Everybody's building.
Every person on the face of the earth is building.
We're all builders.
We're all building.
A person builds a life.
And a person builds a life one decision at a time.
And each decision that someone makes
is based upon what they believe to be true.
In Matthew 5, 6, and 7,
Jesus lays out the Sermon on the Mount.
This is what is true, he says.
And this morning, we come to the close of the Sermon on the Mount.
We're following Jesus' lead here,
and we're bringing our study of the Sermon on the Mount to an end.
And what Jesus does in the Sermon on the Mount,
at the end of the Sermon on the Mount,
is he brings his listeners to a point of decision.
The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus making clear
what God truly means in the Old Testament law and the prophets.
And one of the effects is when he walks us through again and again,
you've heard this say, but I say, again and again and again,
it brings us to an end to ourselves.
We come to a point and say,
I cannot do this 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
In Matthew 5, 48, if you just look in your Bibles there,
Jesus says, be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect.
It's a call to perfection.
Anybody there?
Jesus very skillfully brings us to a point
where we've got to hold up our hands,
and we've got to say something like,
there is no way I can do this.
There's no way that, hey, I might not murder somebody,
but to not be sinfully angry with somebody,
I can't do that 24-7.
I can't avoid lust all the time.
I can't love my enemy all the time.
In the Sermon on the Mount,
Jesus raises the standard beyond what any of us can do.
He fulfills the true meaning of the law.
And so what the Sermon on the Mount does
is it actually exposes our spiritual bankruptcy.
It shows that we're poor in spirit.
It shows that the only one
who fulfilled the perfect requirements
of the law and the prophets that Jesus lays out
is the one who's preaching the sermon.
He's the only one who lived the Sermon on the Mount perfectly.
And so what Jesus is doing through this Sermon on the Mount
is bringing us to a point where we come to an end of ourselves.
I can't do this.
But he's also bringing us to a point of decision.
What are you going to do?
And so Jesus wants us to see that
we don't have it in and of ourselves
to live out the Sermon on the Mount
but where we say,
I can't,
he always says,
I can't.
The Sermon on the Mount brings us to Jesus.
Jesus is the one who will live his life out through us.
And so this morning,
we're at the end of this sermon,
probably the best sermon ever preached.
And in Matthew chapter 7,
verses 13 through 29,
in this extended section,
Jesus is going to call you
to make a decision.
It's going to come out like this.
Choose this day
whom you will obey.
You will need to choose today
whom you're going to obey.
Jesus doesn't leave anything.
He makes it very clear.
You've got two options.
And what he is obviously going to tell us is
choose him.
Obey him.
And so he calls for a decision.
So these 17 verses,
Jesus lays out four options
for you to choose between.
You've got to choose between two paths.
You've got to choose between two prophets.
You've got to choose between two professions.
And you've got to choose between two foundations.
And so Jesus,
over these four times,
gives us options to choose between.
Choose this day
whom you will obey.
And what he's getting at
is this.
Whose authority are you going to come under?
Whose words are you going to build your life on?
Who's going to be in charge of your life?
Choose this day.
Choose this day
who you will obey.
And the one speaking
is the one
whom you must obey.
So four choices
given to us
by the incarnate God himself.
Choose this day
whom you will obey.
Let's look at this.
Verses 13 and 14,
these two paths.
Jesus commands,
enter by the narrow gate.
For the gate is wide
and the way is easy
that leads to destruction.
And those who enter it,
enter by it,
are many.
For the gate is narrow
and the way is hard
that leads to life.
And those who find it
are few.
And so,
in this first option,
Jesus gives us
two paths.
And they stand
in stark contrast
to each other.
Both paths
have a gate,
a starting point.
You can see in verse 15,
excuse me,
13,
enter by the narrow gate
for the gate is wide.
One of the gates
is a wide gate.
And if you
go through a wide gate,
what that means is
it's,
hey,
anybody can come through this gate.
It's really broad.
It's really wide.
It's designed to let
a lot of people
go through at one time.
But there's another gate.
It's a narrow gate.
And a narrow gate
is restrictive.
Do you know
what a turnstile is?
Have you ever been
walking into,
like,
a ball game
or a concert
and the big mob
of people
that wants to get in,
they,
it funnels down
to this one turnstile?
Click,
clink,
click,
clink,
click,
clink,
click,
clink,
only one at a time.
It's a narrow gate.
Jesus says,
enter by the narrow gate.
In John 10,
9,
Jesus says that
he is the door.
He is the gate.
If anyone enters
through him,
he will be saved.
And so from the get-go
in these two paths,
you've got to realize
there's two gates.
There's a wide gate
that lets a lot
of people through
and then there's
a narrow gate.
Jesus is that gate.
But both paths
have distinct ways.
Did you notice that?
There's the broad gate
that opens
to a wide way.
Think of a five-lane highway.
Remember driving
through Atlanta
years ago.
It's a huge highway.
Multiple lanes.
But the broad way,
think about it
this way today.
There are five lanes
in that highway.
There's the lane
of pluralism.
That's where people say,
hey, there are many ways
to heaven or nirvana
or salvation,
whatever you want
to call it.
We're all going
the same direction.
Pluralism.
That's one of the lanes
on this broad way.
Scientism.
You know what
scientism is?
It's the belief
that the final say,
the final authority
on all things
is science.
Many people
are on that path,
that lane.
There's another lane
on this broad way.
It's called materialism.
It's thinking that,
hey, my value,
my joy,
my happiness
is determined
by my net worth
or the abundance
of my possessions.
That's just another lane
on this broad way.
And then there's
this thing called
hedonism,
the pursuit of pleasure.
I will do
whatever I want to do
with whoever
I want to do
whenever I want to do it.
It's a broad way
with many lanes.
Standing in stark contrast
to that broad way
is a narrow way.
When one enters
the narrow gate of Jesus,
he steps onto
the narrow way
of discipleship.
And it's a narrow way.
It's walking
according to the words
of Jesus.
It's living
according to what
he says.
In one sense,
it is restrictive.
In verse 14,
when Jesus says
that this way
is hard,
do you see that?
For the gate is narrow
and the way is hard
that leads to life.
That word hard
means to press.
Like if someone
pressed your nose hard
and started to bleed,
it's part of a word group
in the New Testament
that gets at the word
tribulation.
And so we see it
showing up in Acts 14,
22.
Through many tribulations
we must enter
the kingdom of God.
This narrow way
of discipleship
is a way that's marked
by hardship,
by suffering.
That's what Jesus
has promised.
He says,
just flip back
to the Beatitudes.
And if you turn
to where Jesus
ends all these
blessings,
he says in verse 10,
blessed are those
who are persecuted
for righteousness' sake.
Verse 11,
blessed are you
when others revile you
and persecute you
and utter all kinds
of evil against you
falsely on my account.
When you get on
the narrow way
through the gate of Jesus,
it's going to go hard
for you.
It's not a cakewalk.
And Jesus doesn't put it
in small print.
He's like right up front.
It's not going to be easy.
And so the narrow way
of discipleship,
it's not,
it's completely different
than the broad way.
There's not pluralism.
For us who follow Jesus,
it's exclusively
about Jesus.
It's only through Christ
that you can be saved.
There's only one name
given among men
under heaven
by which man can be saved.
That's the name of Jesus.
Jesus.
Scientism isn't
our final authority.
The words of Jesus
are our final authority.
The Bible is our final.
God speaking to us.
Greed isn't a lane
we travel on.
We don't store up
treasures on earth,
but treasures in heaven.
We don't live for the dot,
we live for the line.
And we're not living
as hedonists.
I'll want whatever I want
with whoever I want
whenever.
It's not what I want,
it's what He wants.
You see,
the narrow path is,
it's a way of submission
to Jesus.
It's living under His authority.
It's obedience to His words.
And it stands in stark contrast
to the broad way.
So we've seen two gates,
we've seen two ways,
but there are also
two destinations.
Did you notice that?
Enter by the narrow gate
for the gate is wide
and the way is easy.
That leads to destruction.
The broad way,
this multi-lane highway
is on its way
to destruction.
And Jesus is talking
about eschatological destruction.
It's a fancy way
for saying end times,
final destruction.
He's talking about hell,
eternal torment,
outer darkness,
the place where there's
weeping and gnashing of teeth.
He compares it
to a burning trash dump.
Jesus talks about hell
more than He talks
about heaven.
And what He's saying here
is this multi-lane highway,
pluralism, scientism,
materialism, hedonism,
it's all going somewhere.
Apart from Christ,
that is moving towards destruction.
But the narrow gate,
the hard way,
the Jesus way,
that doesn't lead
to destruction.
That leads to life.
It leads to eternal life.
That leads to
seeing Jesus face to face,
being in His company
for eternity.
Not in outer darkness,
but in His presence.
Not weeping and gnashing
of teeth,
but wide-mouthed joy.
Both paths have travelers
on them.
There are many
on the broad way.
Many on the way
to eternal torment.
Many on the path
to destruction.
But Jesus' way
that leads to life,
there are relatively few.
As followers of Jesus,
what you need to understand
is that we're in the minority.
We're a minority people group.
It is not popular
to go on the narrow path.
The popular way
is the broad way.
The hard way
is the Jesus way.
And so here are two paths
between,
and you need to choose one.
You need to pick
which path
you're going to live on.
You're going to pick
which gate
you're going to go through.
Now there are warnings here.
Now imagine
that you have been
walking on the broad way.
You've been living
a life of a hedonist.
You've been living
under that thinking that,
hey, there are many ways
to God.
What's the big deal?
And as you're walking
on that broad way,
you've got to realize,
Jesus is like
on the side of the broad way
and He is waving to you.
He's saying,
come off the broad way.
Turn from the broad way.
Do you not know
where the broad way is going?
Come to me.
Come to my path.
Come to life.
life.
He's beckoning you
if you're on the broad way
and you know it
to turn off
the broad way
and to come to Him.
Come follow Him.
Come under
His saving reign.
Will you obey Him?
Will you say,
Jesus, Jesus?
There's one more piece
I want to clarify here
because I think
that there's some confusion
on this.
If you think
that you can live life
with one foot
in the broad way
and one foot
in the narrow way,
you are deceiving yourself.
Jesus does not give you
that option.
If you're not
fully in the narrow way,
you're in the broad way.
There's one more lane.
It's the lane of compromise.
On the broad way.
It's the lane that Judas walked.
It's the lane that Demas,
who, in love for the world,
abandoned Paul.
It's a broad path
and compromise is on it.
You can't walk both paths simultaneously.
You're either in one
or you're in the other.
And Jesus says,
today,
choose the path
of life.
Choose the narrow gate.
Choose the narrow way.
Choose life.
Choose Jesus.
Jesus.
whom
this day
will you obey.
Two paths.
Now let's look at two prophets.
Verses 15 through 20.
Beware of false prophets
who come to you
in sheep's clothing,
but inwardly
are ravenous wolves.
You will recognize them
by their fruits.
Are grapes gathered
from thorn bushes
or figs from thistles?
So every healthy tree
bears good fruit,
but the diseased tree
bears bad fruit.
A healthy tree
cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a diseased tree
bear good fruit.
Every tree
that does not bear good fruit
is cut down
and thrown
into the fire.
Thus,
you will recognize them
by their fruit.
Today,
you need to choose
whom you're going
to listen to.
Whose words
you're going to believe.
Because what
you believe
matters.
You will build
your life
on someone's words.
Jesus says,
beware.
Take heed.
Watch out
for false prophets.
Literally,
pseudo-prophets.
And what Jesus
is doing in this
section is making
a distinction
between false prophets
and true prophets.
He's saying,
choose who you're
going to listen to.
Choose who you're
going to follow.
Choose the one
who's going to direct
you down which
path.
Now,
a prophet is someone
who speaks
on behalf of God.
He speaks
God's word.
And what God
calls a prophet
to do is
God says,
speak the truth,
the whole truth,
and nothing
but the truth.
You don't
take away
from what God
is saying.
You don't add
to what God
is saying.
and for sure
you don't make
something up
and say,
it's God
speaking.
A false prophet
is someone
who's claiming
to speak for God
but is leaving
words out.
They're adding
to his words.
They're making
stuff up
and slapping
God on it.
In verse 15,
Jesus tells us
why we must
be aware.
Look at verse 15.
Beware of false
prophets who come
to you,
in sheep's clothing,
in our inwardly
ravenous woes.
False prophets
have an agenda.
They come
into a church
and they're dressed
up like a nice
Christian
but they got
an agenda.
They're wanting
to mislead
God's people.
They want
to feed them
with falsehood
and bring
destruction
and harm
to God's people.
Who are they
looking,
who are these
ravenous wolves
looking to
shred apart
God's sheep,
the flock of God,
God's people?
Well,
you can believe
that Jesus
has an issue
with these
false prophets.
False prophets
are false shepherds
who mislead
God's people
by their false
words.
They claim
an authority
from God
but their message
and their life
and their fruit
show that
they're imposters.
sinners.
Now,
if you're
wondering now,
like,
how do I
recognize
a false prophet?
Jesus is a step
ahead of you.
Jesus moves
from talking
about shepherding
wolves and sheep
to horticulture.
He starts talking
about trees
and fruit.
And we see
that in verse
16,
you will recognize
them by their
fruits.
And then down
in verse 20,
thus you will
recognize them
by their fruits.
We are going
to recognize
false prophets
by their fruit.
It might take
a little time
but we will
recognize them.
Now,
before I point
you to three
tests,
three kind of
steps to take
for fruit inspection,
I want to let
you know this.
The New Testament
is very clear.
There will
be
false prophets
who seek
to come
among us.
Jesus warns
it in Matthew
24,
11.
Paul brings
together the
elders of
Ephesus and
Miletus and
says,
be aware.
And he says
to them,
from among you
elders there will
be false prophets.
Wolves,
he calls them.
It's very
sobering.
2 Timothy 4,
3,
2 Peter 2,
1 through 3,
1 John 4,
1.
The New Testament
is very clear.
There's going
to be false
teachers who
are going
to want
to come
in and
influence
God's
church.
Okay.
I've got
some serious
questions about
Joel Olsteen.
I've got some
serious questions
about Joyce
Myers,
Kerflo Dollar.
I've got some
serious questions
about them.
They're
concerning to
me.
They're on
dangerous ground.
So how do
you recognize
a false
prophet?
Three tests.
You start
with a
thump
test.
Like a
cantaloupe.
You thump
a cantaloupe.
You're
thumping
for truth.
Are they
speaking truth?
Are they
saying what
God says?
Are they
leaving
something out?
Are they
adding
something to
it?
Are they
making this
up on
their own?
You know,
one of the
clearest
tests is
right from
the text.
It's
this.
Are they
teaching
the narrow
way?
Are they
saying that
it's only
through Jesus
you can be
saved?
That is a
very effective
test for a
false prophet.
Do you
say that
Jesus is
the only
way?
Or do
you think
that there
are many
ways to
Jesus?
It's only
through Jesus.
And do
they say
that the
way of
discipleship
is easy?
Or do
they say
that the
way of
discipleship
is hard?
There's a
distortion of
the gospel
being propagated
out there.
It's called
the prosperity
gospel.
It goes
something like
this.
Oh,
your father
in heaven
wants good
for you.
And so
he wants
you to be
experiencing
the abundant
life.
And what
is the
abundant
life?
The abundant
life,
it means
that you
have all
health
possible
and that
you are
well off.
That you're
healthy and
that you're
wealthy.
That's what
God your
father wants
for you.
So you
just need
to ask him
for that.
And then
keep on
asking.
And if you
don't have
it, it's
on you.
You just
don't have
enough faith.
Oh, by the
way, send
us a check
just to show
because we're
trusting that
God is going
to make us
healthy and
wealthy.
Jesus doesn't
teach that.
Jesus doesn't
say the way
of discipleship
is easy.
He says it's
hard and
narrow, that
you're going
to suffer, it's
going to be
difficult.
That's how you
get this stuff
out.
Thump,
thump,
are you
speaking truth?
Are you
making stuff
up to pad
your pocket?
Second
test is the
sniff test.
Does their
lifestyle square
with God's
word?
Do that, are
they walking
the narrow
way?
You know, one
of the things
that 2 Peter
raises in its
denunciation of
false prophets
is they do
it for greed.
they do it
for money.
They do it
for building
up wealth.
Does their
lifestyle square
with the call
of Jesus
to lay up
treasures in
heaven, not
on earth?
you know what?
There are a
group of
people who
are preaching
the prosperity
gospel, and
do you know
what they're
doing?
They fly in
their private
jets to
nations, third
world countries,
fill stadiums,
collect money,
and then fly
back home.
We're exporting
it.
What does
Jesus think
of that?
Lord, have
mercy.
The third
fruit is the
taste fruit.
Taste test.
What effect
is their
ministry having
on others?
What is the
effect?
What is it
producing?
Is it
producing people
who are walking
through the
narrow gate, who
are saying, I'm
going to go the
hard way, I'm
going to follow
Jesus no matter
what comes, or
is it confusing
people?
Is it giving
people license to
compromise?
Jeremiah 6
warns against
false prophets.
They're preaching
peace, peace,
when there is
no peace.
it matters to
God.
Holiness matters
to God.
The true
prophets, the
good trees, the
healthy trees, not
the bad trees, not
the diseased
trees, the good
trees.
These prophets
seek to speak
God's word
carefully.
They don't want
to leave anything
out.
They don't want
to add anything
to it, and
they're certainly
not going to
tell you something
that they think
you should hear
in the name
of God.
They're not
going to say,
write me a
check, thus
saith the
Lord.
They don't
do that.
True
prophets know
that God's
words, His
very words, are
life to His
sheep.
They want to
feed the
sheep with
God's word.
They're good
trees that
produce good
fruit.
And so
this morning,
you need to
choose who
you're going
to listen
to.
What
prophets are
you going to
listen to
their
podcasts?
When they
proclaim Jesus
as the only
way, and
they call you
to a hard
way that leads
to life, that
their lives
reflect their
message.
It's not about
greed.
It's not about
power.
It's not about
prestige.
But these
true prophets
are seeking to
be humble
servants, stewards
of the very
words of God.
Their ministry
results in
clear-minded
followers of
Jesus who
don't compromise,
but are
wholeheartedly
obedient to
their King.
did you
know?
Did you notice
verse 19?
Every tree,
every diseased
tree, every
false prophet
that does not
bear good
fruit is cut
down and
thrown into
the fire.
Eschatological
fire.
Judgment.
Jesus doesn't
mince words
about false
prophets.
He takes it
very serious
because his
people's health
are at stake.
The way of
salvation is
under challenge.
Very serious.
So choose this
day whom you
will listen to.
Are you going to
listen to false
prophets or are you
going to listen to
prophets sent to you
from Jesus himself?
Well, we've
moved from two
prophets now.
Let's look at two
professions.
Verses 21
through 23.
Not everyone
who says to me,
this is really
hard, what
you're about to
read.
Not everyone
who says to me,
Lord, Lord,
will enter the
kingdom of heaven,
but the one who
does the will of
my Father who is
in heaven.
On that day,
many will say
to me,
Lord, Lord,
did we not
prophesy in your
name and cast
out demons in
your name and do
many mighty works
in your name and
then will I
declare to them,
I never knew
you.
Depart from me,
you workers of
lawlessness.
Jesus raises a
very, very
sobering truth
for us here.
There will be
some, he
says, many
on the day
of judgment
who will go
to the day
of judgment
and stand
before Christ
the King
and they will
say, Lord,
Lord.
Only to hear
that Jesus
declares, I
never knew you.
Depart from me,
you worker of
lawlessness.
There are two
claims being made
here.
There are two
professions that
Jesus is laying
out in front of
us.
Two professions
we need to
choose between.
The false
claim of
Lord, Lord,
and the true
claim of an
obedient life.
Now, don't
get me wrong.
Confessing that
Jesus is Lord
is essential to
being saved.
Romans 10, 9,
if you confess
with your mouth
that Jesus is
Lord and believe
with your heart
that God raised
him from the
dead, you will
be saved.
And so, confessing
Jesus is Lord is
essential to being
saved, but it
doesn't necessarily
prove you're
saved.
Just because you
publicly declared
Jesus to be your
Lord doesn't mean
he's actually your
Lord.
What Jesus is
saying, there's
going to be some
people on that
day are saying
one thing, but
they've been doing
another.
And it doesn't
get by the
king.
In other words,
a claim to
Jesus'
lordship over
your life without
a life that is
changing because
you're seeking to
obey the will of
the Father.
Do you know
what that is?
That's a false
profession.
It's a false
claim.
But a claim of
Jesus being my
Lord that is
coupled by a life
that's changing
because you're
hearing the words
of your king and
you're wanting to
obey them and do
them and you're
trying to walk in
the narrow way,
that's legit.
That's a real
profession.
That evidence is
real conversion.
So what's the
litmus test?
How do you know
if someone is
genuinely a follower
of Jesus?
How do you know
if someone's walking
the narrow way or
not?
It's really simple
according to Jesus.
are they obeying his
words?
Are they doing what
he says?
Our conversion to
Christ is
demonstrated not
just in word
only.
Our conversion to
Christ is
demonstrated in
word and deed,
a changed life.
and not just any
deeds.
Jesus is talking
about obedience to
the will of his
father.
Moral obedience.
Isn't it sobering
when you read verse
22?
On that day,
many will say to
me,
Lord, Lord,
did we not
prophesy in your
name?
That's a deed.
Did we not
cast out demons
in your name?
That's a deed.
Did we not do
mighty works,
miracles in your
name?
Lord, Lord,
did we not do
this?
Let us in.
I never knew
you.
You were never
a part of my
kingdom.
In many
Christian circles
today,
deeds like
prophesying,
casting out
demons,
working miracles,
people are like,
wow, you're
awesome.
That's really
cool.
You're legit.
But Jesus is
not impressed
with that.
You can be
doing all
this stuff
in his
name and
not be
saved.
I never
knew you.
If it's not
these kinds
of deeds,
what are the
deeds?
What kind
of doing
delights
Jesus?
If these
kinds of
deeds of
prophesying
and casting
out demons
and performing
miracles,
if that's not
endearing to
the Savior,
what kind
of deeds
are?
What kind
of deeds
are?
not everyone
who says
to me,
Lord,
will enter
the kingdom
of heaven,
but the
one who
does the
will of
my Father
in heaven.
That delights
our King,
obeying
his commands.
God's
so don't
murder
and don't
get sinfully
angry at
people.
Don't
cheat on
your spouse
and don't
sexually lust
after people.
Yes,
Lord,
yes,
Lord,
help me,
Lord.
That's
where he
wants us
obeying.
As Jesus
is saying
here that
works save
you,
he's not
saying that.
All he's
saying here
is that
genuine
faith in
him
results in
real
obedience
to the
will of
the Father.
It's
yes,
oh,
the commandments
of God
are not
burdensome,
1 John.
It's our
delight.
I want to
obey.
It's not
easy,
but I
want to.
Good works
don't save
any of us.
Only Jesus
and through
his blood
and resurrection
that's what
saves us.
But Jesus
didn't save
us in
order to
navel
gaze.
He saved
us for
good works.
Ephesians
2,
8,
9,
and 10.
Titus
2,
11 through
14.
James,
when he
says,
faith without
works is
dead,
what he's
getting at
is that,
hey,
if you're
saying you
believe in
Jesus but
it doesn't
show up in
a changed
life,
you're not
really
believing in
Jesus.
The chief
characteristic of
those on the
hard,
narrow way of
discipleship is
obedience.
Choose this
day whom
you will
obey.
There's some,
there's a
beautiful passage,
I actually,
I read it this
morning in my
devotions,
it's 1 John
2,
4 through 6.
How do you
know that
someone is a
child of God
when they
keep his
commandments?
obedience.
So here are
some implications
to what Jesus
is saying
here.
These,
these two
professions,
it should
sober you
up.
It should,
it should
make you
ask this
question,
am I
obeying
Jesus or
is it just
lip service
I'm giving
him?
Are you
seeking to
obey him?
Is there a
command right
now you're
asking help
for to
obey?
Because you
want to
please him.
You know,
J.C.
Ryle said
this,
many strange
things will
happen on
the day of
judgment.
And this
is one of
them.
Lord,
I never
knew you.
Here's another
implication.
So first,
be warned,
take it to
heart.
Second,
it changes
your parenting.
If you're a
parent and
your goal
is to
get your
child to
pray a
prayer in
which he
or she
asks Jesus
into their
heart and
on that
moment you're
like,
okay,
on that
day my
four-year-old
was saved.
They will
need to make
a decision
for Jesus.
But what
Jesus is
calling us
to here is
not so much
asking Jesus
into your
heart,
but all of
your heart
obeying
Jesus.
And so as
parents,
when we
raise our
children in
the fear and
admonition of
the Lord,
what we're
trying to do
is not
trying to
make them
make a
decision,
what we're
trying to
help them
see is,
sweetheart,
God is
calling you
to follow
him.
This is
another area
in which God
wants your
heart,
you need to
trust in
him.
And because
you're not,
it shows
you're in
need of
him.
it changes
our parenting.
I don't want
any of my
kids saying,
Lord,
I grew up
in a
pastor's
house,
let me
in.
That won't
do anything.
Choose
this day
whom you
live.
There's one
more implication
to this.
I'm not sure
if you
noticed it.
Did you
notice the
phrase,
on that
day?
Again,
Jesus is
talking about
eschatological
judgment.
And do you
know who's
the judge
on that
day?
Jesus is
the judge.
Do you
understand the
claim he's
making right
now?
He's God
in the
flesh.
He's going
to judge
it all.
You've
got to
stand before
him on
that day.
Two
professions.
Let's
move to
two
foundations.
This is
the parable
that we
all,
many of
us know,
many of
us grew
up singing
about.
Two
foundations.
This is
in verses
24-27.
Everyone
then who
hears these
words of
mine and
does them
will be
like a
wise man
who built
his house
on the
rock.
And the
rain fell,
and the
floods came,
and the
winds blew,
and beat
on that
house,
but it
did not
fall,
because it
had been
founded on
the rock.
And
everyone who
hears these
words of
mine and
does not
do them
will be
like a
foolish
man who
built his
house on
the sand,
and the
rain fell,
and the
floods came,
and the
winds blew,
and beat
against that
house,
and it
fell,
and great
was the
fall of
it.
We got to
be very
clear on the
comparison Jesus
is making
here.
Jesus is
moving from
saying without
doing, a
false profession,
to now
hearing without
doing.
hearing these
words of
mine.
And the
comparison Jesus
is making, you
see it in
verse 24,
everyone then
who hears
these words
of mine
and does
them,
contrasted to
verse 26,
and everyone
who hears
these words
of mine
and does
not do
them.
The parable
is a
contrast
that gets
at this
issue of
obedience.
who will
you obey
today?
The contrast
is between
those who
hear and
obey and
those who
hear and
disobey.
They do
not do
what Jesus
says to
do.
Jesus
likens
the one
who hears
and obeys
his words
to a wise
man who
builds his
house on
the rock.
The rock
are the
words of
Jesus.
Jesus
says,
everyone who
hears these
words of
mine,
he repeats
that in
verse 26,
these words
of mine.
The words
of Jesus
are rock
solid because
he's God
incarnate.
They're solid.
You can build
your life on
it.
what he's
laid out for
us in the
Sermon on
the Mount,
these words
of mine
about himself,
that he's
the fulfiller
of the
law,
that he's
the judge
over all.
They're rock
solid.
How he calls
us to live
our lives,
they're rock
solid.
He lays
out the
path of
life.
Now,
if you
connect what
he's saying
here,
these words
of mine
with verse
21,
not everyone
who says
to me,
Lord,
will enter
the kingdom
of heaven,
but the
one who
does the
will of
my father
who is
in heaven,
his words
reveal the
will of
his father
in heaven.
His words
are rock
solid.
I started
this sermon
by saying
all of us
are builders.
All of us
are constructing
a life.
Every human
being is
building a
life.
That's the
house.
Daily,
we're making
decisions based
upon what we
believe to be
true.
And if you're
on the
broad way,
you're believing
what the
broad way is
telling to be
true.
If you're on
the narrow
way,
you're believing
what Jesus
is saying to
be true.
So decisions
like how
will I treat
others?
Decisions
like how
will I
respond when
I'm wrong?
Decisions
like what
am I going
to live
for?
Am I
going to
live for
the dot?
Am I
going to
line?
Am I
going to
invest in
eternity?
Or in
this dying
world?
these kinds
of decisions
are based
upon words.
Who you
believe.
Who's the
authority in
your life?
When building
your life on
Jesus' words,
you base
your decisions
on what
Jesus says.
One decision
at a time.
that's the
life of
faith.
That's the
life of
obedience.
And when
you do
that, when
you obey
all his
commandments,
not perfectly
but faithfully,
you build
your house
on a rock
solid foundation.
You build
your house
on the rock.
You build
your house
on Jesus.
But when
you disobey
Jesus' words,
and that's
what he's
saying.
Those who
hear my words
and do not
do them,
when you
disobey them,
you're going
to still
build your
life.
You're just
choosing not
to base
your decisions
on what
Jesus has
commanded.
Maybe you've
heard what
Jesus has
said about
anger,
lust,
and divorce,
but you just
disregarded it.
Maybe you've
heard what
Jesus has
said about
storing up
treasures on
earth and
judging others.
You just
disregarded it.
You're
building.
And over
time, you
may build a
really nice
looking life
without obeying
Jesus' words.
It may look
great.
But here's
what Jesus
says.
Just as
true as
every person
is building,
there's a
storm coming.
torrents of
rain,
raising floods,
blowing winds,
and in
verses 25 and
27, both
houses, both
lives experience
the storm, and
what the storm
reveals is what
the house is
built on.
Now, the
question we need
to answer is
this.
What do the
rains, floods,
and winds
represent?
They could
represent life's
hardships, the
trials and
challenges we all
deal with, losing
a child, hearing
that you've got
cancer, losing a
job.
Both Christian and
non-Christian
experience these
storms of life, and
they will shake you
to the core, won't
they?
I don't think that's
what Jesus is
talking about.
I don't think he's
talking about the
storms of life that
we all deal with.
I think he's
talking about the
storm of final
judgment, and
here's why.
With every
option he's
given so far,
he's made an
appeal to final
judgment.
There's the path
that leads to the
destruction.
There are the
false prophets who
are thrown into the
fire.
There are those
false professors in
whom Jesus, the
judge on that day
says, away from
me.
Writing throughout
Jesus' clothes here
is this very real
appeal to final
judgment.
When you stand
before Jesus, and
so I think he's
talking about that
day.
And Jesus is
comparing God's
final judgment to
a revealing
storm.
Christian, you
will withstand the
storm.
Do you know
why?
You're standing on
a rock-solid
foundation.
You've built your
life on Jesus.
You've come through
the gate and walked
the way, and it's
just right before
you enter life.
But if you're a
non-Christian, that
collapse which Jesus
talks about, and it
fell, and great was
it fall.
It is a great fall.
It's the fall that
comes after final
judgment and being
cast out.
It's the eternal
collapse.
two foundations.
Are you building on
Jesus' words?
Are you building your
life on what Jesus
says?
Choose this day to
obey his words.
Build your life upon
Jesus, and you don't
need to fear the storm.
God's
salvation.
We've covered a lot
of ground this
morning.
Two paths, two
prophets, two
professors, two
foundations.
At the close, in
verses 28 and 29,
Jesus finished this
sermon, and the crowds
were astonished at his
teaching.
Look at verse 29.
For he was teaching
them as one who had
authority, and not as a
scribe.
Is it any wonder
when God shows up and
he preaches a sermon,
God incarnate, and he
says, I fulfill the law
and the prophets, and he
talks about himself as
judge over all, is it no
wonder that they are
aware of his divine
authority?
Are you aware of Jesus'
divine authority?
This morning, are you
aware of his authority?
More so, have you
submitted yourself to
his authority?
Have you come under
his reign, and are you
obeying his words?
Choose this day whom
you will obey.
It will result in either
destruction or life.
Choose Jesus.
Let's pray.
Lord Jesus, I think we
would all say we would
rather hear you preach
your sermon.
But we've heard your
words this morning, Lord
Jesus, and we pray that
you would do with them as
you will.
God, would you help us as
your people to walk in
the narrow path?
And we pray, Father, for
those who are walking on
the broad way, that God,
they would hear you
calling to them.
Lord Jesus, they would
turn and turn to you
and find life.
God, help us to build
our lives on the rock
solid foundation of your
words, Jesus.
In your name we pray.
Amen.