Sermon on Mount 11

Last time we closed with looking at how God is a good God Who gives good things to those who ask. We also discussed the need for perseverance in prayer by "keeping on" asking, seeking, and knocking.

Next, Jesus gives to us the Golden Rule. He says, "Therefore, whatever you want me to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets" (7:12). This perfectly ties in with what He has already said about judging others with a wrong spirit. Do you want to be judged fairly? Then whatever you would appreciate, so treat others the same way.

If we would run all of our actions toward others through the sifter of the Golden Rule, our world would be transformed overnight! If we would ask ourselves before gossiping about another, "Would I want to be talked about this way?" We would not do it. Before we are short-tempered with someone we should ask ourselves, "Would I want someone treating me this way?" Again, we would likely not do it.

Jesus was asked in another place what the greatest commandments were. He said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it. "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22:37-39). Notice that loving God as we ought results in loving our neighbor as we ought. This sums up the message of the Law and Prophets concerning how we treat one another.

Next, Jesus talks about two gates, two roads, two options in life that both have eternal consequences--the narrow gate and the wide gate.

"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. Because narrow is the gate and difficult (confined) is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it" (7:13-14).

First we have the narrow gate. The narrow gate leads also to a narrow road and is the way offered by Jesus Himself. It is constricted and confined. It is definitely the least appealing of the two at first glance. Who wants a narrow, confined road! Yet it is the road that leads to life.

Notice that we must pass through the gate first in order to travel the road which it gives us access to. The gate is Jesus Himself. In John's gospel Jesus said, "Yes, I am the Gate. Those who come in by way of the Gate will be saved and will go in and out and find green pastures" (John 10:9).

So we must first go through Jesus to gain a footing on the narrow road that leads to life. It is a "narrow" gate because there is only ONE Savior, ONE way, ONE Cross, ONE option. We cannot get to the road of life without going through Jesus, the gate, which requires repentance from our sin, and the acknowledgment that Jesus alone is the way, truth and life, and NO MAN gets to the Father but through Him!

This completely obliterates the message that has been embraced by our American culture that there are many ways, many gates from which to choose. That is a deception that Jesus is about to tackle in verse 15 when he will talk about false prophets.

Once having passed through the gate, we then journey down the "narrow road that leads to life." Not only is the gate narrow, but also the road that it places us on is narrow. Jesus said that it is a road of self-sacrifice, of crucifying our flesh, of denying ourselves, of resisting temptation, and of persecution from the world. BUT....it is the only road that leads to GENUINE LIFE!

Jesus defined the narrow road this way, "Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it" (Matthew 16:24-25).

Paul defined the narrow road this way, "They (Paul and his assistants) encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). It is not an easy road, says Paul. It is narrow in that it is restrictive. It is a road of denial and sacrifice. YET....it is the road that leads to life! It is WELL WORTH IT.

Jesus says of the narrow gate and road, "Few there be that find it." Compared to the masses of humanity, few, a small percentage, come to Jesus for salvation. The great majority of people end up going through the "wide gate" and walking on the "broad road" that leads to destruction.

Compared to the narrow gate, the wide gate is filled with options. It is much easier for carnal men to walk through. It is the way of the world, the place of fun and frivolity, of lights and attractions, of glitter and glamor, of excitement (though temporary) and thrills.

I often think of this "broad road" when walking through the amusement area of the State Fair. Here is someone calling, "Come over here and try this game!" and there someone else cries, "No, come here and taste my wares!" Try this, try that, do this, do that."

You are immediately and endlessly pulled and distracted and tempted with a million ways to spend your time and money. Such is the world and the broad way. Before you know it, you've spent your whole life on that wasteful road! Unfortunately, Jesus said, "Many go in through the broad gate." Many being most. One man wrote:

"Broad is the road that leads to death,

And thousands walk together there;

But wisdom shows a narrower path,

With here and there a traveler."

I don't think it's by chance that Jesus next focuses on false prophets, for they are a main cause of people missing the true road that leads to life. He warns us, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves" (7:15).

First, Jesus tells us that false prophets come disguised. Their method of attack is to approach their target with an air of innocence and harmlessness. Nothing is gentler and more non-threatening than a sheep.

Their goal is to infiltrate your group, so they must appear harmless and lovable. They want to be received into your midst so that they can deceive you from within. The major cults use this tactic quite successfully. The Mormons will tell you they believe in Jesus, will quote the Bible, and will involve themselves in what appears outwardly to be "good works." This is their "lamb" face.

The Jehovah's witnesses will do the same---quote the Bible, talk about Jesus, and so on. It is only as you delve deeper into their teaching that you come upon the wolf the sheep's clothing was hiding.

Jude describes this infiltration tactic this way: "For certain men have crept in unnoticed...12 When these people eat with you in your fellowship meals commemorating the Lord’s love, they are like dangerous reefs that can shipwreck you. They are like shameless shepherds who care only for themselves" (3, 12)

Paul the Apostle told the Ephesian elders as he was about to depart from them, "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also FROM AMONG YOURSELVES men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch...." (Acts 20:30-31).

When Jesus was asked by His disciples what would be the sign of His coming and of the end of the age, the very first thing He warned of was false prophets. "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many" (Matt. 24:4-5). So in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus first describes their method--to wear a harmless disguise in order to infiltrate the group.

Second, he teaches us how to see through the disguise and discern a false prophet. "You will know them by their fruits (not their charisma, not their education, not their attractiveness, not their wealth--the fruit their life produces). Do men gather grapes from thorn-bushes?" The answer is, NO. "Or figs from thistles?" NO. "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit." (7:16).

When we look at a fruit tree we don't focus on the bark, or on the leaves, or on its height....we focus on the fruit it bears. So does God and so should we when determining the authenticity of a ministry or professing Christian.

The good fruit Jesus is pointing to is sound doctrine that leads to godliness, and the fruit of the Spirit Paul describes in Galatians 5:22-23. Do their guiding beliefs reflect the teaching of the Bible? Are they accurate in their belief in the Person of Christ Jesus? That He was God, lived a sinless life, died for our sins, and rose from the dead for our justification? And that He is coming again. Do they teach these things?

To the best of their ability are they living lives of moral purity? Are they growing in the fruits of the Spirit? If they are in the ministry, what kind of fruit is being manifested in their followers? Are they growing in grace? Or is the group legalistic, works based, oppressed, joyless, fruitless? These are the things Jesus said we should look for. Essentially, this is one of those areas where we are indeed supposed to judge another!

"Even so," says Jesus, "every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit" (17-18). It's that simple. A false prophet or teacher will be found out by their fruit--both their doctrinal soundness, and their spiritual fruit or lack thereof.

And in closing, the Lord brings an awesome word of warning. "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (vs 19). One expositor writes, "Every preacher and teacher that does not bring the Gospel of Christ with him, and plainly and faithfully preach it to the people, sooner or later is hewn down."

I often think of David's words here. "I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a native green tree. Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; Indeed I sought him, but he could not be found" (Ps. 37:35-36).

The false prophet may appear as a tall, lofty cedar, and carry his false message with convincing favor and success, yet the time comes when he and his message are bowed and brought low. Such preachers are either cut off from the churches of Christ, or hewn down by death. "Therefore by their fruits you shall know them" (vs. 20).