April 15, 2010, John 7

Key Verse:

"Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, "He is a good man." Others replied, "No, he deceives the people."

(John 7:12)

Central Truth:

We always must base our faith and actions on Jesus and the Bible.

FALSE TEACHING

In John 7, Jesus and his brothers are in Galilee. His brothers were preparing to go to Judea for the week-long Feast of Tabernacles, which was a significant Jewish celebration of the autumn harvest and of God's past and present blessings of the land. Jesus did not go to the Feast with his brothers, but he did eventually attend. While his arrival and his later departure were secretive, he did teach from the temple courts halfway through the celebration. His attendance and teaching at the Feast created a tense environment. The Jewish authorities wanted him dead, and there was an increasing polarization among the citizens between those who felt Jesus was the Messiah and those who thought he was a false prophet. Even discussing Jesus in public was dangerous because of how the Jewish leaders might react.

As we read of how the Jewish authorities grappled with how to address Jesus' teachings and influence, it is easy to view these heads of state as evil. However, it can be argued that they were simply fulfilling one of their most important responsibilities, which was to ensure that their citizens were not led astray in their relationship with God. Anyone who did so, in their opinion, was subject to punishment by death. They had a true sense of urgency in opposing false teaching.

It is crystal clear with the immense popularity of some questionable evangelists, television ministries, and extreme religious sects that millions of people yearn for a spiritual connection. I am amused by some of today's personalities, like the preacher in Tennessee with the Blood of Jesus Anointing Oil or the lady on the Trinity Broadcasting Network with purple hair and more karats on her body than Elizabeth Taylor. Should I really be amused though? We aren't like the Jewish people. We have no governmental agency that monitors religious teachings. So how do we point people in the direction of Christ? It's through us, the body of Christ on Earth who believe that Jesus, as explained to us through the Bible, is the one and only truth.

We at Piedmont probably can't do a thing about people like the purple-hair lady, but we can always have Jesus and the Bible as our spiritual foundation individually and as a church. Any other way would be considered false teaching.