BEWARE

Christian must test those who claim to be from God, by observing their fruit

INTRO:

Alcatraz- John Giles laundry army uniform story

Does anyone know what this is?

This is a picture of Alcatraz Island, an island in the San Francisco Bay. The building is the former federal prison of Alcatraz. It was in operation from the mid-1930s until the mid-1960s as the nation's leading federal prison. It housed only the most dangerous criminals.

Alcatraz was considered an inescapable prison- though six inmates attempting escape were never located. Prison records recorded them as drowned in the bay. Others dispute that claim saying these inmates made it to freedom. The greatest security advantage of Alcatraz was its location on an island. There were several other ingenious attempts at escape, but none were successful.

The U.S. Army used to send laundry to Alcatraz to be washed. John Giles was an inmate who worked at the loading dock where the laundry was delivered. Piece by piece, he was able to steal over time a complete army uniform. Then on July 31, 1945, he merely dressed in the uniform and walked aboard an army boat, pretending to be an army officer. However the boat was not headed for San Francisco as Giles expected, and as he stepped off the boat on Angel Island, site of Fort McDowell, a major processing location for troops during World War II, he was arrested immediately. He may have fooled the officers on the boat for a while, but he couldn't pull off the impersonation for long. John Giles may have worn the uniform of an army officer, but inside he was still John Giles, convict.

His disguise may have fooled some people for a little while, but he couldn't hide his identity forever.

Jesus talked about people like this- He called them false prophets.

Matthew 7:15-20 ““Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “So then, you will know them by their fruits.”

Command:

BEWARE of FALSE PROPHETS

Last week- false WAY, this week FALSE LEADERS

Only found in the WORD which points us to JESUS who is the WORD

Anyone who takes away or add to the Gospel

FACT Check........ Little Red Riding Hood vs Today (not as easy).......

Worship/Songs...... intentional

More damage is done from w/in the Church then outside persecution

This is nothing new.... we see them in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, later in Acts and Thessalonians

Good questions to ask:

Who is God?

Who is Jesus?

What is the Gospel?

Christian vocab vs definition

You will know them by their FRUIT.... called the examine the fruit, be close enough to know, ask, test, examine, but not taste!

What is the good Fruit?

Fruit- Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

What is.....

Love

Joy

Peace...

(according to the Bible) vs world (tolerance, acceptance, celebration....)

Acts 17:11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

What is the bad fruit?

Must answer what is a prophet-

In a general sense, a prophet is a person who speaks God’s truth to others. The English word prophet comes from the Greek word prophetes, which can mean “one who speaks forth” or “advocate.” Prophets are also called “seers,” because of their spiritual insight or their ability to “see” the future.

In the Bible, prophets often had both a teaching and revelatory role, declaring God’s truth on contemporary issues while also revealing details about the future.

So a false prophet is not necessarily bearing fruits of Galatians 5:19-21

Galatians 5:19–21 NASB95

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But someone that is kind, well spoken, well put together, saying things like (BELOW)

What are the false prophets of today telling and speaking to our students?

Many ways to God, pluralism

Moral relativism

Your truth is true, no absolute truth (post modernism)

What you feel is right

BUT......... they are not telling the TRUTH of God… they may have hidden agendas..... they may not,

TEACHING IS FALSE WHEN it claims:

salvation w/o discipleship

Jesus plus or minus (works, legalism....)

a prayer, then living any way you want

any other way but Jesus

The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 24: Matthew The Disciple’s Discernment

Teaching is false when it claims salvation without discipleship. Teaching is false when it offers grace as something separate from God’s gracious presence. Teaching is false when its emphasis on faith does not include the fidelity that issues in ethical living. But teaching is false when it emphasizes ethics as a saving way of life rather than as the expression of the transforming work of the Spirit in us, the dynamic of our salvation.

We need to be good observers:

a person’s WORDS, ATTITUDE, & ACTIONS reveal their heart!

...........but may also be like Apollos....

Acts 18:24 Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures.

Acts 18:25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John;

Acts 18:26 and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Acts 18:27 And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace,

Acts 18:28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.