Wolves In Sheep's Clothing
Part of Red Letter Living
July 2, 2023

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Wolves In Sheep’s Clothing

Have you ever felt swindled or tricked?
When someone tricks, scams, or swindles you, we say they are a wolf in sheep’s clothing. This is right in the verses we are looking at today.

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit, you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit, you will recognize them.”
Matthew 7:15-20

Watch Out/Warning Signs

  • Those signs go up because often we aren’t paying attention or don’t know of the danger in some situations.

  • Jesus is doing the same thing when he warns us of false prophets. This is our warning sign- He is making us aware of the reality that we will encounter false prophets.

To be able to watch out for something we have to recognize it.

  • What is a false prophet?
  • Someone that claims to speak for God but does not. They might claim to be disciples of Jesus but they are not.
  • They come to you in sheep’s clothing
  • These “wolves” lure people away from God by teaching other doctrines and twisting the truth of scripture to fit their agenda.

“I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the minds of naive people.”
Romans 16:17-18

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.”
Galatians 5:22-23

“If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5

We recognize a wolf by it’s fruit

Bad Fruit

  • Loves Power
  • Selfish
  • Controlling
  • Refuses Correction
  • Responds in Anger
  • Self-Preservation
  • Manipulates Emotions

A wolf knows when to speak kinds words of compliments and when to cut someone down with their words to control them.

Good Tree = Good Fruit

Bad Tree = Bad Fruit

“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”
Psalm 1:1-3

TIME

  • Fruit trees take years to produce fruit. Depending on the tree it can take 3-6 years to start to get fruit from a tree.

  • If you are new to your faith, you might not see the fruit yet. There is work going on inside you first- you are meditating on scripture. You are learning the Bible and who God is, you are learning to delight in him. You may not yet be displaying lots of fruit but your leaves will be green. You are growing

  • Fruit isn’t always evident in a new believer or maybe it’s “off-season”.

  • It is a waiting game to see fruit sometimes, it could just be off-season or a tough season. For a new tree we for sure will be waiting to see the fruit.

Thorns and Thistles

  • Some of those might be quite beautiful with flowers but they produce no fruit.
  • You wouldn’t look to thorns or thistles for fruit
  • Thorns and thistles take the nutrients from the soil and choke out the other plants around them

False prophets are destructive to believers, so Jesus warns us to watch out so we don’t get distracted or complacent.

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.”
I Corinthians 16:13-14

Sheep bite.

  • It hurts but you are ok.

Wolves devour.

  • They seek to destroy you

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”
John 10:27

“But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
John 10:5

“Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.”
John 14:21