Luke 6:39-45 – Practice What You Preach

Jesus warns us against listening to false teachers. A teacher who does not know the way to heaven himself, isn’t likely to lead others to heaven. Those who listen to these teachers are in danger of being lost eternally. There are ministers throughout our country that are like these blind and false teachers, leading others astray. If we want to escape the danger of false teachers we must test everything they say by God’s Word to see if what they say is true.

Those who teach others and warn them of their sins must strive to be blameless. Obviously, if no man is to teach or preach to others until he himself is perfect, there would be no teaching or preaching. The main point Jesus seems to be making here is the importance of having a consistent life. We must not say one thing and do another. This is true for all, not just ministers. How can we encourage others to turn away from sin, when we are still hanging on to it? People will not listen to those who are hypocrites.

There is only one way to test whether a man or woman has faith in Christ – through their behaviour and conversation. If a man or woman does not live a Godly life, if they have no desire to speak about the things of God, if there is no evidence of the Holy Spirit working in their life, we must question whether they are a Christian. Instead of assuming they are because of church membership, baptism, or attendance, we should pray for them earnestly and frequently that the Holy Spirit would work in their hearts and that they would show evidence of this work. We should examine our own hearts and lives as well and determine whether we are bringing forth good fruit from a believing heart.

Questions
1. How can we test our teachers?
2. Why do we need to be consistent?
3. What are signs that someone is a Christian?

Prayer Points
1. Pray for the salvation of others.
2. Use prayer points from your congregation.
3. Pray for family matters.