Dr. Bradford Reaves
Crossway Christian Fellowship
Hagerstown, MD
www.mycrossway.org
We are a culture of warning labels. Some for good reason and some for legal reasons. Some seem like they’re a bit ridiculous. When the traffic light is about to turn red, the light first turns yellow. Football games give two-minute warnings. In the midwest, tornado sirens will sound. The other week, we had a test of the emergency broadcast system. A cup of coffee has a warning that the coffee is hot.
In 1945, thousands of pamphlets were dropped all over Japan before the first Atomic bombs were dropped. On one side was a picture of bombers dropping their deadly cargo. The other side was a warning in Japanese and English. This is the translation:
“Read this carefully as it may save your life or the life of a relative or friend. In the next few days, some or all of the cities named on the reverse side will be destroyed by American bombs. These cities contain military installations and workshops or factories that produce military goods. We are determined to destroy all of the tools of the military clique that they are using to prolong this useless war. But, unfortunately, bombs have no eyes. So, in accordance with America’s humanitarian policies, the American Air Force, which does not wish to injure innocent people, now gives you a warning to evacuate the cities named and save your lives. America is not fighting the Japanese people but is fighting the military clique that has enslaved the Japanese people. The peace that America will bring will free the people from the oppression of the military clique and mean the emergence of a new and better Japan. You can restore peace by demanding new and good leaders who will end the war. We cannot promise that only these cities will be among those attacked, but some or all of them will be, so heed this warning and evacuate these cities immediately.” (Credit: David Parks, Sermon Central, Atomic Heritage Foundation, et al.)
The consequences of ignoring the warnings or minimizing the message were devastating, to say the least. People, by nature, tend to minimize the dangers around us. It is more of a survival mechanism than anything to prevent the neurosis of living life in constant fear. There are warning signs that should never be minimized, and at the top of the list are the warnings in the Bible. Today, we are going to consider the warning given by Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount.
We are approaching the end of the Sermon on the Mount, but the significance of what is being taught is not dwindling; it is intensifying. Our Lord and Master are bringing to a powerful close and ending the truths he has laid out before us. And like everything that Jesus said thus far, this is intricately connected to the rest of his words. Today’s message is no different.
Today’s message also comes with a dire warning. Much of Jesus’ ministry and this sermon was a confrontation with the false teachers of his day and a warning to people. Today’s words are a warning to everyone who is growing in their faith, and it is a warning to everyone who wishes to carry on the teachings of Jesus. Make no mistake, these are grave words that we must hold onto, and Jesus repeats them over and over again. “Beware of false prophets.” Friends, if there is ever a passage we must take to heart, it is this one.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. (Matthew 7:15–20)
Jesus describes false prophets as ravenous wolves disguised in sheep’s clothing. Jesus is underscoring the deceptive nature of false teachers. In other words, false teachers can mingle with the ‘sheep’ (the saints of Christ). They look innocent on the surface, but underneath is a destructive and demonically-led spirit intent on tearing down faith, causing spiritual chaos in the church, and exalting themselves.
They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” (Jude 18)
as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. (2 Peter 3:16)
Not only do we see Jesus give these words in this sermon, but we see them repeated and his disciples repeat them as well:
?For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. (Matthew 24:24)
And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. (Matthew 24:11)
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1)
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. (2 Peter 2:1)
For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:13)
I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. (Romans 16:17)
Over and over again, the Bible warns us that we are always to be discerning. They are, as Jesus called them, ravenous wolves. They are dangerous, deceptive, and they destroy the flock with false teachings.
Now it is interesting that these words come on the heels of Jesus’ words exhorting us to enter through the narrow gate. We have a choice to make in our lives, whether we will follow the easy path (the path of destruction) or agonize through the narrow gate. And as we stand at the crossroads, I can assure you there will be plenty of people -false teachers push you over to the broad gate.
Over and over again in Scripture, we are warned there are people who are professionally outfitted to play the role of Shepherd but have only their personal gain in mind. They are deceptive. They are lying. They look sharp, dress sharp, have a great charisma about them, and talk smoothly. They have a flashy style and know all the catchphrases. It’s not that they always teach outright heresy, it is often they teach just enough truth to seem ok. It isn’t what they say; it is what they don’t say. They never talk about hell, repentance, sin, brokenness, humility, or the cross.
By contrast, the true prophet teaches and divides God’s word honestly and fully (Deut 18:20). They have nothing to hide and no need to be pretentious. There are good and godly teachers all over whose only desire is to serve the Lord dutifully and faithfully. So, on the outside, God's true and false prophets may look the same, but there is a big and important difference. Hence, Jesus gives this warning in his sermon. So, how can we tell the difference? By their fruit.
You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. (Matthew 7:16–18)
It is no wonder there are people in the world today who say they would rather have nothing to do with the church than risk being deceived. The fact is, however, that deception is avoidable and certainly not necessary. We can’t do much about the existence of false teachers other than identify them. But we can guard ourselves. Jesus tells us not to look at the outward appearances but instead the fruit as a result of their labors. Now, the first thing we must answer is what did Jesus mean by ‘fruit?’
The Bible uses the term fruit for the spiritual product of a person’s life. We may also refer to that as a legacy.
Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. (Matthew 3:8)
Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. (Luke 3:8)
but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. (Acts 26:20)
Fruit in keeping with repentance is a heart that is moldable in the hand of God. As we grow in our faith our hearts are changed, resulting in changed behaviors. That’s what James meant in James 2:17, that faith without works is dead. Paul wrote similarly in Philippians:
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9–11)
for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true (Ephesians 5:9)
so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; (Colossians 1:10)
Every one of us leaves a legacy - something that is the result of our faith in God. In our lives, every word and every action is fruit from our hearts. Sinners sin because that’s what is in their hearts. Thieves steal, rapists attack, and adulterers cheat because those sins are the fruit produced from an evil heart. Bad hearts produce bad fruit.
When Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruit,” concerning false teachers, He was giving us a guide for identifying them. False prophets, speakers of lies, will have actions that correspond to their errant message. at Jesus did not say it is the quantity of the fruit but rather the fruit itself. Jesus
The evidence of a pastor, teacher, preacher, evangelist, or any other person who claims to labor for God but is only doing so for their own gain will be seen. The result of a faithful servant will be observable. People will grow in their faith, be baptized, forsake sin in their lives, live righteously, and so on. The only way a person can produce good fruit is through a life that is closely connected to Jesus. Jesus is the source of our fruit, not ourselves.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me, you can do nothing. (John 15:4–5)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law. (Galatians 5:22–23)
That brings us back to Jesus’s warning, which we will go deeper with next week.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (Matthew 7:19)
This warning should give us tremendous pause. If the workers of iniquity are cast away and thrown into the fire (an image of hell), then we should also be guarded so that we, too, are not deceived. All throughout the Bible, God gives serious warning of the dangers of false prophets
But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his evil; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.” (Jeremiah 23:14)
They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘Declares the Lord,’ when the Lord has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word. (Ezekiel 13:6)
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. (Colossians 2:8)
The onus is for us to be wise, discerning, and know the Good Shepherd among the enemy’s shepherds (John 10:1-18). So, we know there are deceptions out there that seek to ensnare the believer. Some of them are obvious deceptions, but nevertheless ensnare many addictions, pornography, fear, greed, lust, and so on, but some of them are more subtle.
Jesus tells us it isn’t their outward appearance, the number of followers, the size of their church, or the degrees that hang on their wall that will let you know if they are false prophets. It is their fruit. A false teacher has neither a divine commission or a divine message. He neither speaks for God or from God. He stands on his own authority and will even deny the truth of the Bible as something else.
Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also opposed the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. (2 Timothy 3:8–9)
What makes them stand out more than anything is that they always claim they have some ‘special revelation’ from God. They may also make claims that religious people will not like them and that anyone who doesn’t agree with them is wrong or a heretic.
Jesus doesn’t tell us, “watch out for false prophets and good luck figuring out who the are.” He says assuredly, you will know them by their fruits. Good trees make good fruit and bad trees makes bad fruit, right? In fact, he bookends this section, (verses 16 and 20) with telling us we will know a tree by its fruit.
They are all over the place. Many false prophets have come and gone, and many of them lived in blatant sin while preaching their message. Jim Jones openly engaged in adultery, drug use, and profanity. David Koresh had child “wives” as young as 11. False teachers might display the “fruit” of sexual immorality, greed, materialism, gluttony, and other sins while justifying their behavior and lifting themselves up as something holy. Unfortunately, many people through the years have been duped into following such characters and joining them in justifying the sin. If only they had heeded Jesus’ warning that “you will know them by their fruit.” No matter how good or convincing someone sounds, if he is bearing bad fruit, his message should be avoided. (GotQuestions)
May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, (2 Peter 1:2–3)
Here are three specific questions to identify false prophets, or wolves in sheep’s clothing:
What does the teacher say about Jesus?
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. (1 John 4:1–3)
Does the teacher preach the biblical gospel? Anyone who teaches an incomplete or unbiblical gospel is to be eternally condemned.
As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:9)
Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, (1 Corinthians 15:1–4)
Does this teacher exhibit godly character qualities?
If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. (1 Timothy 6:3–5)
A day is coming, and is already here that the spirit of the antichrist is at work (1 John 4:2-3). The ultimate purpose of this spirit is to lead people astray. A day will come when that spirit will manifest itself fully, and the beast, along with the whore of Babylon, will deceive the entire world into worshiping the antichrist. The ultimate deception. Today is the day that you must discern the truth.
And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. (Revelation 12:9)
