Stumble Causers
The sermon warns against the dangers of becoming disillusioned with the church and the consequences of causing others to stumble or sin.
Tony Garland delves into the concept of False Prophets, who claim to speak for God but actually utter falsehoods, often associated with the Antichrist in the end times. The False Prophet, depicted as benign like a lamb but speaking like a dragon, performs miracles to deceive people into worshiping the Beast. Scripture warns about the danger of false prophets, who are more deadly than physical predators as they can harm not just the body but the soul. Jesus and Paul both forewarn about the rise of false prophets, emphasizing the importance of discerning them by their fruits, which reveal their true nature.
Text
When we are first converted, especially if we come from a non-Christian background, we are likely to be almost too naive for our own good. The wondrous experience through which we have just passed, or perhaps I should say into which we have entered, has predisposed us to believe in everybody. Our trust in other Christians is likely to be boundless. That there could be hypocrites, double-minded professors, religious pretenders, carnal camp followers, never once enters our minds. The result is that our first encounter with a worldly church member comes as a frightful shock to our sensitive minds. Some never recover from this shattering of their confidence. They become religious cripples. Their growth is stunted and their usefulness destroyed, or at the least greatly hindered from that moment on.
That I speak truly here may be proved by everyday experience; but there is a more sure word of Scripture: "But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin [shall offend any one of these, KJV] it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea" (Matthew 18:6).
When we learn that the word offend actually means cause to stumble or to sin, we know how serious the whole thing is. Better to die than to imperil the faith of a weak disciple. Christ's words may mean more than that, but they can hardly mean less.
Sermon Outline
- The Naivety of New Believers
- The Shock of Reality
- The Consequences of Disillusionment
- Initial trust in other Christians
- Boundless trust in the church
- Encountering worldly church members
- Shattering of confidence
- Stunted growth and destroyed usefulness
- Becoming religious cripples
Key Quotes
“Better to die than to imperil the faith of a weak disciple.” — A.W. Tozer
“It would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We should be careful not to cause others to stumble or sin, especially those who are weak in their faith.
- We should take the risk of imperiling the faith of others very seriously and be mindful of our actions.
- We should strive to maintain a healthy and balanced perspective on the church and its members.