The Sermon on the Mount - 2nd set of twins
The Sermon on the Mount 2/25/07 A.M.
Mt. 7:15-20 The Second set of Twins
Jesus concludes His sermon with four warnings, each featured by paired contrasts: two ways (vv. 13–14), two trees (vv. 15–20), two claims (vv. 21–23), and two builders (vv. 24–27).
Let’s be sure we choose between each wisely.[1]
Two ways (vv. 13–14), the two paths of life & their destination
Two trees (vv. 15–20), the two types of fruit we bear, good & bad
Two claims (vv. 21–23), two claims of righteousness, one accepted, one rejected
And two builders (vv. 24–27). The two foundations on which we can build our lives, one will stand the tests, the other will fail
Mt. 7:15-2015 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
We have here a caution against false prophets, to take heed that we be not deceived and imposed upon by them.
- WHAT THEY APPEAR TO BE -- sheep
- WHAT THEY ACTUALLY ARE -- inwardly they are ravenous wolves
- WHAT THEY DO -- bear bad fruit
1) WHAT THEY APPEAR TO BE -- sheep
Those hearing this sermon must have wondered about the religious leaders, who seemed to be good men, teaching spiritual truths about Messiah and His kingdom. Jesus made it clear they were not good for they were leading others astray. Even if they were doing the work of priest—they were not obedient to the Father,
They pretend to be sheep, Satan turns himself into an angel of light, 2 Co. 11:13, 14
1. The illustration of this comparison, of the fruit’s being the discovery of the tree. You cannot always distinguish them by their bark and leaves, nor by the spreading of their boughs, but by their fruits ye shall know them. The fruit is according to the tree. Men may, in their professions, put a force upon their nature, and contradict their inward principles,
The scribes and Pharisees sat in Moses’s chair, and taught the law, but they were proud, and covetous, and false, and oppressive, and therefore Christ warned his disciples to beware of them and of their leaven, Mk. 12:38.[2]
MT.16:6 6 Then Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”
LUKE 12:1 He began to say to His disciples first of all, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
LUKE 11:39 39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. …….
42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.” (the dead or the grave would defile a man, the Pharisees were a hidden defilement to the people by their hypocrisy)
To wear sheep’s clothing is to pretend to be sold out to God for whatever reason.
2) WHAT THEY ACTUALLY ARE -- inwardly they are ravenous wolves
Those that would cheat us of any truth, and possess us with error, whatever they pretend, design mischief to our souls. Paul calls them savage wolves,
Acts 20:29. 29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.
2 COR.11:13 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. -- Ministers of Satan
False teachers/leaders appear godly but are deceitful, destructive, and selfish
3) WHAT THEY DO -- bear bad fruit
Speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.
ACTS 20:30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking 8perverse (misleading) things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.
Deceive you, deceive many.
MT. 24:4, 4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.
Will secretly bring in destructive heresies
By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words;
2 PET.2:1-3 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words;
Do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly
By smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.
ROM.16:17-18 17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.
Turn the grace of our God into lewdness
JUDE 4 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jer. 5:23:17 17 They continually say to those who despise Me,
‘The Lord has said, “You shall have peace” ’;
And to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say,
‘No evil shall come upon you.’ ”
If men pretend to be prophets and are immoral, that disproves their pretensions; those are no true friends to the cross of Christ, whatever they profess, whose God is their belly, and whose mind earthly things, Phil. 3:18, 19.
Those are not taught nor sent of the holy God, whose lives evidence that they are led by the unclean spirit. God puts the treasure into earthen vessels, but not into such corrupt vessels: they may declare God’s statutes, but what have they to do to declare them?[3]
They are ravenous wolves who preach false doctrine in those things that are essential to religion; who teach that which is contrary to the truth as it is in Jesus, to the truth which is accordingly to godliness.
We must prove all things
1 Th. 5:21 21 Test all things;
Is. 8:20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
A true test of a prophet is the conformity of his doctrine to the Scriptures
Their words must agree with scriptures
1 Cor. 14:37; 37 If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.
MT. 16:11-12 11 How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the 6doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Ye shall know them by their fruits— the practical effect of their teaching,
The fruits of their doctrine; What do they tend to do?
What affections and practices will they lead those into, that embrace them?
If the doctrine be of God, it will tend to promote serious piety, humility, charity, holiness, and love, with other Christian graces;
but if, on the contrary, the doctrines these prophets preach have a manifest tendency to make people proud, worldly, and contentious, to make them loose and careless in their conversations, unjust or uncharitable, factious or disturbers of the public peace; if it indulge carnal liberty, and take people off from governing themselves and their families by the strict rules of the narrow way,
That this persuasion comes not of Him that calleth us, Gal. 5:8.
This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. James 3:15.
Those opinions come not from God that lead to sin:
A recurring characteristic of the false prophets is that they often are found in the employment of the powerful and that they are careful to speak pleasing, positive, and flattering words to their employers.
Jeremiah condemned the false prophets who were always saying, "Peace, peace!" when there was no peace (Jer. 6:14; 8:11).
The false prophets preached a popular but false message: there would be victory against Babylon (Jer. 28:1-17).
Jeremiah said, "The prophets prophesy falsely . . . and My people love to have it so" (Jer. 5:31).
Even though Jeremiah was a true prophet of the Lord, the false prophets were rewarded by the king and Jeremiah was cast into a dungeon (Jer. 38:6).[4]
ROM.16:17-18 ….. , and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.
They come to you in sheep’s clothing—with a bland, gentle, plausible exterior; persuading you that the gate is not strait nor the way narrow, and that to teach so is illiberal and bigoted—precisely what the old prophets did (Ez 13:1–10, 22).
He referred to these advocates of the broad way as ferocious wolves who appear harmless as sheep
Men are known, not by particular acts, but by the course and tenure of their conversation, and by the more frequent acts, especially those that appear to be free, and most their own, and least under the influence of external motives and inducements.
1 Jn. 4:1, Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
A Christian is;
A mind through which Christ thinks;
A heart through which Christ loves;
A voice through which Christ speaks;
A hand through which Christ helps.
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[1]Richards, Lawrence O.: The Bible Readers Companion. electronic ed. Wheaton : Victor Books, 1991; Published in electronic form by Logos Research Systems, 1996, S. 609
[2]Henry, Matthew: Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible : Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody : Hendrickson, 1996, c1991, S. Mt 7:15
8 misleading
[3]Henry, Matthew: Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible : Complete and Unabridged in One Volume. Peabody : Hendrickson, 1996, c1991, S. Mt 7:15
6 teaching
[4]Youngblood, Ronald F. ; Bruce, F. F. ; Harrison, R. K. ; Thomas Nelson Publishers: Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville : T. Nelson, 1995