1. The Life of Christ – Lesson 7
January 9, 2019
Matthew Chapters 5-7
Luke 6:20-49
The Life of Christ – Lesson 7
The Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 7:15-24
“You will know them by their fruits …”
“He who does the will of My Father …”

2. “Beware of the false prophets …”, Matthew 7:15-20
Who’s enticing all the “many” through the “narrow” gate and down the “broad” way? The “many false prophets” Jesus warns about. Matthew 24:11, 24; cf. 2 Timothy 4:1-3 They will bring about the “destruction” (same word used in verse 13) of “many.” 2 Peter 2:1-3

3. “Beware of the false prophets …”, Matthew 7:15-20
What is our responsibility?
Can we look beyond outward appearances to what they are “inwardly”? Verse 15; Matthew 23:25-28
“… you will know them by their fruits …”
They’ll come through the side door in disguise, looking outwardly the part of a prophet/ teacher of God.
Remember the difference(s) between Saul and David (1 Samuel 16:7)
1 Kings 13:14-19 – “18 And he said to him, "I also am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, 'Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.'" But he lied to him.
1 Thess. 5:21-22 – “But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil.
Rapacious – defined: aggressively greedy or grasping. Excessively grasping or covetous. (Merriam-Webster) given to seizing for plunder or the satisfaction of greed. inordinately greedy; predatory; extortionate: dictionary.com

4. “Beware of the false prophets …”, Matthew 7:15-20
They look like:
“Sheep” – how do they appear? Dangerous?
Rapacious – defined: aggressively greedy or grasping. Excessively grasping or covetous. (Merriam-Webster) given to seizing for plunder or the satisfaction of greed. inordinately greedy; predatory; extortionate: dictionary.com

5. “Beware of the false prophets …”, Matthew 7:15-20
They are in fact:
“ravening wolves” – Definition: “rapacious”, Matthew 10:16; John 10:12; Acts 20:29 (cf. Ezekiel 22:27; Habakkuk 1:8)
“… the dread of the shepherds of Palestine …” (Smith’s Bible Dictionary)
“… the fiercest
member of the dog
Family …” (International Standard Bible
Encyclopedia)
Rapacious – defined: aggressively greedy or grasping. Excessively grasping or covetous. (Merriam-Webster) given to seizing for plunder or the satisfaction of greed. inordinately greedy; predatory; extortionate: dictionary.com
Matt 10:16 - "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; therefore be shrewd as serpents, and innocent as doves.”
John 10:12 – “He who is a hireling, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, beholds the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees, and the wolf snatches them, and scatters them.”

6. “Beware of the false prophets …”, Matthew 7:15-20
Our responsibility as defined in 1 John 4:1
“Do not believe every spirit …” - 1 Kings 13; (Deuteronomy 13:1-3)
Or else we end up being “tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14)
“… test the spirits …”
Acts 17:11; 15:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:21
“Test” – to scrutinize, exam, prove … determine the genuineness.
How? Then versus now
1 Kings 13:14-19 – “So he went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak; and he said to him, "Are you the man of God who came from Judah?" And he said, "I am." 15 Then he said to him, "Come home with me and eat bread." 16 And he said, "I cannot return with you, nor go with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. 17 For a command came to me by the word of the Lord, 'You shall eat no bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way which you came.'" 18 And he said to him, "I also am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, 'Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.'" But he lied to him. 19 So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house and drank water.
1 Thess. 5:21-22 – “But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil.

7. “Beware of the false prophets …”, Matthew 7:15-20
What is their fruit?
Their words. Matthew 12:33-37; listen to them!
Their things – greed. 2 Peter 2:3, 14; John 10:12-13; 1 Timothy 6:5; Colossians 3:5; Jude 16
Their effect - division and destruction. Acts 20:29; Proverbs 6:14, 19
Their authority – application of human wisdom. Matthew 7:21-23; 1 Corinthians 1:26- 2:5; Jeremiah 5:31; 23:16; 1 Peter 4:11
“New” doctrine. Galatians 1:8-9
Bearing Fruit – Colossians 1:6-10
1 Timothy 6:5 – there will be men “who suppose godliness is a means of gain”.
Jude 16 – speaking arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.

8. “Beware of the false prophets …”, Matthew 7:15-20
Preachers of truth: what is their fruit? Example of good fruit: Acts 20:18ff where Paul said in essence, look at my fruit. Colossians 1:6-10; Galatians 5:19-21
Bearing Fruit – Colossians 1:6-10
1 Timothy 6:5 – there will be men “who suppose godliness is a means of gain”.
Jude 16 – speaking arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.

9. “Make the tree good …”, Matthew 12:33-35
Matthew 12:33-35, “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit … The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.”
Who “makes the tree good”?
An imperative command for “you” to “make the tree good.”
What is a “good” tree?
It’s defined by God (Matthew 19:17; Titus 3:14)
Luke 6:45, what is filling our heart?

10. “Beware of the false prophets …”, Matthew 7:15-20
How do we “make the tree good”? Matthew 12: “The good man out of his good treasure brings forth what is good …” (verse 35; Luke 6:43-45) “Treasure” from the Greek word thesauros which means “a deposit” (Strong) or “collected treasures” (Thayer) Matthew 6:19-21 “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.” We make the tree good through our deposits. We reap what we sow. Galatians 6:7-8
Luke 6:45, what is filling our heart?
The fig tree (sukēn) is used as the basis for many agricultural illustrations in Scripture (Jer. 8:13; 24:1-8; Hos. 9:10; Mic. 7:1; Matt. 21:19-21; 24:32; Mark 11:12-24; 13:28; James 3:12; Rev. 6:13; et. al).

11. “Beware of the false prophets …”, Matthew 7:15-20
God is expecting fruit! Matthew 25:14ff
What happens if no fruit is produced? Verse 19
“Cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Who else used such language?
John the Baptist in Matthew 3:10
Later Jesus tells a parable to make the same point. Luke 13:6-9
Who’s fault? Isaiah 5:1-7
Luke 6:45, what is filling our heart?
The fig tree (sukēn) is used as the basis for many agricultural illustrations in Scripture (Jer. 8:13; 24:1-8; Hos. 9:10; Mic. 7:1; Matt. 21:19-21; 24:32; Mark 11:12-24; 13:28; James 3:12; Rev. 6:13; et. al).