacher, but he's not the son of God. He didn't rise from the dead.

And then there's sort of the megachurches where, you know, people come, not to really be challenged with a message from the Bible, they're there to be entertained. And there might be some saved people here and there, and I'm sure there is.

But, you know, there's all sorts of movements out there that aren't really focusing in on the primary issue of the gospel and salvation. So, if you're part of one of these groups, you're never even hearing this type of thing.

You know, if I brought this, and I'm not claiming this is some great sermon or anything, but if you took this sermon into some of these other churches, the place would be cleared out. Look, I mean, there's some empty pews here.

Maybe somebody found out what I was preaching on, they didn't want to hear it. But there are some people that reject Jesus outright, but there are others who think they are in a relationship with him.

Hearing the Words of Jesus and Doing Them

And here's where we really need to pay attention, where the application comes in. The people who say, Lord, Lord, they've been deceived, probably by the false prophets. False prophets are most likely still in view here.

You know, the people on TV, there's so many millions of people listen to where they get new fresh prophecy. The Word of God gets ignored, and they have these new messages from beyond. They always have a new word, a new twist.

They take the flattery approach, offer health and wealth, and just tell people what they want to hear. So, whatever form of false teaching it is, in Jesus' day, who are the false teachers? Scribes, Pharisees, you know, there are those people today who go around in long robes, and they follow tradition instead of the Bible.

So, whatever form of false teaching it comes in, based on the words of Jesus, based on the words of Christ, you need to tune them out and tune him in. Don't listen to them, listen to Christ. And the best thing that I can hope for is to point you to Christ, point you to the Scripture.

So, all of this, we're ending right now with the application. And Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount with an application. He tells this parable, the parable of the two builders. This is the difference between a doer of the Word and a hearer of the Word.

So, you either take the teachings of Jesus, and you apply them, and you live them out, or you don't. Here's what Jesus says, Matthew 7, 24, Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine, and what? Does them.

Well, you know, we're not saved by works, so we don't need to do all this stuff. I don't think you're listening. What does it say? Are we saved by works?

No.

But what does Jesus tell us to do? Do this. Do this, right? But everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

The house is your life. The storm represents God's examination of that life. Is your life built on the rock? Are you following the teachings of Jesus, or are you following whatever, you know, the zeitgeist in the world today?

Which is it? If you're fixed upon the Lord, if you build your life on the Lord and His teaching, you will endure. But everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

The rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it fell, and great was its fall. This concludes the Sermon on the Mount. Let's pray. And Lord, how thankful we are that you have chose to save some.

In the days of Noah, we know you flooded the earth, and you chose to save only eight people. But others had a chance. They heard the teaching of Noah. They heard his preaching, and they said, no, they didn't want to get on the ark.

Lord, we know in this age, you are saving many more than just eight, a great multitude that no one can number. The book of Revelation says in chapter 7, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, and all shall overcome by the blood of the land.

So, Lord, if there's someone here who has never placed their full trust in the gospel, the blood of Christ shed for our sins, I pray that they would make that decision today, not just to believe with a mental assent that there was a man named Jesus who died and rose again, but they would actually read your teachings, Lord, apply your teachings, Lord, and live them out, and that we would all live them out for the rest of our lives.

And if we do that, we have a word from you. If our life is built on the rock, we shall endure. And I pray all this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Thanks for listening. I'm Pastor Michael Grant from Moores Cornick Church. If you'd like to listen to the complete message, or if you'd like more information about the ministry, visit our website, moorescornickchurch .com.

And we'd love to have you join us some Sunday morning here in Leverett. Until next time, may the grace of God be with you.