Today’s Reading: Matthew 7:16-20 (HCSB)
You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.
Today’s Question: What does a false teacher look like?
Today’s Commentary:
Some leaders are excellent and eloquent speakers. Some leaders have charm and charisma. These are very persuasive in sharing ideas. These people can also have a large number of followers. They can be, however, false teachers of the most dangerous kind.
In the Great Sermon that Jesus delivered to begin His teaching ministry, he addresses a major concern. False teachers are influencing people in the region. In the name of religion, these are persuading people and shaping the thoughts of society in the synagogues and in the Temple. The crowds have believed the lies they spew. But Jesus has gained their attention.
Jesus said, “You will recognize them…” when He spoke of false prophets. Someone likely questioned that statement in his mind. How could the people know a false prophet when dressed like one who appears to be authentic? Jesus introduces a basic agricultural principle. “You’ll recognize them by their fruit.”
Suppose you wanted to plants some fruit trees in your yard. One option would be a cherry tree, a popular choice in my region of the country. The juicy, bite-size treats begin to ripen to June (earlier than other tree fruits) and can be used for pies, preserves, or topping off a banana split. But let’s suppose when you bought the sapling at the nursery, the salesman accidently switched the tree with an ornamental chinaberry tree. Unless you are a careful arborist, it may be five or more years before you realize the mistake (especially if you pop one of the poisonous berries into your mouth causing a quick trip to emergency room for a stomach pump).
Just as it takes time to determine a tree, every leader must be tested and examined. Many false teachers know the “church rhetoric.” These leaders have studied the lingo of religion and have learned how to pull the emotional strings of their audience. “We laughed, we cried, we gave our attention and our money because he convinced us by his teaching” may be the response of one who bought the imposter’s lie.
A few years ago, our church made the local news. A man attended our Sunday morning worship. Out of the friendliness of our congregation, he was invited to join in with a Bible study group that met in the next hour. Appropriately, he asked good questions about the text being studied and engaged in the conversation of the class. At the end, he made a humble prayer request, as he implied that he was hungry and homeless. His story was compelling and the class immediately collected an offering. Our church made the news as one of a dozen or more that believed the man’s fraudulent story.
While it is sad that this happened, we affirmed the generosity of our fellowship. We took a look at some policies about benevolence. But in the end, we will leave this up to God. However, a man taking money from the fellowship pales in comparison to the damage of a false teacher. A thief is an outsider who can only take a monetary portion from the congregation. A false teacher leads people to hell. Therefore, we must be adamant, continually vigilant, and thorough in our examination of those given the opportunity to teach.
How do we inspect the fruit? Here are some distinct signs:
1. False teachers distort and pervert the Gospel of Jesus.
2. False teachers attempt to divide the church.
3. False teachers produce followers of themselves that are selfish and self-righteous.
Additionally, Dave Guzik states, “We should pay attention to the manner of living a teacher shows. Do they show righteousness, humility and faithfulness in the way they live? We should pay attention to the content of their teaching. Is it true fruit from God’s Word, or is it man-centered, appealing to ears that want to be tickled? We should pay attention to the effect of their teaching. Are people growing in Jesus or merely being entertained, and eventually falling away?”
Fruit is the result of one’s teaching. Fruit takes time to mature. Leadership takes time to develop. When a church fellowship places discipleship and mentoring as a priority, the risk of false teachers in diminished. May we guard our pulpits, podiums, and the hearts of people by asking God for discernment regarding false teachers.
“Follow One, Lead Others” Principle #54: Followers of Jesus look to discern and expose false teachers who seek to destroy the Church.
Today’s Prayer Point: Pray for false teachers today, for these, too, need to experience the salvation that Jesus offers. These teachers can be changed in a moment from workers of evil to ambassadors for Christ (just like Saul/Paul).
Shepherding Well 