BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS (Matt 7:15-16) A. Two schools of thought: 1. False teacher: a teacher of false doctrine.

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1 BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS (Matt 7:15-16) A. Jesus warns: Danger! Someone can prevent you from entering the narrow gate that leads to life. Matthew 7: "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 1. This is a scene at the entrance of the narrow gate into the kingdom of God. A. Two schools of thought: 1. False teacher: a teacher of false doctrine. 2. False teacher: a hypocritical teacher. a. Both types of teachers could prevent someone from being saved. b. Both are valid points, but incomplete by themselves. B. In Jesus day 1 a. Do we listen to Jesus & enter in, or do we listen to His dissenters? b. The false teachers were standing nearby saying, You better follow us. [What is a false teacher? Who can prevent a soul from entering the narrow gate into the kingdom of God? Who can stand in the way of someone s salvation?] I. WHO ARE THE FALSE PROPHETS? 1. The false prophets were mainly among the Scribes & Pharisees; they were preventing many souls from entering the kingdom of God & being saved in Christ. Matthew 23:13 13 But woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 2. And many of them were hypocrites..

2 Matthew 23:3 3 therefore all that they tell you, do & observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things & do not do them. D. Here is the picture of a false (teacher). 1. He is desirable in almost every way: a. So both the false prophet & the hypocrite (if you can be one & not the other) can hinder one s salvation. b. And because hypocrisy is involved, the false teacher can appear harmless, or as Jesus said, wearing sheep s clothing. C. Same is true today. 1. False teachers can prevent someone from entering the kingdom. For example a. Grace only salvation (Universalism). b. Faith only salvation (Protestantism). c. Infant sprinkling (Catholicism). d. Baptism into the local church. e. Choosing the church of your choice. a. He is kind & sincere. b. He may have a desirable appearance & personality. c. People enjoy listening to him. d. He has a good sense of humor. e. He s a man about town. f. Everybody who knows him likes him. g. Talks about the Bible. - But there s a gaping void. 2. Looking beneath the surface there are gross inconsistencies between what he claims to teach (the word of God) & his lifestyle Hypocritical teachers can also prevent someone from being saved. a. Emphasize outward appearances. b. Keep motives & habits hidden. c. Speak about Jesus, but not about obeying Him. a. His kindness & sincerity are only for appearance sake; he s not like that everywhere. b. He has worked to improve his personality & speaking in order to win people over to his point of view.

3 c. But he teaches things that are not clearly taught by Jesus or the apostles. d. He pits one Bible passage against another, as if the Bible is inconsistent. e. He leaves the impression that the Bible is not allsufficient to meet our needs. f. He will turn the clear meaning of a passage into something unintended by the inspired writer. II. IDENTIFYING FALSE PROPHETS A. Evasive: he avoids many Scriptures: 1. the narrow & the wide gate; Heaven (life) & Hell (destruction). 2. false teachers (Matt 7:13-20) 3. identifying sin (1 Cor 6:9-10). g. AND, HE will be unwilling to apply God s word when difficult choices have to be made. h. Summary: His life patterns do not imitate Jesus Christ. 3. All of this makes him [or her] well-liked; an enterer of the wide gate, & a preventer of those who would enter the narrow gate. 4. scripture is complete (2 Tim 3:16-17). 5. old law nailed to the cross (Col 2:14). 6. Jesus heavenly kingdom (John 18:36). 7. baptism for forgiveness (Acts 2:38). 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. 8. unity in doctrine & practice (1 Cor 1:10). 9. cannot add to the NT doctrine (Phil 4:9; 2 John 9). [Let s be more specific.] women s roles (Eph 5; 1 Tim 2:9-15; Titus 2).

4 B. Subtle: his teaching doesn t go far enough. 1. He teaches some truth, but not all of the truth. 2. There is more of a danger in what he does NOT say than in what he actually says. 3. Because he leaves off teaching that is vital to one s salvation. 4. He preaches a lot about the grace, mercy & love of God (Eph 2:4-9). a. But he doesn t say anything about the wrath & justice of God (Rom 11:22; 1 Cor 5:11; Heb 12:29). a. But he won t mention the need for continual repentance of life & obedience to Christ (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:7-9; Heb 5:9). [His evasiveness & His subtly make him popular.] C. Popular: he is acceptable to the majority. 2 Peter 2:1-3 2 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. 2 Many will follow their sensuality, & because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; 3 & in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, & their destruction is not asleep. 5. He tells people about the glories of heaven awaiting God s people (Rev 21, 22). D. Unholy (ungodly): his life corresponds to his doctrine. 4 a. But he is silent about the need for faithfulness to God & the consequences of returning to a life of sin (1 Cor 6:9; Rom 6:23). 6. He can preach eloquently about the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins (1 Cor 15:3; Gal 1:4; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 John 2:2). 1. Impure doctrine results in an impure (sp) life both for the teacher & the learner. a. If he doesn t teach what God has revealed about greed, folks will be covetous. b. If he doesn t teach people to love their enemies, they will be hateful & prejudicial.

5 5 c. If he doesn t teach what Jesus taught on marriage & divorce, people will live in adulterous marriages. d. If he doesn t warn about the sin of fornication, people will start living together. e. If he doesn t identify modest dress from God s book, people will begin to dress immodestly. f. If he doesn t connect baptism to the blood of Christ, people will die in their sins. 2. A false teacher is generally unwilling to teach a doctrine that leads to a holy life. 1 Timothy 6:3-6 If anyone advocates a different doctrine & does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, & with the doctrine conforming to godliness, 4 he is conceited & understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions & disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, 5 & constant friction between men of depraved mind & deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. 6 But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. 2 Timothy 3:1-7 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, CLOSING arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without selfcontrol, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; avoid such men as these. 6 For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Jeremiah 6: "For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is greedy for gain, & from the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely. 14 They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, 'Peace, peace,' but there is no peace. 15 Were they ashamed because of the abomination they have done? They were not even ashamed at all; they did not even know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; at the time that I punish them, they shall be cast down," says the Lord. (1 Kings 22:6-8). A. False prophets or false teachers offer an easy salvation; a wide gate into a broad way. 1. But that way doesn t lead to life, it leads to destruction (Matt 7:13-14). B. They appeal to man s ego & pride.

6 1. They advocate morality but not Biblical spirituality. 2. They rely on literature & poetry to illustrate the principles they teach. 3. They quote the wisdom of the secular world. Acts 20:20, 27 - I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, & teaching you publicly & from house to house, 27 For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose [counsel] of God. 2 Tim 4:2 - preach the word; be ready in season & out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience & instruction. 4. They just want people to feel good about themselves & what they have heard. C. They say, Trust the Lord!, but rarely ever say, Trust & Obey Him. D. They offer a life of ease in the place of the sacrifice, service & commitment Jesus demands. 2 Corinthians 11: For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds. E. What kind of teacher should we be or be looking for? 6