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Sermon Outline

Matthew 7:15-20

Not every voice you come in contact with is spiritually safe.

Jesus is not telling us to be afraid of every voice. He is teaching us to be wise and pay attention to the voices we trust.

The danger is often disguised in safety or the familiar.

If false prophets come in sheep’s clothing, how are we supposed to recognize them?

Jesus gives the answer inMatthew 7:16

The sheep’s clothing is what they control, but the fruit is what they eventually reveal.

Discernment is formed more by saturation than suspicion.

What does Jesus mean by fruit?

Fruit is what a spiritual leader consistently produces over time through their teaching, character, and the effect they have on those who follow them.

Questions of Discernment:

  • Is this giving glory to Jesus, or elevating a person, platform, movement, or ideology?
    • 2 Corinthians 4:5
    • John 3:30
  • Is the message being shaped by Scripture, or is Scripture being shaped by the message?
  • Is this person willing to be corrected, questioned, and spiritually accountable, or are they operating above correction?
    • Proverbs 26:12
    • Proverbs 9:8

In 3 John 9-10, John talks about a man who “likes to put himself first.”

Then inGalatians 2:11-14 Paul says he opposed Peter “to his face.”

If we want discernment, we need more than occasional exposure to the Scripture. We need daily saturation.

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