SOLID CHOICES: BEWARE OF WOVES & BAD FRUIT

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.  Matt.7:15-17

Even then, during Jesus time, there were men/women whose hearts were not for Him, but rather sought  to prey upon the weak by dressing themselves to be people of the faith, when in essence they really were people looking to get over, get ahead, on the backs of the flock.   So Jesus tell us to beware......and likens the false prophet to a wolf in sheep's clothing.   This is very scary as wolves are pack animals, that are predators.  Which means 1) if you see or discover a wolf their pack isn't far behind.  2) Because they are predators they are only around to eat, or feed off, devour the weaker species.     Here's the biggest reason for the beware SHEEP TOO are pack animals, but they aren't predators.   They tend to be thought of as simple, naive, peaceful animals, so you add the dynamics of a wolf being fashioned as a sheep to a flock of sheep and it never ends well.  

So here's where we as sheep have to become wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Matt.10:16) to look at their fruit, or look at, study the way that they act.  Sheep are vegetarians, wolves carnivores.....watch and see if they eat what you eat.   If there is one thing that can't stay hidden for long is character.   Christ just talked to us about judging a week ago, but this isn't the judging that leads to condemnation, but rather the type that is an evaluation of evidence.   He says to look at their fruit.   Examine to see if there is any, if so is it good, and lastly where are you picking it from?   No one can testify of picking apples from poison ivy, or getting poison oak from an peach tree.   So therefore, if we as sheep can just look around we will be able to identify the wolf that will slip into the flock.  It's not always a pastor, it can be a member, a visitor.....but at the end of the day BEWARE.

So keeping with the previous weeks theme to help us through this weeks message on Solid Choices, choose to first examine yourself.   Can it be said of you that you are, or have been, or acted like a wolf in sheep's clothing?   Have you started rumors based on inaccurate info?  Have you been been talking about the pastor, the ushers, the worship team, etc. in a light that isn't that of Christ?  Have you, your words & conversation been the reason why the sheep are scattered?  

In closing......spend some time taking the beam, the plank, the log out of your own eye by going to the FATHER first in repentance, then go to whom you may have scattered & scared off from the faith and apologize.  Look.....be honest people whether it's been at church or in the workplace we've all been like a wolf in sheep's clothing.....we have all fallen short of the glory of GOD.   So please......BEWARE of YOURSELVES, then BEWARE of the spirit of the enemy, that will slip into your work groups, your communities, your teams, your congregations with the purpose of stealing, killing, and destroying you & God's mission through you.  Let's focus on loving GOD, and loving people!