False Prophets
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Matthew 7:15-23
In these last days…
…there are people…baptized people…who deny Jesus’ divinity…deny the whole idea of His atoning sacrifice for sin…
Slandering the Triune God by…well, with all sorts of explanations…for who God is…or isn’t…
They declare the Bible to be just so many fables.
These are the wolves in wolves clothing. We can easily tell. If and when a person blasphemes God, he undoubtedly has lost the true faith from his heart…if there was any there…and has turned away…
And from those we can protect ourselves…these are easily spotted prophets of the devil.
But these are not what Jesus is warning about in our text.
No, Jesus is talking about the most dangerous kinds of false prophets…those who look pretty good…do pretty good…preach what seems to be pretty good stuff.
When Satan wants to lead Christians astray, he disguises himself as an angel of light. If the wolf wants to get in close to the flock, he wears sheep skins….
True prophets, Jesus is saying, appeal…point to…and insist on God’s Word in all the doctrines they proclaim.
Yet, even so…a prophet who does so…teaching nothing but pure doctrine from the Bible…still he should not be quickly taken as a true prophet.
St. Paul commends the Bereans for listening, but more fort going home to compare all that he said with Holy Scripture.
Be wary Jesus says.
He may still yet be a wolf in wooly white…
As…heretics always appeal to Scripture. Even the devil himself, when trying to temp Jesus says: “For it is written… (Luke 4:10).
But our Lord answered him, with Scripture.
Just because the Bible is held out…used…pointed to…care is still needed.
Let it sit awhile. Think on it. Go home, like the Bereans…check out what the rest of the Bible says on the subject. Mull it over…
And soon it will be shown to be what it is…whether the preacher should be believed.
And another thing…
True prophets do not appoint to themselves. Instead, they are rightly called to their office by the congregation…
…and no one ought to reject him because he has appealed to it…just as Paul did to his apostolic office. God has assigned him to it. It is valid. He can and should point that out, when the need arises.
But we are not to be deceived here either. Is the office used…as sheep’s clothing? It can be.
That call and the place he is called from…and the training received can be right and good, but the doctrine can be false.
If those who are rightly trained, sent, and called turn out to be wolves, Jesus orders us to flee from them.
Now…we have to also say that True prophets walk in godly ways. Examples to their flocks.
If we see a preacher walk around in outward piety and holiness…who are friendly toward everyone…gentle toward those who offend him…charitable to the poor…helpful to those who are in misery and misfortune…
Constant and faithful in the ministry…he should not be rejected.
But we must still be wary…because these too can be a mask.
The life of anyone can be blameless before men…but if his philosophy, theology, and world-view be off…not Scriptural…
What good is that to himself or to others? Good men go to hell. Good men lead others there too. The best of them. If they do not have Christ, and Him crucified and risen, and proclaim this…believe this…then all the rest amounts to nothing.
All the rest is only good if it comes from a true and right faith…from right teaching. If not, a wolf lurks inside.
… and dangerous because people will be taken in and tempted to follow somebody like this. All the best intensions of everyone…of course… but still it all points to the same place. Damnation.
What about the gifted preacher?
God can and will give great gifts to His prophets. They can shake people out of slumber by the thunder of the Law. They can soothe and console…with the sweet Gospel. They can show their knowledge of all the doctrines of the Bible. They may also be great apologists and refute all the arguments the world can throw at them.
But again…false prophets also can have great natural gifts. Ever hear Hitler speak? Preach is more like it. Even if you know no German…
He moved people! He still does. There are modern Nazis…and they watch their master…are motivated by him.
Be cautious.
No matter how great they appear…do not let yourselves be deceived.
So now what? This is great that our Lord has warned us, but what are we to do?
What’s to be done? How do we proceed with caution?
God’s Word. Read it. Study it. Memorize it. Talk about it. Discuss it. Do the same with our Lutheran Confession in the Book of Concord.
Yes…question. Question what you hear….what you see out there…what you see and hear…even in this place…
…so really, don’t just take my word for it.
You are the Baptized Children of God, who have the gift of the Holy Spirit. He promises to bring light to our path…to be here to guide and lead.
Jesus is your Savior. Yes, even from these tricksters and charlatans. Even from our own stupidity.
He is the Savior of the church. He does not pull us out of sin and vice and just dump us at the front door of a church…and leave us on our own.
No, because He knows…and we all know that His church gets into messes. His church gets confused and misled. In fact, that is where the devil attacks the most. He wants us back. He is miffed that God saved us from him.
So, we need saving even more, then! And that is what Jesus promised to do…is doing…and will do.
We are not left as orphans. We are never without Him. He will not let anyone take us out of His hand.
But He wants us to have and know…to use and to repeat what He says. He allows these false prophets to come and speak…so that we do not rely on our own abilities, but rather are sent right back to His Word.
That we find our comfort there. Our assurance there. From it we come to know Him, in truth and purity…and find that we always are dependent…are getting what we need from this…from Him…alone.
This is His way with us. His Word is the source…and the means by which He does all things…especially in His Church.
By it He puts on us the whole armor of God—and it’s in here…this is done…by hearing…by being washed and then eating and drinking His Word… Him…
And so, His Word is for us the very source and the means by which we also are to do all things.
Make it your own. Come and hear. Listen. Imbibe. Breathe it all in…and then breathe it out.
Live in it and by it, because He has and is the Word of Eternal life, given for you and for me. Amen.
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