The Eighth Sunday after Trinity – Pr. Anderson sermon
St. Matthew 7:15-23 “To Regard the Word with Favor”
August 10, 2025 | Christ Lutheran Church
In Nomine Iesu
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Lord God, heavenly Father, we most heartily thank You that You have caused us to come to the knowledge of Your Word. We pray: Graciously keep us steadfast in this knowledge unto death, that we may obtain eternal life; send us, now and ever, pious pastors who faithfully preach Your Word, without offense or false doctrine, and grant them long life. Defend us from all false teachings, and frustrate the counsels of all who pervert Your Word, who come to us in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves, that Your true Church may evermore be established among us, and be defended and preserved from such false teachers; through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and forever. Amen. (Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary, by Veit Dietrich, p. 160)
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. (Rom. 1:7, etc.)
The sermon text for today is taken from the 7th chapter of the Gospel according to St. Matthew. We read selected verses in Jesus’ name:
[Jesus said:] “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
These are Your words, heavenly Father. Sanctify us by Your truth, Your Word is truth. Amen. (Joh. 17:17)
In Christ Jesus, who recognizes false prophets because He is the Prophet, and His Word sends the wolves running, dear fellow redeemed:
When we discuss being in the presence of God as we are now, we often hear the illustration we have entered a courtroom. We know that our God sits as judge, and we are the ones being judged before Him. Satan wants to stand as our accuser before Him hopeful that we will receive the guilty verdict that we deserve. While we know the outcome of this court case, there is another way we can look at this courtroom illustration that fits with the text we hear today. As a trial is taking place, witnesses are called to testify either for or against the defendant. They will take an oath that they are only telling the truth. Why do they take an oath? If they are found to be lying under oath, the witness can be charged with the crime of perjury. Our text teaches who those witnesses are and how they will be held accountable. Jesus wants us to regard the Word with favor and as we do, He comes to our aid through it against the wolves.
Jesus is very direct on who the wolves are as He teaches, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” This teaching is coming from a string of thoughts that begin with how the people are not to judge others, how they are to ask and seek from God and it will be given to them, ending with the golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” He says to follow this is to take the narrow gate that leads to life. Our text follows this string because unfortunately, people see the wide gate leading to destruction is easier. Jesus’ warning about false prophets leading people through the wide gate is not a new teaching. When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him (Deuteronomy 18:22).
Moses said the Word of the LORD would be tested. There were prophets that would speak as if they were God’s prophet, and it is easy to see if they truly were. Did what they say come true? The people didn’t have to be afraid in the sense that they were liars, and their word wasn’t from God, but they still had to be aware. Jesus teaches with an illustration that being aware means using your eyes and your ears. So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. Like everything Jesus says, everything found in the Word is easier said than done. In the Old Testament, the kings and the people would have rather believed the false prophets because it sounded as though God’s prophets only spoke pain and disaster and in Jesus’ day it looked like heaven was unattainable.
In this season, we see how God’s kingdom comes and through it we pray that we will hear and believe His Holy Word and live godly lives according to it. When there are times we struggle with our faith, we will do our best to look for our own way out of trouble. This happens when we rely on our work taught to us by wolves. Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?’” Heading toward the wide gate and it looks like we have done a ton of things that God wants us to do. We must follow the complete message given to us by God’s Word. Those who witness must speak it all as Isaiah writes, To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn (Isaiah 8:20). If a witness ignores what Jesus says, “The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day” (John 12:48).
Jesus teaches that it is not harmless to ignore one thing He says. “And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.’” This is the current way of the world. Many have been taught that Jesus, Paul, and God did not mean some of the laws recorded for His people. As the world works to get us to doubt some of God’s Word, then it puts faith in all the Word in jeopardy. To follow any teaching of this sort means we have no longer regarded God’s Word with the favor it deserves. This is why we are taught to hold the Word in high regard. We believe it is living and active. We believe the Word became flesh. Jesus teaches to beware of any word that is contrary to His because by doing so, He will lead someone away from the wide gate to the narrow gate. The Prophet Ezekiel heard this was his duty. “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me (Ezekiel 3:17). With the danger of believing in our works that will only give us suffering, we continue to pray the Lord will send faithful witnesses to preach His Holy Word.
Jesus began the training of these faithful witnesses. The fruit they were bearing was good because it was fruit that came directly from their teacher. St. Paul would later point out, for whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4). Like the people around them, the disciples needed to cling to hope. As the Scriptures pointed out, the law and the courtroom, the witnesses for the disciples were found in the Word. The faithful prophets of old preached there would be a remnant people and then from that remnant people, a man would emerge who would do no wrong. He would suffer the punishment that was deserved. This man would come and keep the promise God had made in the Garden. And how would people know these prophets to be true? They would watch the prophets be right in their time.
Here is the truth of the Word as it is never wrong. It reveals God’s promises and how He keeps His promises. This is why countless teachers and preachers regard it with favor. It is time tested and has the only way of salvation recorded in it. The Old Testament through the mouths of prophets preached about the coming One who would keep all of God’s Word. In the New Testament, the disciples would see this Man live out God’s promises. They would see what perfect good fruit would look like. This good fruit would be stern, pointing out the repentance needed as the kingdom of God approached. Then with the kingdom of God among them, they watched as the ultimate sacrifice was given for the sins of the world. These first witnesses would record this great sacrifice. The Word can’t be more favorable than it is now, the hope for all people of all time.
As this favorable Word goes out into the world, revealing its great power, it did not mean it would go out without facing attack. If this is the hope we have, then of course, the devil will work tirelessly against it. Just as he would convince false prophets to teach that God would not discipline the people for their sins, so he began trying to convince the world that Jesus was not true God. The witnesses of Jesus’ day taught the new group of teachers and preachers well as they fought the heresy to preserve the hope of life found in the Word. This follows the instruction from St. Paul to a young pastor, he must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it (Titus 1:9) This instruction isn’t easy, and this instruction isn’t us relying on our own knowledge. This instruction is putting our hope in history, that the Word made flesh, came down from heaven and revealed to us the perfect food given to us by our merciful God. Through hearing His Word, we now recognize what Jesus means when He says, “You will recognize them by their fruits.”
You recognize those who preach contrary to the Word when they tell you, you must do something to inherit heaven. You recognize the pure fruit of your Savior’s Word when you hear this hope is freely given to you. Hearing this, your thanks goes to God who sends out faithful witnesses. St. Paul encourages them when He writes, pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood (Acts 20:28). Blood shed on the cross for the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation of His people. And after giving up His life so that you might live, you believe that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 10:31). If this Word that you hear wouldn’t be true, then there is no hope for you today. There is no hope to appease the righteous judge. There is hope in the faithful teaching of His Son who bore your sins and is your faithful witness against your accuser.
While you live knowing this good news, St. Peter reminds you what Jesus is teaching in our text. But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction (2 Peter 2:1). To make any change and to not follow all the commands means there will be destruction. To avoid it means you can’t do anything. It happens through the work of the Word as Jesus says, “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40). Even though you are unable to do anything on your own, you witness its truth and regard it with favor. And when you witness and defend the hope that you have, your hope is in your Savior who laid down His life for you. You are aware, you see the wolves, and in the end your witness triumphs over all accusers. Amen.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.
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