Are You All In?
Notes
Transcript
13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.
15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’
24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.
Jesus is asking us if WE are ALL in?...
Bubba at the Mazda car dealership in Missouri...
I’m there because of the mailer. I’m all in. And, I forced the car dealer to be all in too… And Jamie too...
Put up or shut up
Fish or cut bait
Put your money where your mouth is
After describing all that God is up to, and doing, through those who choose to follow Jesus the Messiah and the New Life and New Choices this brings… Jesus gives examples of wide paths, roads, false teachers, people who claim wise words, and wise and foolish builders to summarize his message by asking, ARE YOU ALL IN!?
The Kingdom of God REQUIRES everything from us!!
Are you ALL in? Not just in What you say, or what you hear... but ALL in, in what you say, hear, think and DO!
This whole passage deals with those who CLAIM to be followers of Christ, but who, for whatever reasons, are NOT all in.
They hear the right things
They say the right things
They are a part of the right group
But… they are NOT ALL IN!
But, the proof is in the pudding...
Jesus says that those who are his followers are those who DO.
They ARE salt and Light
They ARE the visible representation of the Kingdom of God here on earth
They ARE actively DOING the things they say and the things they hear...
EXAMPLES
The first example was actually read a few weeks ago
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
14 “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Or what about the ENTIRE summary of the Law and Jesus’ sermon
12 “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.
Or, a couple of verses from this section
15 “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
21 “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.
23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’
24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.
26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand.
These verses help us to see the context of the wide and narrow gates and roads
They help us to understand false teaching from true teaching
And false fruit from true fruit
Those who DO what the Father wants
In this closing section, the summary and conclusion of ALL that has be said in Jesus’ sermon Jesus highlights that we must be all in and this leads to ACTION!
True followers of Jesus, true participants in the Kingdom, are those who have been changed, transformed, and have been led to ACTION. To actually DO what God has instructed through Jesus Christ.
Those who don't simply talk or simply listen - but those who DO - are those with good fruit. They are those who are true followers of Jesus.
Hearing the words of Christ and repeating them, or saying them are important - but the DOING is what counts!!
22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.
14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?
17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. 20 How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?
What does it look like to live and DO God’s will?
Matthew 25:31–46 (NLT)
31 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’
45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’
46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”
It looks like feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, healing the sick, and ultimately being concerned with the general welfare of others…
How often have we who claim to be followers of God missed the point...
We have turned the Kingdom of God into a religious enterprise - prostituting our relationship with Jesus Christ for personal, and public gain.
Yet, we aren’t the first to do this...
12 Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. 13 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”
14 The blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed them. 15 The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David.”
But the leaders were indignant. 16 They asked Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?”
“Yes,” Jesus replied. “Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have taught children and infants to give you praise.’” 17 Then he returned to Bethany, where he stayed overnight.
Jesus was showing concern for the down and out crowd - the blind, the lame, THE CHILDREN (the people the messiah was supposed to be concerned about in the Old Testament prophecies). But, those who prostituted religion for profit couldn’t play nicely with this one.
18 When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching.
Jesus was crucified by the stock holders of religion because he cared for the down and outers - because he cared for YOU and me.
He calls us to show the same care towards others
He calls us to be all in
And, he calls us to be willing to accept the same fate as him - not crucifixion for sin, But, indeed persecution by the stock holders of religion when we dare take the relationship we have with Jesus to others in how we live!
It is NO Wonder Jesus calls his followers to count the cost before committing to following him.
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.
Help us Lord! May we no longer prostitute our relationship with you. May we no longer be a stock holder on religion, willing to persecute and crucify those who call us to do life differently as a part of your Kingdom.
And, when you return, may we be rewarded from you by how you have worked in us, to work through us, as we LIVE and DO life in a way that concerns the down and outers (just as you have done for us)!
Hosanna, Lord save us, Lord change us, Lord make us like you!