Good Fruit and Bad Fruit
Grace to you and peace from
God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Appearances can be
deceiving. You walk into a church. They have a nice cross on the wall. They use
a hymnal not that different from ours. At first glance, it seems like it’s just
like our church. But then you listen to the sermon, and you hear about how it
doesn¹t matter really what you believe, as long as you’re sincere. You hear
that anything done in the name of love, even things God condemns in the Bible,
is good in the eyes of God. It looks like the church you grew up in, perhaps,
but appearances can be deceiving.
These are messages
spoken by the false prophets which Jesus warns against. We usually think of
prophets as people who tell the future. But a prophet is someone who has been
sent by God to preach His Word. John the Baptist is the perfect example of a
prophet. He pointed the finger at Jesus and said, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” And
your pastors have all been prophets. In warning against false prophets, Jesus warns
against preachers who do not proclaim the Word of God rightly. These prophets
will come to you. They will resemble, act like, and maybe even sound like the
real thing. They will appear to be from God.
Think of the
preachers and writers and speakers we are exposed to every day. We see them on
television with their shining teeth and their powerful jacket swings. We read
their best-selling books. We hear their messages of financial prosperity,
social justice, and worldly love. We are all exposed to a huge number of
different Gospels and versions of the truth. How is the Christian to make sense
of it all? “Beware!” Jesus says. He
warns against false prophets who will come in sheep’s clothing. It’s not hard
to see Joel Osteen and Benny Hinn for what they are. But what about the churches
and preachers that look so similar to ours, yet are so very different in what
they believe and teach?
“By their fruits you shall know them.” The
Christian faith is about Jesus. When you are called on to judge whether
something is true or false, you go to the Word of God. This is the living voice
of the Gospel. When you talk about truth and falsehood when it comes to the
church, you go to the heart of the matter. Is salvation by Christ alone? Does
the preaching hold up Jesus, or does it focus on your own works of the Law? Is Christ’s
body and blood truly present in the Lord’s Supper? Does Baptism save? Does Christ
speak the forgiveness of sins through the pastor? These questions and others
get at the heart of the matter. No matter how amazing the preacher, no matter
how enthralling the Christian book or movie, if it doesn’t hold up Christ alone
for salvation, then it is not from God.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in
heaven.” And the will of the Father in heaven is that you believe in the One
He has sent. In other words, the work of God and the will of God is that you
trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation. That is how you are saved. It’s
not what you do. Only faith in Christ saves. This faith is given to you in Holy
Baptism and sustained by the Lord’s Supper.
My brothers and
sisters in Christ, Jesus Himself is the true Prophet. He is the Lamb who was
slain. He is the One who allowed Himself to be slaughtered by the wolves so
that you will not be harmed. He has promised that the gates of hell itself will
not prevail against His Church. You are the sheep of His pasture. Jesus is your
Good Shepherd, who guards and protects you from all harm of both body and soul.
And you know Him by His fruits.
God provides
faithful pastors and preachers to give His flock the very best things of
salvation. He has given you the Church as a place of refuge. He has given you a
pastor to preach the word of forgiveness. He has washed you and made you white
in the blood of the Lamb. He gives you His body and blood for the forgiveness
of sins to sustain you for everlasting life. Christ Himself keeps watch over
His people. He gives you the truth of His Holy Word to sustain you all the days
of your life. And you know Him and His messengers by those good fruits. In the
name of the Father and of the Son (†) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The
peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in
Christ Jesus always. Amen.
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