Matthew 7:15-20 — Series on the Mount #30

Let’s Pray…
Last week we tackled a Scripture that is the first of several warnings from Jesus at the end of the Sermon on the Mount.

In Matthew 7:13-14:

13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

He commands us to enter the narrow gate. And as we said last week,
Jesus is that narrow gate. The narrow path is obedience to the will of our Father God. And that obedience must come from the right heart. It cannot be obedience in order to earn salvation. If that is our reason for obeying, we’ve missed the narrow gate.

Again Jesus’ work on the cross, provided a substitutionary atonement, in other words, He took our place, and took the wrath of God onto Himself for us. That is what saves us. It is not our works, it is Christ alone.
Instead, our obedience — We are commanded to obey — but that obedience is our response to our salvation, not FOR our salvation.

The other important point from last week is in talking about the narrow gate and road that leads to life, Jesus said, “only a few find it.” And it is safe to read that historically, nationally, racially, gender-ly, no matter how you divide it. Only a few will find it.

And that also includes those of us within the church. And I’ll keep pounding that point home for as long as you keep letting me preach.

And, just so we are clear, the Bible teaches, and Jesus will explain in the text again tonight, that those who don’t find it, those who don’t turn to Christ, will enter the wide gate instead and travel the broad road to destruction, to death, to eternal and complete separation from God — to Hell. (Revelation 14:11; Matthew 25:46)

So how do we ensure that we are on the right path? Jesus gives an answer in different illustrative warnings and instructions. Tonight we will focus on Matthew 7:15-20. And brothers and sisters, this is a warning to you and to me to those who gather to hear the word of God proclaimed and to those of us who feel called to proclaim God’s word.

15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

The word translated here as “Watch out” is also translated “Beware.”
So Let me say BEWARE of false prophets! I would encourage you to read this like you would a sign on a fence. Beware of DOG! Beware Electrocution Hazard! Beware of Hazardous Materials!

This is not a sign, this is not a warning to keep on investigating. No! Get away! Get out of there! Your health, your welfare, your life, YOUR FAMILY may be in danger. Beware!

Now what are we on guard against? False prophets. What’s a prophet?

In the Old Testament, Prophets were the mouthpieces of God. They heard directly from Him and they were functioning in an office of a prophet, usually to guide God’s people back into fellowship with Him through repentance and genuine worship.

The prophets that we have records of in the Old Testament were almost always sent during times of moral failure in the Nation of Israel. Or times when the people were suffering for past sins.

At other times prophets were sent to other Nations to call them to repentance, we see this with Jonah.

There is nothing in Scriptures to suggest that God will not send actual prophets in the same way today. Paul writes that some of us will be given the Spiritual Gift of prophesy.

This passage has often been read to include men who are called to preach and pastor or shepherd in the church since we also see the prophets as shepherds, leading the people back to God, like a shepherd bringing lost sheep back into the fold.

And that’s where we are going tonight.

15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.

This is not necessarily to say they are going to be dressed like sheep. They are likely to be dressed like — to have the appearance of — shepherds. John MacArthur points out that the shepherds of Jesus’ day wore cloaks of wool (sheep skins) that they would need to make it through the cold nights outside with their flocks.

So we must, you and I must all beware of false profits that enter in as those who would help lead, but have a desire instead to tear us apart and lead us to destruction.

Again, keep this in context with the wide and the narrow path.

In Matthew 23:15, Jesus goes against the Pharisees, saying that they go all around the earth to make one convert, but because of their anti-gospel teaching, they end up making the convert into a “child of Hell” They were the false prophets leading a person (people) onto the broad path that leads to destruction.

And here’s another interesting piece. You may ask yourself, how could a false teacher get in? How would he make his way into the fold or into leadership?

I say, he’ll probably get in with help. We help by either not standing guard against them or by openly inviting them in or flocking to them.

In Acts 20:28-30 Paul says:

28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.

In other words, we as leadership in the church must maintain on eye on the flock, the church, and be ready to chase wolves away.

Let me make it clear, if you are searching for God and you want to find out what we believe about the God of the Bible, then you are welcome to come here.

But if your intention is to get us off the track of the Gospel to chase some rabbit trail, to get us focused on a pet issue instead of Christ and Him crucified than we will ask you to go.

Similarly, The leadership here is encouraged to keep an eye on me. I’m not some untouchable just because I get up and preach each week. If I hinder the Gospel, I will be disciplined and depending on the situation, I am replaceable.

In another context, Jesus says it is better to lose an eye than for the entire body to go to Hell.

Listen, we are a body of believers, but if anyone of us begins to lead this church — as a body — away from Christ then that eye is getting gouged out of the body. Amen.

Also, in 2 Timothy 4:1-5 Paul warns against a coming time when people will actually seek out false teachers, because they will not want to
hear the true Gospel. He tells us as leaders to keep doing what we are called to.

1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

What's he talking about? In today's context. What kinds of false teachings do people want to hear? Watch a few hours of Christian television, and you'll probably find out.

You can see it in messages about, “Just believe God, if you're poor or sick you just need more faith. God doesn't want you to be sick or poor
does He?” BEWARE of that garbage.

Or you might hear it in the preachers who prostitute the message of the Gospel for political gain or recognition. Who put their standing as a
member of a political party, or even as a citizen of a country above their standing in the family of God. BEWARE!

But, real quick, we also need to address, that some pastors, prophets, preachers and teachers will be faithful to the word, we will say what needs to be said, we will shine a light on sin and call you to repentance and encourage you back to the loving outstretched arms of Christ on the cross, and there will still be those among the crowd that will never really hear the word in their heart.

They will hear the word of God and in their mind, they are going to warp it however they need to in order to keep on living in their sin without any conviction. Ezekiel 33:30-33

30 "As for you, son of man, your countrymen are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, 'Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD.' 31 My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. 32 Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.
33 "When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them."

That’s why I like to say, don’t tell me it was a good sermon. Go, and live it out. Allow the word of God to work deep into your heart and mind.

As Paul says, no longer be conformed to the patterns of this world. No! Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Brothers and sisters don’t be deceived.

Okay, back to the false prophets? How will we know them? By their fruit.

16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

First and foremost, if a person is preaching something to you and obviously not living it out, if there is not evidence of a regenerate heart, then beware!

The old cliché is, if you want to see the root, look at the fruit.

Now, I must add a caveat here, there is no perfect pastor, no perfect leader, no perfect Christian here on this side of eternity. We all sin and fall on our face before the Lord, depending on His righteousness and not our own.

So don’t think that church leader, prophet, pastor, preacher or whoever will be without blemish. The key here is what is the heart. It will be evidenced in the fruit.

Matthew Henry points out that we must look for the fruit that is naturally produced, the genuine product; the fruit of the person that comes out plentifully, constantly and consistently. Not a once in a while peculiar fruit.

Imagine a great big watermelon in an apple tree. In the same way, a man who is systematically rotten to his family to his co-workers or employees, and on and on cannot then be thought of as a good leader in the church because of an occasional “good deed.” Even if that “good deed” involves a sizable monetary donation, or even if he himself has lead some to Christ.

Look for the consistent fruit — In all areas of his life, in church and in the marketplace; in the pulpit and at the ballpark.

And here’s a key, look at the fruit of the tree in the hard times. Does the ordinarily even keeled man lash out? Keep an eye out.

Also, even though none of us are perfect, as leaders, God calls us to a higher level of accountability. So don’t let, “No one is perfect,” become an excuse.

Moving on. How else can we spot a wolf? If a person is preaching a false doctrine, a doctrine of salvation through works, then beware!
Is he cutting certain “controversial” or culturally unaccepted material, BEWARE!

If there is a motivation chiefly for money or power or prestige, then Beware!
There are more, and many times you will have to pray to God for discernment, but Watch Out! Be on your guard. This is no joke.

Why is this so important? Throughout the history of the Bible, where the leaders go, the people follow.

With that in mind, Matthew 7:19 says

19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

If the false prophets, the false leaders in the church are shepherding the people in the wrong direction, then the people will receive the same penalty for rejecting Christ that the leaders do. Beware!

Now, before we go, I want to ask and answer a question that came up in my studies this week.

Why do they tell us what we want to hear instead of what we need to hear? Sin.

Some are simply wolves. They know that they are leading people astray.
David Korish, Jim Jones, these guys twisted scripture for their own sick motives or delusions and many people died on account of them.

But there is another group that is much more deadly and these are the ones that I want to beat into you the message of, BEWARE. Because the crazy cult leaders don't get as many people hooked. They are usually obviously off to anyone who can read the bible for themselves.

The other group will be convincing, they will be able to keep people in to their message for a long time, possibly for an entire generation. And the problem that we are trying to warn against is not one in which you drink poisoned Kool-Aid or take on the U.S. Government at your compound.

No, We are warning against following a false prophet all your life and finding out when you come face to face with Jesus that you were never
really His because you never heard the true Gospel from your leader, who turned out to be a false profit.

It's like this.

If I don't preach what the word says about homosexuality or adultery, because I think it will cause a backlash in our culturally relativistic society.

Or, if I refuse to rebuke you when I see you making our country into an idol that you are more devoted to than God, because I'm afraid of the backlash of fervent patriots.

Or, if I refuse to talk about giving to the church financially, because I'm afraid of the backlash from people who have made their financial standing into an idol.

If I don't preach on God's hatred toward sin because you only want to hear about love and grace, or you just want to find out about your “Best Life Now.” If I refuse to preach on ANYTHING that God lays out for me to say in Scriptures because of any fear that I have of anyone and their reactions, then that is a sign of disobedience to God. It's sin and it turns me into a false prophet.

At that point I would be making cultural relevance, or my own reputation or how people think of me into an idol to be worshiped above God.

Or, maybe God is putting it onto a pastor's heart to preach a hard message because his flock has strayed and needs to be lead back to repentance.

If he refuses because he is afraid of losing people to other churches, or just back out to the world. If he worries about offending the big givers in the church, because he wants to maintain the structure to the detriment of the Scripture, then that reveals a heart. A heart that places the church or its size or even the flock above his dedication to God. And he has become a false prophet.

And furthermore, it would be a sign that we, as leaders, did not care about you if we refused to give you all God has for us to say.
Let's go to Ezekiel 33 again.

I just heard another pastor preaching on this passage last week, and I knew it would fit perfectly in this message, so credit on this part goes to Francis Chan. (9/20/09)

Ezekiel 33:7-9

7 "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 8 When I say to the wicked, 'O wicked man, you will surely die,' and you do not speak out to dissuade him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. 9 But if you do warn the wicked man to turn from his ways and he does not do so, he will die for his sin, but you will have saved yourself.

We aren't playing games. We aren't even in a simple, earthly life or death situation. We are talking about eternity.

So, choose your leaders well. Is the man who preaches to you following God first? Is he willing to bring the full Gospel; both your sinfulness and God's grace filled gift of faith in Jesus Christ, which saves you?
If not, BEWARE. Run to safety. If you are unsure, get with some people you trust and ask for advice.

And whether I am your primary pastor, or someone else on Sunday; even if you are sure that your pastor is following God, continue to pray that he would do so boldly, unflinchingly, lovingly and in steadfast faithfulness.

And, for your own sake GET INTO THE SCRIPTURES!

In Acts 17:11 we are told:

11 Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Even if you are sure about me or another pastor, look for yourself. Study the word. The Scriptures are inerrant, but we aren't. Check what we say against the Word of God.

And if you see a deficiency, come to us one-on-one just like you would a brother in sin and seek clarification. Because one of us at that point is misunderstanding and we need to get that corrected, Amen.

Let's pray...