No Third Option (Matthew 7:13-20)
Sermon on the Mount • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Sermon
Sermon
Key Passage
Key Passage
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
VMP
VMP
Vision- We exist to reach the world for Jesus, one person at a time.
Mission- We do this by creating Biblical Disciples in relational environments.
Today, we are talking about two either/or’s.
This week and next week, we will be talking about the “In or out” nature of discipleship.
We are either following Jesus or we are not.
Either we are surrendered to His authority or we are not.
As we will discover today, discipleship is not simply a method of Christianity.
It isn’t extra credit or our churches emphasis.
Discipleship is our calling and our life as we follow Jesus.
Jesus never said, “Go out and convert unbelievers”
Jesus said, “Go and make disciples”
As we will see that the progression that Jesus makes in these four either/or’s goes from eternity all the way down to daily obedience.
It is all filtered through discipleship.
And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
A Biblical Disciple is:
Following Jesus
Changed by Jesus
Obedient to Jesus and making more disciples
Discipleship is not simply a philosophy. It is our calling as believers.
You may feel like there is more, but as we press into discipleship, we find a path for our life, a framework to view the world, personal growth, and most importantly we draw near to Jesus.
These discussions carry with them things of eternal value and identity.
We ought not take these conversations and Scriptures lightly.
They are the words of absolute truth and eternity hangs in the balance of our listening.
Preaching
Preaching
In 1519, the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés landed on the shores of Mexico with a few hundred men. They were facing the vast Aztec Empire—far larger, stronger, and better supplied than they were. The men began to worry, whispering about retreat, wishing there was another option besides fight and likely die or sail back in defeat.
But Cortés did something unforgettable: he ordered the ships burned. Suddenly, the men had only two choices—fight, or perish. Retreat was no longer on the table. There was no “third option” of waiting, negotiating, or running home.
History records that while many of the men were furious at first, that act forced them to give their all. With no way back, they pressed forward, and eventually they toppled an empire.
So often, we want to believe there is a third option in front of us.
We want discipleship without sacrifice
We want Heaven without surrender
We want Salvation without repentance
Like Cortes’ men, we long for another option that lets us escape the full commitment that Jesus calls us to.
Jesus said, “Follow me”.
There are only two options. Either they stay where they were or they would follow Jesus.
You cannot stay where you are AND follow Jesus. There is no third option.
Moses told the Israelites the same message:
This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live
3. As we step into our preaching time today and next week, we will discover that Jesus provides us with a clear path to follow Him. There is no third option.
Introduction
Introduction
As we step into this passage today, I want to build a context.
This week and next week are Jesus’ conclusion to this sermon.
These are the consolidation of all of His points.
He preached to a decision.
I hope this is what our journey through this sermon has done as well.
Jesus began the sermon with the Beatitudes.
Beatus (latin) means: “Happy”
Will you choose the happiness this world offers?
Or will you sacrifice the happiness of this world for a happiness that is not based on the things of this world?
If you happiness is based on the things of this world, then it is fleeting and will never be fulfilling.
If you happiness is based on the things of the Kingdom of Heaven, then there is nothing in this world that can take your happiness.
Your happiness is either in the Kingdom or in this world
Jesus then said, “You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.”
Either you are salt or you are not. Either you are light or you are not.
Jesus addresses the “third option” in that passage.
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
If you are salt, but not salty, you have chosen the path of the unsalty.
If you are light, but you cover it, you are darkness, not light.
We can’t play games with the call of Jesus to His Kingdom.
Jesus then began into their teaching
“You have heard it said, but I say”
This drove the listeners to a decision. Who would they choose to listen to?
Jesus then challenged their “spiritual” behavior
Giving, praying, fasting, and the like
You can do it for others or you can do it for God.
You can’t do both.
Jesus drove them to a decision in their lives.
Lastly, Jesus pushed them to view their hearts, eyes and treasure.
What do you trust in this world? What do you value in this world.
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
You cannot choose two masters.
Jesus is pushing for a decision from these people.
Who would they choose? What path will they journey in life?
A path of discipleship? Or a path of empty, outward righteousness?
Main Point
Main Point
Jesus summarizes our entire lives up into four simple questions.
I was talking to a teacher last week who said that teachers make approximately 1,600 decisions every day. I don’t know if that is good or bad or how that matches up with other jobs, but that seems to be a ton of decisions.
But within all of that complexity in our world, Jesus boils it down to four decisions. Four choices. Four either/or’s.
Question 1: Where are you going?
Question 1: Where are you going?
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Here are the two options: Life or Destruction
Life- that sounds pretty good!
Destruction- that doesn’t sound very good.
Here is what we learn about these two options:
Life- the path is narrow and only a few find it.
Destruction- the path is broad and many enter through it.
The reality is that every person in this room is on a path. You are on a path. I am on a path.
Every person in this room will spend eternity in Heaven (life) or in Hell (destruction).
There is no third option
As we have navigated this sermon, I hope the narrow path has become clear to us all.
The narrow path is a path of inward holiness, a path of surrender, a path of following Jesus.
The wide path is a path of outward righteousness, a path of justifying ourselves.
It is saying, “I am a good person” “I’ve done more good than bad”
It seems that God is EXCLUSIVE by saying there is only one narrow path to life.
This is very true. Jesus said,
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Here is the thing about the truth. IT IS EXCLUSIVE!
There cannot be two contradictory truths. Either one is true and the other is not.
The very nature and definition of truth is exclusive.
There are not multiple religions going to Heaven.
There are not people with good intent going to Heaven
There is no one going to Heaven without Jesus being Lord and Savior.
None.
Yes, Jesus is being exclusive, but He is exclusive because the truth is exclusive.
However, we must understand that Jesus statement here is also overwhelmingly INCLUSIVE.
The narrow gate is not closed off to Jews or Gentiles
It is not limited to the educated, the deserving, or the best among us
It is not a cosmic lottery of “I guess we will find out”
The gate is open to all who would seek it through Jesus Christ.
So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith,
for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
We might also come to the conclusion that God is just finding excuses to send people to hell.
Let me ask you this question. Why would he tell us about hell?
If His goal was to send as many people to hell as possible, he certainly would not have warned us about it.
However, He did warn us about it. And He gave us a detailed path to avoid destruction through Jesus Christ.
And in love, God sent His son into the world to save it, not condemn it.
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
He wants us to come to repentance.
What will you do?
This forces us into a decision. Will we choose to follow the narrow path?
Or will we choose the wide path?
The destination is the result of the next three either/or’s.
Question 2: Who are you listening to?
Question 2: Who are you listening to?
Question 1: Where are you going?
Question 2: Who are you listening to?
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
To summarize this passage, Jesus gives a very sharp warning for His listeners.
He is clear in the onset of what He is talking about.
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
Jesus is talking about false prophets.
We will take a moment and define that.
Jesus says, these false prophets will come in sheep’s clothing.
What this means is that they will look like they are good. They will say things that sound good.
However, inwardly, they are ferocious wolves.
Jesus is speaking to a group of people and using a metaphor of a flock of sheep.
A flock of sheep that are following their shepherd.
He is saying that there will be some who will come as sheep and say, “Follow me, I’m following the shepherd.
And some sheep will follow them.
But this is not a sheep. It is a wolf, set on destruction.
Jesus tells us what to watch for.
He gives us a brief description here, but expands on it during His teaching and further into the NT.
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
You will know a false prophet by his fruit.
Jesus uses the word-picture of a grape vine and fig trees.
You don’ pick grapes from the dandelions in your yard. You pick them from grape vines.
Everyone knows that.
Jesus is making a very simple but profound point.
We shouldn’t simply accept every time someone says, “I have a message from God.”
We need to test these people.
If they are not speaking on behalf of the truth, then they are a false prophet and Jesus is very clear that there are no neutral false prophets.
Sometimes these people may be well intentioned. But they will always lead to destruction.
A false prophet will never lead to holiness and the heart of Jesus.
We live in a day and age where there are many people who claim to be prophets.
They claim that God has spoken to them and they want people to listen to their messages.
If they claim to be a prophet, there is no middle ground, either they are or they are not.
Either God has spoken His message through them or He has not.
So how do we test the Spirits? How do we know who to listen to?
New Testament
The writers of the NT were all men who spoke words that were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Their words were spoken or written exactly as God ordained them to be.
Their words are not in contradiction to the rest of Scripture and it has the authority of God in the words it contains.
When we look at the New Testament (and the OT for that matter) we are looking at perfect examples of Biblical prophecy.
So how can we show discernment in our day and age? How can we trust what someone says is true?
So what is a false prophet?
A prophet is someone who claims to speak on behalf of God.
There were prophets in the OT.
Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel are all prophets in the Bible.
There is something all of these guys had in common.
Their prophecies were all true and they were humble before God.
You might look at me and say, “Well, are you a prophet?”
No, I am not a prophet. I am a teacher and preacher of the Word of God.
I will communicate with the best accuracy that I can what the Word of God says.
Here are some signs of a false teacher.
Not all false teachers will exhibit all of these signs. But we ought to be wary if we see any of them.
8 Signs of a False Prophet:
8 Signs of a False Prophet:
8 Signs of a False Prophet:
Distortion of Scripture
False prophets will always use Scripture and Spiritual concepts. This is the “sheep’s clothing” part of the deception.
There is a reason why I often try to share with you my interpretive processes. It isn’t to convince you I did this correctly.
It is to show you how to do it correctly.
I don’t want to create a church that is dependent on me. I want to see a church that is equipped and enabled to use the Word of God as the filter of all Truth.
The biggest deception I’ve seen here is under the category of “New”.
If someone has found a “new” teaching, or a “new” theology, or a “new” way of interpreting Scripture, you ought to beware.
Every teaching in the Bible is old and ought to be old.
Sin is the same since the beginning (Lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, and the pride of life)
Our battle is the same since the beginning.
If someone introduces something “new” then this truth they are teaching is something that is completely unnecessary.
If previous generations and saints didn’t need this, and they were still able to pursue Jesus, then you don’t need it either. In fact, it is probably something that is a deception.
8 Signs of a False Prophet:
Distortion of Scripture
A Man-Centered Message
A false teacher will often give a message that is meant to build you up.
Build your health, build your wealth, build your self-esteem, build your business.
It will usually be a message that focuses on this world and not the next.
The way I say this is that these people are trying to create Heaven here on earth.
Heaven is in Heaven.
While we are here we are called to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him.
Rather than a Kingdom Message
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.
What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
8 Signs of a False Prophet:
Distortion of Scripture
A Man-Centered Message
A Signs-Driven Ministry
For this point, I want to highlight this fact. I am not saying that God does not do miracles.
I am not saying that God will not work in this world in supernatural ways.
I am not saying that we shouldn’t pray for God to work miracles in this broken world.
I am saying that the teacher who says that signs and wonders are evidence of God’s presence is mistaken.
Sanctification and a Christ-like life is evidence of a Spirit-led ministry, not signs and wonders.
This is not saying we ought not seek for the truth.
But Jesus was never into building a Kingdom that was built on a spectacle and experiential feelings.
Jesus wants a church of devoted followers who live by faith, not by sight.
8 Signs of a False Prophet:
Distortion of Scripture
A Man-Centered Message
A Signs-Driven Ministry
Avoidance of Hard Truths
A false prophet will often avoid topics that are unpopular to communicate.
When we look at OT prophets, very rarely did they have anything to say that was considered “good” by the hearers.
A false prophet will speak in affirmations more than convictions of truth.
If a person avoids topics of sin, the sinful nature, hell, repentance and sanctification, you ought to beware.
8 Signs of a False Prophet:
5. Greed and Exploitation
A false prophet will often use his/her ministry to build themselves and their kingdoms.
They will preach about money and giving and sending them money so God will bless you and all other sorts of manipulation.
As I was preparing this sermon, I saw a headline on the news:
Self-proclaimed ‘apostle’ who claims to be Jesus’ best friend arrested in forced labor scheme
David Taylor and Michelle Brannon allegedly used call center workers to solicit millions in donations
If you see a person telling you that God told them to tell you to give them money, you should be warned.
God does instruct us in generosity. But here is what He says:
Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
8 Signs of a False Prophet:
5. Greed and Exploitation
6. Immoral Fruit
This is somewhat connected to the last point.
So many who claim to have special authority under God fall into prideful sin.
Sin that leads to sexual immorality, greed, or even illegal activity.
It’s unfortunate, but often we see these leaders fall into sin in these ways.
You should always look at the fruit of the tree. If it is sketchy, be warned.
8 Signs of a False Prophet:
5. Greed and Exploitation
6. Immoral Fruit
7. Denial of Jesus’ Lordship
False prophets will often claim a form of “Lordship”
They will claim that you need to listen to them because they have special revelation from God.
They will not point you to Jesus, rather they will usually point you to themselves.
If you know your teacher better than you know Jesus, then you had better check yourself.
Jesus is Lord is the cry of the disciple
We look at the Great Commission and our lives are only focused on His Lordship
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
How much authority? All
Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.
Not everything someone else commands you.
8 Signs of a False Prophet:
5. Greed and Exploitation
6. Immoral Fruit
7. Denial of Jesus’ Lordship
8. Seeking the World’s Applause
No prophet was ever loved by the world
In fact, most of them were killed.
They did not live for these things. They lived to reveal the truth of the Word of God and see His fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
If a prophet is seeking to be seen, to get likes, to become popular, it ought to be a warning.
Our very sermon series highlights this fact.
If you are a follower of Jesus, you will be persecuted, rejected, and humbled in this place.
But we are awaiting a glory that far outweighs the struggles of this world.
So what can we do? How do we guard ourselves?
We must be people of the Word! We must be disciples built on a Biblical foundation. We must preach the Word.
The known truth from God must be spoken clearly, regularly and intentionally so the church will not be led astray.
Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.
The foundation of truth has been established.
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household,
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
Grow in sanctification and holiness as a disciple of Jesus. Follow Him and hang around people who follow Him.
What’s the point?
In our time, there is a dilemma of prophecy.
The presumptive prophets message had better be supported by the Bible. Every word of it. If the Bible supports every word, why do you need their prophecy? Simply point to the Word of God.
Is the Bible sufficient all by itself? Have generations of saints used the Holy Scriptures alone for knowing God, growing as disciples in sanctification and sharing the Gospel?
Are modern prophets adding to the Scriptures? If so, why didn’t generations of disciples need what you are adding?
IN our day, False prophets will make prophecy out to be bigger than it is. The Bible is sufficient and nothing new is coming. The word of God is the same. the truth is the same
Conclusion
Conclusion
Cortes’ story
I want to highlight this
There is no third option.
Either Jesus is the voice you listen to, or it is a false prophet.
We must choose who to listen to.
Either Heaven or Hell
No third option.
Today’s sermon drives us to a place of decision
Gospel presentation
Communion
