Eighth Sunday after Trinity

This Eighth Sunday after Trinity marks the beginning of the third year since God placed me here to be your pastor. It is fitting that the text for this occasion should begin with Jesus’ warning: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits” (Mt 7:15–16).

The greatest threat to the people of God today is not a virus, not a financial shortfall, not dwindling attendance. In the days of Rome, the greatest threat to Christians was not the lions of the Coliseum or the soldiers of the Emperor. The greatest threat to the Church is and always has been false teaching. We can trace this all the way back to the original false prophet who asked Eve, “Did God really say?”

Jesus tells us three things about false teachers: They wear sheep’s clothing, inwardly they are ravenous wolves, and they can be recognized by their fruit. What do these things mean? Let’s start with the first: They wear sheep’s clothing. This means that false prophets intentionally deceive with their appearance. They are not actually sheep. They are not true members of the church. And yet they appear as though they are. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice…and they follow me” (Jn 10:27). False prophets are not Jesus’ sheep because they do not listen to the words and doctrine of Jesus. They promote their own teachings instead. And just as they look so very much like true sheep, so their words sound very much like the true words of Jesus. In fact, the words of the false teachers may even sound better than Jesus’ words. Jesus will actually say, “Turn from your sin lest you perish!” False teachers would never say something so harsh. Instead, they will say, “There is no need to repent. God loves you exactly the way you are. Love is love.” From Adam until now, false prophets have been tolerated and even encouraged within the church. Why? Because they say the words that people want to hear.

Secondly, false teachers always appear to be harmless and docile, but they are not. They are, in fact, ravening wolves. They may talk incessantly about peace, love, and tolerance, but their true intention is only to kill, steal, and destroy. If you have every wondered why faithful pastors are such sticklers for right doctrine, consider this: Everything that is wrong with our world, every injustice, every sickness, every untimely death, every hurtful word, every calamity, is the result of false doctrine. The true doctrine of Jesus saves, but false doctrine brings death every time, and the wolf knows this. No matter how friendly he may appear, the wolf is here among the sheep only to rend and devour.

Finally, Jesus tells us that false teachers can be recognized by their fruit. Appearances often deceive, but the fruit doesn’t lie. And what fruit do prophets and teachers produce? Either they direct your gaze to Jesus, the source of life and the only cure for our sinful hearts and our broken world, or they turn your focus away from Jesus and his saving words. This is how Christians should judge their pastor and evaluate his ministry: not by whether his words make people feel better, not by whether the church appears to be growing or not, not even by his personality, but by whether his words point to Jesus or not.

How many false teachers are there? Sadly, there are far too many. Jesus says, “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?” (Mt 7:22). The Church is riddled with false teachers who speak in the name of the Lord and are even now leading the sheep astray. You can recognize them by their fruit. Take, for instance, the false prosperity gospel that promises you perfect health and wealth in this life. “Are you sick? It’s because you don’t have enough faith. Are you poor? It’s because you aren’t claiming what belongs to you. Whatever you believe you can have, God will give you.” Is this actually a promise of Scripture? No, it’s not. What is the fruit of this false teaching? It takes people’s eyes off of Jesus and directs them to trust in promises that Jesus never made. And when those false promises are not kept, then their faith in Jesus is destroyed.

Even more popular in mainline churches today is the gospel of social justice. This is deceptive because it uses so many gospely-sounding words—freedom, equity, acceptance, justice, tolerance, and love—and everything is done in the name of Jesus. “Jesus loved everyone. So should you. Jesus accepted prostitutes and adulterers. Who are you to judge?” This might sound good, but it’s only partly true. Jesus did love adulterers. He loved them so much that he died for their sins and said, “Sin no more.” This is what the true gospel does. It commands all sinners to repent and believe in Christ. But the false gospel of social justice has no interest in dealing with real sin in this way. Instead, it denies that real sin exists and urges people to confess imaginary sins instead.

In churches all across America this morning, false teachers are calling people to repentance for the “sin” of being born into a stable middle-class family. Were you raised in a home with a loving father and mother? Then you are guilty of perpetuating patriarchal Western values. Are you descended from Europeans? Then you are responsible for the horrors of slavery that occurred hundreds of years ago. Have you studied and worked hard to become financially successful? Then you are a willing participant in an oppressive capitalist society. Sin is a national, rather than an individual matter. But Jesus didn’t die for the sins of America, or England, or Germany. He didn’t suffer and bleed for countries or classes or ethnic groups He died for actual people, real people, all people.

There a great debate raging in our country right now over whose lives matter. But Jesus answered that question decisively two-thousand years ago when he died for all. That’s the end of the argument. All means all. All the sins of all people were forgiven at the cross. Every life mattered so much to God that he gave up his own for us. The task of the church, specifically, the job of every faithful pastor, is to announce this forgiveness that Jesus purchased to all who will listen. I’m talking about real forgiveness for the real sins of very real people. And when I say real sins, I mean things that the Scriptures define as sin: theft, adultery, murder, gossip, anger, greed, covetousness. The false religion of social justice has thrown out God’s definition of sin and made up a list of new ones: racial micro-aggression, homophobia, cultural appropriation, stereotyping, etc… And new sins are being added to the list daily. If you break one of these new commandments, for example, if you’re found guilty of having worn black-face in a school play fifty years ago, then your career and life are basically over. The punishment for transgressors is steep, and there is no such thing as forgiveness.

Don’t be fooled by the false prophets preaching this new politically-correct religion of social justice. They are wolves. There is no love or acceptance here, only ravenous destruction. Is God a God of justice? Yes, indeed. But true justice is found only at the cross of Christ. His outstretched limbs are the good tree that bears the fruit of life eternal. Where Christ crucified is preached, there we find life and salvation. Where there is real sin, according to God’s definition, then there is also the real forgiveness that only our Lord can give. False teachers and false doctrine destroy, but the true doctrine of Christ bestows eternal life. May God keep us faithful to Jesus and his words until the final day. Amen.