Jesus wraps up His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, leaving the crowd amazed! Do not judge or you will be judged by the measure you use. Jesus illustrates this with a word picture of someone with a plank in their eye trying to remove a speck out of someone else’s eye. (I certainly don’t want someone performing delicate surgery on me with such a major impairment to their vision!) He goes on to say, “first take the plank out of your own eye so you can see clearly to remove the speck.” So we can help our brother by removing the speck, but we must remove the plank from our own eye, first. In other words, live by God’s Word and when you see your brother tripping in his walk, come alongside and help him out. You will come to know whether that person is your Christian sibling by their reaction to your godly counsel. The ones who receive what God’s Word says are your brothers and sisters. The ones who don’t may not be.
Several years ago, a sister in Christ confronted me about my reaction to something. It made me angry. I went away upset, but later I had to come back to her and thank her for alerting me to my bad behavior. My point is, the verse about not casting your sacred things to dogs or pearls to pigs isn’t about sharing the Gospel. If people keep coming to you, share. If they really aren’t being wooed to Jesus, they will quit coming because they won’t hear what you have to say. Also, Christians are at different stages of growth and we may be having a pride flare-up on the day you toss a pearl of God’s wisdom to us that we’re not ready to receive. Those who love Christ will eventually recognize that pearl for what it is and not trample it!
“Ask, seek, knock” is about persistent prayer. Keep asking God. Keep seeking God. Keep knocking on God’s door. Jesus says everyone who asks receives, the one who seeks finds and the one who knocks will have the door opened to them. This is a warning. And not necessarily about prayer. Be careful who you ask for what. Be careful what you seek. Be careful what doors you knock on. Persistence will bring you good and bad results depending on your focus. Stay focused on Jesus, and your results will be good.
Continuing with prayer, Jesus says, which of you will give your son a stone if he asks for bread? And who will give a snake if he asks for a fish? If you, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask? God is not sarcastic. He is not a practical joker. He doesn’t say or do something and follow it up with “just kidding.” God gives good gifts. Even the pain we suffer is meant for our good and His glory.
I am a cancer survivor for the last 11 years! When I was first diagnosed, I was scared. I asked God, “why?” And then I experienced the most intense year of relationship with Him as I clung to Him and His Word as I took each step through decisions, surgeries and chemotherapy! I wouldn’t know Him today the way I do if not for my cancer. I wouldn’t have met the people I encountered if not for my cancer. I wouldn’t have been able to witness to other people who were scared and didn’t have Jesus as their hope, if not for my cancer. I wouldn’t be able to write these words if not for my cancer. Praise Jesus!
So, Jesus wraps this up by saying, do to others as you
want them to do to you. Remove specks from
the eyes of others as you want them to remove specks from you. Pray for others as you would have them pray
for you. Give good gifts as you want to
receive good gifts.
The fact that Jesus says this sums up the Law and the Prophets got me thinking about the Ten Commandments. Love God, love people. How? Keep God first. No idols. Honor God’s Name. Keep the Sabbath. Honor your parents. Don’t murder. Don’t commit adultery. Don’t steal. Don’t give false testimony. Don’t covet. Jesus is the only person Who lived out the Law and Prophets perfectly. I will absolutely falter, but He can live these teachings out in me! My role in my walk with Him is to stay connected to Him through prayer and Bible study, and obey what He teaches me. And He empowers me to do that! Hallelujah!
Only through Jesus. That’s the point of the narrow gate versus wide gate part of the sermon. Jesus is the only way to heaven. That is the narrow gate. Few will find this road that leads to life eternal! Why? The wide road of worldliness is easier. It’s less humbling. It’s about us and what we want in our selfishness. It lets us think we can save ourselves. And it leads to destruction, not life. Don’t be fooled. If you’re on the narrow road, praise Jesus! If you’re not, but you recognize that Jesus is the only way, seek out a Christian friend, Pastor or family member or say the prayer at the top of this blog and then seek out a godly friend to plug into a Bible preaching church.
Watch out for false prophets. They look like sheep, but they’re actually ferocious wolves on the inside. You will recognize them by their fruit. Take a look at Galatians 5:19-21. The fruit of the flesh is sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissentions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing and anything similar. Now take a look at Galatians 5:22-23. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Actually, take the time to read verses 16-26. They’re life-changing.
So, what if I really am a Christian, but I slip back into old bad habits? What if I start to display the fruit of the flesh? I’ve been there. You RUN to Jesus!!! Don’t walk! Don’t stop! Run! Flee those old sins…that fruit of worldliness…at their first appearance. Get restored! Pray the Holy Spirit alerts you to the presence of the pit you’re about to fall into a little faster and that you avoid those pitfalls! And praise and thank Him when He does!
I have prayed for 13 years to be delivered of jealousy. I have a co-worker who inserts themselves between me and other people as if they were my supervisor, which they are not. They have been in this office environment ten years longer than I, and have not received the promotions and kudos they desire, so they put themself in a “lead” position. This is discouraging to me because this person doesn’t let me expand my responsibility or my skillset. They keep all the work for themself. And my actual supervisor and manager let this person do this. I am now cooperating with Jesus more often in this area. He is helping me recognize when the jealousy starts to rise up in me, and reminding me to run to Him. If we are connected to the True Vine spoken of in John 15, we will bear the fruit of the Spirit! Stay connected to the True Vine! Then praise Him for the fruit you bear.
Not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord,” belongs to Jesus! That’s a hard teaching. What’s even harder is that these people prophesied, drove out demons and performed miracles in the name of Jesus! How can this be? Jesus says that, despite the fact they did these things, He never knew them! Away evildoer! So it’s possible to think your actions are in service to God when they’re actually not. Our deeds do not get us to heaven! Salvation is a gift of God. We aren’t saved by our works. We are saved by God’s grace and mercy. God’s will for us is belief in His one and only Son for salvation!
THAT is the rock we build on! Jesus is the Christ…the Messiah…the Savior of the world! Everything else is shifting sand! What are you building your life on?
(the homiletics below led to the thoughts above)
Content (not sentence, direct verbiage from Scripture, fit on one line):
1.judge or you judged; in same way, w/meas you
use(7:1-2)
2.why look speck sawdust bro’s eye, pay attn plank
own eye(7:3)
3.how say ‘let me tk speck out’ when plank own eye; 1st
tk plank out,see clearly rem speck(7:4-5)
4.give dogs what sacred, throw pearls pigs,
they may trample, tear you to
pieces(7:6)
5.Ask, will be given you; seek you will find; knock door
will be opened(7:7)
6.everyone who asks receives; one who seeks finds; one
who knocks door opened(7:8)
7.which of you, if son asks bread, give him stone? If he
asks fish, give him snake?(7:9-10)
8.if you, though evil, give good gifts children, how much
more Fr hvn gv good gifts those who ask(7:11)
9.in everything do to others what you would have them do
to you, this sums Law and Prophets(7:12)
10.Enter through narrow gate, wide=gate,broad=rd leads
destruction, many enter(7:13)
11.small=gate,narrow=rd leads life, only a few find(7:14)
12.watch out false proph, cm sheep’s clothing, inwardly
ferocious wolves(7:15)
13.by fruit you recognize, do ppl pick grapes from
thornbushes, figs from thistles?(7:16)
14.gd tree bears gd fruit, bad tree bears bad;gd tree
cannot bear bad fruit,bad cannot bear gd(7:17-18)
15.Every tree bear gd fruit cut dn thrown fire;by
fruit recognize them(7:19-20)
16.every1 says L,L enter koh,only 1 does will
Fr(7:21)
17.many say L,L, we proph,drv demns,perf mircles;I tell
plainly nvr knew you, away evildoer(7:22-23)
18.evry1 hears,puts in2 practice lk wise man blt
rock;rain cm,stream rose,wind blew, fall(7:24-25)
19.evry1 hears,put in2 practice lk fool man blt
sand;rain cm,stream rose,wind blew, crash(7:26-27)
20.When J finished, crowds amazed at teaching;bec taught
authority, not as tchrs of law(7:28-29)
Divisions (run-on
sentence OK, direct verbiage from Scripture/Principles are Aims for each
Division – a truth about God, a truth about man, a truth about God’s
relationship to man; a sin to avoid,
promise to trust, example to follow, command to obey, truth to believe):
1.Jesus teaches, “do not judge; ask, seek, knock; and do
to others as you would have them do to you.” (7:1-12)
Principle: God’s
Word should be our guidance for living, leading us to seek Him, give good gifts
and treat others well.
2.Jesus teaches about the wide and narrow roads to
destruction and life; good and bad fruit; entering the kingdom of heaven; and
the wise and foolish builders. (7:13-29)
Principle: The
path we take and fruit we bear reveals our eternal destination and what
foundation we’ve built our life upon.
Subject Sentence (10-word
sentence with proper structure showing exactly where you are in Scripture):
Jesus finished teaching amazed crowds: do to others…,
wise building.
Aim (“To Cause My
Audience To…” Know, See, Learn, Understand, etc.):
TCMATK Jesus is the only way to the Father and the road
to life is mapped out in His Word.
Application (not
yes or no question. Meant to bring about
heart change):
1.Where is God alerting you to use the Bible as a guide
to clean up your thought life, and how is that affecting how you seek Jesus and
your treatment of others?
When have you cleaned up your act and attempted to help a
brother or sister only to have him or her attack you? (7:6)
Where is Jesus’ example of not answering His accusers
being lived out in you? (7:6)
Where are you experiencing the “ask – seek – knock”
principle in your life? (7:7-11)
Do you have as much of Jesus as you want? If not, how are you using the “ask – seek –
knock” principle to get more of Him? (7:7-11)
2.How have you entered through the narrow gate?
What sort of fruit are you bearing? What will you do to increase the yield of
fruit you bear?
Where are you challenged to do the will of the
Father? How will allow God to tweak your
thinking to make obedience a more natural response for you?
The Big Idea (author’s
main purpose in writing; the one thing all the other things in the passage is
about; if you couldn’t talk about it, you would still understand the passage is
trying to convey this):
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