False Prophets

When you hear that phrase, “False Prophets” who or what comes to mind for you?

Many of us think about the televangelist saying send me $100 and I’ll send you my sweat rag that will heal you

people selling snake oil

defrauding the poor - those looking for for help and hope but being taken advantage of.

Using the name of Jesus for their own benefit, their own fame and fortune...

But how do we really know if someone if a False Prophet?

Continuing on in the Sermon on the Mount.

Today’s passage is 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.”

We are going to go through today’s passage with a fine tooth comb because this is something we have to be very careful of.

The church, for all of its existence, has dealt with false prophets, false teachers, wolves in sheep’s clothing.

All of the apostles that wrote letters advise the church to “Beware of False Prophets.

Paul tells Timothy that the time is coming when people will not endure sound doctrine but will look for teachers that will tell them what they want to hear - false teachers

2 Timothy 4:1–4 “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

So we are going to answer a few questions today;

What is a false prophet/teacher?

What is sound doctrine?

What is my responsibility in this?

Question 1: What is a false prophet/teacher?

Matthew 7:15 ““Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

Jesus gives us our first answer - they are wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Jesus is referred to as the Good Shepherd and the Door to the Sheep in John 10

The Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep and the One who’s voice the sheep know and follow.

Psalm 23 tells us that the Lord is our Shepherd and how He protects and provides for His sheep.

But here we see that false prophets / false teachers want to implant themselves in the flock but they are really wolves

not just wolves, but ravenous wolves - what does a ravenous wolf want to do to the sheep.

Consume them - use them for their own fulfillment - they don’t care about the sheep - only what they sheep can do for them - fill their hungry belly.

So, what is a false prophet / teacher? One with their own agenda, who is on their own mission for their own purpose.

Maybe it is to fill their bellies with riches and possessions

Maybe it is for fame

Maybe it is to lead others astray - gain followers

Whatever the reason, they are dangerous and we need to be on the lookout.

AND

They are hard to uncover because they look like sheep!

Every grace can be counterfeited, even as jewels can be imitated. According To Promise, Page 3

Charles Spurgeon

Ultimately, everything we preach should point back to Jesus. He is the real prize, the pearl of great price.

Question 2: What is sound doctrine?

2 Timothy 3:16–17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Acts 20:27 “for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.”

Sound Doctrine is the whole counsel of God - as it was intended for the audience it was written to.

That’s why it is so important as we seek to interpret Scripture that we focus on the context

Don’t build a doctrine off of a single verse.

Ask what it meant to the original audience

Ask how that meaning applies to me.

Compare it to the rest of Scripture - God’s never contradicts Himself and His word does not return void.

Sound doctrine doesn’t avoid the difficult things, or the challenging things. Sound Doctrine should convict you and draw you to repentance, it should encourage you to put your faith in Jesus (not your own ability) and to find your hope, joy, and peace in Christ…not a better situation.

BUT

So much of what is being preached from pulpits today is how you can be a better you...

THAT IS NOT SOUND DOCTRINE.

There’s so good self help stuff out there with some temporary fixes but if you don’t get to the source of the problem (sin and disobedience) and to the source of the solution (Jesus) - these fixes are at best temporary - but ultimately misleading you to hope in something other than Christ.

Want to fix your body, your mind, your emotions, your finances, your relationships - Look at God’s Word. Ask, “What does God say about this?”

There are some good resources out there that help us understand and apply God’s Word - the problem comes when we treat that resource like Scripture.

Just because someone quotes a verse doesn’t mean their words have authority.

EXEGESIS vs ISEGESIS

AND THIS IS WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW GOD’S WORD FOR OURSELVES

Which brings us to the 3rd question:

What is my responsibility in this?

Matthew 7:16–20 “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.”

YOUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO KNOW WHAT FRUITS SHOULD BE PRODUCED BY THE TREE YOU ARE CONNECTED TO SO YOU CAN RECOGNIZE BAD FRUIT.

Know God’s Word for yourself.

Study what is being taught.

Look at the fruit of their life - we have a ton of access to people these days.

A crowd doesn’t = good fruit. Jesus had a crowd that departed after He taught something they didn’t like. Don’t get sucked into the trap of it’s popular so it must be good.

Everything produces some kind of fruit in your life - good or bad.

Some questions you can ask -

1. Who does their message give glory to?

2. Are they ok with skipping over parts of Scripture?

3. Who does their message cause you to rely on? Them, you, or Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We want to be the hero of our own stories so people know they can sell you a lot of books and seminars if they can make you the hero. (Storybrand) - most marketing is done this way.

You are not the hero! Jesus is!