Untitled Sermon (5)

Enter Through the Narrow Gate

Matthew 7:13–14 LEB

13 “Enter through the narrow gate, because broad is the gate and spacious is the road that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it, 14 because narrow is the gate and constricted is the road that leads to life, and there are few who find it!

There are many distractions in the world, many demands, many needs and they all consume your time. But there are few things in life that carry with them eternal value. Jesus also said this another way in

(LEB) For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? 37 For what can a person give in exchange for his life?

And to add emphasis, here are a few related references for

vs 13: overbs . aiah. kiel

vs 14: aiah; ; . remiah

Blayney, B., Scott, T., & Torrey, R. A. with Canne, J., Browne. (n.d.). The Treasury of Scripture knowledge (Vol. 2, p. 5). London: Samuel Bagster and Sons.

Every Good Tree Produces Good Fruit

Matthew 7:15–20 LEB

15 “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inside are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits: they do not gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles, do they? 17 In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree is not able to produce bad fruit, nor a bad tree to produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 As a result, you will recognize them by their fruits.

Jesus warns that there will be false prophets, these are people that claim to be Christians, the y claim to have God's word for you, yet are out for their own gain. These are false leaders in the Church. And "The connection of thought with vv. may well be that, like the false prophets in the Old Testament (; )".

France, R. T. (1985). Matthew: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 1, p. 151). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Jesus said we would know them by their fruit: Are they bringing people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ? Are they raising disciples? Are mature believers going out from their ministry?

Or are they teaching some other doctrine, as it says in

(LEB) But there were also false prophets among the people, as there will be false teachers among you also, who will bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, thus bringing on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their licentious ways, because of whom the way of truth will be reviled. 3 And in greediness they will exploit you with false words, whose condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

"prophecy was an honoured gift (; ; , ; ; etc.)".

France, R. T. (1985). Matthew: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 1, p. 151). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

The One Who Does the Will of My Father

Matthew 7:21–23 LEB

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into 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 expel demons in your name, and perform many miracles in your name?’ 23 And then I will say to them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!’

After Jesus cautions about false prophets, false teachers, false leaders, he turns to a caution about false followers. There is a simple test in "the one who does the will of my father". And then there are those that always have a reason, who say God's grace is sufficient, who continue in their own way. To these, Jesus will say, from "depart from me, you who practice lawlessness".

There is a righteous and holy life that God has for us to live and he will lead us into it: hn, , mothy

Blayney, B., Scott, T., & Torrey, R. A. with Canne, J., Browne. (n.d.). The Treasury of Scripture knowledge (Vol. 2, p. 5). London: Samuel Bagster and Sons.

A Wise Man Who Built His House

Matthew 7:24–27 LEB

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain came down and the rivers came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it did not collapse, because its foundation was laid on the rock. 26 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. 27 And the rain came down and the rivers came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it collapsed, and its fall was great.”

Jesus now reinforces this concept of "doing the will of my Father" by saying in "everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man". It is by hearing His words and doing what He says that we are able to stand against the adversity in this world. We have had recent evidence that hurricanes are not selective about their path. But the son of God, the man and woman that know Jesus Christ will speak to the storm. This wise man, will still be standing.

(LEB) And he said to them, “Why are you fearful, you of little faith?” Then he got up and* rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm.

Like One Who Had Authority

Matthew 7:28–29 LEB

28 And it happened when Jesus finished these words the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.

Some of this message, that we call the sermon on the mount, was new information to some of these followers in the crowd. Jesus wasn't talking like the scribes who may have offered this ones opinion or that ones ideas or the wisdom from the books of the oral or written tradition. Instead, "he (Jesus) was teaching them like one who had authority".

The Sermon on the Plain

Luke 6:17–23 LEB

17 And he came down with them and stood on a level place, and a large crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all of Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast district of Tyre and Sidon, 18 who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, and those who were troubled by unclean spirits were cured. 19 And the whole crowd was seeking to touch him, because power was going out from him and healing them all. 20 And he lifted up his eyes to his disciples and said, “Blessed are the poor, because yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are those who are hungry now, because you will be satisfied. Blessed are those who weep now, Because you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. 23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For their fathers used to do the same things to the prophets.

There are many that believe this is simply Luke’s account of the sermon on the mount from , , . There are similarities in the message. However, Jesus went from city to city and shared the gospel of the kingdom. Since "we know that our Lord delivered some of His weightiest sayings more than once, there is no difficulty in supposing this to be one of His more extended repetitions"

Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 104). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

At the introduction in they "stood on a level place, and a large crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people" were there. This is different from Matthew's account and Luke goes on in they "came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases, and ... power was going out from him and healing them all".

After this, in "he (Jesus) lifted up his eyes to his disciples and said". Jesus begins speaking to his disciples. Note that he had just chosen twelve of his disciples and called them apostles in

(LEB) And when day came, he summoned his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he also named apostles

And, here in he is talking to his disciples. This is not just to the twelve apostles, and it seems he is not generally addressing the crowd. This is a message for Jesus followers, his disciples.

Woe To You

Luke 6:24–26 LEB

24 “But woe to you who are rich, because you have received your comfort. 25 Woe to you who are satisfied now, because you will be hungry. Woe, you who laugh now, because you will mourn and weep. 26 Woe whenever all people speak well of you, for their fathers used to do the same things to the false prophets.

Be Merciful

Luke 6:27–36 LEB

27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 To the one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from the one who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic also. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and from the one who takes away your things, do not ask for them back. 31 And just as you want people to do to you, do the same to them. 32 “And if you love those who love you, what kind of credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what kind of credit is that to you? Even the sinners do the same! 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive back, what kind of credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, so that they may get back an equal amount! 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend expecting back nothing, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful!

Love your enemies