The Gospel According to Matthew
Matthew 7:12-23
Introduction: I am fascinated by sermons. A well crafted sermon is a beautiful thing to experience. A sermon has the potential to entertain you, to motivate you, sooth you to sleep, or hopefully change you. There are sermons I have heard in my life that I still remember because listening to them brought a profound paradigm shift in my life. After those sermons, I could never go back to being the same. There are many different ways of presenting a sermon, many ways of preparing for giving a sermon, many ways of writing sermons. No matter the content, no matter the way of preparing, or presenting, there is one important element in every sermon. The END. The ending, the close. The wrap up. No matter what you call it, it is very important!!!
So the great teacher, is now at the wrap up, the close, the ending of His sermon. How will He finish?
READ: Matthew 7:12
12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
This passage we all know! We have know this principle since we were very young. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," rolls off the tongue. As a child my parents made me practice the principle and as a parent I tried to get my children to practice the principle. It is a good principle to live by. Enough said? Of course not.
What part of this verse did you not memorize as a child?
What part was left out?
What does that part of the sentence mean?
It sums up what?
Jesus is getting into his closing of this amazing sermon. He is wrapping it up. Over and over he has turned upside down what they have believed. Over and over he has said, it isn't just...this...or that...it is more! Much more. Over and over again he has challenged them to stop with just the list of laws but it is so much more. Now here in His conclusion He sums up the Law and the Prophets with a principle in a short phrase that is understandable to the youngest child.
Can you imagine what this was like to hear, if you had spent your life hearing about the lists and lists and all the laws. I'm sure there were many who experienced relief, others doubt.
What about for you?
Is this simple, even childlike phrase, all that is needed? Does it really sum it up?
This isn't His entire closing it is just the opening sentence.
READ: Matthew 7:13-14
The Narrow and Wide Gates
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
He continues on with His closing.
What do you understand this to be saying?
I think perhaps the biggest clue is where it says, "and narrow the road that leads to life".
What leads to life?
What is life?
There is only one way.
There is only one cure.
There is only one remedy.
There is only ONE!
READ ON:
True and False Prophets
15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
In a way this passage has scared me. It is a warning after all. Haven't you wondered if you were going to be able to discern the true prophets from the false prophets. I know what it says... you will know them by their fruits.
What are the fruits?
Do we really know?
I think I have shared with you before a story about my cousin. My cousin is not a church going man. He is spiritual, spends time in meditation, studies a lot of Eastern religions and "prophets". Some of our family have lovingly called him Buddha Boy. He does not prescribe to any one religion. He has spent much of his time caring for my aging grandparents. They are life long Seventh-day Adventist Christians. They love nothing more than reading the bible, but before my grandmother died, it became harder and harder for her to read, and grandfathers eyes failed him so the joy of reading the scriptures had been reduced to an occasional verse when someone came to visit and choose to read something to them. My Buddha Boy cousin on the other hand would each night he was there, plop down on their bed right between them and read chapter after chapter of the Bible. One day when I commented on how nice it was he did that for them, he said, "I know it is what they love, it gives them strength, it gives them hope, and I know they would do the same for me." I confess I questioned if they would have done the same for him? Would they have lovingly read to him on his death bed from one of the books written by "prophets". Nevertheless, what he is doing in this picture, was an act of kindness and grace. You must also understand that my grandparents in an effort to correct his wrong thinking, wrong beliefs have been less than kind to him. They were down right rude and even mean in what they said to him. Yet, he found it in him to show them grace and kindness he had not been shown.
READ ON:
True and False Disciples
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
This passage makes me nervous. Doesn't it you too? After all thinking of my grandparents, who served as missionaries, were vegetarians, helped to build churches, grandfather was on the conference executive committee, and grandmother served her local church and the surrounding community and yet they couldn't find a way to be kind to their grandson. Did they really have a relationship with Jesus? Were they so consumed with being right that one day He will say to them, "I never knew you." I pray they knew Him. Really knew Him.
Did they walk the narrow path of Jesus?
More importantly am I?
Am I finding my way in Him?
What is this closing saying to us so far?
1. Want to keep my laws... Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
2. The only way...Me! There is no other way! JUST ME!
3. Your fruits will be a huge indicator of the inside that I have been telling you so much about in this sermon. Want to know if you or others are getting me... Their fruits will tell you.
4. Be careful of false prophets, I don't know them!
Closing: He isn't done with His closing yet. They final illustration, the what He wants to leave us with is coming next week. This part of the closing is a simplified review.
So who are we?
Who are you in light of this lesson?
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