The Sermon on the Mount - 3rd set of twins
The Sermon on the Mount 3/11/07 A.M.
Mt. 7: 21-23 The Third set of Twins
Jesus concludes His sermon with four warnings, each featured by paired contrasts: two ways (vv. 13–14), two trees (vv. 15–20), two claims (vv. 21–23), and two builders (vv. 24–27).
Let’s be sure we choose between each wisely.[1]
Two ways (vv. 13–14), the two paths of life & their destination
Two trees (vv. 15–20), the two types of fruit we bear, good & bad
Two claims (vv. 21–23), two claims of righteousness, one accepted, one rejected
And two builders (vv. 24–27). The two foundations on which we can build our lives, one will stand the tests, the other will fail
The false prophets of v 15 were deceivers, but these are self-deceived
They think they shall go to heaven, because they have been of good repute among professors of religion, have kept fasts, and given alms, and have been preferred in the church;
It is tragic to note that many will proclaim in that day, Lord, Lord and yet will be lost.
On what do they base their profession?
Their many wonderful works – religious works
and yet Christ rejects them
MT. 7:21 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
The scope of these scriptures is to show the indispensable necessity of obedience to the commands of Christ;
He shows that an outward profession of religion will not bring us to heaven, unless there is a correspondent character,
If inward impressions aren’t agreeable to outward expressions, we are but as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal.
This is not to stop us from saying, Lord, Lord; from praying, and being earnest in prayer, from professing Christ’s name, and being bold in professing it, but from resting in these, in the form of godliness, without the power.
Gifts of tongues and healing might impress the world, but it is real holiness or sanctification that is accepted of God.
Grace will take a man to heaven without working miracles, but working miracles without grace will never take a man to heaven.
Even the outward verbal acknowledgment of His lordship is in itself not enough to save the unbeliever apart from true repentance and faith.
A genuinely saved person is one that doeth the will of my Father, the
Greek present tense suggesting that he is continually living in obedience to the will of God as the normal course of his life.[2]
Trust, faith, and obedience go hand in hand
Profession of righteousness must be accompanied by concrete obedience.
Obedience to His will is the test of true faith in Christ. The test is not words, not saying “Lord, Lord,” but obeying His commands.
How easy it is to learn a religious vocabulary, and even memorize Bible verses and religious songs, and yet not obey God’s will.
It is likely that even Judas participated in some or all of these activities, and yet he was not a true believer.
We are to hear God’s words and do them (see James 1:22–25). We must not stop with only hearing (or studying) His words. Our hearing must result in doing.
LUKE 6:46 46 “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?
James 1:22–2522 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. … 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
James 2:14 14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is 8dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Pharisees, The.
1. A sect of the Jews. Ac 15:5.
2. The strictest observers of the Mosaic ritual. Ac 26:5.
3. By descent, especially esteemed. Ac 23:6.
4. Character of
a. Zealous of the law. Ac 15:5; Php 3:5.
b. Zealous of tradition. Mr 7:3,5-8; Ga 1:14.
c. Outwardly moral.
Lu 18:11; 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.
Php 3:5,6.
d. Rigid in fasting.
Lu 5:33; 18:12. 12 I fast twice a week;
e. Active in proselytising.
Mt 23:15. 15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
k. Particular in paying all dues.
Mt 23:23. 23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
f. Self-righteous.
Lu 16:15; 18:9. 9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
g. Avaricious – greedy -- covetous
Mt 23:14; 14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
Lu 16:14. 14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they 6derided (turned up their nose at ) Him.
h Ambitious of precedence.
Mt 23:6 6 They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
i. Fond of public salutations.
Mt 23:7 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’
j. Fond of distinguished titles. Mt 23:7-10.
l. Oppressive.
Mt 23:4. 4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
V5 5 But all their works they do to be seen by men.
m. Cruel in persecuting. Ac 9:1,2.
5. Believed in the resurrection &c. Ac 23:8.
6. Made broad their phylacteries. Mt 23:5.
7. Their opinions, a standard for others. Joh 7:48.
8. Many priest and Levites were of. Joh 1:19,24.
9. Many rulers, lawyers, and scribes were of. Joh 3:1; Ac 5:34; 23:9.
10. Had disciples. Lu 5:33; Ac 22:3.
11. Some came to John for baptism. Mt 3:7.
12. As a body, rejected John’s baptism. Lu 7:30.
13. Christ
a. Often invited by. Lu 7:36; 11:37.
b. Condemned by, for associating with sinners. Mt 9:11; Lu 7:39; 15:1,2.
c. Asked for signs by. Mt 12:38; 16:1.
d. Tempted by, with questions about the law. Mt 19:3; 22:15,16,35.
e. Watched by, for evil. Lu 6:7.
f. Offended, by his doctrine. Mt 15:12; 21:45; Lu 16:14.
g. Declared the imaginary righteousness of, to be insufficient for salvation.
Mt 5:20 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
h. Declared the doctrines of, to be hypocrisy. Mt 16:6,11,12; Lu 12:1.
i. Denounced woes against. Mt 23:13-33.
j. Called, and evil and adulterous generation. Mt 12:39.
k. Called, serpents and generation of vipers. Mt 23:33.
l. Called fools and blind guides. Mt 23:17,24.
m. Compared, to whited sepulchres. Mt 23:27.
n. Compared, to graves that appear not. Lu 11:44.
o. Left Judea for a time on account of. Joh 4:1-3.
14. Imputed Christ’s miracles to Satan’s power. Mt 9:34; 12:24.
15. Sent officers to apprehend Christ. Joh 7:32,45.
16. Often sought to destroy Christ. Mt 12:14; 21:46; Joh 11:47,53,57.[3]
I never knew you;
"I never owned you as my servants, no,
for he always knew them to be hypocrites, and rotten at heart, as he did Judas; therefore, says he, depart from me.
Because they were workers of iniquity.
The phase “work iniquity” is also progressive in Greek (i.e., they continue to work iniquity).[4]
law•less \ˈlȯ-ləs\ adj
12c
1 : not regulated by or based on law
2 a : not restrained or controlled by law : unruly
b : illegal — law•less•ly adv — law•less•ness n[5]
Titus 1:16 16 They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being 4abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.
2TIM. 2:19 19,…. “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”
HEB. 11
11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.
4 By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice
5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased (an action word) God.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
7 By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country,
11 By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac,
20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau
21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped,
22 By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command.
24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.
30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. 31 By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.
32 And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises,
12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, --obedience to the word of God
Rev. 22:14 14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
Heb 4:6 6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience,
The final test is not what we think of ourselves, or what others may think. The final test is:
What will God say?
Will He say; Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:[6]
OR
Will He say; ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: [7]
----
[1]Richards, Lawrence O.: The Bible Readers Companion. electronic ed. Wheaton : Victor Books, 1991; Published in electronic form by Logos Research Systems, 1996, S. 609
[2] King James Version Study Bible . electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1988, S. Mt 7:21
8 NU useless
6 Lit. turned up their nose at
[3]Torrey, R.A.: The New Topical Text Book : A Scriptural Text Book for the Use of Ministers, Teachers, and All Christian Workers. Oak Harbor, WA : Logos research Systems, Inc., 1995, c1897
[4] KJV Bible Commentary. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1994, S. 1903
\
\ə\ abut \ə\ kitten, F table \ər\ further \a\ ash \ā\ ace \ä\ mop, mar
\au̇\ out \ch\ chin \e\ bet \ē\ easy \g\ go \i\ hit \ī\ ice \j\ job
\ŋ\ sing \ō\ go \ȯ\ law \ȯi\ boy \th\ thin \ṯẖ\ the \ü\ loot \u̇\ foot
\y\ yet \zh\ vision, beige \ḵ, n, œ, ue, y\ see Guide to Pronunciation
adj adjective
c century
adv adverb
n northern, noun
[5]Merriam-Webster, Inc: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Eleventh ed. Springfield, Mass. : Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003
4 detestable
[6] The New King James Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1982, S. Mt 25:41-43
[7] The New King James Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1982, S. Mt 25:34-36