2.10.14 3.2.2025 Matthew 7.13-23 Kingdom Determination
Mathew: Proclaiming the Kingdom, Building the Church • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Start:
Entice: There are genuinely difficult things to understand in the Bible. There are other things which make perfect sense—except they no longer speak to our experience. Jesus came to provide freedom—and that freedom takes a variety of forms.
From sin (obviously).
From sin (obviously).
From fear.
From fear.
From un-relenting religious obligation.
From un-relenting religious obligation.
From guilt.
From guilt.
From ________.
From ________.
14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
21 “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.
22 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?’
23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Engage: The word freedom does not appear any of these three sayings that make up our text. The fear and bondage we might experience is not “in the text” we bring it to the text.
We are afraid in the way, afraid we’ll be found as, or be victimized by a bad apple, we fear that real faith can age into nothing but superficial performance.
Expand: Jesus is truthful about some of the pitfalls. Narrow road? Yes. Bad fruit? Always. Apple-polishers who are always preening about their accomplishments? Of course. We are human. Jesus wants us to understand these issues and limit them. He has done so much for us through both His cross and example. We have to do our part in pursuit of the Kingdom. We must have determination.
Excite: Grace should elicit a response from us. Hearing His words we should respond and act. Jesus constantly reinforces the fact that
Explore:
Discipleship requires our cooperation.
Discipleship requires our cooperation.
Expand: Jesus prescribes three basic behaviors which will focus what we want with what He wants.
Body of Sermon: It begins with going the
1 Right way.
1 Right way.
13 “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.
14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
1.1 Kingdom living requires initiative.
1.1 Kingdom living requires initiative.
1.2 Kingdom living requires focus.
1.2 Kingdom living requires focus.
1.3 Kingdom living requires tenacity.
1.3 Kingdom living requires tenacity.
Kingdom living means looking for and inspecting
2 Good fruit.
2 Good fruit.
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
2.1 Manage risk.
2.1 Manage risk.
2.2 Examine fruit.
2.2 Examine fruit.
2.3 Acknowledge the consequences.
2.3 Acknowledge the consequences.
2.4 Accept the responsibility.
2.4 Accept the responsibility.
Finally, Kingdom living means living with
3 Clear intent.
3 Clear intent.
21 “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.
22 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?’
23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
This saying is a little more cloudy. Jesus seems to be indicating that some spiritual people want focus entirely on external actions. He presents an alternative which is based on the goal of knowing the Father though a closer walk with Jesus.
So,
3.1 Kingdom behaviors are a matter of pleasing the Father not performance.
3.1 Kingdom behaviors are a matter of pleasing the Father not performance.
3.2 Kingdom behaviors prioritize knowing Jesus.
3.2 Kingdom behaviors prioritize knowing Jesus.
Shut Down
Kingdom living can be hard. Some of the worst obstacles are our own best intentions. We do deeds just to do them, without those deeds either building toward or coming from a real relationship with Christ. We enter destructive relationships with wolves in sheep’s clothing because we fail to examine their fruit. And we wander aimlessly because we thought that the road to Kingdom would be easy and crowded rather than difficult and sometimes lonely.
The Kingdom is for everyone, but not everyone is for the Kingdom. We substitute our own standards of righteousness and settle for less than what Immanuel, “God with us” came to give us.
We faithfully read and preach from these texts because in their familiarity we often forget their power. Is there a more memorable image than a gate or a piece of fruit?
Jesus not only pronounced words of guidance to help us along this narrow path, but He also shows the way helping us to overcome our sin and our limitations so that we may hear words of approval not of removal. The gate’s still open. Shall we follow?
