Distinguishes between a corrupt tree and a good tree, illustrating humanity's division into two groups based on their spiritual character and life. Using Matthew 7:17-19, The contrast the wicked, who are like corrupt trees producing evil fruit, with the righteous, who are like good trees producing good fruit, drawing parallels from Psalms and Jude to describe both types. The core lesson emphasizes that a person's true nature is revealed by their actions and the "fruit" they bear, whether it be sin or holiness. Ultimately, the sermon concludes by presenting the eternal destinies of these two trees: corrupt trees face destruction and punishment, while good trees enter into eternal life with God.
Restored with Diffio
Audio restored with Diffio. Diffio processed the original archive recording to reduce noise and produce a cleaner listening version; the original stays available.
Speech quality score (model-estimated, SCOREQ): before 2.42 → restored 4.02
Beloved friends, we greet you in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ as we welcome you to the meditation of the Word of God. This is your Bible teacher of beer speaking, J.W. Bramall. We desire to go to the seventh chapter of the Gospel of Matthew and meditate together with you upon the words of the Lord Jesus Christ as we find them written in verses seventeen through nineteen of Matthew chapter seven. Listen to the Savior saying, Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit. But a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit. Neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth forth not good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruit Ye shall know them. Here we have another lesson in contrast. Contrast that is spoken of by the Blessed Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. On this occasion in these words, he is speaking of two trees. One is a corrupt tree. The other is a good tree. And do not these words illustrate the human race.
and the divining of the human family regarding their character and their life as we are upon this earth we raise the question who does the corrupt tree represent oh may I refer to a scripture which will interpret the meaning of this as it is described by the words of the psalmist I quote from Psalm thirty seven in verse thirty five where the psalmist declares, I have seen the wicked in great power spreading himself like a green bay tree. Now who does the corrupt tree represent? Surely you can plainly understand, this tree represents a wicked person, and does not the psalmist indicate this person possesses great power and influence?
An influence that is suggested by the widespreading branches of a green bay tree. May I also go to another scripture in the epistle of Jude, where even the Apostle Jude suggests there can be religious persons mixed in even with the people of God, of whom he must say as he writes in verse twelve of that epistle, these are spots in your feasts of love when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear. They are clouds without water, carried about of winds. Trees whose fruit withereth, they are without fruit.
They are twice dead, plucked up by the roots. Once again do we not confess, these words describe a corrupt tree. Note it very carefully, one who may be very outwardly wicked and lawless. and also those who may be even spiritually dead, though they may make a profession of Christianity in the days we now live. Now let's look at the other tree, the good tree. Let the scripture tell us what the good tree or who the good tree is. We'll quote the words of the psalmist in chapter one of that book, and particularly verse three, where he describes one whom he calls the blessed man.
or the happy man. This is a person that is saved. This person knows the Lord. This person enjoys the word of God. For the psalmist says he delights in the word of God and in the word of God does he meditate day and night constantly. And it is on this ground that it makes him a good tree. Please let me repeat it. This man is the blessed man. He's not the wicked man. He has found salvation. His sins are forgiven through faith in the Blessed Son of God and his atoning sacrifice. And he has a love for the Word of God. And surely his leaf will not wither.
Whatsoever he doeth shall prosper, says the Spirit of God. But oh, the joy of realizing this is the good tree. And the good tree is the one who hath believed upon the Lord Jesus. and by his and her life is proving it. But now let's go ahead. Consider the fruit of these trees. There are two kinds of fruit. One produces good fruit. The other produces evil fruit. Now note verse seventeen in our chapter of Matthew chapter seven. It tells us that the good tree bringeth forth good fruit. And on the other hand, the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
It is absolutely inevitable that good tree can only produce good truth. The good tree will never produce evil truth, and neither will the corrupt tree produce good truth. My beloved friend, don't you believe it is very important to make sure you like the blessed man of Psalm One, staying away from the ungodly and walking with the Lord, saved by His grace, loving His word, and by that word daily seeking to live a life that is pleasing to him? My beloved believer, may you and I prove ourselves to be good in our fruit as a good tree.
But, oh, my friend, let me beg you, if you're not saved, don't be a bad tree. Be what Psalm ninety-two and verse twelve and thirteen says. Listen to these words, how they describe the fruitfulness of a good tree. The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree. He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. How blessed it is to be thus a good tree. For it is certainly different when one is saved. The fruits of sin and the old life disappear. As Paul well says in the book of the Romans, chapter six, verse twenty two, now being free from sin you become the servants of God and you have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life I think of the words of dear Paul as he wrote them in second Corinthians chapter five and verse seventeen if any man be in Christ new creation all things are passed away behold all things have become new my beloved you and I by nature may have proved that
we have been corrupt we have brought forth evil in our lives the fruit of our lives is produced because of sin evil fruit but my beloved look I think of the words of a dear old him let me quote the words in part what a wonderful change in my life has been brought since Jesus came into my heart and my beloved may I say when the Lord Jesus comes into the heart and the life, tis He that will change the corrupt tree to be a good tree, and change the evil fruit to become good fruit. Now that brings us to consider, as we go further in our lesson of Matthew seven, the ultimate end of these two trees.
The Savior declares it in Mark seven even, And in this chapter in verse nineteen. He declares, Every tree that bringeth not good fruit is hewn down, chopped down, cut down, and cast into the fire. Let me quote those words again. Every tree that bringeth not good fruit is hewn down, meaning cut down, cast into the fire. But the good tree abides. The bad tree is destroyed. Now let me point out the end of both of these trees, representing as they do persons without question of doubt.
Let me point the end of both from the words of the Lord Jesus. I want to read his words from Matthew chapter twenty-five, where we have the description of the judgment of the living nations, in great detail from verse thirty-one through forty-six. But I want to read the last verse in that portion. Verse forty-six. It declares the final end of these two trees. First concerning the corrupt tree, listen to what the Savior says. These shall go away into everlasting punishment, cast into the lake of fire, the eternal abode of the wicked and the Christ rejecters. Oh, the ultimate end of the corrupt tree, the lake of fire, everlasting punishment.
with not the end of the good trees, but the righteous shall go into life eternal. For them in eternity, not of doom, but a blessing of joy, of glory forever, because Christ was their Savior. And in him and through him alone are they made righteous to enter the glory of his presence and of his kingdom. Now, my beloved friend, here we have again a clear illustration of all humanity. dividing the family of humanity into two classes one class by the Lord Jesus is called a bad tree the other a good tree now take in the words of the Lord Jesus in Matthew chapter seven verse twenty it will decide which tree you and I may be note the words wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them may I put the words of the Lord Jesus out from verse fifteen Beware of false prophets which come unto you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.
Ye shall know them by their fruits. You do not get grapes from a thorn bush, said the Lord Jesus. You do not gather figs from thistles. My beloved, will you look carefully into that tree? That person can be morally wicked or religiously wicked. but the fruit of their life reveals they are a bad tree corrupt. But look at the good tree. Perhaps it was once a bad one, but be sure of this. The good tree represents a person who knows the Lord and loves this word and produces in his and her life good fruit, not evil.
And the important lesson for you and for me, my friend, is to ask, which tree am I? Does my life show by my fruits? I am but a lost wicked, hell-deserving sinner? Well, if so, I certainly am in danger of hell. Or does my life show to God and others I'm a saved sinner, washed in the precious blood of Jesus, to live a life that bears good truth? My beloved, we raise the question and leave it with you to answer before God, if you will. Am I a corrupt tree? Or am I a good tree?
God grant, by His grace, saved, you will be a good tree. Father, bless thy precious word to the glory of thy name and the blessing of all. Amen.