Warning Against the Leaven of False Teaching

In this part of the sermon: Martin analyzes the seriousness of Jesus' warning, underscored by the strong verb 'charged' and the 'double caution' of 'take heed, beware.' He then explains that the central…

A teacher addressing an after-lunch class about a sensitive experiment, using strong commands to get their attention, illustrates the force and seriousness of Jesus' 'take heed, beware' warning.

Here's an unfortunate biology test. A teacher who has a class immediately after lunch in college or high school. Everyone's tummy is full of food, and those of you who are in high school and have gone to college, you know what a difficult time that first class after lunch is, especially if the room is hot, and doubly so if you have a boring teacher. More than once in college, I used to count the heads that would drop in that course after lunch.

15:26 - 15:56 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin analyzes the seriousness of Jesus' warning, underscored by the strong verb 'charged' and the 'double caution' of 'take heed, beware.' He then explains that the central…

Martin's childhood memory of buying yeast for his mother's bread and watching it rise illustrates the secret, extensive, and powerful influence of leaven, applying it to false teaching.

He said, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a woman who takes a little yeast and she hides it in her lump of dough until all is leavened. The imagery of yeast underscores two basic things. It underscores the secret influence, but the extensive and powerful influence of that commodity. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5, 6, a little leaven or yeast leavens the whole lump. Now, many of you children have been cheated from the kind of understanding of this that some of us received in our homes growing up. We used to have a bakery down the corner about a quarter of a mile from where we lived, and they...

19:27 - 20:44 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Jesus, perceiving their misunderstanding, engages in a concentrated, relentless interrogation with general and rebuking questions, probing their lack of spiritual insight…

Jesus probing the disciples' consciences with questions is likened to a skillful surgeon cutting through tissues, avoiding nerves, and operating on their spiritual constitution.

When he shocks them with that question, then he begins to probe them like a skillful surgeon. Cutting down through the skin and then through the fascia and through the muscle. Avoiding nerves and cutting through the proper tissues and avoiding the vessels that should not be cut. The Lord, like a skillful surgeon, begins to operate upon their spiritual constitution.

38:14 - 38:39 Read in full sermon

The point: Diligently engage with Scripture and sound teaching (like confessions) to develop the ability to discern between truth and error.

The distinction between truth and error is described as often being a 'razor's edge' rather than a 'great chasm,' emphasizing the subtlety of error.

To give you under God the ability to discern between truth and error. And often the distance between truth and error is not a great chasm such as you find on the southern to the northern rim of the Grand Canyon, but it's a razor's edge.

53:22 - 53:39 Read in full sermon

The point: Apply the law of faith by reasoning from God's past faithfulness and power to present needs, remembering His past provisions.

The story of David confronting Goliath and reasoning from his past victories over the lion and the bear illustrates the 'law of faith' – drawing confidence from God's past faithfulness to face present challenges.

I can only give you one, but I just could not pass over this one because it's a story familiar to all of you, even the youngest. In 1 Samuel chapter 17, when David hears about this, there is this big hulk of a warrior named Goliath coming out every day and defying God in the armies of Jehovah. His soul is stirred within him. David wants to enter into the fray and take on this giant in the name of the Lord God of hosts.

56:35 - 57:08 Read in full sermon

The point: Take comfort in Christ's patient pastoral care, knowing He nurtures the grace implanted in believers despite their remaining sin.

The imagery from Isaiah of a bruised reed and smoking flax illustrates Christ's tender, patient care for His disciples, nurturing their dim perception into a bright flame despite their spiritual struggles.

But he uses the same terminology. All this terminology is soaked in the Old Testament, particularly Isaiah 6 and several other prophets. But what did Jesus do? The Bible says the bruised reed he will not break, and the smoking flax he will not quench.

62:03 - 62:18 Read in full sermon