Check your fruit: Healthy or Dead

Bible Passage:

Matthew 7:15–23 ESV

15 “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. 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Summary: In Matthew 7:15-23, Jesus warns against false prophets, emphasizing that true followers of Christ bear good fruit, while false ones ultimately face judgment. He illustrates the necessity of being discerning about what we hear and whom we follow, urging believers to evaluate the authenticity of teachings against their fruits.

Application: This sermon can help teens develop critical thinking and discernment skills regarding the messages they consume in their everyday lives—from social media to peer influences. By understanding how to identify false teachings and the importance of genuine faith, they can strengthen their own convictions and make wiser choices.

Teaching: The teaching focuses on the reality that not all spiritual voices are trustworthy. It encourages teens to evaluate the sources of their beliefs and the character of those who influence them, reinforcing the idea that true faith is evidenced through good deeds and righteous living.

How this passage could point to Christ: Jesus is the ultimate source of truth and the embodiment of good fruit. He fulfilled the law and the prophets and invites us to be rooted in Him, revealing the necessity of adhering to His teachings as the measure of true righteousness in our lives and communities.

Big Idea: Be discerning in what you hear and follow, as true faith is revealed through the good fruit of our actions and the teachings we embrace.

Recommended Study: As you prepare this sermon, consider diving into the context of false prophets within the early church and their relevance today. Use Logos to explore the cultural background of Matthew's audience, as well as commentaries on the Sermon on the Mount. Investigate word studies on ‘fruit’ and ‘prophet’ for deeper exegetical insights, and look at how contemporary voices might parallel those Jesus warned against.

What is your favorite fruit? Maybe apples? Oranges? Peaches? Bananas?

All of these fruits when they are ripe are pleasent to eat and good for you. They all have vitamins and things that help us to live healthy lives. Even with all of the fruits that are delicious there are fruits that can hurt you.

Manchineel fruit- aka the poison apple causes severe burns and gastrointestinal issues

Ackee- National fruit of Jamaica if eaten unripe it can cause the Jamaican vomiting sickness

Lychee- If it is eaten unripe they contain toxins that interfere with the body's ability to produce sugar, depleting glycogen stores and causing severe drops in blood sugar, resulting in symptoms like fever, seizures, and even death

Even though these fruits may look good to eat they can cause you some really nasty problems. People are no different than fruit. For a plant or tree to bear fruit the tree has to be healthy and in a good environment that will support the growth.

If fruit needs to be in the right environment how much more do you need to be in the right place and surrounded by the right fruit?

1. Beware of Deceptive Voices

Matthew 7:15–16 ESV

15 “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?

Each of the fruit that we talked about earlier someone had to look at them and say that looks and smells delicious Im going to eat that not knowing that they werent ripe or that they were poisonous or toxic. The outer appearance of these fruit is deceiving to us. That can be the same about the people and things that we do. If you knew that these fruit were toxic would you eat them? Most likely not. Why eat something that is going to hurt you? If you wouldnt eat something that is going to hurt you then why listen to people that are going to hurt you? That goes for music, speakers, friends. We must examine fruit to protect ourselves. Our scripture here literally calls anyone who leads us astray ravenous wolves. They want to chew you up and spit you out. There are many people who fall into the hands of those wolves. The things you hear and see will effect you more than you know. Healthy fruit cannot grow when fed poison.

2. Befriend Authentic Influences

Matthew 7:17–20 ESV

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.

If you put fruit in your fridge in two different containers one has a moldy fruit and the other has a newer ripe fruit in it. You put one with each. Moldy and ripe. The new fruit that is with the moldy fruit wild mold and go bad way faster than the one with the fresh fruit. The same is with us. The influences around us draw us to them. If we surround ourselves with Godly people and influences then we will stay ripe and others will be able to see our fruit. They will be able to see the love of God through us. If we are surrounded by moldy people then we two are much more likely to become moldy and bitter and sour. The people that do not bear good fruit will be cut down and burned. When they pass and are standing before the pearly gates they will be turned away and will be told that Jesus never knew them. You will recognize these people by those fruit. There is a peach orchard in my home town that grew the best peaches, but one tree got a disease and it seeped into the soil and spread to half of the orchard. In a matter of a few seasons they lost half of the orchard. That soil cannot be used again or else new trees will get the disease. The work of one disease caused the destruction of masses.

3. Build Actions Around Faith

Matthew 7:21–23 ESV

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

We must focus on surrounding ourselves with believers and examine what comes through our ears. There will be a day that we will all stand before the father and we will either hear well done my good and faithful servant or I never knew you. Just calling his name is not enough. We must bear good healthy fruit. We must be obedient in our lives to scripture. When we bear good fruit lost people will be able to see the difference. They will see the difference having a right relationship makes. Close your eyes right now. visualize your life as a tree bearing fruit. Are your fruit healthy and good? Or are they bad and poisonous. We must strive to take off those rotten fruit and grow in ways that produce good fruit. Look at the people around you, look at the music you listen to. See what effects your fruit. See what stunts your growth and walk with Christ. I challenge you to start seeking positive influences and cast aside the unhealthy influences in your life. Seek out Christ. Seek out discipleship. If your fruit are rotting come to the altar tonight and cast those fruit off.