Beware of False Prophets — Rolfe Barnard

The Broad Road, the Narrow Gate, and the Right Foundation

I want us to read. I'll read out loud, and if you have your Bible, the 7th chapter of Matthew, beginning at verse 13. I want to speak tonight on this truth, that the people who get on the broad road and build their houses on sand, something comes along and tears it up because the house wasn't built on the right foundation.

These people who call Him Lord, but do not know Him, do not do His will, they get on that broad road by listening to false prophets. Listening to false prophets one more time, the Lord says in verse 13, Enter ye in at the straight, wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat.

Straight is the gate, narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Come to you in sheep's clothing, where they are ravening wolves, ye shall know them by their fruit. Then He argues, do men gather grapes of thorns?

No, or figs of thistles? Of course not. Something just makes good sense, every good tree brings forth good fruit, but what tree brings forth evil fruit? It's an impossibility, He said, a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit.

It cannot bring forth that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Ye shall know them, these false prophets. It is my conviction, our task these days is threefold in the public proclamation of the Word.

We must proclaim and enforce God's holy law. We must proclaim in all of its purity God's holy gospel. And we must lift up our voices and call to the people's attention, the Savior's plain admonition to beware of false.

False Prophets in Sheep's Clothing

Let me call your attention one more time as I have somewhere along the line since I've been here that a false prophet is not necessarily an evil prophet. In the Old Testament especially and in the New, there are evil prophets, there are malicious, there are satanically inspired.

But a false prophet may be a fine fellow, he comes to you in sheep's clothing. But the fact that he's such a nice fellow and he's so earnest and he's so sincere and he seems to have such a passion for souls and seems to want to see people saved so intensely makes him all the more dangerous because the people will hear him and they'll hear him as he preaches a message that doesn't bear.

How nice a man is if his message doesn't produce a false prophet. And the Lord tells the people to beware of false prophets and he tells them how they can tell a false prophet by the fruit that results from the ministry of that Sunday school teacher or that fellow that preaches on the street or that fellow that preaches over the radio or from the pulpit stand here or wherever or however it may be if his converts do not spend the rest of their life as callers and seekers on the Lord.

If his converts go to hell because they depending on some physical act they perform or some prayer that they said or something like that. Beware of false prophets. I heard a preacher today over the radio telling a sinner to pray the sinner's prayer and he'd guarantee he'd be saved.

Now that's blaspheming and it comes from the lips of a false prophet. Maybe a nice fellow and he's very sincere but he knows nothing about the way God brings sinners to himself. And it's time now in the battle of words and in the conflict of doctrine and especially since you and I have lived all the days of us not been very good and we have to find the slightest evidence that we have a saving interest in the blood of Christ and that we are truly married to and united to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Examining the Fruit of Christian Profession

The scriptures tell us that we are a branch if we are a child of God and the sap and the juice and the power and the life comes from the vine. And we look at ourselves in these days when we can almost hear the death rattle of real Christianity and it's hard put we are to have the slightest evidence in ourselves that there's any power flowing to us from the vine and then through us to lostness is desperate language.

And certainly this is the time for us to pick up our ears and beware of false prophets and to search our own experience and our own convictions and our own standing and conditions to see whether or not we are on this broad road religious profession.

Everybody on it calls Jesus Lord. Tremendous mighty words cast out demons. And where now we are living in a time when our houses are being built down and so many people are discovering that they have strong but they had their faith in the wrong.

And where the wind from a thousand direction of blowing and the confidences and assurances of multitudes of people that they were built on a rock as long since gone by the void as they found their whole spiritual structure blown away.

Here we are. It's not to be just near that. That right after our Lord has so enjoined us and admonished us to strive to get in the straight gate and thus walk the narrow road and has told us that there is a wide gate and that it leads to a broad way and that this broad way leads to an eternal destruction and that the narrow gate, the straight gate leads to a very narrow way and that that narrow way and that narrow way alone leads to life.

It's not to be just passed over that in the next very breath, in the next very verse the Lord brings up the subject of us being keenly on the alert to believe a lie. For if you believe the devil's lie, you can't be saved.

And if you do not pick up your ears, you'll be like the folks who listen to the radio today. They believe everything they hear and thus they believe nothing, thus they believe nothing. Prophets, we need to heed that warning especially today for I'm not an old crank when I tell you you're living in the day of a mighty low ebb.

The blank look on your faces is a mark of death. Seem to be numb to cocaine until all it looks like we're in the gasping time of the death rattle of what we call spiritual life. I'm telling you the truth folks, we're in a desperate.

The Necessity of Bible Reading and Testing Preaching

Do you good. I would ask you, you people who do not even bring your Bible when you come to preach, people in Berea to see what's at the herd. When I come back down to my native south land, I go north a lot.

I can always tell if I come down below the Mason-Dixon line and I'd be dead certain I'd come home and to a Baptist. If I preached a Bible in the north that had to fight for the gospel and the people in the north that believe in the Lord, they believe in him.

They believe in him brother. They're in the minority but they stick out. And brother they are Bible readers and Bible students. Sheep except out here. That's how you hear it. And I tell you our Bible-lessness.

You mad at me? If you had more interest I could get under your hide and jar you out of this and that the whole thing you hear now. What the word of God says. It's the truth. I wish we believed it. Beware of false prophets.

We cannot escape the inference here and I think it's more than an inference. The way people get on this broad road. Bad men with men who did not preach the truth. They preached it in half-truths. And a half-truth worse than a false people will swallow a hook, line, and sinker.

And that's terribly dangerous. I want tonight to mention from the word of God five marks. Preaching that are peculiar. By which we live. By which have an interest. And labor under the suspicion that it's entirely possible we're not just a bunch of hogs or dogs.

And that when we die they'll take us out here and bury us so we won't corrupt the air with our rotting bodies. And that's the last of us. But that has men and women who have some belief at least that out yonder there's another life.

And that these days down here what happens here will determine what will happen out yonder. I think it is conspicuous. Five things are worthy. I do not dare to take time enough to mention many, many of the marks of a false prophet that dot the pages of the Old Testament and the New.

But I pick out five that seem to me and I believe I'm about half right here. To be peculiar to the preaching of this age. That has got us in this awful death-like state we're in. Where it seems that we're powerful.

The word of God and dragging along and hoping for the best. And I mention these five marks. The Lord said you can tell these false prophets by their fruit. By their fruit. And as I look about the fruit of our ministries for these 30, 40, 50 years.

And the fruit's getting worse all the time. And the standards are going down all the time. And the marks of death are growing all the while. And the marks of life seem to be almost disappearing. I think these five things, the type of preaching that we've had for these many years.

That have got us on this broad road. That's leading multitudes of people who are sincere. They're dead but they're sincere. They're lifeless but they believe what they've been told. And they're on the broad road.

And they think they're all right. And the greatness of these marks. That I think is peculiar to the hour in which we live is. That a false preacher will speak peace to a sinner. When God hasn't. He talks about men who speak peace.

False Assurance Through the Sinner's Prayer

Peace. When there is. One of the pastors in a, I don't know if it's in this county or not. Brother Wallace Starr slipped up to me the other night. When he was in the services. And he said, I have a deep conviction.

That we've made decisions for multitudes of people these days. We've made decisions for people. Have you ever run across this? Have you ever run across this? Yes, a personal worker. And they are very earnest and very sincere.

And they've got an old unsaved man lined up. And they're trying their best to help him. And they'll say, now my brother. Let's read this verse of scripture. All right. And we'll read it. Do you believe that?

Yes, I believe that. Well, what does that say? Well, it says so and so, so and so. Well, you believe. Oh, yes. Well, now God wouldn't lie, would he? Oh, no. I don't believe God would lie. Well, then according to what that verse of scripture says.

You do so and so. God will save you. Yes, that's what it says. Well, now God wouldn't lie, would he? All right. Well, then aren't you saved? Well, I don't know. Well, you wouldn't call God a liar, would you?

No, no. Why, of course you are saved. And so we decide that that old boy is saved for him. We decide that he's saved for him. I was down in Texas the week before this last speaking of young pastors. And one day after the noonday message, the 11 o 'clock message, where a few of us were seated having a bite to eat.

And some of the young pastors were greatly disturbed over something I said. And you better listen to Brother Barnard right now. Some of you don't even do as much as go around inviting people to accept Christ.

But I called attention to the fact that in the New Testament, when you went and knocked on somebody's door and you went to talk to a man who wasn't lost, we had just one weapon. And that was the proclamation of truth.

I'm telling you that God's truth we feel held full of church members and our churches full. How many of you have accepted a proposition instead of submitting to the Lord Jesus Christ? And I call that attention to this fact.

And I'm speaking to Sunday school teachers now. And I'm speaking to you precious young deacons who have a tremendous responsibility. And I bet you better hear me! Personality and the power of our appeal for the one thing that's got any power in it.

The Gospel, Not Human Persuasion, Saves Sinners

Romans 1 .16 says, I'm not ashamed of the gospel. Let me illustrate what I'm talking about. I know this is a Monday night crowd. This is indicative of how far we are from the blessing of God. But you are here.

And I'd be helpful to you if I could. I rejoice with good crowds and do my best for small. That's God's business. I've been telling you we're dying! But you are here. Let me give you an illustration. God had to come to a fellow by the name of the Apostle Peter and nearly kill him before he could get rid of his tradition and his Jewish prejudice.

And finally they sent old Peter down to a fellow by the name of Cornelius who was down there and praying and worshipping God best he knew how. And he was just hoping somebody would come and speak to him the words of salvation.

After God nearly had to kill old Peter, the Apostle Peter went down and knocked on the door. Come in! I'm Apostle Peter. Are you this man Cornelius? Yes. Well, I want to know, Brother Cornelius, if you won't accept Jesus as your personal savior.

No, he didn't do no such thing. There ain't no power in your little old invitation. And there's not a bit of power in that man's decision. But I'll tell you what there is power. You know what Peter did?

He preached the gospel to him. He preached the gospel to him. He preached the gospel to him. I'm telling you, for the last 40 and 60 years, church members didn't know the gospel themselves. And when they went out and did personal work, they didn't give the sinner a bit of truth.

They just took out their hand and said, Brother, won't you accept Jesus? And the old boy did and went on to heal. But listen, listen, there isn't any power except in the gospel. And if you get a chance to witness to a man, what you going to tell him?

Do what Peter did. Give him the truth of God in Jesus Christ. And the scriptures tell us there in the 10th chapter of Acts, you read it. I'm not making this up. While yet Peter yet spake unto them, the holy men that heard the word, they got saved.

Of course they did. That's how people get saved. Not by your little old two-bit argument. Not by your little old invitation. That isn't worth a dime. They just accept the proposition. And go on to hell believing they're all right.

It's the gospel that's the power of God and the salvation. I'm pleading that we quit all this foolishness and get us a Bible. And go out here and represent Christ instead of disgracing Him. And when we tackle a sinner, do what they did in Bible time.

And if the Holy Ghost falls on him, he'll be saved. While he's listening. But he won't be saved just by you asking him. He won't accept Jesus. You folks are going to split hell wide open. Because all on God's earth you got.

You accepted a proposition. Somebody made one. But there's no salvation in my proposition. Spoken peace. And these young preachers were disturbed. They said, you mean to tell me when we go out and do personal work, we ought to just give them the word of God?

That's exactly right. And pray that the Holy Ghost will fall on them while they're listening to Jesus. So we've been trying to. But see that's the one thing we don't do. When we go out and do a little personal work.

We don't give them the gospel. We just give them our little invitation. And they've already accepted it. All they did is accept our invitation. Dear Brother Barnard, one more time. Between eternity, between heaven and hell.

There is only one voice. It's been given the authority and the power and the ability. If that old sinner has to have you convince him. He's saved. Mr. Finney used to say. Many went away. He's saved. They've been comforted.

He gives you comfort. Fills your heart with peace. That's fine. You've got your hope of going to heaven. Because you accepted my proposition. Or somebody else is pleased to receive Christ. I'm scared to death.

False Prophets Heal Wounds Superficially

That you're going to find you've built your house on sin. You've been walking on a broad road. Another mark of a fall. Be akin to this one. The Old Testament speaks of men. Healing the wounds of people slightly.

What I miss and what I keep preaching. I go from place to place. And one time I see glorious things. And another time deadness. But I can't do it myself. So we just keep on and keep on and keep on. But I refuse.

I've done it for 30 odd years. I've seen multiplied, multiplied, multiplied. Thousands of people make profession of faith. I won't know whether any of them got saved until I get to the judgment. I hope many of them did.

But I've never done one thing. And so help me God, I never will. I may rob a bank tomorrow. But I'll never stew to these underhanded methods. To get people to say they accept Jesus. If they do not want him.

Mighty bad. I'm telling you what's the fact. These dry eyes walk in the aisle. And switching from one jaw to the other. And going right back out. I've actually seen men get converted. They claim they did.

In the service at your old mourner's base. Go right back out and light a cigarette. I've seen it. Why there ain't no more salvation than that than a monkey. And you know it. Their salvation didn't even clean them up.

That's no good. That's no good. And you know it's no good. Healing the wounds. John the Baptist and Jeremiah likewise. On pretty safe ground when I tell you. That in order to save a human being. Has to wound.

And the preacher that will heal the wounds. That blood stained Jesus gives a sinner. In order to bring him to himself. Is a false. I have a generation of people now. Who say they have peace. But they never knew bitterness.

And they scare me. Bless you. My lovely Lord. Crush him. Bow to his blessed root. He's kind enough. To wound. Get him down off that cockiness. Humble him. And give him the will. In times when I've seen a little.

Of what we call revival. Just a little. I have thought sometimes my whole heart would break. As I've seen men and women suffering. Under the wounds of him who loves sinners enough. Rather than see him to go to hell.

He'll wound on the feet. We do not believe it but it's so. A sinner will never call on the Lord. To heal the wounds of sinners. Let the one who inflicts the word. Don't wound you. You go into hell. I'll tell you that.

Let him that inflicts you. Just keep your hand off on him. I have people come to. Oh look at that. Isn't she suffering. Look how she weeping. Down in Texas. In July. A little junior girl. About ten, eleven, twelve.

Maybe thirteen years old. And she'd come. She'd come. Got to coming to the front. And she'd kneel there. And you could almost hear. The rack of her body. Rack. And the mother came to me one day. And she said.

Brother Barnett. Look how she's. My blessed Lord. Go mighty deep. Heal the wounds. Let God. Tell a man. God's done something from him. For him. Let the man. Tell you what. Can't beat the Holy Spirit. For doing.

What God almighty. Gave him to do. In the third place. These days. Good men. Make the gate. Easy to get in. Than the Lord. To get in this. Had to agonize. You had to agonize. This made man. Nobody that loves you.

The Narrow Gate Requires Repentance and Surrender

Will tell you it's easy. As a student. Seminars in Texas. Many many years ago. I was his mother. Up in the plains of Texas. To a doctor. The diagnosis. Scared. Scared her so. That she got on a train. Came down to Fort Worth Texas.

Where I was going to school. And what they said. There happened to be. As a doctor. In the hospital in Fort Worth. One of the staff. Of the. The great. Mayo brothers. In Rochester Minnesota. And I went to the president of the school.

And he got me an appointment. To see that great surgeon. Took my mother to see him. And he examined her. Over a period of a few days. First she had cancer. Cancer. The older that he believed. There was a 50 50 chance.

That they removed the wound. That she'd have many years of life. And I didn't have any money. I was going to school. To that great. He was a gentleman. I told him about my condition. He says alright. Do the best you can.

He took my mother. My mother asked me to go in the operating room. And I stood there. For three hours and 37 minutes. Then that awful long. My mother had asked me. That if she came out of it alive. That I'd be at her bedside.

When she woke up. And I was there. And when she woke up. And got her wits about her. First question. Is it out? I said yes mother. Glad she lived 37 years after that. Isn't it wonderful. That that doctor.

Said now there's something wrong. And I'm going to give you this. A nice little bunch of pills. And I think you take them twice a day. And think of the hospital. And all he told her. She had cancer. She had cancer.

And that only. It killed her eventually. Unless it was taken out. Of course being human. Couldn't guarantee that. My mother said. That Jesus. Jesus. It's not a little skin disease. It's a cancer. And that's got to come out.

That's that old wicked hostility. In your heart. That's got to be made a captive. And a willing captive. Of blood stained Jesus. It will central in your life. And nothing but an operation. Of the Holy Ghost.

And the power of the blood of Christ. The risen Lord. Is sufficient for your needs. How will this generation of these. That go and send. For living men. And women. Claiming to be children. How will that fare.

When the stand of the straight gaze. Of this world. And Christ too. You can't have. The spirit of this age. In Christ too. One of them's got to. They can't have. All this in heaven too. One of them's got to go.

You know what it may be. He told the truth. I'm betting that he did. And I say to you. That a false prophet. This little easy gospel. You can keep your sins. And do as you please. And that wasn't why you'd get up in church.

And say now I'm saved. But I haven't been living right. And that'll make you feel better. For a couple of weeks. And that's why you'll die. And go on to hell. Ladies and gentlemen. This thing is pretty serious.

This game is difficult. The prophet tell you it's easy. For the marks of a false prophet. In this day. They make this road. You know dear ones. I know there are winter times. There are times. When life seems.

To flow more than others. It's been shot occur. That when I keep hearing people telling me. I know I'm saved. But I'm not living for the Lord. I'm on it. For men and women. In rebellion against Jesus Christ.

Hear me. Know that I do you good. Not evil at all. You better bring your habits. And your thoughts. And your work. And your home. And your body. And everything there is. Put them under his fist. We've had a generation.

Of church people. That decide. What they'll do. And what they will not do. I tell you. It's not given. To this narrow road. Except under the discipline. Of the Lord. The repentance. The faith. And commitment.

Doing the Will of God as Evidence of Discipleship

God bless you. Daily. Getting your orders. And we know nothing much about. What I'm talking about now. Leaps within me. It's Christ all together. Discipline. But what we do. Lord, Lord. He that doeth.

Not fellow talk about. I'm saved. But I'm not living right. But he that doeth. That's what the Lord. Saved brother Barney. But I'm not doing the will of God. Well if that's so. The Lord Jesus. Is the fellow that.

Do anything perfectly. Perfection yet. Said not everyone that sayeth. They're on that broad road. But he that doeth. Of his life. That's the ben of his life. The will of God. That's the biggest thing in his life.

That's the man who's saved. That's the child of God. The Lord identifies. As the fellow. That's not on this broad road. He's on the narrow road. Narrow because. We bring our very thoughts. To the captain.

So ever we do. Do everything we do. The glory. The salvation. We speak peace. Where there is no peace. This is the cue. That our day. And heal the wounds. Of men. Lightly. Not only. Does it make. The gate.

Pretty easy. Instead of difficult. The road. Very broad. Instead of narrow. Salvation on. Cheaper. Has never been. Changed. Any human being. On earth. Able to. And anybody on earth. That's able to. Believe.

That's not a. Once for all act. It goes on. As long. As long as. Give me that. Easy. All of. These school children. Know the meaning. Of the. That. When you. Commitment. To the after. Lordship. Of Christ.

In your life. Saving blood. Penalty. Almighty demand. To make it cheaper. Than that. Is the mark. Of a false. I'm also. In a minutes. It's a judge. Anybody on earth. Take this book and claim the God with it for His Son in your life.

Anybody on earth that will do it won't hope to die. Or it will bring you the deep repentance that ever lived. With the all inclusiveness for His Son. Continually face the fact. Bring our thoughts into captivity.

We are that tremendous God for forgiveness and confession of sin. It's because you know nothing of Christ. Stranger to the Son of God. Christ is if He's just a profession to you. If He's just somebody you hope will keep you out of hell and leave you alone while you live.

You'll never know what I'm talking about. You'll not know anything about disturbance that you heard about your sins. You don't think you're big sinners because of Christ. The day my Lord said, I'm quoting from this passage of scripture and I'm through.

Many Professing Believers Will Be Exposed at Judgment

That day many shall say unto me, Lord, Lord. They're on this broad road. They got there listening to these false preachers. That day Lord. We have to make a mistake. Have we not in thy name. Just look what we've done.

One little thing wrong with it. They did it. He never had done anything for them. Look at us. Lord, Lord. Just look at us. In thy name we've done many wonderful things. In thy name we've prophesied. In thy name we've cast out thieves.

And then the Lord shall look at them and say, depart from them. You workers of iniquity. I never at any time. Deed of either. Believe isn't. Bring you unto Christ. Discipline every blessed day of your life.

The youngsters writing notes while the preacher preaches. We'll pay. Ron is going to lead us in, or Donnie I believe it is, going to lead us in our song number 230.