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Kingdom Gems series; Sermon on the Mount
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Welcome to the Kingdom Gems series. We are studying line by line, verse by verse, the full-length sermon of the Lord Jesus Christ given on a hillside just outside the city of Jerusalem—the Sermon on the Mount. These are gems, and they contain the blueprint for the best life possible in the eyes of God.
For months we have been unpacking this teaching. Today we are addressing Matthew 7:15-20, which we title: Beware of These.
In the early days of my walk with the Lord, a man of God shared with me a story about a church on a Caribbean island that invited a very popular preacher to minister. This man preached for three nights, collecting offerings each evening. On the third night, before taking up the offering, he lifted his shirt to reveal a satanic tattoo on his chest. He then mocked the church and its leaders, boasting how easily he had infiltrated their pulpit.
What did those leaders lack? Discernment. And while we might judge that church, the same thing—in subtle ways—is happening right now across this nation. It is happening in pulpits this very morning. It is happening on YouTube, podcasts, conferences, social media, and group chats.
For many of us, we are playing around with the health of our souls and the direction of our lives because we keep lending our ears and our hearts to wrong voices. We call them friends, preachers, evangelists, apostles, and prophets. We keep lending our ears to wrong voices, and often we do not realize we are jeopardizing our spiritual health and our future.
Throughout Scripture, God has been given many titles: Holy, Faithful, Merciful. But perhaps one of the greatest titles God has been given was written by the aged apostle John: "God is love." All of God's dealings with human beings are motivated by love. In His earthly ministry, all of Jesus' dealings with people were motivated by love.
One of the greatest byproducts of love is the desire to protect those we love from danger. We see this in devoted mothers and fathers who protect their children. We see this in the Lord Jesus Christ, who has done everything He can to protect His children and His people from danger.
This is what is behind the heart of the Lord Jesus when He gives us this furious command—born out of love, an attempt to protect you and me from danger.
The Lord Jesus is seated on a hillside. In front of Him are thousands of people who have been following Him because of His miracles and His teaching. He has taught them about kingdom character (the Beatitudes), kingdom identity (salt and light), kingdom foundation (the Word), kingdom discipline (fasting, praying, giving), kingdom stewardship (treasures in heaven), and kingdom soul care ("Don't be anxious for nothing").
After teaching all of this, Jesus looks at them and demands what He demands of you and me: not just an amen, but a decision. He says:
"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. But the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." (Matthew 7:13-14)
There are millions of people on the broad gate—entrepreneurs, influencers, athletes, loved ones, family members, and even people who have been in church their whole life. But Jesus calls us to the narrow gate of discipleship.
Now, standing right outside those gates are voices. On one side are voices leading people down the broad way, telling them, "God is love. God is grace. God is kindness. Don't worry about sin. Don't worry about what you're doing. God knows your heart." These are the voices of the Pharisees and the religious elite, pointing people toward the broad gate.
On the other side are real preachers trying to lead people down the narrow way of discipleship. They may step on your toes. They may tell you things you don't want to hear. They may confront you about your sin. But that is good.
The Lord Jesus, in His love and furious protection for His followers, wanted to draw attention to the voices on the left side—the voices trying to lead people down the broad way to damnation. So He gives them this warning. Listen to it:
"Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." (Matthew 7:15)
The most dangerous threat to the ears of real believers are the voices of fake ones.
Jesus is the only one giving a warning in the entire Sermon on the Mount. Let me use five points—all beginning with "A"—to help you understand what Jesus is telling us.
First: Wake up. False prophets exist. The word "false prophet" is not just an insult we hurl at preachers we disagree with or slip into their comments on social media. False prophets actually exist.
The nation is filled with false prophets. They are in pulpits right now this morning. They are on YouTube. They are on podcasts. They are writing books. They are doing conferences. They are in group chats and text messages. They might be in your circle. Jesus said they exist.
If you take all the preachers, teachers, apostles, prophets, and evangelists who feel called to communicate and put them in an arena, in that room will be voices of those God has chosen and voices of those the devil has influenced. They are not only in churches; they are on television, on radio, and everywhere in America. This United States is saturated with the voices of false prophets.
The Lord wanted His people to be aware of them. So He gives this one command: "Beware." This word is an imperative—a command from Jesus, not a suggestion or an option. It is the Lord shouting through the pages of eternity: Beware of false prophets.
This is like the signs people put on their gates: "Beware of Dog." When you see that sign, what do you do? You stop. You pause. You don't open the gate and walk past it. You think, "Danger. I might get hurt." Jesus says the same: "Beware. Look out for them. Be cautious of them. Be discerning of them. Keep your eyes open for them."
Second: They come to you in sheep's clothing.
Notice what Jesus said: They come to you. You don't have to find them. False prophets come to you. They find you. The apostle John wrote, "They slip in among you." They slip into your DMs. They slide into your text messages. They slide into your algorithm. They slide into your YouTube feed.
"They come to you. You don't have to find them. A false prophet will always find people and make them listen."
But I want you to notice their appearance. They come in sheep's clothing. Historically, shepherds wore sheep's clothing so they could be identified with sheep and watch over them. Jesus says false prophets come to you in sheep's clothing—they look just like genuine believers.
Now, let's think about sheep. Sheep are metaphors for you and me—the people of God. Sheep are among the most unintelligent animals in the animal kingdom. They have no natural defense mechanism against predators, which is why they need shepherds to protect them. When sheep come into a pack, they nip at each other constantly. If one sheep jumps off a cliff, the other sheep will follow.
This is why shepherds had sticks. They would beat off threats with rods. They would call out predators. They would drive sheep into pens and lay in the gate while the sheep were in the hedges, making sure no predators came through.
Jesus said:
"The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy. But I am the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:10-11)
He is talking about false prophets and bad teaching that come to steal, kill, and destroy. That is why He calls Himself the good shepherd.
So what does sheep's clothing mean? It means false prophets look just like genuine believers. They talk like believers. They preach like believers. They text you like believers. They slip into the church looking like believers. They are in community, in small groups, on platforms, in conferences, writing books, on YouTube, with Facebook lives and Instagram lives. They sound like believers, talk like believers, walk like believers, and dress like believers.
Because we are unintelligent animals, we just give them acceptance, saying, "Oh, that's a real brother or sister." Why? Because they look, sound, smell, talk, flow, and move just like genuine believers.
Third: Inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
Let's talk about the relationship between sheep and wolves. In Israel, where sheep roam, these unintelligent animals with no natural defense mechanism have one primary predator: wolves who roam the countryside looking for an easy meal. They seize on sheep that get away from the pack—the sheep that go astray from the community of the herd.
It is no wonder that people who disconnect from the church, who want nothing to do with community or the body of Christ, find themselves taken down by the teaching of wolves.
What do we know about wolves? Wolves are ravenous beasts. They have insatiable appetites. They are merciless. They eat until they kill. They hunt. They take down sheep.
This is the attitude of the false prophet. Their agenda is to seek their own influence. They have their own goals. They love influence. They love division. They love to pick off sheep. They slip into relationships and divide friends. With the proliferation of social media, they build their own platforms and tell you, "Come to my conferences. Buy my books. Sow into my ministry."
They are everywhere. And we, like unintelligent sheep with no discernment, keep running behind wolves because they have a big Instagram following, status, money, eloquent speech, or five degrees. There are wolves with degrees, money, status, prestige, power, and influence. That is all they keep craving on the inside.
We have created a cancel culture in the church where as soon as wolves get called out by name, the real prophet is called judgmental. So we cannot even protect the unintelligent sheep from the wolves. False prophets keep roaming the countryside, tearing up unintelligent sheep.
You have people who are serial adulterers, serial scandals, always about money, always popping up with some new scheme, hopping from state to state. They have no signs of repentance or remorse. They keep fleecing people for more money, more houses. And we just say, "Oh, God knows his heart." Yes, God does know his heart—and on the inside, he is a ravenous wolf, a false prophet.
Fourth: You will recognize them by their fruits.
Jesus says:
"How will you know them? You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Every healthy 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." (Matthew 7:16-18)
He says you will know a false prophet by their fruits with an 's'—plural. Not fruit, but fruits. Let's unpack this word.
The word "fruits" refers to the body of their words and deeds. Fruits is a tag word for character. You will know them by their character. Listen to the words coming out of their mouths and the actions and deeds of their lives.
Now, Jesus could have used any analogy, but He chose a tree. Here is the wisdom: I have never seen somebody plant a tree and have it bear fruit in a week. A tree takes time. It takes time to grow, to sprout its branches, and then to start bearing fruit.
"Before you start labeling people as real, you have to watch them for a season."
You have not watched them for a season. You are just "buddy buddy" and "chummy chummy," sending them money and going to their conferences. I have been saved for 20 years. I have been preaching for 10 years. My fruit is hanging from the tree. But one false prophet gets in your ear, and suddenly you do not like my voice. They have been saved for a week. You do not even know them. You just met them. You have not been around them for 10 years. You do not know their past. They have not been around long enough to grow, sprout their branches, and bear fruit.
Listen to me: I have never seen oranges hanging on an apple tree. Never. When I was in Queens, there were trees with these little orange things—stink bombs. When they hit the ground and burst, they stink. I would walk past those stink bomb trees in the schoolyard, and I would never see apples there. No matter how much I said, "This is an apple tree," it is not. It is a stink bomb tree.
"No matter how much you like their posts, send them money, go to their conferences, or buy their books, if they are a stink bomb, they will never be anything other than the fruit that comes from the root of who they are."
If their root is corrupt, they will bear bad character. If their root is pure, they will bear good character. The Lord says there is no other option.
You keep giving them grace. "I know they act like that, but grace. I know they spread seeds of division, but grace. I know they are a serial adulterer, but grace." How long will you keep staring at that stink bomb tree and trying to force it to be an apple tree?
You give too much credit to people who just popped up on the scene with a new title behind their name. You need to watch for a season to determine: are they real or phony? You will only know a tree by the fruit it bears, and a tree does not bear fruit when it is first planted. You need to watch it for a period of time before you give it your ears and your heart.
Fifth: Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Jesus says:
"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits." (Matthew 7:19-20)
You can fool man. You will not fool Jesus Christ. If you do not repent from your mouth and your ways, when He comes, you will be cut down and thrown into the fire—eternal damnation. The reward for beguiling sheep is damnation.
This is why Paul said:
"If any man preaches any other gospel than the one that I preach, let that man be damned, accursed." (Galatians 1:8)
Listen to me by the Spirit: I do not care how big their Instagram is, how famous they are, how much money they have, what buildings they own, or how popular they are. The Holy Spirit will never tell you to do or say something contrary to the word of God. If someone tells you that, you are hearing from your flesh, not from God.
The Holy Spirit is the author of the word of God through 40 different men, across 1500 years, on three different continents, in three different languages. The Holy Spirit would never tell a man or woman to say or do something contrary to Scripture, because God is not a liar.
You cannot tell me your prophet said such and such if Scripture goes against what your prophet, apostle, pastor, or teacher said. The best way to deal with false prophets is to be informed about the word of God.
This is why Jesus was teaching you about prayer before He got to this section. The more you pray, the more sensitive you are to the Spirit. And the more Scripture you know, the easier it is to discern a lie. Many of us are duped by false prophets because we are biblically illiterate.
You love churches that move your emotions, but you get bored with teaching. You love to jump out of your chair, but you do not like teaching, so you fall asleep during teaching while wolves ravage your soul. The more word you know, the more a lie sounds like static in your soul.
But there is hope. Wherever there is a phony of something, the real thing exists. If there is a knockoff Louis Vuitton bag, that means a real Louis bag exists. So the existence of false prophets means real prophets exist. Because I love you, I want to give you seven marks of a real prophet:
1. True prophets have a life that displays great character. Not a moment—a life.
2. True prophets speak messages that align with the will and the word of God. If they are speaking things that do not align with the Bible, they are a false prophet or teaching false doctrine.
3. True prophets speak declarations that come to pass. They told you four years ago it was the year of so and so, but that did not happen in your life. They said it would be the year every Christian gets wealthy, but you are still struggling. You ever notice how some prophets keep telling you how to have a life of wealth and ease, and the only one profiting from the prophet's ministry is the prophet himself?
4. True prophets speak hard messages that inspire godly change. If they only tell you what your itching ears want to hear, they are not a real prophet. You cannot find one prophet in the Bible who told people what they wanted to hear. Prophets gave people messages to lead them toward godly change. Real prophets do not stroke the flesh. They put wounds in the flesh.
5. True prophets do not tailor messages to suit fleshly passions. They do not twist the word to make you feel comfortable.
6. True prophets have spirited discernment into the lives of others.
7. A true prophet today is a strong pointer to the greatest prophet. Check the prophets of the Bible. They were pointers. They talked about themselves, but most of their pointing was toward God. When you listen to a real prophet, they are always pointing you not to themselves, but to the Lord Jesus Christ.
So I ask you about your prophet: How often do you hear Jesus in their message? Are they spending 50 minutes drawing you to themselves, or 50 minutes pointing you toward the greatest prophet the world has ever known—the Lord Jesus Christ, the shepherd who laid down His life for the unintelligent sheep?
Let me share several passages that speak to this issue:
"I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught. Avoid them. For such persons do not serve the Lord Christ, but their own appetites. And by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive." (Romans 16:17-18)
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1)
"The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I did not send them, nor did I command them to speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, worthless divinations, and the deceit of their own minds... those prophets shall be consumed." (Jeremiah 14:14-15)
"The prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods—that same prophet shall die." (Deuteronomy 18:20)
The Lord is so serious about protecting your ear gates and your heart that He calls for the removal of false voices. So take all your favorite prophets and run them through this criteria. If they do not meet it, you need to back off and watch for fruit for a season. If you start seeing words and character that are not biblical, you might need to kill that voice in your ear.
Yes, they might be your friend. But it is your ears. It is your soul. It is the future of your life. You have heard today from a real prophet. Your choice.
There is somebody in this room right now. The greatest prophet the world has ever known is calling you, saying, "I want you, my son, my daughter. You have done church your whole life, but you do not belong to me. I want to be a father to you. I want to heal you from your wounds. I want to give you a new life. I want to make you a new creature. I want to be there for you. I want to hear your voice and help you with all your problems. I want to be your Lord who died for you and your Savior. I want to guide you for the rest of your life. I want to change the direction of your life. I want to snatch you from that broad way and put you on a narrow way that is going toward eternal life. I am trying to rescue you right now. Come to me, my new shepherd. Come to me, my new son or my daughter."
If that is you, the Lord right now is calling you out of sin, out of that broad way. The real prophet is calling you into a brand new life. If that is you, surrender your life to Him right now. Tell God you are sorry for all your sin. Put your faith in Him. Say, "Lord, I am sorry for all my sin. Forgive me for my life of sin." Surrender your life to Him right now.
Jesus, You change everything. You heal souls and You find those who are lost. Come on, surrender to Him. He can hear you. Surrender. He can hear you. Talk to Him now.
