Mistakes in Religion
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton
Text: Matthew 7:13-29
I. How do you find the truth?
A. People use numerous ways, but usually they revolve around avoiding effort
II. Following the Majority - Matthew 7:13-14
A. You see this in many areas of life.
1. If most people say something, then it is assumed to be true
B. Religion is no different
1. If a denomination wants to grow, then it accepts a wide variety of practices – especially popular ones.
2. It is looked at as more loving
3. This increases followers, which leads to more prestige and money in the coffers
C. However, truth is narrow and falsehood is broad
1. There is only one truth, but there are many ways to lie.
D. If we wish to reach heaven, we have to follow the strict and narrow way
1. Isn’t that being legalistic?
a. Merriam-Webster defines this as a view “that places primary emphasis on legal priniciples.”
b. Oxford Dictionary says that in matters of theology, it means an “adherence to moral law rather than to personal religious faith.”
c. Usually people view law as guidelines to be roughly followed, so legalism is view as excessively adhering to the law or giving too much attention to rules and details.
2. Is legalism bad?
a. When we hired a lawyer to close on our house, we expected him to follow all the law’s requirements in detail to ensure our ownership of the house.
b. When I see a doctor, I expect him to give me the exact treatment needed to cure whatever I have
c. When I take my car to a mechanic, I don’t think he is dogmatic if he says a Ford part doesn’t fit on an Oldsmobile.
3. Yet, when it comes to religious matters, people are convinced that anything is acceptable and God likes it that way.
E. God has always demanded obedience - Jeremiah 7:21-28
1. But obedience only comes from strict adherence to what is required - Luke 6:46
F. Most people will pick the easiest route. They will do what they want to do.
1. If it happens to align with God, great! But if not, “Oh, well ...”
2. The result is that most people will end up in Hell and few will find heaven.
3. Yet, most people are convinced that they are going the right direction.
G. Following the crowd will not lead you to the truth. Following the crowd will not get you to heaven.
III. False Teachers - Matthew 7:15-20
A. Far too many people justify their religious practices by saying, “My preacher told me this was true.”
B. We cannot be naive. There are false teachers - I John 4:1
1. To succeed, they have to look very similar to true teachers.
2. Thus, we have to look beyond the surface.
C. A false teacher is involved in lying
1. He is lying about what God said
2. This tendency to lie will overflow to other aspects of his life. There will be inconsistencies between what he says and what he does.
3. The actions of his life will not match the righteousness that God requires of His people
D. People will overlook error because false teachers are telling them what they want to hear - II Timothy 4:3-4
E. They love what they hear - Jeremiah 5:30-31
F. Truth will make us uncomfortable at times because it causes us to realize that we aren’t measuring up to God’s standards - Jeremiah 23:28-29
G. Jesus’ warning is important because people frequently excuse the warning signs - II Peter 2:1-3
1. It is easier to ignore disturbing hints than to confront error
2. They are convinced that good can still come from someone they know is practicing error
IV. My Beliefs - Matthew 7:21-23
A. Even when we see erroneous practices in other people, we continue to excuse our own bad behavior.
B. People are convinced that as long as they are sincere and acknowledge Jesus as Lord, then it doesn’t matter what is actually said or done.
C. The only way into heaven is to do the will of God - Romans 2:6-9
D. Jesus points out that we will appear before Him in Judgment - II Corinthians 5:10
1. Some will claim Jesus as Lord
2. They will claim to have prophesied, cast out demons, and done other miraculous works.
3. These are offered as proof of their righteousness, but Jesus doesn’t recognize them.
E. It ignores the truth. God said miraculous gifts would end - Zechariah 13:1-3; I Corinthians 13:8-10
1. The only way a person prophesied, cast out demons, or did other miraculous works would be that God was wrong.
F. Making religious claims is not proof of righteous teaching
V. The Stability of Obedience - Matthew 7:24-27
A. When a person listens to Jesus and applies his teachings to his life, then he has a firm foundation that will help him through the trials of life
1. Like a flourishing tree - Psalms 92:12-15
2. Firmly rooted - Colossians 2:6-7
B. When a person only hears and does not obey, he has no stable foundation. When trials come, he will collapse - James 1:22-25
C. Surprisingly, many teach that Christianity is all about faith and that what you do has no affect on your salvation - James 2:14-17
D. Obedience is an integral part of faith - I John 3:21-24
