False Prophets and False Disciples

In Peter's second sermon, after healing a lame man, he said something very interesting. I want you to turn to that second sermon of Peter, which is in Acts chapter 3. There's one specific section in this sermon that talks about what Moses said in Acts chapter 3. So let's go there. Acts chapter 3, the section I want to read is verse 19 through 23. Acts 3, 19 through 23. And it says, Repent therefore and be converted. So this is Peter telling the origin state, Repent, change, and be converted. And it was become a new person, become a new man. That your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord. You know, we're so that not only thinking about in the world tomorrow, but thinking now, when we change and we become new people, we get God's Holy Spirit and through God's Holy Spirit, yeah, not everything goes right, but there is that internal peace in us, and there's that refreshing in our minds. It really is a refreshing spiritually speaking from the presence of the Lord, because we've got God's Holy Spirit crossing us. And that you may stand, Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven and earth must receive. So Christ is now in heaven, waiting until the time, until the time of restoration of all things. In other words, that's when second, Christ's second coming, there'll be restoration on the earth, and we rehearsed that as we went through the festival season, and that was covered adequately during the feast season, and which God has spoken by the mouth of all his prophets since the world began. So this has been prophesied all the way from the beginning. And then verse 22, For Moses truly said to the fathers, The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet. This prophet is Jesus Christ, a prophet which is Jesus Christ, like me, like Moses. Christ is a prophet like Moses. Why? Because Moses, through God, gave us a law, and Christ gave us or amplified the law with its spiritual meaning at its birth.

You'll raise up a prophet like me from your brethren. Yes, he came from the line of David. Him you shall hear all things, whatever he says to you. So what Moses was saying, and he's quoted here by Peter, Moses was saying, You better listen to what this prophet, which is Christ, says. You better listen. Whatever he says to you, you better do. Verse 23, and it shall be, now this is what I wanted to emphasize, and it shall be that every soul who will not hear that prophet, if you and I, any person, will not hear that prophet, which is Christ, shall be utterly destroyed from among the people, utterly destroyed. And so we ought to listen to the instruction of that prophet. And therefore, we have been going through a Bible study in some of the teachings of Christ, particularly in the Sermon on the Mount, and towards the latter part of the Sermon on the Mount, on chapter 7, Christ highlighted seven basic instructions for those seeking the Kingdom of God. So let's go to Matthew chapter 7. Matthew chapter 7. And you can see from verse 1 to verse 5, it's basically telling us not to judge others. It was that we need to discern situations and people rather than condemn. Then in verse 6, it gives us some instruction about dealing with the unconverted, some advice about the consequences of, quote-unquote, as Christ put it, giving pearls to those that don't appreciate it. And then in the third point was from verses 7 through to 11, about how to petition with our heavenly Father about asking, seeking, and knocking. And he says, because God cares for us, so do ask, do seek, and do knock, because God cares for us. And then the fourth point, which is in verse 12, therefore, because God cares for us, therefore, he says, how is our relationship with others? We must equally care for others. And then from verses 13 and 14, it says, to enter the kingdom of God, it's a narrow way and difficult gate. And then a little later, the sixth instruction is from verse 15 through 20, which is how to identify or distinguish false teachers, which are like uncaring wolves from the true teacher of God's word. And these six points that are just briefly highlighted here from verse 1 through to verse 20, we did cover in previous studies or sermons covering the section. Today, brethren, I plan to cover a little bit more about how to identify false teachers. And then to conclude this section, there was this chapter, this seven basic instructions for those seeking the kingdom of God, which is showing or demonstrating faithfulness to Jesus Christ and his teaching. So Christ, throughout his teachings, many times uses a very simple concept of contrast, contrasting right with wrong, true with false.

And here in verses 15 through 20, we read that he is contrasting false prophets, because he's now saying false prophets, that they appear to you in sheep's clothing. And then he says, and you'll know them by their fruits. So what he's saying is that false prophets appearing to you in sheep's clothing, he's saying is that false prophets outwardly will appear sincere, will appear sincere, will appear friendly and polite, in a sense like Absalom was to his father David, but on them behind him, or stabbing in the back, they'll appear as if they had no pretenses. They'll appear humble. But like Simon de Sorsa in Acts 8, there was a whole other problem behind it. And it also appeared knowledgeable of the Bible. They will be able to quote scriptures like maybe you and I can't quote. For instance, look how Satan quoted scriptures to Christ trying to deceive him. And so we have to be careful of false prophets, because they're friendly, they're polite, they appear sincere, they don't appear to have any ulterior motives, they don't appear, and they're knowledgeable of the Bible. So how do we distinguish them?

Another important point is that this is going to be very predominant at the time of the end. It's going to be very predominant at the time of the end. If you just quickly turn forwards to Matthew 24, starting in verse 2, for instance, and you know this section very well, but he says, you know, that they were looking at the temple and said, look at this wonderful temple, and this is great, and then Christ says, hey, but all this is going to be thrown down. And then in verse 4 they say, well, what will be the sign of this time of this age? And then Jesus Christ says, in verse 4, be careful, take heed that no one deceives you. The very first instruction that Christ gives his disciples is, be careful that you don't be led astray. Look at verse 5, man will come in my name. You know, it's either call themselves Christians or whatever it is, and they'll say that Christ is the Christ. They'll say, I am the Christ. They'll say the Christ is the Christ, but they'll deceive many. And as you look at this, you go a little further. For instance, in verse 10 it says, then many will be offended, will be hurt, and many will betray one another. Because it says in verse 11, because many false prophets will rise up and will deceive many. Not few, not just one or two, many. Many. And then in verse 12, he says, and because lawlessness. And you and I know now at the time of the end, there's a lot of lawlessness. There is a lot of breaking God's laws. And because of that, the love of many will grow cold. But he gives them a prophecy saying, however, the gospel of the kingdom will be preached as a witness to the nations. And there's a prophecy. But then he continues a little bit further. In verse 23, it says, there'll be false Christs and false prophets, and will do great miracles to deceive. And if it would be possible, will receive the very elect. And then he says, listen, I've warned you. I've warned you. So the question is, how do we recognize a true minister of God versus a false minister? Or in other words, how do we identify a false prophet from a true prophet? How do you spot a false? And Christ gives that answer. Christ gives that answer. We in the church, however, we need to be careful, because we are like sheep. And sheep are basically naive. We want to believe the best. We want to say, now, it can't be. We want to believe the best. But Christ does tell us, be careful, because they'll appear very nice, like sheep from outside. So the answer to that is, if we go back to Matthew 7, is that in verse 16 through verse 20, and you and I know, he says, you'll know them by their fruits. He changes the metaphor, because the metaphor was a sheep in wolves' clothing, very difficult to identify just by appearances. But it's not the appearances that we want to look at. We want to look at the end results, the outcomes, the fruit that comes out. So that is very important. It's the fruit. That's what we've got to look at. Tipping that in mind, let's now look at Matthew 12. Look at Matthew 12. We're going to read from verse 33 to verse 36. Matthew 12. Matthew 12.

Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad. For the tree is known by its fruit. Okay. If you look at the banana, you know it's a banana tree. If you look at an apple, you know it's an apple tree. If you look at a grape, you know it's a grapevine. As simple as that. Verse 34.

Yeah. You may speak good things temporarily. But sooner or later, it's going to come out. So one of the things about fruit is we're going to watch how we talk.

And it says, you know, make the tree bad and its fruit bad, or make the tree good. And its fruit good. You and I know that our hearts are deceitful. So we've got to analyze our hearts, and that's why it says, repent and be conversed. We've got to change ourselves, because we all are imperfect. We all are imperfect. But are we working in ourselves to change our heart, and therefore, being careful in how that comes out? Let's continue. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good fruit things. And an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. And so we've got to look at ourselves. We've got to be converted. We've got to change. Now, those false prophets, maybe they're not changing. And that's why the sooner or later, it'll come out. But I say to you, for every idle word man may speak, they'll give account of it in the day of judgment. And how serious that is, that you and I, we've got to be careful what we say. We really have to be careful what we say. Now, we're all imperfect. We all say things wrong. I say things wrong, and I apologize. But as a way of life, I'm trying to say things right. I'm trying to be right. And I think that's the important thing. We all need to be trying to do what is right.

Let's look at Romans 16, verse 17. Romans 16, verse 17. Now, I urge you, brethren, Romans 16, verse 17, note those who cause divisions and offenses.

The point that we've got to be careful with our words, and particularly for preachers, and teachers, and ministers, is that what comes out of our mouth must not cause division, must not cause division and offenses contrary to the doctrine that we've learned. And so, that is a thing, as a minister, we all have to watch carefully that we don't cause divisions against the doctrine. It is sad. It is sad that we do have so many splintered roots. But one thing I've learned is you've got to look at how they started. You've got to look at the genesis of that splinter group. Why did that division start? And that's what we've got to look at carefully. And that is so sad, but it says, yeah, very clearly, note those who caused divisions. So, we should not be causing divisions. We should bring in peace. Sure, there are certain things that people have different opinions, but you know, we have the basic doctrine which has been given to us, and let's not go against it. So, it says, contrary to the doctrine, you've learned and avoid them. And basically, I was talking about causing divisions and offenses, causing hurt. Reverend, how do we know a true prophet by the fruits? What fruits comes out of the mouth, and the end result is the vision. That is not a good fruit. That is not a good fruit. There is a prophecy, which is a very powerful prophecy about false prophets, and that's in Jeremiah 23. The reason I found it easy to remember, it reminds me of Matthew 23, 23, you know, but Jeremiah 23. So, let's go to Jeremiah 23.

Jeremiah 23.

Whoa! To the shepherds! It was to the false prophets, to the ministers, to the pastors who destroy and scatter the sheep of my posture. Whoa! To the ministers who scatter God's people.

Therefore, then says the Lord, God of Israel, against the shepherds who feed my people. Yes, they're supposed to be feeding good words. You have scattered my flock. You've driven them away, and you've not attended to them. And indeed, there's a flock. The brethren, they've been scattered innocently, and it's a strong statement, against the shepherds. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings, says the Lord. Strong statements, strong statements. And then he goes on to talk about the true shepherd, the true shepherd. Very briefly, look at verse 5 and 6. Behold, the days are coming, says the eternal. I will raise to David a branch of righteousness. In other words, from David's line, there will be a person that will be born, which will become a king that shall reign and prosper, which you and I know is Jesus Christ, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. So when Christ comes back, His second coming, He will reign as a king and prosper, and will execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days, so in the days of that Christ will come and will have the wonderful, wonderful world tomorrow, the millennium and that, Judah shall be saved, and Israel will dwell safely. And not only that, they're all the whole world. It will spread. Now, this is His name by which He shall be called. This is the name by which Jesus Christ will be called. The Lord, Y-H-W-H, the Lord, our righteousness.

This is the name by which He will be called in the world tomorrow, the Lord, our righteousness. So, Jeremiah 23 is basically a chapter about false prophets, as we're going to read a little bit more about it. But right at the beginning it says, listen, I am. There's some good news because I'll sort this out, and this is how. But then let's continue about the warning against false prophets that is in Jeremiah 23. And let's read that starting from verse 9. Verse 9 says, My heart within me is broken because of the prophets, because of the leadership.

All my bones shake. I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine has overcome. So this, this, Jeremiah's saying, wow, I am a sick drunk to hear what is happening. Because the Lord, because of the Lord, and because of His holy words, because God is showing me what's going to happen to these people.

For the land. And brethren, let's see, is our land today like this? It's our country today like this. The land is full of adulterous. I don't think I have to go into detail. I think we all agree. The country today is full of adulterous. For because of a curse, the land mourns. Yes, there is trouble. There's mourning in the land. The pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up. The, the course of life is evil, and their might is not right. For both prophet and priest are profane.

In other words, the leadership in the swole, religious or not, are profane. Yes, my house, in my house, I have found their wickedness. Since you found it in churches, says the Lord. Therefore, their way shall be to them like slippery waves. In the darkness, they shall be driven on and fall on them, falling them. And I'll bring disaster on them. The year of their punishment, says the Lord. And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria. Now, who are the prophets of Samaria? So, when you look back at history, the kingdom was divided into two after Solomon. One is the king of the north, which became known as Samaria, which is Israel.

And then was the king of the south, which became known as Judah. So, I have found folly in the prophets of Samaria. They prophesied by Baal and caused my people, Israel, to earth. And so, what happened? Israel went to captivity. And then, later on, Judah stayed there and looked at what it says to Judah, which is basically the capital was in Jerusalem. Also, I have seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem.

In the southern kingdom, I've also seen a horrible thing. They committed adultery and wealthy lives. They also strengthened the hands of evil doers, so that no one turns back from his wickedness. All of them are like southern to meaning and they're inhabitants like Gomorrah. And so, the meaning for today, latter and days, is everybody has gone wrong.

And now, it's even worse. The latter ones are even worse. So, we can see it's very strong. Let's continue reading, for instance, in verse 16. This is the Lord of hosts. Do not listen to the words of the prophets. The leaders and religious leaders of this nation, of this world, don't listen to them who prophesy to you. They make you worthless. They speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the eternal. You look at leaders of this world, religious leaders of this world, they say, oh, I've got a vision.

I had a vision. I have this or that. Don't listen to that junk. Don't listen to that junk. It says, do not listen to the words of these prophets. Switch off that TV with those TV programs. It says, don't listen to them. They continually say to those that despise me, the Lord has said, you shall have peace. These false prophets are saying, oh, you'll have peace. And to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, no evil shall come upon you.

Just give your heart to the Lord, and you shall peace. Continue as you are. What does the Lord of hosts say? Yeah, at the beginning of verse 16, say, do not listen to these people.

Look at verse 20. The anger of the Eternal will not turn back until he has executed and performed the thoughts of his heart in the latter days. You will understand it perfectly. Wow! Do you understand it perfectly? I think you do.

Now, in the latter days, we get it. I hope you get it. Let's continue reading in verse 21. I have not sent these prophets. What? These people are self-appointed. God did not send them.

Yet they ran. Oh, yes, they go out and preach, and they say this and this and that, and they have multitude of people following them. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.

But if they had stood in my counsel and had caused my people to hear my words, then they would have turned them from the evil way and from the evil of their doings. But they turned. They don't tell people to repent. Look a little bit further down in verse 25. I have heard what the prophets have said, who prophesied lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have a dream. And you know these people, they say, oh, I had a vision, I had a dream, oh, whatever. God has told me in a vision, in a dream, you know, we're going to do this.

How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesied lies? Indeed, they are prophets of the seat of the unheart. Look at verse 28. The prophet who has a dream. Let him tell the dream. Yeah, but it's a dream. And he who has my word, let him speak my word, faithfully. True prophets need to speak God's word, thankfully. Thankfully. Not adding, not subtracting, not deviating. What is the chaff to do it? Says the Lord. Verse 29. Is not my word like a fire? Says the eternal. And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces. Now God's whole word convicts us and makes us change. It's powerful. Look at verse 30. Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, says the eternal, who steal my words. Everyone from his own name. Oh yeah! They use God's words and they say, oh well, this is God speaking, this and that. They stealing those words. Behold, I am against the prophets, says the eternal, who use their tongues and says, God said. He says, I'm against those people. Behold, I'm against those who prophesy false dreams, says the eternal. And tell them, you know, tell the people and cause my people to earn by their lives and their recklessness. Yet, I did not send them. I did not send them or commander them. Therefore, they shall not profit. Or in the short term, it appears they're profiting, but in the long term, they will not, those people at all. They will not benefit the nation. Continue in verse 33. So where these people, or the prophet, or the priest, ask you, saying, what is the article of the Lord? Now, some Bibles have a little marker there, a little number, and if you read on a margin, it says, what is the burden of the Lord?

What is the burden of the Lord? In fact, in some other languages, for instance, in Portuguese, doesn't even translate articles, says, what is the weight, the burden of the Lord? You shall then say to them, what burden?

I will even forsake you, says the Lord. You see, these people say, God's law is a burden! Or, haven't you heard that? Oh, the Sabbath is a burden!

If you've been around in, what was it, in the mid-80s, you heard that in God's Church, people saying, the Sabbath is a burden! It's unbelievable. Continue in verse 34. And as for the prophet and the priest, and the people say, the burden of the Lord, I will even punish that man and his house! Look at verse 36. And the burden of the Lord, you shall mention no more. Don't talk any more that God's law is a burden. That God's wise, God of the Old Testament, is a burden. Don't say that. For every man's word will be his burden. For you have perverted the words of the living God, the Lord of hosts, your God. Look at verse 38. But since you say, the burden of the Lord, therefore, thus says the Lord, thus says the Lord, because you say this word, the burden of the Lord, and I have sent to you, saying, do not say the burden of the Lord, therefore, be all, I, even I, will utterly forget you and forsake you and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and I'll cost you out of my presence, and I'll bring an ever-lasting reproach upon you and a perpetual shame which shall not be forgotten.

So how do you know false prophets by their fruits and what they say? And the prophecy is very direct and very powerful. On the other side, the true prophets will preach God's word faithfully, God's word faithfully, and they'll abide in the doctrine of Christ. Look at 2 John, chapters, verse 7 and 8. 2 John 7 and 8, at 7 through 9. 2 John 2 John 7 through 9. For many deceivers, false prophets, have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. In other words, they don't confess that the word who was the word, emptied himself, became a human being in the flesh. As we read in John chapter 1 and verses 1 and 2 and verse 14, they do not confess that. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward, whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ. What you need, transgress. It means that they go beyond the true, simple, pure doctrine of Christ. They transgress. He has the doctrine of Christ. If you transgress, that means you add to it, you deviate from it. It's not the pure, simple doctrine of Christ. You're transgressing from it. He says, whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ, does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. We need to abide in the doctrine of Jesus Christ, and when we do so, we have both the Father and the Son. God's servants are to teach faithfully God's Word, which is the Bible. And we have a serious responsibility of that, that we have to do that. And we've got to teach it in a way that it's intended in the right spirit and in the right attitude and in love. And by in love, look at what it says here about what the disciples were doing or saying immediately after the ceremony of the Passover. Look chapter 22, verse 24. Look 22, verse 24. Christ had just changed the symbols of the Passover. This was on the night that he was going to be betrayed. And you read in verse 24, immediately after he changed the symbols and he did the foot washing, now there was a dispute amongst the disciples saying, which one's going to be the biggest shot? Who's going to be the biggest important? Who's going to be the most important? And Christ, in his loving way, he corrected them in a very loving way. He said, the kings of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called and attacked. That's the way of the world, but not so among you. So, he is teaching them in a very loving and kind way, in a very caring way. He says, he who is greatest among you, letting me as the younger and you governs as you serves. For who is greater? He who sits at the table or he who serves? It is not who sits at the table, of course it is, yet I am among you as the one who serves. So, Christ, ye is giving an example of service, of caring for the flock, of loving, and ye is a fruit that we have to have a genuine care for one another. Look at Philippians 2, verse 19 and 20. Philippians 2, verse 19 and 20. Now, Philippians 2, 19 and 20. But I trusted the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. For I have no one like-minded. I have no other minister in my group of ministers that are serving enemy, who sincerely care for your state.

Now, this is quite a statement about Timothy, quite a statement about Timothy, a statement that makes us all think, I hope I can meet that standard, because he says, for all seek they own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.

But you know he's, in other words, Timothy's proven character. You know his proven character. By time, his fruit's proven character. That he, as a son with his father, or as a daughter with a mother. You know, it's like, he's just like son, like father, he really serves with me in the gospel. So, yeah, we have Timothy, an outstanding example of caring of love for the brethren and for the flock. And so, yeah, we've seen some points how to recognize a true minister. The true minister will be careful with these words, sticking to the doctrine, faithful to God's words, not beyond ideas and dreams and speculations. And because of that, you will not cause division, and you will really not cause offense. Now, occasionally, you may slip up. I slip up. I apologize. I do. But my intent is not to go that way. So, a true minister must really have the intent to do the right thing, to be faithful to God's word. And over a period of time, you will be able to see by his character, by his continuous perseverance and care for the flock, by making sure that the instruction, the care is done in a loving and kind way, speaking the truth in love, that is communicated. That is how you identify a true minister. Then, Jesus Christ continued here in Matthew 7. So, let's continue now with Matthew 7. We now move on to verse 21. And from here onwards, now he says, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, so now he switches.

Now, Jesus Christ is switching. As he approaches the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, in the last five verses of Psalm 15-20, he was talking about false prophets. Now, he's talking about true disciples, true followers, true followers, not false disciples, but true followers. And so, let's read here. Now, therefore, who says to me, Lord, Lord? Now, here is a point. When Christ says, Lord, Lord, it implies that these people say his name quite frequently.

There is these disciples that are using Jesus' name, in a sense, as if a little bit too frequently. And that, in a sense, is like a red flag, isn't it? Like a red flag. You're always using Jesus' name too frequently. That's what he says. Let it be that, maybe a red flag there. But he says, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven. So, he's actually talking about how to enter God's kingdom. But he says, He who does the will of my Father in heaven. It's God's will. It's God's commandments. That's what we've got to do. That's what we've got to obey. That's the will of the Father.

Many will say to me, in that day, Lord, Lord, again, that repetition, have we not prophesied in your name? Cost our demons in your name? And there are many wonders in your name? Haven't we preached? Haven't we talked? Haven't we talked about people about Jesus in the streets, with friends, whatever it is? Haven't we even cost demons in your name? Haven't we even done wonderful works of goodness under Christ's name? And then Christ says, in verse 23, and then I'll declare to them, I never knew you. I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.

They do not do God's will. They do their own will, or somebody else's will, but not God's. And they are not recognized by Jesus Christ as his disciples. But look at this point here, as he concludes that verse here. He said, you who practice lawlessness. Now, you may possibly have another version of the Bible. Maybe you have in front of you the new international version. And I'm not against these versions, but I'm sure, because sometimes you read them, and you can read, and it's got a good flow, and whatever it is. But the new international version translates that as evildoers. Now, if you just read over it, say, what's wrong? Do you know what's wrong with that? Do you know what's wrong with that? Because it's not talking about breaking God's law. That's what's wrong with it. See, evildoers, you can define anything as evil. It's whatever. I decide it's evil. But Yahitz's saying, who practice lawlessness, the Greek word is anomia, which is transgressed God's law.

And so, a translation that kind of just puts it nicely to read is hiding the disobedience to God's law. Red flag. You see how subtle it gets in, how subtle it is. And so Christ is the last saying, they hear, but they don't do. So it's actually talking from pure verbal deception to actually not practicing. So the question is, do we hear and do that? And then it continues, therefore, verse 24, therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine, hears, and does them. So we've got to hear and we've got to do.

I'll liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the word, these, is pretty important in this instance, because the rock is Christ.

So when we build a house on sand, you know, the wind comes, the storms come, and the thing goes. Unless God does a miracle for you. But generally speaking, it will go when the storm comes. You only know when the storm comes. When the storm's not there, the house will look as beautiful as the house next door. But you only know that it's got solid foundations on the rock when the trials come.

So we've got to be solid, not just appear solid. We've got to do. We've got to apply Christ's words. That's why I said, but every one who hears these things on mind, verse 26, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and the cyclone came, or whatever it was, and beat on that house, and it fell. And great was it for, because it was not built on the rock with solid foundation, with really strong brickers and brick, and pillars, etc. So you can see it. It was blown away.

We've got to walk as Jesus Christ walked. We've got to obey God like Jesus Christ obeyed God. That's what we have to do.

And there is something else. When we as ministers are trying to do that, then the congregation should reflect that fruit of God's Holy Spirit. The congregation should reflect that. There should be that peace in a congregation. The sheep are calm. There is peace. Look with me, please, to 1 Corinthians chapter 14. 1 Corinthians chapter 14 verse 33. 33. 33. 33. 14. 33. For God is not to offer a confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the same. So if a minister is preaching the words of God, God will be producing those fruits, not of confusion, but of peace. Peace that will be a fruit that will be seen in the congregation of saints, as it says, as in all the churches of the saints. Now, if there's no peace in the church, in the church, either there's not too many saints, or there is a problem. We should be at peace. There should be peace. There should be harmony. We should be close to God. And look at Galatians chapter 6 verse 7. Galatians chapter 6 verse 7. Also, a very important rule, verse, um, this is a good memory scripture for us to have. Galatians 6 verse 7. Do not be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. What am I sowing? What are we sowing? Are we sowing peace? Oh, no. It makes us think. How we behave, how we conduct, how we peacemakers. Think about how Christ started the sermon on the mountain with the beatitudes and the kind of the pinnacle of the beatitudes as being a peace-maker. In other words, that we are humble, that we teachable, that we seek God's hunger, that we hunger in first for his righteousness, that we are forgiving and merciful. Forgiving and merciful, and in the end, we peacemakers. We peacemakers. And therefore, we'll see God. We'll be sons of God. So, brethren, God is not mocked. If there's no peace, then maybe there's a problem. Maybe there's a problem, and we need to look at ourselves. So, to conclude Matthew 7, Christ finished his sayings, and then in verse 28 it says, And so it was when Jesus ended these things that the people were astonished at his teaching. The people were astonished at the teaching of Christ. Why? Because his teaching was different. His teaching was straight.

And he says, For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. You know, if you start reading back to Matthew chapter 5, where he started teaching, at the beginning he started the Beatitudes. And the Beatitudes is basically talking in a third person. It's basically talking in a third person. And then he says, a little later, talks about the salt of the earth, and you the light of the earth. Then I was talking to the second person, you. You are the salt of the earth. So he moves it from the third person to the second person. And then after that, he starts saying, But I say to you.

He's talking of authority. He's talking in the first person, with really authority. Teaching in an authoritative way. So, as we heard in that second sermon of Peter, that that prophet would come. And when he tells us things to do, we better do it, or otherwise we'll be utterly destroyed. Brethren, Christ's teachings from the Gospels are so important. We need to analyze and meditate on them. Today we looked at a few points as far as recognizing fruit. Because fruit is easy to see. And when our speech causes a vision, and it's not faithful to God's Word, or we are not proving ourselves by character over time, bearing the right fruits, when we're not being peacemakers, that is not good. We should bear fruit as through the samples of the true prophet, which is Jesus Christ. So don't be astonished. Like they will, yeah, they say, and the people are astonished as he's teaching. Well, don't be astonished at Christ's coming. Because now is the time to build our house on the rock, which is listening and doing. Now is the time to follow the difficult and narrow road that leads to eternal life.