Two kingdoms, one choice

Introduction/tension

We’ve been learning of Jesus’ upside down kingdom that he established. In a way, his address to his followers and those listening in on the mount of beatitudes was his manifesto of how to live and what his kingdom is like. Like Moses on Mount Sinai delivered Yahweh’s instructions on how to live now that the Israelites were free from Egyptian slavery, Jesus-the new and better Moses -was delivering instructions on how to live outside the bounds of this world and the bondage of sin. And as Jesus closes this sermon and as we finish this series diving into the content of the sermon, the listeners that day had a choice to make and today, friends so do you.

A need we all have

We are all faced with a somewhat daily choice to make. Will I live for the kingdom of this world in which i reside temporarily, or will I choose to live for a kingdom that is already here but not yet completely fulfilled and store up my treasure, my life, my everything in the upside down kingdom of my savior/

Now, we’re all faced with a choice for our whole life. But being a part of Jesus’ kingdom is a daily choice. Let me explain. Becoming a Christian is a one time decision. But it is also a daily decision. You may be here today, like me, and you can think back to the moment you were convicted of your sin and you placed your trust in Jesus. There is a one-time moment in many of our lives. A lot of what we do seeks to draw people to that moment. In fact, this week, during Airborne, we presented the gospel each night and told children that the message of the gospel required a response. And on Tuesday night, we asked kids if they wanted to learn more about how to respond. 11 kids came to the one-time moment they trusted Jesus as their savior. They made a choice to enter into the upside down kingdom of Jesus, by trusting in him for salvation.

At the same time, living in the kingdom of Jesus is a daily choice. I’m afraid, for many, they place their trust, not in a savior, but in a choice they made one time as a child or years ago, but there’s no real life change on a daily basis. Entering Jesus’ kingdom is both. It’s that moment you place your trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sin, but there is a sense that you and I must wake up every day and choose his kingdom again. Not to be saved again and again, but to be sanctified. To grow in holiness.

When you were saved, when you made that choice initially, you were made holy by Jesus. But as you progress through life, you need to grow in holiness as well.

Jesus spoke of the choice we must make by giving some clear word pictures to help us see.Look at those with me now, please.

"Lord help us to be humble enough to hear your word and help us to respond to you in joy as we apply your word to our lives.”

What God Says: Biblical Truth

If you’re able, please stand to honor the word of the Lord.

Matthew 7:13–29 CSB

“Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it. “Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So you’ll recognize them by their fruit. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’ “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. It collapsed with a great crash.” When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, because he was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.

1. Two Gates: Choose the narrow way, not the wide road (v. 13-14)

Jesus begins with a dire warning. There’s two gates. One wide and one narrow. The picture this paints is that many are entering the wide gate. It’s large, many can go through at the same time. But Jesus helps them see that his way is narrow and not many are able to go that way. That’s because they are too distracted with the big opening and all the people going through.

My undergrad degree is in psychology. Probably the most beneficial information I learned in that program was the psychology of lines. Yes, all the student loan debt I racked up and the most important thing I learned was how people view lines. And I mean like the lines at a super market or the line for Costco’s gas pumps, or how people tend to navigate through a theme park.

The biggest thing is that people are like sheep. If you get the first few sheep going in a direction, the rest will go the same way. So, the psychology of lines is that people will mindlessly follow the crowd. They will go to the closest and usually the most longest line. And the line that is furthest away will be shorter. IN a theme park people tend to follow the crowd, they will go to the right usually. So, we go left. I seek the pump furthest away, it usually has a shorter line.

So, if this is true at the supermarket and the theme park, Jesus is pointing out how it is true in life and eternity as well. People tend to follow the crowd and you have to recognize that and look for the narrow gate where fewer are going through. This shouldn’t be a surprise, it is becoming increasingly less and less popular to hold a biblical worldview, even in our country founded on Christian principles. Why, wide is the gate that leads to destruction.

Friends, be sure you daily choose the narrow way.

2. Two Trees: Choose the good fruit, not the diseased crop (v. 15-20)

Then Jesus mentions two types of fruit from two type of trees. There’s good fruit and bad fruit. This should call to memory the Genesis narrative, the Eden story. Faced with a choice, Adam & Eve chose wrongly. They ate the fruit that was destructive and we’ve faced the consequences of that choice ever since. But Jesus, a new and better Moses, but also a new and better Adam, gives us a choice to undo the curse of the tree, by his own shed blood.

But there are those who are trying to trick you, just like the serpent to take the rotten fruit instead of the good fruit found in Christ.

Friend’s what tree are you eating from? Jesus has come with and answer for the wrong choice started at the beginning. He came to reverse the curse started by that choice and you can receive his fruit rather than the tasteless fruit of others.

Look at how Paul described this reversal in Romans 5:12-21

Romans 5:12–21 CSB

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned. In fact, sin was in the world before the law, but sin is not charged to a person’s account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression. He is a type of the Coming One. But the gift is not like the trespass. For if by the one man’s trespass the many died, how much more have the grace of God and the gift which comes through the grace of the one man Jesus Christ overflowed to the many. And the gift is not like the one man’s sin, because from one sin came the judgment, resulting in condemnation, but from many trespasses came the gift, resulting in justification. If by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is justification leading to life for everyone. For just as through one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Don’t be duped by false teachers trying to give you the same old fruit that Adam & Eve were tricked into eating, take the fruit only Jesus gives.

3. Two Claims: Choose genuine obedience, not empty professions (v. 21-23)

Jesus then mentions a claim that some will make as they seek to enter his kingdom at death. He says that many will call him Lord and point to the works they did in his name. Friends, that isn’t what saves you. Empty claims aren’t enough. It cannot be simply a prayer you prayed once or even all the good things you have done, even if in religion’s name. Jesus says claims aren’t enough. Only those who do the father’s will may enter. What’s the father’s will? To trust in the son.

I recall many years ago being asked the question, if you were to die today on what basis would you get into heaven. I remember that I was taught or I thought that there’s really only one answer. I am here not by my own merit, in fact nothing I have done is good enough to grant me access, but I have tried to my best ability to depend on Jesus. Therefore, I am only here because of him and what he has accomplished. There has been a clip circulating around the internet for several years by Alistair Begg, one of my favorite preachers. He was preaching about this very topic. I want to show it to you now.

We must obey Jesus and depend on him alone for our salvation, not any empty claims of my own.

Friend’s trust in Jesus’ works, not your own claims.

4. Two Foundations: Choose the rock-solid Word, not the shifting sand (v. 24-27)

Jesus then further digs into this thought. We have tow foundations to choose from. Jesus’ solid rock foundation or the shifting sand of the world.

When we fix our lives on the rock of Christ, when the winds and rain associated with living in this world, and they will come, we will remain firm. But when we put our lives on the foundation of this world, which is sand, when the difficulties of life will come, those who chose shifting sand, their lives will be destroyed.

I think about people who have left the faith and can’t help but to think that they didn’t build their life on Jesus but some other type of shaky foundation. Don’t let that be you, friends.

5. Two Authorities: Choose the King’s voice, not the world’s experts (v. 28-29)

This closes out, not with Jesus’ words, but with Matthew’s commentary. People left this teaching by Jesus amazed and recognized the authority with which he preached. My prayer for you all after having studied this sermon with me in this series is for you to be more amazed at Jesus than you were to begin with. More enamored with him and that as a result, you choose him every day.

To do that, we must run to him everyday.

Run to Jesus

Run to the presence of the king today!

Come to him today. Here’s how you do that:

Jesus I’m a sinner. Desperate without you.

I believe in you. Forgive me of my sins.

Help me to depend on you daily and walk with you all the days of my life.

In Jesus name, amen.

Closing

He’s inviting you to come to him today.

Matthew 11:28–30 CSB

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Romans 10:9–10 CSB

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.

Romans 10:13 CSB

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.