Sermon on the Mount Part #7 (Matthew 7:1-14)
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Still going through Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and his words specifically to his disciples and to those who would follow him and believe in him.
The main point that Jesus is to make is that we should be righteous in everything we do. Now we are sinful people, we are not perfect like God or Jesus, BUT, our lives, our want, is to live a life that is good…not just on the outside but the inside as well. Not what others see…but what God sees.
That is why he said in Matthew 5:20...
For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
While we have been looking at what Jesus has said so far in this Sermon we have seen his teachings:
Anger
Lust
Divorce
Oaths
Loving Our Enemies
Giving, Fasting, Praying
Worry
1. Judging Others
1. Judging Others
Read Matthew 7: 1-6
Everyone one of us has a tendency to look at the bad in others. We see when someone else has a fault or doing something wrong, and we think, how dare them Why are they like that? Why are they so bad?
It’s easy to see someone else’s problem and judge them, but not to see our own problems.
Jesus is saying, before you look at someone else's problem and think their problems are so big, deal with your own shortcomings.
Jesus uses an example with a splinter and a big piece of wood. The splinter is a symbol of a small problem, and the big piece of wood is a symbol of a big problem. We can look at another person and see a small splinter in one someone else's eye…which is a small problem. We look at them and judge them saying take care of that small problem you have…but while we are saying it, the truth is that we have a big piece of wood in our eye. We have a big problem and we are judging them for their small problem.
We are not to judge. We are to love one another.
Paul, writing to the Christians in Rome
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we need to be careful not to look down on others because of the problems that they have…because all we need to do is to look at a reflection of ourselves and see problems as well.
So what if you do see someone that is wrong. Should you say something to them? The Bible says in verse 1, “Judge not..”
So should we say nothing? No.
Next time we will take about the way we should talk to someone who is doing something wrong, but in the context here, Jesus is saying don’t look down upon someone for doing something bad when you are doing bigger things that God does not like.
But is there ever a time when we should judge someone else?
Then look at verse 6...
6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
Jesus points to the fact that we should not waste what is holy on those who want to have nothing to do the gospel.
Now Jesus said in Luke 19:10:
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Why would he say not to waste it on people who would not believe?
People have a choice to make. It is their own choice, no one can make it for them. If they refuse to follow, they have made a choice, at least in that moment. Now the Holy Spirit could still convict them and the may turn to God, but Jesus is saying, for those who don’t want it, don’t waste your time. Move on. There are still others for you to share with.
But…we must still remember to pray for them. Pray that the conviction of the Holy Spirit will lead them to Christ. In Matthew 5:44 Jesus said we are to love our enemies...
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
2. Asking in Prayer
2. Asking in Prayer
Read Matthew 7:7-11
Again this is one of those verses that some Pastors point to and say “Whatever you want, ask God and he will give it to you.” Do you want a million Naira, ask God, he will do it. Do you want a new car, ask God, ad he will do it.
The dangers of reading one verse or even a part of a verse and make it to be the truth is not being faithful to the true words of God.
Let me show you. Lets say I was going to preach today from Matthew 7:7 only. For one hour I preach on this one verse....
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
And if all I preached was this verse, it would sound like that all you need to do is ask…and everything you desire would be given to you.
BUT, to preach on this one verse would not be faithful to the preaching of the Scripture. Why? Because we would have taken a small piece of something, and used it for our own selfish purpose. But Jesus did not speak this truth in a sentence, he spoke the truth in many sentences.
This is called context. Context. Context is when we see an entire thought and we see it in the way it was spoken and understood to the people hearing at that time.
These people would have never thought, Oh, I just have to ask, and surely God will give it to me.
Yes, he does say, ask, seek, and open, but his main point he is saying here is that your heavenly Father wants to give you good things, he wants to bless you, and for those that love him, who follow him, who strive to live a righteous life…he will take care of you.
I don’t know what that looks like, that he will take care of you, it may be different for different people. But he says as much as a Father wants to take care of his children, I will see to it that you are taken care of as well.
3. The Golden Rule
3. The Golden Rule
Read Matthew 7:12
This one verse should remind how we should treat other people. It rather simple: Do you want to be lied to? Do you want someone to steal from you? Do you want others to gossip about you? Then don’t do the same to others.
The way you want to be respected and treated well…do the same to others.
4. Choosing the right gate.
4. Choosing the right gate.
Read Matthew 7:13-14
Jesus gives use a picture of the road or path that leads to salvation or heaven , and the road or path that leads away Him and leads to destruction or hell.
The two roads are narrow and wide. The gate on the narrow road is small, and the gate on the wide road is big.
The road you choose will determine your eternity.
You see many people choose the wide road with the big gate because it’s easy. It’s comfortable.