7:15-20
Further showing that God allows and expects us to be discerning if found in his warning about false prophets who will come. They look like sheep, but they are wolves. They mislead people by misinterpreting Scripture, by introducing the practices of other religions, and claiming new revelations.
And they came quickly! Around 48 A.D., teachers from Judea came to Antioch and taught that the Gentiles had to become circumcised before they could be saved. In effect, they had to embrace Judaism before they could become Christians. Paul and Barnabas opposed them. This led to the conference in Jerusalem recorded in Acts 15. The apostles and elders rejected the teaching of the Judaizers.
About the same time, the same group came to the churches of Galatia, teaching a works based salvation based on Judaism. Paul wrote Galatians to correct this false teaching.
The author of the book of Hebrews argued against returning to Judaism. He warned against strange teachings.
John tells us: “Beloved do not believer every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world”. (1John 4:1) He also warned of “many deceivers who have gone out into the world” teaching that Jesus did not come in the flesh. (2 John 1:7)
They continue to come. How do we know them?
One way we recognize them is by their fruits. A grapevine produces grapes, not thorns. A fig tree produces figs. Jesus’ audience knew those plants and knew that Jesus told the truth.
Jesus also said a healthy tree produces good fruit. The opposite is also true. A diseased tree bears bad fruit.
It is the same with prophets and preachers. Thus, we can recognize false prophets by what they produce.
First, we can look at their message. Is it Biblical? Remember the Bereans in Acts 17. They heard Paul’s message, then examined the scriptures to see if Paul’s message was true. Know your Bible and you will know the truth.
Second, we can look at their lifestyle. Are they faithful in marriage or sexually immoral? Do they live extravagantly and claim God wants them to live this way?
How do they treat other people? Are they arrogant and demanding? Are they mean? Do they possess the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23?
Third, how do they relate to the church? Do they attend a church and participate in it? Are they divisive within the church body?
It is important that shepherds protection the sheep of their flock from the wolves. But, the sheep should also be discerning and aware of false prophets.
Ultimately, God will judge false prophets. Jesus said trees that bear bad fruit are cut down and burned in the fire. (19) This is a metaphor used to illustrate the eternal destiny of false prophets.
False Disciples
7:21-23
Not only will there be false prophets to the church, there will be false disciples in the congregation. There will be those who seemed to profess faith in Christ, but did not truly do so.
How do we know those false disciples? It can be difficult. James gives us some guidance:
But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a heart of he word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in the mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets, but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” (James 1:23-25)
The one who reads and studies God’s word and applies it to himself, or herself, is a doer of the word. That person grows in faith, endures hard times, loves and serves others, and constantly seeks to obey God’s word.
The one who hears only is the one who reads the Bible, or hears a sermon, and deflects from himself to others or ignores it altogether. That person never grows and may even be a false disciple.
How we deal with non-believers in our congregations is often a topic of discussion. Once current term is “regenerate membership”, the idea that only genuine believers should be considered members of the church. That is why our church requires prospective members to attend the First Steps class and an interview with an elder.
The Rock On Which You Build Your House
7:24-27
Jesus closed his sermon with a promise and a warning. The promise is that the doer of the word builds his life around Christ, his word, and the church, will not fall. He or she weathers the storms of life in faith. You could call it a rock solid faith.
In contrast, those who do not build their lives upon God and his word will risk falling and even being destroyed.
The Crowd’s Reaction
7:28-29
The people who heard this sermon were astonished. Jesus taught as one with authority. The scribes quoted famous rabbis for authority, but Jesus did not.
That is because Jesus had authority as the Son God. He said “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me”. (Matthew 28:18) Jesus will demonstrate his authority, as well as his divinity, in the miracles he performs in the following chapters.
So, Jesus calls us to make a radical choice to live differently that the world, taking the narrow road, doing what the word says, not what the world says. We imitate Christ in obedience, in love, and in service.
