WHO ARE THESE FALSE PROPHETS?
Matthew 7:15-20

One of the great tragedies of our time is the fact that we have lost the distinctives between what is good and what is bad.  The clarity between right and wrong, between holiness and sin has become so blurred that we have lost all sense of objectivity.  This has led to Watergate, Whitewatergate, and the Rodney King trials, just to name a few.  How can we know what is right and wrong?

In these closing thoughts of His great sermon, Jesus asks us to be astute observers of others.  We are to recognize what is true from what is false.  We are to discern the true man of God from the charlatan false prophets.  How can we do this?  Impossible unless we have an objective standard of truth.  Is there such a standard?  Yes, it is the Word of God.

Jesus begins with a command for us to be picky when picking fruit.  Jesus says, Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit….  Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.  Now, my father-in-law was always fussy when he walked the produce aisles of a supermarket.  You see, he had grown up on a produce farm in Pennsylvania.  He had taken fresh produce to the markets in Philadelphia.  He knew what fresh produce really should look like.  Jesus relates to us that we should know what true believers really look and act like.

So, just who are the false prophets?  Well, some are just plain heretics who openly reject the Word of God and blatantly teach what is contrary to the Word of God.  Then there are those who we might call apostates.  These are people who once professed to follow the truth of God but who have now rejected it and have led others into that rejection.  Some examples of apostates might include Jim Jones and David Koresh.  Finally there are the deceivers, who are, perhaps, the most deadly of all in that they give the appearance of being just like us.  Paul wrote concerning them in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ.  And 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 shall be according to their deeds.

Friends, there has always been a problem with false prophets.  They abounded in the Old Testament.  Both Jeremiah and Ezekiel had to deal with them.  They were present in the early church.  Paul warned the Ephesians about them, telling the Ephesian elders, I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock (Acts 20:29).  And false prophets will be present within the Church before Jesus returns, for Jesus told His disciples in the Olivet Discourse, And many false prophets will arise and will mislead many (Matthew 24:11).

So, if we know that there are false prophets among us during these days prior to the coming of Christ, how can we know who they are?  How can we recognize them?  That will be the subject of our next study together.

Father, How Satan loves to deceive us so that the truth is distorted.  How we pray for the gift of discernment to know the true from the false.  Help us to see beyond what a person says and does to observe the one whom he serves.  How we need to exercise caution so that we do not fall prey to the evil one.  But we praise You for the victories that You have given to us.  We give You thanks in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

 

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