The Leaven of Works and Self Righteousness

Matthew 16 Summary

Summary: 

Faith in Jesus is the opposite of looking for one emotional experience after another. In Matthew 16 we see the religious leaders trying to test Jesus like they’re the authority of the church. Then Jesus goes on to tell the Pharisee and Sadducees that they had no faith, that their faith was caught up in themselves and their works.

Jesus then goes back to teaching the disciples about faith. Jesus always asked questions to the people and especially the disciples.  He then tells them (not) to lose your way from false doctrines that were being taught by Prominent Religious Leaders of that day. Verses 13-20 are some of the most misrepresented verses in all the Bible. The Catholic Church would tell you that these verses speak of the church being built on Peter. Instead the true meaning is that the church was and always will be built on and of Jesus Christ. This is what Peter is telling Jesus in those verses.

Jesus goes on to predict His own death at the hands of the religious leaders. Jesus then tells the disciples that it will be by a daily faith walk.

Read Matthew 16

Consideration

There are so many false doctrines and false teachers in the world today. It is like trying to walk through a maze with land mines all over the place. We see pastors, preachers, and televangelist asking for money and guaranteeing you that your prayers will be answered for a price.

That’s why we need to KNOW the WORD of GOD. A bank teller knows what real money feels like; as soon as funny money touches their hands they know that it is a fake. We need to train our ears and minds to sniff out false doctrines. Jesus is all you need!

There will be some out there that will tell you that you need Jesus plus something else. Or they will tell you that Jesus wasn’t that important. RUN!!!  This is a sure sign of false doctrine.

That is why we as a church need to be in the word of God each day. In this chapter Jesus tells us,“ If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

Prayer

God, help me to die to my own selfish desires and put your will ahead of my own. Help me to have discernment of spiritual things and to do your will in my life. Amen.

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