Three Warnings for Disciples

Vision Moment:

8 years old

OTP this afternoon

Prayer for hurricane victims in Florida and the Carolinas

Thanksgiving for the return of Pastor Brunson

Introduction

Jesus is landing the plane, but just before he is officially finished with this sermon he wants his listeners to walk away knowing that the time they had just spent listening to Jesus was going to be a literal life-changing moment.

Jesus wants to make it crystal clear that they could not walk away and go about their lives, business as usual. They were going to have to ponder on what he had taught them and decide whether Jesus was the type of Rabbi (Master teacher) they could spend the rest of their lives following.

Did they really want to experience the Kingdom of Heaven? Did they really want things on earth to be as it is in heaven? Did they really want Jesus

Did they really want to experience the Kingdom of Heaven? Did they really want things on earth to be as it is in heaven?

There is an intended heaviness in the words of Jesus, he’s about to speak about eschatological judgement. He’s looking at the crowd (undoubtedly with compassion) and calling them to follow Him.

So, I want you to imagine yourself sitting on the hillside, looking up at Jesus. You’ve heard him talk about what real human flourishing looks like in the beatitudes. You’ve listened as he confronted a faulty interpretation of the law; that somehow all YHWH cares about is outward adherence to the law. You’ve heard him say that “you must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” You’ve listened as he explained that the spiritual disciplines of giving to the poor, prayer, and fasting are meant to be motivated by the truth that Your Father sees beyond what you give, pray, or fast, he sees your heart; stop trying to be a professional performer. And you’ve hung your head as he’s talked to you, poor and unknown in your society, about how you view material things, and judging others, and summarized his teaching on ethics by saying, “Because of a renewed understanding of your Father, you’re free to do unto others the way you would have them to do to you.”

And in His final words of the sermon, he doesn’t just come as the wise sage, or even the gifted Rabbi, he comes as the very revelation of YHWH, his words bear divine authoritative weight.

And his closing words are like a wise Sage who is warning their grand child that things aren’t always the way they appear. Take the road less travelled, don’t listen to the used car salesman, and by all means don’t take short cuts when you’re building something.

Church, Jesus is still speaking these warnings to each one of us today. Do you want to experience the Kingdom of Heaven? Do you really want things in your life to be as it is in heaven? Is Jesus worthy enough to be your Master-Teacher?

Let’s listen intently to the three warnings of Jesus:

Warning 1: Don’t Choose the Broad Path that Leads to the Broad Gate because it Leads to Destruction

Matthew 7:13–14 ESV

13 “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. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

Matt 7:13

What is the narrow gate?

What is the narrow path?

Is Jesus sending us on a chase to find the code that cracks the good life?

Metaphors help us grasp a complex idea with a simple picture

So what would first century Jews see when Jesus talks about gates and ways?

This is the two ways of with Adam and Eve

The two ways Moses laid out for the Israelites in ,

The two ways Joshua laid out before the same people Joshua 24:15

The two ways of with the “Blessed man and the way of the wicked”

The concept is not difficult to see, but what do they represent?

But I had this mom and this grandma who felt like (even after I’d gone through all of my driver’s training and passed) I wasn’t really ready to drive. They said,

Humanistic vs. Christianity

Good behavior vs. Bad behavior

What has Jesus been contrasting the entire sermon? Teleios (whole person righteousness) vs. Hypokrinomai (pretending to live one way, but in the heart live a completely different way)

The narrow path is a path that is hard, narrow, less travelled, because it involves knowing yourself, being honest about who you really are.

How is that hard?

Humility

Vulnerability

Exposed

Apologizing

Forgiving

Discipline

Following

Submitting

In almost any society, do those words represent strength or weakness? Positive or negative?

Relating to God only at an external behavioral level leads to destruction but relating to God on a whole-person level leads to life.

Warning 2: Don’t Be Fooled, the Spectacular and Miraculous Does Not Prove Anything

Matthew 7:15–23 ESV

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. 21 “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. 22 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?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Matt 7:15-

Jesus is never far from the main point of the sermon, “How does one experience a life of flourishing?”

We looked at both Second Temple Jewish thought - when things go smoothly, you’re living the good life

We looked at Greco-Roman thought - very little difference

Remember the Beatitudes

All people are taught and discipled and mentored by a particular worldview

Jesus’ warning is about being careful who you receive your teaching from

First word picture - wolves in sheep’s clothing

Just because a prophet doesn’t appear dangerous, you must look at their life

Second word picture - you’re looking at their life to see what the fruit of their life is

Third word picture - but Jesus is not so concerned about the magnitude of their works

When Nicodemus came to Jesus in , he said “We know you come from God, for no one can do the signs you do, unless God is with Him.”

Moses taught the Israelites to test the words of a prophet and if what he said did not take place, he was a false prophet

God has done powerful things through ungodly people

Saul prophesied

So how do we know if a prophet is false or true?

Good Works towards others = fruit (teleios)

What they teach, is not the first litmus test, rather is there consistency with their teaching and practice?

Do unto others...

Posture in approaching Jesus

Notice that they’re approaching Jesus with their list of accomplishments

Anyone who has been rescued by grace will come with nothing in their hands

Who did Jesus praise in the story of the tax collector praying in the temple and the pharisee praying in the temple?

Luke 18:9–14 ESV

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

3. Doing the Will of God

Not ambiguous

- do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God

candidly depicts the Scribes and Pharisees as those who take advantage of and oppress the weak...

Matthew 23:23–28 ESV

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel! 25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Matthew 23:

Warning 3: Don’t Just Be An Informed Disciple, Be an Obedient Disciple

Matthew 7:24–27 ESV

24 “Everyone then 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 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. 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 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’ last warning holds up the example of two characters, the wise builder and the foolish builder

Jesus could have easily gotten his point across without the building metaphor, but he selects this one and the image is very vidid.

What makes the builders and their homes different?

They both hear the words of Jesus, so that means they’re both under His teaching

They both build homes

The difference is in the material used for the foundation, obedience to the teaching of Jesus

Substance in discipleship is not information, but transformation

In Jesus’ day the focus was on the externals and not much has changed

Pastors want their people and parents want their kids to “look the part”

Successful, influential, smart, decorated but none of those made the cut when Paul spoke of the fruit of the Spirit

“Ever notice that smart, influential, and successful didn’t make the fruit of the Spirit? Yet this is what we hope for our children.” --RC Sproul Jr.

Throughout the history of the Church the pendulum has swung from “learning/believing” being the goal to “doing/acting” being the goal.

I don’t think you’d hear Jesus pitting the two against each other

But if human beings (especially in academically driven cultures) had a leaning it would definitely be towards the learning/knowing and not doing/acting.

“Perhaps no passage in the NT expresses more concisely and more sharply that the essence of discipleship… is found not in words, nor in religiosity, nor even in the performance of spectacular deeds in the name of Jesus, but only in the manifestation of true righteousness—i.e. the doing of the will of the Father as now interpreted through the teaching of Jesus. No words or random good deeds can substitute for the full picture of righteousness the evangelist has given in the sermon.” —Donald Hagner

The material used for the foundation is the categorically specific teaching of Jesus.

In a time when Rabbi’s commentary on Torah was valued so highly, this is significant

Does not diminish the OT or Torah

What is Jesus doing?

Presenting himself as the authoritative judge of God’s revelation and the path to human flourishing.

The sermon on the mount demands that each listener stand daily at the crossroads and make the conscious choice to take the narrow way.

Conclusion

In His Steps

In 1896 a Pastor of church in Topeka, Kansas (Charles Monroe Sheldon) wrote one of the most popular Christian novels in US and UK called “In His Steps.”

Follows story of a frustrated pastor

10 years contented in leading church

Disappointed at the attitude of complacency in the congregation

He had faithfully taught the Scriptures to them well

But instead of them becoming more mature and committed in their following of Christ, they became more and more dependent on him

One afternoon a homeless man named Jack Manning came into the small town of Raymond, IN looking to find some work, but everyone in the town (including the Pastor) turn him away

That next Sunday in the middle of Pastor Maxwell’s sermon on following the steps of Christ, Jack Manning stands up and confronts the congregation who had turned him away and ends up fainting

A few days later, Jack dies

As you can imagine, the whole episode shakes up the church

Pastor Maxwell is so affected that his sermon the next week comes with a unique challenge, “What if before we made a decision about anything we asked ‘In this situation, what would Jesus do?’”

Many in his congregation took up the challenge for one year to live as if they really believed Jesus meant it when he said, “Follow me.”

The book portrays what a church/town would look like if the Christians in that community acted like disciples

Alexander Powers - quit high paying position at railroad because he learned about corruption; took a job as a clerk

Edward Norman - newspaper editor recognized his paper was filled with gossip-ridden, slanderous publication and made the bulk of advertising dollars from prize fights, tabacco and alcohol companies. When he cancelled their contracts his newspaper lost money.

Virginia Paige learns of Norman’s tanking newspaper and decides to generously get behind it as he turned his venture into writing pieces that would praise positive acts done in the community

Rachel Winslow (a popular and successful opera singer) not only rejects the marriage proposal of an unbeliever, but begins to offer her voice to sing free of charge for tent meetings that were being held in the village square where scores of people came to hear the gospel

Communion

Maybe you’re like the disciples when after hearing some of the teaching of Jesus said, “Who then can be saved?”

With God all things are possible

Jesus is identified as the “WAY, the GOOD SHEPHERD, and the ROCK”

Of course the Sermon on the Mount seems impossible, that’s because attempting to follow the teaching of Jesus apart from an understanding that only Jesus perfectly followed this teaching, and only Jesus was then able to take the consequences of all of the evil that man could commit, and therefore Jesus invites us to be transformed by his living Spirit so that we can (imperfectly) but truly follow him.