20150901 THE FRUIT TELLS THE STORY

THE FRUIT TELLS THE STORY

Matthew 7:15-20 "Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.  (16)  You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  (17)  A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit.  (18)  A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit.  (19)  So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire.  (20)  Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

This passage takes us back to the question of judging. If we are to judge nothing then we must throw this passage out which would put us at the mercy of false prophets and evil people. And here we must determine what is in the heart of another person. This seems like a hard contradiction of what we understood at the first of this chapter.

First we must understand the Greek word used for “produces.” It is a word with a tense we do not have in the English language. It is a prolonged tense or an on-going tense. We only have past, present and future tenses. So, this word, “produces” means “continues to produce bad (or good) fruit.”

In Luke 13:6-9 Jesus tells a parable about a man who planted a fig tree. For 3 years he was disappointed because it didn’t produce any figs. He was ready to have it removed and destroyed, but the gardener asked for one more year giving the fig tree special attention. Thinking about this parable gives me clarity in what appears to be a contradiction in Matthew 7. We are not to make quick judgments, but we are to judge actions and if someone refuses to repent of bad actions, attitudes, or fruit, then we cannot follow them. We should not make them our close confidants. Again, this is an on-going problem, not a one time or occasional issue that someone struggles with but recognizes as sin in their own life.

A thought that may help clarify this: False prophets and evil people will generally try to justify their sin or deny it. We all sin. None of us have arrived and therefore any judgments we make about whether we can stick with someone or need to move on should take prayer and time to make.

Recently a brother in Christ worked for a very charismatic “Big Name Preacher” for a season. The ministry site is large boasting a college and even a small jet to get the pastor around to speaking engagements. This brother in Christ soon began to see fruit that was ungodly. I believe the term he used was “raping the bride of Christ, by manipulative tactics.” The properties of that ministry had gotten to be so big that a large portion of every service was given to convincing people to give more to that ministry. The people on staff were constantly verbally abused if things didn’t go the way the pastor thought they should go. When the pastor would be confronted about his actions he responded with, “That’s just the way I am.” After about a year and a half this brother and friend judged the tree as not worth following and he moved his family away from there.

I share that story to encourage all you believers to look at the real fruit in the leaders you follow. Don’t judge it good fruit just because the preacher is charismatic, or tells funny stories, or keeps you interested. Know what is right, live what is right and be honest about your own sin and struggles. Follow people like that.

Father in heaven, thank You for Your Word that gives us direction. Help us to be honest with ourselves and with You. Give us eyes to see truth about the fruit in our own lives as well as the on-going fruit in our leaders. Bless our leaders by drawing them to holiness in You. Help them not to stumble in sin, and when they do sin give them, give us, quick hearts of repentance.

In Jesus Name, AMEN!!!