Seeking Life Testing Leaders
A sermon warning against counterfeit religion and emphasizing the importance of self-denial and good fruit.
F.B. Meyer emphasizes the importance of discerning true faith from counterfeit religion in his sermon 'Seeking Life Testing Leaders.' He warns that genuine faith requires self-denial and a commitment to the narrow path of the Cross, contrasting it with the easy allure of self-indulgence that ultimately leads to despair. Meyer asserts that true faith is evidenced by the good fruit it produces, highlighting that the worth of the gospel is demonstrated through the transformative lives of its followers. He encourages believers to evaluate their faith by the character it cultivates and the impact it has on the world.
Text
Matthew 7:13-23
The world is full of shams. Counterfeit coins circulate; paste jewels are worn. Let us take heed against a counterfeit religion. It betrays itself thus:
(1) It does not involve the denial of self. Our Lord compares this to entrance by a strait gate and walking on a narrow path. It is the way of the Cross. We must say “No†to the “I†life which is seated in our soul and which must be ruthlessly denied. We must say of it as Peter did of Jesus, “I do not know the man.†The way of self-indulgence begins on a primrose path and ends in a wilderness. The path of self-denial is steep and difficult at the start, but leads to a paradise of joy.
(2) It does not produce good fruit.
The worth of the gospel has been attested all down the ages by the characters which it has produced and which have been the world’s salt and light. No other teaching has produced such results. Here is the supreme test. There are many new systems of theology, many nostrums are being loudly advertised, but the one test of them all is in the fruit they bear.
Sermon Outline
- The Dangers of Counterfeit Religion
- The Way of Self-Denial
- The Test of Good Fruit
- The Supreme Test
- The Fruit of the Gospel
Key Quotes
“The way of self-indulgence begins on a primrose path and ends in a wilderness.” — F.B. Meyer
“The path of self-denial is steep and difficult at the start, but leads to a paradise of joy.” — F.B. Meyer
“The one test of them all is in the fruit they bear.” — F.B. Meyer
Application Points
- We must deny ourselves and follow the narrow path of self-denial to experience true joy.
- The fruit we produce is a test of the truth of our teaching or faith.
- Self-indulgence may seem appealing at first, but ultimately leads to a wilderness.