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The 32nd President, Franklin D. Roosevelt disliked the long receiving lines at White House receptions. The guests were so busy talking and trying to impress one another that no one listened. One evening as he greeted guests, he reportedly shook hands with each person and said, “I murdered my grandmother this morning.” Guest after guest smiled and offered the usual niceties in return. One dignitary, however, heard the president and understood the humor of the moment. He replied, “I’m sure she had it coming to her.”  

Funny how easy it is not to hear what the most important person is saying because of all the distractions around us. That might true about the words of Jesus too - we say we are listening…but are we really? If Jesus is KING of the KINGDOM, then we better listen closely.

Last week we ended our study with some difficult words from Jesus, words that many people seem to pay little attention to….words that should shake our souls.

The Narrow Gate Few Enter

Matthew 7:13-14 (NET) 13 Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

But that’s not true according to Facebook posts and funeral services. I know it might surprise you, but we often learn some BAD THEOLOGY from facebook, friends, & funerals. According to FB, people die because God needs another angel in heaven, angels who watch over their family and friends. Note: people don’t become angels & we don’t need their watch295089734773710: KING OF THE KINGDOM (Matthew 7:13-29)According to what we hear at most funerals, the majority of people make it to heaven when they die. But that’s not true, according to Jesus. In a world full of false teachings and false teachers, how can we KNOW that we KNOW Jesus? Today we discover His answer as we complete “The Sermon on the Mount" series.10: KING OF THE KINGDOM (Matthew 7:13-29)According to what we hear at most funerals, the majority of people make it to heaven when they die. But that’s not true, according to Jesus. In a world full of false teachings and false teachers, how can we KNOW that we KNOW Jesus? Today we discover His answer as we complete “The Sermon on the Mount" series.10: KING OF THE KINGDOM (Matthew 7:13-29)According to what we hear at most funerals, the majority of people make it to heaven when they die. But that’s not true, according to Jesus. In a world full of false teachings and false teachers, how can we KNOW that we KNOW Jesus? Today we discover His answer as we complete “The Sermon on the Mount" series.10: KING OF THE KINGDOM (Matthew 7:13-29)According to what we hear at most funerals, the majority of people make it to heaven when they die. But that’s not true, according to Jesus. In a world full of false teachings and false teachers, how can we KNOW that we KNOW Jesus? Today we discover His answer as we complete “The Sermon on the Mount" series.case when our heavenly Father watches over us.

10: KING OF THE KINGDOM (Matthew 7:13-29)

According to what we hear at most funerals, the majority of people make it to heaven when they die. But that’s not true, according to Jesus. In a world full of false teachings and false teachers, how can we KNOW that we KNOW Jesus?

Today we discover His answer as we complete “The Sermon on the Mount" series.

10: KING OF THE KINGDOM (Matthew 7:13-29)

According to what we hear at most funerals, the majority of people make it to heaven when they die. But that’s not true, according to Jesus. In a world full of false teachings and false teachers, how can we KNOW that we KNOW Jesus?

Today we discover His answer as we complete “The Sermon on the Mount" series.

And according to what we hear at funerals - evidently, most everyone goes to heaven. When is the last time you attended a funeral when the person who died DIDN’T make it to heaven?

But if Jesus has it right, this is NOT the case. Few enter the narrow gate…that leads to life.

So those who claim there are many ways to God and everyone is going to make it are in disagreement with Jesus. You’ll remember that Jesus warned His followers about false prophets.

False Prophets & Bad Fruit

Matthew 7:15-16 (NET) 15 Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves.16 You will recognize them by their fruit.

What FRUIT should we be inspecting? Very simply, what a person SAYS and DOES. Do their LIVES must match their LIPS? Are they teaching the right things - and if they are - are they practicing what they are preaching?

What do they teach about God, Man, Sin, Jesus, & Judgment?

GOD is the Creator & Lord over all. He is perfect - the standard of what is right. False teachers attempt to dethrone God as the perfect Creator of all things and bring Him down to our level and subject to our laws.

Mormons do this. Listen the the words of Joseph Smith, their founder, just 2 months before his death: “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!”

Many ‘word-faith’ teachers treat God as if He is not all powerful. I will never forget hearing Kenneth Copeland say these words about God: “The Bible says [God] measured out the heavens with a nine-inch span. Well…my span is eight and three-quarter inches long. So God's span is a quarter of an inch longer than mine. So you see…God…stands somewhere around 6'2",6'3", weighs somewhere in the neighborhood of a couple hundred pounds, little better.

MAN is

created in the image of God, with value (tell someone).

Man is relational, creational, & eternal.

Yet mankind has also sinned against God.

False teachers not only attempt to bring God down to man’s level, but they lift man up to God’s level. There is little focus on repentance (turning from sin & agreeing with God on what is right & wrong) & more focus on mankind’s goodness and spiritual authority.

Word-faith teachers like Kenneth Copeland, TD Jakes, Joyce Meyer, & Joel Osteen claim that Christians have the ability to, LIKE GOD, speak life & death into existence. To be sure, we can HARM or HELP other people with our words. But these people twist the Scriptures (e.g. misquoting Rom. 4:17) and say things like this: “Your words become your reality…Words are like seeds. When you speak something out, you give life to what you’re saying…Whether you realize it or not, you are prophecying your future.”

Joel Osteen (James passage is ripped out of context. James was not writing about our WORDS blessing our lives, but our WORDS blessing God & other people.) These people believe you - like God - can speak your own reality into existence…and THIS is FALSE.

What does the person teach about SIN?

SIN has separated us from relationship with God. We must turn from our sin and change our thinking to agree with what God says is right and wrong. Those who never talk about sin…instead calling sin ‘mistakes’…if they never talk about repenting of sin, it’s FALSE TEACHING.

JESUS is God-in-skin (fully God & fully man), who came to live the perfect life without sin & pay IN FULL the penalty for our sins. Because of this, it is by God’s grace that we are saved, and not by our good works (Eph. 2:8-9). False teachers add something to the cross, it’s the cross PLUS. They either downplay the need for Jesus to die, claim He didn’t pay for all our sin, or teach that Jesus broke the law of God to pay for us.

Mormons teach that it is by grace AFTER ALL YOU CAN DO. Jesus didn’t pay it all. (And Jesus is just one of many deities - our spirit brother & the brother of Lucifer)

Word-Faith teachers claim that Jesus had to make a deal with the devil and suffer in hell to pay for your sin.

JUDGMENT is coming.

Following Jesus = Eternal Life.

Refusing Jesus = Eternal Punishment. False teachers often claim that God will forgive everyone. Years ago a well known pastor, Rob Bell, whose videos we had used here at Fellowship, began to teach that God loves everyone so much, that he would never let anyone go to hell for eternity. He became very popular through Oprah Winfrey. His popular message is NOT what Jesus teaches.

And here’s what is scary. If Jesus is right, and I believe He is, then many will not enter the kingdom of heaven AND many who think they will…won’t.

Matthew 7:21–23 (NET) 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven—only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

Did you GET that!?!? Who is it that will enter the kingdom of heaven? It’s those who do the will of God. And there is the way that one determines whether they will enter the kingdom - they actually obey what the King says.

Remember that throughout this teaching Jesus has taught different than other rabbis of His day. He didn’t quote other teachers for authority but said, “You have heard it said…but I say to you” - like HE is the AUTHORITY - The KING of the KINGDOM.

Think of the audacity of ME saying what Jesus is about to say!

22 On that day, many will say to me [Jesus], ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do many powerful deeds?’ 23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’

On that day, many will say to me…I will declare to them… Think of the audacity of one of your Bible teachers saying just said! Jesus is claiming to the the one who judges false followers who claim He is their Lord - a term that can be used as a term of 1) Respect (e.g. sir) 2) Authority, or 3) God Himself.

In this context, to say Lord, Lord is to passionately proclaim Jesus as your ultimate AUTHORITY. What HE says, you will DO. The problem is that many listening to Jesus…maybe many listening to me, proclaim Jesus is Lord with their lips, but not with their lives.

This is like saying:

1) I respect you…2) I trust you as my authority and 3) as followers came to understand - You are God with skin on…the ultimate authority in my life…but I refuse to DO what you SAY.”

But those who call Jesus Lord must not only pledge allegiance but also practice obedience.

BIG TRUTH: Followers of Jesus follow Jesus.

If you refuse to LIVE what Jesus says…then please…quit calling Him Lord. You are fooling yourself & confusing others. Followers of Jesus follow Jesus.

Matthew 7:24–27 (NET) 24 “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because it had been founded on rock. 26 Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed; it was utterly destroyed!”

Notice: they both built houses. One took the time to dig deep to find a foundational stone to build on; The other didn’t worry about all that extra work and quickly started to construct his house.

Notice that a flood came to both houses. What does this flood represent? Scholars seem to disagree.

Some say this is referring to tough times that come to all people (see Wiersbe).

Others say that Jesus is pointing to what will happen on Judgment Day (see Stein).

Whether both are intended, certainly both are true. All people WILL go through tough times. Followers of Jesus are NOT immune to difficulties. And bigger than that…ALL people WILL face judgment one day.

Finally, one house stood & the other collapsed. What made the difference? Whether or not they built their houses (representing their lives) on the words of Jesus or not.

This is HUGE! Can you imagine ME or some other pastor or teacher talking like THIS? “Whoever hears MY WORDS and puts them into practice…” Jesus was not just another Rabbi pointing to the words of a former rabbi. Jesus speaks of people BUILDING THEIR LIVES on His Words!

Examine Yourself: If judgment were to happen TODAY for you…would your LIFE stand…or COLLAPSE? Are you building your LIFE on the words of Jesus or not?

Do you Pledge Allegiance & Practice Obedience? Or are you just FOOLING yourself & CONFUSING others?

Are you a FOLLOWER of Jesus - Is He KING over your kingdom….or are YOU still sitting on the throne?

Matthew 7:28-29 (NET) 28 When Jesus finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed by his teaching, 29 because he taught them like one who had authority, not like their experts in the law.

Is Jesus the AUTHORITY over YOUR life? Is He KING of your KINGDOM?

Feet2Faith Challenges:

Turn from YOUR SIN. Ask Jesus to be KING over your life!

Open & obey the Scriptures & talk with another believer. Ask questions. Pray for each other!

SHOW UP to the Good Book starting next week! (Pass out sheets)