Beware of False Prophets
Matthew 7:15-20
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Sermon Summary False teachers are running rampant in our day and age. However, this is nothing new. In these verses, Jesus tells us how to spot these divisive men and warns us of their frightening demise. |
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Matthew 7:15-20
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”
Last time we were together we talked about the two different gates which had two different roads, two different groups of people, and two different destinations. We said that at this point in the sermon, Jesus says you must choose. You must choose if you are going to follow him and be part of his kingdom or go the way that leads to hell and damnation.
As we come to our passage today, Jesus tells us to beware of false prophets. In other words, there are two different ministries in this world. Jesus says, “Hey, you need to understand that that there are people who are pointing you towards the broad gate and they will lead you astray. So, as you choose your gate, make sure you are discerning about who you follow and who it is you are listening to.”
You’ll remember that Jesus has been distinguishing his way from the way of the scribes and the Pharisees. So who do you think the false prophets of his day are?
Before we get into the passage, let me just give you a sense of how bold Jesus is here. Remember, Jesus has a large crowd of people in front of him. He’s gone up on a hillside and begun preaching. And he has been talking about how your righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and pharisees. In doing so, he’s been showing how the common teachings of the day (the teachings that were coming from the scribes and the Pharisees) have been all wrong.
And who do you think might be sitting in the midst of the crowd? It’s quite likely that there are some of these scribes and Pharisees out there in the audience.
This would be like me going line by line through all the errors of the self-help, feel-good Christianity that you would find at Lakewood Church in Houston, TX, and then when I was done, saying, “You need to watch out for false teachers like this.” And the whole time I am doing this, Joel Osteen is sitting right here in in the third row.
Now we don’t know for sure if some of these scribes and Pharisees were there. That’s a bit of speculation on my part. But don’t think that this went over everybody’s head. Everybody would have known exactly who Jesus was talking about.
What I want you to understand is that Jesus doesn’t dance around the issue of false teaching. He doesn’t just offer polite niceities; he doesn’t use the “let’s all just get along” tactic. He is very straightforward about the fact that there are some people that we should not be listening to.
As the true prophet of God, Jesus speaks a warning of false prophets. As a matter of fact, Jesus is so adamant about it that he gives us a full-fledged profile of a false teacher. He describes false prophets so accurately, so precisely, that not only would the people of His day know who he was talking about, but down to our day you and I have a good idea of who to be on the lookout for.
As a matter of fact, there are five traits that will often characterize a false prophet.
When it comes to a false prophet, the first thing we should be aware of is the authority that they possess.
I. The authority they possess
Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets.” He didn’t say, “Beware of false teachers.” He said, “Beware of false prophets.”
Why would he use this term? It’s not like there were a lot of people running around in Jesus’ time claiming to be prophets.
I personally think that he uses this term to reinforce the fact that some of these false teachers will often have a lot of clout. They will look very authoritative, like the prophets of old.
They may hold positions of high rank or they may have some special letters after their name. Maybe they will be endorsed as an expert. They may have a lot of Twitter followers and publications, and therefore people think that they are important. This guy must be someone important because he appears at conferences and on certain talk shows.
So when Jesus says, “Beware of false prophets,” he’s saying we shouldn’t let someone’s status, popularity, or so-called “expertise” fool us. A lot of people who sit in high places are not people who you should be listening to.
This is really important because there’s a real push today to say, “This is from the experts, and therefore, you shouldn’t question it.” We saw a lot of that during the whole COVID thing, didn’t we?
But Jesus says that we are not to be naïve. Those who look like prophets and those who may be in high offices shouldn’t be given a pass or automatically accepted.
As a matter of fact, in other places, Scripture says, “Test the spirits.” In other words, everything should be put under godly scrutiny. Everything needs to be tested and we need to make sure that it measures up to God’s standard, even everything from this pulpit. It’s got to be tested against the Word of God. Nobody should get off scot-free because they seem like they are somebody.
So, a false teacher is likely going to be someone with some kind of authority, but they are also likely someone who has charisma, too.
II. The charisma they show
Look at the next thing Jesus says: “They come to you in sheep’s clothing.” Do you know what that means? It means that false teachers usually seem rather innocent. They don’t come with horns and a pitchfork and a pointy tail. They are dangerous because they are so likeable.
I have to say that this is one of the great problems with false teachers. A few years ago I had the chance to meet William Young, the author of The Shack, a book that took the evangelical world by storm and became a best seller. That book was, shall we say, lacking theologically, and William Young was a guy who admitted to many heretical things. He admits to be a universalist (he denies that Jesus is the only way of salvation and only those who trust in him will be saved). He has written openly about his view of sin (if you can call it that) and how it is not something that separates us from God. There are a lot of problems in his take on Christianity.
But I had a chance to spend about an hour or an hour and a half with him when he came to Ashland for a conference he was putting on. As a matter of fact, we took a walk together. And you know what? He was a nice guy. He was friendly. He was charming. He was funny. He even gave me a hug.
The same was said for Arius. Arius is sometimes said to be the greatest heretic and threat to the early church. He lived around the 3rd century AD and he said that Jesus was not equal to God, but like God. He said that rather than being eternal and equal in substance to the Father, Jesus was created by the Father. This was an attack on the Trinity and one of the first major heresies that hit the early church. And it was a widespread error. Much of this was because people liked Arius.
It is said of Arius that he was “tall and lean, of distinguished appearance and polished address. Women doted on him, charmed by his beautiful manners, touched by his appearance of asceticism. Men were impressed by his aura of intellectual superiority.”
Arius had a lot of charisma. He was a likeable guy.
This is why you have to be ready to test the spirits. If you are going by appearances, by the way someone looks or talks, you can easily be duped. As a matter of fact, the Bible says that Satan masquerades as an angel of light. Even the devil of all beings knows how to weasel his way into Christian places. He’s going to come off as a real pal, someone who you’d be happy to call a friend.
False teachers are just as slick. They will come in looking a lot like sheep, looking innocent and friendly. But don’t let that fool you.
You have to be aware of the authority they possess and the charisma they show. But also, take special note of the fruit that they bear.
III. The fruit they bear
As a matter of fact, Jesus says this exact thing twice. Once in verse 16 and then again at the end in verse 20, “You will know them by their fruits.”
What exactly are the fruits that Jesus talks about? Well, there are probably many, but there are at least three specific fruits that can be gleaned from this passage.
1. The content of their teaching. False teachers speak things that simply are not biblical.
You remember our context. Jesus has been talking about the narrow gate and the hard road. He’s been talking about the obedience that God requires in his law. And that was set over against the things that the scribes and Pharisees had been teaching. They were teaching a watered-down version of the law, one that was not as strenuous. It was more man-centered, and it just so happened to work to their own sinful advantage.
Anytime someone perverts God’s word and teaches something that is in direct contradiction to it, they are a false teacher. Of course, I’m not talking about a guy who maybe has a bad day in the pulpit and fumbles with his words. Neither is this talking about just a difference of opinion on baptism. A false prophet is someone who is habitually promoting something contrary to the Gospel and that teaching is scandalous to the faith.
That’s why Jesus talks about how grapes can’t be gathered from a thornbush. This is a guy whose heart has not been changed by the Holy Spirit. He has not been born again. So, in the name of God, he’s advocating principles that are contrary to God. It is, in many respects, a different religion.
2. The motive for their teaching. False teachers have hearts set on selfish gain.
Just as the content of their teaching is wrong, so are their motives. What you will often find is that a false teacher will not only teach what is false, he will most likely take advantage of those who follow him and end up making a profit off of them.
Look at the end of verse 15. Jesus says they are going to “come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” What does a wolf do in the sheep pen? He eats them. He looks like them and blends in with them in order to fill his own stomach with them.
What you find is that false teachers will often be people who are piling up money, popularity, and power. A godly person is concerned for the welfare of God’s people, wanting to see them built up. He may make some money along the way, but self-interest is not the main thing driving him.
A false teacher doesn’t have the same goals. He’s often driven by his own advancement in this world. Listen to these examples:
Romans 16:18 - Paul, speaking of false teachers, says: “For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites.”
2 Peter 3:3 - “In their greed they will exploit you with false words.”
Mark 12:40 - Jesus would say of the scribes that they liked to be admired and they devoured widow’s houses, desiring fame, admiration, and getting a financial boost off of the helpless widows.
Just keep in mind that, historically, when it comes to false teachers, the church is often a good place to get ahead in life.
3. The consequence of their teaching. False teachers create division in the church.
There is a narrow road and a broad road. There is a road that leads to a relationship with God and there is a road that strays from God. There is obedience in the narrow way and there is everything else in the broad way.
A false teacher might be able to be spotted when you see division popping up within the people of God. When people start going in opposite directions, that’s a good indicator that there’s a false teacher in your midst.
It is interesting to note as you look through the NT that division is one of the most common problems that you find being addressed. The Corinthians were divided over gifts. The Galatians were divided over faith alone. The book of Romans talks about those who come in and cause division - there was division over the gospel, over issues of Christian liberty, and over whether or not you should submit to the lawful authorities.
Why is that? Why is division so problematic? It’s because unity can only be achieved when we are all seeking to put the Lord our God first in our lives and submit to His Word. And if someone is setting out false teaching and promoting their own agenda or self-interest, there is no possible way that unity can exist.
What this all boils down to, Jesus says, is looking at the fruit. Is it godly fruit? Or is it demonic? Rotten fruit isn’t something you will find growing out of a godly, regenerate heart. You will know a false teacher by means of what you hear, see, and feel. You’ll hear false teaching, you’ll see selfish motives, and you’ll feel division tearing the church apart.
Now remember what Jesus is doing here. He’s equipping us with what we need to know so that we can detect a false teacher when one comes our way. We’ve covered three things so far. You can’t be naïve and follow just anyone and everyone. You need to be discerning and on the watch for the authority false teachers possess, the charisma that they show, and the fruit that they bear. These are all attributes of a false teacher.
There’s one more item to note, however. It’s also important to keep in mind the reckoning they face.
IV. The reckoning they face
Look at verse 19. Jesus says, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Jesus says that one of the attributes of a false teacher is that his future is all but sealed. And it isn’t a pretty one. Just as the broad road leads to destruction, those who serve as false prophets and point people towards it will find themselves in the same dismal situation.
Here, Jesus continues to use the illustration of a tree - this time one that is hewn down and burned. It is a graphic metaphor showing how swift and terrible it will be for those who have opposed the Lord and his Gospel.
And it should be understood why Jesus says this. He does not mince words when he speaks of the eternal destiny of a false teacher because he wishes to reinforce to us how important it is that we not follow them. They are damned and we should therefore take every caution not to intermingle ourselves with them.
When in the OT the earth opened up and swallowed Korah and Dathan, people were told to stand back lest they should be consumed in the judgments God was bringing upon them. So too, we recognize that we have a corresponding responsibility to keep ourselves at a distance from false teachers, lest we fall prey to their evils and suffer judgment along with them.
It would be easy for us in our day to be soft. We live in a time when it’s all about toleration and acceptance. We are told to celebrate ecumenism and embrace anyone and everyone.
But we should understand that this is not the kind of life that the true believer is to live. People may call you bigoted. They may think you are narrow- or closed-minded. And there is a sense in which you are, and for good reason. The consequences for false teaching are not by any means light.
Conclusion:
As we close today, we must understand that the gospel of our Lord is precious and there is no end to those who wish to pervert it and use it to their own advantage. Unfortunately, we live in a world where not all teachers or leaders love the Lord and want to point us in the way we should go. Our fallen world consists of many false teachers who would lead us astray.
But the good news is that we can spot them. Our Lord has not just given us a warning, he’s given us wisdom - wisdom on how to discern the true way and the false way. He has been the true prophet in that respect. And as he ministers his word and Spirit, we may have good hope that he will continue to lead us in the right way.
But that doesn’t mean no action is required on our side. Christians do not chuck their discernment out the window. We need to be aware and be alert. Walking the narrow way means keeping a good eye on the road lest we be made to deviate from it.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”
Last time we were together we talked about the two different gates which had two different roads, two different groups of people, and two different destinations. We said that at this point in the sermon, Jesus says you must choose. You must choose if you are going to follow him and be part of his kingdom or go the way that leads to hell and damnation.
As we come to our passage today, Jesus tells us to beware of false prophets. In other words, there are two different ministries in this world. Jesus says, “Hey, you need to understand that that there are people who are pointing you towards the broad gate and they will lead you astray. So, as you choose your gate, make sure you are discerning about who you follow and who it is you are listening to.”
You’ll remember that Jesus has been distinguishing his way from the way of the scribes and the Pharisees. So who do you think the false prophets of his day are?
Before we get into the passage, let me just give you a sense of how bold Jesus is here. Remember, Jesus has a large crowd of people in front of him. He’s gone up on a hillside and begun preaching. And he has been talking about how your righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and pharisees. In doing so, he’s been showing how the common teachings of the day (the teachings that were coming from the scribes and the Pharisees) have been all wrong.
And who do you think might be sitting in the midst of the crowd? It’s quite likely that there are some of these scribes and Pharisees out there in the audience.
This would be like me going line by line through all the errors of the self-help, feel-good Christianity that you would find at Lakewood Church in Houston, TX, and then when I was done, saying, “You need to watch out for false teachers like this.” And the whole time I am doing this, Joel Osteen is sitting right here in in the third row.
Now we don’t know for sure if some of these scribes and Pharisees were there. That’s a bit of speculation on my part. But don’t think that this went over everybody’s head. Everybody would have known exactly who Jesus was talking about.
What I want you to understand is that Jesus doesn’t dance around the issue of false teaching. He doesn’t just offer polite niceities; he doesn’t use the “let’s all just get along” tactic. He is very straightforward about the fact that there are some people that we should not be listening to.
As the true prophet of God, Jesus speaks a warning of false prophets. As a matter of fact, Jesus is so adamant about it that he gives us a full-fledged profile of a false teacher. He describes false prophets so accurately, so precisely, that not only would the people of His day know who he was talking about, but down to our day you and I have a good idea of who to be on the lookout for.
As a matter of fact, there are five traits that will often characterize a false prophet.
When it comes to a false prophet, the first thing we should be aware of is the authority that they possess.
I. The authority they possess
Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets.” He didn’t say, “Beware of false teachers.” He said, “Beware of false prophets.”
Why would he use this term? It’s not like there were a lot of people running around in Jesus’ time claiming to be prophets.
I personally think that he uses this term to reinforce the fact that some of these false teachers will often have a lot of clout. They will look very authoritative, like the prophets of old.
They may hold positions of high rank or they may have some special letters after their name. Maybe they will be endorsed as an expert. They may have a lot of Twitter followers and publications, and therefore people think that they are important. This guy must be someone important because he appears at conferences and on certain talk shows.
So when Jesus says, “Beware of false prophets,” he’s saying we shouldn’t let someone’s status, popularity, or so-called “expertise” fool us. A lot of people who sit in high places are not people who you should be listening to.
This is really important because there’s a real push today to say, “This is from the experts, and therefore, you shouldn’t question it.” We saw a lot of that during the whole COVID thing, didn’t we?
But Jesus says that we are not to be naïve. Those who look like prophets and those who may be in high offices shouldn’t be given a pass or automatically accepted.
As a matter of fact, in other places, Scripture says, “Test the spirits.” In other words, everything should be put under godly scrutiny. Everything needs to be tested and we need to make sure that it measures up to God’s standard, even everything from this pulpit. It’s got to be tested against the Word of God. Nobody should get off scot-free because they seem like they are somebody.
So, a false teacher is likely going to be someone with some kind of authority, but they are also likely someone who has charisma, too.
II. The charisma they show
Look at the next thing Jesus says: “They come to you in sheep’s clothing.” Do you know what that means? It means that false teachers usually seem rather innocent. They don’t come with horns and a pitchfork and a pointy tail. They are dangerous because they are so likeable.
I have to say that this is one of the great problems with false teachers. A few years ago I had the chance to meet William Young, the author of The Shack, a book that took the evangelical world by storm and became a best seller. That book was, shall we say, lacking theologically, and William Young was a guy who admitted to many heretical things. He admits to be a universalist (he denies that Jesus is the only way of salvation and only those who trust in him will be saved). He has written openly about his view of sin (if you can call it that) and how it is not something that separates us from God. There are a lot of problems in his take on Christianity.
But I had a chance to spend about an hour or an hour and a half with him when he came to Ashland for a conference he was putting on. As a matter of fact, we took a walk together. And you know what? He was a nice guy. He was friendly. He was charming. He was funny. He even gave me a hug.
The same was said for Arius. Arius is sometimes said to be the greatest heretic and threat to the early church. He lived around the 3rd century AD and he said that Jesus was not equal to God, but like God. He said that rather than being eternal and equal in substance to the Father, Jesus was created by the Father. This was an attack on the Trinity and one of the first major heresies that hit the early church. And it was a widespread error. Much of this was because people liked Arius.
It is said of Arius that he was “tall and lean, of distinguished appearance and polished address. Women doted on him, charmed by his beautiful manners, touched by his appearance of asceticism. Men were impressed by his aura of intellectual superiority.”
Arius had a lot of charisma. He was a likeable guy.
This is why you have to be ready to test the spirits. If you are going by appearances, by the way someone looks or talks, you can easily be duped. As a matter of fact, the Bible says that Satan masquerades as an angel of light. Even the devil of all beings knows how to weasel his way into Christian places. He’s going to come off as a real pal, someone who you’d be happy to call a friend.
False teachers are just as slick. They will come in looking a lot like sheep, looking innocent and friendly. But don’t let that fool you.
You have to be aware of the authority they possess and the charisma they show. But also, take special note of the fruit that they bear.
III. The fruit they bear
As a matter of fact, Jesus says this exact thing twice. Once in verse 16 and then again at the end in verse 20, “You will know them by their fruits.”
What exactly are the fruits that Jesus talks about? Well, there are probably many, but there are at least three specific fruits that can be gleaned from this passage.
1. The content of their teaching. False teachers speak things that simply are not biblical.
You remember our context. Jesus has been talking about the narrow gate and the hard road. He’s been talking about the obedience that God requires in his law. And that was set over against the things that the scribes and Pharisees had been teaching. They were teaching a watered-down version of the law, one that was not as strenuous. It was more man-centered, and it just so happened to work to their own sinful advantage.
Anytime someone perverts God’s word and teaches something that is in direct contradiction to it, they are a false teacher. Of course, I’m not talking about a guy who maybe has a bad day in the pulpit and fumbles with his words. Neither is this talking about just a difference of opinion on baptism. A false prophet is someone who is habitually promoting something contrary to the Gospel and that teaching is scandalous to the faith.
That’s why Jesus talks about how grapes can’t be gathered from a thornbush. This is a guy whose heart has not been changed by the Holy Spirit. He has not been born again. So, in the name of God, he’s advocating principles that are contrary to God. It is, in many respects, a different religion.
2. The motive for their teaching. False teachers have hearts set on selfish gain.
Just as the content of their teaching is wrong, so are their motives. What you will often find is that a false teacher will not only teach what is false, he will most likely take advantage of those who follow him and end up making a profit off of them.
Look at the end of verse 15. Jesus says they are going to “come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” What does a wolf do in the sheep pen? He eats them. He looks like them and blends in with them in order to fill his own stomach with them.
What you find is that false teachers will often be people who are piling up money, popularity, and power. A godly person is concerned for the welfare of God’s people, wanting to see them built up. He may make some money along the way, but self-interest is not the main thing driving him.
A false teacher doesn’t have the same goals. He’s often driven by his own advancement in this world. Listen to these examples:
Romans 16:18 - Paul, speaking of false teachers, says: “For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites.”
2 Peter 3:3 - “In their greed they will exploit you with false words.”
Mark 12:40 - Jesus would say of the scribes that they liked to be admired and they devoured widow’s houses, desiring fame, admiration, and getting a financial boost off of the helpless widows.
Just keep in mind that, historically, when it comes to false teachers, the church is often a good place to get ahead in life.
3. The consequence of their teaching. False teachers create division in the church.
There is a narrow road and a broad road. There is a road that leads to a relationship with God and there is a road that strays from God. There is obedience in the narrow way and there is everything else in the broad way.
A false teacher might be able to be spotted when you see division popping up within the people of God. When people start going in opposite directions, that’s a good indicator that there’s a false teacher in your midst.
It is interesting to note as you look through the NT that division is one of the most common problems that you find being addressed. The Corinthians were divided over gifts. The Galatians were divided over faith alone. The book of Romans talks about those who come in and cause division - there was division over the gospel, over issues of Christian liberty, and over whether or not you should submit to the lawful authorities.
Why is that? Why is division so problematic? It’s because unity can only be achieved when we are all seeking to put the Lord our God first in our lives and submit to His Word. And if someone is setting out false teaching and promoting their own agenda or self-interest, there is no possible way that unity can exist.
What this all boils down to, Jesus says, is looking at the fruit. Is it godly fruit? Or is it demonic? Rotten fruit isn’t something you will find growing out of a godly, regenerate heart. You will know a false teacher by means of what you hear, see, and feel. You’ll hear false teaching, you’ll see selfish motives, and you’ll feel division tearing the church apart.
Now remember what Jesus is doing here. He’s equipping us with what we need to know so that we can detect a false teacher when one comes our way. We’ve covered three things so far. You can’t be naïve and follow just anyone and everyone. You need to be discerning and on the watch for the authority false teachers possess, the charisma that they show, and the fruit that they bear. These are all attributes of a false teacher.
There’s one more item to note, however. It’s also important to keep in mind the reckoning they face.
IV. The reckoning they face
Look at verse 19. Jesus says, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Jesus says that one of the attributes of a false teacher is that his future is all but sealed. And it isn’t a pretty one. Just as the broad road leads to destruction, those who serve as false prophets and point people towards it will find themselves in the same dismal situation.
Here, Jesus continues to use the illustration of a tree - this time one that is hewn down and burned. It is a graphic metaphor showing how swift and terrible it will be for those who have opposed the Lord and his Gospel.
And it should be understood why Jesus says this. He does not mince words when he speaks of the eternal destiny of a false teacher because he wishes to reinforce to us how important it is that we not follow them. They are damned and we should therefore take every caution not to intermingle ourselves with them.
When in the OT the earth opened up and swallowed Korah and Dathan, people were told to stand back lest they should be consumed in the judgments God was bringing upon them. So too, we recognize that we have a corresponding responsibility to keep ourselves at a distance from false teachers, lest we fall prey to their evils and suffer judgment along with them.
It would be easy for us in our day to be soft. We live in a time when it’s all about toleration and acceptance. We are told to celebrate ecumenism and embrace anyone and everyone.
But we should understand that this is not the kind of life that the true believer is to live. People may call you bigoted. They may think you are narrow- or closed-minded. And there is a sense in which you are, and for good reason. The consequences for false teaching are not by any means light.
Conclusion:
As we close today, we must understand that the gospel of our Lord is precious and there is no end to those who wish to pervert it and use it to their own advantage. Unfortunately, we live in a world where not all teachers or leaders love the Lord and want to point us in the way we should go. Our fallen world consists of many false teachers who would lead us astray.
But the good news is that we can spot them. Our Lord has not just given us a warning, he’s given us wisdom - wisdom on how to discern the true way and the false way. He has been the true prophet in that respect. And as he ministers his word and Spirit, we may have good hope that he will continue to lead us in the right way.
But that doesn’t mean no action is required on our side. Christians do not chuck their discernment out the window. We need to be aware and be alert. Walking the narrow way means keeping a good eye on the road lest we be made to deviate from it.