Recognizing False Prophets: Dominion, Deception, and Discernment

Devotional

Day 1: The Turn from the Proud

Jesus finished His debate with the religious leaders. They had no answer for His challenge from Scripture. They refused to submit to God's Word. So Jesus turned away from them. He began speaking to the crowds and His disciples instead. He stopped giving what is holy to those who would only trample it.

This turn demonstrates a profound truth. God opposes the proud. He gives grace to the humble. Jesus will not force truth on those who arrogantly reject it. He instead pours His teaching into those with ears to hear. He seeks humble hearts ready to receive His word.

Many of us know someone who mocks the truth. We feel responsible to keep arguing. But Jesus shows us a different way. He teaches us to recognize a closed heart. He calls us to stop casting pearls before swine. Is there a relationship where you need to stop arguing and start praying for a humble heart instead?

“Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”
(Matthew 7:6, NASB)

Prayer: Ask God for the wisdom to know when to stop engaging a proud, argumentative person.
Challenge: Identify one conversation where you need to stop debating and instead pray for the other person’s heart.

Day 2: The Chair of Moses

The scribes and Pharisees seated themselves in the chair of Moses. This chair represented the authority of God's Law. But these men did not want to serve that authority. They wanted to replace it with their own. They kicked Moses out of his seat so they could rule instead.

A false teacher’s first fruit is a desire for dominion. They are not concerned with Christ’s kingdom. They are building their own little fiefdom. They want people to follow them, not Jesus. Their hunger is for personal authority and control.

This warning is for us today. We must examine the hearts of those who seek to teach. We must also examine our own motives. Are we building Christ’s kingdom or our own? Do we get upset when people don't follow our opinions? Which kingdom are you truly serving with your actions and attitudes?

“I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.”
(Acts 20:29–30, NASB)

Prayer: Confess any desire in your own heart to have control or authority over others.
Challenge: Write down one area of your life (e.g., a ministry, a relationship) and ask if you are protecting your kingdom or advancing Christ’s.

Day 3: Do What They Say

Jesus told the crowds to do what the Pharisees said, but not what they did. The Pharisees taught the Law of Moses. When their teaching aligned with God's Word, it was still true. Their hypocrisy did not cancel out the truth they read from the scroll.

The behavior of a messenger does not change the truth of the message. A hypocrite can still speak God's truth. We must be careful not to reject sound doctrine just because the teacher failed. The truth stands on its own, regardless of the vessel.

We live in a time when many reject truth because of a preacher’s failure. We might be tempted to do the same. But we must separate the message from the messenger. God’s Word remains perfect even when His people are not. What biblical truth have you been tempted to discard because of someone’s hypocrisy?

“Therefore, whatever they tell you, do and comply with it, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things and do not do them.”
(Matthew 23:3, NASB)

Prayer: Thank God that His truth remains steadfast even when His people fail.
Challenge: Read a passage of Scripture today, focusing on the truth it contains rather than any negative association you have with a teacher.

Day 4: Knowing Them by Their Fruits

Jesus described the Pharisees' deeds to warn the crowds. He was showing them the fruits of false prophets. These men were wolves in sheep’s clothing. Their actions revealed their true nature. Jesus calls His people to be discerning, to examine fruit carefully.

We are called to be wise as serpents. We must not be naive. We should evaluate those who desire to teach us. We look for two key fruits: Are they building their own kingdom? Is their life consistent with their teaching? This discernment protects the church.

This task requires both grace and truth. We do not assume everyone is a wolf. But we are watchful. We test everything against the Scripture. We hold teachers to a high standard of integrity. Who are you allowing to speak into your life, and have you examined their fruit?

“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.”
(Matthew 7:15–16a, NASB)

Prayer: Ask God for discernment to see the true fruit of those who influence you.
Challenge: Evaluate one public Christian teacher you listen to by writing down one example of their teaching and one example of their visible conduct.

Day 5: The Heart of a Sheep

A wolf lives for self. It has an appetite for its own glory. A true follower of Christ has a different heart. Christ calls us to self-denial. He calls us to take up our cross and follow Him. A redeemed person pursues God's glory, not their own.

This is the ultimate safeguard. The best way to spot a wolf is to know the heart of the Shepherd. When we are close to Jesus, we recognize those who are not from Him. His sheep hear His voice and follow Him. They do not follow the stranger.

We must look inward first. The question is not just about others, but about us. Have we taken up our cross? Is our life marked by self-denial? Or do we still have the old wolfish appetite for self-promotion? Does your life show the evidence of a heart transformed by Christ?

“And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.’”
(Luke 9:23, NASB)

Prayer: Pray that God would reveal any self-promoting motives in your heart and replace them with a desire for His glory.
Challenge: Intentionally deny yourself one specific personal desire today to serve someone else’s need.

Sermon Summary

Matthew links Jesus’ confrontation with the Jewish leaders to Psalm 2, portraying two divine responses: derision toward those who gather against God’s Anointed and fierce judgment against their stubbornness. Jesus’ public words unfold in two movements: instruction directed to the crowds and disciples, and denunciation directed toward the scribes and Pharisees. The crowds and disciples receive corrective teaching because the religious leaders, having refused the Scripture’s authority, either will not or cannot receive further instruction. Their silence after Jesus’ challenges reveals pride and hard-heartedness; Scripture opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble, so Jesus ceases to engage those who set themselves above the Law.

The text emphasizes restraint in ministering truth: do not offer what is holy to those who mock or trample it, but continue to teach and live under the authority of God’s Word. Humble submission to revealed truth becomes the precondition for receiving further grace or revelation. Jesus then warns about false prophets by exposing their fruits. The first two fruits considered are dominion and deceptiveness. Dominion appears when religious leaders supplant Moses’ chair, seeking personal authority and building little kingdoms rather than submitting to God’s law. Deceptiveness appears when teachers demand obedience to the Law yet fail to practice what they teach; such hypocrisy does not negate the truth of the Law, but it does reveal dangerous spiritual corruption.

The sermon urges practical discernment within church life: examine whether leaders desire Christ’s kingdom or their own, and test teachers by their fruits rather than dismissing truth because of the messenger’s failure. Paul’s warning about wolves among the flock and Jesus’ call to know false prophets by their fruits provide the standard for vigilance. The passage closes with a call to self-examination: a true disciple dies to self, pursues God’s glory, and submits to Christ’s authority; a heart of dominion or hypocrisy indicates a wolf rather than a sheep. The final appeal rests on Christ’s power to transform a hardened heart into one of flesh, inviting those who are spiritually dead to come to life through the cross.

Key Takeaways

1. Christ both mocks and judges Jesus responds to religious rebellion with both derision and denunciation: derision exposes the futility of self-exalted authority, and judgment declares the consequences of persistent hard-heartedness. This twofold response underscores God’s sovereignty over human pride and the seriousness of refusing His rule. Those who resist Scripture face exclusion from further revelation, while those who humble themselves remain open to grace.
2. Teaching aimed at crowds and disciples The shift of address from hostile leaders to crowds and disciples highlights pastoral economy: truth receives careful stewardship and is not wasted on settled opposition. Instruction functions to form humility and obedience among learners, not to gratify debates with the proud. A disciple’s posture—receptive, teachable, submissive—determines readiness for deeper revelation.
3. Dominion exposes a kingdom of self Usurping Moses’ chair models the hunger for personal fiefdoms that corrupts spiritual leadership and fractures congregational life. Wherever control, prestige, or territorialism substitute for Christ’s lordship, ministry becomes self-serving. Vigilant examination of motives protects the flock from leaders who pursue influence more than holiness.
4. Deceptiveness betrays true doctrine Teaching that aligns with Scripture retains its truth even when delivered by hypocrites, yet recurrent practice-contradictions reveal dangerous unbelief and deceit. Disciples must separate the validity of revealed truth from the moral failures of its messengers while refusing to be formed by inconsistent lives. Persistent incongruity between word and deed signals a teacher who needs correction or removal.

Bible Study Guide

**Bible reading**
Matthew 23:1-12

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**Observation questions**

To whom does Jesus specifically address His words in the first part of Matthew 23?
What two responses from God in Psalm 2 are reflected in Jesus’ actions toward the religious leaders?
According to Jesus, what should the crowds and disciples do with the teachings of the scribes and Pharisees? What should they avoid doing?
What two “fruits” of false prophets are highlighted in this passage?

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**Interpretation questions**

Why did Jesus stop engaging with the religious leaders and turn instead to the crowds and disciples? What does this reveal about how God responds to pride and humility?
Jesus instructs the crowds to “do and keep” what the Pharisees say, but not to follow their example. How can a teaching be true even if the teacher is a hypocrite?
What does it mean for religious leaders to “sit in Moses’ seat”? How does this desire for dominion conflict with Christ’s kingdom?
How can a person distinguish between a leader who is building Christ’s kingdom and one who is building their own?

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**Application questions**

Is there an area in your life where you’ve been resistant to God’s Word because of pride or tradition? What would it look like to respond with humility instead?
Think of a time when you were disappointed by a Christian leader’s failure or hypocrisy. How did it affect your view of biblical truth? How can you separate the message from the messenger when necessary?
Reflect on your own motives in serving or leading others. Are there ways you seek recognition, control, or your own “kingdom” rather than seeking Christ’s glory?
How can you cultivate a heart that is receptive and teachable toward God’s Word, especially when it challenges your preferences or comfort?
In your relationships or community, how can you encourage accountability and integrity so that your actions align with what you say you believe?
What is one practical step you can take this week to examine the “fruit” of those you allow to influence you spiritually?

Sermon Quotes

They sought to tear God’s authority from Him because it threatened their own power and the system they had set up for their own benefit.

There are times when someone is so prideful and refuses to submit to truth that we must cease speaking to them and stop teaching them.

If you do not submit your life to what God has already revealed to you, then do not expect to receive more grace from Him.

You can’t open a blind person’s eyes, you can’t make a deaf person hear, and you certainly cannot make a dead person come alive.

Someone is either about Christ’s kingdom or their own kingdom; you cannot be about both.

The fruit of a false prophet is a great concern for their own dominion, authority, and power.

The behavior of an individual does not necessarily negate the truth that has come out of their mouths.

There comes a time to say, “You will get nothing holy from me until God reveals a change of your heart.”

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