False!
A Look at the Sermon on the Mount • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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The United States Secret Service is most famous for being the presidential security detail, but that is not their primary function. Being part of the Department of the Treasury the Secret Service’s main duty to its country is prevention and apprehension of counterfeit currency. The men and women who are part of the Secret Service can spot a fake bill from a mile away, but how? You might thing they spend hours of their day studying every counterfeit bill in existence, but you’d be wrong. To learn the difference between what is real and what is fake, they in fact study the genuine article. Becasue they are so familiar with the way real money looks and feels they only have to see or touch a fake bill once to know the difference.
In this section of His message, Jesus tells us that He knows a fake when He sees it! There are two types of counterfeits Jesus mentions in this passage, the first is...
False Prophets 15-20
False Prophets 15-20
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
The word is “pseudoprophētēs” and means pretender or imposter prophet. Notice their character:
Deceitful - “they come to you in sheep’s clothing” - that is they give the appearance of being a child of God.
Extortion - “ravening wolves”. The wolf is the enemy of the sheep. The word ravenous means to extort. Real prophets exhort and encourage, not the false prophets
Paul warned of these men and their evil character
Acts 20:29 “29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.”
They seek to draw men to themselves instead of pointing them to Christ
Peter also warned
2 Peter 2:3 “3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.”
These ravenous wolves will go after you pocketbooks!
What then are we to do? Jesus tells us two things:
We can easily identify them
Matthew 7:16–18 “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.”
Matthew 7:20 “20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”
What is the product of their message? Is it salvation and growth, or is it self and gloat? It is important we pay attention or else we will just as easily be swept away.
Next Jesus tells us...
He will certainly deal with them
What a judgment that will be Matthew 7:19 “19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”
That’s pretty clear.
Church, there are a lot of false prophets out there, and you should be aware. If they’re preaching telling you about their needs, they’re probably not a real prophet. False prophets weren’t the only counterfeit Jesus was concerned with, there were also...
False Professors 21-23
False Professors 21-23
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.
False prophets produce bad fruit, false professors, those who claim to know Jesus, but don’t, produce no fruit. Jesus condemnation to these false professors is summed up by these words engraved in a German cathedral entitled, “You Call Me Master”:
Jon Courson’s Application Commentary Chapter 7
You Call Me Master
You call Me Master and obey Me not.
You call Me Light and see Me not.
You call Me the Way and walk Me not.
You call Me Life and choose Me not.
You call Me Wise and follow Me not.
You call Me Fair and love Me not.
You call Me Rich and ask Me not.
You call Me Eternal and seek Me not.
You call Me Noble and serve Me not.
You call Me Gracious and trust Me not.
You call Me Might and honor Me not.
You call Me Just and fear Me not.
If I condemn you, blame Me not.
There will be some at the judgment who will dare accuse the Lord of injustice, that they do not deserve to be punished or sent away. To them Jesus will reply, “I never knew you: Depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
Conclusion: Jesus cannot be fooled. It will not be a fun experience for the false prophets or the false professors in the end.