Taking A Deeper Look Of Your Life In The Faith

Secular -

I once told myself, “If you take a deeper look, you’ll find the problem.”

So I leaned closer… then closer… until I was nose-to-nose with the situation.

That’s when I realized—

the only thing staring back at me… was my own reflection.

Historical/Cultural Context -

This Gospel is written by Matthew, also known as Levi who was a former tax collector. It was most likely written between AD 50-60. Matthew left everything behind to follow Jesus. Matthew wrote primarily to Jewish believers—people who knew the Old Testament well. Matthew had one goal: to prove that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah, the King of Kings, and the fulfillment of God’s promises. Connecting the Old Testament prophecies to the life of Christ, proving that every word God spoke was coming true in Jesus. The key themes of the Gospel include Jesus as King, The Kingdom of Heaven, Fulfillment of Prophecy and discipleship.

Biblical Text -

Matthew 7:1–23 NKJV

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. “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 is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, 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. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

-[Prayer]-

Life Principle - You Must Be Self Examining, Diligent & Not Be A Christian In Name Only.

Life Point- Examine Yourself Before You Examine Others

Exegetical -

Matthew 7:1–6 NLT

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye. “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.

Luke 6:37 NLT

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.

Homiletical -

This is an interesting passage and one that is often used out of context.

What do we always here?

“Judge not”

However that is not what this scripture really says.

I find it interesting that people who hardly have ever darkened the door of a church, much less saved by the grace of God will say judge not.

Well that is ridiculous, you make judgements every day. What you will wear, what you will eat, what will say.

These are all judgements. No where in the scriptures does it say with a blanket statement judge not.

You know someone said that to me the other day and I tried to tell them it was out of context and their response was, I’m not going to get in a Bible debate with you.

I was thinking “what debate? There is no debate. There is objective truth and that’s it!”

So what does the passage actually say. Well it the topic is about being a hypocrite, it is about the same standard that you use to judge with is the same standard that will be used on you.

You don’t worry about someone else being a gossip when you’re the biggest gossip of them all. Now that is an example because we don’t have gossip around here. At least if we do ya’ll are really good at hiding it from me.

When you do point out another persons sin you best make sure you’re not guilty of the same thing.

Jesus wants you to be able to help a person with the speck in their eye. You are to help, just make sure you’re where you should be.

Jesus also says there are certain people that you will waste your breath on. He tells you not to do that. You don’t take that which is valuable and throw it to the pigs.

He says not to do that. Some people you go to help, they will never change so don’t waste your Holy words on them. All you will end up doing is stirring the pot, causing drama where there shouldn’t be any.

Illustration -

In biblical times, a woman went to a well to fetch water. She noticed her reflection and saw the dirt on her face but was quick to scold her neighbor for their issues. A wise man nearby gently reminded her, 'Before you address the speck in your neighbor's eye, ensure your own reflection is clean.’

Life Point - Be Diligent In The Things Of The Lord

Exegetical -

Matthew 7:7–12 NLT

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. “You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.

Homiletical -

You know when the Bible was written there were no chapter and verse divisions. It was just one long text. Now we find them useful after they were added so we could find things but sometimes we get too myopic. We want to put chapters and divisions in our minds as separate and the new chapter or verse doesn’t meet the context of what came before to what you are looking at now.

That is one thing we have to watch out for.

So when we see the scripture saying to “ask and it will be given, seek and you shall find, knock and it will be opened unto you” is this a new section or is Jesus continuing in the same vein as what He said before?

Well, what was he talking about before this verse? He was talking about getting that log out of your own eye and not casting your spiritual words before those who won’t treasure them.

He is saying don’t be like those people if you want to get things out of your life, you know like sin, then we are to keep seeking, keep knocking, keep asking.

Continue to seek God until He removes the log out of your eye.

A lot of people ask me, what do I need to do in order to get a particular sin out of my life. How do I achieve freedom. You don’t give up!

Proverbs 24:16 NLT

The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.

I believe people who give up on the Christian life or a church community often times are just one more time of getting up, one more prayer of being free or seeing their breakthrough, but they stopped seeking God. They stayed down, when they should have gotten up.

Matthew 7:9–12 NKJV

Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Jesus gives us an analogy here. If you know how to give good gifts to your children and you are full of sin, don’t you know that God will give you the good gifts. The deliverance that you seek?

I like the way the NKJV renders this final verse. It says therefore. Any time you see a therefore it means it is referencing what we were just talking about.

Therefore because God is good and you are not and He gives good gifts and delivers us from sin whatever you want from other people, how you would like to be treated, you do that for other people.

He says this is the law and the prophets. Meaning this whole sermon on the mount sums up what the Old Testament law and the prophets were trying to convey to people. He speaks with the authority of the law and the prophets.

That was a big deal back then, you just didn’t do that. People didn’t put their words on the level of scripture. But Jesus did because He is God in the flesh.

Life Point - Don’t Be A Christian In Name Only

Exegetical -

Matthew 7:13–23 NLT

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

Homiletical -

I had thought about breaking this passage apart but they really go together

There are two types of people in this world. The saved and the unsaved. Make sure you are apart of the narrow path that leads to life. Make sure you find the narrow gate. There are many people who think they know the truth, but do not know. They think they are saved, but they are not saved. Make sure you aren’t one of those people.

You would think that with the mortality rate of humans being 100% that people would search until they find the way, the truth, and the life. But unfortunately people like to live in their delusions. They would rather not face the harsh reality that they are sinners in need of the savior. Why? Because it requires taking responsibility for yourself. For your thoughts and actions.

So if you are a Christian how do you recognize those that are false teachers and false prophets? Well, what they say may sound good but what does their life look like. Do they bare the fruit of repentance?

Galatians 5:22–26 NKJV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

In Matthew 7:21-23 we find a familiar passage. This is Jesus emphasizing that just because someone acts like sheep, don’t mean they are a sheep. They are ravenous wolves that must be dealt with and they will be dealt with when Jesus returns.

So what happens when you have a wolf in ministry or in a church? Well that wolf tends to kill sheep. They run people off and bad mouth the church they were apart of.

So how do you handle a wolf? Well that’s an easy one. You use a shotgun. You don’t deal make deals with them. You expose them for what they truly are and you move on. That’s how you deal with a wolf in the church.

Illustration -

The early Christians often faced persecution not only from outside forces but also from those within their churches who intended them harm. A man named Arius, whose teachings about Christ's nature led to significant division and heresy. The Council of Nicaea was convened to address such wolves in the church. By facing these threats head-on, the leaders were able to preserve the core truths of their faith, reminding us that confronting falsehood is essential for spiritual health. When you hear of falsehood going on in a church you must confront it, but in a loving manner.

Life Principle– You Must Be Self Examining, Diligent & Not Be A Christian In Name Only.

Call to Action – altar call….