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Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits, are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thorn bushes. So every tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. I grew up in suburban Detroit, a little town, well, 40,000 people was little to us, Garden City, Michigan. On our street there were lots of kids and we used to play all sorts of games in the street, football, wiffle ball, hockey in the winter time, sometimes the street froze over with ice, we could actually skate on it. But there were certain yards that if our ball or puck went into their yard, we didn't go get it because the people had signs on the fence that said, beware of the dog. And we were being aware of the dog. Baseball or football or hockey are trivial compared to the warning that Jesus gives us, the real threat after all, you know, it's interesting, people with cats didn't say beware of the cat, but beside the point, the real threat Jesus warns us is to beware of false prophets because there are false prophets. It'd be frivolous to warn against a non-existing threat and after all, Jesus isn't running for political office. So who's he warning about? Some commentators are in agreement that these verses are connected to the previous passage where Jesus tells us to be sure to enter by the straight path and the narrow gate. Now I know if you've been with us for any length of time, you've heard the gospel. But as Paul wrote in Philippians chapter 3 and verse 1, finally my brothers, rejoice in the Lord to write the same things to you is no trouble to me and safe for you. So I'm going to explain the gospel because basically what Jesus is warning against is anyone who would not tell you the truth about the gospel. So according to the gospel, which is God's spirit-breathed, inerrant word, God created the heavens and earth. In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth. He created mankind, male and female, in his own image to rule over and have dominion over all the earth. He placed him in the garden of Eden and the Lord commanded the man saying, surely you may eat of any tree in the garden. Freely eat. But the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that you eat of it you will surely die. But Adam and Eve did not obey God. They didn't obey the command and being tempted by Satan in the form of a serpent, the aid of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And as a result, they were banished from the garden. All of humanity then was cast with them into what's called original sin. This means everyone, when they're born, has a sin nature which makes us guilty before a holy God. We also actively sin, which makes us guilty. It got so bad that God decided to destroy everything on the earth in the flood except for Noah and his family and the animals that he brought on the ark with him. And later on he called Abram and Sarai, even though they were moon worshipers. The Lord said, go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land I will show you and I will make of you a great nation and I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and him who dishonors you. I will curse and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. And from Abraham would come one people of God, Israel, through whom he promised the Messiah. In Isaiah chapter 9 it says, for unto us a child is born, a son is given, the government shall be on his shoulders and he shall be called, wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace. And of the increase of his government and his peace there will be no end on the throne of David and over his kingdom to establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord will do this. Now when the time came the Holy Spirit conceived in the womb of Mary who was engaged to Joseph a child. And Joseph naturally assumed that this baby got into the womb of Mary in the only way that happens. And he being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame resolved to divorce her quietly but when he considered these things the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said Joseph son of David do not take Mary to be your wife for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit she will bear a son you shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins. And this took place to fulfill what the Lord has spoken by the prophet behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel which means God with us. Now the reason God did it this way is because all of us are in Adam so to speak we are born with a sin nature and that sin nature is passed down through our fathers. So in order to be without sin God impregnated Mary by the Holy Spirit. Jesus then lived a perfect sinless life and because he was both God and man he was able to perform miracles feeding the five thousand turning water into wine healing all sorts of diseases and infirmities even bringing people back from the dead. When he did this he proved that he indeed was both God and man. His Colossians says he's the image of the invisible God the firstborn of all creation for by him all things were created in heaven and earth visible and invisible whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things were created through him and for him and he is before all thing and in him all things hold together. So because he was sinless he could be a substitute for our sin. You see unless the substitute is sinless then he would have to pay for his own sin. I've used this illustration before but I'll use it again I'm going to pick on Chris's family William and Ginny. So let's suppose there's a big line everybody in the world and at the head of the line is a guillotine because everybody has been pronounced guilty and they must pay with their life and let's suppose that Ginny is the first one in line and William is the last. Now if William said I can't stand to watch my sister die like this I'm going to take her place would that benefit Ginny at all? No it wouldn't because eventually she would get to the head of the line. Only somebody not in the line could take your place and the only one not in the line is Jesus Christ because he's sinless. So as we read in 1 John 2, 2 if anyone does sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous he's the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world. For our sake God made him to be sin who knew no sin so that we might become the righteousness of God. But it doesn't end there after Jesus paid for our sin with his own perfect sinless record he rose from the dead in the same body. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 I deliver to you of first importance what I also received that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures he was buried and raised again on the third day and appeared to Cephas in the 12 and then appeared to more than 500 at one time most of whom are still alive though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James and to all the apostles last of all as to one untimely born he appeared to me. Finally then there is a judgment day and people don't like to hear about judgment day. After all everyone knows for God so loved the world that they gave his only son but that's probably not the most popular verse anymore. The most popular verse is in Matthew chapter 7 verse 1 judge not lest you be judged. As a matter of fact people don't know the reference if you put up Matthew 7 1 they would have no idea what you're talking about but if you said judge not they would be able to finish it. Judge not lest you be judged. So people don't like to think about a judgment day but I want you to think of some of the worst people in the history of the world. Adolf Hitler some of you aren't old enough to remember some of these people. Adolf Hitler Joseph Stalin Mao Tse-tung Pol Pot Saddam Hussein a mass murderer a serial killer all of these people are horrible people and unless there's a judgment day they got away with it you might say well how do they get away with it they died a lot of them were executed some of them were shot in battle how did they get away with it. Well listen everybody dies and if that's their only punishment they got away with it unless there is a judgment day there is no justice and we know in our own heart that there has to be justice as Hebrews 9 says as it just as it is appointed for man to die once and after that comes judgment so Christ having been offered once to bear the sins of many will appear a second time not to deal with sins but to save those who eagerly wait for him and because there's a judgment and we were all sinful and deserving of God's wrath we need to know if there's a way to escape and that's where John 3 16 comes in for God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him so faith in Christ is the only way to be cleansed of your sin and then given the righteousness of Christ so that you can appear before a holy God on judgment day either Jesus paid for your sins or you will pay for your sins you might say well that sounds judgmental well it is and God is the judge and you think well surely there must be multiple ways to get to heaven I mean after all there are all kinds of religions aren't they all different paths to get to heaven you see that's the easy path and wide gate kind of thinking that Jesus warned about earlier in the chapter the hard path and the narrow gate is believing the gospel and living out the implications in your life later on in John 14 Thomas said to Jesus Lord we do not know where you're going how can we know the way Jesus said I am the way the truth in the life no one comes to the father but through me later Philip said Lord show us the father it's enough for us Jesus said to him have I been with you so long and you still do not know me Philip whoever has seen me has seen the father you see Jesus is claiming exclusivity and we don't like that as a culture we don't like anybody saying that their way is the only way but that's what Jesus is saying he's saying he's exclusive he's the only way you might say that's not fair well he's exclusive but he's also inclusive now how does that work he's exclusive in that he's the only way but he's inclusive in that anybody can come as a matter of fact in revelation it talks about at the end before the throne of God there will be a number so great that no one could count so he's generous he's inclusive but the way is exclusive so there's not a test based on education in John chapter 3 God disassembled Nicodemus all of his pillars of righteousness one of which was education there's no test based on religious teaching of the Pharisees he said I'd say Jesus said to them I say to you the tax collectors and the prostitutes will go into the kingdom of God before you for John came to you in a way of righteousness you did not believe him but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him and even when you saw it you did not afterwards change your minds and believe him there's no test for nationality in other words you can't be of the right race you can't be of the right area the right people I as I said I grew up in Michigan in the western part of Michigan it won't take you too long to see a bumper sticker that says it ain't Dutch it ain't much well a lot of people have that they don't have it it doesn't rhyme as well as the Italian German that doesn't have good word to rhyme with but all of these ethnicities some of them believe that they're the best but according to scripture they're all sinners in all need of grace there's no test for wealth you can't buy your way in people buy buildings for science and medical schools and universities to have their names on them people give lots of money to the church but you can't buy your way in remember when the rich man came to Jesus and asked what he must do to inherit eternal life Jesus told him to follow the commandments and he named a few of them and he said all these I've done since I was youth he said one thing you lack sell everything that you have give it to the poor and follow me but he went away sad because he had great wealth why did he go away sad if the question is what do I do to go to heaven what do I do to have eternal life what do I do to live forever in the presence of God rather than to be banished from his sight and for all of eternity what difference does it make what the answer is you do it but the young man went away sad that's why Jesus said it's harder for a rich man to enter heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle now as I go through all of this you might think well you know some of this sounds pretty foolish and that's the reaction you'll get if you try to talk to people about the gospel they'll say they'll say well that's just foolish and you might be right if you don't believe because Paul wrote in first Corinthians chapter one verse 18 for to those who are perishing the preaching of the cross is foolishness but to us who are being saved it's the power of God God so if the message of the cross if the message of the gospel is not foolishness to somebody it's not powerful for anybody anyone who wants to be saved anyone who wants to go to heaven anyone who wants eternal life has to enter through the narrow gate at the end of the hard path and anyone who tells you anything different is a false teacher the reason I went through the gospel in such a lengthy fashion is because all of it is important and all of it needs to be part of any bible teacher's teaching now obviously they don't have to do all of it in the same sermon or the same lesson but all of it needs to be taught without apology so how do we recognize a false teacher a false prophet anyone who through their course of teaching leaves out anything that I've told you this morning is a false teacher now some don't recognize that they are false teachers but they are leading people astray Tracy and I this summer on our trip through the US went to church and it was a fairly large church they had several services and it was in the hundreds in each service and the preacher was extremely effective communicator they could speak well the illustrations were good grabbed your attention and kept it but throughout the whole sermon although the speaker was polished easy to listen to and the message of exodus Christ was mentioned only in passing the gospel was not central now in seminary we call that a synagogue sermon why but because it could be preached in a synagogue and it wouldn't offend anybody believe me if you preach that Jesus is the Messiah and the only way to heaven in a synagogue you would not be well received I think about Paul when he went to the synagogue a lot of the time they wanted to stone him giving this particular preacher the benefit of the doubt it's possible that the majority of the sermons are gospel center but this one was not and in many churches throughout the world the gospel is not front and center now some people I've heard that this statement I won't say if I've heard it here or not I've heard people say something like I've heard enough of this gospel talk give me something I can use in my daily life I have to tell you Christians do not tire of hearing learning and applying the gospel in first Peter chapter one he wrote concerning this salvation the prophets who prophesied of the grace that should come to you have inquired and searched diligently seeking the events of the time the spirit of Christ who was within them signified when he foretold the sufferings of Christ and glories to follow it was revealed to them they were not serving themselves but you concerning the things which are now reported to you by those who have preached the gospel to you through the Holy Spirit who was sent from heaven things into which angels long to look things into which angels long to look I want you to think about that for a second however long the world has been here angels have been here too the odds are they are pretty smart the odds are they have some wisdom I mean they've been in the presence of God they've been in heaven for as long as the world has been here and if they still long to look into the gospel if they are still amazed by the gospel if they still wonder at the gospel then please then please don't let any feeble mortal tell you that they're not tell you they've had enough tell us that I want to hear something else to be clear there are those who do not teach or preach the gospel they leave out uncomfortable teaching like sin and judgment they don't talk about the exclusive claims of Jesus being the only way and some do not even realize they're in error but they are false teachers they are like the prophets of Jeremiah 6 saying peace peace when there is no peace however there are some false teachers who know that they're false Timothy warned about them I'm sorry Paul warned Timothy about them in 2 Timothy chapter 3 I'm going to read the chapter so bear with me know this in the last days perilous times will come men will be lovers of themselves lovers of money boastful proud blasphemers disobedient parents unthankful unholy without natural affection truce breakers slanders unrestrained fierce despisers of those who are good traders reckless conceited lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying its power turn away from such people those of this nature creep into houses and captivate silly women who are burdened with sins and led away with various desires always learning but never able to come to the knowledge of truth how Janice and Jambris resisted Moses so these also resist the truth men of corrupt minds and worthless and worthless concerning the faith but they shall proceed no further for their folly will be revealed to everyone as theirs also was but you've observed my doctrine my manner of life purpose faith tolerance love patience persecutions and afflictions and which came to me at Antioch Iconium in Lystra what persecutions i endured but the lord delivered me out of them all yes and all who desire to live a godly life in christ jesus will be persecuted but evil men and seducers will grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived but continuing the things that you have learned and have been assured of knowing that those from whom you have learned them and that since childhood you have known the holy scriptures which are able to make you wise unto salvation through the faith which is in christ jesus all scriptures inspired by god and profitable for teaching for reproof for correction for instruction and righteousness that the man of god may be complete how can you tell if a teacher is false well paul said this in galatians chapter one he said even if an angel from heaven should preach to you in gospel contrary to the one we preached to you let him be accursed as we have said before so now i say again if anyone preaching to you is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you have received let him be accursed this is serious business so how can you recognize a false teacher if they left anything out that i've been talking about this morning not in every sermon but or every teaching but as a whole what do they teach is that what the bible teaches how can you know what the bible teaches one minister vadi bacham says if we don't know the bible if we don't know doctrine if we don't know theology it's virtually impossible for us to identify false prophets so what do we do you have to read the bible regularly which pretty much means every day and then as you read the bible you you you should pray for understanding you should also be in a bible study and we offer bible studies here and unfortunately well fortunately some of you quite a few of you are in bible studies but some of you aren't more of you aren't than are and you say things like well i just don't have time for it you have time for what's important every year we have bible studies that begin in september and i'm encouraging you to be with other believers to learn with them pray with them care for each other this will help guard you against false teaching you can attend worship every week that helps guard you against false teaching believers worship god with other believers there's occasionally reasons that you have to miss but too many of us have too many reasons not to attend worship the writer of hebrews said therefore brothers we have confident to enter the most holy place by the blood of jesus by a new and living way that he is open for us through the veil that is to say his flesh and since we have a high priest over the house of god let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse them from an evil conscience and our bodies wash with pure water let us firmly hold the profession of our faith without wavering for he who promised his faithful and let us consider how to spur one another to love and to do good works let us not forsake the assembling together of ourselves as is the manner of some but let us exhort one another especially as you see the day approaching and whenever day appears like this it's capitalized in hebrews it means the day of judgment false prophets are called ravenous wolves and when wolves hunt when they hunt something like sheep they look for the loner they look for the one who is not attached to the flock they look for the one who has wandered away they look for the one who has made themselves vulnerable and that's the one they attack false prophets are like ravenous wolves being attached to the flock knowing your bible worshiping god taking communion praying with your family with your fellow believers and by yourself all these things help protect you from false teachers let's pray our father in heaven thank you thank you for the gospel thank you that we can understand it it's clear and that it can save us pray in jesus name amen