Introduction

A. When it comes to matters of faith, who can you trust when there are so many conflicting doctrines (Jeremiah 27-28)?

B. If we want to be able to identify error, we are going to have to consult God’s Word (Matthew 7:15-20).

I. Jesus used Scripture when He rebuked those in the wrong.

A. He quoted Scripture when He cleansed the temple (Matthew 21:12-13).

B. He quoted Scripture when He rebuked the Pharisees for their hypocrisy (Matthew 15:1-9).

C. He used the Scriptures to rebuke the Sadducees as well (Matthew 22:29-32).

D. He alluded to the Scriptures when He rebuked Peter in the garden (Matthew 26:51-54).

II. We must be able to identify and rebuke sin and false doctrine.

A. God gave Israel safeguards against false teachers (Deuteronomy 13:1-5; cf. Nehemiah 6:10-13; Numbers 3:10; 18:7).

B. There are times when men need to be rebuked (Matthew 18:15; 1 Timothy 5:20; Titus 1:13-14; 2:15).

C. Sometimes we need to rebuke people because of sin in their lives (Luke 3:19; Matthew 14:4).

Conclusion

A. There are times when God rebukes us (Hebrew 12:5-6).

B. If you are concerned about your eternal destiny, don’t take any man’s word on matters of faith—search the Scriptures yourself!