During the Reformation of the 16^th century, Martin Luther had a wealthy benefactor. His name was Frederick of Saxony. Frederick was a prince and an entrepreneur who funded many of Luther's projects. He was a Christian man with a tender heart and strong convictions.

His personal motto was a Latin phrase inscribed on his coach: suaviter [saw-we-tear] in modo, fortiter in re, which means, "gentle in manner, strong in truth." This is what All Saints Church desires to be: warm, gracious, and appealing, while maintaining strong convictions that are rooted in the Scriptures and the historic teaching of the Church.

This commitment to truth and gentleness is a delicate balance to maintain. Our pendulum tends to swing from one extreme to the other. For example, truth coupled with rude, forcefulness isn't Biblical, and neither is mild-mannered, gentleness that ignores truth. Our goal is to maintain the Biblical balance between our commitment to truth and gentleness.

When we look to the Scriptures for an example of a man Who held truth and gentleness in balance, we need look no further than our Lord. In parables like the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son we see the tender side of Christ. Our Lord was gentle.

In the Gospel lesson for today we see His commitment to truth. Mark what Our Lord says in St. Matthew 7:15. "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves."

In the first century, there were true prophets and there were false prophets. A true prophet was one who received his message from God and then taught God's people. The true prophet didn't invent his message. He simply repeated what God said. He was the mouthpiece of God.

All of that sounds self-evident, patently obvious, but it's vitally important when distinguishing between a true prophet and a false prophet. The false prophet created his own message. It wasn't a message from God. It was his message. The message originates within him. He alone decided what the message would be.

Today, a false prophet often mingles his erroneous message with truth. He mixes truth and heresy to form a poisonous alloy. For example, Sun Myung Moon, the founder of the Unification Church, was raised in a Presbyterian church. Jim Jones, founder of the People's Temple, was raised in a Nazarene church. Moses David, founder of the Children of God, was born to evangelical parents and was a pastor of the Missionary Alliance Church. Victor Paul Weirwille, founder of The Way, was a pastor of a Protestant Church and a professor of New Testament at a Christian college. Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the church of Christian Science, was raised in an orthodox Christian home. Charles Russell, the founder of the Jehovah's Witnesses, was raised in a Christian home and attended an orthodox Christian church. All of them were spiritual entrepreneurs who mingled truth with error to create their own, distinctive false teaching.

St, Paul has this to say about the message of false prophets. "If we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.⁹As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed." Galatians 1:8-9

There is one Gospel. It came from God. His Son delivered it. The Apostles and the historic Church taught it to us. We received it. Now we teach it to others. It's called the catholic faith.

And to protect you and your family from false teachers, all you have to know is that faith.

When the federal government teaches people to identify counterfeit money, it first acquaints their agents with legitimate bills. The lesson is this: learn what's true first, then you'll be able to identify what's false.

Next, I want you to notice that false prophets are difficult to detect. Our Lord says they come to us, "in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." False prophets camouflage themselves. They disguise themselves in sheep's clothing. They look like us. They talk like us. They're concerned about families, marriages and the decline of morality in America. They're committed to helping you become the best person you can be.

"But," our Lord says, "Inside they are ravenous wolves." Beneath the costume is a savage animal. Remember the wolves in the Jack London novels, Call of the Wild and White Fang? They were voracious and predators just like the false prophets referred to by our Lord.

What is it they want? They want you. In Acts chapter 20, St. Paul is speaking to the elders of the church at Ephesus. He's leaving them and he won't be back. Listen to what he says. "After my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.³⁰Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.³¹Therefore watch." Acts 20:29-31

False prophets want to lure us away from following the truth. It's no mistake that our Lord's warning about false teachers comes immediately after verses 13-14. "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.¹⁴Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way, which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

The voices of false prophets are clamoring for our attention. Some come knocking on our doors. Some speak to us from our television screens or our radios. All of them are urging us to forsake the narrow and difficult way that leads to life.

These false prophets are like Worldly Wiseman in Bunyan's classic novel Pilgrims Progress. Pilgrim is trudging onward toward the narrow gate and the Wiseman warns him not to follow the counsel of the godly Evangelist. "

"I beshrew [curse] him for his counsel! There is not a more dangerous and troublesome way in the world than is that unto which he hath directed thee; and that thou shalt find, if thou wilt be ruled by his counsel. Thou hast met with something, as I perceive, already; for I see the dirt of the Slough of Despond is upon thee; but that slough is the beginning of the sorrows that do attend those that go on in that way." (Chapter 2)

The false prophet extends hope to us. His way is pleasant. His way is tolerant. His way is loving. But Solomon warns us, "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Proverbs 14:21

With the wave of a hand, the false prophet sets aside the Scriptures, dismisses the creeds and rejects the teaching of the historic church. He assures us that it doesn't matter what God's people have believed at all times and all places. Opinion polls and focus groups have established a new standard.

His message is inclusive. His church celebrates diversity, multi-cultralism and the many truths found in the world. He assures everyone that they are the children of God, no matter what they believe or how they conduct themselves.

But Jesus Christ says, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able." St. Luke 13:24

May God gives us ears to hears His Son. Amen