A Tree and it’s Fruit
2026 Philippines Mission Trip • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 8 viewsNotes
Transcript
Introduction: one of my favorite movie tropes is the secret identity.
2 ways:
Kept from us
Revealed to us and kept from the others characters in the movie.
Both are good but we love a good twist.
Transition to the Text: Turn with me in your Bible to Matthew 7:15-20. If you read through the Gospels you will notice something interesting. Jesus told people repeatedly not to tell anyone who who was. In Matthew 16, Jesus asked His disciples:
13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
And then of course Peter answers:
16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
But then something odd in Matthew 16:20
20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
Why not?
He said this a lot. It’s really highlighted in Mark and is known as the Messianic secret.
Why didn’t Jesus want people to know?
Well He did actually.
But anyone can claim to be the Messiah. Anyone can say, “I am He.”
Jesus was going to show them that He is the Messiah, not with words, but with POWER!
In essence, He would show them who He was by showing them the fruit.
And just like the disciples, let them come to the truth on their own.
Jesus lives the the principle that….But he warns us that for every 1 person who is true, there will be 100 who are false…so beware.
Introduce:
When PEOPLE show you WHO they are, BELIEVE them.
When PEOPLE show you WHO they are, BELIEVE them.
Read: Matthew 7:15-20
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
When PEOPLE should you WHO they are, BELIEVE them.
When PEOPLE should you WHO they are, BELIEVE them.
1. BEWARE of False PROPHETS. (Matthew 7:15)
1. BEWARE of False PROPHETS. (Matthew 7:15)
Explanation: Matthew 7:15
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Now on the one hand, Jesus was sending the disciples into a world that hated Him and therefore would hate them.
On the one hand you have the Scribes and the Pharisees who openly hate, discriminate against, and persecute them. But let’s be honest they aren’t the most dangerous opponents.
The most dangerous opponents are those who claim to be sympathetic to the cause of Christ, but really are wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Those who come in with their smooth words and convincingly look the part. But they use the cause of Christ to sway the flock against the true shepherd.
Illustration: We can get some of the biggest examples out of the way. Mormonism parades itself as just another Christian denomination, but goes against everything the Bible teaches us about God, Jesus, this world and even ourselves.
Paul wrote about the mormons in Galatians 1:8
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Then you have the prosperity preachers who deceive people into sowing seeds of financial contributions with the promise that God will bless them and make them rich, when only they are the ones who get rich.
They pray on the widows and the lowly.
Jesus said that’s how the Scribes and the Pharisees were.
38 And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,
39 And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts:
40 Which devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.
These people are outside of the family of God and have no share in Christ’s kingdom.
But what about those inside?
But they we have people who come into the Church and sow division and divisiveness.
These are perhaps more dangerous because they look the part and probably in the beginning look like a blessing from God.
But they come in and get comfortable, build relationships and start slowing causing a fuss over dumb things.
This will especially be true in the “LAST DAYS.”
Paul wrote to the young pastor named Timothy:
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
If you have been in church long enough you have met someone like this.
They are overly critical of the pastor on even minor things. They take over every Bible study they are in and turn it to their agenda.
They make mountains out of molehills about non essential doctrines and preferences.
Application: In other words, be discerning. Be slow to receive people into membership.
Be slow to give new people leadership roles.
Evaluate a person’s life to see if they are who they say they are.
And when they show you who they really are….and eventually, everyone’s true colors shine through….believe them.
But how will you recognize them?
2. LOOK at the FRUIT. (Matthew 7:16-18)
2. LOOK at the FRUIT. (Matthew 7:16-18)
Explanation: Matthew 7:16-18
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
There is some danger here that needs to be expressed. We need to be careful running around acting like fruit inspectors acting like we are the ones with the discernment and the authority to decide who measures up.
Remember to first look inward. If we judged everyone by some of our standards….none of us would measure up.
Remember Matthew 7:5
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
Ask yourself, what fruit am I producing?
You might ask, what do I measure? How do I know who I am? Whose I am? How do I know that I’m showing people that my identity is a follower of Jesus Christ?
If only there was a scripture verse that talks about the Fruit of the Spirit….
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
So ask yourself….
Am I growing more loving?
more joyful?
more peaceful?
More patient?
More kind?
more good?
more faithful Jesus?
more gentle?
more self-controlled?
Or…..
am I growing more hateful?
more miserable?
more prone to strife and ready for a fight?
more impatient?
more mean spirited?
more bad?
more unfaithful to Jesus’ mission?
more harsh?
more impulsive?
To be sure, this is how we should judge and discern those who seek to be a part of our church especially in leadership positions.
And with Paul we pray…
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;
10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
But first we evaluate ourselves.
Illustration: Look at your fruit and ask…
Am I growing in the areas that Jesus calls me to grow?
Am I desiring more communion with Jesus each and ever day in the Word and in prayer?
Am I more loving and kind to those who need extra grace in my life?
Application: Now this is where we need to be discerning.
One outburst or failure or sin or one piece of rotten fruit does not disqualify you.
I have an apply tree in my back yard.
It produces a lot of delicious apples. But it also produces some pretty gross apples.
It’s still an apple tree. I just don’t have to eat the gross apples.
Right next to it is a lemon tree. It does the same. But you know what they don’t do?
In the 10 years we’ve been there, that lemon tree never produces apples and that apple tree never produces lemons.
The same is true of you.
If you are in Christ, you will always produce fruit that testifies to you faith in Christ. This is because it is God who makes you grow.
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
You will occasionally produce some rotten fruit because you are human and still plagued by sin. God will prune you and it will be painful but it is for your good.
But you will never produce evil fruit.
So keep pressing on and trusting in Jesus so you will be known by your fruit.
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
3. GOD will JUDGE the FALSE. (Matthew 7:19-20)
3. GOD will JUDGE the FALSE. (Matthew 7:19-20)
Explanation: Matthew 7:19-20
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
So what is our responsibility for those who prove to be false?
We remember that it is not our job to condemn them.
God will judge them.
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
We entrust them to God. We share the true Gospel with them.
We pray for them. We point them to Jesus.
We practice the Golden Rule on them….Do unto others as we….
But we also don’t allow them to continue to sow division in the Church.
We cast them out. We depose them if they are in leadership positions.
We clean house if necessary.
Paul writes about this to the Corinthians:
6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
On the one hand, this seems harsh, but it’s actually the most loving thing that we can do for a person that is not following Jesus.
We spend so much time in churches telling people they can come to Christ as they are…and they can.
But people should grow in grace and love…and if they don’t, they put the whole flock in jeopardy.
They want us to change in order to accommodate their sinful lifestyle. They want us to change…and we are tempted because we have been told that a fruit of the spirit is niceness. That the 11th commandment is Thou shalt be nice.
We must boldly protect the flock from the ravenous wolves who seek to destroy the church.
Illustration: I think we can all name churches that have gone wayward and gotten off track.
Each one of these churches started with a goal to worship Christ and draw as many people to Jesus as possible.
But overtime, they began to drift.
A new generation of leader started to come in.
A new pastor whose resume was immaculate.
A new family or groups of family who come in with an agenda…and money.
One by one the church is encouraged and led to make one compromise after another.
And before long…the church bears no resemblance to what it once was.
It looks the part but is a whitewashed tomb.
All because of a few lemons showed up in the apple orchard and showed who they were and everyone else decided to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Now we’re not talking about secondary issues like calvinism vs. arminianism or what you think about spiritual gifts or the rapture. We’re not talking about your view on the King James Bible either.
We’re talking about major doctrinal distinctives that separate us from others.
The trinity; who Jesus is. how we are saved. That God’s Word is inerrant and authoritative over our lives and the lives of others. So what the Bible forbids, we forbid, not because we are mean spirited, but because we love God that much.
We aren’t talking about the songs we sing or the translation of the Bible that we use. We aren’t talking about the color of the carpet.
We are kinda talking about baptism, but I wouldn’t say that our Presbyterian brother’s and sisters aren’t Christians because they baptize babies. We just believe they are in error. But trust me they believe we are in error too, but that still think we are Christians.
Application: This is a hard teaching for us because we don’t like confrontation. We don’t want to seem mean.
And even when we are standing firm for the sake of Jesus and the Gospel we are gaslit into believing we are the one’s not following Jesus command to love everyone as they are…which He never said. Or their favorite statement…”well that’s just your interpretation.” As though all interpretations are valid…they aren’t.
Our interpretation is exegetical, historical, and rooted in the trust that God’s word is able to be clearly understood.
This is why we must beware….
Because they look like sheep.
They are wearing sheep’s clothing.
They appear spiritual.
They appear to have it all together.
But they are wolves.
Drive them away.
We can’t grow the church at the expense of the church’s spiritual safety.
Be discerning. Be welcoming but be discerning.
Response: Are you on the LOOKOUT for FALSE PROPHETS?
Response: Are you on the LOOKOUT for FALSE PROPHETS?
Summation: Big Idea: When PEOPLE should you WHO they are, BELIEVE them.
1. BEWARE of False PROPHETS. (Matthew 7:15)
2. LOOK at the FRUIT. (Matthew 7:16-18)
3. GOD will JUDGE the FALSE. (Matthew 7:19-20)
Closing Illustration: Let’s be honest we aren’t good at this.
First we aren’t on the lookout. We don’t practice the art of beware.
We don’t want to appear judgmental and mean.
And on the other hand, we ask, “who am I to beware of anything? Shouldn’t the church beware of me?”
Again, look at yourself first. Read your Bible. Pray.
Be in community with the church.
Greet everyone. Get to know people.
And when people show you who they are believe them.
Not one thing. But don’t ignore the mounting red flags that are showing you that this person is not who they appear to be.
And then practice Matthew 18.
Confront with gentleness and love for them; for the church; and For God.
There is nothing worse than watching a movie where the first half you are led to love a certain character. You come to identify with them. You feel compassion for their struggle.
Only for the plot to reveal that they were the villain.
One of my favorite movies in Interstellar. If you haven’t seen it, spoilers ahead.
But Matt Damon shows up halfway through and you immediately love this guy, becuase up until that point he always plays the good guy.
But he is deceitful and lies. He is willing to sacrfice humanities future to have people come and rescue Him.
And then when they show up, he tries to steal the spacecraft and kill those who came to save him.
It’s a shocking twist with an even shocking and devastating end.
There are those in this world who care nothing for the things of God but what they can use to their own advantage. We must root them out and expose them.
Let’s pray.
