The New Covenant - False Prophets

Introduction

Matthew 7:15–20 KJV 1900

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.

Body

As I look back into the first couple of decades (1820s and 1830s) of our area’s history, when pioneer families were arriving, to build and live in isolated log cabins, I sometimes run across remarkable stories about certain wild animals that were always a threat: wolves. There were also a few bears and panthers in those very early years, but not many. Most people never saw any of them. But everyone saw an occasional wolf or heard them howl in the night.

One early pioneer, Ira Bridges, who settled in the southeast part of the McDonough County in 1825, later told local historian Alexander Mclean that “In the pioneer days we were much pestered with wolves, as they made havoc with our calves, pigs, and sheep.” And that was true throughout most of Illinois, until hunting eliminated wolves from our state by about 1860.

The 1885 “History of McDonough County” mentions that “ring hunts were often resorted to,” during which “everyone for miles around started for a common center, making all the noise possible,” and when wolves were aroused and seen, they were shot. As the 1878 “History of McDonough County” points out, those hunts were frequent, and when Bushnell was laid out, for example, “there was nothing on its proposed site but a large ‘wolf pole,’ erected . . . where it could be seen by the parties engaging in the wolf hunts.”

While the threat of wolves to smaller livestock was experienced by most families, those gray and black predators also tried to kill people from time to time. One of the most riveting stories of that kind involved local pioneer William McCandless. He later told what he had experienced to S. J. Clarke, who summarized it for his 1878 “History of McDonough County”:

“One winter day he took his wife and child with him in a sleigh and drove to Macomb, to attend to some business . . . [and] a little while before night he started home. When just outside the town, a large black wolf sprang into his path. With his whip in hand, he endeavored to keep it off, while urging his horses onward. It appeared to be the design of the wolf to seize the child, and while the father would . . . receive the attacks of the animal, the mother would attempt to shield [their child] from its clutch. The enraged and hungry animal continued the attack for some miles, until the house of Mr. Booth was reached, where Mr. McCandless drove in, and [his family] remained there during the night.”

An attack by a single wolf was uncommon. Usually they worked as a pack, pursuing a lone individual.

The most vivid, detailed account of a confrontation with wolves that I have ever run across appeared in the “Carthage Republican” during the late 1800s and was reprinted in the 1968 “History of Hancock County.” It was written by Dr. William Booz, and was focused on Samuel Brown, a neighbor he knew well, in Hancock Township, just west of the McDonough County border. The wolf attack occurred in January, 1834, as Brown was walking home alone, after a visit to Carthage, and Dr. Booz surely got this detailed story directly from him:

“He was a fast walker, but before he had reached a point six miles out, it was entirely dark, and he heard the howling of wolves from the dense timber on the left. He hoped to gain the cabin of Lewis Rhea, a mile or more farther [east], but within a half-mile of the Rhea cabin the pack of a dozen or more wolves approached within a few rods, snapping and snarling.

The battle was soon on, the brutes jumping at him and tearing his clothes. A sleeve was torn from his jeans coat, and he was badly wounded in one leg. Beating the wolves back as best he could, he pressed onward, calling as he ran, for he hoped Lewis Rhea might be about his chores and hear him. . . .

The wolves finally divided their number, and a few went on ahead to attack him from the front. Again he sent out his voice into the night and swung his club around upon the pack. He knocked several down but was himself seized by both legs and thrown to the ground, his buckskin trousers saving him from serious injury. Just as he felt that death was his portion [i.e., his fate], he heard the report of three rifles, and one big wolf fell dead across his body, with others falling nearby, and he knew that rescue had come.”

Brown was taken to the Rhea cabin, where his wounds were attended to, and he was then driven home in an ox cart. His story of a near-death experience makes us wonder how many early settlers actually did perish in a wolf attack—and their death was unrecorded. In any case, frontier Illinois was no place for a solitary traveler, especially after dark.

False prophets = False teachers

The come in two flavors:

Deceivers: False teachers who teach false doctrine.

They purposely deceive others under the pretense of truth.

Of truth, they can say they either know it isn’t truth, or they don’t care if it is or not.

They’re charlatans. Frauds. Deceivers. Liars.

Pretenders: Teachers who, although they are teaching correct doctrine, they have no relationship with Jesus Christ

They have no power. No authority with God.

They have no commission from God.

They have no anointing from God.

They have received no Word from God.

They are probably deceived themselves.

They believe they’re teaching truth

They believe they’ve heard from God

The end result of both is the same.

Sheep’s Clothing - The traditional garb of the prophet was plain, coarse, sheepskin clothing.

If you wanted to pretend to be a prophet, all you would have to do is dress like one.

Today, many succeed in appearing to people as the man of God, but he is a fake. One whose likeness only goes skin deep.

Outside they look alike but when the heart, the motives are examined, they are exposed as false prophets.

They can seem harmless at first blush. Even helpful, but they’re not!

Most denominational churches.

Ecumenical movement.

Wolves - Animals who devour sheep and scatter flocks.

The only purpose the false prophet serves is to do harm to you and to the Church of God.

No matter how gentle and helpful they seem, realize their true nature: they feed on sheep!

This illustration reveals just how strongly Jesus feels about this. He compares the false teacher to ravening, bloodthirsty wolves!

They’re deadly

They’re hungry

They’re cunning

They’re purposeful

We are instructed to try them.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 KJV 1900

21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

1 John 4:1 KJV 1900

1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

You cannot always distinguish a tree by their bark and leaves, but you know for sure what kind of fruit the tree is producing.

You can go against your nature for a time, but eventually you will reveal your true nature. Your fruit will expose you for who you truly are!

Teachers will be tried in two different ways:

The fruit they produce themselves

How do you respond to stress and trial?

How do you act when no one else knows?

The fruit of their doctrine

Does your doctrine line up with God’s Word?

Does your doctrine inspire holiness, godliness, love, the fruit of the spirit?

Or does you doctrine inspire pride, materialism, selfishness, hatred, division, worldliness?

Jesus came, not to help us repress our old natures, but to transform us and give us new natures!

We will naturally produce good fruit out of a transformed, regenerated heart.

It will happen of itself. A natural byproduct of who Christ has made us.

The end result of false teaching:

God will cut down the life and works of the false teacher and cast it into the fire.

Their legacy, their life, their work will become a ruin.

God will move against the man that says he speaks for Jesus and does not.

God will move against the man that moves against His people.

Conclusion

How to deal with wolves:

Understand their nature and their tactics

They are bloodthirsty and ravenous. They are out to kill and eat.

They hunt in packs and are very cunning.

They come out at night, so stay in the light.

Hunt them down and destroy them.

Know how to tell a false prophet from the real.

Try the spirits

Know sound doctrine