BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS

                             Matthew 7:15-20                                             

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

Many professing Christians will have egg on their faces because they have followed false prophets and false teachers. Many have lost their money, perhaps their families, and some have probably lost their faith. There are thousands who will turn from the true God because of the failures of false teachers to deliver what they falsely claim the Bible guarantees. Never mind that the Bible says just the opposite- ignorant people won’t know that nor will many of them ever learn differently.

I am told that the new guys are not the ones who get hurt at Alligator farms but it’s the guys that have gotten used to be around the critters that get hurt. Stay away from false teachers. Don’t listen to them.

How can we beware? The word “beware” in Mt. 7:15 is prosecho, pros-ekh'-o; and it means to hold the mind towards, in other words, pay attention to, be cautious about:-- beware, be given to, give (take) heed (to unto); have regard. Sort of like beware of alligators. How can we follow the words of our Lord here in Matthew 7? How can we do that?

 

I. KNOW THAT YOU ARE SAVED!

 

1. Know the Way of Salvation [Jn. 14:6, Rm. 1:16, 1 Cor. 15:1-4ff]

 

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way , the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

 

2. Know the Day of Salvation [Is. 49:8, 2 Cor. 6:2, 2 Corinthians 13:5]

 

Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee:

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

I don’t mean you must know the date of your salvation- I barely know the year. But do be sure that there was a day you put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

3. Know the Stay of Salvation [1 Peter 1:5, 1 Jn. 5:11-13]

 

Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God

 

II. KNOW THE BIBLE! [Mark 12:24] And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?

 

1. Read the Scriptures [Mark 12:10, Isaiah 34:16]

And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:

Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.

 

2. Search the Scriptures [John 5:39, Acts 17:11]

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

 

3. Understand and Live by the Scriptures [Luke 24:45, James 1:22]

Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

 

III. KNOW HOW TO SHARE THE SCRIPTURES! [Acts 18:24]

And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.

 

1. “Preach” the Scriptures [Acts 8:35] Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

 

2. Reason with the Scriptures [Acts 17:2, Isaiah 1:18]

And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

 

3. Show The Scriptures [Acts 18:28]

For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.