What Churches Does Jesus Want Me to Avoid?

You’d think that Jesus is desperate for people to go to any church. And that any church is better than no church.

This year, lots of Christians have been happily reporting the statistics that there’s been growth among young people in all kinds of churches in the UK.

Anglican, Pentecostal, Catholic, New Age-style spiritual gatherings — more young adults are showing up than before.

And you’d think: surely Jesus is happy about that isn’t he?

But, today’s passage is the end of Jesus’ most famous sermon, the sermon on the mount, and we’re told in v. 28 when he finished, that the crowds were astonished by what Jesus said.

The shocking thing Jesus says at the end of his sermon is this: “Beware of false prophets…” (v. 15)

In other words, Jesus is not happy simply because there’s more people in church. Jesus explicitly ends his sermon telling us what churches to avoid!

And he explains himself by saying three things:

1) Jesus requires you to test what people say against his Word
2) Jesus warns you that what people say has eternal consequences
3) Jesus’ Word to you is rock-solid assurance

So, the first thing Jesus says:

1) Jesus requires you to test what people say against his Word

Look at v. 15:

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

Now, here’s where some people get confused. Back in v. 1 of chapter 7 Jesus said:

Judge not, that you be not judged.

And so they think Jesus doesn’t want you to go around criticising other churches. But, there’s a big difference.

When Jesus says “judge not” he means: Don’t be self-righteous and think you’re better than others.

But, when Jesus says “beware of false prophets” he means: Test everything people say to you about God and truth against Jesus’ Word.

There’s no contradiction unless you deliberately make one: Judge no-one. But test everyone.

Then he tells you how to do it in vv. 16-20:

You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

Jesus doesn’t say:

— ask whether the pastor thinks this is ok
— ask whether the church I grew up in agree
— ask whether a big brand like “WELS” or the “CofE”

or someone else thinks it’s right.

No, Jesus expects you, personally, to test everything that’s said. He says you’ll recognise true and false teachers by their fruit.

And you don’t need to guess what that means, Matthew records in chapter 12 that Jesus explicitly explained that picture, vv. 33-34:

Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

The “fruit” someone produces here is not whether they’re friendly, sincere or holy-looking.

In fact, Jesus explicitly warns us that false prophets “come to you in sheep’s clothing”—so they look lovely and nice and good and sincere.

You don’t test a church or a preacher by:

—Their brand name (WELS, Lutheran, Anglican, Catholic…)
—Whether they’re sincere and nice
—Whether they’re impressive or educated
—Whether they have large numbers and are successful
—Whether they have spiritual power or perform miracles

You test them by what they say.

Not whether they literally only use the exact words in the Bible.

But by whether what they say is the same teaching as the Bible. Jesus requires you to test what people say against his Word

And that’s because:

2) Jesus warns you that what people say has eternal consequences

Look at vv. 21-23:

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

This is a shocking way for Jesus to end his sermon.

Not everyone who claims to be a Christian, or even thinks they are a Christian, will be in the New Creation with Jesus.

Some people will even have spent their whole lives working hard for Jesus, doing amazing things for him.

Jesus talks about people doing incredible things:
—Prophesying in Jesus’ name
—Casting out demons
—Doing mighty works

And yet they still find in the end that Jesus says “I never knew you.” What matters, Jesus says, is that we do his Father’s will.

And twice in Matthew’s Gospel we get told that the Father’s will is:
—12:50: listening to Jesus’ Word and doing what He says.
—21:28–32: responding to Jesus’ Word by repenting and believing it.

The Father’s will is that you receive and hold to the true Word about Jesus — Law and Gospel.

The Law, Jesus says in Matthew 22:40:

On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.

So, we should be contrite from our sin—we deserve hell for our distrust of God and love of self.

The Gospel, Jesus says in Matthew 26:28:

this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

“For many” is Biblical language to mean “universally” or “for everyone”.

So, we should trust this incredible promise —Jesus has universally forgiven everyone by his death.

This is God’s Word: Law and Gospel. And this this is who we receive the Gospel: by being contrite for sin and trusting God’s forgiveness: This is repentance.

Jesus says: this is the how you test a prophet.

The danger is: the vast majority of people choose churches by the wrong criteria:
—The biggest church must be right.
—The teacher with the biggest degrees must be true.
—The most influential preachers must be blessed by God.
—The chruch that has the right brand name: WELS, Anglican, Evangelical, Catholic, must be correct.

What Jesus says is shocking: any of those criteria can lead you straight to hell.

All that matters is the fruit on the lips, doing the Father’s will: hearing and receiving the truth of God’s Word: Law and Gospel. This isn’t a game. Eternity is at stake.

But, that is not a bad thing—it means something fantastic:

3. Jesus’ Word to you is rock-solid assurance

Look at vv. 24-25:

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

If you look at Jesus’ Word. If you trust in Jesus’ Word: then the storms will come, the rain will fall, the floods will rise, the winds will beat against you.

And yet your house will stand.

Those who rely on their pastor, or on the big church experience, or on intellectual credentials, or on spiritual feats, or on brands like “WELS”, “Anglican”, “FIEC”, or whatever …will find a big hole in their lives that they can’t fill, and when the rains come in their lives: everything that looked like faith and love will be suddenly swept away.

But you are different — you have rock solid-confidence in all weather — if you look to Jesus’ Word alone and rely on that.

You have security. You have assurance. You have forgiveness. You are accepted. You are loved.

This is objectively, universally, guaranteed, promised in the Gospel. So, look at that—look at Jesus—and look at Him alone.

So, What Churches Does Jesus Want Me to Avoid?

1) Jesus requires you to test what people say against his Word

Security and assurance is not in spiritual power, or intellect, or your track record of faith, or numbers at church, or influential people, or even brands or relationships like your home church or “WELS”, or “Catholic” or “CofE”. Assurance is in Jesus’ Word.

And this is really serious because
2) Jesus warns you that what people say has eternal consequences

If we rely on things that are not Jesus’ Word, then this comes as a massive warning. But, if we do look away from ourselves to Jesus, and rely on His Word, His objective justification, then this comes as amazing sweetness because:

3) Jesus’ Word to you is rock-solid assurance

Look at your Baptism. Look at the Lord’s Supper. Look at what Jesus did on the cross in his resurrection.

Because you can know for absolute certain: God IS in a good mood with you. You see that simply when you look at Jesus.

So, when doing as Jesus says and testing churches and teachers, here’s three things you can ask:

1. Am I being told of God’s unconditional mercy, forgiveness, and justification — received by faith alone, which is itself a gift?

2. Am I hearing both Law and Gospel clearly, without mixing them?

3. Am I being pointed away from myself and to Jesus alone?

Because every time you look at Jesus, you can be assured: God is good, and more than than: he is good to you.