The Sermon on the Mount: Two Gates, Two Fruits, Two Houses
Sermon on the Mount • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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We have been going through the Sermon on the mount:
Jesus’s sermon, his main message to his followers.
So far what Jesus has said is
There are ways of life that are blessed, but they are not how the world looks at blessing
those who live in those ways of life provide hope for the world
Our understanding of righteousness requires us to go beyond the Old testament requirements, an impossible task without Jesus
God is more concerned with how we live and act in private,
We should be more concerned with the Kingdom of God than our earthly needs, trusting God to provide what we need
and how we treat others determines how God will treat us, so we should treat others with grace, mercy, and forgiveness.
Now Jesus finishes his sermon by offering everyone a choice, to live in the way that he has called us to throughout the entire sermon, or to go back to living our own ways.
Everything he ends with gives the warnings of what will happen if we fail to follow his teachings.
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
He gives us a choice, two gates,
one is hard to get to, and narrow, and only a few people can even reach it, but it leads to life!
The other gate is wide and large, and all that it requires is going with the flow. Everyone follows that gate - and it leads to destruction
Following Jesus is not easy. If we think that it is easy, we are doing something wrong!
Proverbs 14:12 (ESV):
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
How many people try to make the message of Jesus easy for everyone, perhaps with the best of intentions, but end up missing the key point where following Jesus requires repentance, it requires doing hard things, it requires living in a way that the rest of the world does not understand.
Jesus speaks about such teachers, who say good things, and claim to honor God, but are not leading people down the narrow path!
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
Jesus calls these people raveonous wolves in sheeps clothing, they look harmless but they are hungry for gain, eager for money.
JEsus said we cannot serve both God and money.
So how do we tell which teachers are true and false - Jesus says look at their fruit
What comes of their labor?
Church I have fallen into the trap of wanting to follow one of those famous leaders, who had lots of resources and was building something good, and then it turns out he was using his wealth to cover up his own scandals.
So what is the good fruit to look for.
It cannot just be numbers, because there are plenty of people who have watered down the gospel in order to attract more people to their church.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Church are we producing these fruits?
And look at the “works of the flesh” the opposites of the fruit of the spirit, if you see these in your teachers, be wary of them:
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Church I have seen many of these things spreading throughout some of the largest churches and most wealthy ministries in the world. If we see these things, we know the teachers are false.
Jesus says what will happen to such teachers:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Church notice something - These people who God calls “workers of lawlessness” are prophecying, casting out demons, and performing miracles. - THey are charismatic church people!
Church do not be quick to follow prophecy, do not be too eager for miracles, check everything you see and hear against scripture.
I have friends who their church started to listen to the “prophecies” of some of the members of their congregation, and put that above Scripture!
These are false prophecies!
True prophecy will ALWAYS agree with the Bible, Because the Bible is God’s Word, So check everything that you hear people say against scripture!
Jesus closes with this:
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
Church we have heard the words of Christ. We need to obey them, otherwise our life will collapse around us.
We have a choice:
We can either come to Jesus, follow his teachings, allow Him to change us, or we can try and live life like everybody else.
We can either seek out the narrow gate, and walk the more difficult road in this life, or we can follow the rest of the world to destruction.
We can either live lives that produce the fruit of the Spirit, or we will produce the works of the sinful nature, which lead to death
We can Either set our foundation upon the teachings of Jesus, or we will be founded on something unstable that will ultimately collapse.
This Choice is the same one that God has always offered
Deuteronomy 30:19–20 (ESV)
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days,
When Israel was about to enter the promised land
When they entered the promised land Joshua repeated this choice:
And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Church, Choose to serve the Lord. Choose to follow Jesus.
So, How do we follow Jesus? By going back to the beginning
By being Poor in Spirit (generous)
By comforting those who mourn
By practicing humilty
By seeking righteousness
By being merciful
By remaining pure
By making peace
You are the Light of the World
You are the salt of the Earth
Be rconciled to your brother
Cut off that which causes you to sin
Let your yes be yes and your no be no
turn the other cheek
Love your enemies
Give in secret
Pray in secret
Fast in Secret
your father who sees in secret will reward you
Store up treasures in heaven
Do not be anxious about the stuff of this life
Judge not
Ask and it will be given
Do unto others
Enter the narrow gate
Beware of false prophets
Build your house on the rock
Choose this day whom you will serve.