The Parables // Known by Their Fruit

The context here is that Jesus is giving the disciples a warning. A warning of being aware of people that make look like them but are actually spreading false truth. Jesus gave them multiple warnings about false teachers. Multiple times he compares teachers to trees bearing fruit. Good fruit means good teachings.

This fruit is not something that we should look at as gain. It’s not a lesson in seeing who has the most or least fruit. That’s sneaking in some prosperity gospel. Truthfully, we may never see the fruits of our labors on this side of heaven, but we can use discernment to determine if teachers are producing good or rotten fruit.

Read: Matthew 7:15-20

Notes:

• False teachers aren’t always obvious. They pretend to know scripture but may be twisting it for their own gain.
• False teachers aren’t timid creatures. They are described as ravenous wolves that just look like the flock but they will sneak in and devour all of God’s people.
• Fruit // Greek: karpos // the visible expression of power working inwardly and invisibly, the charters of the fruit being evidence of the character of the power producing it

Discuss with Kids :

• What type of fruit do trees that are bad/rotten produce?
• What type of fruit do healthy good trees produce?
• How can we tell if a tree is healthy?
• How can we make sure that we are producing good fruit?
• What characteristics do you think we can have to show God’s glory through our fruit?