Sermon on the mount
I LOVE A GOOD HUNT!
Matthew 7:15-20
Matthew 7:15–20 (NLT)
15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.
16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?
17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.
18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.
19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.
20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions."
I know what you're thinking, “man, you have preached on this a lot”. That’s because, throughout the New Testament, it is warned about a lot!
Why?
· Because False Prophets (wolves) have been around since long before Jesus came.
· As long as we live in the fallen world Satan will try and pull as many people off course as he can.
· We must never forget this is a war!
· Satan wants all to fail, and what better way than to use a spy!
So here is what I want to do, let's break the text down quickly and go into some practical application of how to identify, and deal, with the wolves!
15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves."
· False prophets and false teachers are one in the same.
o They both give misinformation in God's name.
o A good one will only bend the truth a little.
· Disguised as harmless sheep.
o They are not leaders.
o They are just a part of the flock.
· Vicious wolves
o But on the inside, their motives are to destroy your faith and the church.
16 "You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?"
· The true meaning is in their fruit, their motives.
· Watch how they act.
· Can you identify every tree?? No!
o But when the fruit comes on you can.
o So be cautious of their fruit!
17 "A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit."
18 "A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit."
· This indicates a heart issue.
· A heart of stone only produces rocks.
· A good heart can’t produce bad things.
· An ugly heart can’t produce beautiful things.
· Have you known folks that are just angry, hardhearted? Did you know it right away? No.
· It takes time to see the fruit, because we can hide for a while, but eventually, the fruit shows!
19 "So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire."
· All my gardeners know if it doesn’t produce, it's cut down, in this case sent to HELL.
· Just like a cull in the herd, it takes time to see it, sometimes several seasons.
· So, watch for the fruit in everyone, and you will know.
20 "Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions."
· Here he wraps up his thought.
· You can know a tree by its fruit.
· And you can know a man by his actions, which come from the heart.
**note**
Not even the best tree produces good fruit all the time, it takes time to see the true nature of the tree, and also the heart.
Practical application!
So, what is a “Wolf” anyway?
· It’s not a Christian.
· They actually work for the Satan!
· And their purpose is to...?
John 10:10 (NLT)
10 "The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life."
· A wolf comes to harm.
· They likely run in packs.
· They likely have a leader.
· A wolf is someone that wants your attention, to divert you away from God's work!
What do they look like?
· They look like you!
· Typically, they are not leaders in the local church.
o My dad once said “the best way to influence politics is from the outside.”
o They want to be in the crowd.
· They often question authority.
· They are gossips.
· They are sometimes well versed.
o But Satan uses all kinds to disrupt the church and its mission.
· Think back to the “pearls and the pigs”.
· Satan often will just take our time away by giving our pearls to pigs!
· So in a nutshell, like you and me in sheep’s clothing!
2 Corinthians 11:13–14 (NLT)
13 These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ.
14 But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
How do we recognize them??
Romans 16:17–18 (NLT)
17 And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them.
18 Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people.
· They're fairly easy to see when you’re looking for the right things (Fruit).
1 John 4:1 (NLT)
1 Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.
Questions to ask??
· Do their actions lead to the narrow gate? (Most of the time)
· Do their actions glorify God or self?
Signs of a wolf
· Their lives bear no fruit.
· Everything they do has conditions.
· Most everything they say tears down, it never lifts up.
· Thy're jealous by nature.
· It almost is always about what the church can do for them.
· They do not like to be under authority (this was me).
· Study the bible on “Good Fruit”. (drive this home)
· They almost always come to you
o With gossip
o Questioning of authority
o Leading away from the flock
o Taking all of your time
o Seeking to have you drink the wrong Kool-Aid!
· The thorns on the tree will show, if you're looking for them.
It's kind of like working a herd, there are always a few rank ones in the mix. They will walk along with the herd until you push them a little, and then they will blow right up on ya and smoke ya if you're not looking!
Why attack the sheep? Because we want things easy, and God sometimes makes things hard.
Matthew 7:7 (NLT)
7 “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you."
· Because God makes us work for things.
· He is teaching us to wait, and we don’t like that.
· So, we look for the easy way.
o We don’t want to be patient.
o We don’t want what God wants for us all the time.
o We want it our way, not God's way.
o And that gives the wolves an advantage.
· Satan knows you as well as you do.
o He knows what you like and don’t like.
o And he will show you the Wide gate, the “easy way” to find God.
o But it’s a lie.
· That takes me to this verse.
So, what do we do to protect ourselves?
· Be on your guard.
o It might take some time to see the real fruit.
· Know that not everyone in the church has your best interest at heart.
· Always know they are here.
o We sometimes are the most gullible.
o We think everyone that walks in and stays awhile is a Christian. Don’t!
· We need to know when Jesus is moving in a church, that’s when the wolves will hit the hardest.
o I always know when God has big plans for us as a church, because things go haywire!
o When God is working the most in your life, Satan will attack you from all sides.
o And the wolves are just waiting.
· Wolves are crafty!
o They will wait, and strike at the right time.
o As a keeper of the flock, I look for Wolves who tend to spread their gossip, and stir the pot in Christian lives when they are experiencing God.
· Wolves rarely attack the leaders head on.
o They know we will see them for what they are.
o They tend to move around the herd and avoid the leaders.
o They tear at the fabric of the church form the inside.
Be careful of folks that give you what you want to hear.
2 Timothy 4:3–4 (NLT)
3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.
4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths.
· That takes me to some TV evangelists.
o They tell you God will make you rich.
o God's way is easy.
o They play in to your fears.
o Your greed.
o Your lust for all things worldly.
Be very careful whom you trust.
· Trust needs to be given slowly and taken quickly.
· Trust God above all, test everything against His word.
James 1:6 (NLT)
6 But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.
· Never doubt God..
· Trust those God has put in the position as leaders of the flock.
o You have an issue that needs counsel, talk to your pastor or elders, or lay pastors.
o You think someone is leading you down the wrong path, talk to your shepherd.
o You need help, pray first, and then talk to me, I will get you with the right people.
· The only way you will see a wolf in the flock is if you spend time getting to know them.
o Don’t trust too quickly, PLEASE!
o Don’t share your hurts too quickly, it might come back and be used against you!
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