Watch Out for False Prophets -- 9/17/06 (Eternal Realities)

Sunday, September 17, 2006

WATCH OUT FOR FALSE PROPHETS
Matthew 7:13-20

We concluded last week with that penetrating question: How do you know that you are not deceived concerning salvation in Jesus Christ? In other words, though you say that you have repented and believed, how do you know it was genuine? How do you know that you won’t be a part of that large crowd in the last day who will hear Jesus say, "I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity"? I remind you that in that day many will say, "Lord, Lord." They will even say, "Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works." How do you know that you have not been deceived into believing that you are saved, when you are not?

If you would like to put it in nice religious terms, "What assurance do you have of salvation?" You say you are a child of God, but how do you know? You say that you are going to heaven, but how do you know?

At this point, let me say a word about the man who is speaking to you this morning. I want you to know that I speak to you with fear and trembling. Who do I think I am, trying to give you guidance in answering a question that is such a life and death matter? I am nobody. I have absolutely no authority. I have no credentials. All I have is the Word of God, and it is the same Word you have. I recently heard a man say that present-day American Christianity is shaped more by an ungodly culture than by the Word of God, and I believe it, because that’s the truth. Many of you here this morning may not be aware of it, but what you believe is based far more on what you have heard men say than what you have received from the Word of God. So I beg you not to accept anything I say at face value, but be like the Berean Christians, who "received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11). What I also ask you to do is not to judge what I say on the basis of your cherished beliefs. Look at the Word of God. Nothing can dispel the deception that hangs over us except the Spirit-given Word of God.

Let me pause there for just a moment. I mentioned "the deception that hangs over us." Don’t take that lightly. Brothers and sisters, friends, we are a deceived people. We can see it in the past much more clearly than we can see it in the present, but don’t think for a moment that we are not presently deceived. All of us know that there was a time when segregation and discrimination was a way of life in our country. Denying blacks the same rights as whites was so well-accepted that no one even needed to justify it. But praise God that the church of our Lord Jesus Christ led the way in proclaiming that such a practice was wrong and ungodly. What a joke. To our shame, the world was ahead of the church. For the most part, the church defended a belief and practice that was ungodly. Why? Because the church was deceived.
Jesus said bluntly that a person cannot serve God and mammon. He said, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt. 6:19-21). Who can meditate seriously on those words of

Jesus and honestly say that we are not deceived in our day?
Before we directly answer that question concerning how we can know that we have truly repented and believed, we must first take a look at a passage from Matthew 7. I pray that as we study this passage this morning, we will come to understand that there is an all-out Satanic attempt to deceive us concerning our relationship with God, and Satan has in his camp many false prophets.

Now let’s read from that Word. Let’s begin with our memory passage for this month. In order to get the context, we will read all of Matt. 7:13-23…
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 15. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17. Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

Over the past several years, you have heard me read, quote, and refer to verses 21-23 dozens and maybe even hundreds of times. In my estimation, this is one of the most shocking passages in all the Bible. Nevertheless, our religious society seems to be blind to its message. I believe the heart-felt response to Jesus’ stern words is something like this: "Oh yes, I do believe what Jesus says in this passage. Many people will be disappointed on the last day and will be turned away into hell, but I won’t be one of them." How do you know?

What I want you to see this morning is that Matt. 7:21-23 does not stand alone. There is truth in the Word of God that can blow away our deception before that final day. If there is any possibility that you might be one of those many who will be rejected by Jesus in that day, don’t you want to know it now, before it is too late? Isn’t there the remote possibility that some of us, even many of us, might be wrong in what we believe about our relationship to God?… I told you these are serious matters. Now you know why I speak to you with fear and trembling.

"Enter ye in at the strait gate." We don’t use that word "strait" in our everyday language. About the only place you will see it is on maps. Have you ever heard of the Straits of Gibraltar? The dictionary defines "strait" as "narrow; restricted." Then metaphorically it came to mean "strict, rigorous; difficult." Basically, "strait" is just another word for "narrow." So we see that the gate into the kingdom of God is narrow. We have already examined that truth in some detail. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me" (Jn. 14:6). There is no other way. Yes, the gate is narrow. And we must come through repentance and faith. There is much more we could say about the narrow gate, and later on we probably will. For now, let us be aware that the narrow gate is much narrower than what many of us have understood. No one goes through the gate unless God Himself has given Him life.

On the other hand, the gate that leads to destruction is what? It is wide. Wide, of course, is the opposite of "strait" or "narrow." Jesus wants to focus on these gates, which are so very different. The wide gate will allow most anyone to come in. "Oh yes, it’s great to believe in Jesus, but let’s not be too dogmatic about Jesus. There are many Jesus’s in this world. The man who lives a good life and loves others, is that not Jesus? It is the spirit of Jesus that is important." But sometimes the temptation to go in through the wide gate is more subtle. "Just decide today for Jesus. Just ask Jesus into your heart." And we could rattle off another hundred such building materials for the wide gate. But make no mistake about it, the wide gate leads to destruction. While it must be admitted that to come to Jesus through repentance and faith is a very narrow way, it is the way that leads to life. Every other gate is wide and eventually leads to destruction.

I believe we have some understanding of that, but now I want you to see something else. Jesus not only speaks of the gate, but He also speaks of the way, the path. And what does He say? "Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat." Those who enter the wide gate also walk on the broad road that leads to destruction. And just as Jesus says later in verses 21-23, many are entering the wide gate and traveling the broad road to destruction.

But what about those who enter the narrow gate? Once we squeeze through the narrow gate, nothing else matters, right? In verse 13, Jesus urges us to enter through the strait/narrow gate. In verse 14, He tells us why: "Because strait is the gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there by that find it." Did you catch that? Not only must we enter through the narrow gate, but we must also walk on the narrow path. The word translated "narrow" comes from a verb which means "to press hard upon." The noun form is often translated "tribulation." The path is narrow. That is, it is the way of suffering and tribulation. Just as the gate is constricted and difficult, so is the path on the other side of the narrow gate. Jesus tells us the gate is narrow in order to make it clear that there is only one way to enter the narrow path. But please notice that Jesus does not give us the freedom to enter through the narrow gate and then walk on any path we choose. Entering through the narrow gate and walking on the broad path is not an option.

Now please listen. If your assurance of salvation consists in the fact that one time you prayed a prayer to receive Christ, then you have no regard for the narrow way. You might as well say, "I entered through the narrow gate, and that’s all that matters." The evidence of entering through the narrow gate is a continual walking on the narrow path. Let me say that again: It is our walking on the narrow path that proves we have entered through the narrow gate.

Someone will surely say, "I don’t care what anyone says; I gave my life to Jesus when I was 16 years old, and it was real. I will never forget that experience." If you have that attitude, then you have a choice to make. Will you cling to the memory of your experience? Or, will you come to the Word of God and let the Lord guide you in seeking assurance of knowing Him? The choice is yours. No one can make it for you. However, Jesus gives us plenty to chew on in this passage.

But why should this be a difficult thing? If a man says that he was saved 25 years ago and that experience seemed genuine, why should there be any reason to question it. Because we have an enemy whose chief strategy is deception. That deceiver is transformed into an angel of light. Let me remind you of what Peter says in 1 Pet 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." Let me tell you how he devours people. He devours people by deceiving them into believing what is not true. We forget that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. The devil isn’t using a broad sword or a machine gun or a car bomb, but he is wielding every kind of deception imaginable. If he can trick a person into believing he is a child of God when he is not, then the devil has him right where he wants him.

If you don’t think Jesus has deception in mind in this passage (Matt. 7:13-14), just check out the following words in verse 15, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." Throughout the Bible we can read about false prophets. We find them in the Old Testament; we find them in the New Testament. But who are these false prophets about whom Jesus speaks?

First of all, we must take into consideration that these false prophets are not easily detected. At first, we might think that a false prophet is some leader who openly teaches heresy. But that doesn’t fit the description here. These false prophets come in sheep’s clothing. It is very difficult to recognize them for what they are – false prophets. Then we must also understand that while they are in sheep’s clothing, they are in reality like ravenous wolves. They are extremely dangerous and destructive. So in trying to identify these false prophets, we must keep both of these factors in mind.

Let me suggest to you that the false prophet is one who comes appears to be right on in both his teaching and his conduct. He is nice and pleasant. He often looks like the model Christian. That’s what makes him so attractive to others. He uses the right language and does the right things. What can possibly be wrong with this man? After all, he talks about God, about Jesus, about the cross, the love of God. If this is a false prophet, he is definitely in sheep’s clothing. But we can’t see anything wrong with his teaching or his conduct.

Now before we go any further, notice verse 16, "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?" The answer is an obvious, "No." It may be difficult to distinguish the kind of tree that is before you. But wait a while, and when it begins to bear fruit, then you know what kind of tree it is. And when reduced to simplest terms, there are two kinds of trees – good trees and corrupt trees. A good tree cannot bear evil fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. You will be able to identify these false prophets by their fruit. You will be able to see the evil in both their teaching and their conduct.

Now in identifying these false prophets, I owe a great debt to Martin Lloyd-Jones, the English preacher I quoted last week. He wrote a classic volume on the Sermon on the Mount. It was probably about ten years ago (or maybe 15) that I read through his comments on Matthew 7. It is normal for me to forget such things after a few months, but I never quite forgot some of the things he said about false prophets. So I decided a couple of weeks ago to go back and review what he had to say. The truth of his words made an even greater impact on me this time. Many of the comments I will make about these false prophets have their roots in what Pastor Lloyd-Jones said back in the late 1950’s.

Here is the problem with the teaching (and the conduct) of the false prophets. There is no "strait gate" and "narrow way" in their teaching. The falseness of their teaching is not in what they say, but in what they don’t say. And that is why detecting them is like picking out the wolf in sheep’s clothing. The false prophet does not say things that are terribly wrong. Many false prophets thrive in our religious society because they are not recognized for what they are – false prophets. Lloyd-Jones puts it this way: "We have somehow got hold of the idea that error is only that which is outrageously wrong; and we do not understand that the most dangerous person of all is the one who does not emphasize the right things." That is a powerful statement and one that bears repeating many times. The false prophet has no "strait gate" or "narrow way" in his gospel. He rarely, if ever, offends anyone. He is such a nice guy and gives great comfort to everyone. He can get along with any crowd. Yes, he is all things to all men.

Peter tells us in II Pet. 2:1, "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you…" Peter is speaking of the people of Israel during Old Testament times. For example, let’s look at the false prophets during the days of Jeremiah. Listen to what the Lord says in Jer. 6:13-14…
For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. 14. They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

This statement must have been very important because in Jer. 8:10-11 it is repeated. Notice especially that these priests and prophets healed the hurt of the people slightly. And how did they do it? They assured them that everything was all right by saying, "Peace, peace." But in reality, there was no peace. Why not? Because the people were given over to covetousness (and many other grievous sins which Jeremiah mentions). Rather than confronting them with their sin, these false prophets told them everything was okay. That doesn’t necessarily mean they said, "It is okay to sin; it is all right to practice covetousness." More likely, they said something like: "You are bringing your sacrifices to the altar. The name of the Lord is on your lips. Peace to those who call on the name of the Lord."

That isn’t the end of the story. Let’s go back and read Jer 5:31, "The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means [by their own authority – NIV; NASV]; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?" The people loved it because they were never made to feel uncomfortable in their sin.

Now as we read from II Peter, as there were false prophets among the people of old, so there shall be false teachers among you. We are living in those days. All we have to do is look around. Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruit.

So here is the question: What kind of fruit are we looking for? How can a false prophet deceive people today? What will his teaching and conduct be like? I want to share some of the things that Martin Lloyd-Jones saw over 65 years ago. You examine them. If they were true then, how much more true they are today. There are certain things that the false prophet will not emphasize…

1. Biblical doctrines such as the holiness, righteousness, justice, and wrath of God (along with final judgment and eternal destiny of the lost in hell). Now the false prophet does not deny these truths; he would never do so. If you were to carefully examine him, he would affirm all of these truths. And you would go away saying, "This man believes the Word of God." BUT he doesn’t emphasize these truths. He rarely talks about them at all. But few people notice, because he is always talking about God’s love. The God the false prophet preaches is a God of love, and by His neglect of the other great truths, He is viewed as a God of love only.

Does that sound familiar? When we consider a biblical concept such as hell, many will immediately say, "No, a God of love would never send anyone to hell." The false prophet would not likely ever say such a thing, because then he could be clearly identified as a false prophet. Rather, he simply doesn’t say anything about hell. If he does, he will emphasize that hell wasn’t made for man, but for the devil and his angels. Do you see? He tells the truth, but he doesn’t tell all of the truth. And that kind of teaching leads to destruction, because people can believe they are hearing the Word of God and yet never be confronted with the holiness and justice and wrath of Almighty God.

What else does the false prophet fail to emphasize?

2. The exceeding sinfulness of sin and the total inability of man to do anything about his own salvation. The false prophet will not deny that we are sinners, but he will rarely speak the truth that we are sinners by nature, that we are sinners to the depth of our being. Though we are sinners, it isn’t that serious. The false prophet will steer away from the truth that we come into this world "dead in our trespasses and sins" (Eph. 2:1). He certainly will not mention the truth that all of our righteous deeds are like filthy rags (Is. 64:6). That might be offensive to people. I once quoted that verse and a woman who professed to be a Christian called me on the carpet. She made it clear that she didn’t believe that. That is certainly her privilege to disbelieve what the Bible says, but at the same time she must be confronted with that truth. The false prophet avoids confronting people with these truths, because he doesn’t want to offend.

3. Repentance in any real sense. We want give much emphasis to this concept of repentance, because that was our subject last week, as we talked about the necessity of both repentance and faith, as preached by our Lord Jesus Himself, when He said, "Repent and believe the gospel."

I do need to warn us that this is one of the greatest dangers that we face in our day. It is dangerous because very well-respected Christian teachers defend their view that repentance is not necessary for salvation. Some of you read or have read the "Ryrie Study Bible," which is quite popular. Charles Ryrie is a well-respected teacher, but he defends the position that repentance is not required to be saved, or at least that "repent" is a synonym of "believe." Am I calling this man a false prophet? No. I am simply pointing out that this is a false teaching that is propagated by very well-respected teachers and institutions within the evangelical church. Don’t be deceived.

Those are some of the things that Pastor Lloyd-Jones saw years ago. There are other false teachings that characterize our day.

1. A twisting of "grace." This is a twin to the exclusive emphasis on God’s love and neglect of His holiness and wrath. Praise God for grace, but grace is being redefined in our day. The false prophet has used grace to tell us that we don’t have to be concerned about God’s commands. The only important thing is God’s grace. We will talk more about this at a later time, for now take some time to chew on the fourth verse of Jude: "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ."
2. The seeker sensitive movement. I’m sure there are those who embrace this movement with lofty motives. "We must make the gospel relevant to our culture. The message can’t be changed, but the methods can." Somewhere the truth of the gospel has become subservient to the pragmatism of man. In other words, much of the church today has embraced the philosophy, "If it works, do it. If we can attract big crowds by abandoning the mentioning of certain subjects, then we will do it." In other words, the end justifies the means. That was a lie a hundred years ago, and it is still a lie. The seeker sensitive movement finds out what people need and then engages them on the basis of those needs. That sounds very logical. If people are having marital problems, then plan a series of sermons on marriage. Give them the help they need, and they will come back. But be careful not to say anything that will offend them. You don’t have to mention that God hates divorce. The biggest problem with this approach is that it is man-centered rather than God-centered. The Bible begins with God; this philosophy begins with man. It trusts the logic of man’s wisdom rather than the foolishness of God’s wisdom.

Conclusion

So always keep in mind Jesus’ warning about the false prophet. He will come to you in sheep’s clothing, but he is as dangerous as a hungry wolf. His true character will not be easy to identify, but watch him carefully, because by his fruit you will know him. Don’t be taken in by his smooth, feel-good message. Don’t be fooled by his winsome personality and his "nice-guy" approach.

In contrast to the message of the false prophet, the message of our Lord Jesus did not always make His hearers feel good. Jesus was not afraid to offend; neither were His apostles. And when you come directly to the Word of God, you will find that God did not send it to you in order to build up your self-esteem. If that is what you find when you read the Bible, then you are reading it through the filter of a false prophet. In His Word, God confronts us with the truth. That is why Jesus boldly said, "If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me" (Mt. 16:24). It was no false prophet who captured the essence of Jesus’ invitation with the words, "When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die." Those are the words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a man who responded to that invitation and eventually died because he stood with Jesus.

Those of you who profess to know Christ, I beg you to cry out to God: "O God, make me hungry for your Word. Don’t let me rely on the words of men, but speak to me through the words of your holy scripture, for those are the words that able to make me wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus (II Tim. 3:15). Lord, no matter what you have to do, plant that hunger in me. Make me so hungry that I cannot live by bread alone, but I must have your Word."

In contrast to the false prophet, what will the true prophet do? What will the faithful believer do? The faithful friend? "Faithful are the wounds of a friend…" (Prov. 27:6).