Anyone who dies and goes to eternal judgment instead of eternal life does so because they deny Jesus, not because of the sins they committed.

[This sermon is one of a series entitled "Sermon on the Mount, Concentrating on the Beatitudes," which is being preached on Sunday mornings by Pastor Tim Senter.  You may access previous messages from this chapter, which may be referenced in this message by clicking here.]

Last week we talked about laying a foundation in the solid rock of scripture and salvation in Christ as opposed to the foundation of shifting sand, which is relativism and man’s sociological musings. When we see two homes built on different foundations, we find that eventually one will crumble while the other will stand fast in the storms of challenge. When we look at scripture as a standard, and we search out the truths therein to apply them to our lives, through prayer we begin to bend our hearts more toward God and submit more readily to His instruction and desire in our lives. If we permit God to build the foundation, frame the home and even decorate it, we build a place that will withstand the challenges of the world. We do all this recognizing that sin will challenge the purity of God’s word and His precepts.

Many, if not most, do not realize that you are never truly independent. God is in control and His will will be done. Equally, Satan is a wicked and powerful being who is capable of influencing things around us, either positively or negatively. Satan has the power to “bless” and help, as well as to destroy and hurt. This sets up a very wicked paradox for people to figure out. The only way we can absolutely find the source of a blessing is to ask whether the blessing came from a godly source. If you are experiencing blessings for committing sins, be assured it is not God blessing you. God permits trials in life to strengthen and instruct us while Satan uses them only to destroy.

Satan is on the prowl to devour any Christian he can get his hands on. He will do anything to pull people away from God, including giving them a sense of independence or self-reliance. He will seem to bestow blessings as well as curse the lives of people to accomplish his wickedness. A home built on a shaky foundation may look beautiful. Satan can build it to look just like a godly home. However, it is easy prey for the wise deceiver. Most deception comes in the form of pride, and that pride is mostly the result of the question, “Why can’t I do what I want to do?” The truth (what is accepted by the world) is that you can do whatever you want within the laws of society. However, the godly believer asks, “Have you searched the scriptures, sought counsel from godly folks and submitted yourself to those things to find what God would have you do? Is that addition to your home godly or a deception of Satan?”

We finish our study on the Sermon on the Mount today as we consider the last two scriptures recorded in Matthew, chapter seven. We want to consider what is being taught here at the end. Again, we must consider the sermon as a whole in order to answer the questions of the astonishment of the people, the doctrine of Jesus, the authority He spoke with and the contrast to the religious leaders of the day.

Jesus, in talking to the people on the mount that day, wanted to convey a number of things. First, Jesus wanted to tell us what people in Heaven are like, how they act and what an existence there looks like. Second, He wanted the people of God on Earth to be different, such that they enlighten others and present a different flavor of existence. He wants them to influence the world around them. Third, Jesus gives specific circumstances in which to apply these aptitudes when dealing with individuals, applying them societally and spiritually and in worship. Our Lord references specific laws for us to consider. He teaches us much more on how to pray and seek God’s face. He lays out a new focus in the life of the believer. The believer’s attention is not focused here in this earthly life, but is instead focused on a heavenly existence. He tells us that because we are to look at things eternally, we should not have anxiety over the things of the world, we should not judge others, and we should pray with faith and earnestness that the answer will come. Jesus teaches about the difference between how the world says we get to Heaven and what He actually requires for entry. Finally, in order to ensure we get the idea as a whole, Jesus says we should base all of life and the foundations therein on the very things of God, and those alone. That is a firm foundation set into bedrock.

A carpenter (not to knock any profession or community for all those who work in any given community are essential), a man, a Nazarene was not one we could equate with great authority, even in the first century. Even the most menial or what may seem to be distasteful of jobs is required. Consider this scenario in our day: a garbage collector from the deepest slums of New York, Baltimore, or Los Angeles heretofore unknown came to national prominence, appeared in his normal work clothes, and told us he was the ultimate judge of all that is right and wrong in the world. Not only would he judge, he would also sentence and assign punishment for any wrongs done. Further, this sentence and the resulting punishments were for life. If you were sentenced to collect garbage in his place, you would perform the task until you drop dead on the job. This one man would determine how you live the rest of your life. How many of us would just believe him, follow him, and submit ourselves to his teachings even unto death? These people were “astonished at his doctrine…he taught them as one having authority, not as scribes.” People in Jesus’ own town cat-called Him and gossiped against Him in Matthew 13:54-57. Our sinfulness still fights against the person of Jesus being the focus of scripture.

Jesus does all this in contrast to the religious leadership present in the first century, and we should be mindful that it is just as important for us today. We should contrast what Jesus says against any religiosity or organizational structure that sets itself up as a religion with specific individuals who are set out as authoritative. They preach some hyper-developed moral, social or personal gospel and equate Christ’s teachings with some supposedly, “great moral man of his time.” We tend to make the Sermon on the Mount a moral or social gospel, but it is about the one true gospel: Jesus. What Jesus is saying here is that there is no authority but God and His word; but He says much more as well.

Doctrine and authority, in contrast with the spiritual leadership of the day are the subjects discussed in these verses…or are they? If we look closely, what we find is that it is not the message that is the focus, but the person delivering it. The scripture says “when Jesus had ended these sayings…for He taught them.”

I. His Authority in Teaching.

This is the Savior’s sermon. What is the difference between what Jesus taught and what substituted for real teaching for so many years in Israel? The difference is, many simply used the Talmudic teachings, quoting ancient fathers of Israel and their commentaries or expositions. There was very little prayer, synthesizing of the scripture, or exposition for edification of the people. If we look back at Matthew 5:33 we find evidence of this again where Jesus says, “ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time…” The scribes and Pharisees mostly taught by re-quoting ancient forefathers. There appears to have been very little original thought. These teachers were not expositing the scriptures. They were not practicing what we find in Ezra, where the true scriptures are read, and then the sense of those readings is further explained to the people – exposition. The religious leaders of the day were taking the easy way out. Many church organizations do this today–to name a few, Scientologists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, New Apostolic churches, some Methodist and Lutheran churches as well. They have a central office that develops a homily which is then distributed widely for everyone to read to their congregations. This activity is denounced in the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 5:33 and in our verses today, as well as in the historic reference in Ezra. The Israelites had heard readings from commentaries for so long that when an exposition came about, they were astonished at the truth being told to them. In Matthew 5:34 Jesus makes clear His authority: “But I say unto you…”

This disparity is completely understood, given the circumstances. Look at the hierarchy of the time. The scribes were the ones who knew the scriptures and the ancient teachings. These were the teachers of the day. The Pharisees were the religious police that knew the rules, supposedly lived them out before Israel and encouraged the Israelites to do the same. The High Priests were the guiding council for both the scribes and Pharisees. The Sadducees were the business group – politicians if you will –  interested in developing harmony with the captors (Rome) to promote prosperity for Israel. All of these groups are interested in a people being subservient to them for their own prosperity and that of the worldly connection with Israel. None of them concentrated on the Kingdom of God in their desires. Scribes and Pharisees made fulfilling the Law of Moses a physical effort alone, forsaking the spiritual aspect of God’s kingdom.

Jesus is not only expositing the scriptural tenets of our physical and spiritual life.  This is an individual who has been in Heaven, telling others what it is like in the Father’s kingdom and what they should expect to live like here in order to prepare to be there with Him. Ultimately, Jesus tells all present that they must heed Him and His instruction for life temporal and eternal. This sermon is about Him, His teaching, His authority, His kingdom and His desire for all of mankind to be there with Him. This is not about activities to please the religious authorities in the world. This sermon is about living life, as God would have you live life on Earth and in eternity, and Jesus explains by pointing to Himself as the model. That is where Jesus drives to when He says, “whosoever heareth these things of mine and doeth them…” Jesus says these requirements are His to determine, His to levy and His to judge. This is as if to say to all those present, “Do you really know who is talking to you? I am the very Son of God in the flesh; I am Messiah and have this authority to levy and judge these very things.”

What we must do is apply all of these teachings to our lives and not take them as some social or moral instruction that we can discard if we so choose. The difference between people who call themselves Christians and people who are true Christians is a matter of application. Diognetus, a second/third century procurator of Alexandria (a pagan), noted the difference and distinctiveness true Christians exhibit when he wrote, “Christians are not distinguished from the rest of mankind either in locality or in speech or in customs…neither do they use some different language.”[i] He went on to describe that Christians adopt those things and blend well with society; but the difference between them and society as a whole is their dedication to the scriptures and their call for separation from the things of the flesh. We are marked as separate in life because we do not agree with homosexuality, same-sex marriage, abortion, premarital sex, drinking, smoking, divorce or forsaking the family (turning over the care of our elder family members) for personal reasons. Though these are all very much accepted in society, Christians reject these premises because of the clear teaching in scripture to do so. We are Christians because we do not abide by the myriad overabundance of moral relativism in the world today – the egocentric society we live in. We also suffer great persecution, derision, exclusion and personal ridicule because of it. We are Christians, not natural man. This is not an issue of pride or recompense, but one of salvific identification. Christ saved us from eternal torment, therefore we submit to being His disciples.  We have accepted the gift provided by Him on the Cross and are compelled to serve Him because of this special gift.

We (Christians) live here on Earth, but our true home is in Heaven with Jesus – God, the Son of God, speaker at the Sermon on the Mount. Being the Messiah, His doctrine carries authority.   Every time we open the Bible and read from it, we see His authority anew, and we are astonished by it.

II. His Authority in Focus.

Though the content of the sermonic material that gives such wonderful illustrations, examples and applications is certainly a focal point for any Christian to apply to their lives, Jesus teaches not only to focus on what He is speaking about, but He brings us to focus upon Him and His authority specifically. The material presented here also influenced Gandhi to speak highly of Jesus as a great teacher and moral guide. Many consider these moral and sociological instructions to be of the highest caliber. We have to ask though, is that all that this is – some great moral guidelines for all to abide by? If that is true, Jesus was as much a liar and cheat as the politicians that occupy most of the governmental seats around our world today. This would mean that Jesus, though teaching and encouraging a morally pure and socially utopian existence, was Himself living a lie. Yes, Jesus says, “Judge not lest ye be judged.” He also says, “No one comes to the Father but by Me.” The first phrase is a command not to be judgmental (Matthew 7:1-2– sermon here) but the second phrase places Him in control of God the Father’s audience. Jesus alone is the arbiter concerning who will and who will not speak to, appear before, or in any way have access to God the Father. This is a far more powerful position than simply influencing people morally and sociologically. There is more authority discussed in the passages of the Sermon on the Mount as well. In the sermon, He places Himself in control of all the issues being discussed. What are they? The Kingdom of Heaven is the first consideration. Jesus claims power to govern in the Kingdom of Heaven.

In Matthew 5:11 Jesus claims the ability to bless people who are persecuted simply because they claim to follow Him. This statement places Him in the same position as God the Father. This is a call for the Christian to parallel Daniel’s testimony for God the Father, when he would only eat vegetables and not the King’s prized meats. Daniel was persecuted for not bowing to Darius as well. The Christian is called to be as committed to Christ as Daniel was to God the Father. Every time Israel was in bondage or persecuted, God called upon them to turn back to Him, and when they did, He delivered them. Jesus again places Himself parallel with this history, ability and authority to bless. When great men of scripture held their ground and did not bow to false gods, they were delivered, they were blessed, they were given great position. Joseph did this, Isaiah did this, and Jeremiah did this. These men and many others such as Esther, stood fast for God the Father in the face of tremendous persecution. This is what Jesus refers to when He says, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.” Jesus equates Himself with God; able to bless those who follow Him. Jesus is the Messiah and has this authority. Jesus is plainly saying, “You people who are My disciples and my followers, you who have given yourselves to Me even to the extent of enduring persecution for My name’s sake, and if necessary death for My sake, you who are listening to Me and are going to repeat My teaching and propagate it throughout the world – you are the salt of the Earth, and the light of the world.” [ii]

Jesus again sets Himself on an equal plane with God the Father in chapter 5 and verse 17. He claims authority over and ability to fulfill the Law of Moses. This forces Israel to hearken back to Exodus 19:5 when God tells Moses that if Israel obeys God’s voice He will keep His covenant with them, making them “a peculiar treasure” to God above all other people, “FOR ALL THE EARTH IS MINE.” Jesus claims to own all of creation because He is God. When Jesus uses the phrase, “I am come” or “I am (have) come” He identifies Himself as the great “I AM” (Ex 3:14) and states that “I AM” has come to show how His law is actually supposed to be lived. No one was able to give Israel a good example; but the Messiah can live the Law of Moses perfectly. Nine times in the New Testament we find Jesus saying, “I AM.” Besides here in Matthew 5:17, we see it again in Matthew 10:34, 35, where Christ speaks as God and says to everyone that no one is more important than He is, not even family. “Think not that I am come to send peace on Earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.” Forsaking all for Jesus is not some cliché but a reality the Christian must face.

We find the great “I AM” again in Luke 12:49: “I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I if it be already kindled?” and verse 51 “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:” Jesus, God, the Christ, is going to come to Earth and shake things up a lot! He fully intends to bring persecution, derision and hate from the worldly upon His people, because He Himself will receive it. He will light a fire under the complacent, the haughty, the disobedient and the prideful. They will rebel both from outside the church, and from within. When real purity hits the black wickedness of sin which denies God’s word and seeks only what pleases self, it strikes at the very heart of man’s self-centeredness. God wants you to do His will, and His will is not found in a vacuum but in the word of God and in the counsel of godly people in your local church. Many people just want to be left alone to do what they want, when they want, in the way they want. Many of these folks actually claim they are obeying God in their activity. The fact is, the scribes and Pharisees as well as all those present acted this exact way. From the most religious to the most pagan, every one just wanted to be left alone to serve God, others and/or themselves in whatever way they wanted. Jesus said that the “I AM” has come to shake the dust off of you and make you useful for His kingdom.

John 5:43 – “I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.” Jesus knew people would reject His message and Him personally. I was recently engaged in a conversation with a homosexual. This individual said a number of vile things to me in order to attempt to perturb me or dissuade me from further communication. My last words to him were, “Jesus, when looking down from the Cross, said to the Father concerning those who had put Him there, ’Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’” These people have no concept of God, who God is, or who His Son is. His claims of deity go unheeded and unheard. However, if we hear of a man to worship, if we hear of some great orator, if we hear of some flesh and bone leader, spiritual, political, military or otherwise, we suddenly fall in behind them and follow them. We follow and fear man, whose influence exists only within the confines of this world. Jesus has authority over Heaven and Earth.

In John 9:39 Jesus claims to enlighten the world in His power through judgment. He claims the authority to judge and make others see God, and deny others access to Him. “…For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.” These are phrases dealing with liturgical activity. Jesus claims to be able to make people judicially, legally incapable of seeing, comprehending or in anyway receiving the truth because they have already chosen to shut themselves off from it. Jesus has the power to turn them over to their own sins (Judg 16:20-23; 1 Sam 16:14; Rom 1:24).

What great teacher or moral guidance counselor could claim to give life to people, and give it more abundantly in a real and literal sense? In John 10:10, Jesus does exactly this when He says, “I am come…not merely to preserve but to impart life and communicate it in rich and unfailing exuberance.”[iii] This is God claiming that life as He lives it can be imparted to the most wretched of the world. God says He is here and present and that He has the power to and will grant life. This He juxtaposes with the thief, a deceiver, one who steals life and kills – Satan.

In John 12:46 we read, “I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.” God again claims to be here to enlighten everyone so that they can live outside of the depressive, hate filled, hunger plagued, diseased and utterly despairing world controlled by Satan. You can get away from this and God came to show you how.

The law and the prophets always talked about the one who would come, the prophecy to come true – that the Messiah would be brought into the world to save it. This is the one who Himself says, “I am come.” He came such that we could have life in abundance and live it here on Earth, looking forward to our home in Heaven.

This sermon is not some recipe for societal behavioral norms, though society would grow and mature greatly if it heeded them. This is a sermon from God on His life in Heaven with a promise that man can live in His kingdom. Specifically, this is a sermon about Jesus God. This sermon begins His public teaching ministry; it lays the foundations for His person, His attitudes and His life’s testimony. This sermon says, “These are the things you will see from me and I expect to see them from my disciples. If you do not strive to exhibit these things as I do, you are not worthy of my heavenly kingdom because although you claim me with your mouth, your heart rebels against me.”

Our exposition would be remiss without recognizing that although He fulfilled the Law as He came to do, Jesus takes the judgment for the whole law – for our transgressions – upon Himself. In this way, Jesus not only fulfills the law itself, but the law’s demand for perfect justice in atonement for rebellion and lawlessness. Anyone who dies and goes to eternal judgment instead of eternal life does so because they deny Jesus, not because of the sins they committed. Because Jesus did come, He fulfilled the prophecy, the law, the justice required and He makes sure the promise of God for a redeemer of all mankind.

He also tells of His authority to judge all of mankind when He says both “No one comes to the father but by me,“ and “depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” In these two statements, Jesus claims the sole power to grant or deny access to God and His Kingdom in Heaven. Jesus is the one we must work to please. No church, no group, no public service and no individual on the face of this Earth is so worthy of our devotion. He will judge, and many will be surprised how He judges when He says,

“Not everyone who saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in Heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And I will profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matt 7:21-23)

Jesus Himself, a man and God, the only one who controls His Kingdom, will determine with specific precision and an individuality never before witnessed by man who will in fact enter Heaven and who will be condemned to Hell. God’s judgment is a subject that produces the greatest rebellion in man. When the judge of eternal residence is another man, the rebellion meter peaks. The rejection of judgment lies in a comparison; one man’s self-assessment versus his assessment of another. Who is the better man? Many say, “Who is qualified to judge me?” To make it more palatable, man usually terms this rebellion more generally: “Who can judge man but the man himself?” This sounds very nice but becomes circular, because we ask again, “Who is qualified to judge me?” All this fails to realize that, with respect to eternity, mortal man has no control, no design, not even a remote idea of what is involved. Eternity is not man’s to control, but God’s. Therefore, God has the final decision on each participant. Since Jesus decides who is in and who is out.  He is God. Jesus is saying this as a man before other men.

What is your personal response to all of these teachings in the Sermon on the Mount? Poor in spirit, mournful, meek, ravenous for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart and peacemaking – are those trademarks of your life? Conversely, are you still doing things your way, the way you see fit, the way you desire, the way you assess your spirituality to guide you, the way you see God’s leading alone, the way you want to go regardless of what the scripture says? If you choose your own path regardless of what the scripture teaches, you may hear at that gate, “I never knew you, depart from me ye who work iniquity,” because Jesus has the power, authority, position and ability to speak those words to you, and He will if you do not build your home on the solid rock of scripture and His salvation.

If you still do things your way, you also expect those who are “spiritual” to do things your way because your way is the right way. We would do well to remember that only Jesus has the authority to judge people in this fashion. All of us are merely flesh, nothing more. Your way may be the highway to destruction, for yourself and those you force it upon. Jesus is the way the truth and the life, no other.

Where one looked at the surroundings and determined that the river right next to his home may very well rise and become a problem in stormy seasons, the other just looked at the river as a thing of beauty and thought nothing of how it could change in this sin cursed world.

Last week we looked at three things: God’s will as opposed to our will; the defense of our flavor or kind of Christianity as opposed to God’s requirement for entrance into Heaven; and what we expect versus the reality set forth by God. When we considered these things, the conclusion must be that Christ –nothing more – is sufficient for entry into Heaven. We found no ceremony, no community service, no inherently good thing in us and certainly no sense that we work off any bad things we have ever done in last week’s study. The only way we get through the narrow gate of verse 13 is through Christ’s salvation, accepted in its full glory. That is quite liberating if you think about it.

It is the practice of man to say, essentially if it is going to be right, I am going to do it. This is much like the “ends justifies the means” attitude that throws the rules out as long as one gets results in the process. With respect to eternal life, what we find in these passages is a discrediting and disproving of this philosophy. When it comes to entering a kingdom we have no control over, we have never seen and we are given specific guidelines to enter, we must submit to the rules. Scripture is replete with statements concerning our works alone not being good enough (Ps 51:16-17; Eph 2: 8-9; Titus 3:5). Face it, man can never be good enough and that reality is the point. Actually, man knows it, but his pride gets in the way of admitting it.

We all need to change – to be Christlike. That is the goal of the Christian. He, the Savior, knows far better than we do how to live. Further, the Holy Spirit who inspired scripture, God the Father who planned it all and is in charge of it all, and Christ, the Son of God, who created it all and died for us all, –live in Heaven. They not only know what it takes to be there, they also make the rules that we must follow to get there. When it comes to entering Heaven, the scriptures are the only thing we should listen to. No man knows.  Only God knows.

Today we finish our study of the sermon proper when we look at verses 24 through 27 of Matthew chapter 7. As Jesus wraps up His exposition with this illustration, so too, must we incorporate all His teachings when we consider these verses. We have made this a practice throughout; therefore it should be no new exercise for you to consider all that was before as we look at the foundations of existence in Heaven, and whether you make yours out of shifting sand or solid rock.

To understand verses 24-27 today, we should first look at them in the same light as we have those immediately before. This is another illustration that we are given to implement Christ in our life. The first illustration warned us against appearances of false teachers “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” We are warned to not look at appearances. The nicest looking things can be deadly. We looked at a most beautiful tree that displays bright and brilliant flowers, but can be deadly to the touch. When we see creations such as this, we have to wonder if it was God’s intent to give us these very illustrations for false teachers and prophets.

Second, we are told all those who say they believe in God will actually go to Heaven, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the Kingdom…” (Matt 7:21). Again, just because you speak Christian does not mean you really are one. I speak some French and Spanish but I am neither. This is a very condemning passage for the Mormon who so much sounds like a Christian, but doctrinally and in belief does not see God in the person of Jesus Christ atoning for our sins. It is equally condemning for the Catholic who claims God but leans on their attendance at mass, a baptism, or a family heritage in the Catholic church. None of these elements say, “Jesus save me,” or acknowledge Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for one’s individual sins. They say, “Yes, Jesus died, but…” We are so easily deceived, even by our own selves, in thinking we really are saved and really do know the Savior, when, in fact, our own hearts are “deceitful above all things and desperately wicked” (Jer 17:9). Though anyone hearing that Christ died on the cross for our sins can be saved by calling out to Him (Rom 5:8), most are deceived and belong to pseudo-Christian cults such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormonism, Catholicism, Black Theology, or Pentecostal charismatic spin-offs of Christianity that claim speaking in tongues marks the true spiritual experience. They will be turned away at the narrow gate with four words: “I never knew you.” They are turned away because their testimony says, “Yes, Christ, but…”

So many people say, “I believe in God,” to which one must ask, “What does that mean?” This is part of the overall deception in both parts. People say, “Look at me, I believe in God.” What is not said is, how they are pro-choice (pro-infanticide) and want to mould that into their Christianity. Another thing they refuse to mention is their extra-marital or licentious affairs. They won’t mention how they make sure to see the right people at church, or that they go to church to be seen by the right people. They omit comments about their business dealings, which are fraught with deceit and misrepresentation. They forget to mention that they believe in evolution and not the 7-day creation, wrought by God. These folks would not tell you they don’t want to give up drinking because they can do it socially (they think only alcoholics need to give up drinking all together). They would not say they want to give up chew because they enjoy it too much. They want to live with their boy friend or girl friend or have premarital sex with them, but that is okay because “everyone” does it today. Do not get me wrong folks, you can believe anything you want, but we should not try to justify our personal desires with some reasoned statement. It will not stand up to scripture, let alone common sense. One of the worst lies perpetrated in our society (pop culture, modernism, relativism) and by secular psychologists as a whole is that it is not our personal responsibility when we commit a wrong. “The devil made me do it” defense will not work at the narrow gate. You have choices. When people finally face the fact that what you want does not matter, but what Christ wants in you is what is paramount, there is finally room to grow in Christ. Whatever principles you place in your life that are not strictly biblically based are shifting sands. God says choose Me and My kingdom over all others.

Now the saddest news of all – most everyone agrees with this “it is not my fault” attitude, including many Christians! We build our Christian lives around our own personal precepts. Most every person today will take the “out” if they have it. This flies in the face of the most ideologically motivated thing in society today – entertainment. Movies regularly portray heroes or individuals who have learned great life lessons or ethics by the end of the show. They are lauded and praised by the audience for finally being ethical, finally setting things right or finally learning honesty or integrity. By the end of the movie everyone in the audience is saying, “Yea, he finally got it. He finally did the right thing.” One must ask, if this is the picture of a perfect existence, and it is actually something we can do to develop a more utopian society, why aren’t we living this way? If this attribute is part of an overall effort in the “artistic expression” of the writer or director trying to teach society the right way to be, why do so many in the entertainment industry suffer divorce, commit adultery and live lives bereft of ethics or purity? Why do we see every leader in our society teaching us to blame someone else for our wrongs? From presidents to leaders of racial or religious movements, we hear, “But it’s not my fault.”

The most depressing news of all is that many who call themselves Christians believe and live by the relativism of today. Most of these folks know nothing of God because they know nothing about the scriptures. Most of what they have heard is hearsay from others. Many times they gather round and talk about the Bible with unbelievers and permit them to sway their thoughts. These people have no real understanding of the precepts of scripture, except those correlated with society’s ethics where it, “just makes sense.” The funny thing is, many will agree that we get much of our ethics from the Bible, then they dismiss having to read it or believe in the Savior of whom it teaches. They assume that “religion” is “Christianity” or that “Christianity” is simply another form of “religion.” Christ is neither a religion, nor a form of Christianity. He is a person. He is God. He is the Savior of man. He died for your eternal life.

The worldly illustrations above are all examples of unstable and ever changing things that our Lord warns us about today. The rock is God’s word and Christ’s salvation, the shifting sand is man’s reason and pride.  One is stable, one is dangerously unstable. The plain truth is that in all of these instances man has influenced these belief systems (many will call Him “Lord, Lord”) and made them his own (“did we not prophesy in your name…cast out devils…perform many miracles…?”). This third illustration gives us insight regarding how we establish our entire livelihood, not just how we get to Heaven (one in the same?). It also tells us of God’s home versus a worldly home. The implication is simple.  What we build our lives upon here will determine our outcome at the narrow gate. We somewhat made this point last week when we discovered the decision on our narrow gate entry was made well before we get to the gate. Our Savior makes this plainly clear in our scriptures today.

Instead of doing, we should begin by listening to and hearing what our Lord is trying to tell us. We should then heed the warnings. This scripture tells us the attitude of those who hate His instruction, and the results of this rebellion. First is hearing and listening to God.

I. Hearing His instruction (Verse 24)

The dream home. Everyone has one. Ours is a great log cabin in the woods. Some have from time to time envisioned a home with a few large bedrooms, study, library and especially a living room big enough for everyone to sit in all at one time, a huge kitchen (either for yourself or for the cook and maids), and a wonderful yard with a large garden and a pool in the back. Everyone has come up with a dream home. If we build such a house, we would build it carefully, sturdily and take our time to plan through every detail as best possible to ensure it stays put as long as possible. We will do everything we can to make sure that house is solid and the foundation is the best it can be, and needs to be, considering the conditions of the ground. We will work hard to make sure we build a structure that is strong and will last a long time. If you build something that you intend to keep, you build as wisely as possible. Interestingly, the most wonderful dream home one could ever imagine already exists in Heaven, and it is already built for each of God’s children (Jn 14:2-3).

In these verses, the dream homes of these two individuals refer to both physical and spiritual, or we could say temporal and eternal existence. However, both of these homes are built on eternal foundations. One foundation is eternal torment; one is eternal bliss. The respective individuals, through life and testimony, build these mansions carefully.

In the parallel passage to our verses today, found in Luke 6:47, we discover that to set up a good foundation you have to dig deep to bedrock. In our life with Christ, we find this foundation to be faith in Jesus for our salvation. “By grace are ye saved through faith,” “whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish”– these are the things we find in scripture (Eph 2:8). We must first let the Lord set His foundation of salvation in our souls by digging deep. Our faith in His perfect salvation is the key. We set our footers on solid ground with Jesus as the Cornerstone in our spiritual life. These footers are the scripture and soul changing prayer unto salvation. This is what our Lord means here. First, we are saved (foundation laid in Christ, Romans 10:13), then we obey Him by seeking out His instruction in the Word of God (we build a sturdy structure, John 14:15). God’s word has all the instructions we need to tell us how to build a strong, spiritually minded Christian structure.

Grace and faith are the vehicles of salvation. From faith, we can draw strength to submit to the word of God and obey. This is where the Lord directs us in this illustration. The bedrock of faith, bolstered by the obedience to His word is where Christians should live their lives. This is the beginning of a safe and secure spiritual structure that will house the Christian all his days upon the Earth and usher him into a heavenly mansion.

Though we have talked briefly about the submissive spirit, we should look more closely at Christ’s encouragement with respect to following instructions.

II. Heeding His Instruction (Verse 25)

By the time you build a house, it is far too late to do anything with the foundation without great expense. You literally have to tear down, or at least detach and disconnect all the supporting structure to change the foundation. We can point to our own church building as an example. Our footers are shallow and we sit on very volatile, shifting soil. Because of the soil, we needed to place our footers much deeper. Engineers informed us the footers should have been as much as four feet or deeper because of the unstable ground. Ours may not be half of that depth. Now, 35 or so years later, we see the results of not digging deep enough to build on solid rock. We also found it is cost prohibitive to pour a completely new foundation. We certainly learned we need to plan for contingencies with respect to the ministry and our properties. Praise God, we have been given time to plan and look at the future as an opportunity to do things correctly. The individuals in our scriptures do not have this second chance.

While one built his dream home on a solid foundation, rooted to good rock, the other did not. Where one looked at the surroundings and determined that the river right next to his home may very well rise and become a problem in stormy seasons, the other just looked at the river as a thing of beauty and thought nothing of how it could change in this sin cursed world. While the wise man understands this is a world of chaos after the fall of man, the fool simply sees things as “natural.” After the curse in Genesis, everything that was beautiful developed a hidden ugliness; death and decay permeated everything. In this world, a river can become a very destructive force, just as frost driven deep into the ground expands the dirt and thaws can contract quickly and make ground heave.

Both in the physical and spiritual worlds, we need to plan for eventualities where we can identify them. There will be strife; plan for it. There will be trouble; plan for it. The sands will shift; dig deep to bedrock and place your footers there. What kinds of trouble, strife and eventualities might we consider?

Some examples are witnessing opportunities. You must be ready for answers from followers of the pop culture today, who think they know what they are talking about. It is no longer just teens who think they know everything, teens never really become adults compared to God. No one actually matures to a level of adulthood compared to God. Satan has developed many smart and clever atheists. He has buttressed the rebellious attitudes of the world such that everyone thinks their way of life is individually acceptable, even to God. Worse than that, a forced acceptance in the name of tolerance is being pushed upon Christians. Man is no longer demanding that you tolerate him and his personal faith in himself, but even moreso that you celebrate it with him and accept it as a norm. This is an ever changing foundation in society’s movement toward tolerance of religion, sexual aberration, and all forms of societal excuses for failure in sociology and psychology (the “It’s not your fault” crowd). To prepare for these ever-changing ideas of man (the shifting sand of life) you set your footers in the deep bedrock of the scriptures so you have strong footings to stand on.

There will be troubles with your faith. Not only will we not get everything right, we have to admit we are wrong and we have to be brave enough to love others enough to tell them they don’t have everything right either. Then we have to be humble enough to listen because even while we’re telling them they have problems, we have to admit it may very well be us that has the trouble, and not our brother or sister in Christ.

You will be challenged. You will be challenged by other believers on what you are convicted to do. You will be challenged by the unbelieving world on why you believe at all. You will be challenged by those to whom you witness. You will receive challenges in every day life to the operation of your faith. You will be challenged to be with unbelievers and unbelieving family instead of worshipping with your brothers and sisters in Christ. To worship instead of spending time with family is a testimony that you love God. There are a great many things scripturally that support this activity from Jesus’ commandment in Matthew 10:35 to doctrines of separation in 1 Thessalonians 4.

You need to have a solid bedrock of grounded understanding in God and His word to get past these challenges, trials, storms and tidal waves in your life. If you know only the love of God and not His perfect justice, you set your house of faith upon shifting sand because you do not dig deep to find all of God’s counsel in solid bedrock.

Many only give God a superficial look or a cursory review. They see they need His salvation and assent to that, agreeing they are sinners and need a Savior. When it comes to actually learning more about Him (digging deep and working hard to build a good solid structure to live in spiritually) they are not willing to actually put the time in. These people are saying, “I need Your salvation, but I hate Your rules, I hate Your attitude and I hate Your instruction.”

III. Hating His Instruction (Verse 26)

Consider this–these two houses are alike in many ways. Both of them desire to be something. This could be your place to rest, a place with no pressures or dangers—even  just a place to come and feel secure behind familiar walls that provide consistency in life. They are to be places where the owner can find a friendly environment. In fact, they give the owner just that kind of confidence. There are problems though.

One owner agrees to let a technician who knows how to build houses build the best house possible. This owner listens to and desires God build the way God would desire to build. This owner knows the best designer in the world is God and His designs are perfect. This owner will work hard to ensure God’s designs permeate the home. Although you can look at unique aspects of the home that are specifically given to and originated from the unique owner, you certainly see God’s design in not only the home but in the very foundations, and structures that are grounded in truth.

The other individual wants a good-looking place like other people.  In fact, they want it to look like a Christian home. The technical aspects of building though are self taught and engineered. This owner knows God can help, but they can do it better their own way. This person sees God, believes in God, but in no way really depends upon God for their life.

There is a great difference in the overall philosophy of the unbelieving or pseudo-Christian home. A believer says he will take advice from God and build properly following the rules and the best technology available. The other just wants a place that appears to be normal, but the foundation is weak and always changing. One owner wants his home accepted by other people, to be seen as a “normal” home according to other men. The other desires the comfort of God’s designs on their life. Because man knows right from wrong, both seem to operate ethically. Therefore, there are very subtle differences, but they lead to magnitudes of difference in the overall strength and success of the home, especially on an eternal plane.

The subtle differences are more clear as time develops and things change, because the worldly home, not built by God, will change. The godly home will remain grounded in its foundation and stay the same. One home appears to be Christian because Christianity has morals that no other religion has, and these morals are the basis for any successful society. When occupants begin to question the origin of the morals, there is no foundation toward which to turn. Without a solid foundation on which to base truth, morals change and can easily conform to man’s norm – sin. The blessing is that the home the world calls “normal” appears to be Christian. This gives credence to Christianity, but introduces a great error, too. It says you can live a life like a Christian and be okay. Make no mistake, this is a pseuo-Christian who is lost to Satan and will hear, “I never knew you” at the narrow gate.

The other home built by God is Christian through and through. Where a mistake is made, where an error in judgment occurs, where some design flaw takes shape, the home is repaired using God’s manual as a guide. Yes, I said design flaw. People in Christian homes are still sinful humans who attempt to design parts of their “Christianity” themselves. In the real Christian’s home, whole sections of the home are razed and rebuilt to proper specifications. Where the pseudo-Christian homeowner simply attempts to patch structural failures with pleasant looking stucco, the real Christian may remove the whole wall and rebuild using the strict detail obtained from the Word of God for framing and finishing.

The difference between these two is John 14:15. In the real Christian’s home, the owner displays his love of God by using God’s design. The pseudo-Christian’s home only displays a hate for God as he regularly denies the need for God in the home and especially in the design of the home. This denial is even more apparent when there is a problem and the home needs repair. The pseudo-Christian owner will claim Christ, but go to an unbeliever for help. Unbelievers are unqualified to work on a Christian home, because their foundation is man’s theology of relativism and postmodernism–in this case, shifting sand.

One builds the home on a foundation in the bedrock truth of God’s word. The other builds his home on a relative truth, thinking what he deems is good for him is all that counts. This relative truth has a distinct disdain for the Bible, the God of the Bible and any precepts in those scriptures.

In my family’s history we had to have our entire home razed, new footers and foundation laid, and a complete rebuilding of the home. In many ways, this is still taking place. My children themselves have challenges in their Christian walk because of our initial shaky foundation. You may have the same situation, but my advice is that you raze the home and dig out the old rotten foundation of the world. Replace that foundation with Christ’s salvation and the word of God in your home. We threw out all of our old music because it did not honor God. We threw out all of our old magazines because they did not honor God. We threw out all of our old movies because they did not honor God. We changed our whole lives because they did not honor God. We took everything to the dump that needed to go there, and we continue to take things to the landfill because that is all they are worth. Just because you did not start on a good foundation, does not mean you cannot start again. What a glorious thing our Savior gives us in a second chance to build a life that is godly for Christ.

We must take a few minutes to focus on our last verse here. We may develop a message from this next verse alone to close our study on the Sermon on the Mount. I am still praying about that. This verse deals with the fruits of disobedience. Many people do not see what their attitudes and aptitudes breed in their own families. This last verse tells us what will happen to our home, our children and, ultimately, to everything we think we believe in because of our attitude and aptitudes toward those things.

IV. Fruits of Disobedience (Verse 27)

There will always be challenges in life. God cursed the world and made thorns and thistles appear. From that day forward, Adam and Eve coveted shoes. Shoes were something they never even imagined that they might need; however, with sin came pain and suffering in the world.

Consider the fact that Adam and Eve suffered most all of what sin has to offer human beings. They were thrown out of their paradise home because they disobeyed their Father. They were forced to work with their hands instead of just gathering the existing fruits of the garden for food. Eve endured childbirth without any medications or anyone around her that had any experience with bearing children. Adam, I am sure, was no help as he paced and wrung his hands, wondering what to do. There probably was no way to boil water or sterilize anything. There was no one there to cheer her on to “Push!” or even “Wait” because no one knew about childbirth. There were a great many things about what we see as normal life that were supremely unique and new to Adam and Eve. They suffered the effects of murder. Their own son killed their other son. They knew this would result in separation just as their sins ejected them from the Garden of Eden.

The only one available to help them through all of these things was God the Father. What we find repeatedly in life is that when people turn from God they commit disobedience. When people ignore God, they sin. When people run from God, they run to evil. The fruits of disobedience are sin, transgression, disobedience and separation from God and other loved ones. What is separation? Death.

What we find here in our scriptures is an encouragement to hear the instruction in the Sermon on the Mount. We find that after we hear, we must heed. Many people hear and do not heed. This is the third group of people that find value in God’s morals, but His specific teaching they think is too much for them to implement in their lives. They want to do it their way. This manifests itself in a disdain or hate for God’s instruction. Finally, the fruit of disobedience is death. If we do not implement the complete instruction of God in our lives, we sin.  Sin causes separation and separation causes death.

The Sermon on the Mount is about Kingdom saints. We are supposed to build homes on Earth that reflect our true place of residence–Heaven. Does your home look like Heaven? Is your home a living Heaven or a living Hell?

Last week we finished an extensive discussion about good and bad fruit. My prayer is that you do seek to assess your fruit regularly. Here are a series of questions you could ask yourself in an effort to perform that self-analysis, a systems check if you will. We will walk down through the Beatitudes and develop questions that are opposite the Kingdom saint to illustrate how we should be changing.

• Have I displayed pride, arrogance or an air of superiority in anything that would detract from what I am supposed to be, which is a poor spirit?
• Have I displayed angry, haughty, hateful or unbiblical/wicked activity, attitudes or behaviors in my life because someone has wronged me? This, opposed to mourning because of the wickedness of man.
• Have I communicated a self-reliant spirit to others, braggadocio or simply been cocky or a tough guy/gal pushing to get what I want? Am I inflexible and un-teachable rather than being meek?
• Have I forsaken time in God’s word, praying, fellowshipping or worshipping with God’s people for personal time, my hobbies, my desires or to fulfill my own wants, as opposed to hungering and thirsting for righteousness?
• Have I presumed the worst of people, accused them (whether true or not), questioned the character of others or in some way impugned them, publicly or privately, when I know I am supposed to be merciful?
• Have I just reasoned through broad presumptions, given God only cursory consideration, or thought through some basic Christian principles and developed my own conclusions about life, rather than seeking to purify my heart through an honest and thorough study of the scriptures?
• Have I promoted reveling, do I go on a rampage, develop negative testimonies, hurt people with my words, actions or behaviors, or am I a peacemaker?
• Have I suffered persecution, been derided, received ridicule or been belittled for my faith in Christ, or am I accepted by everyone around me as just another “good” person? Do I present a light in the sea of darkness, or am I gray and indistinguishable?

If we still do the negative things, we are growing rotten fruit, the fruit of the world. We have a Savior to help us change these behaviors.  God loves us. The question is, are you letting Christ influence you or the world and the things they accept? I pray you all realize that good fruit exhibits the positive side of these questions, meaning:

• A poor spirit recognizes its lost and bankrupt position.
• Kingdom saints mourn because of personal sins, and the sins of man.
• The meekness never self-promotes or considers one’s self more important than another.
• There is a hunger and thirst for righteousness that is quenched only with a consistent feeding and drinking of the pure word of God.
• Christians have a mercy that never thinks evil of another, but always attempts to forgive others while facing the truth.
• The pure of heart studies the scriptures and shuns wickedness, sin, evil or worldliness.
• The Kingdom saint makes peace among fellow man regardless of raised emotions or passions of anger.
• Ultimately, we suffer persecution in whatever form because we are distinguishable as Christians.

In Matthew 7 verses 21 through 23 we find a text that should shock you out of your seats. This verse should force you to look at your flavor of Christianity and see if it really does fit the truth. Can you really be who you think you can be, do the things you think you can do, and act the way you want to act, and still be a Christian?

This is a set of verses, and there are others in scripture that should cause us to think, “Am I really saved?” Some think that it is horrid for a preacher to challenge the heart conviction or question the salvation of those who claim Christ. They think someone who would make you question your salvation has to be a horrible person. The very fact that they will not withstand a challenge means they are hiding something in their hearts that they are concerned may not be correct, doctrinal or that they know is outright sin that they want to continue to perpetrate. People closed to challenge or debate or that try to quiet any dissention are afraid. They are afraid they may be found out, that they may have to change, that they may have made a mistake, that they appear weak or any number of other foolish reasons.

It is specifically my God given position to challenge your heart, your soul, your very being to look at your true position before God and determine if you are living in truth or in a lie. Many can rightly and properly say, “I’ve got some growing to do.” Others may very well have to say, “I don’t know if I am destined for eternity.” Many live a lie. They claim Christ every day but will only go as far as they want in His kingdom. Those are all lost.

In his own testimony, W.P. MacKay tells of his mother’s godliness, prayer life, and witnessing the Savior to him on many occasions. “The older I grew, the more wicked I became” are his words. MacKay was a drunkard, and had a lifestyle that truly saddened his mother. Being a young and impetuous young man, MacKay left home at 17 to pursue better things in life. His mother’s devotion to God, and faith that a son brought up in His fear and admonition would eventually return to Him, held strong. She gave W.P. a Bible with his name and an encouraging scripture written in it as a farewell present as he left for college. Some time later, much like the prodigal son’s activities and antics when he left home, MacKay found himself so low at one point that he pawned off the Bible for whiskey money.

After MacKay had completed college and earned a doctorate in medicine, though still wallowing in sin, he was employed at the City Hospital. A seriously injured man was brought into the hospital and MacKay thought recovery was hopeless. Still the man was completely cognizant of his condition and surroundings. He asked Dr. MacKay what the prognosis was, to which the doctor replied honestly. Then Dr. MacKay asked who should be notified. The dying man requested his landlady to pay her what he owed, and that she send him, “The Book….” This was a pressing issue for the man. This book was vital to his comfort. Dr. MacKay’s own words are:

“What struck me most was the quiet, almost happy expression constantly on his face…After the man died, some things about his affairs were to be done in my presence.” A nurse picked up a text and asked what need be done with it. Dr. MacKay asked what kind of book it was, it was a bible. The nurse further told Dr. MacKay that as long “as the man was able to read the Bible, he did so, and when he was unable to do so anymore, he kept it under his bed cover.”

When Dr. MacKay took the Bible from her, he could not believe what he saw – it was the very Bible he had pawned so many years ago. Later in his office he pondered his mother’s hand-written inscription:

“With a deep sense of shame I looked upon the precious Book. It had given comfort and refreshing to the unfortunate man in his last hours. It had been a guide to him to eternal life, so that he had been enabled to die in peace and happiness. And this book, the last gift to me from my mother, I had actually sold for a ridiculous price…”

This event led to MacKay’s conversion to Christ. There are a great many things that Dr. MacKay did not expect on that day. Dr. MacKay did not expect that God was so tenacious. He did not know God. Dr. MacKay thought he set the path in his life all by himself and did not expect anyone except himself to intervene.

God knew Dr. MacKay as He knows all of His children. Dr. MacKay left medicine and went into ministry. He is responsible for a number of things including a hymn we sang today, “Revive Us Again” by William Paton MacKay. God knew all of this; Dr. MacKay had no idea.

Many of us think we are “doing just fine.” In the illustration of Dr. W.P. MacKay, he thought his life in the world was going swimmingly until the Lord again interceded to show him who was truly in control. We should look at opportunities to change our will to conform to the Lord’s will early in life because if we do not, there may be a very disappointing response in the spiritual world when we say to Jesus, “Here I am Lord.” Is His response to you going to be one of familiarity or not? We will consider two opposing wills, a defense we might try, and the actual requirements, as well as an expectation we have and the reality of God’s kingdom. First, God’s will and our will.

I. Your will versus His will (Verse 21)

I believe our first consideration in these verses is the will of our Father who is in Heaven. This desire, to do the will of our heavenly Father, was so ingrained into and a part of the fabric of the Savior that knowing the horrific pain, suffering and utter physical destruction and demoralization of His crucifixion to come, Jesus still said, “nevertheless not as I will, by as thou wilt” (Matt 26:39). This is the Messiah. This is the Christ. This is God incarnate. This man knew what crucifixion was before it was invented. This man knew how wicked man was, and especially how utterly painful and destructive crucifixion was.

Jesus of Nazareth knew when He said,

“Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall raise again.” (Matt 20:18)

Yet, in that garden of Gethsemane He said, “O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.” Many miss the full significance of this statement. Jesus was not only assenting to the physical pain, suffering and humiliation. This is the record of the perfect and sinless God in the flesh assenting to having the sins of the entire world placed upon Him from past, present and future. This was God who 30 short years earlier had been in Heaven, a place of perfect sinlessness and light, but is now manifested in the flesh in a place of pure sin and darkness. This is God, who had spent thousands of years in our time, (and eternity past by His reckoning), in pure bliss without any sin or pain or death or destruction – only to come here and suffer all the pains of man. This is God who would submit Himself to wicked, miserable, blighted, disease ridden, reprehensible, sinful, scandalous Gentiles. Ultimately His devotion and love for us forces Him to separate Himself from Himself, tearing His entire being in two in order to save the souls of every single deplorable human being on the planet, for all time past, in the present and all those in the future. This includes those who have been hunting Him, hounding Him, falsely accusing Him, threatening His life, ridiculing Him and in all ways labeling Him a sinner, deceiver and rebel. But He knew no sin. That is selfless agape love. That is our Savior.

Some people think, “Yea, well, that was Jesus. He is the Messiah. He is more dedicated to doing God’s will than we can ever be.” This is a brush off and an excuse not to try. It is literally a cop out. No Christian who knows who they are and who Christ is and what Christ did for their eternal salvation could ever say this without feeling great pain in their soul because they know they do not measure up. If there is no pain after a comment such as this, there is no life in the soul of the individual uttering such wickedness. The fact is, Jesus also said, “For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.” (Mk 3:35)

Ladies and gentlemen, Jesus did not do our Father’s will so you could lean on His example. Jesus did not do our Father in Heaven’s will to show you what you should do too. Jesus did our Father’s will so that He would remain sinless and you can go to Heaven. Jesus did the Father’s will because it was the right thing to do all the time whether it pained Him or not. Jesus prayed to the Father, witnessed about His Kingdom and went to the synagogue every day He was supposed to in order to remain sinless, to refrain from sin, to eliminate any question of sinfulness. Jesus spent every moment contemplating and implementing the Father’s will and denying His own will in order to remain sinless. In other words, it is sinful to do anything that is not the will of the Father. To say it another way, it is sinful to do our will and not the will of the Father. “To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (Jas 4:17).

It is your responsibility then to always seek what the Father would want you to do. It is our own stubborn will and pride that tries to deny God’s great righteousness, purity and love in order to do our own will in our lives. You find the will of God in the scriptures as He uses them to instruct your heart on His will. Many today concentrate on just what Jesus says we should do. If you do read what Jesus says to do, you had better read all the scriptures, understand all of them, implement all of them, and pour all of them into that understanding. Jesus in Matthew 21:42; 22:29; 26:54, 56 and especially in passages such as Mark 12:24 tells us we must know all the scriptures. Ladies and gentlemen, Jesus Himself used direct quotes from Deuteronomy to defeat all of Satan’s temptations.

What should you do to know God’s will? Study the scriptures, pray and seek counsel from godly folks. If you do not, you operate only on your own will, seeking your own desire, which is sin. If you suppose you know what scripture says and do not directly seek what is really in them, you are not being honest. You cop out of doing God’s will. “We are not really expected to study and know the scriptures personally, are we?” Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you are if you are a Christian bent upon doing the Father’s will. You cannot trivialize it. You cannot lie about it. You must, by all means actually study the word of God for yourself. Anything else is your will, not the Father’s. Anything else is therefore sin.

What will you try to tell Jesus when you see Him then? Since most of us know we are not gifted with removing demons and few really want to get up and preach or try to prophesy, then we will probably just look at common characteristics of the well behaved person. What story will you tell Jesus when you see Him? How will you try to justify yourself? What do you think His response is going to be?

II. Your Defense versus His Requirement (Verse 22)

When you get to the narrow gate, why even open your mouth? This is where I will fail I think. One of the hardest things I have to deal with, which I drag with me from my long list of sins in the world until my salvation in my mid thirties, is self-defense. This passage tells us that this is about the worst thing you can do. All I really want to say when I get to that narrow gate is, “I am only here because of the blood shed by the Son of God for me.” What will come out of my mouth I do not know, but I do try to rehearse this. What will many people do when they are faced with the Lord at that gate? There are no pearly covered handles. St. Peter will not be there to simply extend his hand and welcome you in. It will be Jesus you will say, “Lord, Lord” to. I think many people will go into defense mode and begin stammering:

“I think those things were within your will. I think I operated like a repentant Christian. I worked at a church. I did church things. I went to church. I was content, so I thought you approved. I was happy so I thought it was right. I had “peace” so I thought you were happy with me. I even had what I thought were good fruits in my life. You said fruits of the spirit were joy, peace, longsuffering, love, gentleness – and I exhibited all those things. I was a good person and was happy and not mean… well, not very much anyway. Look at all the nice things I did, the good attitude I had, the way I humbled myself to counsel. When I did those things I talked about Christianity all the time.”

In this list of fruits, the individual normally leaves out faith and temperance. It is almost as though you try to defend your type of Christianity. You think your brand is relevant to Jesus standing before you. Your beliefs in Christianity are what are important after all, and you need Jesus to believe that you really believed in them. It does not really matter to you what Christianity really is. What matters to you is what you think it is, what you want to make of it and, above all, at this narrow gate that Jesus understands what you believe.

When you get to the narrow gate, you will immediately understand that you were so wrong. The indication in scripture here is that you sense that as you approach. This inner disquiet is why people are attempting to defend themselves. Look at the statements of the great works they have done. Jesus does not call them liars. “Have we not prophesied in thy name?” There is no response to that either way, but the sense is that it goes unanswered as a truism. “And in thy name have cast out devils?” Again, this phrase seems to go unanswered – unchallenged – therefore lending credibility to it. “And in thy name done many wonderful works?” Again, apparently this is true, due to the silence. The entire discourse begins with “Lord, Lord.” This is a clear affirmation of subservience and recognition of the Master.

These people are trying to argue their way into the narrow gate. Many people today have the gift of gab. They can talk their way into or out of anything. They can come up with a pithy comment or just the right statement to sway opinion every time. This is the picture here. Unfortunately, this is not the place to discuss works. It is a place where your admittance should already have been decided. Admittance is solely through the singular acceptance of Christ’s atonement. The judgment comes later after one has already entered the gate. These folks know there is something wrong, but they expect to be heard for all they have done. They show their ignorance of God’s precepts and His statutes in the scriptures right here at the narrow gate. You enter not by works, lest any man should boast – which is what they are doing.

Nevertheless, do you really believe? That is the question. All this other stuff is simply morality. Morality is rejected at the narrow gate. Ignorance is rejected at the narrow gate. Self-defense is rejected at the narrow gate. Religiosity is rejected at the narrow gate. All works are rejected at the narrow gate.

How are you received at the narrow gate? 1 John 2:23b says, “he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.” You are accepted and received through the narrow gate by acknowledging the Son as the Savior of man, believing on Him in His full glory as God and His finished work on the cross for your atonement. That is how you get through the gate. No other way is acceptable. No work gets you in. No other profession of faith in anything except Jesus and His atonement gains you entrance through the narrow gate. No Joseph Smith, no Muhammad, no Allah, no Buddha, no tree god, no god of the bull or bug or any such foolishness will pass. Nothing is acceptable except Jesus, the Son of God as God.

What many people do is listen to others who do not even look at the Bible to learn about what the Bible says. They think other people are smarter than they are because they sound smarter. I know people who say they have read the Bible and know a lot about it; but when you ask them about specifics, they are lost or they quote things completely out of context. What is your expectation then? What do you expect Jesus to say to you at the narrow gate?

III. Your expectation versus His reality (Verse 23)

Normally, we build expectations based upon our personal desires. When we become emotionally attached to someone we begin to expect they may do things for us because we are emotionally attached. Often it does not matter if they have communicated any attachment, the fact is we presume devotion because we have it, not because it was discussed, understood and actually concurred with or sanctioned.

This same kind of transference seems to develop in Christianity. There is a little different twist though. People know (and this becomes a major rub for some) that to be Christian, one much change. They know that Christians are different, act different, do different things and overall are very different people than the rest of the world. We often quibble about how far we are willing to go to change. Those quarrels become the theological challenges that have been argued for centuries – millennia, really. Regardless, there is an expectation to change.

What we must truly face is what change will get you through the narrow gate and what really is on the narrow path that leads to it. How much do you change? As much as Christ would have you, but certainly nothing of the world should invade your life (Jas 4:4; Ps 17:14). Our expectation is that because we live here, we have to accept some of what is here. What we do not realize is any compromise with the world means one less thing you change for Christ. This is where we fall off of the narrow path. If we live in and of the world, we are an enemy of God (1 Jn 4:5-6–sermon here). Christians cannot believe what the world says, and still believe what the Bible says. Our expectation then should be that we become wholly different from the world in life, in doctrine and in action.

Because we associate with Christian things, because we associate with Christian people,- because we live in a Christian atmosphere, because we want to be a Christian, because we say we are Christian, because we speak Christian (whatever that is) and because we do Christian things, then we expect Jesus will treat us as a Christian once we reach the narrow gate. This is revealed in polls or surveys that report 75-85% of the United States claims Christianity. The truth is that Jesus’ expectation is by far different. None of the things we expect, we do or we rationalize in our faith has one viable quality in it. The only person who can expect to get through the narrow gate is one who believes and trusts wholly and completely in Christ for their salvation. To all of these individuals dabbling in the world, looking at the world for guidance and not Christ alone, seeking the things of the world to please them and not purifying themselves for Christ – they will all hear what they do not expect: “I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

What the true Christian – or in the case of the Sermon on the Mount, the Kingdom saint – should be able to say when we reach the narrow gate is:

“I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior, and only by my belief in Him am I permitted entrance.”

There are many more expectations the Christian can have at the gate, such as expecting to see Christ at the judgment seat when their works will be judged, because they have accepted the loving, blood atonement of the Son of God for their souls. There are a great many ways to word this, but none of them has anything to do with a testimony mingled with worldliness or worldly precepts/morals or operations. Only the pure blood shed on the cross at Calvary pays our entrance price.

Does Jesus know you as a Kingdom saint, as one of His children? Do you really think Jesus will affirm your emotions about your relationship with Him? Is His relationship with you an, “If it feels good, I’ll do it” kind of cop out?

This passage has nothing to do with the physical, but again with the spiritual. We are talking about the difference between a Kingdom saint’s soul and the dead soul of the unbeliever. We are not discussing what people do in Christ. We are talking about your will versus the will of God. We are talking about what you think the story is, versus what the truth of God represents in scripture. We are talking about your expectations, tainted by the world’s sin, as compared to God’s expectations which are perfectly sinless.

Do you blaspheme God by saying you think He would support something in your life that you know is evil or have not truly found scripture to support? To attempt to justify an activity you desire to perpetrate in your life by feeling good about it is blasphemy because your feelings, your heart and your soul are tainted by sin and naturally opposed to purity. We need to first seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness in the scriptures which were given to us to reveal Him to us. Then you will enter into the straight way (Matt 6:33). The only assurance that He knows you lies in what you have done with His salvation. Are you really saved, or are you just making arguments for your salvation?

[This sermon is one of a series entitled "Sermon on the Mount, Concentrating on the Beatitudes," which is being preached on Sunday mornings by Pastor Tim Senter.  You may access previous messages from this chapter, which may be referenced in this message by clicking here.]

At first glance this section of the scriptures (vv15-23) seems to have either a few different divisions, or is one solid paragraph. If we take the entire sermon into our perspective, we get a far better picture. We must keep forefront in our minds that this sermon primarily describes Kingdom saints. From the Beatitudes, to loving our enemies, through how we pray and on to even other more individual worship such as fasting, Kingdom saints do not just portray themselves as living spiritual, they actually do live life spiritually. Jesus turns to a discussion about false prophets – a warning if you will. He wants us to become Kingdom saints but He is fully aware that there are wicked ones out there who desire to pull believers away from the Kingdom through deception. Satan is more active in the world today even than he was then. Make no mistake, Jesus knows this.

This wickedness, the propensity for man to deceive, is driven by his desire to be accepted (part of both Eve first, then Adam’s sin) or to dominate. This desire to be in the crowd coupled with a belief that if you can reason through something, it is acceptable is part of what we discuss today. This has been much of the discussion of our Lord since Matthew 6:25 – that we sin almost inadvertently and these sins are at times indicators that we simply do not know the Savior as we claim to know Him. We must be weary of our own hearts even more so than we should point to others (judgmentalism and beam/mote again). In fact, we must be wary of our own hearts when we find ourselves considering others’.

In that light, any negative descriptions in the scripture would imply those not worthy of entry into God’s kingdom. Yes, the words “worthy of entry” are purposeful although they may be painful to some. The truth is that no one who denies the Son is worthy of entry into the kingdom. This means denial in any form. The form of denial we most concern ourselves with today is that the Lord is necessary for our salvation because we are wicked. We are pointed to His sufficiency. The true Christian knows their true and complete capability for wickedness. They will honestly admit the things they have contemplated understanding that this contemplation made them capable of that sin. Therefore, the saved soul is fully aware of their personal capability to sin and the absolute need for a Savior. This base truth will show itself in the true testimonies of the true Christian in life – meekness and humility.

Matthew 7:17 through verse 20 is our section of text today. We must consider good and bad fruits in Christendom. If we were to look at ourselves objectively and through the prism of Christ, could we honestly say we exhibit the fruit of the Spirit? Do you exhibit them sometimes? Do you exhibit only a couple of them occasionally? How often and by what standard do we measure our Christian fruit individually? Have you ever considered looking at yourself and asking honestly, whether or not you actually exhibit Christian fruit and what that may look like? This is where we are today.

In 2 Chronicles 17-19 we read of Jehoshaphat and his reign as king over Judah. He reigned toward the end of Ahab’s rule over Jerusalem. This is why in 17:2 we read about Jehoshaphat strengthening himself against Israel. Jehoshaphat strengthened the people of Judah against the evil of Israel perpetrated by Ahab. He knew Ahab was evil and was leading the people into wickedness. With very little exception, Jehoshaphat was a spotless leader of Judah. The scriptures say the Lord was with him because he walked with David his father in earlier days (17:3). He did not seek the Baals or false gods, but sought instead the God of David. Scripture says that Jehoshaphat walked according to the commandments of God. He was courageous, and he was victorious for God (vv4-6). He assigned men to the work of the Word of God sending them about all of Judah with the word of the Law and teaching God’s precepts throughout the kingdom. Jehoshaphat was a great king for Judah. However, he made some very serious mistakes. It is not Jehoshaphat that is a corrupt tree or one that is false, but the things he entangles himself in are such.

In chapter 18, Jehoshaphat makes an alliance with Ahab to go against the Syrians at Ramoth-gilead. Though this is an effort to protect the kingdom of Judah and you might think the alliance is with other chosen ones of God (Israelites), the alliance with a blatantly evil king is one the Lord does not care for. In 19:2 we read where the prophet Jehu admonishes Jehoshaphat when he asks if it is right to help the wicked and love those who hate the Lord. Ahab was a wicked king who did more evil in the sight of the Lord than any one who had ruled before him (1 Kgs 16:30-31). He worshipped Baal and all of that false god’s wickedness.

Jehu simply asked, how can a bad tree, Ahab, deliver good fruit? He cannot. Therefore, Jehoshaphat is admonished against making alliances with such individuals. Jehoshaphat represented a good tree who was bearing good fruit as his people increased in their knowledge and understanding of the Lord and their reverence for God grew as well (2 Chron 17:9-10). Jehoshaphat heard from God that his good tree would bear good fruit, but the diseased tree of Ahab would bear only diseased fruit. Ahab’s fruits were altars to Baal. Ahab was cut down in the battle and thrown into the fires of hell.

Just as it was in the time of Jehoshaphat and Ahab, there are good and bad leaders today. We see this most glaringly in our governmental systems around the globe. We could talk about totalitarian leaders in Africa, the Middle East or China. We could open a discussion about the War-Lords in the Asian continent and their predominance in Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. We could walk around the globe today and see the fruits of these horrid trees of Islam. But is that what Jesus is talking about when He talks of the trees in verse 17?

I. Good trees and bad trees (Verse 17)

Every good tree bears good fruit. The word we see translated as “even so” ties these comments to those immediately preceding. The comments in verses 17-23 are identified with false prophets who are ravenous wolves. The good trees want to feed and nourish the people. The ravenous wolves want to devour them in any form they can. The ravenous wolves are out to survive regardless. They live in the world. They love the things of the world. They always focus on worldly things and not on eternal things.

We can pick some good examples of good trees. We look at the lives devoted to Christ who has produced many great Christian men devoted to God such as Moody, Roberson, Bob Jones I, II and III, D. Martin Lloyd-Jones, Spurgeon and many others. The list is large. These men devoted their lives to serving in their God-given capacities. Some established whole movements, some founded great colleges, some preached revival, some “only” evangelized the lost. Their fruits are evident in the many who still read their messages, seek their materials and revere their work. Most of all their testimony is one of humility and submission to God. God used them mightily in ministry and although I was not able to study all of them, many of their families continued serving Christ. These men represent trees with great evidence of solid, mature fruit.

The corrupt trees however normally bear evil fruit. The problem is that these leaders or trees and this fruit, or the results and encouragements of their leadership, can only have a subtle bitterness about them. The most blatant example today that we see of religious corruption and evil in operation is in Islam. However, they are not all this plainly wicked, killing and murdering wantonly. They are not all Jim Jones, or David Koresh types either.

We can take for instance blogs or Internet web sites where individuals pose questions or statements for the purpose of eliciting responses. This sermon is posed in just such a format. Many can be constructive and are informative, thought provoking and very enjoyable. There are individuals though who can put a bitter taste in your mouth. Once you see comments by them, you know they are going to be judgmental, unfair and wholly outside the actual subject but pointed at a critique of the author, normally questioning motive, rather than that of the subject. They address the subjects, but they analyze the writer, not the subject itself. They present a subtle poison that simply hints at the possibility that the author has some other agenda than it appears. Whether true or not, these individuals clearly represent diseased trees that produce bitter or rotten fruit. Because of these individuals and their inability to open their hearts to scripture, I have great difficulty entering into the blogosphere where any critique may ensue that would initiate vitriol.

I pray you realize that people can be kind, meek, caring and all together normally and naturally civil and humble in their activity, but also simultaneously as lost as the day is long. There are people out there who live life in a fashion in which the Christian should live. They put Christians to shame at times in their ethics and desire to humble themselves in an effort to promote the betterment of mankind as a whole. The thorns and thistles of verse 16 are those very types of things that catch the Christian – morality. Yet, they are as lost and going to Hell as the heathen you find drunk in the gutter or selling drugs to teens. Christians should know that it is not being moral or ethical that makes you a Christian. As we said last week, it should be Christ who makes you moral and ethical. Being societally acceptable does not get you into Heaven. Only your acceptance of the blood of Christ for the atonement of your sin gets you into Heaven.

The good fruit of the saved Christian life comes from a tree that is in itself inherently good, Christ the Son of God. There is one tree that bears only good fruit – that is God Himself, in the form of the trinity (meaning the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit). This tree has a trunk whose circumference can embrace all of Christendom. The fruit it bears is always good, healthy and flavorful. You can be part of this growing, good tree if you first give your whole heart, mind, soul and strength to Christ. As you shed more of the world, you become more of the good tree and bear more fruit thereon. What do you do? Accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and begin to bear good fruit for God.

What good fruit is there, and what bad fruit comes from bad trees? What are some examples of these bad fruits and good fruits?

II. Good fruit and bad fruit (Verse 18-19)

Good trees bear good fruit, it is true. You would not walk up to a tree with odiferous, rotten fruit that is oozing juices and say, “Wow, I want a bite of that!” Quite obviously, the tree must be diseased. I am no horticulturist or arborist and do not know if there is a disease that can cause a tree to bear rotten fruit, but that is what is being discussed. I believe most trees that are diseased just do not produce fruit. If they do produce anything, it is usually deformed, but not rotted. The fruit is not succulent or juicy at all. Many times the fruit will not ripen.

The false prophets Jesus is discussing are the Pharisees present with Him at the time of this sermon. Be assured, they knew they were a subject of Jesus’ teaching. The Pharisees, as we identified previously, pray wrong, fast wrong, keep to many extra rules, are judgmental and overall they are quite overbearing to the Jew. They are the opposite of what many see as an acceptable religious practice today. They produced bad fruit; they themselves could not keep their own rules (Jn 8:7). Further, instead of serving the people, they lorded over them, took from them and demanded a spiritual perfection from them that they themselves were not willing to attempt. All of this was born from a hateful spirit. They hated the people for their sins, and the Romans for their captivity and carnality. They did not hate the sins of the people and the carnality of the Romans.

Because of their spiritual leadership, the Israeli people served God out of compulsion, fear or just an empty duty. The people were bad fruit themselves because of the poor trees that were the Pharisees. We find this bad fruit listed in Galatians 5:19 and other passages. They are:

“adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like; of the which I tell you before, as I have told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

We find all of these bad fruits in abundance around Israel and Rome then, and around the world (including America) today. Adultery was more a fashion statement than a sin to Rome. It is equally so in the world today – fornication and lasciviousness followed introducing a societally acceptable amount of sexual promiscuity and titillation in our lives. Uncleanness resulted from much of this activity as venereal diseases ran rampant in Rome, and as we suffer from AIDS today. Idolatry was present throughout the Roman Empire with the likes of the goddesses and gods in their mythology. We find this idolatry today in people’s desire to be associated with greatness, seeking their stardom in films or just flocking to those film stars. This was also a cauldron that simmered witchcraft among the varied and widely accepted belief systems present in the empire. For the Pharisees part, we find variance or enmity – we could call it attitude today, or disrespect. There is a lack of reverence for authority of any kind. This produced strife and social pressures among people – division instead of unity. We see our nation currently divided and poised for destruction for these very reasons. Jealousy is a natural fruit of division because there is no contentedness. There are rich and poor and corrupt trees set one against the other to further their own selfishness. Disputes, dissensions and factions also naturally develop from these divisive tactics. To escape all this turmoil because there is no relief, no hope coming from the spiritual leadership, the people would take to other pleasures. Some today do drugs or drink alcohol or overindulge in entertainment. Either way, they all suffered because none were seeking God and His Kingdom but were seeking to free themselves from the bondage of life.

What fruit did our Savior produce? Jesus came talking of a loving God who cared deeply for His people. If they were to turn from the world and their wickedness and accept the redeemer as their forefathers had done, they too could be free and part of a grand kingdom where He was on the throne. What fruits come naturally from the Spirit given wholly to Christ and Him alone? We see Stephen in Acts chapter seven who, even as the stones fell from these very same Pharisees, he looked up at Christ and asked that they be forgiven for what they did (Acts 7:60). We find Paul then on the road to Damascus who is convicted through the event he presided over with Stephen. He is convicted, established many churches and wrote most of the New Testament scripture. In one section he wrote:

“the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,  23 Meekness, temperance:”

Do you see here the fruit of the Spirit, born from the Beatitudes? Meekness is a gentle spirit that seeks to win souls for Christ and cultivate loving relationships with believers. This is the joy of the saved soul to give the love of the Spirit of God living within them to all who might cross their path. Goodness is in the hunger and thirst for righteousness that the believer develops. Again, the love for God and the great joy in the purity of God drive the believer. Purity is again developed through a faith in God to change the believer into an acceptable individual capable of entering Heaven. The redemption of Christ’s atonement is one thing, the continued sanctification of the believing heart is wholly another. Mercy is in the peace and gentleness as well as the temperance of the believer. These fruits drive the merciful spirit to one of understanding and great love for others. Naturally, as temperance and peace develop in the Christian he becomes a peacemaker, one who makes peace and quiets strife, dissention, reveling, hatred and variance. Therefore, when a believer is poor in spirit, when their spirit mourns because of sin, when they are meek, merciful and purified through their ravenous desire for righteousness, these fruits naturally flow and grow from these good trees.

As is normally the case, when we find good fruit it is normally rather obvious. It is not always complete, but it is normally very clear that the Spirit of God is working through an individual in some way as they grow in the fruit of the Spirit. The evil that develops from bad trees is not always so obvious.

First John 4:1-2 (sermon here) tells us to test the spirits to see if they are of the Spirit of God or the spirit of Satan. This test is not just for some apparition we might see, but the actual spirit of man. Is the Spirit of God enlivening the person standing before you? Conversely, is this a dead soul destined for eternal torment? This is the tree that is hewn down and cast into the fire. Does this individual confess Jesus Christ and Him alone for eternal life? Or does he just speak of Christ’s salvation, then ask for more money or ask for no change in your life at all? Either way, we find a bad tree producing bad fruit. Bad trees will normally create either strife or outright sedition. Their poison can creep in subtly – so much so, that they look like Christians, but their testimony says there is something else that is required besides Christ.

Christian, seek to implement the fruit of the Spirit in your life. Growing evidence of these fruits and the things they produce testifies of your salvation, but only when these fruits are directly attributable to Christ. Make Christ your salvation, your life, your all – and the producer of your fruit.

You might ask, How do we determine the difference? How do we know who is who? There are so many “spiritual” leaders out there that we just don’t know who to listen to.

III. Determining the difference (Verse 20)

The ultimate test is found in the first sin – pride. The good, wholesome tree will bear fruit born in true humility. This tree knows where it stands, only by the pure grace of God. This tree stands with God only because of God and their heart is continually tenderized to understand that truth. The good tree bears good fruit because it is fruit not of him and his humanity, but of His Savior and His deity. The good tree is a:

“…man who really believes in the holiness of God, and who knows his own sinfulness and the blackness of his own heart, the man who believes in the judgment of God and the possibility of hell and torment, the man who really believes that he himself is so vile and helpless that nothing but the coming of the Son of God from heaven to earth and His going to the bitter shame and agony and cruelty of the cross could ever save him, and reconcile him to God – this man is going to show all that in his whole personality.”[i]

This Christian lives salvation out in his life every day. This Christian seeks the precepts of God for all things in life, temporal and eternal. The personality of this individual is such that they very much exude the Spirit of God. It is one thing to sense some aura about a person that is almost ethereal or godlike; it is wholly another to experience it and see it active in their life. This, folks, is the test of the true prophet and teacher.

My prayer ladies and gentlemen, is to be this much of a Christian some day. That may not happen until I enter Heaven, but I pray my spirit would exhibit more and more of the fruit of the Spirit every day. I pray that I can be meek, but strong. Hungering and thirsting for righteousness, and developing purity. I pray for my spirit to become merciful and filled with the joy of holiness. I pray God makes me into more of a peacemaker each day. I pray for more faith to encourage goodness and longsuffering. I need much work in all of these areas, as I am sure all true believers would admit they do. I pray, ladies and gentlemen, you are regularly assessing your growth. Are you growing in these areas regularly or are you just plodding along in life? Are your fruits growing? Which fruit is growing, the good ones or the bad ones? Another test of the true prophet and teacher is that they would exhort and encourage you to do the same. Are you encouraging good fruit in others, or are you creating strife, sedition, division and reveling? Are you encouraging good Christian fruit or are you encouraging evil rotten fruit?

Child of God – I beg you to soften the granite that beats in your chest.

[This sermon is one of a series entitled "Sermon on the Mount, Concentrating on the Beatitudes," which is being preached on Sunday mornings by Pastor Tim Senter.  You may access previous messages from this chapter, which may be referenced in this message by clicking here.]

Last week we talked about the great differences between the straight and wide gates, the straight and wide paths. I pray you realized that the wide path is no path at all and the wide gate really has no closure to it. We could almost envision this as a straight, narrow path leading in one direction to a narrow gate amid the throng. The gate the throng will enter is wide and unrestricted; so much so that there appears no gate at all, simply a mass of people flowing toward destruction. This mass fills the areas on both sides of the narrow path and rounds the end of the narrow path at its beginning. The Christian steps on the narrow path at salvation and walks that path through sanctification. Though many begin their walk on the path early in life; there are entry points closer to the narrow gate for those saved later in life.

Another aspect of the path is that individuals who do not belong there can get on the path with true Christians. They ask for help, climb up on the path, then walk along the path but attempt to change everyone and everything around them that is on the path to make themselves feel better about their own sins. Eventually, they either jump back off the path arrogantly thinking they can get on and off anytime they desire, or they continue to disrupt the flow of the path and when they get to the narrow gate, they hear four words: “I never knew you.” In scripture, there are many dynamics to this path but the dynamics that represent this deceptive group are those which we will address today.

Though many would say you are either on the path or not, we must contend that this is not entirely true. As we just noted, you can be on the path but attempting to pull people off of the path into the throng headed for the wide gate. There are also people in the throng reaching out to the people on the path and attempting to grab their feet, trip them up or pull them down off of the path into the throng.

I believe another aspect of the narrow path is that although it is straight, it is not necessarily level. By that I mean there are some things on the path that may correlate to some things that happen in the world. After all, He who created the narrow path also created the world that was ruined by our sin. This means that there are times when the narrow path may rise far above the throng. It also can undulate down to levels almost in tandem with the throng. Morality and business ethics are good examples of this undulation. Christians are called to be moral people and the world has some sense of morality that is celebrated. Make no mistake; there is still clear distinction between the narrow path and the vast area off of the path, even at the points where the two seem to be at the same level. I believe these are points of great danger when we see individuals at almost an equal level with those on the narrow path. We have to wonder…why are they not on the path, if they are so close to it.

This has all been a great exercise in imagery, true. That is the image the Lord Jesus paints for us in this section of scripture. After He tells us there are two different types of people, either believers or unbelievers, and nothing in between; He tells us there are many who will claim faith and never have it. They will attempt to teach their kind of faith, but never really exhibit true faith. There are those on the path who will try to deceive others into thinking they belong there, but they are secretively scheming against those people on the path, the leaders Jesus has placed in their charge and even Jesus Himself. These are wicked people.

Continuing our study in the Sermon on the Mount with a concentration on the Beatitudes, we now come to the sheep’s clothing and the ravening wolves passage found in Matthew 7:15-16. When we begin to look at this scripture we should not strictly focus upon spiritual leaders such as the Pharisees who focused upon strict legalistic, methodical and meticulous even ritualistic religious practices. No, there are many types of wolves out there and most of them are not interested in any self-control or personal accountability (as we noted last week).

We should never permit lower standards in our worship. Christians enter the straight path at different points in their life. If they enter after having lived in the world for some time, they enter carrying many things the world heaps upon them. Though immediate and total life changes happen with some Christians, others take time. Both need the love of Christ from brothers and sisters in Christ to follow the narrow path. True prophets and Christian leaders take their time and lead believers down the narrow path to the narrow gate.

Today we open a discussion that will highlight both of these attitudes but bring to bear ways we can identify the unbelievers amid the many believers. There are challenges with breaking free from obtrusive standards as well as the sins of the world which present a great liberality. Today we look at characteristics of individuals who may appear to be great leaders, yet they show no lasting fruit. Next week we will consider some more specifics associated with this lasting fruit. Today we look at individuals we may see as meek or displaying a quiet strength, yet inside they desire nothing except to devour the believer. Although both of these individuals may appear great and glorious, they do nothing for Christ and will be turned away at the narrow gate. Equally, those who follow them will suffer the same fate. In Walvoord and Zuck’s commentary these individuals are described this way:

“After presenting the true way of access into His anticipated kingdom, Jesus gave a warning about false prophets. He referred to these advocates of the broad way as ferocious wolves who appear harmless as sheep. How can one determine the character of false teachers? He need only look at the fruit they produce. Grapes and figs do not grow on thorn bushes or thistles. Good fruit trees produce good fruit, but bad fruit trees produce bad fruit. In Jesus’ evaluation, the Pharisees were obviously producing bad fruit; the only thing to do with bad trees is to cut them down and destroy them. If they do not fulfill their purpose for existence, they should be removed.”[i]

As Christians, we must be mindful that we follow no man. No one person, no matter how charismatic, no matter how intelligent, no matter how upbeat, no matter how positive or meek they are; no one man is worth sacrificing a relationship with Christ. Many people today flock to churches and places of worship strictly for the glamour of being associated with an individual. Some attend churches because it is the politically proper thing to do. The church may have thousands that attend. The leadership may have a well known name. They may have national influence. Whatever the case may be, this individual is just a person, and the church is just a building. If that person teaches false or misleading doctrine or claims to teach the scriptures but blatantly lives outside of them, he/she is false teacher. We should be clear, according to 1 Timothy 2:12-15, that any woman who claims to be able to stand in the pulpit is a ravenous wolf and a false prophetess. It is not a statement of sexism. It is a statement coincident with scripture that has reasons as stated in scripture. Neither the scriptures, nor the writers of scripture are sexist, it is the way God ordained it. Further according to Leviticus 18:22, 20:13[ii], Romans 1:27 and 1 Corinthians 6:9, homosexuality is an abomination, it is detestable, it is unnatural, and a form of self-abuse. Any minister who drinks wine or any alcoholic beverage is living and enjoying a sin that scripture says clouds their judgment (Is 28:7). These individuals openly live in sin actually display a hate for God and His precepts regardless of what they may say with their mouths. They are false teachers and ravenous wolves that, if they will twist scripture to fit their own desires in one way, will easily do so in another.

We all have our sins. However, false teachers do not claim the sins, or they simply ignore the doctrine that they violate. We must be wary of those who claim to be teachers of the word of God who have no intention of actually following the precepts therein.

I. Beware False Prophets (Verse 15)

Illiberality, bigotry or discrimination are ways Christians might be described by the world. “Christians are beholden and dedicated to their own,” others in the throng might say. Of course, these adjectives and the comments that include them are couched in the most negative way. They simply do not understand that we are only dedicated to one another, we are only dedicated to the scriptures and ultimately Christians are only dedicated to Christian worship and the Christian way of life because we are beholden only to Christ. We simply do not report to people; we report to Christ. We are not beholden to people for our eternal life; we are beholden to Christ who is the giver of life to all who believe.

When Christians are described in such negative connotations as bigots, homophobes and sectarians, those who describe us are acknowledging something. The secularists acknowledge that Christians are separated unto something else, something besides their world, their standards and their desires. When Christian separation is mixed with the love of God, His perfect righteousness, and the things of God such as holiness, purity, mercy, peacemaking and meekness, then we are exhibiting the things of Christ and can be seen as Christians. This is good separation.

However, some Christians mix this separation with negativity, a foreboding spirit, a legalistic attitude or some other type of ‘holier than thou’ piety that detracts from Christ instead of glorifying Him. Other Christians mix this separation with a some worldliness in order to bring as many in as possible and expose them to some fashion of the gospel, whether biblical or not. These folks feel that a little chicken soup when you are sick is better than nothing. Even if it is served in a bowl full of the sickness that ails the person.

We see false teachers and false prophets as individuals simply there to deceive and misdirect. They tell you things such as, “If you focus upon the church, you’ll be okay;” “If you focus upon the ceremonies, you’ll be okay;” “If you focus upon your sin to eliminate it, you’ll be okay;” “If you live this certain way, you’ll be okay;” “If you have wealth, it confirms you are blessed of God;” “If you feel good about yourself, it confirms you are right with the Spirit of God;” or “Feeling you did or are doing the right thing is confirmation of the Spirit’s[iii] approval.” The problem with all or any of these statements was the same then as it is now – none of them show any love for God. Moreover, the people who tell you these things do not love Him nor do they love you. They are interested in increasing their influence, not praising God. These individuals sell many books, but teach soft feel-good doctrines of milk. Christians need the protein in meaty doctrine to grow strong.

In the time of Christ, the Psalms existed and were taught. We have, again, only to point to Psalm 51 to tell the Pharisee that they need to love God and worship with a broken and contrite heart. Genesis existed and Pharisees studied these scriptures. Pharisees knew that Abel’s sacrifice was accepted but Cain ‘s was not. The difference? Pharisees knew Abel’s sacrifice was proper and appropriate and followed God’s rules and was born from his love for God. They also knew Cain’s sacrifice on the other hand was not given of a true and contrite heart but out of wickedness within him (1 Jn 3:12). The Old Testament scripture is replete with testimony after testimony, example after example, that you are to first love God and do all things out of a love for Him. What the Pharisees taught was that we do things to love Him, or worse yet, so that God would love us. Those who teach what the Pharisees taught are false teachers. Instituting rituals or extra rules in your life to implement God’s principles and standards is one thing. Instituting these rituals and rules and claiming everyone else must – or that they lead to salvation or a better life with God is Pharasitical; it does not honor God because it detracts from His glory, Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for all.

Another form of false teacher we find in Exodus 32, Leviticus 10 and 1 Kings 12 and 13 where Aaron and Jeroboam made worship a convenience, a pleasure and entertainment. Both of these instances reject the instruction from godly leadership and seek only that which pleases themselves. These instances highlight the rebellious nature of the human spirit that says they will worship how they desire and for their pleasure and not focus upon God’s prerequisites.

In Exodus 32 the people of Israel begged to worship something, and their desires were fulfilled. Instead of pointing them to the one true God, they worshipped another image. We see this today in the need of some to have a statue before them as they pray, or some icon around them such as a piece of bone claimed to be of an Apostle. We find this in the many crosses or rosary beads held while praying and the wide variety of images and pleasantry. In Exodus 32 we also find sinful pleasures plaguing the people of Israel as they begin to dance, drink make merry and commit fornication. All of these things spring from the wickedness within us which is natural and abiding.

In our modern world, these forms take shape in different ways: ornately decorated chapels with statues people can look at or pray to, or skits that supposedly teach scriptural truths every Sunday as part of a worship service. Cantatas are one thing (a skit involving a scriptural truth on a special occasion); but a skit every week for entertainment is not found in scripture. Worldly music that gets young people moving and moves their spirits to dance is equally false worship put on by false teachers. Feel good worship focused upon stimulating the emotions and positive sentiments of the audience is feel good, self-esteem worship that is alien to true godly worship. These are all modern forms of the molten calf in Exodus 32.

In all these forms of what man calls worship, he attempts to guide man to worship with man. This ‘entertainment church’ simply garners social gatherings. They are the manifestation of man’s propensity to draw more power unto himself. It is people with people doing people things – nothing more. In Exodus 32, Aaron listened to the consensus of the people (did a poll or conducted a survey you might say) and found that everyone was tired of waiting for Moses. They wanted something else. The leadership (Aaron) determined that they could provide what the people wanted, so they threw a party, put on a show with the molten calf, stoked up the grill and away things went. They dug out the wine, put on some burgers and began partying away. No one had to drive so there were no designated sober persons. The leaders should have directed them to suck it up and wait. What they offered was soft or no spiritual food. You could strongly argue they offered poisonous portions. They were ravenous wolves even if they appeared to be nice.

Some “worship centers” have become nothing more than a social gathering for the weekly show. The difference between some popular worship today and what used to be the theater is that instead of the audience having to figure out the statement the playwright is trying to make, today an individual stands up at the end of the performance and tells the audience what they were trying to say. Neither event – the play nor the narration – promotes a better spiritual relationship with God.

These forms of worship also exemplify the Leviticus passage with Nadab and Abihu. They were authorized priests. They determined to add something they thought was nice to the worship ceremony because they liked it. They probably even thought the Lord would like it. If they liked it, if the Lord might like it, then the people would be blessed. Unfortunately, it was not proper or what the Lord called for. God incinerated them for their impertinence.

God desires worship as He has told us to worship in the scripture and it does not involve regular dancing or some great emotional charge. Those events are special and normally associated with a miraculous event. Ezra and Nehemiah tell us what normal worship looks like. Nehemiah brought the people together and Ezra “prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.” In Nehemiah 8 we read:

“And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel. 2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. 4 And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose;… 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: 6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground. 7 Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place. 8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. 9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.” (Neh 8:1-9)

Ladies and gentlemen, this is proper worship with a broken, contrite heart. Before this event, Israel went through a great cleansing where the entire nation wept and purified themselves, separating unbelievers from among them (Ezra 10). They all wept during the cleansing, not because of those they had to separate from, but because of their disappointing performance and lack of faith for God. They all wept in Nehemiah because they knew and understood the law and how they had failed God so terribly.

Ladies and gentlemen, I submit to you that if the preaching of the word of God from a pulpit smites you and you rebel, you are not here to worship. You, instead, seek to have your ears tickled (1 Tim 4:3-4). If you go to church and the words from the pulpit go into one ear and out another, your soul is as granite and without the softening touch of Christ. You are unsaved.

If, on the other hand, exposition of the word smites you, you seek to meet it, and your heart is pricked to change, you are here to bend your heart and worship. Praise God if your hearts weep when you hear the precepts of the Word of God read from the book, given the sense that is applicable, and having caused you to understand them. That is a testimony to God existing within your heart, the Holy Spirit working in your soul and Jesus the Son working within you.

Many might think, “But listening to someone rail about God for 30 to 45 minutes every Sunday – is that really worship? I mean, is that all God wants us to do to worship Him? It kind of sounds as though God has set up preachers among people to bolster men in some way. And a preacher saying, ’Listen to me and what I say,’ sounds rather arrogant as well.” How do we identify these false prophets and their doctrines?

II. Identify False Prophets (Verse 16)

Test their character. Men who teach and preach the true precepts of God do so as they themselves change for Him. A perfect example is again in Ezra. In Ezra chapter 10, we find a man who is broken for God and for the people. He prays, he confesses, he weeps, he bows himself down before the house of God (v1). After Ezra does this, many come and they too weep sore before God as they have recognized their sins. They confess their sins and they get right with God, forsaking their wickedness. Folks, the fruits of the efforts of Ezra are people changing and getting right with God. Another fruit is the removal of the wicked from among the congregation. Later in this chapter, we find that those who are to be priests purified themselves and their homes by putting out wives who were not Israelites. It was not against the rules for a priest to be married. However, a priest must marry an Israelite woman. These priests put out those wives they took who were not Israelites, the chosen of God. They purified their homes and their lives (v3). A true man of God will first seek to change himself and his home in accordance with God’s word. Then he will stand before others who sin and tell them that they transgress and that they must change (v10). Changes are drastic in some cases, but changes must be made and a true man of God will direct those who desire God’s will to those changes. Men of God will not shy from this responsibility once the people come to him and want to confront their sin. This is the case here.

True men of God will bear the fruits of God’s labor – changes in the lives of the believer and conviction of the unbeliever to either rebellion or repentance. Those who are convicted and rebel will reject the man of God and depart from the congregation. Those who are convicted to repent seek God, remain in the congregation and give themselves wholly to God and His commands, be it service or simply resources.

Barnes makes some comments in his commentary that are very telling.[iv] First, he identifies with the simple teaching of the passage in that we should not judge a tree or bush simply by the leaves thereon, but by the fruit that it produces. Leaves can be deceiving, but the actual fruit that is developed or grown by the tree leaves no mistaking the type of tree or bush you are dealing with. Equally, you cannot look at the flowers that may bloom from the tree or bush. These may be beautiful, wonderful and gloriously arrayed in color and splendor, but this means nothing concerning the fruit being produced.

For instance, a tree indigenous to Asia has edible fruit, but only if ripe. There are other characteristics about the tree that are interesting though. The sap secreted by this tree is deadly if touched by animals or humans. The poison paralyzes the respiratory system. Natives dipped their blowgun darts in the sap to poison them. Birds have been known to fall dead from the tree as they took nectar from the flowers. This tree looks great and the flowers in bright red, brilliant yellow and deep purple are wonderfully attractive. The fruit, if ripened, may even be eaten and healthy. However what develops underneath all this and especially when the fruit is not properly ripened, is deadly. This is the way many of the worship centers today operate. They look wonderful. Their lawns are manicured. Their structures are elegant. Their entranceways have coffee shops and sell muffins for breakfast, but what is delivered will kill the soul because they do not ripen the fruit.

The fruit of today’s false prophet is empty. People hate change and they especially hate change that may imply they were wrong. They hate this change because of pride. False prophets and teachers do not speak boldly of change, but leave all of it up to the Holy Spirit. There is certainly room for that and I am an advocate of that. However, the pulpit is the place from which change is called for and the true teacher/prophet speaks boldly therein to call others to change and conform to the word of God.

The false prophet influences people to niceties and morality, but there is no soul change that is acceptable as an entrance ticket at the narrow gate. The false prophet produces fruit that is only acceptable at the wide gate – it is widely accepted and considered wise by the world’s standards. Some of these people are on the path with real Christians and even want to stay on the path. Sadly, they believe they belong there. Nevertheless, there is no change in their heart. They are not encouraged to change for Christ because the false prophet produces empty fruit.

False prophets teach weak doctrine and seek what the people would want instead of what the people need. They fear loss of their congregation if they preach the whole truth; therefore they preach only that which they see as acceptable to the masses. False prophets are concerned about gathering many and not teaching the few. False prophets still claim to, but never do, speak for God. They speak for their ministry, they speak for themselves, they speak for and support the latest social movements and psychological studies. All those who come for enjoyment and entertainment, not those looking to change for Christ, hear them.

Green or unsuitable fruit takes another form. When people are discipled, more difficult doctrines are omitted. Disciples are taught feel-good things and not asked to change their lives for Christ. They are not told how to give, how to serve, how to change, what sins they are involved with that must be eliminated from their lives. The false prophet does not guide the disciple in how to change their lifestyles to honor God instead of their personal desires. People should realize they need to give some things up to become Christians. You do need to change.

In the case of Ezra, many put away their wives. This last Wednesday night we talked of Matthew 10:34-35, 19:29 and 20:1-16. In these passages Jesus was not asking that people put away families for a man, He was asking for the same thing that Ezra received from Israel – a commitment to a covenant between God and the believers of God. Every single individual who believes in God and trusts in His Son for salvation is at odds with every single other individual in the world who does not. This includes wives, children, brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers. This was no new commandment given by Christ, but one that had already been done and is documented in scripture. God says, “Separate yourselves” (Ezra 10:11)

How do you tell a false prophet? A false prophet will not get right with God before they tell you to do so. A false prophet will not lead people to righteousness, but will guide them down an easier path that does not involve hungering and thirsting for righteousness, or purity. False prophets determine to give you God’s word in some palatable fashion so you will enjoy the taste of it, instead of stating the bitter truth that we are unworthy of His grace. False prophets in today’s society worship how they want or give the people what they desire from some poll, consensus, focus group or survey. False prophets will not call you to change into His likeness. They may call for submission to the church or submission to a certain man, but never to submission to God and His Son Jesus Christ. The false prophet does not ask you to give up the world, and follow Christ; they ask you to give up your valuables and follow the church or its leadership. The false prophet says you can have all there is in the world, and Christ will accept you as you are. The false prophet says, “Come to church, worship how you want, enjoy the entertainment, be joyous hearing your own music because God is gracious and will accept you as you are.” The false prophet says, “In worship, you can be all you prefer to be.”

I wish it were so, but those who worship God for God and His holiness know it is not easy. Those who know who God really is and understand His perfect righteousness know they do not inherently have it. Those who desire to be like God and change to take on His image from glory to glory all know that we do not match up to that great glory, and for that reason, we need to face the fact of our wretchedness.

True prophets of God seek God, seek His righteousness for themselves and the people. Then, they stand before the people and proclaim the truths of God regardless of the thoughts of those before them. God’s true prophets tell the people how truly wicked, self-centered and self-righteous they are. If the call to change your desire, your mind or your heart falls on deaf ears, or results in a rebellious spirit, take heed – your heart needs much more work than you are willing to admit.

The blessing is to see the true believer change. When you can take the truth of God’s word, seek the truth for your heart, and apply it to your life, you are a child of God. That folks is encouraging. If you can sit before a pulpit that exposits the word of God and calls your heart to be conformed not to the world, but to the perfect holiness and justice of God’s word, you are a child of God.

Child of God – I beg you to soften the granite that beats in your chest. I beg you to seek the Lord here while He may be found. I beg you to throw away all that which you believe you know is right and look at the pure word of God. Seek the changes in your life for Christ and not for your personal desires. In your desires and your personal thoughts lies sin. Turn from it. Turn to God.

[ii] Some would ask about the later part of this scripture that teaches these individuals should be put to death. That severe punishment may seem barbaric but, if homosexuals continue in their sin without repentance, without accepting Jesus Christ, they are already dead to God.

[iii] Use of the capitol in these phrases does indicate the false teacher is teaching the one true Spirit of God’s approval in this context. It does not indicate what they teach is a truth; just that the false teacher implies God the Father in the statement. Many of these teachers do believe in God. However, they do not submit to His Word or His Son (Jas 2:19).

[iv] Albert Barnes’, Notes on the New Testament, Public Domain Derived from an electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library http://www.ccel.org, Formatted and corrected by OakTree Software, Inc. ver 1.0

Ignorance has never buttoned the lips of the foolish; it has always loosened them.

[This sermon is one of a series entitled "Sermon on the Mount, Concentrating on the Beatitudes," which is being preached on Sunday mornings by Pastor Tim Senter.  You may access previous messages from this chapter, which may be referenced in this message by clicking here.]

In opening this message, we should recognize we are moving from one concept in our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount to another. Most commentators agree that the separation at verse 13 represents a shift in proposition. We just finished a section concerning judgmentalism and judgment. There is probably no better summation than the one provided by Lloyd Jones:

“His [Jesus’] object of this sermon, as we have seen, is to bring Christian people to realize first of all their nature, their character as a people, and then to show them how they are to manifest that nature and character in their daily life. Our Lord, the Son of God, has come from heaven to earth in order to found and establish a new kingdom, the kingdom of heaven. He comes into the midst of the kingdoms of this world, and His purpose is to call out a people unto Himself from the world and to form them into a kingdom. Therefore it is essential that He should make it quite plain and clear that this kingdom He has come to establish is entirely different from anything that the world has ever known, that it is to be the kingdom of God, the kingdom of light, the kingdom of heaven. His people must realize that it is something unique and separate; so He gives them a description of it. We have been working through that description. We have looked at His general portrait of the Christian in the Beatitudes. We have listened to Him telling these people that, because they are that kind of person, the world will react to them in a particular way; it will probably dislike them and persecute them. Nevertheless they are not to segregate themselves from the world and become monks or hermits; they are to remain in society as salt and light. They are to keep society from putrefaction and from falling to pieces, and they are to be its light; that light, apart from which the world remains in a state of gross darkness.”[i]

Now our Lord tells us to apply what we have learned. This is not just, “Have you heard me?” It is instead, “Now, get on with the Lord’s business.” We should ask ourselves if we, who call ourselves intellectual, or commonsensical or just plain moral people, supposed to just hear how scripture describes the people in the Kingdom of God? Or are we supposed to act upon what we hear? Are we supposed to do something? Are we just supposed to sit here in the pews and be in church to put our time in? Or are we called to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind”(Rom 12:2)? Our hearts are supposed to exhibit “the fruit of the Spirit [which] is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Gal 5:22). Christians exhibit these things because we are not “conformed to this world,” because “they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Rom 12:2; Gal 5:24). We are Christlike because we are Christians. We are not Christians because we act Christlike.

Matthew 7:13-14 is our focus for today. I am very mindful of the double-mindedness of man as I read this passage. It is one thing to say, “I’ll do it my way” and actually try to do that. It is wholly another to say, “I’ll do it my way….uh what are the rules again?” This second phrase is what man always defaults to. Interesting as it may seem, as we open to this passage we are again reminded that man always has rules to follow, even if he says he does not want to live by the rules. Further, man knows he must abide by the rules to get what he wants. He knows this and believes it is true of everything – except eternal life.

The Sermon on the Mount is not about the details, but about the big picture. Being poor in spirit is not talking about every minute decision and thought you have, it is about the overall attitude toward your spirit. Mourning is not about crying every day for your decrepit soul, or for that of others; it is about a general attitude concerning the lost soul and the salvation it needs. Being meek is not describing specific instances of gentleness, but a heart growing more and more gentle and loving as it grows in the Spirit of God in becoming a Kingdom saint. This same “big picture attitude” is true for hungering and thirsting after righteousness, being pure, being merciful, and being a peacemaker. You must see that these are practical principles and guidelines that mark the changes in the heart of a Kingdom saint – that a Kingdom saint gradually exhibits these things more and more in their lives. These are practical changes that drive new principles in our lives. Principles are the minutia with respect to a livelihood of one who has a poor spirit, is mournful, meek, craves righteousness, seeks to purify the heart and is a peacemaker. Though the legalist of the day would argue the details, the true Kingdom saint just wants to emulate the Beatitudes.

As one commentator recently stated,

“Christ’s words in this sermon are designed to shake a nation, to disrupt established life patterns, to dislodge entrenched ideas, and to force people to choose between two ways of life.”[ii]

Those two ways are either submission to God or rebellion against Him. People live in society by society rules, or they do not live in society. We either submit to the laws of the land (society’s rules) or we are put in jail. We see many people in the world that think they can live life the way they want to. The attitude that “No one is going to tell me what to do” is as childish a statement as the four-year-old saying, “No!” to the parent. In both cases, once we find out there are really rules to follow to get what we desire, we usually submit to those rules. Not so with the things of God.

You would think that people who think they are smart enough to try to control every aspect of their personal destiny would figure this out. If you want groceries, you have to go to the grocery store and purchase them. To get what you want, you have to play by the rules. We do this every day in life. Even the unbeliever exercises this to a greater degree. Most people who want to drive a car to work normally go through all the steps to submit to the laws of the land. They apply for, and pass the tests to get a driver’s license. They purchase or borrow a vehicle. They drive the vehicle on the right side of the road, and obey most, if not all, of the traffic laws. Normally they will use roads, and not just drive helter-skelter over the countryside. You would not get far in a car driving through the desert and scrub brush. It is just better to follow the rules than wreck your car.

Yet, when it comes to eternal things, living in God’s kingdom, living in a world wholly different than this one, living in a world no human can control – only to God Himself does man steadfastly say, “I’ll get to Heaven in whatever fashion I desire.” The simple answer is, “No you won’t.” People are quite foolish in talking about God and the things of God when they do not know the scriptures, His plan for man or His plan for man’s redemption. Ignorance has never buttoned the lips of the foolish; it has always loosened them.

There is only one way to Heaven and it has very specific requirements. There is only one route and it has a very well established path. There is only one form or application, and it must be filled out exactly and to the letter. There is only one gate, and it is narrow.

I. Where is our entrance (Verse 13a)?

Christ is where you find the entrance. Christians enter at the narrow gate. The first word in this verse – “enter” – is an imperative. This command is issued as a directive to the Kingdom saints present before the Lord. Quite simply Jesus tells those who desire to be in Heaven with Him to enter via the narrow gate. “Enter ye in at the strait gate” is probably best translated “Enter by the narrow gate,” for the word translated “straight” more directly means “narrow.” It implies restricted or controlled access.

This passage into Heaven is immediately narrow. We cannot enter like a funnel into a wide area and then be herded into a narrower passage. We live a narrow life focused upon a specific path that leads to a unique and small gate. The path, right now, is narrow. Do not misconstrue the image as a funnel where people are put through turnstiles or something. The way begins narrow. The gate for entrance is narrow. Many are outside the gate trying to get in other ways by jumping over the fence. Many wait in the throng for their turn. Neither of these is acceptable. The gate itself is the entryway. You must get through the gate to enter.

There are problems with the world’s thoughts with respect to the entrance. Many believe that being a moral person in the world is not much different than or is even synonymous with being a Christian. It is all the difference in eternity. Morality does not get you through the gate. There is a qualification for entrance and it is not being a good person, following the golden rule (sermon here) or never breaking a law (which is impossible for any single person to do anyway, and everyone readily admits this fact).

Another aspect of worldly thinking concerning the gate is that Christianity is not a narrow life. The gate does not indicate the narrow and restricted life of the believer. There is no indication in life that it is supremely confined. Many would say the Christian life is full of liberty, living, freedom and excitement. The stronger brother can try different worldly things such as social drinking, listening to wicked music or watching movies with profanity and nakedness in them. The weaker brother cannot watch these things. Rubbish. It is the stronger that rejects these things for Christ. The stronger stays on the narrow path toward the narrow gate to enter therein. Both of these ideas fail to convey the narrow path is a dedication to Christ and to serve Him in all things. It has nothing to do with restricting activity. It is instead a focused dedication to serve God in all capacities.

There is no way to enter the gate except by believing in the gospel which is four fold:

1. Recognize and admit that you are a sinner. Everyone has done one thing in life that broke God’s law. There are two ways that every living individual is permanently disqualified from heaven. First, we are born disqualified; we are born as sin filled creatures. Second, one single sin disqualifies you, any sin. (Ps 51:5; Rom 6:23; Jas 2:10).
2. Because of our sins we are disqualified to enter Heaven. In order to be qualified for entrance into Heaven, an appropriate sacrifice and atonement as well as a satisfaction of God’s wrath (propitiation) must be made for your sins (Heb 9:22). That atonement, the price paid, the satisfaction of God’s wrath came through the redemption provided by Christ because He, as God, submitted to man’s torture on the cross and God’s judgment for our sins placed upon His account (Is 53:5; 1 Pet 2:24).
3. We must believe that, upon submitting to death for our salvation, Christ was buried and three days later arose again, resurrected to live again, no longer slave to the grave, but free of death’s sting (1 Cor 15:4; 1 Pet 1:3-11; 3:18).
4. Christ, transformed into a resurrection body, ascended into Heaven, is now at the right hand of God (Lk 20:35-36; 1 Cor 15:52).

We need to accept Christ as our personal Savior in His full glory. This is the only ticket that admits us into the narrow gate. If we do not accept Christ for who He is, change for what He wants and seek the things of His Kingdom, we show no evidence that we possess an admissions ticket to get through the narrow gate.

Many believe that this view of God is too narrow – that God would never condemn people wholesale just because they made one mistake or they do not know of the redeemer. They would say that this view is too intolerant. That it would be cruel and unfair, according to the world, to deny people entrance just because they do not accept the Redeemer’s atonement. One good thing about this is that God does not report to the world and He is not accountable to the worldly. The worldly try to define a kingdom they have no right to be in, have no real concept of and certainly have no moral justification for their entry.

II. Is there another entrance? (Verse 13b)

No. There is no other entrance into Heaven. Yes, there is another gate – but that is an entrance into eternal torment, to destruction. There are only those two choices, the narrow gate or the wide gate, no others. People are either on the narrow path, or they are not. You will not find in the scriptures any discussion that indicates a place where one works off sins – a gate in-between the wide and the narrow gates. There are two places. One is a place of pure, unmitigated and utterly agonizing torment. The other is a place of wonderful comfort. Further, between them is a gulf that is fixed where none can pass from Abraham and Lazarus to the Rich Man, and none can pass from the Rich Man to Abraham and Lazarus (Lk 16:19-35).

A key word in this part of Matthew 7:13 is the word we find translated “broad.” It indicates a pleasant, agreeable, spacious, broad opening that will permit anyone and anything to pass through. There is no entrance exam. There is no ticket checking. You can do anything you want to walk through this gate. I fashion this gate to be the same lure that Pleasure Island had for Pinocchio and the young boys. It is easy, you can do what you want; but there is a horrid consequence that awaits you.[iii]

We could call the people outside the wide gate “crowd” people. The world is full of the crowd people, blindly headed in one direction. Following the crowd has never been a good concept, and this is the case here. You do not need to go against the flow; the object is to not be in the crowd in the first place. As believers we not only shun the crowd (the people), we shun their attitudes, lifestyles, behaviors, thoughts, and everything about them. The broad gate includes all of these things in the world. It includes tolerance of deviant lifestyles such as homosexuality. The broad gate accepts people who murder the unborn. The broad gate permits people to use illegal drugs under the auspices of medicine. The broad way accepts all religions as equals. The broad way confuses the one true God of Christianity with the false demonic influence of Islam, Buddhism, Atheism and Humanism. The broad way says all Christians honor God in their own way. It says we can develop our own traditions to honor Him. The broad path says we can take the ideas of evolution and mix them with creation, or that we must harmonize the scriptures with science.

The narrow gate on the other hand only admits those who are dedicated to honoring God the way He desires and with what He has prescribed in the scriptures. Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10 learned this lesson when they were consumed by fire. The broad way says we can worship God how we want, including strange fire – or in this day and age, strange music, traditions and weird super-spiritual gifts such as tongues and healings. The narrow gate only admits those who worship Him as He has directed in His word – with the utmost reverence and with nothing oriented toward this world or man’s sensationalism. Everything we do in worship is alien to the world because God is alien to the world. The broad gate leads to destruction.

The crowd goes through the wide gate to destruction because they enjoy what they do. They worship themselves, not God. The narrow gate on the other hand is a unique gate that recognizes those who are different, who worship God as God, who know that their worship is being given to an omnipotent being of unimaginable power. God has set forth His requirements for worship; it is not entertainment. We do not go to church to like what we hear and to enjoy a concert in our favorite music genre and watch a nice theatrical skit. Those who enter the wide gate worship that way and there are many who enter there.

Almost everyone says they want to get into Heaven. Many of them say they hope to get into Heaven; however, only those who have the admission ticket at the narrow gate will enter therein. The admission ticket is a forfeiture of your life for Christ in whatever form or fashion He determines you take. He only asks what He has given of Himself. The admission ticket for the narrow gate is complete dependence upon Christ for life on Earth and life eternal. Admission to the wide gate is simple. Just do nothing; live life in the world for yourself. You can do whatever you feel you desire; just enjoy whatever good or bad the world has to offer. Indiscriminant sex, drug use, Unitarian theology – just experience all the things this world has to offer and you enter the wide gate. You determine what is best, you seek God for nothing or pretend to seek Him. Worship how you want, the way you want whenever you feel you should. Listen to the music you want. Only go to church in places where you hear what you want to hear from the pulpit. None of these things seek God or the path through the narrow gate.

If you consider worship and offering things to the Lord something that you have to enjoy doing, you are sorely mistaken. Your whole life must change. Your whole heart must change. Every desire in you must change. What is in you naturally gets you through the wide gate. The soul changed with the life of Christ and the Spirit of God is your admission ticket through the narrow gate. Accept the simple, free gift of the atonement of Christ and take upon yourself all of His desires. The gift changes you. Leave the crowd at the wide gate; come to the narrow gate where few enter therein.

Jesus certainly wants all of us to enter via the narrow gate. It is His first statement – “Enter through the narrow gate.” Then we find an entire verse on the narrow gate. The greater encouragement for us is to focus on what is needed to enter the narrow gate. How do we go in that way and what is back there?

III. What does the narrow entrance lead to? (Verse 14a)

Life eternal is on the other side of the narrow gate. The narrow gate leads to a life with God instead of a death separated from God. Hearkening back to a discussion on death (sermon here) we recognize that death is a separation. We live every day on Earth in a dead state with respect to God. When we receive Christ as our Savior and the Holy Spirit indwells us, we are enlivened spiritually because God is in us. The narrow gate is the passage from life temporal to life eternal. Those on the narrow path that leads to the narrow gate live spiritually on Earth. Those on the narrow path pass through the narrow gate entering a kingdom that is spiritually alive.

The gate and path are straight and narrow for a number of reasons. First, one on the narrow path, living a life characterized by the Beatitudes, is a very narrowly focused person. They are not intolerant of anything except sin. All the positive attributes listed (poor in spirit, mournful, meek, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart and a peacemaker) are ever growing in the life of the believer. Those behind the gate are others who embody and manifest these attributes. What is behind the gate is a kingdom whose inhabitants personify the Beatitudes and reify their existence.

One challenge the believer has is that they are still on this side of the gate while Christ is implementing the Beatitudes in their lives. We are warned: “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me” (Matt 5:11). The world outside of that narrow gate still has the crowd attempting to mingle there and pull us off the narrow path. They will do anything to deny the requirements for the narrow path and entry to the gate because they do not want to submit. The crowd will also try to convince others that submission is not required. If this does not convince believers, the crowd will vilify them, accuse them, call them intolerant, ostracize or exclude and reject them in any way they can. The crowd will do all it can to convince believers that God does not exist or that “if He is loving, He would not condemn you for this or that little sin.” Satan too will introduce things into this mix that accuse, tempt or otherwise entice you to leave the narrow path. People, things, passions and desires are Satan’s favorite ploys. In Matthew 5:11, Jesus warns of these wide path people who are trying to mingle with those on the narrow path. Those who do not subscribe to the things at the entrance to the narrow gate will not be admitted but turned away with one comment: “I never knew you” (Matt 7:23). These people will not enter into comfort with Abraham, paradise with Jesus or God’s heavenly Kingdom.

Seek Christ where He may be found and you will enter the narrow gate to paradise. Seek the ways and things of God in your life and you will take the narrow path to comfort. Seek Christ to grow the characteristics of a Kingdom saint in you, and you will find yourself admitted into the Kingdom of God. Those are the activities of a believer.

Jesus goes further than to just say there are two gates – one leads to good things, one leads to bad – follow the narrow one, for the wide one leads to destruction. In the second part of verse 14 we find another piece of information that is interesting. Who will use the narrow entrance?

IV. Who will use the narrow entrance? (Verse 14b)

Not many. There are few who will find it. People who truly want Christ in their lives, seek to change for Him, look continually at their hearts and gradually develop more and more of the Beatitudes in their lives, will enter in the narrow gate. People who break with the things of the world and seek only the things of God; who seek to use the things of the world as tools to further the will of God in life and the lives of others; who change because of Christ, will find their way through the entrance at the narrow gate. People will enter the narrow gate who seek the word of God being preached and taught in churches, fellowship with others in church, and submit to the whole counsel of God in the scriptures. People will enter the narrow gate who regularly subject themselves to and submit under a local body of Christ and do not instead seek their own freedom from the assembly. The question is, are you making the break with the world? Is your life exemplifying a change in your demeanor that always grows in Christ? Is your life more Christlike? Do you desire to be here among these saints more than out there among the worldly?

I am chancing that I may step on some toes, but the facts have to be made clear. The scripture says “narrow is the way which leadeth to life and few there be that find it.” There is a worldly trend in today’s society that says we do not have to belong to a church as a member because the scriptures do not have the word “member” in them. There are other arguments as well. They all amount to denying accountability to the saints in the assembly. These individuals do not desire accountability with anyone and will not submit to that accountability. That is a crowd oriented thought process. That is an attitude that leans toward the wide gate.

Those who will be readily accepted at the narrow gate understand that scripture requires we be accountable in many ways to one another. We are not supposed to lie to one another (Lev 19:11) or oppress one another (25:17). Christ commands that we love one another (Jn 13:34). We are to be kind and affectionate toward and to prefer one another (Rom 12:10). We are not supposed to judge one another (Rom 14:13). We are commanded to show hospitality one to another (Rom 15:7). We should admonish one another (Rom 15:14). We should serve, be forbearing and carrying one another’s burdens (Gal 5:13, 6:2; Eph 4:2). We are kind, tenderhearted and forgiving toward one another (Eph 4:32). Ultimately, we are to submit ourselves to one another in the fear of God (Eph 5:21). These are just a few one another directives we find in scripture. There is obviously a principle involved here regardless of the lack of a word we might want to see. The people who enter in the narrow gate look at the teachings in scripture and submit to those principles. An honest question is then, how can one who claims they seek the narrow gate and walk the narrow path really do so without being submitted to an assembly in membership for accountability?

As I read this passage over and over it also occurred to me that most of the time, especially in smaller settings such as this, God is bringing to this sheepfold mostly those who are on the narrow path already. This pulpit is not easy on the Christian spirit. This pulpit challenges the Christian to change every Sunday. I am convicted by the Lord to have a ministry that seeks the things in the Word of God that would guide us to change to become more Christlike, more like a Kingdom saint. Teaching you the scriptures and how to implement them in your life is a sobering responsibility. I believe this church has few people because the path is narrow. Those who dedicate themselves to Christ will come regularly and subject themselves to the teaching of the word. You hunger and thirst for righteousness, praise God. Those who may not come may not seek those things but instead seek a broader path. However, that path leads to destruction. I am not saying that this pulpit is the only one capable of guiding others to the narrow path in Lander. I am saying that popularity does not breed righteousness.

Conversely, are you just plodding along through life thinking you got it all planned out or that you’re at least “covered” because you said a prayer at one time, you claim Christ, or you have even been a devout believer all your life? Are you gathering about you the things of the world, taking upon your attitude the demeanor of the worldly and treating others with a worldly disdain for honesty, love, forgiveness, tenderheartedness and fellowship?

These are intense personal changes for some to make. We should note that they are no more challenging than the smoker that realizes in the Lord, that they must stop smoking because they are hurting the temple of God. Christian changes are deep, abiding, personal and life altering. That is what Christianity and transforming into a Kingdom saint is all about – changing us from the sin-filled rebellious creatures that we are to saints worthy of entrance through the narrow gate into God’s Kingdom.

Who will use the narrow entrance? Those who choose Christ and the things of Christ over the world and the things of the world. Who will enter God’s Kingdom? People who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. This acceptance is evinced by life changing events in a believer. Individuals turning wholesale from sin, sinful events, sin related happenings, sin-oriented activities and anything that does not therefore glorify God. People who hunger and thirst for righteousness and develop a pure heart in God. Those individuals will enter in the narrow gate.

Look at the wide gate through the prism of the Beatitudes. Wide is the gate to destruction for the haughty. Wide is the gate for the rich in spirit (as opposed to being “poor in spirit”) – those with strong wills. Wide is the gate for those who do not mourn, but instead celebrate their depravity. Wide is the gate for those who are haughty instead of meek. Those who are non-committal concerning righteousness instead of starving for it will find their way into the wide gate. The cruel find their way easily into the wide gate. Impurity marks all those who enter the wide gate as they delve into all the world’s devices to sample them. The heart of the worldly crowd is always divided between the things and devices of the world, and simply submitting to God. Which path are you on?

[ii] Sam Horn, Kingdom Living Here and Hereafter, Integrity of Heart, The Beatitudes Part 1, Vol. 2, No. 1 Spring 1997, Northland Baptist Bible College, Dunbar, WI.

[iii] Carlo Collodi, The Adventures of Pinocchio, 1940 film produced by Walt Disney, released by RKO Radio Pictures February 7, 1940. In the movie the boys were turned into donkeys and sold.

Last week we considered bread and stones. We looked at fish and serpents. We thought about eggs and scorpions. The conclusion we came to was that our heavenly Father will provide us good things to give to others that need them. He will give us these good things because we ask for them. In turn, we are to give these same good things to others who ask us for them.

We probably should mention something here that I am not confident we covered at all last week. Although in dealing with individuals and their problems we may truly desire to help, we tend to often look at them in comparison to ourselves, and our success or failures. We tend to see things only through our own eyes, our own perspective. What we should understand is that a consistent theme in all of the passages from Matthew 7:1 through 11 and even (especially) in today’s verse is to look at things from a biblical perspective, not a personal one. Many times we are encouraged to see things from another person’s perspective. In this case, we are encouraged to consider our personal perspective first as compared to scripture. We need to be careful that this is not a haughty legalism, but a loving compassion. This personal consideration, though, is not a filter, but more of a sensor that opens and shuts two valves. It should not be something we run things through to purify them. There should be a valve that releases the good things and re-routes all the bad stuff. We are given this sensor when we are saved. The sensor is the Holy Spirit who lives within us. If we seek His face, look for His guidance, and ask Him how we can best testify of Christ in us He will tell us.

Matthew 7 and verse 12 is a very commonsensical summation of Jesus teachings in this section. This is that “golden rule”: Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you. We have applied the scriptures in this chapter very specifically in context as we studied through them. We will endeavor to apply this scripture in the same fashion.

This is a small tidbit of history that I thought you would appreciate. A gentleman named James Cash Penney (1875-1971) was a preacher’s kid born in Hamilton, Missouri. His father was a Baptist pastor of a small church in his hometown. Failing in health, Penney moved to Colorado, where for a short time he established a butcher store. Though this venture failed, his next business did not. After the butcher shop failed, he bought a partnership in a store in Wyoming. Soon, the store was doing well and he decided to expand establishing other stores in the state. He based his philosophy off of our verse today, Matthew 7:12, and called them the “Golden Rule Stores.” This store chain was so popular that it was one of the world’s largest merchants of its time, having over 1,700 stores. J. C. Penney was a humble servant who poured his heart out upon those around him, always seeking to do unto the customer as he would have done unto him.

We often look at people’s motives for the things they do and run them through a filter. This filter can be any number of things. Christians run them through the filter of the scriptures, and prayer hopefully. The world runs things through the filter of their own experiences, attitudes and desires. The world’s filter is very subjective. Depending upon the wants of any individual, this filter can be black with wickedness and deception. Either way, people look at others, decide about others motives, and ascribe motive and treat others in a fashion that is normally consistent with one of these two filters.

Some Christians become overly critical in their filter. They know Christ was perfect and they are called to perfection as they become more like Christ. They begin to expect things of unbelievers, (behaviors, aptitudes, attitudes and expectations) that are only given to believers. Some Christians also make the mistake of assigning blame to the sinful heart that may not necessarily be there. A verse I often quote – Jeremiah 17:9 - makes the point that deception goes both ways. Not only is the heart deceitful toward fellow man, it is deceitful within ourselves. This is where the Christian must be wary. Just because we know how wicked the world can be does not give us license to immediately ascribe wickedness to every endeavor in the world. We cannot immediately judge others as deceitful, wicked, unfaithful, dishonest and hateful just because we know they are worldly. Yes, all those things are a natural propensity in the unbelieving heart; but how many of us desire to be stereotyped? We must be wary of the world, but wary of our own heart too.

Let’s take a few wonderful historical examples of stereotypical responses based upon observation. These are not exact quotes.

• “The white man’s only desire is to keep the black man under his thumb.” This comment was actually made to me many years ago. This is racist in character and essentially says all people with white skin scheme to suppress the success of any black person. Nonsense.
• “The negro is a savage and only good for hard labor.” This racist comment was made many years ago by slave traders and echoed throughout our horrid period of slavery in this nation. It was repeated throughout history until the middle of the last century when man finally matured to see other men as equals. It basically states that black people have no intellectual capacity and therefore are only good for manual labor. Again, complete nonsense.
• “Christians who believe in the six-day creation account ignore the body of scientific evidence against it.” This comment is equally judgmental and attempts, as the racist comment above does, to say Christians lack intellectuality, are brain washed or gullible. This too is nonsense.

How many believers are appalled that many in the world attribute our faith in Christ as the basis for the Crusades? How many are equally appalled that an individual would claim their motive for murdering a person was based in their Christian faith? True Christians are also spiritually hurt and know their testimony is tainted by organizations that display hate in their public rhetoric and demonstrations against certain national activities. Christians know that un-Christlike or un-Christian behavior does nothing but hurt real Christians who daily strive to show others that Christ lives in them. We’ve all had questions such as, “Wasn’t Hitler a Christian? He claimed Christianity.” We also cringe when we hear, “Germany was a Christian nation and in the name of Christianity they persecuted the Jews and perpetrated the Holocaust.”

One last nonsensical judgment that we see in the world is to say that, because we know all lost souls are sinners, they are all dishonest. The truth is that the world without Christ has the possibility of being just plain evil in all things, but it does not mean that every unbeliever is dishonest, or a cheat in business. Treat others as scripture directs and you treat them as Christ does. We are to love one another. We are commanded to love our enemies. These two commands have great and glorious application for the believer. The main thing is that we are, as Christians, supposed to treat others and think of others far and away differently than the world does. First and foremost, we treat others as we would like to be treated – without stereotypical judgmentalism ascribing motive where none is clearly indicated. We should remember that the saint is still a sinner too.

I. What you Prefer (Verse 12a)

We must endeavor to wrap up our discussion on judgmentalism, arrogance and the call to be priests one to another, to love one another, to bear one another’s burdens (1 Pet 2:5; Jn 13:34; Gal 6:2). We do this by not being judgmental (Matt 7:1-2). We are not supposed to inappropriately concentrate on other people’s problems and ignore the instruction in our own issues (Matt 7:3-5). In Matthew 7:6, we assess appropriate times of witness and testimony based upon real evidence, not subjective conjecture. In verses 7 and 8, we seek God for guidance and approach gently when trying to help. Verses 9 through 11 just point out the commonsense of all that which was before – everyone knows to do what is good even if they do not practice goodness. It follows then that we want to be treated a certain way, which is intrinsically considered good, right, just or civilized. We want people to look at us and not make snap decisions about us based on some arbitrary thoughts, tainted information or misapplied historical facts. We want people to regard us based upon our own merits. We want the benefit of the doubt.

We want others to see us as respectable, honest, caring, concerned, normal people. Here is a news flash folks – even the most heinous individual on the planet wants this basic recognition – that they are respectable, honest, caring, concerned and normal. Serial killers have to be caught and it has to be proven that they in fact, did kill. Most of them function well in society. Contrary to some silver screen theatrics, serial killers do not want to be caught, they are not all dysfunctional loners and they are not all white males. They make mistakes over time which leads to their capture. Some have a family with children and full time jobs. They come from all types of backgrounds.[i] Truthfully, just like “normal” people, even serial murderers want others to see them as they desire to be seen. No sensibly “civilized” person wants everyone to know their worst side. Honestly, any negative aspect of our personal life is judged by the world, whether Christian or not.

I know people who put up a front at work that makes them look hospitable, congenial and even understanding; but when they get home, they treat their family and everyone they supposedly love like garbage. These people think less of their families than they do those with whom they work. We act certain ways because we prefer others to think of us in certain ways. We hide certain behaviors from others because we know they are unacceptable. When we exhibit those behaviors around others who we know will forgive us, we actually abuse the privilege of forgiveness. We do not want to be treated with wickedness and judgmentalism.

Folks, what you say, how you act, how you want to be treated is how you will be seen and what you are telling others you expect from them. This is why we act civilly in public. Many times our challenge is in the home, around people we expect to understand us. Practice treating people the way you prefer to be treated at home as well as at work. Just as we prefer others to obey verses 1-11, we should be willing to do so as well.

If we are not supposed to engage in these activities, what are we supposed to do? What activities do we engage in to remove the negative ones such as anger, hate, conjecture and elitism (mote and beam issues)?

II. What you Do (Verse 12b)

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to be the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers” (Eph 4:29). We are not just supposed to live a life before others with a testimony of love and caring; we are supposed to communicate that in all ways. Ephesians 4:31 tells us that we are to take all bitterness, wrath, anger, and clamor as well as evil speaking away from ourselves along with any malice we may hold for others. Christians are not supposed to live a life of love and caring, they are supposed to be loving and caring so their lives will reflect who they are. To take the negative qualities away takes effort. It means you act to remove them. Once again folks, Christians are supposed to be the most understanding, loving, caring and ultimately forgiving individuals on the face of the planet. We are supposed to push away all the natural bents of our heart that would unjustly accuse another person, or inappropriately assign guilt to another. It is directly behind these verses in Ephesians that we have Ephesians 4:32 which commands us to be kind, tender hearted, and forgiving to one another. We discussed in a Wednesday night service how these are attributes of the Christian, not activities in which they participate. The words “kind,” “tenderhearted” and “forgiving” are all nouns not verbs. They are substantive words. They are characteristics that produce actions, not actions that allude to characteristics. Christians are kind, tenderhearted and forgiving, or they are supposed to be anyway. We are to be like Christ who is like the Father so much so that if you see Christ, you see the Father (Jn 14:9). God was kind enough to plan for our salvation before the foundations of the world. God was tenderhearted enough to give His Son as an atonement for our sins. God was forgiving enough to accept His Son’s atonement. His Son loved us so much that He gave himself as atonement for our sins. If we are Christlike then, we exhibit forgiveness as the Father exhibits it for Christ’s sake, in that He died for us and gave Himself for us as an atonement for our sins.

What we do then is…we choose not to accuse. We go to people, talk to them, discuss issues with them and open ourselves to others for a different point of view. Christians do not treat others rudely. We are not crass. We do not use foul or crude language because Christ did not. We do not lay blame because, unlike Christ, we do not know. Think about this – we forgive others not knowing the truth of their wickedness, because Christ forgave everyone knowing the truth of our wickedness. What we do is strive to be like Christ who depicted the Father (Jn 14:9). The Father forgave us, was kind to us, exhibited a tender heart to us even in our depravity. We Christians are supposed to do these very things too, and for others as well. We should never accuse another person especially when we do not have first hand and specific proof or knowledge. That goes for believer as well as unbeliever. We must bite our tongues, especially when we really do not know. We do not gossip because it leads us to speculate upon someone’s guilt or innocence (saying someone “could be innocent” when gossiping is a positive way of saying they could be guilty and lays that skeptical foundation). Gossip only poisons others and leads you to judgmentalism (2 Cor 12:20).

III. What Scripture Says (Verse 12c)

“How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?” (Jn 5:44) First, by seeking the truth from God’s Word (the Law and the Prophets) we eliminate many of the sins we could and probably would commit against others. We should not first seek the opinion of people.

We are to wash one another’s feet (Jn 13:14). We should be helping one another be clean for the feast of the lamb of God. We should not encourage sin or have a poor opinion of anyone or anything even when they do sin. We should especially not act to encourage a poor opinion of Christ or Christianity.

Ultimately, we are to love one another (Jn 13:34; 15:12, 17…). This is a unique love we should have for one another, such that Christ is seen within us. We love one another so that we are known as disciples of Christ (Jn 13:35). The love we have one for another should mark us as loving Christians. If we backbite one another, gossip or “discuss” people’s problems behind their back, how can we garner love one for another and in the body of Christ? The person we are talking to certainly is not going to want you to gossip about them. Are they next on the list? We often wonder what keeps people away from Christianity.  It is this very issue – talking of people’s sins or what we perceive as their sin behind their back. Is that how we want to be treated?

In our love one for another, we are to give preference to one another in honor (Rom 12:10-11). We are to default to an honorable status even when we see a brother or sister doing wrong. We must approach things and consider first that a brother or sister in Christ is not dishonorable, but we are to give them the benefit of the doubt and ascribe honorability to them first, not deplorability.

We are to live in harmony with one another (Rom 12:16). We should seek as glorious and loving results to conflicts as we can. This can only take place when we appropriately seek the very person with whom we have a conflict. Talking to Bob about a conflicting issue you have with Jane is not going to help. We must go to Jane first. This verse also states we are not to be haughty, but have associations with the lowly. We are not supposed to be conceited. Though the inference here is to lower social classes, it more indicates an individual who lacks hope – is emotionally low. These negative emotions can result in challenging relationships, but we are supposed to cultivate them in the Lord.

We must grant that most of these “one another” scriptures are directly applicable to believers’ relationships between one another. The challenge is, are you treating other Christians with these attitudes?

• Are you seeking the word of God for answers on how you should deal with others and in your relationships with others?
• Are you treating people the loving way you want to be treated?
• Men, are you treating your wives the loving way you expect them to treat you?
• Are you taking for granted their forgiving heart and abusing their hospitality and tender spirits?
• Are you encouraging them through love to be more Christlike in their testimony?
• Ladies, are you challenging your husband in a loving way to be more Christlike in his testimony? Yes, men, I asked your wives to challenge your testimony when it needs a little correction. You married a helpmeet – not just to help you get things done in the house. You were supposed to be put together because you can better glorify God together than you can apart.
• Ladies, equally, the scripture expects you to make these challenges in a loving caring fashion just as you desire your husband to treat you. Do you address your husband’s rough edges with loving and gentle encouragement?
• Believers, do you treat every believer with the honorability due a soul quickened by the Spirit of God?
• Believers, do you avoid conversations with others that may bring another person’s testimony into question?

It matters what you desire. It matters what you do. It matters what the scripture says concerning both your desires and your testimony. Your communication, attitude and actions all make up your testimony. Do all the things that you do speak of pure dedication to Him? Do your actions make people see Christ in you? Christ treated people the same way He would want to be treated because it says to do that in the Law and the Prophets, and we know Christ was obedient because God was well pleased in Him. Will God say, “well done thou good and faithful servant” to you?

Last week we talked about asking, seeking and knocking. We saw “asking” in Matthew 7:7 (sermon here) tied to the changes our hearts must make to glorify the Lord in our lives and in our spirits. We found “seeking” to be a Christian’s desire to change for Christ where he would actively and purposefully pursue purity. Finally, when we looked at “knocking” we found that the door on which we knock may not be ready for us to enter. This develops for a number of reasons. First we may need to go back to ask and seek again – we need to change. Second, we may need to be patient on the Lord and wait for His timing and preparation. Third, we may find we walk through the door not only to help others, but also to further sanctify ourselves. We should recognize that there is no promise to change what is on the other side of the door. The promise is that the door will be opened. There is no promise tied to what will be revealed.

On the heels of this direction and hope for change, we find specific examples as to why asking results in receiving, seeking results in finding and knocking results in opening. Jesus tells us of the motivation of the Father in dealing with the changes we must undergo. We are encouraged that we too should have this motivation – to change and to care for others in their need to change.

In Matthew 7:9 we find Jesus using a little irony to make his point. This is not the only time this is used in scripture by our Savior. We find other examples of this in Luke 6:39 where Jesus makes the point that the blind cannot lead the blind. We also find this in a rather convicting passage, later in Luke 6, verse 46. Jesus says, “And why call me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” Ironically, many of us refer to Jesus as “the Lord” Jesus Christ but we struggle to implement His teachings in our lives. Jesus uses irony, therefore, to depict many of the most serious tenets of Christianity – namely submission, obedience to Him and to the Word of God.

I found the following illustration very interesting. Although it applies somewhat to last week, and probably more specifically to another message, its application is universal enough to apply even here.

Wallace E. Johnson once said,

“I always keep on a card in my billfold the following verses and refer to them frequently: Ask and it shall be given you: seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you: for everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened (Matt 7:7-8).

“These verses are among God’s greatest promises. Yet, they are a little one-sided. They indicate a philosophy of receiving but not of giving. One day as my wife, Alma, and I were seeking God’s guidance for a personal problem, I came across the following verse which has since been a daily reminder to me of what my responsibility as a business is to God: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15).

“Since then I have measured my actions against the phrase: A workman that needeth not be ashamed.”

Mr. Johnson was the President of Holiday Inns from its inception (began in his plumbing shed in 1953), until he became Vice President Emeritus in 1979.

I find this applicable today because without proper application, the verses from last week do appear to be one sided. We are looking for things for ourselves, even though they are changes in the heart. We also appear to be looking for these changes only so we can knock on a door of opportunity. When we look at our scriptures for this week, we find an illustration of why we have these great promises. In Mr. Johnson’s case, he found a dedication to properly understand and divide the word of God to address a personal problem. In our case, we should find a dedication to properly apply the changes in our hearts such that we can give others the best that Christ in us has to offer.

Looking therefore at our scriptures today, we first find a focus upon fatherhood that gives life-sustaining bread to a beloved son. We then find meat given to nourish us for growth and sanctification. Finally, we look at good gifts. These are gifts that even the sinner knows are truly good. They also know what would be considered evil. First, consider bread.

I. Bread not Stones (Verse 9)

One aspect of this message we must first address is the metaphors. We should define them. What does the man represent, who is the son, what is the bread and what is the stone? There are commentaries that explain the father in our passage today as our Father in Heaven. The problem is that the first verse directly addresses the men present at the time of the teaching. It states, “what man is there among you” where the word for “man” is specifically “anthropos” in the nominative. The subject of the verse, the focus of the action is the very men that Jesus addresses before him. We might try to assign Jesus’ comments directly to the Pharisees present, but that too seems too specific for the context here. It seems more appropriately applicable to those present in general. I could say to you here, which of you men in this sanctuary would give your son a rock if he requested bread?

This is clearly an illustration in commonsense to show us how we must go about asking, seeking and knocking. This illustration is meant to show us how commonsensical it is to ask God for help when helping other people. It is based upon the teaching we have just heard dealing with our hearts and the change needed in them to give to others. If we look at this scripture, then through the eyes of our teacher as He looks upon the multitude, we find the man is you and me having been given wisdom from our Father in heaven, after we asked Him and sought His counsel in the process of helping another. This is a Christian who can and will give loving assistance from the word of God when the door is opened that is being knocked upon. Therefore, man is a believer. Which one of you Christians would issue cold cruelty in answer to a request for life-sustaining counsel when someone’s heart is hurt, broken, torn or confused?

Who is the son, the one asking for bread? We could say it is the one asking for sustenance or life giving spiritual food or assistance. Whether beam or mote, this person has an issue that we are not supposed to judge, but to help solve. This is the son, a believer, asking for the bread of life and enlightenment or nourishment. Therefore, the bread is the life sustaining Word of God and a stone represents a hardened response to a needy request.

Christ tells us that, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4). Scripture also says that Jesus is the living Word of God (Jn 1:14). When Jesus quoted this scripture to Satan at the temptation, He did so knowing how hateful Satan would be not only to Him, but to all who might trust in Christ for salvation. Satan regularly gives us stones instead of bread. This hateful and temptuous act of Satan has a parallel to what Christ is teaching us here. Jesus needed bread. He hungered. Satan gave Him stones. What man would do that? A man controlled by the wickedness of Satan bent upon destroying the Kingdom of God. A man attacking the very image of God (Gen 9:6). What man would give bread to feed when nourishment is needed? A loving and caring one who wants to help a fellow Christian gives bread, not stones.

If we ask for our hearts to change and seek that change, then we knock on the door and are invited in, we have been given bread to feed those on the other side when they ask for sustenance. Many times this bread is the change our own hearts have gone through before we go through the opened door. If you fathers will give bread and not stones to your children to eat, how much more life giving sustenance do you think your heavenly Father will give you? If your children come to you with questions concerning life, do you throw them away or dismiss them and their questions as a nuisance to you? On the other hand, do you try to answer their questions? Do you seek answers to their questions in the scripture and share that with them?

The eternal bread of life that resides in you is far more nourishing to a spiritually suffering individual than any stone the world has to offer their soul. This is how important asking, seeking and knocking is. We must ask for enlightenment and seek it in the Word – the bread to give to others. The bread that exists in Christians can be shared. We often do not know how to share the wisdom of Christ, and we often do not know the actual wisdom that He gives to us for others. The answers to those things come in asking and seeking. Regardless, the loaves of bread we have give new hope and life to the soul that is in need. Custer makes this point as well:

“Every normal father will provide food for his hungry children. Is God something less than a good father? No, He is a supremely great heavenly Father, who can provide all things for His dear children. But the timing and the nature of the gifts must be left in His hands. Sometimes His children ask for cake when they really need spinach! The vitamins are more important that the flavor.”[i]

If a loved one asks for food to feed their bodies, we give them food. What mother does not say, “Eat your vegetables”? The most loving mothers make sure their children eat those foods that are best for them and shun as much junk food as possible. Regardless, the most careless mother knows what is best for their child whether they force the child to do what is right or not. Equally, fathers know what is good for children, whether they provide it or not. If our God is a God of love, He will always do the most perfect and loving thing for us even if it is to give us spinach when we do not like it. This bread is not a morsel, not just a piece, not a slice, or any such thing – but a whole loaf. God gives what our lives need in abundance, not piecemeal.

It may be appropriate now to point out the continuing effect of asking, seeking and knocking. We mentioned this briefly last week but only in conjunction with the door not opening. Scripture uses words that indicate persistence. We continue to ask, seek and knock until the door is opened to us. Where we do see Christian brothers or sisters in need, we must ask for and seek a resolution. We continue to gently (meekly, humbly) knock on the door and wait for it to open.

What loving believer among you, when asked for bread, would give a stone? Christians are always ready to help other Christians. We should go the extra mile for one another. We should seek to give what we can, when we can, to the one who asks for it. In some cases, we Christians being ready to help other Christians should not pursue those opportunities, but wait for them to come to us because brothers and sisters in Christ will ask. This is effectively knocking on the door and not forcing our way in. This can be the beam and the mote issue as well. We should not be so eager as to grab at that speck in another’s eye while we do not consider our own heart first. True believers know they have failures and faults and they will ask for help. Loving believers will be patient and longsuffering. We must wait upon these folks and not judge their actions inappropriately. Be ready with the bread of the word of God, not the stones of judgmentalism and rushing to help when not welcomed. Ask, seek and knock – and when the door is opened to you, be ready with good nourishing bread.

Though we see this commonsensical illustration repeated, there are some significant differences. Where bread provides many nutrients for the body, it does not provide protein for continued strong muscle use. What is the fish and the serpent?

II. Protein not Poison (Verse 10)

Jesus, being God, would know everything there is to know about the body’s proper nourishment. He would also know everything there is to know about a serpent’s poison and disposition. Again, we have to define the metaphors. What does the fish represent? What does the serpent represent?

In many languages, there are specific distinctions between kinds of fish. Certain words are used to indicate fish with scales, fish without scales, fish prepared to eat, fish still alive, etc. In attempts to understand this scripture, some commentators have pointed out that some fish look like serpents (long and slender). We might find this in Barracuda or locally in Wyoming, we find Musky and Pike. Both of these fish have very sharp and large teeth like the serpent’s fangs. Unfortunately, none of these fish exists in the Sea of Galilee. Some fish exist there such as a certain catfish that may appear serpent like, except it has a fin running the length of its body, top and bottom. They also have no teeth. Their dorsal and pectoral fin spines can sting you, though. Still, this fish is not easily substituted or confused for a snake. The fish would also have small scales which are considered unclean. Only fish with large scales were permitted to be eaten or considered “clean” by Jewish Kosher standards. Yet, other commentators have attempted to compare the fish in this verse to an eel. Once again there is a problem of acceptability for consumption. Eels have very tiny or no scales. Fish without scales (eels for instance) are not considered Kosher and would never be requested. The answer must lie elsewhere.

The word used for fish here indicates something far different than a type of fish. It more represents a fish at a certain stage. The word “ichthus” more indicates a fish that is ready and prepared for consumption than it does a type of fish such as a bluegill, sunfish or bass. This fish may already be skinned, filleted and may even be cooked but certainly it is intended for immediate nourishment. The indication here is that the fish is good and intended as such. The opposite is true of the snake, it is bad and intended as an insult or injurious thing.

The snake on the other hand has always represented as cunning and crafty, sly, not at all representative of godly wisdom. Hypocrites are called snakes. The serpent is regarded by the Jews as the devil. Though it could reference poisonous snakes as well, the indication is the same – it is deceitful that one would request something they could readily eat to relieve hunger and receive instead something that is wickedly and thoughtlessly dangerous such as a poisonous viper or asp.

Once again continuing in our instruction, if a loved one requests counsel, they need good nourishment. Give them this good counsel or even loving comfort. Prepare them protein rich fish and serve it to them. Be a loving brother or sister in Christ. We must not shy from these opportunities. Our Father will give us all that is needed to feed our brothers and sisters in Christ. We can give only what we are given; however that is always sufficient and abundant. The counsel that feeds the soul must be practical and applicable as well as directly usable for the individual. This counsel should be ready to consume. We are to give this good counsel, protein like nourishment for the mind and soul to those who seek it.

The serpent therefore is deceptive counsel focused upon guiding someone to destruction or even poisoning and hurting them in some way. A Christian counselor who may recommend reading secular book is a perfect example. Only the Word of God promises not to return void, but to do that which it is intended (Is 55:11). We are not supposed to give false guidance or personal thoughts that could lead a believer down a false road to destruction. We are not to bite back at them for their problem either. The asp and viper bite simply when annoyed.  We should not treat our brothers and sisters to the biting comments of the viper or asp, but give them good nourishing food from the very word of God to digest in their souls.

III. Common sense and good gifts (Verse 11)

The Lord moves to directly involve all of the people present on the mount. The “you” indicating “you and me” is a nominative. You people, being evil as you are, know how to give good gifts. “Good” here refers back to the bread and fish. We provide our children good, healthy food because we want the best for them. This is simply a statement expecting affirmation. We can almost hear the crowd mumble to themselves, “that just makes sense, we all do that.” There are other things in this verse too that point to basic commonsensical knowledge.

A very interesting word used here is the word we find translated “know.” Once again, this is not head knowledge or school taught wisdom. This is our word “oida” or our heart, our spiritual knowledge and intuition. You know in your heart how to give good gifts, even though you are evil to the core.

The capacity for good gifts is within you just as much as the evil that dominates there. We know what is right inherently, just as we are inherently evil in our being. We know what is good, just as we know what is bad and have a predisposition to do that bad thing.

If we know what good gifts we are supposed to give to our children, even though we are inclined to do evil, how much more is our heavenly Father, who is only inclined to do good, going to give good things to us when we request them? What a wonderful promise this presents then, when we place these things into perspective.

Our Father in Heaven can only give good things to us for His service. He will never give us a serpent’s tongue, or the poisonous, venomous words of a viper or asp. Our Father in Heaven will never give stones to those who need bread. He would never attempt to deceive us or trick us into doing His will, but would always lead us to the truths in His word for our lives to fulfill His will.

If we ask, seek and knock, God will always give us what we need, even if it is broccoli when we want potatoes and gravy. Ladies and gentlemen, God is good as much as He is light and love (Ps 73:1; 1 Jn 1:5; 4:8). God loves to give us good things that enlighten our hearts to His understanding. In Matthew 15:16-20 Jesus is explaining the parable of the blind leading the blind and falling into the pit. He tells Peter that it is not what goes in man’s mouth and heart that is the problem, but what comes out again that creates problems. God can give you all the wisdom of the world, but if you do not ask His assistance and truly seek His truth to implement that wisdom, then when you knock on the door you will give stones and snakes to those that open to you.

Knowing this now, it should not surprise us to know that the parallel passage in Luke (11:13) talks not of “good gifts,” which we might easily misconstrue as some material possession, be it food, clothing or Hot Wheels cars. Instead, Luke uses the words “Holy Spirit.” How much more will the children of God receive from your heavenly Father the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him in support of children in need on earth? It is not a gift of food that is discussed here, any more than it was simple prayer in last week’s study. This is a serious spiritual change that is going to be imparted upon the believer for a specific purpose, to a specific end and to help another believer also engage in a serious spiritual change.

The parallel passage in Luke also uses an egg and scorpion in a parallel to verse 10 above. Again, the best way to understand this is that one is plainly acceptable, while the other (wholly different) is simply wicked, evil, poisonous and quite thoughtless in application. One provides for being fed well and is reasonable – it is the egg of a hen. The word specifically means this type of egg not an egg of a snake or any other, but one which is edible. The other is not only inedible, but without credibility, likeness or function to that which is requested. One might say, “Can I have some food,” to which the evil one responds, “Here is toxic waste, but it will work.”

Give your loved ones in Christ the best you can by first seeking God’s strength and guidance in providing counsel, assistance or just Christian love and support. Regardless of what is requested, ask, seek and knock on the door and use the bread and fish you have been given to feed the soul of your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Last week we discussed the dog and the swine. Before that, we talked of the beam in one eye compared to the speck in another. We identified a speck as possibly being the remnants of a beam. There is one spiritual application of this that we should all understand. Any unbeliever that tells a believer how to live has a beam in their eye. The believer may very well have beams too, but unbeliever’s lost condition is a beam that regularly beats the believer in the face. Whether dog, swine or just needing the gospel to be converted, the unbeliever has a beam that regularly disrupts the life of the believer.

Another aspect of this analogy that we did not cover is that Jesus is talking about a singular beam and speck focused upon a specific challenge. Truly, if we looked at our lives objectively and compared them to scripture, we would have enough Douglas fir sticking out of our face to build a new three-story log cabin. None of us has just one beam or even one type of beam. Further, none of us has just one speck, if we have a speck. Many misconstrue their personal beams as specks. Only in the spiritual world can a bit of saw dust become a 2x12x16 pressure treated (to make it long lasting, we would not want it to deteriorate in our eye now would we, that would be annoying) floor joist. We so often find this happens though when dealing with our worldliness. We can make a mountain out of a molehill without really trying at all.

Today we move to a solution to these problems. We find ourselves faced with several questions:

• How do we judge not?
• How do we deal properly with others?
• How do we not make that speck into a beam?
• How do we identify the dog and swine?
• How do we distinguish them from the rest of the world?

The answer to all of these things, in a nutshell, is something so simple that no one ever does it in earnest. Everyone fails at it. No one really has a prayer life like Polycarp who is said to have had deep calluses on his knees. We pray.

Please look at Matthew 7, verses 7 and 8. The simplest things elude us so frequently we must often wonder how we make it through this life. The baseball player when, found to be making some fundamental mistakes, is urged to “go back to the basics.” The Christian likewise, must be urged to do the same. When we fail in our testimony to others, we automatically attribute it to their heart. What about our prayer life? A lack of prayer may very well be a symptom of a far greater heart issue. Still, we need to go back to the basics. How were you saved in the first place? Every one of us who is saved has at one point bowed to the Lord Jesus and begged Him to save us from our sins. Every Christian has, at one point, prayed for salvation, calling upon the name of the Lord to be saved (Rom 10:13).

Once again we come to a piece of scripture that many say is detached from the subject of all that was before. I have seen this passage depicted in movies, where Jesus speaks as He is walking among the crowd on the mount. Alert, He is supposed to be sitting (Matt 5:1). Further, it is depicted as a loving, caring and sensitive moment of encouragement to pray for things in life, and God will provide them. Theatrically Jesus is always speaking to the depraved, indicating they just need faith for survival. This passage has been used pejoratively by the atheist for millennia. The subject has not changed – help others properly but first look at yourself.

Many see this passage as a golden promise for answered prayer. It is that; however, it is much more as well. If we limit this passage to things which we might think we want to ask God for, we remove the whole point in Jesus’ sermon. I am going to take a little different direction with respect to what we should be praying about according to His Sermon on the Mount.

Once again, review of a few ideas is in order to encourage our understanding.

1. Chapter and verse divisions are not divinely appointed. Many believe they are, but they are not. For instance, many suspect that the first to introduce this type of division for the Old Testament was the Babylonians during the captivity in 586BC. The five books of Moses were divided into 154 sections. It was later grouped into 54 sections with over 600 subdivisions for reading. For the New Testament, the Council of Nicea in AD 325 divided it into paragraphs. However, it was not until after Jerome (347-420 AD), an Antiochian priest, translated the entire Bible (Old and New Testaments, Hebrew and Greek texts), into Latin (language of the Roman Empire), did we have one large book in a single language. Then, the Archbishop Stephen Langton (1150-1228 AD) actually divided the text into the scheme we use today. The numbering system used for your scriptures was developed only 800 years ago.
2. Manuscript writing was not done in paragraph and sentence form all the time. Manuscripts were solid masses of words that were many times just continuously written without breaks or spaces. Many times, they were in all capital letters.[i] I have taken the liberty of posting some images of those manuscripts. As you can see, they can be very difficult to read.[ii]

Epistle of Paul ca. AD 180-200, BP II (P46) bifolia 15v and 90v - Letter to the Romans 1:13-22 and letter to the Colossians 1:5-12.

The first example, an epistle of Paul dated 180-200 AD, you can see, seems to come from a book. This is the Chester Beatty Papyrus codex of the Pauline Epistles,which is the earliest book of Saint Paul’s letters in existence. It bifolds and has a center line. It also looks like the margins line up as well. You notice that all the edges are severely tattered. Look at the writing though. It is all block letters and runs continuously. This was from a codex, which was the first book or bound form of putting pages together. These pages are from completely different books. One is from Romans 11 and the other is from Colossians 1. It is rather like taking a page out of the middle of a book where that page is one sheet of paper but was printed page numbers 12 on one side and 25 on the other. Our Lander Journal, as are most newspapers is printed this way with large contiguous sheets.

A single page of what is known as P66 (papyrus 66). Bodmer Papyrus (P66, P72-75).

The second picture is a single sheet of another manuscript. The Bodmer Papyrus is a collection of approximately fifty Greek and Coptic manuscripts was purchased by M. Martin Bodmer of Switzerland in 1955-56, and has been dated around 200 A.D   This is part of the gospel of John. This has much the same characteristics as the letter of Paul and clearly displays the all capital letter printing of the time as well as the large block of continuous printing. There is also little or no punctuation involved. Most punctuation is the same in Greek as it is in English. Periods are periods, commas are commas but colons and semi-colons are a dot raised to the middle of the line and a question mark is a semicolon instead of our traditional “?.”

A Greek Papyrus Manuscript fragment Egypt, Roman Period c. 1st century AD Homer - Glossary to book IX of the Iliad.

In the third example, we see a very worn specimen. This is not part of scripture though we have fragments like it that are copies of many epistles. This is a Greek papyrus that is a part of a legal document provided to Sarapion, governor of the southern nome of Sebennytos. It is from the first century and really is only a piece of a glossary. This was a citizen’s grievance filed with the Governor. Again, it is somewhat clear that mostly caps were used to write and depending upon penmanship, it was somewhat legible.

A single page CODEX Vaticanus - columnar hand printed copying. Whole Bible except for Genesis 1:1-46:2 and ends abruptly at Hebrews 9:14 lacking also 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon and Revelation.

The final example is from a very famous Codex, Codex Vaticanus. It contains a complete copy of the scriptures except the first part of Genesis, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon and Revelation. This is obviously a more organized book and even here we note some corrections in the margins. It still displays the capitol block lettering as normality during the day. There are more spaces for sentence structure apparent, but still no divisions of paragraphs, chapters or verses.

When we come to a passage then, we have to make some decisions concerning the breaks in the words for paragraphs and understand that some of those breaks, and especially the chapter and verse breaks, are quite subjective. In Sunday services an additional handout was given to the congregation. These two sheets are from the same book essentially. One is electronic, one is hardback. They both have different paragraph separations.[iii] This is caused by one of two things. First, the paragraph separations can be subjective even within the same versions. We can see this in the examples of manuscripts we have passed out that are simply blocks of text. The writers did write with cohesion, thought and organization. There is sentence structure and paragraph thought division, but the separation of these exact thoughts is still determined by the translator who is human and therefore somewhat subjective. Second, it could simply be a mistake in the transference of the edition from one form to another – printed to automated. Whatever the case may be, it shows man makes mistakes or judgments that may change appearance, but should not change the original intent.

Asking, seeking and knocking is not just about prayer for things, it is about prayer to change the heart. We may think we have been brow beaten into submission to change for Christ. Many in fact say this is the problem with Christianity – that it concentrates too much on what horrible people we are, and on prohibitions or restrictions if you will. That is why we frequently see promises in scripture such as, “ask and it shall be given to you, seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” and we run with it like a gleeful child with a new toy. The truth is, great scriptural promises are truths we should lean on, but this is still about changing your heart not your social status, level of success or checkbook balance. Many have struggled to balance the promises in this very scripture with the truths of life. Pray for a million dollars and see if it comes. It probably won’t. Like the whining child we say, “But the Scripture says,” and we go through contortions to justify it, as if to say, “Well, that was just not God’s will for you.” If we take the promise and twist it, it certainly will not fit God’s will either.

Some questions we could ask (and this will not be an exhaustive study) are:

1. Is this context driven?
2. Is there a change in subject?
3. Does there appear to be some reason Jesus is moving from one focus to another.
4. Is there solid evidence for His movement?
5. Could this be a transitional point where Jesus is moving from an introspective focus to a more general discussion about our spiritual life?

The answers to these questions are found in studying the scriptures before and after verses 7-8 to see if there is any connection.

Having already reviewed verses 1-6, we need only look at the scriptures which follow. Looking briefly at verse nine, we find that Jesus is again pointing to the heart of man. In verse nine He asks the rhetorical question, “What man is there of you, who if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?” Verse 10 is of the same illustrative material. It addresses the heart of a man who will love his family and not treat them with evil, but rather give them the things that are good for them. This is still a challenge: to look at our hearts and see others with a level of understanding correlated to our own propensities. If this is the case, there is no reason that our Savior would jump to a new subject amid the oration He is giving. We will look at verses seven and eight in this light – we are still considering our own hearts in light of the issues being discussed. We first ask, seek and knock on doors that address the issues in our hearts before we look at others with judgmental eyes bulging with beams that may browbeat people.

I. Ask, seek, knock (Verse 7)

Many times we look at things, read things and re-read things and they seem to say, clearly, what every one else says they say. For instance, I agree with everyone who reads this passage that it is about prayer, talking to God, asking things of Him, seeking the answers to questions and knocking on doors of opportunity. However, in those general terms, man frequently branches out from there to be all inclusive, and I have to disagree based on our brief analysis of verses 1-6 and 9-10, as well as the overall tenor of the Sermon on the Mount that begins with “Blessed are the poor in spirit…” First some scriptural basics.

The words “ask,” “seek” and “knock” in verse seven are all imperatives. These are commands. It is good, generally, to ask for, seek and knock on the doors of opportunity for Christ. This scripture commands us to ask for, seek and knock on the doors that will change our hearts, help others through testimony or just develop us into better servants of God. This is the focus of this passage.

We mentioned before the idea of going back to the basics. That has been the focus of the entire introduction – back to the basics of salvation and back to the basics of the Word of God. When we go back to our salvific basics, we first asked God to save us, we sought His Son for salvation, we knocked on the door to heaven and asked to be let in through the shed blood of Christ. It is in and through this shed blood that our dead works are cleansed and we may serve the living God (Heb 9:14). We ask for our sins to be cleaned white as snow (Is 1:18). Jesus here is saying we should do this again, and again, and again. This is not asking and seeking Jesus for salvation, but for Christian living – to change us into Christians more and more. The prayer Jesus refers to here asks God’s forgiveness for our sins, seeks His great grace and love for everyday spiritual and physical existence, and knocks on the door for opportunities to witness of Him.  This is the focus of this passage and what Jesus is encouraging.

The passage is obviously talking about prayer. The passage is imperatival in nature, commanding us to pray. It does not say specifically what to pray for; context demands that prayer here is for our Christian heart to change. We are to ask to not be judgmental, to seek the beam in our own eye, and to knock on the door to help others, not shove it open. It could for instance say, “Ask for God to change your heart, seek the removal of the beam from your eye and knock on the door of opportunity to help others, and that door will open to you” but it does not say that. However, in context where we are discussing introspective spiritual self-assessment, we must conclude that this is exactly what Jesus is encouraging us to do.

We must ask God to give us a new heart (Psalm 51:10). We have established in prior studies that a new heart exists within the believer that is alive and able to hear the Holy Spirit urging change within (Jn 7:38; 16:8-11), and He sanctifies or changes us to become Christlike (Rom 15:16; 1 Cor 6:11). Even the saved soul falls to temptation, and commits sin. The change we ask for and seek to implement is the same repentance that David seeks in Psalm 51. We too should seek this clean heart to change us. We must tap into His power in our lives for the balance of boldness, love and self-discipline (2 Tim 1:7). Properly attuned to the Holy Spirit in prayer, asking specifically for our hearts to change, we can seek opportunities to be bold in witness and testimony, therefore knocking on the doors of opportunity in Christ, for Christ.

Ask God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit to reach into your heart and change you. Seek that change at every opportunity. Knock on the doors of opportunity but do not barge through them with wild abandon. There is a rather unique thing about large, long boards. If you have ever carried one on your shoulder, you will understand where I am going. If you try to go through a doorway with a long board on your shoulder, unless you do it carefully and are very mindful of that board the entire time, you will hit the wall either in front or behind or both. I am sure many of you have experienced running right into a door before too. It stops you, and sometimes it hurts. Knock gently, lovingly and carefully on those doors of opportunity.

We learn again a very interesting truth now in verse eight. If we are first to ask for God’s help with our own heart, then we are to seek the true change that is needed in our heart (this is the really tough part by the way). Finally, we look to love others with the things we learn though our changed heart.

II. Having asked, sought, and knocked (Verse 8)

Once we have asked, sought and knocked, we have to wait. Doors do not immediately open to our calling. There are things on the other side that need preparation.

Have you ever visited someone and, when you arrived and knocked on the door, you heard major hustling and bustling behind it? That is because although you knocked, the environment on the other side of the door was not ready for you. You might even stand there and think, “I wonder what they are doing in there?” How often has your mind wondered to the negative? “Are they doing something in there they would be ashamed of?” In the extreme, there is this one, “Are they axe murders and are trying to get rid of the evidence real quick?” The bottom line folks is that the space on the other side of the door is not ready for you, so stop all the imagination and get with the program of asking, seeking and knocking. God does the same thing. We can be all ready to walk up to that door and apply our knuckles to the wood, or rap the door knocker or whatever is there; but God may not have finished preparing what is on the other side so, back off! Be patient. You may hear all kinds of strange noises going on, even some chainsaws running wild, but don’t let your imagination get the best of you.  Just let God do the work. In fact, it may be a good time to “go back to the basics” again and ask for more heart adjustments. Seek again that change because it may not have properly taken to your heart the first time. The change you requested may very well not have taken root.

By the way, at this point when you are knocking, you should already have asked and sought. The beam in the eye is the individual running up to the door and rushing through it without the appropriate preparation. Jesus is talking of other things now, not just our over zealous attitude to fix others. He is telling us there is not just looking at yourself, but downright preparation in yourself that needs to take place, and He has to have time to work. Yes, God is sovereign and could affect the change with a spoken word. However, the testimony of God’s word is that He prefers to work though the will of man. What a glorious God we have that can work with something so messed up, confused and ever changing as man’s will to affect His perfect end. Though He can complete His work whether you barge in through the door or not, God here gives you the opportunity to first ask about yourself, seek to change yourself and politely knock on the door to help others.

Equally, after having asked and sought, the door does not have to be about others. How many have thought of this possibility? Consider a beam’s-worth of problems that is in your own eye. That beam can be chopped off right at the base, no problem. However, we normally grow gradually, we normally mature gradually, and we normally change gradually for Christ. That is how we are sanctified. Sanctification is a process by which God the Holy Spirit makes us pure, holy and more separated unto Him on earth in preparation for heaven (Rom 15:16). If we ask in truth and seek Christ in truth, then we admit knocking on the door truthfully can be just as much about us than it can be about someone else.

The question for everyone here today is, are you truly asking God to change you. Jesus’ sermon begins with the promise of contentment with a poor spirit because of a promised inheritance in the Kingdom of Heaven (Rom 6:23b). This is done first at salvation where we ask God to save us, seeking His Son for salvation and knocking on the door to heaven. There is contentment in mourning as we receive comfort from the Holy Spirit concerning our empty condition (Jn 14:16-18).  Contentment in meekness originates from knowledge that there is earthly inheritance (Ps 37:11). Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, will be satisfied and experience great contentment (Gal 5:16-23). Christians seek the pure righteousness of God; their souls crave it as a great delicacy in the feasts of heaven. The merciful will receive the mercy they request. Exercising forgiveness (Matt 6:14) in life provides for this mercy and results in reciprocation. Seeking the mercies of God becomes a byproduct of giving mercy. Knocking on the door of mercy may not always result in merciful situations, but when one begins with the mercy of a poor spirit, they have great potential to receive mercy from even the haughtiest of spirits. Asking for a pure heart as David did in Psalm 51 provides for the revelation of God. God is revealed in purity, and in activities that encourage purity. Finally, asking for the strength to encourage peace gives contentment as we seek peaceful ends to all situations in our lives. Our hearts are humbled to produce these ends and the doors to the ends are opened as our hearts are changed for Christ.

Ladies and gentlemen let me encourage you to ask for heart change regularly and always before you approach a door of opportunity to witness or testify to another about heart changes you recognize that they need. Let me encourage you to first seek the heart change in yourself that you suspect they need by seeking God in prayer about these very things. Finally, when you have sought the humility of God’s purity and righteousness in your own heart, knock on the door of opportunity for change either for you, or for the brother or sister in Christ about whom you are so concerned. You never know, the Lord may have you both in mind. The scripture says, “For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” We might say, for every one that honestly asks for heart change, receives it; and he that seeks those things that will change his heart will find them; and to him that knocks on the door to change hearts, it will be opened.

[ii] The preface from the translators to the readers of an early 1611 version reads, “A man may be counted a virtuous man, though he have mad many slips in his life, (else there were no virtuous, for in many things we offend all,) also a comely man and lovely, though he have some warts upon his hand, yea, not only freckles upon his face, but also scars. No cause therefore why the word translated should be denied to be the word, or forbidden to be current, notwithstanding that some imperfections and blemishes may be noted in the setting forth of it. For whatever was perfect under the sun, where Apostles or apostolick men, that is, men endued with an extraordinary measure of God’s Spirit, and privileged with the privilege of infallibility, had not their hand?” The 1611 translators admit their human frailties can affect a translation, but it will not change the Word of God.

[iii] Note to the web reader: in services, this paper was passed in a protective cover. There was one blue and one white page in a single sleeve. The blue page was a copy of the Nestle-Aland 27^th edition Novum Testamentum Graece (New Testament in Greek) hardback book form showing chapter seven verses 1 through 19. On the reverse side was a white page. It was an excerpt from the Nestle-Aland 27^th edition Novum Testamentum Graece from Matthew much the same except it was taken from an automated copy with morphological tagging by William D. Mounce as it comes in Accordance® software for Mac®. This excerpt shows verses 7:1-11. Concentrating on the break at chapter seven verse seven, the hard back shows a paragraph separation, the automated copy does not. This could be a simple error in transposition from hardcopy to automated format. It also displays the decisions translators have to make to present material in a more readable fashion.

"Christians are spiritual beings. The rest of the world is not."

Introspection is a great thing when applied in a Christlike manner. When we look at ourselves through the prism of our Savior, we find that any light beam that emanates from us is tainted with black specks. Some of the light beams in fact may only emit dark hues of barely distinguishable color. That is why we need Jesus. If we see light beams from other believers that tend toward the darker side, we must approach this knowing the darkness we emanate as well.

We last discussed the issues dealing with introspection and identifying sins within ourselves before attempting to help others deal with theirs. Let me just say that the best way to help a beloved Christian brother or sister is through a testimony on how you yourself overcame a specific sin with the Lord. I pray you realize that when you have come through a difficult time your brother or sister can benefit from that – but only when it is conveyed in love. If you have come through a trying time, or a time of great sinful behavior where through the Lord you were delivered and not destroyed, that is a very comforting thing for others to know. However, it may just be a small speck or splinter and if you approach the situation inappropriately, you run the risk of making it a beam in the eye of another. You have a testimony, that is wonderful, and testimonies normally help others. The best testimony given to others in the wrong attitude or with an improper heart can hurt more than help. When a testimony is not desired, one should not give it. This is the road Jesus takes us down today.

Look at Matthew 7:6 please. Many wonder how this verse is connected to those above. Redactors[i] would say this is a break in the traditional recounting that was modified. However, with careful and proper application of the teachings in verses 1 through 5 we begin to understand the connection in verse six.

At first this scripture seems completely disconnected from the previous discussion. However, considering carefully what came before, this is further warning to be discerning, make the most of your witness and testimony. Trust your spirit which is under the influence of the Holy Spirit within you.

You may not have an opportunity to witness to someone as you think you should. I know I have waited with baited breath to say something to an individual and could not steer the conversation in the proper direction to save my life. I have purposefully gone to places and begun a conversation on spiritual things only to find that the individual was antagonistic, un-teachable or just as negative as they might possibly be. I have stood in doorways, on street corners and side walks talking to people with a clear and focused mind only to find that when the opportunity came about, the words left my mind without ever reaching my lips. I have also met stern and almost virulent criticism or ridicule for sharing Christ with people. All we have to say is, “Jesus died for your sins” and sometimes we cannot even get that out without a profane diatribe in retort.

As mentioned above, one must discern when their testimony will be beneficial or when it will be mocked, derided and ignored. There are times still when our testimony may fall prey to one of these wicked things by some, but others in the crowd may see it for what it is, purely of Christ (this assumes that the testimony is exactly that – of Christ).

I say all this because it is okay to both keep quiet and speak aloud. We are not talking about missing witnessing opportunities because you deny the Spirit as He tells you to go witness to this or that person. We are discussing turning down opportunities to share the gospel because the Spirit of God specifically tells you it is not worth your time.

I have described this to you before but it is the best example I can think of. My son Sean and I visited a Satanist once. He invited us back regularly. We talked, he listened, we debated and opened scripture and talked more. We went there for seven or eight weeks, I do not exactly remember. These folks were not changing their position or opinion, but they were not rude or destructive in their behavior. Regardless, as we continued to visit and communicate with this individual he would tell us about his continued participation in rituals. As I prayed about the situation more and more it occurred to me that we were being kept from other visits. In permitting this individual to consume all our time each week, we were not visiting others who may need just an encouraging visit, a prospective church member, or some person who needs the Savior. After talking about our time spent with them to our pastor, we agreed that we would cut off visits and go to visiting others. On the last week, we informed the individual of these facts and even discussed Satan’s using him to keep us from those other visits.

Our first order of business is to dismiss the indiscriminate manner in which we are often tempted to exhibit when giving the gospel. We have spoken many times during these passages of a Christian’s need to be discerning. None of the discussion of judgmentalism, none of the discussion concerning your own sin and being introspective, none of those things in any way should lend itself to an air of gullibility. Christians are spiritual beings. The rest of the world is not. Our spirits are enlivened, quickened to life by the Holy Spirit of God (Eph 2:1). You have a living spirit within you, both yours and the Holy Spirit of God (Rom 8:9). It is a discerning Spirit. This discerning Spirit can tell the difference between one who may be receptive and one who is not. For instance, you should never witness Christ to an individual who is inebriated or in a drug induced stupor. Their mind is wallowing in the mire of artificial influence. They cannot think straight and would likely have no comprehension of the conversation. Even if they had enough faculties to remember, they could, in their sinfulness, argue later that they were taken advantage of. They would be right. With that said, what are the main pieces of this passage? As we look at our scripture, we find dogs and swine, holy things and pearls and the wicked ones turning against you. First, dogs and swine and how they apply to this message.

I. Dogs and Swine

In the Levitical books, dogs and swine are unclean animals (Lev 11:1-8). Dogs in the time of Jesus were normally wild and ran in packs like our wolves here. They were not as dangerous, but they often ate carrion and other things. It is rather common knowledge in the west that coyotes will follow close to herds of cows and eat a nursing calf’s feces because it is full of the milk proteins of the cow. I know, gross, but it displays the “unclean” label given to dogs quite well. Phillips notes:

“Dogs are ready to devour anything, be it the choicest morsel or the filthiest offal.”[ii]

How true. If we relate this attitude to the spiritual world, the worldly are ready to intellectually consume anything, thinking that anything they take in can be beneficial regardless the content, intent or effect. This means they can go anywhere to be educated, just as much as they can view any amount of pornography or violence for entertainment. Like the dog in the time of Jesus, people of the world without His life changing salvation will “devour anything, be it the choicest morsel or the filthiest offal.” This individual would, in public desire to be seen as one who just wants to scrape out an existence while in private he enjoys all the sin this world has to offer. The dog is an individual who will patiently listen to your testimony for Christ, and even discuss things with you about your faith. Meanwhile, they are not personally interested in hearing of God, about His Son or the salvation available to them in Jesus. If you catch these people off guard, you will hear them telling other unbelievers (with whom they can really relate) how they had such a great time at a party getting drunk, indulging in immorality, or their plans to do so. They may ask you what scripture says about divorce and marriage, then once separation is official or the divorce papers are filed or completed they are immediately involved in another relationship regardless of your counsel. Their justification is that their spouse did so, or they finally have enjoyment in life. It is an opportunity to enjoy physical pleasure like the dog following the nursing calf to feed on feces. You should be aware that most of the world operates as the dog – they do not want you to know their true private life, while they want to appear civilized in public. These dogs believe you are the same way – Christian in public (and especially at church) but your private life is separate and ungodly. Dogs judge you based upon their own existence – as a twofaced hypocrite.

The swine is much the same, except where the dog operates on opportunity for consumption and will at times consume healthy things, the swine prefers to exist in the mire. Where the dog may appear somewhat kempt in their appearance, the swine could care less what they look like, they love the mire and wallow in it with wild abandon as it is their preferred lifestyle. Worldly folks in this category work, live, exist and bathe themselves in the corruption, slime, immorality, decadence and depravity of the world. They regularly share pornographic pictures and texts on their phones with others at work – especially if you are a Christian or may be offended because they like to shock you and seek, “that look on your face.” They not only take advantage of every vice, but do so without shame, without concern and plainly encourage others to imbibe as they publicly enjoy displaying their depraved minds. The swine may be that one individual you know for a fact is antagonistic toward Christ or the things of God. That one individual may never want to hear the name “Jesus” spoken from the lips of anyone. In our society today we have to be keenly aware of our work environment for witnessing and testimony. Where the dog may not only listen to a spiritual discussion, but may even seek one out just to be accepted or seen as a spiritual individual, the swine is not only uninterested but can be antagonistic. This individual would run immediately to management to report a religious infraction or breech of professional protocol. This would take place if a believer simply wanted to tell of their time at a men’s or woman’s retreat or even a special event at church where the gospel was presented and a soul saved for Christ. At the same time, they would have no qualms about reciting verbatim their sexual or drinking escapades over the weekend in the office whether it offended you or not. The hypocrisy of this is blatant to the believer. It is acceptable to testify of a degenerate lifestyle, but a holy lifestyle for Christ is personal and not supposed to be shared.

Dogs and swine are unbelievers who have no interest in the things of God. One may very well deride the other. The dog may very well call the swine uncivilized. The swine may call the dog dishonest and two-faced. Both are simply evil, lost and bound for destruction. We are admonished to make sure that we waste no time dealing with these folks. How do we discern this? It is not simple; in fact, it can be down right complex. I believe it boils down to the attitude an unbeliever has toward a believer’s testimony or witness. One has to admit that at a level the swine is right, no one can be that good. However, they do not see that the true Christian has an escape from his wickedness through Christ. They only see that, and quip, “we’re all sinners aren’t we…” which gives them license to indulge in their mire, and judge everyone else as disingenuous because they will not embrace their true self.

It is challenging but we have to remember that the unbeliever does not see their lifestyle as their faith, whereas the believer sees their faith depicted in our lifestyle. We must be aware of those around us that are the dog, simply wanting to be seen as tame in public, yet they regularly feed off of any carrion or refuse in private to nourish the flesh. If you witness to an individual and they seem truly to begin to or want to change their life, yet they are still feeding off the world’s filth, continue to give them hope but be on guard.

Be attuned to the swine who not only enjoys the world’s filth, but wears it on their clothes, on their body, and demands their rights to display their mire everywhere in an “accept me as I am” attitude. These same people will judge you quicker than a snake will bite. The swine wears worldly clothes, boldly displays the world’s marks upon their body, speaks worldly language, watches the best and the worst the world can offer and expects others to enjoy everything about this mire just as much as the swine himself does. They, in fact, think they are normal people, that they are better than others (like the dog) because they hide nothing of their debauchery. They justify that at least with them “what you see is what you get.” They would even call themselves moral, more so than the dog or especially the Christian, who would hide this evil part of themselves or seemingly deny what is truly in them.

The Christian knows the dog and swine within, but he also knows Christ and the Holy Spirit are within fighting off the wicked wretched heart that is naturally ours. The difference between the dog, swine and the Christian is that the first two will be condemned to eternal torment, while the third will be in eternal glory. Another glaring difference, and I pray you all grasp this, is that the capacity to be doggish or swinish remains inside you. Where the dog or swine have no capacity to deny their wretchedness, the Christian not only can deny it, but is keenly aware of this poor spirit and sees only the great humility they must have in their life. The poor spirit and humility are part of the holy pearls we can give.

II. Holy Pearls

Many feel that this passage deals specifically with the sacraments (see Clark’s Commentary).[iii] This misses the point of the discussion completely. There is no reference to sacraments, either the Lord’s Supper or Baptism, in this passage. This section of scripture deals first with introspection and looking at your heart. Later we discuss this attitude with respect to prayer. What are the dogs and swine of the world that we should not give what is holy to them?

Are these pearls salvation? Are pearls spiritual things? Are the pearls things we would hold in great value to us in our Christian life? Are the holy pearls life counsel that leads to godly living? The answer is yes to all questions. When we run into one of the two types of individuals, we can politely answer any questions they may have and relate to them the things they ask, but we guard carefully the deepest spiritual things such as our convictions. Many times, our unique convictions can be turned right back against us and used as vicious ridicule. These convictions, if properly born from a deep and abiding relationship with God, are forms of worship (for instance, if we fast on a regular basis, or if we avoid or dislike certain television shows or movies). These decisions in our lives will find ridicule with the dog and the swine whether in private (the dog would gossip and judge in private) or in public (the swine would denigrate publicly) mocking any such conviction.

In the public sphere today it is quite common for Christians be labeled because they do not accept homosexual activity. Satan’s influence in the world is training the spiritually depraved to be more ungodly by ignoring passages such as Romans 1:26 and 27 as well as Leviticus 18:22. They call these homosexual-prohibitive passages out of date, out of the mainstream. The scriptures have not changed, people just want them to. Note, we are no longer called upon to accept the homosexual as a person, but the homosexual activity as a normal function of life. If we do not accept the activity, we are either bigoted or homophobic. Politically we call this tolerance doctrine, biblically we call this sin and the world’s acceptance, promotion, embracing and celebration of it. Spiritually speaking it is the swine saying accept my mire as normal or do not seek to accept me at all. How do we handle these things?

First, check your attitude. You can, as Paul so keenly reminds us, do evil easily as it is your natural bent to do so (Rom 7:15-18). We do that which is unnatural to us only because Christ is within us to inspire the activity. We are wretched creatures saved by grace. This is our first consideration. How does this apply to testimony? Is there a beam in your eye?

Even when you know you might do the same as a sinner, we should not be tempted to give in to doing sinful things or things we know would not honor God. Wesley notes:

“Yet even then, when the beam is cast out of thine own eye, Give not—That is, talk not of the deep things of God to those whom you know to be wallowing in sin. Neither declare the great things God hath done for your soul to the profane, furious, persecuting wretches. Talk not of perfection, for instance, to the former; not of your experience to the latter. But our Lord does in nowise forbid us to reprove, as occasion is, both the one and the other.”[iv]

Proverbs 25:12 is clear that wise counsel is a precious, valuable and holy thing. [v] Our salvation is an equally precious, valuable and holy thing. Neither of these should be handed out indiscriminately, but through a discerning spirit that seeks opportunities for witness and testimony, but also seeks wisdom and discernment in doing so.

III. Turning against you

In Jamieson Fausset and Brown, we find a more contemporary understanding of the scripture:

“Religion is brought into contempt, and its professors insulted, when it is forced upon those who cannot value it and will not have it.”[vi]

I have seen debates between atheists and believers where the atheist will, in the course of the debate, blaspheme God. If the believer were to attack the atheist, they would be labeled intolerant, hateful or just mean. We would do well to remember the complete reprobate will not heed your warning of their doom after this life. That individual is lost and may never be found. Of course, this is not our decision and we must obey the living Word of God’s commands to “go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk 16:15). For the gospel is an antidote to the darkness of Satan’s power of death and condemnation (Rom 1:16). Equally Paul reinforces Christ’s teaching here in 1 Corinthians 1:18, where to those not elected by God, the gospel is a fool’s game. These poor souls do not believe in the power of God because God has chosen to delay their judgment. Because they either believe in nothing, claim to have nothing to believe in or choose only to believe in themselves. These individuals mock meek believers calling them weak. They mock those who appear timid (merciful). They mock a pure heart and a hunger or thirst for righteousness as foolish limitations, unwillingness, or fear of enjoying life to the fullest. When the lost are so steeped in their sin that they enjoy it, they call it “living every day as if it were your last” (Eccl 8:15; Is 22:13). They would prefer to drag others down into their pit of filth in order to justify their own existence. Their hearts are seldom capable of understanding the need for redemption. They are doing fine in their mind’s eye, and the more they can take with them, the better. The more that participate, the more proof that they are doing just fine. These folks regularly push their “morality” upon others, yet they cry foul like the spoiled child on the play ground if you mention your convictions to them.

The gospel of Christ will meet with stiff opposition from Satan’s little puppets. We have looked at some of those who are metaphorically described as dogs and swine in the scriptures. We also identified some of the holy pearls we possess that the fallen man cannot comprehend. Finally, as many of us have probably experienced, we looked at how the overtly wicked can turn the truth of the gospel of Christ against us, ridicule us, deride us and abuse us.

We do well to remember Colossians 1:5-6,

“5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;  6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:”

To the believer, these are sweet words of hope in Christ and His salvation. Do not waste time giving such holy hope to the dog or the swine of the world that prefers their temporal wretchedness on earth to heavenly eternity. Your continued efforts will simply infuriate them, and could be keeping you from a more profitable appointment.

Witness to the lost, but do so with spiritual discernment.

[ii] John Phillips, Exploring the Gospel of Matthew, An Expository Commentary, (Kregel: Grand Rapids, 1999), 124.

[iii] Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Whole Bible, Public Domain, text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library http://www.ccel.org Formatted and corrected by OakTree Software, Inc. ver 1.0 – link to Matthew 7:6. “As a general meaning of this passage, we may just say: “The sacrament of the Lord’s supper, and other holy ordinances which are only instituted for the genuine followers of Christ, are not to be dispensed to those who are continually returning like the snarling ill-natured dog to their easily predominant sins of rash judgment, barking at and tearing the characters of others by evil speaking, back biting and slandering; nor to him who, like the swine, is frequently returning to wallow in the mud of sensual gratifications and impurities.”

[iv] John Wesley, John Wesley’s Notes on the Whole Bible, Public Domain Derived from an electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library http://www.ccel.org Formatted by OakTree Software, Inc. Version 1.0

[v] Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Hole Bible Complete and Unabridged in one volume, (USA: Hendrickson, 1991), 1643. Note, [1.] Good counsel and reproof are a holy thing, and a pearl: they are ordinances of God, they are precious; as an ear-ring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is the wise reprover (Prov. xxv. 12)…

[vi] Jamieson Robert, Fausset, A. R., Brown, David. A Commentary Critical, Experimental, and Practical on the Old and New Testaments, Vol III. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Pub Co., 1973), 47. JFB goes further to discuss the proposed paradoxical confrontation in Mk 16:15 and 2 Cor 2:16. Plainly, we are to discern our opportunities to preach, teach and reprove. This is where the Proverbs 25 reference is specifically encouraging – to provide gold nuggets of wisdom to the fellow believer is to disburse pearls of holiness. However, the wicked of the world simply treat this wisdom with brute stupidity and blatant ignorance of the things of the spirit. As JFB goes further to say, “Whatever is taught in Scripture, for instance, about the corrupt nature of man, free justification, and eternal election, is turned by many into an encouragement to sloth and to carnal indulgence. Such persons are fitly and justly pronounced to be swine. Others, again, tear the pure doctrine, and its ministers, with sacrilegious reproaches, as if they threw away all desire to do well, all fear of God, and all care for their salvation.”