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Review:

• To be saved one must be born again. Born of the Spirit of God.

• The Spirit marks us as God’s possession and continues the work of transforming us to reflect Jesus more and more by the way we live.
  
  
• Those with the Spirit form the one true church who gather regularly to strengthen one another and to do so in a “fitting and orderly”
  
  
• We gain strength by reminding ourselves the grace we have received by fulfilling Christ’s decrees to baptize and to take communion that remembers his salvific work on the Cross.

Though there are many tribes in the family of God, there is only one church! 
1 Corinthians 12:12-14

• One body many parts.
  • Different skills and functions.
  • Dispersed evenly without consideration of Jew, Gentile, slave, or free—level playing field.

• One Spirit binds us all in Christ.
  
  
• Each one born again by the Spirit. John 3:7
  
  
• This is a grace we receive by faith. Ephesians 2:8-9

The evidence of the Spirit’s work will reveal the true church.  Matthew 7:15-23

• Wolves (false teachers) appear harmless and innocent at first. (15)
  • Their path of life is reckless.
  • The fruit of their life will show them for they really are. (16)
  • There is also an intent to invite and entice others to do as they do.

• Wolves can produce some good fruit, even powerful fruit. (22)
  • God can use any medium to convey His power. It is in our weakness that He gets more glory.
  • Consider King Saul, Balaam’s donkey, the son’s of Sceva, even Judas!
  • Today, many fallen leaders—Ravi, various song writers, even one of my own mentors.

• Wolves will produce some fruit that are in direct conflict with truth.
  • They create “wider paths” to God. (13-14)
  • They produce fruit that is self-serving.
  • Human centered reasoning trumps biblically based truth.
  • They seem to have no care for protection of the church.

• Wolves were never part of the true church. (23)
  • They will be punished!

• Brothers and sisters in Christ are also exposed by their fruit.
  
  
• Mixed bag of fruit should create a caution of trust.

It is not our role to determine absolutely who is the true church and who is not.  Matthew 13:24-30

• Early on in a believers journey it can be difficult to see the fruit—it is a process of transformation.
  
  
• Some can produce fruit that appears to look like the Spirit.
  
  
• God will do the collecting and separating at the great Harvest.
  
  
• We must do our best to discern for leadership and partnership.
  
  
• We have the right to call out that which is true and that which is false, but we must stop short of judgment of a person’s soul.

1 Corinthians 2:15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 

1 Corinthians 4:4-5 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. ⁵ Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.

Jesus’ message to the mixed gathering of believer and non-believer: Don’t just listen to Jesus, live out what he taught in both his words and life.  Matthew 7:24-27

• The fool hears but dismisses the way of righteousness taught by Jesus.
  
  
• The wise person hears and implements what Jesus has taught.
  
  
• Storms of life will expose your life for what it really is.
  
  
• When the storm comes and your life crashes, cry out to Jesus. He is merciful and compassionate.