This morning- complete our SOTM series.
SOTM- more than an ideal we have to live up to.
Picture of Jesus- taking His disposition and supernaturally working it into our lives.
Throughout SOTM- confronted w/alternatives-
two kinds of righteousness
two treasures
two masters
Jesus died for us so we have the freedom to choose …
what treasure we will go after or
what master we will follow.
Constantly make choices in- realities of everyday life.
We chose either to follow the …
prevailing culture of today or
Kingdom of God.
V7:13-14
This is a warning from God.
When God warns us it is out of His love for us.
He wants us to avoid His judgment.
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. NASU
His instructions in- SOTM are designed to encourage us to modify our thoughts/heart/behavior.
God- God of love, but for those who do not choose to walk w/Him- there are serious consequences.
God is not asking us to walk down an impossible road
Jesus came to make us new creatures and deposit in us the same disposition that governed His life.
2Co 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. NASU
There are four alternatives we find in these verses …
1. Two gates we can enter
Wide gate- no limit to the baggage we can take w/us.
There is nothing we need to leave behind-
sin, self-righteousness, pride- we can take it all.
To enter- narrow gate- must leave behind everything- sin, selfishness, covetousness, ambition.
Impossible to follow Christ w/o denying ourselves.
Lk 9:23 And He was saying to them all, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. NASU
2. Two ways (paths) we can go
Psa 1:1-2, 6
* Broad way- spacious and roomy …
there is ample room for diversity of opinions
there are no moral distinctives
it is a road of tolerance and permissiveness
man can follow- inclinations of- his fallen heart
* Narrow way- has boundaries that are clearly marked
The narrowness is not religiousness or legalism.
It is God’s revealed truth, His light, that confines us to the path God defines for man in His Word.
God’s revelation places boundaries on belief/behavior
It is in these boundaries that we will find true freedom
3. Two crowds we can walk with
On Wide road- large crowd- heading for destruction.
On Narrow road- small crowd- chosen eternal life.
One thing is clear- there are no other gates, no middle way, no neutral groups.
4. Two destinations
We see these two destinations throughout scripture …
Psalm 1- righteous prosper, wicked perish
Dt 30:15 "See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity; NASU
God- Creator- not the Destroyer, created man to live.
V7:15-20
Jesus warns against false prophets because they exist.
Mt 24:11 "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. NASU
The existence of false prophets assumes there is an absolute, objective, standard of truth.
Unlike today where truth is relevant to the individual.
In Bible days-
true prophet- spoke truth by divine inspiration
false prophet- claimed- same divine inspiration, but spoke error.
Jer 23:16 Thus says the Lord of hosts, "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility; They speak a vision of their own imagination, Not from the mouth of the Lord.
False prophets will either try to say that the …
narrow way is wider than Jesus said it was, or
broad way does not lead to destruction.
False prophets advocate- many roads that lead to God.
False prophets today- Oprah Winfrey, Eckhart Tolle.
There is no path to God apart from Jesus Christ- all other roads are broad roads leading to destruction.
Jn 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. NASU
We are to judge prophets by their fruit.
What fruit is Jesus talking about?
1. Character and conduct
Does their lives exhibit Christ like behavior?
Gal 5:19-23
A true prophet- exhibits the fruit of Spirit more than deeds of the flesh.
However, you cannot conclude that just because a man lives a good life that he is a true prophet.
We must also examine his teaching, what is he saying
2. Teaching and doctrine
Mtt 12:33-36
If a tree is known by its fruit, we have a responsibility to judge a teacher by his teaching.
The Word of God is the ultimate guide in determining whether a man’s teaching is truth or error.
In particular does the man’s teaching …
align itself with scripture,
confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, and
does he acknowledge- Jesus is both God/man?
We must also test the man and his teaching, by the fruit it produces in others.
3. Influence
What is the fruit in the lives of those who sit under a particular person’s teaching?
2 Tim 2:16-18
There is a balance- Jesus is not encouraging us to be heresy hunters or to be suspicious of everyone.
Lk 9:53-56
Fruit and fruit alone is the test of a false prophet.
How do we develop fruit in our lives?
Fruit comes out of a strong relationship with God.
Jn 15:1-5
Even in this we must be careful.
In our lives it takes time for fruit to develop.
There is a place of being patient with people.
We must also be careful not to assume that our convictions are God’s standards.
This leads us to condemn everyone who does not subscribe to our particular set of convictions.
Jesus closes the SOTM
Jesus closes the SOTM by confronting us with the choice between obedience and disobedience.
He calls us to an unconditional commitment to His teachings.
He warns us of two unacceptable alternatives.
V7:21-23
Unacceptable alternatives …
1. A verbal profession of faith alone
Our final destiny- not settled by what we say, but by whether we do what we say in obedience to Christ.
Rom 10:9-10
Verbal confession- very important, but it cannot stand alone apart from a life lived in obedience to God.
You can have a super natural ministry accompanied by prophecy, miracles, demonic deliverance,
without true obedience to the Words of Christ.
Mt 24:24 "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. NASU
There is a difference between spiritual gifting and spiritual fruit.
The existence of spiritual gifts does not assure us that someone is walking in obedience to God.
A person can call Jesus Lord, work miracles, but never submit to His Lordship or obey His will.
V7:24-27
Unacceptable alternatives …
2. An intellectual knowledge of faith alone
The first alternative was between saying and doing.
The second is between hearing and doing.
Notice- difference between two houses- foundation.
Foundation is unseen, invisible.
People professing Christ, regardless of their foundation, can look outwardly alike.
Both read the Bible, go to church, listen to sermons, buy/read Christian books.
They have a knowledge of God and His ways, but do not live it and have deceived themselves
in believing they are right with God.
The differences in the foundations is only revealed in the storms of everyday life.
The question is not whether we hear the Word, but do we do the Word that we hear.
Neither a verbal profession of faith nor an intellectual knowledge of faith is a substitute for obedience.
In fact, each may be a camouflage for disobedience.
Do we do what we say and do we do what we know?
Is Jesus truly Lord in the realities of everyday life?
I am not saying that our relationship w/God is based on works and earning our approval before God.
But true faith will be expressed outwardly in works.
Conclusion
In applying this teaching to ourselves, we need to consider that the Bible is a dangerous book to read, and that the church is a dangerous society to join. John Stott
Reading God’s Word and becoming involved in the life of the local church,
brings with it a responsibility to make sure …
what we say and
what we know,
… is translated into what we do.
What Kingdom will we live in? God’s or this world’s
In the SOTM Jesus calls us to …
be salt to a world- decaying like rotten food
be light to a dark world- stand for truth
have- righteousness- goes beyond outward appearance and touches our heart
have a love that is broad- embraces enemies
We can …
follow the crowd or follow our God
swayed by public opinion/ruled by God’s Word
Many of us, particularly- young, concerned about …
what their life-work will be or
who their life-partner will be.
More fundamental than either of those is …what …
road will we travel on,
foundation will we build our lives on?
