Hearing and Doing
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The Challenge
The Challenge
Most sermons I’ve ever heard end with a challenge. A decision to be made to follow Christ and live out the sermon. Jesus Sermon on the mount is no different.
Jesus has laid out in this sermon what it takes and what means to follow him through the narrow gate of the Kingdom. He now issues the challenge to his disciples and those who have gathered to eves drop on his sermon. He issues the challenge through a narrow gate, a tree and its fruit, those who actually do the will of the father, and the final challenge is to hear and do. To put the sermon into action.
The challenge for us today is the same. We follow Christ through the narrow gate by the leading of the Holy Spirit. The spirit within us produces the fruit, the actions of the spirit, the spirit of leads us to doing the will of the father, and the spirit helps us to actually put the sermon into action. To actually hear and do Christ’s words we must do so through the power of the Holy Spirit. May the Spirit of God continue to lead us through the narrow gate, produce in us good fruit, lead us in doing the will of the father, and to actually live the sermon.
Now Go Do It.
Now Go Do It.
After Jesus was baptized by John, he was lead by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Throughout his ministry Jesus is lead by the Spirit.
This is important for us today , because Jesus has just finished calling his disciples and the eves droppers into a humanly impossible way to live. The only way to answer Christ challenge is through the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition Behind the Text
Jesus offers a series of exhortations and warnings that act as “an existential response to what has been heard and warn[s] of the consequences of failing to respond” (France 2007, 285). Jesus begins with a call to “enter through the narrow gate” that leads to a narrow road, implying that few will accept the challenges of the sermon (vv 13–14).
Narrow Gate
Jesus offers two roads as his first challenge. One is self lead the other Spirit lead. One leads to destruction the other ruin.
Matthew: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition In the Text
These metaphors imply the difficult challenges contained in the sermon and that few can handle them.
Matthew: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition In the Text
In some OT texts, two roads or ways are used as a metaphor to describe two different lifestyles, each of which have very different consequences
The only way to accept Christ challenge is through the leading of the Spirit.
Tree and Fruit
22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.
John the Baptist challenge to bear fruit worthy of repentance.
LOVE is the first fruit mentioned and Jesus tell his disciples they will know they are his followers by their love.
34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
As much as this is a warning to his disciples of false prophets, it is also a call to bear good fruit. Matthew 7:20
20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
Living by the Spirit leads through the narrow gate that leads to life, and produces the fruit, the actions that show the world we are followers of Christ.
Doing the Will of the Father
Jesus then issues a challenge by telling those listening exactly how to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in Heaven will enter.
Jesus teaches his disciples to pray your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus models this in Gethsemane, not my will but yours be done. Matthew 26:36-44
36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and agitated. 38 Then he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and stay awake with me.” 39 And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want.” 40 Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour? 41 Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again he went away for the second time and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 Again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words.
Jesus tells his disciples the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Jesus turned to prayer and the leading of the Spirit to follow the will of God to Calvary.
Hearing and Doing
Finally Jesus calls his disciples to action. To actually put the sermon in action in their lives. To live this way leads to life. To ignore it leads to destruction.
Scripture continually calls God’s people to action. While love can be a noun it is best expressed through action. James 2:14-17 is another passage that calls Christ followers to action. The Spirit at work within us will lead us into action.
To build on the rock we must hear and do the words Christ spoke in this sermon. The only way we can do that is through a life lead by the Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit, Help us live it.
Holy Spirit, Help us live it.
Jesus calls his disciples, and those who have gathered to eves drop, into a high standard of living. A standard so high that no one of themselves can achieve it. Through out our journey of following after Christ we have been lead by the Holy Spirit. Jesus through out his ministry has been lead by Holy Spirit.
We can only hear and do the sermon on the mount through the work of Holy Spirit within us. It is the Holy Spirit who lead us through the narrow gate, it is the Holy Spirit who produces fruit in us, it is the Holy Spirit who leads us to do the will of the Father, It is the Holy Spirit who enables us to hear and do these words of Christ. Will you follow the leading of the Holy Spirit?
May the Holy Spirit help us to hear and do, to put these words of Christ in action.