Be Discerning!!
September 28, 2025
Scripture: Matthew 7:15-20
Two out of state college students visited New York City for the very first time. They walked around to see the sights of Manhattan. As they were walking, a young man stopped them and said, “My phone is dead. I’m lost. I need help. Do you have any directions to Times Square?” One of the out of state visitors said, “No, I don’t.” But his friend said, “Absolutely, walk 6 blocks north and 5 blocks east.” The man thanked them and took off. Then the college student said to his friend, “I didn’t have a clue where Time Square is. That was impressive.” His friend responded, “I don’t have a clue either and neither does that guy. Isn’t that going to be something when he goes 11 blocks and realizes that he got duped.”
Sadly, there are plenty of people who point you in the wrong direction. They take advantage, play a joke, lie, or defraud others. Now there are dependable trustworthy guides out there pointing in the right direction, but sometimes it is tough to tell the difference.
Last week, we noted that there is a narrow path and there is a broad road. Now imagine if a person wanted to check out the narrow path. When you finally humble yourself enough to ask for direction regarding the narrow path, Jesus in our text indicates that you are going to discover that as difficult it is to find the narrow path, it can also be complicated by the fact that false guides with evil motives are sprinkled in among the reliable guides with good motives. So, Jesus wants to give some insight on who to listen to.
Jesus says verse 15, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
Now a prophet is not someone who tells the future, but someone who speaks for God. So, Jesus says to be careful, to be aware, be on your guard of people who falsely speak for God. Don’t let your guard down. Now, I find it interesting that Jesus doesn’t say to be on guard against the influence of the world, the temptations of their own flesh, or the snares of the devil. Jesus tells them to watch out for “false prophets.” Why? It is because they can have a major negative influence on your life. They can steer you in the wrong direction! Jesus said to the religious leaders of his day in Matthew 23:15, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.
Not identifying these false teachers can be difficult because they appear in sheep’s clothing. They are in disguise. They appear to be genuine, friendly, and harmless, like a brother. Their outward forms would incline one to believe these false prophets to be dependable guides. They don’t wear badges that say, “False Teacher.” They don’t look, talk or sound much different from true teachers. They even believe they speak on God’s behalf.
The Apostle Paul points out this issue of false teachers in sheep’s clothing as he writes in II Corinthians 11:13-15, For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
Jesus then likens them to ravenous wolves. Jesus paints a picture of wolves with blood dripping from their mouths after heaving ripped a sheep apart. Their desire is to fleece you. Devour you. But you cannot tell that from their words or their outward appearance. The religious leaders of Jesus day were classic examples of false prophets, false shepherds. They posed as God’s spokespeople, but were self-righteous, self-seeking, and self-serving. Earlier in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus corrected the religious leaders on several issues such as murder, adultery, divorce, and speaking oaths.
In Matthew 23, Jesus makes this clear as he warns the crowd and his disciples about them. He refers to them as hypocrites, blind guides, whitewashed tombs, snakes, and vipers. Remember, it was the Jewish leadership which rejected Jesus as Israel’s Messiah and put Him to death.
Repeatedly, Scripture warns us about false teachers. Jesus said in Matthew 24:4, 5, Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.
Paul warned the church in Ephesus as he was saying farewell to the church elders. He said in Acts 20:28-31a, Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard!
I Peter 2:1, 2 states, But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
Sadly, it still happens today. Many churches across the United States and the world today have been infiltrated by false teachers. They will use people, abuse people, manipulate people, confuse, and rip them off. They think they are right and really don’t care about others. The only thing they really care about is themselves. You need to be on your guard because there are so many people who are looking to take advantage of you.
So how can we tell the difference? Jesus says in verses 16-20, By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
We guard against false prophets by looking at their fruits. A good tree bears good fruit, and a bad tree bears bad fruit. So, the fruit of a false prophet/teacher will show some sort of badness.
One major type of bad fruit is a misrepresentation or misinterpretation of God’s word’s pertaining to the relationship of faith, works and salvation! False prophets tend to emphasize legalism!
For sinful humankind, salvation by works seems right. Humankind desires are to be in control of his/her own destiny. Salvation by good works appeals to man’s pride and his desire to be in control. Salvation by works also seems natural because humankind often does not grasp the extent of his/her sinfulness before a holy God. Man’s heart is “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9), and God is infinitely holy (Isaiah 6:3). The deceit of our hearts blinds us in seeing our true state before a holy God.
Proverbs 14:12 states, There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.
Salvation by works appeals to man’s sinful nature. Good works is the basis of every religion except for biblical Christianity. Also, the belief that one must perform certain works can lead to legalism!
Legalism emphasizes strict adherence to rules over genuine faith. Legalists focus on behaviors rather than heart transformation, leading to judgmental attitudes. They focus on rules, dos, and don’ts, rather than authentic relationships.
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day emphasized external religious acts without having God-honoring hearts. They were more interested in appearing righteous to others than in truly pleasing God.
The Apostle Paul stated in Galatians 3:1, 2, You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard?
Paul goes on and elaborates that we receive the Spirit by faith, not by works. Paul further rebukes the Judaizers, those who preached that one needs to be circumcised to be saved. In Galatians 5:6, he states, For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Ephesians 2:8,9 states. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.
Listen, and take this to heart. If you love Jesus, have faith in Him, been born again of His Spirit, then you will want to obey Him, serve Him, love Him, and love others with all your being (John 14:15). Faith prompts us to do good (Note Titus 3:4-9).
From my experience, those who are legalistic tend to be spiritually prideful. This results in judgmental attitudes as they tend to be condemning toward others rather than accepting and helping others develop in Christ. I have also observed that their human standards can create a rigid environment that overshadows genuine faith. They focus on a “have too” rather than I “want too” in obeying the Lord Jesus!
Another type of bad fruit is a misinterpretation of God’s word to satisfy their own selfish desires.
Earlier in the sermon on the mount, Jesus pointed out several ways the religious leaders misinterpreted God’s word to satisfy self. For instance, in Matthew 5:21 the religious leaders taught not to murder, but Jesus taught that to be angry was to murder. So, these religious leaders thought it was fine to be angry, even mean, with someone if you don’t murder.
In Matthew 5:31, 32, Jesus corrects the religious leaders on the issue of divorce. The religious leaders taught that if the husband was displeased in any way, he could divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1). It was only necessary to be sure you did the paperwork. As a result, the Jewish people were shedding their wives at random.
In Matthew 5:33, Jesus said, Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’
Several weeks ago, I noted that in the Jewish code of law called the Mishnah, there is a whole section of oath taking. He notes for example, one rabbi says that if you swear by Jerusalem, you are not bound by your vow; but if you swear toward Jerusalem, then you are bound by your vow. The swearing of oaths thus degenerates into terrible rules which let them lie and deceive. Some Rabbis taught that if people did not use Jehovah’s name in an oath, they were free to break it. Therefore, they would swear upon one’s mother, father, Jerusalem, or something else that appeared sacred. It was like a child making a statement with his fingers crossed—meaning that at that moment it was OK to lie.
The religious leaders of that day focused on externally keeping God’s commands to the exclusion of heart motives to satisfy their own selfish desires!
It still happens today. One area that is obvious are those who preach a prosperity gospel.
The prosperity gospel promotes the idea that faith and positive confessions lead to financial success and physical well-being. This teaching distorts Scripture, emphasizing wealth as a sign of divine favor. This teaching falsely assures that God is like a genie who grants all your wishes if you just believe hard enough and have enough faith that what you are praying for will happen. Also, prosperity gospel teachers often claim that if your prayers are not being answered, it’s because you are not tithing enough money. Many prominent ministries support this doctrine, leading countless believers astray with empty promises.
Listen, the prosperity gospel is false doctrine!!!!! As Christians, you will face trials and tribulations. You will not get everything you pray for as you name and claim. Please note Matthew 6:19-21; Romans 8:17; I Peter 4:19, and James 1:9-11; 4:19.
Another major type of bad fruit is to please the itching ears of others. They reject Biblical authority!
II Timothy 4:2-4, Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
We see this happening today as false prophets will preach/teach what people want to hear. Two areas that come to my mind. One is a universalistic philosophy. All roads lead to God. If you live a half-way decent life, no matter what you believe, you will make it to heaven.
Jesus said in John 14:6, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Also note I John 4:1-3!
Another thing so many churches have come to not only welcome gay people so God’s Spirit could redeem and transform them, but churches are affirming the homosexual, transgender lifestyle. It is the perspective that one no longer must crucify that sinful nature and allow God’s Holy Spirit transform you.
About 20 years ago, I came across a website entitled Soulforce. The website has the purpose to promote the LGBTQ agenda to the point of infiltrating every church and denomination. So many churches and denominations have fallen into this false teaching. I am sad to report too many American Baptists Churches and leaders have bit into the bad fruit.
As II Peter 2:2 notes these false teachers promote a life of sensuality. They lead people away from the truth of the gospel and to deceive genuine Christians (Mark 13:22). It also has caused division among the churches.
Another bad fruit is that one can observe is their lifestyle.
Do they show righteousness, humility, and faithfulness in the way they live? Do they show a Christlike character? Are they serving their sinful nature or reflecting the fruit of the Spirit including love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? We should expect false prophets to be accompanied by religious works. However, someone’s true character eventually comes out in their actions. Anyone can put on a good act. But no one can hide forever.
Look at how one handles power. Acts 20:30 notes that false teachers will draw people unto themselves. Adolf Hitler drew people to follow him. In contrast, a good teacher is one who does not look to build his own fan club but tries to point people to Jesus.
Also, inspect one’s character in how they handle people. One passage that has spoken to me in how to pastor is I Peter 5:2-5, Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not ]with greed but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as domineering over those assigned to your care, but by proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.
II Peter 2:10 indicates that they are easily distinguished by their pride. They also tend to be greedy (Jeremiah 8:10; Titus 1:11; II Peter 2:3, 14). and immoral (Jeremiah 23:11,14; 2 Peter 2:14). They tend to prey upon the weak and the guilt-ridden (2 Timothy 3:6-7; 2 Peter 2:14,13). While they profess to know God, by their deeds they deny Him (Matthew 7:22-23; 2 Timothy 3:5; Titus 1:16).
Listen, everyone must be on guard against a life that looks Christian but isn’t. This past week, it was noted that I use a lot of Scripture in my sermons. I admit I do this intentionally. God’s word is what it is all about. For as Hebrews 4:12 states, For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints, and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Let me close with this. Mel White in his book, Deceived, tells about the tragedy in Jonestown, Guyana, led by Jim Jones. It contains biographical statements by people who joined the People's Temple. If you remember, it was a mass murder-suicide resulting in 909 people dying by drinking “poisoned Kool-Aid. 276 of them were children.
White writes in his book, “It will take years to unravel the mystery of Jonestown. There are no statistics gathered about the people who were brainwashed and deceived by the Reverend Jim Jones.
…I asked each of my subjects to describe his religious background, hoping to prove that the converts to Jones’ false version of the Christian faith might not have been deceived if they had been exposed to some version of true Christian faith when they were children. I found, however, that they were exposed to Christian truth as children. In fact, in a long interview with Tim Stoen, I got my first answer to my question.
Tim was once the second most powerful man in People’s Temple. Tim has a law degree from Stanford University and served as an Assistant District Attorney for San Francisco until he resigned to go to Jonestown in 1977. Tim defected from the cult a year before the tragedy. Once he defected, he worked tirelessly until that awful Saturday in November to get his son, John Victor, age 6, away from Jones and the jungle. According to eyewitness accounts, little John-John was found dead beside Jones’ body. ‘I was raised in a Christian home,’ he told me. ‘My parents were fundamentalists, members of The General Association of Regular Baptists, G.A.R.B. I went to Sunday school and college all my young life. I attended Wheaton College, a leading evangelical Christian college in Illinois, and was involved in student leadership. When I moved to California, I joined and attended regularly The First Presbyterian Church in Berkeley. For two years I was the president of their Corinthians, a business and professional young adult group. I admired and respected their evangelical yet socially concerned pastoral staff. I was attending First Presbyterian and The People’s Temple until I joined Jim Jones staff.’
This is just one example that Mel White notes of a person from a Christian background being enticed by a false prophet.
White in his book also gave some insights into why people followed Jim Jones. White notes that he knew how to inspire hope. Jones was committed to people in need. He counseled prisoners and juvenile delinquents. He started a job placement center, he opened rest homes and homes for intellectually disabled people, he had a health clinic, he organized a vocational training center, he provided free legal aid, he founded a community center, he preached about God. He even claimed to cast out demons, do miracles, and heal.
However, there were also marks of a false prophet. He promoted himself by various celebrities. He manipulated the press as he wanted certain favorable stories. He pretended to be a Christian as he was ordained by the Disciples of Christ church in 1964. He had his people sing and give testimonies as to how he had miraculously healed them. Later, it was discovered he faked healing cancer as people would cough up a substance pretending that they were healed. He created a warm, loving, pseudo-Christian community without Christ. He demanded absolute and total loyalty. He replaced Jesus as the authority figure and went so far as to say that he was Jesus. He used the Bible, quoting it often, but perverting it to his own ends. He gave away anointed gifts, miracle blessings, prayer cloths, but always demanded money in return. He was consumed with a preoccupation toward deviant sex. He lied, constantly and continually, about everything. Such was Jim Jones. And as Matthew 7:19, he was thrown into the fire, hell!
I encourage you to be on the watch for false teachers. If you think that I in some way not teaching or acting in accordance with Scripture, please tell me.
Please take to heart. It is all about Jesus!!!! He is the one worthy of all praise and honor!!!!
