Wide and Narrow Roads

You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. (NASB) Matt. 7:16-20

Did you notice that Jesus did not tell us to ask them if they believe in Jesus, had a spiritual experience, went to seminary, are Spirit-filled, had an anointing, have spoken in tongues, or love Jesus? The test is not charisma or a warm personality. The test is not what one claims, but how one acts. Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has been asking us about our outward conduct, not our inward belief. The same is true once again. This time He is focusing on the outward conduct of false teachers. This time He is warning us to look at the fruit of their lives. The test is, “You will know them by their fruits.”

But for what type of fruit does Jesus want us to look? The fruit we are to look for is not charisma, funny jokes, a pleasant personality, a great smile, smooth words, a big church, great sermons, wonderful music, or great looks. As we discovered in Revelation 2:20-23, even a false teacher can have a large church. In order to be a false teacher, the person must have students who are following him or her. Some false teachers have great crowds following them. Proverbs warns us not to quickly trust someone with these words

The naive believes everything, but the sensible man considers his steps. (NASB) Prov. 14:15

Looking For Fruit. Let us ask the question again, “What type of fruit should we look for?” The New Testament gives us a list of fruits for which to look.

First, a false teacher is focused on money. It is surprising how many passages in the New Testament warn that false teachers are preoccupied with money (1 Tim. 6:5; Titus 1:11; 2 Pet. 2:3, 14; Jude 11). This is a very important sign of a false teacher. If you know a pastor who often talks about money, start looking for other fruits.

Second, false teachers are often proud (2 Pet. 2:10-11,18). This is a sin that all of us have, but the false teacher is especially guilty. He or she is forever talking about their ministry, themself, their family, their experiences, or what God is “doing through them.” They are constantly making sure everyone knows that “God is using him or her.” They are the key. They are important.

Third, false teachers cause divisions (1 Tim. 6:14). They grumble, find fault with others, deceive others, flatter people to gain advantage, and are not submissive. They seek control. They divide people and are critical of others. That is the message of several passages,

For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers . . . (NASB) Titus 1:10

These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage. (NASB) Jude 16

Do you know someone who is not submissive to others, someone who is always finding fault with others? These two questions go together. These are the fruits of a false teacher.

. . . wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions. (NASB) 1 Tim. 1:7

So they stray from the truth (1 Tim. 6:3; 2 Tim. 2:16-18). To those Christians who do not know their Bible, a false teacher sounds great. It is amazing how the Bible has been twisted, bent, distorted, and mutilated by those who appear to know the book. Yet, they are wrong. As a result, they deceive many and many accept their error.

If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain (NASB) 1 Tim. 6:3-5

Some years ago, some students from a Bible Institute in California went to a very large church in Berkeley, California. The Sunday morning service was pleasant and inspiring. The pastor baptized a baby. A missionary spoke about his work overseas. The music was familiar and encouraging, and the pastor’s message was very biblical. The pastor and church passed the tests that many would apply for concluding that the church was a “good church.” The pastor had charisma. He was humorous, pleasant, warm, and eloquent. Many would have returned and some might even have joined the church later.

After the service, the students had the opportunity to meet the pastor and ask him questions. The meeting had been pre-arranged. The meeting was designed to teach the students an important lesson. During the question and answer period, the students were stunned to discover that the pastor did not believe Jesus was God. He rejected the virgin birth. He believed that Jesus was only a man. The pastor was a false teacher to the surprise of the students. He was on the wide road.

Looking For A Church. Those who are looking for a new church usually listen to what the pastor preaches as the first test. If they hear nothing negative from the pastor’s sermon, they might conclude that the church is biblically solid if the sermon appears to be biblically solid. Fortunately the Bible Institute students discovered that one must do more than listen for error. They discovered that one should listen for what is not taught and ask questions. The great twentieth century British expositor Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones makes this significant statement,

The false prophet is always a very comforting preacher. As you listen to him he always gives you the impression that there is not very much wrong. He admits, of course, that there is a little; he is not fool enough to say that there is nothing wrong . . . In what way does this show itself in practice? I suggest that it does so generally by an almost entire absence of doctrine as a whole in its message. It always talks vaguely and generally; it never gets down to particularizing about doctrine. It does not like doctrinal preaching; it is always so vague. But someone may ask: “What do you mean by this particularizing about doctrine, and where do the strait gate and the narrow gate come in?” The answer is that the false prophet very rarely tells you anything about the holiness and righteousness, the justice, and the wrath of God. He always preaches about the love of God . . . He never makes anyone tremble as he thinks of this holy and august Being with whom we all have to do . . . He generally emphasizes one truth about God only, and that is love. (Martin-Lloyd Jones. Studies in the Sermon on the Mount. Inter Varsity Fellowship. 1974).

False Teacher. It is not enough to look for biblical error in a teacher’s or preacher’s message. That is the obvious test. The not-so-obvious-test is that he does not teach what he does not believe. Look for what a teacher or preacher does not teach. Are only portions of the Bible taught? Why is application the only thing that is given? Where is the doctrine? Where is the meat of scripture? Why does this occur?