Spotting the Wolves (Matthew 7:15-20)
Spotting The Wolves
Matthew 7:15-20
We are now in the most critical portion of the Sermon on the Mount.
Jesus is in the middle of His final point.
I. God’s Righteousness Examined (Ch. 5)
II. False Righteousness Exposed (Ch. 6)
III. Self Righteousness Expelled (Ch. 7:1-6)
IV. True Righteousness Explained (Ch. 7:7-27)
After spending the first 2+ chapters condemning us,
Jesus is now offering to us the salvation
That we have obviously not been able to achieve on our own.
And the means to achieving that righteousness is fairly simple.
Ask for it.
Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
Becoming righteous in the sight of God is really that easy.
Jesus Christ came and died upon a cross,
Taking the penalty for all those who would call upon His name.
And through Him we can be justified before God if we simply ask to be.
It is a glorious truth.
If you want to see salvation from God’s perspective it is easy.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
And here Jesus says just ask for it.
Romans 10:13 “for “WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.”
But as we said last week, it does not end there.
Now we have to determine if you’re the type of person who wants it.
Are you willing to ask?
Are you willing to seek?
Are you willing to knock?
And before you answer yes, you must understand something.
The path of God’s righteousness is not an easy path.
It is a small gate with a narrow road.
It is a path of self-sacrifice and endurance.
Which is why Jesus said next:
Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
The problem is not that God’s righteousness is too hard to find.
The problem is that when given the choice
People choose the comforts and pleasures of this world
Over God’s righteousness.
They in effect walk away from God and His righteousness
Choosing instead to obtain the world.
They are the Rich Young Ruler who “gained the whole world and yet forfeited his soul”.
And according to Jesus most people make that decision.
The peculiar thing is that unlike the Rich Young Ruler
(who went away sad when He rejected Jesus)
Most people who make the same decision he made
Don’t even seem to realize they made the wrong decision.
Most people who are headed to destruction don’t even seem to realize it.
HOW COULD THAT BE?
How could it be that the “many” are wrong while only the “few” are correct?
How could it be that most people who think they are headed to heaven are not?
And the answer is simple.
BECAUSE THEY ARE DECEIVED
It is not that people are consciously choosing hell over heaven.
They have just been lied to.
Someone told them that the wide road would take them to heaven,
And they believed it.
And that is why immediately after telling us about the wide and narrow gates Jesus immediately gives this warning.
“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
These are the smooth talkers and snake oil salesmen
Who smile real big and say, “trust me” this path goes to heaven too.
And because they look good, and because they sound good,
People trust them and enter the wide gate and head blindly to destruction.
And so it is only right that after warning you about which path to choose
That Jesus would then warn you about which preacher to listen to.
This morning we listen as Jesus teaches us about “Spotting the Wolves”.
There are three points to be made in our text here.
#1 THE DANGER OF FALSE PROPHETS
Matthew 7:15a
“Beware of the false prophets”
There is an ACTUAL danger that we face in the world.
It is not a potential danger.
It is not a possible danger.
That danger is false prophets.
2 Peter 2:1-3 “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”
The presence of false prophets is a very real danger.
They are not only in our world, they are in our country,
They are in our state, they are in our town, they are even in our churches.
When Paul visited with the Ephesian elders he told them:
Acts 20:28-30 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.”
Paul was speaking to the elders of the Ephesian church.
These were the leaders, and Paul even knew that it was highly possible
That even one of them was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
It is a real danger and a real threat.
And Jesus said “Beware of the false prophets”
MEANING IT IS A DANGER TO BE WATCHFUL OF AT ALL TIMES.
Don’t ever drop your guard.
Don’t ever fall asleep on your watch.
It was while the hired hands slept that the enemy sowed the tares
And that is precisely how the false prophets work.
Now honestly, we don’t have time to go into as much detail
As I would like about false prophets in one sermon.
There is too much information regarding them in all of Scripture.
(I would suggest getting the CD’s on 2 Peter
Or listening to those sermons on the internet)
But I don’t think it’s wise to leave the subject untouched either.
So let me give you just a quick crash course
On what a false prophet is and what they do.
First – FALSE PROPHETS ARE NOT FROM GOD, AND THEY SERVE GOD’S PEOPLE NO BENEFIT.
Jeremiah 23:25-32 “I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy falsely in My name, saying, ‘I had a dream, I had a dream!’ “How long? Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, even these prophets of the deception of their own heart, who intend to make My people forget My name by their dreams which they relate to one another, just as their fathers forgot My name because of Baal? “The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth. What does straw have in common with grain?” declares the LORD. “Is not My word like fire?” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock? “Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” declares the LORD, “who steal My words from each other. “Behold, I am against the prophets,” declares the LORD, “who use their tongues and declare, ‘The Lord declares.’ “Behold, I am against those who have prophesied false dreams,” declares the LORD, “and related them and led My people astray by their falsehoods and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them or command them, nor do they furnish this people the slightest benefit,” declares the LORD.
If there was one thing I could get through the minds
Of the church today it would be this.
THERE IS NO BENEFIT IN A FALSE PROPHET.
It is amazing how quickly the church will tolerate a preacher
Who doesn’t preach the truth simply because
He is “funny” or “uplifting” or “successful”.
I’ve heard people say about one preacher in particular, “I know he’s a false prophet, but I still like to listen to him.”
Friend, that is like saying,
“I know this arsenic isn’t Dr. Pepper, but I still like to drink it”
• They do not come from God.
• They do not speak from God.
• They speak from their own imagination.
• And they do not benefit anyone in the slightest way.
Jeremiah 27:14-15 “So do not listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon,’ for they prophesy a lie to you; for I have not sent them,” declares the LORD, “but they prophesy falsely in My name, in order that I may drive you out and that you may perish, you and the prophets who prophesy to you.”
And so you understand first and foremost that false prophets
Do not come from God, and they do not benefit anyone.
Secondly – FALSE PROPHETS WORK CONTRARY TO THE WILL OF GOD, BY ENCOURAGING THE WICKED, AND DISCOURAGING THE RIGHTEOUS
False prophets love to tell the wicked that they are fine in their sin.
Jeremiah 6:14 “They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ But there is no peace.”
They take a people living in sin and convince them that they are ok.
It is the essence of false assurance.
God would have them repent, so that they would not be destroyed,
And yet the false prophets encourage them to do the opposite.
And not only do they encourage the wicked,
But they actually discourage the righteous.
Ezekiel 13:22-23 “Because you disheartened the righteous with falsehood when I did not cause him grief, but have encouraged the wicked not to turn from his wicked way and preserve his life, therefore, you women will no longer see false visions or practice divination, and I will deliver My people out of your hand. Thus you will know that I am the LORD.”
Their message emphasizes the insignificance of holy living
And thus seeks to steal the motivation of the righteous man.
Some false prophets can even shame the righteous.
They parade their wealth and worldly success as “blessings” from God
To the extent that the righteous man (who is blessed) feels abandoned.
Remember Asaph?
Psalms 73:13-14 “Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure And washed my hands in innocence; For I have been stricken all day long And chastened every morning.”
That is the type of effect false prophets have on people.
So they are not from God and they do not benefit anyone.
They encourage the wicked and discourage the righteous.
Thirdly – FALSE PROPHETS ARE LOVED BY THE WICKED AND YET DESTROYED BY GOD.
I tell you this, because you must understand that
Worldly popularity has never been an indicator of a true prophet.
You could almost argue the opposite to be true.
By today’s church growth standards
Only two prophets in the Old Testament had successful ministries.
Jonah – who got Ninevah to repent.
Haggai – who rebuilt the temple.
The rest seemed to fail miserable.
• Elijah had to flee for his life
• Elisha was mocked an old bald head
• Isaiah preached to deaf ears and hard hearts
• Jeremiah was thrown in a well and imprisoned
• Ezekiel was put on house arrest and roundly ignored
• Zechariah was killed between the altar and the temple
• John the Baptist was beheaded
The world hated the true prophets.
Matthew 5:11-12 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
But the world loves the false prophets.
2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,”
Luke 6:26 “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.”
And this means that there will always be a market for them.
It is not as though they are hated, and thus will be driven from existence,
In fact the opposite is true.
They are so loved and so successful in the world,
That if anything more are being enticed into service.
But just because the world loves them does not mean that God does.
In fact God will destroy them.
2 Peter 2:12 “But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed,”
And so hopefully you see why it is imperative that you and I “Beware”
They are not from God and they do not benefit anyone
They encourage the wicked and discourage the righteous
They are loved by the world and rejected by God
They preach a false message, giving a false hope,
In order to secure eternal destruction.
AND THEY ARE HERE.
“Beware of the false prophets”
#2 THE DECEPTION OF FALSE PROPHETS
Matthew 7:15b
“who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
Here Jesus gives two descriptions of a false prophet.
1) What he/she looks like on the outside
2) What he/she looks like on the inside
Outside – “come to you sheep’s clothing”
First notice the “come to you”
Sheep don’t go looking for wolves, wolves come looking for sheep.
And to help you understand,
Just know that a shepherd wore “sheep’s clothing”.
A false prophet does not dress up like a sheep,
He dresses up like a shepherd.
Matthew Henry said:
A Hypocrite – is a goat in sheep’s clothing.
A False Prophet – is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
We are here dealing with a false prophet.
And that means that they look the part.
2 Corinthians 11:13-15 “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.”
The false prophet dresses up like the shepherd.
WHY?
BECAUSE SHEEP FOLLOW THE SHEPHERD.
This was foundational as Jesus spoke of the good shepherd.
John 10:2-4 “But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. “When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.”
Sheep follow the shepherd
And that is why the wolf dresses up like a shepherd.
By pretending to be a sheep he might devour another sheep,
But by pretending to be a shepherd he can devour them all.
He wants to lead them all to a place of destruction.
He wants to deceive them all.
Ezekiel 34:1-4 “Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? “You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock. “Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them.”
And you have to be careful there to make sure
You understand this parable in a spiritual sense, not a physical one.
“sickly” are not the physical sick, but the spiritual sick, those weak in sin.
“diseased” are those who have fallen into sin
“broken” are those who are reaping the consequences of that sin
“scattered” are those who are discouraged with no hope of deliverance
“lost” are those who are indeed without salvation
And the false shepherd didn’t do a thing for any of them.
The false shepherd let them stay in sin, let them reap it’s consequences,
And offered them no hope out of it.
He was not a deliverer, he was a destroyer.
He destroyed them because he wasn’t a shepherd he was a wolf.
“but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
THEY COME TO DESTROY YOU.
It is these men who stand outside the wide gate and assure that it is ok.
(Leading the Buffalo off the jump)
They are promising you the way of escape and salvation,
But it is a lie, it will only lead to destruction.
The Danger of False Prophets The Deception of False Prophets
#3 THE DETECTION OF FALSE PROPHETS
Matthew 7:16-20
It would obviously have been pointless for Jesus to warn us
About false prophets if He didn’t tell us how to spot them.
AND THAT IS THE THRUST OF THIS PASSAGE
If you can’t trust appearances, and you can’t believe what they say, then how do you know if you are dealing with a false prophet?
And the answer is – THEIR FRUIT
Jesus wanted you and me to be fruit inspectors.
“You will know them by their fruits”
In other words, you are going to have to do your homework.
You are going to have to exercise some discernment.
1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 “But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.”
And one way is obvious.
Isaiah 8:20 “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.”
We use God’s word to evaluate the accuracy of their message.
Galatians 1:6-9 “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”
But even you and I know that these men can be slick and tricky,
And so it is good to know how else we spot them.
We look at their fruit.
• Now fruit can be their words.
• Fruit can be their converts.
• Fruit can be their character.
And we examine them all.
• Does their message align with the truth of Scripture?
• Do their followers exhibit holiness and Christ-likeness?
• Is their life consistent with the message they preach?
We examine their fruit.
We look for Jesus in them.
Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
James 3:13-18 “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
And I could give you many more examples
Of what I mean by fruit if we had the time.
Sometime read 2 Peter 2:10-22 and listen as Peter outlines their behavior.
They Revile Angelic Spirits (Brashness)
The Revel in Extravagance (Worldliness)
The Rant about Freedom (Seduction)
They Return to Sin (Like a dog to vomit)
Scripture is literally chalked full of examples of bad fruit.
But in our text here, Jesus doesn’t give specifics of fruit.
(Having the Sermon on the Mount ought to give you quite a few indicators)
Instead He wants you to know that judging fruit will work.
He is here endorsing the process of fruit inspection
As a way of spotting a false prophet.
And what He shows us is four reasons we can be certain
That we will know a false prophet by his/her fruit.
1) FRUIT IS EXCLUSIVE TO THE TREE (16)
And this is of course common sense.
If you want to find pecans, where do you go?
To a pecan tree.
If you want to find apples, you go to an apple tree.
Fruit is exclusive to the tree.
That means that if a tree is producing apples,
You can be 100% certain you are dealing with an apple tree.
Orange trees don’t produce apples.
And so it is with inspecting the fruit of a prophet,
Their fruit is exclusive to the type of person they are.
2) FRUIT IS ALWAYS PRESENT (17)
Jesus tells us that all trees bear fruit.
(In high school judging horticulture, we could identify 73 plants)
You don’t have to worry about a fruitless prophet
That is unable to be examined.
they all bear fruit, there will be something to evaluate.
3) FRUIT IS AN ACCURATE INDICATOR (18)
Furthermore fruit is honest and accurate.
You can nail an apple sign on a fig tree, but once it produces figs,
You will know what type of tree you have.
So it is with false prophets.
I don’t care how they dress, or how smooth they talk,
Sooner or later their fruit will accurately indicate who they are.
Peter speaks of their arrogance, or their greed, or their sexual immorality.
(We’ve seen it with TV Evangelists)
4) FRUIT IS GOD’S STANDARD (19)
And this may be the most important aspect of all.
God uses fruit as His criteria for evaluation and judgment.
Just read Isaiah 5 or John 15.
God looks at the fruit.
And based upon the fruit God issues judgment.
And so if fruit is the criteria that God uses,
Then we can rest assured that it is a verifiable standard.
If you judge a prophet by the same criteria God judges him by,
Then you can know you and God will always be on the same page.
And that is why Jesus closes in verse 20 by saying,
“So then, you will know them by their fruits.”
And the point to Jesus sermon here is clear.
False Prophets are Dangerous,
Because False Prophets are Deceptive,
But False Prophets can be Detected if you know what to look for.
I want to encourage you to heed Jesus’ warning.
There are many prophets today who will gladly
Usher you onto the wide road of, sin, comfort, and worldliness.
And they will tell you the whole time that you are bound for glory.
But before you listen to everything they say,
You had better examine their fruit.
Find one who will tell you what God says,
For only then will you find benefit.
Jeremiah 5:30-31 “An appalling and horrible thing Has happened in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule on their own authority; And My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it?”
