Which Way Will You Choose?
Notes
Transcript
I have a simple riddle for you to start today’s message. There were five frogs sitting on a log. Three of them decided to jump off. How many were left? What is your answer? The answer seems obvious. Five frogs minus the three who decided to jump off leaves two frogs. Or does it? You have probably already guessed that there is a twist. The answer to this riddle is that five frogs are left on the log. What about the three who decided to jump off? Deciding is not the same as doing.
In today’s message we consider the conclusion to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. This particular sermon of Jesus is famous for good reason. But Jesus is more than an excellent communicator. His aim is highter than merely to entertain or inform an audience. He speaks to empower his people and to challenge us to take meaningful action.
In the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus marks out two distinctly different paths for us to take in life. This morning my prayer is that we would see these two paths very clearly. And once we see these paths, that we would answer the question, “Which way will you choose?”
Two Kinds of Roads
Two Kinds of Roads
“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.
The two roads are the way of life and the way of death. Many people choose the way of death because it appears easy for the moment . This shows that the majority is not always right. As followers of Jesus we are not called to fit in, but to stand out.
The way of life is narrow. We cannot bring all of our worldly ways on this road because all of that baggage won’t fit through the narrow gate.
The first test is this - Has your decision to follow Jesus cost you anything? There are plenty of people who claim the title of Christian but have never left the broad and easy way. They want an easy Christianity that makes no demands on them.
Jesus said that the road to life was narrow and hard. We cannot walk on two different roads, in two different directions, at the same time.
There is an easy way that leads to death. There is a difficult way that leads to life. Which way will you choose?
Two Kinds of Trees
Two Kinds of Trees
“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.
There are both true and false prophets. I am a continuationist. I believe wholeheartedly that the gift of prophecy is available to the church today and that the office of prophet is a spiritual office to which some are called to serve the church today.
When we affirm that the there are prophets today, we should also remember these two things:
The Bible is our highest and final authority.
Since there is true prophecy, there will be false prophecy.
While we are not all called to be prophets, we should all aspire to prophesy. We often think of prophecy as predicting the future, but a more Scriptural definition of prophecy is to speak an encouraging word to the right person at the right time. Genuine prophecy will always make much of who Jesus is and what Jesus has done.
Now, genuine faith in Jesus changes our lives and causes us to bear fruit that brings glory to God. This is not a popular theme these days, but it is nevertheless true. Good trees produce good fuit and bad trees produce bad fruit.
Bad trees represent false prophets. False prophets magnify themselves instead of making much of Jesus. False prophets exploit people rather than edifying them. These prophets may speak Christian sounding words but their life of magnifying themselves and exploiting people produces only rotten fruit. They seak good words, but their life has not been changed.
The second test is this: Has your decision to follow Jesus changed your life? The longer we walk with Jesus and the closer we get to Him, the more we will begin to act like Him. Many people know how to say Christian words. Authentic Christians live Christlike lives.
Which way will you choose?
Two Kinds of Disciples
Two Kinds of Disciples
“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.’
We are all called to be both disciples of Jesus and disciple-makers for Jesus. It is imperative then that we distinguish between genuine and false disciples. Genuine disciples seek to follow Jesus by walking the path outlined in the Sermon the mount; the path of humble and patient peacemaking. Genuine disciples seek God’s approval.
There are false disciples. False disciples work for Jesus without walking with Jesus. They do good deeds but are not known by their creator. They are satisfied with the approval of the world.
The third test is this: Has your decision to follow Jesus caused you to want to know Jesus more and more? Will you be satisfied with doing things for Jesus or will you press on to know Jesus Himself?
Which way will you choose?
Two Kinds of Foundations
Two Kinds of Foundations
“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.”
During the heat of Summer, the sand around the Sea of Galilee was hard on the surface. A wise builder knew he needed to dig down to bedrock if he wanted the home he was building to survive the storms of life.
We are to not only hear God’s word but to put it into action. The foundation in this parable is obedience to God’s Word. This obedience will be difficult. Digging down to bedrock is difficult work. But it is also worthwhile work.
It is not a question of if the storms of life will come, it is only a question of when. It is not a question of if the storms of life will come, only a question of whether you will still be standing once the storm has passed.
When the storms come, only the life that has chosen to do the hard work of obedience and build on the foundation of God’s truth will survive and still be standing when the storm passes.
Which way will you choose?
We have said that the Sermon on the Mount is the New Testament parallel to God visiting the people of Israel at Mount Sinai in Exodus 20. In the Old Testament God came down in a terrifying display of power. The people were scared to come close to Him and God gave the Law.
In the Sermon on the Mount, God again comes to dwell on a mountain. But this time He comes in the person of Jesus and invites his discples to join him as he teaches the deeper meaning of the law of God.
Jesus finishes this teaching by challenging us to action by showing us two kinds of roads, two kinds of trees, two kinds of disciples and two kinds of foundations. He clearly contrasts for us the way of life versus the way of death, and asks us, “Which way will you choose?
This reminds me of the words of Moses, not in Exodus but in Deuteronomy. In Deuteronomy 40 years had passed since his time on the mountain with God, but Moses had not forgotten God’s promise. Moses understood that there were two paths we mustchoose between the way of life or the way of death. Listen to how he puts the choice to the people of Israel and consider how Jesus offers you the same choice today.
“See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.
If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.
But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them,
I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess.
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live,