What Will You Choose?

Tonight we are looking at the conclusion of Jesus’s teachings known as the ‘Sermon on the Mount’. A Sermon that has brought us and the Jewish audience it was shared to into a new light and a new perspective into how to understand and how to live out God’s law.

We’ve talked about the beatitudes and what it means to recognize your brokenness and your emptiness. That there is something that you’re missing that makes you desire completeness.

We’ve talked about the light that we have within us and how we are supposed to spread that light throughout the world while being salty. Salt meaning to preserve. That we have to preserve our witness and preserve how the world sees us as followers of Jesus Christ.

How that when we worship God, pray to our Heavenly Father that we do not do it for others or only for a public appearance but prayer should take priority alone with God where you aren’t preforming for others but you are having conversation with your Father.

We’ve talked about how the words we use and the way we treat people shows the value we see in them. That when we

treat them poorly,

call them names,

respond to them with impatience and anger

we are not treating them with the true value that they have as a wonderful creation of our God.

5. That it’s not just how we talk to them holds value but the promises we make and the commitments that we make should be rooted in assurance that we will follow through because God’s people are

trustworthy,

reliable,

and honorable.

6. That we pray to God out of obedience to Him. That it is not by our prayer that God is persuaded to answer but it is by our obedience that He provides for our needs and gives good gifts to His children.

7. Jesus shares with us that our material wealth, our things that we gain and acquire, will not leave this earth with us but the treasures we store up in heaven will not be destroyed, cannot be stolen, and shows the world where our devotion is.

8. We’ve talked about how there is not a need to be anxious because God is our provider and that we don’t have to worry because if He provides for the birds of the sky and the flowers of the field will He not also provide for His children what they need.

9. And last week we talked about how we aren’t supposed to judge others but we are supposed to see clearly through the lens of grace after removing the log from our own eyes, the sin from our lives in order to help those remove the speck from their eye and to not waste our time and energy on those who have already rejected the gospel but to go to the wise who humbly seek wisdom and truth.

This week we are going to talk about Jesus’s conclusion, the choice that He gives His listeners on the mount in Matthew chapter 7.

A choice of what path to take and what they will build their life on because Jesus shared all of this as a proclamation that the Kingdom of Heaven is near and that soon, they will have to make this choice.

So open your bibles to Matthew 7:13-27

Matthew 7:13–14 ESV

“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.

Jesus begins the conclusion of His sermon with a choice to make.

He tells the listeners of two gates.

One that leads to destruction and one that leads to life.

One that is easy and one that is hard.

One that many travel and one that few find.

One that is wide and one that is narrow.

The Narrow or the Wide Gate

He tells us to go through the narrow gate.

That narrow is the gate and difficult is the road that leads to life and not everybody will find it.

Jesus warns of the wide gate.

The road leads to destruction and many go down it.

ASK - “What is the difference between a broad road or a wide gate and a narrow gate.”

The greek word that is used for the word narrow here literally means not wide.

It means to be confined. Not having much space on either side of you.

There is not room on your side for people to walk alongside you, sometimes following Jesus means we have to walk alone.

People will give up on you,

friends will walk away,

teammates will turn their back,

siblings will ignore you,

and strangers will make fun of you because you will not conform to the standard they think is right.

Not the Bible. Not Jesus. Not truth.

And because of that sometimes you will walk alone and you will enter through the narrow gate. “But why is it narrow? Why did Jesus have to make the road, make the gate so narrow that I have to walk it alone?”

Jesus is not setting a standard here but he’s giving a heads up.

He is saying that this path you are starting on, the road you are traveling can be lonely and can be difficult but that is how you know you are on the right path and you have to persevere even though you see everyone else on the wide road

talking,

laughing,

going to the functions,

laughing at the newest post on social media

or following the new trend

or listening to the new album

and it might be difficult because you’re not suppose to go with the grain and do the things that everyone else does and when and if you do and you find yourself on that road

you hear what conversations they are having,

you see what they’re looking at online,

you hear the music they’re listening to

and you know you shouldn’t have any part in it but you find comfort in the ease, and all the space for people to walk the broad road with you and you forget the destruction that lies ahead.

He warns about the broad road and the wide gate because it is easy. The broad road is referred to as ‘BROAD’ because it means that there is great extent or distance from one side to another. Meaning that there is plenty of room on this path.

And again this is not Jesus setting a standard.

He is not making this a physical path and a physical gate that people will actually walk down but He is warning and saying that the world will choose what is easy.

Those that are of the world don’t want to struggle in their life,

they don’t want to serve they want to be served,

they don’t want fulfillment they want temporary happiness.

People think they will find happiness where things are easy, where everyone else will be because then they will be noticed looked at, and accepted. People want a following and status but they don’t want it to cost them anything so they conform.

They do what the world does no matter the damage it does to their heart not knowing they are on a path that leads to destruction.

Everybody walks the broad road because they look for ease in their life. They want to chase what makes THEM happy.

How many of you are living your life in a way that your happiness is at the forefront?

How many of you are focused on the easy choice?

The socially acceptable choice?

The path that gives you the freedom and the space to what serves you best even though you know it leads to destruction.

Everyone wants to live the easy life. When life gets hard people want to give up, find a new way, a new path to take. Jesus is warning you, He’s laying it out for you.

He say’s you have a choice between ease and destruction or difficult and life giving.

The question is will you go down the wide road by seeking the approval of man or the narrow road where your focus is on approval from God.

The wide gate is not for you because it represents those who belong to the world, but you, you have new life because you have been made new in Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

This means you will face difficult choices and you might find yourself in seasons of loneliness because you are living opposite of the world but you must persevere to the end because you will enter into life through the narrow gate.

When you go down the narrow road you will look to those older than you that have gone before you and been on the same road for some time. You will listen to people who you may think know a thing or two but Jesus warns us to be careful. He encourages us to recognize real righteousness because there are false prophets and false teachers in this world.

Matthew 7:15–20 ESV

“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.

Believe it or not these people exist today.

What is The Fruit?

They’re disguised and they hide behind their sheep’s clothing. At surface level they are welcomed and recognized as safe and trusting. They come disguised with

a title in front of their name,

a bible in their hand,

and a following on social media and in real life.

They come with good vibes and feel good messages that play with your emotions.

BUT.

When you take all of that away. When you pull all of that apart what do you get?

Do you get a servant of Christ?

Do you get someone who is bringing honor to the Lord?

OR.

Do you get someone who doesn’t want to step on anybodies toes?

Someone who waters down truth?

Someone who preaches a message of selfish ambition and worldly acceptance.

Someone who’s intention is to be accepting to man.

Someone who preaches compromise and tolerance.

Someone who is leading you to the wide gate, because even though they may be coming in the appearance of sheep underneath they are ravenous wolves who will tear you apart.

These people exist today. Using the bible to share a message of acceptance to all, prosperity, and inclusiveness. Giving a cheap view of God’s love and grace to the world.

What do we do?

How do we know who these people are?

How can we trust others knowing they might be a wolf in sheep’s clothing?

That’s is what Jesus is saying here. He is saying that you should be asking if this person, the one who is supposed to teach me God’s word and God’s truth, is he honest and trustworthy and should I listen to them? Or are they gonna lead me to the wide gate by compromising and tolerating the sins of man and worry about losing a following over sharing the truth of Jesus.

We are supposed to ask if the people we’re being taught by and discipled by are truly teaching God’s truth.

ASK - “How do we know that someone is not only teaching truth but living truth?”

You have to look at their fruit.

Fruit is that thing you see in a person's life based off of how they live. Fruit is the observable outcome of an individuals heart.

Even though someone may be saying one thing with their mouth, their life may be pointing to something else. That is why that

those who are supposed to teach us,

those who are supposed to lead us in a certain direction,

those who are supposed to show us what is right and what is wrong,

When we listen to these people, we should also be looking at the fruit of their life, and if their fruit does not match their message then why should we be listening to them?

If they can't practice what they preach then why should we submit ourselves under their authority.

There are also people who claim to be a christian, who claim to follow Christ and do not live that out. They walk with the world. They live for momentary happiness and material gain and they love the love of Jesus but they don’t want to live out the truth of Jesus.

All of these are the hypocrites that Jesus is referring to throughout this sermon. But look at verse 21 where He addresses them directly.

Matthew 7:21–23 ESV

“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.’

Reading that brings fear and sadness to my heart.

I can’t help think about who that might be.

That there are people who may do things in the name of God but really are working toward selfish ambition.

Motions or Pursuit?

I can’t help but think about the people who put time with God in prayer and worship and time in reading His Word on the back burner or treat it like a To-Do list and who get caught going through the motions of all of that stuff.

Those things are not motions you go through, they are the active pursuit of relationship with God. You have to purse relationship with God.

That is the fruit of your salvation.

It breaks my heart that there are people who believe their salvation is real but they are deceived of what the gospel of Jesus Christ really is.

That even though they are a sinner Jesus came to earth to offer us freedom through His death on a cross that when we put our faith in Jesus we are saved by his promise and from that moment forward we are to die to ourself daily and live life for Him and His glory.

Not for ours.

We have to make our choice.

How are we gonna live our life?

What foundation are we gonna build it on?

Matthew 7:24–27 ESV

“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.”

Jesus says that it's like building our house on the rock. The Wiseman builds his house on the rock and the man that builds his house on the sand will be washed away when the storm comes.

The Rock or The Sand?

Now the listeners of this sermon, the Israelites, who were there the witnesses to this sermon understood this story a little deeper than we do today.

Because they knew that in first century Judea, down on the river where in a season where it would become dry, they would start to produce these plateaus and form these planes of flat ground

that looked solid,

looked sturdy,

looked fit to build on,

but when the rainy season would come, when storms started to move in that sand that they built on, that plane that they thought was a good place to build would become wet and the water would wash it away and it would become destroyed and those people who built their house on the sand were now in a place of without a home without a place to turn to without shelter without safety, and without a place to belong.

So many people put their faith and their hope in the things of the world and when storms come along, when things get in their way, they're left with nothing.

Athletes, break their bones and they tear their muscles and the thing they trained for and desired their whole life is ripped away from them.

That team

that position

that scholarship that they were offered.

All of the things that were made available to them based off of what they could give or the performance that they could give, and when they could no longer provide that, when they no longer had that, it was taken away from them.

And their left

stuck,

feeling a lack of purpose,

and identity

because they built their life around one thing that could be taken away in a moment.

People all the time are given amazing gifts and talents, and they put so much stake into those things and put their identity into those things in place their identity as…

someone with a good voice

someone who can play the instrument well

or play the game well

or is known as the person with the style

or with the popularity

or with the status

or with fill in the blank,

…but there will come a time where all of those things will fade away and where those things might be taken from you, and when those things are gone, what will be at the surface?

The scripture also talks of a wise man.

The wise man who didn't build his house on the sand he built his house on the rock. This man had to pull all the sand out of the way and dug down to the bedrock.

He took out all of the things that would prevent his house from being destroyed and being swept away.

He built his house on the rock the thing that was steadfast, and that he knew would always be there no matter the storm that came.

When you build your house on the rock

there is assurance

there is Hope.

There is trust that you can overcome anything and everything that comes your way.

You can endure

all of the rain

all of the storms

all of the things that come your way, and your house will still stand.

It will remain because the foundation is set and is secure and is firm in the place that it is supposed to be, and nothing can come and destroy that.

So Jesus tells them that you have a choice to make.

You can walk through the wide gate or the narrow gate

one will be easy, but it will lead to destruction and

one will be difficult, but it's the one that brings life and on that road you will come across wolves, dressed in sheep's cloth, trying to lead you onto the wide and the broad road.

We are supposed to pursue Christ and that means doing these things, these practices that we do like…

reading our Bible

going into prayer

spending time and worship of our heavenly father,

And it's so easy to let them become motions, but they can't become motions.

It can't become to do list. They have to become the pursuit.

They have to become a part of the journey and you have to build your house on the rock, the work and the person of Jesus Christ so that no matter the storm that comes your way,

no matter what it's taken and removed from your life,

no matter what is stripped away from what you thought was your identity

you will not waiver because your life is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ, and if your life isn't built on his foundation, today is the day that you break ground and you start building and you remove all of the sand all of the things that you think take place and take precedence over that.

Today is the day that you get to make that choice.

What will you choose?