Be Warned

Matthew 7:15-20

A Warning On the Road to Righteousness

We are called to live in the righteousness of the kingdom

Christ gives a warning, a sign post on the way - there will be those who lead you astray

They will look like the rest of the sheep. They come in wool to fleece the flock, hiding tooth and claw behind the cloth

They are ravenous wolves - Not simply wrong, but having evil intent

Today’s message still stands as a yield sign - beware, be vigilant, know who is influencing and leading you, so that you are not led astray.

Discerning the False Prophets

What they teach

No Christ -

Against the Incarnation - that Jesus was a good teacher, a moral leader, a righteous man, but that he was not divine - he was a prophet above all others, but just that, a man. (Some minor movements)

Over-realized Incarnation - the Word of Faith movement today that teaches you become a life-giving Spirit like Jesus when you have the Holy Spirit - You are sinless, and now don’t need a savior.

No Need for Christ

God loves you as you are, there is no need to change. Jesus came to teach us to love, to know God, but he would not condemn or call us to change. That message is the teaching of men, not Jesus.

A PC(USA) pastor said recently in a sermon, “If Jesus were here today, he would be a clinic escort distracting women from the hatred of the protesters or an abortion doula holding women’s hands and offering support as they end their pregnancies.”

Not Enough with Christ

Christ gets you in the door, you must do the rest. It is the gospel, that Christ pays for your sin, plus… whatever else.

The Catholic Church - you must maintain a good standing before God through righteous deeds. Many Protestant churches, your faith, your choosing God is your contribution, God opened the way, but I went in.

It is important that we get our theology right; knowing Christ, that we know what the Bible says of him, of His incarnation, and of his life and substitutionary death. It is so important that we understand our own sin, the absolute depravity of our hearts, and our desperate need for salvation. It is vital that we know and experience being justified by grace through faith, and the Spirit’s applying the work of Christ to us as we grow in righteousness. Without a solid anchor in the faith, we will be tossed about by every wave that comes along.

What is their aim?

Worldly Gain

Eze 22:27 - Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, shedding blood, destroying lives to get dishonest gain.

Modern Example - Book deals and videos, mansions and airplanes - Preachers in Sneakers trend

Their own sensuality

Jude 4, Perverting the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus

Modern Example - Pastor’s who curse and swear in their sermons, to seem relevant, moving worship away from the holiness of God and the message of the gospel to entertainment and amusement.

To lead the saints astray

Mt 24:24 False Christs and false prophets will come to lead astray, if possible, even the elect

Virgin and Saint worship, or the Protestant version of celebrity pastors - we talk more about them and what they’ve said than about Christ and what He’s done.

What is their end

Destruction Fire - remind us that judgment is real and awaits all who reject God's truth.

John 15:6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered and thrown into the fire…

Matthew 3:10 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire…

The consequence to those who follow

1 Tim 1:9, in rejecting the faith, they make shipwreck of their souls.

Leading them away from Christ, they think they are following him, but they don’t know him, and he will say “I never knew you…”

Testing the False Prophets

How do we know the difference?

Do we use worldly standards? Large churches and money rolling in; when we see churches that have abandoned the gospel still get a lot of attention, success cannot be the only indicator of faithful teaching. So what is it?

“You will know them by their Fruit”

Just as a healthy tree produces good fruit, a true prophet will reflect godly character and faithful doctrine. In contrast, a diseased tree produces bad fruit, revealing the emptiness of false teaching.

Is your teacher transparent - do you see Christ through him, is he pointing you to another, or is his own name and ministry what’s being built up?

A teacher who leads others in godliness should exhibit traits consistent with the Holy Spirit's work—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23) - and humility when. he falls short in any of these areas. Or does he exhibit anger, greed, pride, or divisiveness, this reveals a diseased tree, regardless of how eloquent or compelling he may be.

Testing the Teacher

Have a Berean spirit - Acts 17:11 - they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

Do your teachers call for righteousness and godliness, or do they promote the ways of the world?

Do they call you to repentance, to faith, and to come under the teaching of the Word of God, or do they telling you that you are fine the way you are?

The Fruit and the Root

Righteousness is the fruit of a life rooted in Christ.

Look for the harvest in your own life. This warning also serves as a reminder to each of us. As believers, we are called not only to discern but to produce good fruit ourselves.

Evaluative Questions

Am I rooted in Jesus? Am I growing in righteousness?

How do you evaluate messages - by the time they get done, the way they affirm what you already knew, by the way they make you feel - or by the way the message draws you back to the faithfulness of Christ, the righteousness of God, and reliance upon the Holy Spirit?

Are you listening to only those who tickle your ears, or are you willing to be corrected from your sin, challenged to new growth, and step out to serve in faith?

Are those you are listening to encouraging your passivity, or are they calling you to actively follow Christ: to read the word, to teach it to your family, to step up to lead the church, to spread the gospel. These are all evidence of righteous fruit that comes from the healthy tree.

Challenges to the congregation - application

Challenge the men to pursue righteousness in the home, to defend self, wife, and family from the ravenous wolves that would lead them to destruction, hold them close to Christ, like Job praying for his family.

To the women of the church - Titus 2:3- reverent in behavior, not slandering others or slaves to wine, but able to teach what is good, training younger women…

To the children of the church - to honor those in authority, to grow in the knowledge and love of God, and in wisdom and favor with God and man.

Conclusion

Jesus calls us to a vigilant faith. We are warned about false prophets, and how to recognize them by their fruit, and reminded of the high stakes of fruitlessness. The Kingdom of God calls for discernment—a willingness to weigh what we hear and see against the truth of Scripture.

As believers, let us commit to being “rooted and built up in Him” (Col. 2:7) and examining all teaching against the Word of God. Let us also seek to produce lives that reflect God’s goodness, love, and truth, standing as faithful witnesses in a world in need of the gospel. May we bear fruit worthy of the kingdom, abiding in Christ, the true vine, who alone enables us to produce fruit that glorifies the Father (John 15:8).