Sermon preached on Sunday, May 6, 2012 at Garden Valley Chapel during our morning worship service based on Matthew 7:15.

Take your Bible if you will and open it to the seventh chapter of the book of Matthew where we begin a new section from verses 15 to 20.

In it we find words that are intended to teach on the danger and deception that exists that we must all be carefully on our guard.

I invite you to stand in the reading of God´s Word. Read Matthew 7:15-20.

If you recall, the lengthy, driving conclusion of this masterful sermon began in verses 13 and 14 with our Lord urging us, exhorting us, commanding us to enter through the narrow gate unto the narrow road that His Sermon on the Mount has prescribed.

Now in verse 15, the Chief Shepherd, whom all pastors here on earth come under and submit to (cf. 1 Pet 5:4), solemnly warns, "beware of the false prophets."

These false prophets stand on this major crossroad misleading the masses into the wide gate unto that way that is broad that leads to destruction.

Their success rate is such that "there are many who enter" through this gate (v. 13). Their success rate is such that there will be "many" who trust in their works to save them (v. 22).

To be sure the popular road is the broad way and that is what you have to be, broad - "broad in doctrine, in morals, and in spirituals" (Spurgeon).

Be warned, my beloved, the false gate has false prophets standing in front of it who seek to lead people into the false way and hinder them from entering the true gate.

And that is what we have here from our Lord, He first gives us a warning and then calls us to be on the lookout for these false prophets.

Those are the two major points that we will look at as we unfold this passage. They are the two that will outline our passage -
1. BEWARE (V. 15)
2. BE ON THE LOOKOUT (VV.16-20)

Unfortunately we will only cover the first one this Lord´s Day but we will conclude with the second one next Lord´s Day.

CONTENT

BEWARE - v. 15

15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep´s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

There is both a danger and a deception to be known about these false prophets. Both are crucial in this warning.