Okay, well, great to see everybody. If you don't know me, my name is Kevin, one of the leaders here, and we're going to spend some time praying together.
One of the things Jeremy just mentioned is as a church, we love to pray, and prayer is such an important part of everything that we do.
And when you come to church on Sunday, we don't just come to run through a program. We come to encounter the living God, and one of the ways we do that is through prayer.
And so will you join me as we pray together? And I know I say this often, but I want to encourage you to really listen and to agree and to join in in this time of prayer.
This isn't just me praying, this is us as a church coming before our Father. And so let's pray together.
Gracious Father, it really is such a joy and a privilege to gather together to praise you and to adore you, to hear from you and to encounter you again this morning.
Gracious Father, you are liberating truth. You who are sovereign and all-powerful, you who are forgiving and welcoming, we love you and we need you.
Father, we pray that we will continue to grow in our knowledge and our understanding of who you are and your truth.
Lord, may we never rest on a system of doctrine or just have head knowledge, a system of religion that does not bring us closer to you and your ways,
that does not help us to turn from our self-centeredness and sin, and God rejoice all the more in your goodness and grace.
Father, we confess how easy it is to come to you when we are in need or in trouble or distress or when we are worried about things.
We find it very easy to run to you, but Father, we pray that you will help us to not only come to you in those times and then go our own way,
but to walk in your way day in and day out when life is good and when it's tough.
Father, forgive us this sin, we pray, and help us to never fail to come to you who are full of grace,
you who are the friend of sinners, you who love at all times,
you who are so familiar with each and every temptation and weakness, and yet God without sin.
Father, help us to never limit our devotions to particular seasons or days of the week,
but to love you each and every day.
Help us to never simply look the part or act Christianly on Sundays or certain occasions,
but to follow you and walk with you in each and every season of life.
I really pray for your grace and to help us in this regard, Lord.
Father, this morning we confess that our hearts are heavy when we consider the state of the world,
whether it's political fighting across nations that has real consequences for so many ordinary citizens,
whether it's civil wars that are raging, often forgotten, unreported,
God, whether it's immigrants fleeing to countries looking for a safe place to call home and yet seldom welcomed anywhere.
Father, we think of many homes even here in Hong Kong and around the world in which there is so little joy,
little love, there is pain, there is bitterness, there is unforgiveness, there is hurt.
Father, we're brokenhearted when we think and hear of attacks that bring terror and fear,
when we hear of floods and monsoons and storms that ravage homes and take lives.
Father, this morning we mourn with a heavy heart the presence of sin in our lives and in our world,
and we long for heaven.
Jesus, you were so right when you said that the life apart from you,
while it looks appealing and self-fulfilling, it really does end in heartache and destruction.
And so God, while we are grateful for progress in society, for increased freedoms,
and the acknowledgement of people's liberties and rights,
Father, we acknowledge that we are not more happier or content society.
We acknowledge our need for you.
Humble our proud.
Help us, God, not to walk our own path, but to follow you.
Jesus, come and have your way, we pray.
Come, Lord Jesus, come.
Come soon, we pray, God.
Come and bring your kingdom to our city and to our hearts, Lord.
Lord, we need you, Jesus.
Come and have your way in our lives, we pray.
In your patient and long-suffering name, amen.
Amen.
Let's listen to the reading of God's word.
Thanks, Victoria.
The scripture reading comes from Matthew chapter 7.
Please follow along in your bulletins or on the screen.
Enter by the narrow gate.
For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction,
and those who 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.
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 farm bushes or fixed from thistles?
So every healthy tree bears good fruit,
but the deceased tree bears bad fruit.
A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit,
nor can a deceased 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 fruits.
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, do 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.
Everyone then who hears these words of mine
and thus 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.
And when Jesus finished these sayings,
the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
for he was teaching them
as one who had authority
and not at the scribes.
This is the word of God.
Thank you, Victoria.
Okay.
Well, if you have been coming to Watermark for a while,
you will recognize this picture.
Not that one.
The next one.
The Upside Down Kingdom.
And we have been doing this preaching series
for the last six months.
We started on the 9th of December last year
when we looked at the beginning of Matthew's Gospel,
and we looked at how the arrival of Jesus
led up to Christmas,
and then after Christmas,
we just kept on going,
and we met John the Baptist in chapter 3,
and then Jesus eventually in chapter 4.
And Jesus comes on the scene,
and he says,
Repent,
for the kingdom of heaven is here,
therefore follow me.
And he calls these people to follow him,
and then we went into the Sermon on the Mount,
and we just kept on going.
And so for six months,
we've been looking at Matthew's Gospel,
and today is the final episode.
Today it comes to a conclusion.
Now, just so you know,
sidebar,
next week,
Tobin Miller,
who is the founding pastor of Watermark,
is going to be preaching here,
and so we're looking forward to having him.
Yes.
And I have never met Tobin.
I'm looking forward to meeting him this week.
And then after that,
we are going to preach through the book of Habakkuk
for three weeks,
and then Haggai for four weeks,
and then after the summer,
we're going to do Revelation
from September to December.
So that's our preaching schedule
for the rest of the year.
Okay.
Now, before we dive into our passage today,
I want us to step back
and just to consider
the structure
and the flow of thought
through Matthew's Gospel,
because it's going to help us feel
the force of the passage
that we're looking at today.
And so,
Matthew's Gospel
is structured
very deliberately.
In fact,
all the biblical writers
wrote their books
or their literature
very deliberately.
And
the way that Matthew
has written it
is in order to convey something
or to let us know
something about Jesus.
If you're new to the Bible,
you may sometimes
read the Gospels
and think,
why does it in the one Gospel
it seems like Jesus says this
and then does that?
But if you read another Gospel
like Luke or John or Mark,
it seems like
he first does that
and then afterwards
he says this.
In other words,
sometimes the order
seems the wrong way around,
and that can be confusing.
And the reason is
because the biblical writers
weren't writing
a purely chronological history,
A,
then B,
then C.
They've structured
their writing
in such a way
as to communicate
a message
and to tell us
something about Jesus,
not just what happened,
but why it happened as well.
So in English,
we've got this phrase
where we say
the medium is the message.
In other words,
if you're communicating something,
the way that you communicated
actually communicates
the message
as much as the words
themselves.
I'll give you
a silly example.
Let's say I
write a love letter
to my wife
and I find some
tissue on the floor
and I unravel it
and I scribble on there
I love you
and I give that to her.
Or if I take the time
to make a beautiful card
and then write
the same words,
one of those
is going to communicate
something a whole lot
differently than the other.
Because the medium
is the message.
The way that something
is communicated
communicates as much
as the actual words
themselves.
Now this is what's happening
in the Gospels.
And so Matthew,
the way that he structured
his Gospels,
there's seven parts to it,
kind of like seven episodes
in a series.
There's an introduction,
chapters one to three,
in which he tells us
that Jesus
is the true and better
Abraham,
Moses and David.
When you read
the opening chapters
of Matthew,
it's all about
Abraham,
Moses and David.
And he's communicating,
he's telling us something,
that all three of these
constantly point to Jesus.
Jesus is the fulfillment
of all of that.
And then there's
a concluding
kind of section
or paragraph
at the bottom,
and that's how
Jesus is the true
and better Passover.
He's the lamb that died
for the sins of the world,
but he didn't stay dead,
he came alive again.
And in between,
these opening and closing
paragraphs or sections
are five unique sections.
And they resemble
the five books of Moses
in the Old Testament.
And each one of these sections
has a similar structure
and feel to it.
It starts off
with some narrative.
Jesus went here,
he did this miracle,
he encountered these people,
et cetera.
And then it ends off
with the body of teaching.
And the last sentence
in each one of these
five sections
is the same sentence.
It's kind of like Matthew's,
he's carefully
constructing something.
In other words,
he's saying,
let's think about this section
for a moment.
And he does a whole thing there.
And then he moves on,
says,
now I want you to consider
this part about Jesus' life.
And now I want you
to consider this part.
The reason I'm telling you this
is for the last six months
we've focused on
the introduction
and the first section.
And so,
for six months
we've been going through
Matthew's Gospel
and we've seen,
we've met Jesus
in the wilderness,
we've met him
being tempted
by the devil,
his baptism,
et cetera, et cetera.
He arrives in Galilee,
he says,
follow me,
the kingdom of heaven
is at hand.
That's all the narrative.
Then he goes into
this body of teaching
which is called
the Sermon on the Mount.
That's right.
And we've been there
for about four or five months
and we've paused
in a couple of places
and we've looked at
how Jesus speaks
about a mission
and evangelism.
He talks about
the Beatitudes.
He talks about prayer.
He talks about money.
He talks about
all these things.
And in the Sermon on the Mount,
he's now unpacking
and explaining
what he said
in the wilderness
which is,
follow me
for the kingdom
of heaven is at hand.
He's showing
what life in the kingdom
looks like.
He's showing
what does it mean
when you follow him
and say,
yes, okay,
I'll follow you.
And the Sermon on the Mount
is his unpacking
of what this kingdom,
this new kingdom,
looks like.
And it turns out
it's an upside down
kind of kingdom.
It's a kingdom
in which blessed
are the poor in spirit
for they inherit the earth.
Blessed are those
that mourn
more so
than those
that don't.
And so from chapter 4
onwards,
we've been following Jesus
and he's been
following his narrative,
following his teaching.
And now,
we get to the end.
And we get to the very
final passage.
And the passage of Scripture
we're looking at today
is kind of the conclusion
to this first section.
And Matthew
has deliberately
structured his gospel
to come to this passage today
and like a great trial lawyer
before the jury
is saying,
okay,
you've heard all the evidence.
You've met Jesus
in the wilderness.
You heard what he had to say.
You've listened to his teaching
about prayer.
You've listened to his teaching
about money.
You've listened to everything
he has to say.
And like a trial lawyer,
he's coming with
this closing argument.
And this is what he's saying.
Now,
how are you going to respond?
You've heard about
everything I've seen,
I've said.
You've seen how
I handle temptation.
You've seen how
I'm the fulfillment
of the Old Testament.
You see how
all the law and the prophets
come to me.
Now,
how are you going to respond?
What are you going to do
with everything you've heard
and seen
for the last six months?
And so,
let's see
how Jesus says this.
Okay?
Let's see Jesus
closing argument
to the jury,
which is you and I.
Look at verse 13.
He says,
Enter by the narrow gate,
for the gate is wide
and the way is easy
that leads to destruction.
And those who enter
by it are many.
But the gate is narrow
and the way is hard
that leads to life.
And those who find it
are few.
You see what Jesus is saying?
In light of everything
you've heard,
in light of all that you've seen,
how I fulfilled
all of the law
and the prophets,
you've seen my baptism,
you've heard my invitation
to come and follow me,
you've heard my explaining
what life in the kingdom
is like,
what are you going to do?
He says,
there's two options
before you.
You can receive my invitation,
you can follow me,
and by the way,
it's hard
and we'll talk about that,
or you can reject
my invitation
and go your own way.
And Jesus' challenge,
his summons for a response
is as relevant today
as it was 2,000 years ago.
Now in some ways,
Jesus' invitation here
to respond
is his black and white invitation
is challenging for us
in this day and age.
And it rubs against
our modern sentiment.
And the reason is
because we live in a world
that today really values choices,
don't we?
You go to the supermarket
and there are 17 varieties
of bottled water
and you can choose
anyone you want
in any flavor or color.
We live in a world
that we value choice.
But in addition to that,
we also like to keep
our options open,
don't we?
We do this with relationships.
We get into a relationship
but we don't want to commit too much
in case there's somebody else
that's waiting up there.
We do this with jobs.
We do this with careers.
We do this with our calendars.
How many of us get invited
to something
and we wait until
the very last minute
before we decide
whether we're going to go
in case something else comes up?
We live in an age
in which we value choice
and we like to keep
our options open.
But in this way,
Jesus really challenges us
and he makes life
a lot easier
because his invitation
to come and follow him
is a binary choice.
He says,
you've got two options here.
You can either join me
in my upside down kingdom
or you can choose
to reject me
and go your own way.
But Jesus doesn't allow us
to sit on the fence.
And one of the reasons
is because Jesus
is never meant
to be admired.
He's meant to be obeyed.
And so his invitation
is not just come
and admire my teachings.
It's come and obey me.
Come and follow me.
Jesus is calling
for a response.
Later on in Matthew's gospel,
he says in chapter 12,
he says,
whoever is not for me
is against me.
Again,
he gives us
these two binary choices.
And one author,
Matthew Green,
said it like this.
He says,
there is no comfortable
middle ground here
embracing most of us,
kind of like the bell curve,
right?
Leaving on either side
either the very good
or the very bad.
How comfortable it would be
if that were the case.
No,
Christianity is not about
being very good
or very bad
or very comfortable.
It's about being
in God's kingdom
or staying out.
It is about allegiance
to God
or it is about rebellion.
It is an awesome choice
that we face.
And paradoxically,
the Sermon on the Mount,
this is probably
the one section
that often gets
most neglected.
Jesus' Sermon on the Mount
is very well admired
by both Christians
and non-Christians alike
with his gracious words
and his teachings
about turning the other cheek.
But all that teaching,
Jesus then comes to us
and says,
okay,
you've heard my teaching.
What are you going
to do with it?
How are you going
to respond?
And yet we tend
to neglect this part
of the Sermon on the Mount.
Now,
look at how he frames
these two choices here.
He says his way,
the way of following Jesus,
he's got three words
to describe it.
What does he say it is?
It is,
it's hard,
it's narrow,
and it's unpopular.
He says the way
of choosing him
is the hardest thing
you'll ever do.
It's the most
life-consuming choice
that you can ever make.
It's not something
that you can just do casually.
It'll demand all of you.
But then conversely,
he says,
the way of rejecting him,
he describes as wide
and open,
it's easy,
and he says,
there are many
that find themselves
on that path.
Now,
the question is,
why?
Why is it
that the way
of rejecting Jesus
is an easy way
to do it?
Why is that so much easier?
Well,
I want to give us
a couple of things
to think about,
and my friend,
Andrew Haslam
in London,
helped me think about this.
First reason,
maybe,
why the way
of rejecting Jesus
is so much easier
is because
the chances are
we are possibly
already on it.
We're already
on that path.
In other words,
if you haven't
already chosen Jesus,
there's a good chance
that you're already
on the path
which is wide
and easy
and in which
everyone else
finds themselves
on that path.
Jesus doesn't hide
the fact that he is
the dividing line
in all of history.
He says,
either you are
on my side
or you're not
on my side.
And if you haven't
deliberately chosen
to live for him,
he says that actually
the way you find yourself
is that you're against him.
And this applies
if you are
a strong atheist
against Jesus,
whether you are
a devoted Buddhist,
whether you are
just an average agnostic,
or maybe even
if you are a nominal
or a cultural Christian,
someone who maybe
just grew up
in a Christian culture
or family
and you think that
by birth
that makes you a Christian.
But friends,
Christianity is not
something that you
just fall into
by way of your race
or your culture
or where you were born
or what family
you come into.
It's a deliberate choice
to follow Jesus.
And so Jesus says,
if you haven't made
that deliberate choice,
chances are you're
on the path
that is wide
and easy
and doesn't know him.
Conversely,
Jesus says,
his way is hard
because it requires
a deliberate decision,
a choice to follow him.
And it's a weighing up
of the options
and it's a choice
to walk away
from a whole lot
of other things
that might be attractive.
But Jesus says,
he calls us
to choose him.
Here's another reason
why it's easy.
Because the way
that is wide
and easy,
it's easy
because it simply
feels good.
And what I mean
by that is that
it's compatible
and confirms
our natural desires,
which are generally
self-seeking.
I don't know
how many of you
have read
that commencement address
by David Foster Wallace
that he gave in 2004
at Kenyon College.
Anyone familiar
with David Foster Wallace's
commencement address?
So David Foster Wallace
was a very famous
American author
and academic
and he gave
this very famous speech
at Kenyon College
in 2004,
which kind of went viral
across the internet.
And he was a humanist,
he wasn't a believer,
he didn't believe
in God at all,
but he gave a very
honest assessment
of humanity
and he actually
took his own life
four years later
in 2008.
But listen to what
he says here
and I agree
with his assessment.
I don't agree
with his solution,
but listen to his assessment.
He says,
everything in my own
immediate experience
supports my deep belief
that I'm the absolute
center of the universe.
I'm the realist,
the most vivid,
the most important person
in existence.
We really think about
this sort of natural,
basic self-centeredness
because it's so
socially repulsive.
But it's pretty much
the same for all of us.
It's our default setting.
It's hardwired
into our boards
at birth.
You see what he's saying?
He's saying the natural
orientation of the human heart,
no matter what culture
you come from,
is that we are
self-centered.
I am the most real,
most vivid,
most important person
in existence.
And that's why Jesus
says that the root
which rejects his call
to be the absolute center
of all that you are
is so much easier
because it's compatible
with our natural desires,
the way we find ourselves,
the way that we are brought up.
It feels so naturally.
It completely fits
with the default position
of our hearts.
But Jesus says
that conversely,
the way you're following him
is demanding.
It asks us to day by day
to lay down our lives.
It asks us to every day
to surrender
our self-centeredness
and say,
Christ,
you be number one
in my heart.
You take the stage.
You be center in my life.
Here's another reason why
the way of rejecting Jesus
is so easy.
Because everybody else
seems to be on it.
As human beings,
we are naturally social beings,
right?
We love community
and to be around people,
loneliness and isolation
and independence
is not good for us.
We are naturally social beings.
And the Bible says
that the reason why
we are social beings
is actually because
we are made in the image
of the God
that is himself communal.
He is Trinitarian.
He is triune.
And therefore,
because we're made in his image,
something of God's nature
is reflected in us
and we are by nature
social beings.
And what that means
is that we love to be part
of some kind of crowd,
some group of people.
Even if it's not the crowd,
we must be part of some crowd,
right?
Is that not right?
I was chatting
to somebody recently
who,
a high school student,
who was saying
that her friends
will go shopping
and buy clothes
based on,
and choose an item
of clothing
based on what response
they'll think they'll get
on their Instagram account.
And so as they're looking
through the shops,
they'll think,
how will this look on me
on Instagram?
And how many likes
or dislikes
or responses
will I get?
We love to be part
of the group.
We are social beings.
I don't know
if you've ever tried
to swim upstream
of a fast-flowing river
or maybe you've been
in the sea
and the current
has pulled you
in one direction.
You've tried to swim
against the current.
And it's an exhausting
and a scary experience.
When I was a little boy,
I think I was six years old,
it was on Christmas Day
and our family went
to the beach
and there was no one else
on the beach
because it was raining
and miserable
and there was
this strong current
pulling out
and I was swimming
in the sea on my own
and before I knew it,
the current was
taking me out to sea
and luckily,
there were lifeguards
that my dad ran
and called them
and the only time
in my life,
a lifeguard had to save me
and pull me out of the water.
But if you've ever
had to try and swim
against the current
or swim upstream
of a river
that's fast-flowing,
it's exhausting.
Even the strongest swimmers
find it a tiring exercise
and that's what it's like
when Jesus says
it's so much easier
just to go with the culture,
go with the crowd,
go with what's popular
and conversely,
he says,
following me is difficult
because it's a call
to go against
what may be popular.
Today, more than ever,
it's socially awkward
to talk about Jesus
or to claim to follow him
or to adhere
to what he says
about life
and sexuality
and money
and community.
Maybe you're a Christian
here this morning
and you've come
to know Christ
but your family
doesn't want you
to get baptized.
It's hard to make
the decision
that is hard
that is not popular
with either your family
or culture.
Here's another reason
why it may be so much easier.
There are spiritual forces
involved keeping you
on the way
that is easy.
I know this may be
a little bit esoteric
for some of us
in a very intellectual city,
in a modern city
like Hong Kong,
but Jesus says
that there are spiritual forces
at work
that are trying to
do everything
in their power
to keep you
on the path
that is easy
and wired
and divorced
from him.
C.S. Lewis
in his brilliant book
Screwtape Letters,
he makes this point
that there are evil forces
involved
but one of their key strategies
is to keep you blinded
to the reality
that they are actually there
dedicated to your destruction
and your downfall.
And he says
that they are at work
trying to destroy our lives
but they are helping us
to not realize
they are active
dedicated to our downfall.
And so there is a real
spiritual battle
that is involved
and Jesus says
for all these reasons
this is easy.
And so for these
and many other reasons
Jesus cuts against
the grain of populism
and soft appeal
and he summons
he even commands us
he says
you have got this choice
before you
which way are you going
to live your life?
There is a way
that is easy
and it is wide
and it is popular
and it is not going
to demand much from you.
But I am warning you
it is a dead end
it leads to a way
that is destructive.
He says
follow me
follow my kingdom.
It is narrow
it is hard
it is demanding
but it is the way
that leads to life.
And this is something
that we sometimes
struggle with
because today
more than in Jesus' day
we struggle with the idea
that there are
two binary choices.
One of the supreme values
of our age
is tolerance
and open mindedness.
And so we struggle
with the idea
that Jesus says
I am truth
my way is right
all other ways
are not true.
And sometimes
when Jesus says
this is truth
follow me
I am truth
it feels like
a punch to the stomach
right?
But Jesus doesn't
hold any punches
he doesn't hold back
he says
to follow him
is to walk in truth
to reject him
is to reject the truth.
Jesus says
that he gives us
these two choices.
Now for some of us
we think
that feels
way too binary.
It doesn't feel
open minded enough.
How can Jesus say
there is only one truth?
Don't all religions
end up pointing
to the same God
anyway?
I was having a conversation
with a friend of mine
a few weeks ago
and we were talking
and this was his
exact argument.
He was saying
all religions look
different on the surface
right?
Jesus says this
and Muhammad says this
and Guatama Buddha
said that.
They all look different
on the surface
but underlining
they're all the same thing.
They all lead
to the same God
anyway.
And so the idea is
shouldn't we be
more open minded?
Some people say
I don't believe
any one religion
is true
to the exclusion
of others.
They're all just
different paths
that lead to the same
destination.
But friends
if we think about that
that belief statement
is as much
a belief statement
as much a statement
of what's true
in the world
and what's not true
as Jesus'
exclusive claim
to say I am the way
the truth
and the life.
To say all religions
are just different paths
that end up in the same way
is an equally strong
statement of belief
of what's true
as anything else.
To say it doesn't matter
what you believe
all beliefs
just end up the same
is as strong a statement
as Jesus' statement
to the exclusivity
of Christ
and the gospel.
There's a scientist
Neil deGrasse Tyson
he famously said
recently
said the great thing
about science
is that it's true
whether you believe
in it or not.
But the thing is
that's not only true
for science
that's true
for anything
that's truth.
Right?
That's the case
for all truth.
Whether you believe
in it or not
it's simply true.
And so Jesus
is as honest
as you can get
he says follow me
enter by the narrow gate
follow the way
that is hard
the path
that few have trodden
because it's true.
And because
what does he say here?
Because it ends
in life.
It ends
in life.
Jesus says
I've got the
I've put these two choices
before you.
Now
at the end of the chapter
Jesus changes analogies
but he actually says
the same thing.
He's calling for a response
except this time
he calls us to consider
not so much
the ease
or the difficulty
of the choice
but the outcome.
What is the result
of the choice
that you're going to make?
And so look at what he says
here in verse 24.
He says you've got two choices.
Everyone then
who hears these words of mine
and does them
will be like a wise man
who built his house
on the rocks.
Now
admittedly
this wisdom
looks like foolishness.
Okay
that's why
it's an upside down
kind of wisdom.
It's a wisdom
that doesn't look like wisdom
on first appearances.
It's a wisdom
that says
it's more blessed
to give away
than to hoard.
It's a wisdom
that says
it's more blessed
to mourn
than to just be jovial.
It's a wisdom
that says
it's more blessed
to be poor in spirit
than not so.
So it's an upside down
kind of wisdom
but it's a wisdom
in which Jesus says
it's harder
it's more difficult
but it leads to life.
Conversely
he says
though the storms come
and the rains fall
the typhoons ravage it
those who have heard
and not just heard
but accepted
and received my words
they will stand.
their lives will be
like a rock solid house
on a rock solid foundation
that will not
that will withstand
the storms of life.
And contrary to this
Jesus says
there's another option
and that's to dismiss
my words
and to dismiss it
as a version of truth
as what's true
for those people
but mainly
not true for me.
And he says
that when we do that
look at what happens
it's both foolish
and it's dangerous
because in the end
a life which is built
on that kind of reasoning
that kind of approach
that kind of decision
leads to great heartache
great pain
great agony
and in the end
it leads to destruction.
Now friends
the obvious question
is this
why on earth
would anybody
that is engaging
on a building project
why on earth
would you build
on a shallow foundation?
Why on earth
would you build
on sand
when you could build
on rock?
Why would you make
the decision
especially if you're
building a house
that you're going
to live in
or your children
are going to live in
or imagine someone's
building a school
and your children
are going to go
to the school
right?
Why would anybody
choose on a shallow
superficial foundation?
I mean that's just
ridiculous.
Well the reason
is obvious
because it's cheaper
because it's easier
and because at the time
you think
that it's good enough.
You think the foundation
is going to stand.
Nobody builds a house
and says
listen I know
this is probably
going to fall
in the first storm
that comes
but let me just
do it anyway.
At the time
it feels like
the safe thing
to do
but one change
of season
one freak storm
one accident
comes
and everything
is in ruins
and the consequences
is not just
a loss of money
it's loss of life
and that's
Jesus' point here.
He says
the choices
that we make
in life
whether consciously
or not
the choice
that you make
and especially
your response
to who Jesus is
and his claim
to be the way
and the truth
and the life
has radical
implications
for our lives.
And so Jesus says
I give you this choice
you can't sit
on the fence
you can't try
and have one foot
in each camp
which way
are you going to go?
the way
that is wide
and easy
and popular
or the way
that is narrow
and hard
and demanding
but it's the way
that leads
to life.
Now as we
come towards
a close
maybe I shouldn't
say that too soon
if you look
at your Bible
you'll see
that we skipped
over two paragraphs
okay
look at your
bulletin
in verse 13
Jesus talks about
this narrow gate
and this narrow way
and then in verse 24
he talks about
these houses
these two houses
and in between that
Jesus gives two warnings
for those of us
that are Christ followers
or consider ourselves
Christ followers
to test the sincerity
of our faith
and to see whether
in fact we are
walking with Jesus
whether in fact
we are part of
this upside down kingdom
remember Jesus
is constantly challenging
the religious people
in this day
and he's constantly
calling them
to a sincere faith
to see whether
they are really
walking with him
or whether they are
just being religious
and so Jesus here
calls us to examine
our faith
and to test
the genuineness of it
and he gives us
two warnings
of imitation faith
look at the first one
in verse 15
he warns against
false teaching
and false teachers
he says in verse 15
beware of false prophets
those who come to you
in chief clothing
but inwardly
are ravenous
wills
they may look the part
they may say
the right things
they may bleat
like sheep
but actually
they are sinister
and Jesus warns
against false teachings
and in the new
testament
there are two
indicators
of false teachings
the first one
is that a false teacher
generally likes to tell you
exactly what you want
to hear
so in the book
of 2 Timothy
the apostle Paul
writes this young leader
and he says
Timothy beware
of the false teachers
and he says
these false teachers
will come
and they will tell people
what their itching ears
want to hear
in other words
these teachers
will go to people
and they will very
cleverly work out
what is it
that you want to hear
what is a message
that will appeal
to your ears
and that will
draw a crowd
and then they will
tailor that message
to exactly
what you want to hear
and Timothy
Paul says to Timothy
the problem with this
is that it will lead
to a shipwrecked faith
that's an amazing image
isn't it
imagine a ship
and it smashes
against the rocks
or drives into an iceberg
and it still looks
all fine on top
but underneath
there is a gauging hole
and it is taking in water
and it is just a few hours
before the ship
lifts up
and sinks
to the bottom of the ocean
and Paul writes
and he says
that's what happens
when we listen
to false teaching
to teachers
that will just tell us
whatever our ears
want to hear
now friends
when we think of
false teaching
what do we generally
think of
we think of
prosperity gospel
right
people who say
okay
you give a thousand dollars
and God will give you
ten thousand dollars back
right
that's true
but these days
there is a far
softer
and more subtle
version of the same
kind of teaching
it's a teaching
that says
God exists
to make you happy
and comfortable
God exists
to cater
to your felt needs
God's existence
in the world
is around
how to make you
happy and comfortable
and
your convenience
and the result
of this kind of invitation
to walk the wide
and the easy path
to tell us
exactly what we want
to hear
to build our lives
on a faulty foundation
is that when things
don't pan out
the way that we expect
the end
is destruction
and a shipwrecked faith
and that's why
friends at Watermark
I know it may not be
the most sexy thing
in the world
but we are committed
to preaching
week in and week out
the Bible
because we want
to be a church
that is not grounded
on my opinions
or Chris's opinions
or anyone else's opinions
or on what anyone
wants to hear
we want to know
who is God
and what has he said
so that when the
storms of life come
and the challenges come
our faith doesn't
get shipwrecked
it stands firm
in the midst
of the storms of life
and so can I just ask you
there will no doubt
be a time
when many of us
move away
out of Hong Kong
to another city
or maybe even
in Hong Kong
you move to another church
when you move
to another church
will you ask yourself
this question
not just
is the parking lot
comfortable and convenient
is the kids ministry
entertaining
how good looking
is the worship leader
will you ask yourself
this question
are they teaching
God's word
is this church
rooted and founded
in God's word
or are they just
telling me
what I want to hear
okay
that's the first
indication of false
teaching
the second indication
is this
false teaching
focuses on the
Christian lifestyle
or Christian behavior
or Christian conduct
but it's disconnected
from who Jesus is
and his death on the cross
what he did on the cross
and so there may be
a whole bunch of teaching
which is practical wisdom
how to get by in life
how to make your life
really work
and count
and how to be
a successful businessman
or whatever
whatever else
but the problem is
it's not connected
to who Jesus is
the problem of sin
why Jesus died
on the cross
what's wrong
with the world
and how Christ
has come to heal
and save it
by his death
on the cross
and so all it is
is that teaching
is practical
secular humanism
in a Christian
religious coat
of paint
and friends
is that ever
going to call you
down the difficult path
is that ever
going to tell you
to deny yourself
and to follow Jesus
of course not
it's going to invite you
down a wide
and an easy path
but it's a path
that leads to destruction
and so Jesus says
beware of false prophets
those who come to you
in sheep's clothing
the second warning
is this
and we're not going to
spend much time in it
verse 21
he says
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's in heaven
and Jesus warns us
against not just
false teaching
but against
false assurance
in other words
a superstitious
kind of faith
that just says
if I say the right
things
if I do the right
actions
if I prophesy
or go to CG
or say the right
things
that makes me
a Christian
and Jesus says
it all comes down
to do you know him
do you have
relationship with him
do you love him
now
as we come to close
both the sermon
and the series
I want us to come back
to the beginning
and to ask ourselves
this one final question
what is the purpose
of the sermon
on the mount
what is Jesus
actually trying to do
in all this kind of stuff
is it just practical
idealism
is it as Leo Tolstoy
once said
it's a blueprint
for utopia
it's kind of this
practical
pragmatism
of how to really
make life
most comfortable
and convenient
is it as others
have suggested
a temporary moral system
until we get to heaven
friends
Jesus in the sermon
on the mount
shows us
what life
in the kingdom
looks like
he shows us
what life is like
when he is king
and we've come to know him
and follow him
remember right in the beginning
Jesus says
follow me
for I bring you
the kingdom of heaven
and he's showing us
what life in the kingdom
looks like
what it looks like
to follow him
but the problem is
none of us
can even begin
to live out
this kingdom ethic
unless we've entered
the kingdom
and the problem is
that none of us
can enter the kingdom
on our own
right here
at the beginning
Jesus gives us a clue
how to find our way
into the kingdom
and to live
his kingdom
and the clue is this
the way
into the kingdom
is the exact same way
as the way
of the kingdom
and what I mean
by that is this
the way of the kingdom
of God
the way of Jesus
kingdom
is narrow
and it's exclusive
he says
it's my way
and it's my way only
but that is
the same as the way
into the kingdom
is equally narrow
and it's equally exclusive
Jesus is
me and me alone
I am alone
the way to truth
I alone
am the way to life
I am alone
and the way
to the father
Jesus is radically
exclusive
in his invitation
to follow him
but also his invitation
into the kingdom
Jesus didn't come
to bring a religion
or to conduct
a system of morality
and ethics
he didn't come
to bring a religion
he came to bring
a revelation
he came to say
this is what
the kingdom of heaven
is like
this is what
God is like
this is what
my way is like
this is what
it looks like
to follow me
Jesus came to bring
a revelation
to show us
what the kingdom
of God is like
to show us
what God is like
and to show us
what it looks like
as we turn from
ourselves
and turn to him
Christianity
at its heart
is a revelation
of who God is
and how we can
know him
it's not a religion
Jesus came to bring
a revelation
but he also came
to bring relationship
he came to say
follow me
on this narrow path
but he didn't just say
walk the narrow path
and I'll see you
at the end
he said
I'll walk this path
with you
in the book of Isaiah
at the end
in Isaiah chapter 43
there's this amazing invitation
where God says
to his people
he says
if you follow me
and if you walk
in my ways
it'll be hard
it'll be difficult
it'll be demanding
and then he says this
he says
fear not
I've called you by name
I'll walk this road
with you
he says
when you pass
through the waters
I will be with you
when the rivers rise up
and they seem
to overwhelm you
and it feels like
this way is too hard
they will not overwhelm you
I will be with you
he says
there'll be times
when it feels like
you're walking
through the fire
you'll feel all alone
you'll feel like
it's too demanding
God I can't do this anymore
he says
when you walk
through the fire
you will not be burnt
the flames
will not consume you
for I am the Lord
your God
the Holy One of Israel
I am with you
friends
Jesus asks us
to walk this narrow path
it's demanding
it's difficult
he'll demand all of you
but he says
I'll walk this path
with you
you will not walk it alone
and the ironic thing
is that the other path
that is wide
and inviting
it's popular
and it feels like
we won't walk it alone
but in the end
we find it's the most
lonely place to be
because we get to the end
of the road
and all we've got
at us is ourselves
and the God
who made us for himself
and the God
who made us
for relationship
with him
is not there
Jesus says
I came to bring
a revelation
of who God is
but I came to
bring a relationship
I came that you
may do it with me
but finally he says
that all this starts
it starts with a rescue
Christianity at its heart
is about a rescue
it's about God
doing for us
what we could not do
for ourselves
how so you ask
by Jesus walking
the narrow
and the difficult path
which no one else
in the history of the world
ever walked
and no one will ever
walk again
Jesus walked this narrow
road to Calvary
not just with a cross
on his back
there were many
that did that
he walked this narrow
road to Calvary
with all the sins
of the world
on his shoulders
he walked this road
that nobody else
will ever walk again
friends
Jesus walked the narrow
road his whole life
never one step
to one side
or the other
and in the end
he went to the cross
as if all he had ever done
is walk the road
to destruction
in the end
he died as if
he had chosen
the other path
and he did it
to open up the way
for us
that you and I
don't have to
Jesus walked the narrow
road to Calvary
so that you and I
don't have to end up there
friends
Jesus walked the narrow
road to destruction
so that you and I
can walk the narrow
road that leads to life
and friends
Jesus didn't just
endure the winds
and the storms
and the hail of life
he endured the full wrath
of God's judgment
of sin poured out
on his shoulders
so that you and I
can take refuge in him
and find our home
in him
and in many ways
it's true
Jesus' invitation
and his command
to follow him
is radically exclusive
it's true
he says
I'm the only way
the only truth
the only life
there is no other way
to the father
there's no other way
to everlasting life
except through me
it's true
that it's radically
exclusive in some ways
but in the other ways
Jesus' invitation
is radically inclusive
because he says
there's nothing
you need to do
there's nothing
you need to bring
to the table
except
simple
trust
in me
Jesus says
whoever comes to me
I will never
ever
reject
Jesus' invitation
is radically inclusive
because it's open
to anyone
you can be the richest
person in the world
you can be the poorest
person in the world
you can have
multiple degrees
you can have no education
you can be
up high
esteemed by society
you can be on the
bottom rungs
of society
you can be loved
and esteemed
by many
you can be despised
and rejected
by all
Jesus says
his invitation
is open
to everyone
whoever comes
to me
he says
I will never
ever
cast out
friends
if the Sermon on the Mount
was just another
ethical teaching
like every other
religion
then the irreligious
the weak
those with doubts
those who don't have
all their stuff together
and can't behave morally
are excluded
but Jesus says
this invitation
is open to everyone
it's anyone
who will simply
ask me to lead them
anyone who will
simply come and say
have your way
in my life
Jesus throws open
the invitation
and he says
come and follow me
I am the way
to life
let's come to him
now
let's pray
I want to invite
the prayer stewards
to come up
to the front
and we are going
to sing
one or two songs
in response
and if you would
like prayer for anything
there will be
prayer stewards
at the front
and I would love
to invite you
to come and get
some prayer
you can pray
for anything
in the world
you can pray
because you are
having a rough week
you can pray
because you want
to freshly surrender
your life to Jesus
you can come
and pray
because maybe
for the very first time
you want Jesus
to be Lord
maybe you want
to pray
because for weeks
or months
or years
or maybe
your entire life
you have chosen
a wide
and easy path
apart from Christ
and today
Jesus is summoning you
and he is saying
enter by the narrow gate
choose life
this day
I present before you
two choices
life and death
this day
I am asking you
says Jesus
choose life
friends
if you want
to choose life
come and pray to Jesus
come there will be
prayer stewards
that would love
to lead you in prayer
I would love
to lead you in prayer
this day
don't leave this place
on the same way
you came in
come and leave this place
a different road today
come and let's ask Jesus
to do that
let's pray together
heavenly father
God thank you
for your upside down kingdom
thank you Jesus
for your amazing invitation
to come and find life
Jesus thank you
that you invite us
in Isaiah 55
to come and buy
living waters
and to come and eat bread
that gives life
and to come and feast
our souls
on true food
God
where our souls
and our hearts
are hungry
for living bread
and living water
you invite us
you say come and buy
in one sense
it will cost you everything
in the other sense
Jesus you say
it will cost us nothing
Jesus this morning
we want to come to you
this morning Jesus
we want to take up
your invitation
we want to
we want to respond to you
and say yes Lord
count us in
Father this morning
give us faith
God it's so hard
to walk away
from that which is popular
and easy
and comfortable
and to make the choice
to follow you God
that way which will demand
our all
that way which will
which will be difficult
at times
oh God
give us faith
where we doubt
God help us God
where we
where we don't want
to make that choice God
Father where we are
facing decisions
that even this week
we know God
leads
to life
or away from life
God help us
we pray
help us to choose you
Father pray for some of us
God that are
we feel like we're
straddling the fence
we feel like we've got
one foot on either side
we try to
on one sense
follow you
but in another sense
there's this pull
we want to follow ourselves
oh Jesus
come and help us
I pray
help us God
to be decisive
to make a decision
and to choose life
God open our eyes
help us to see that
the foundation
that our life
is built upon
help us to see that
all other
choices are sinking sand
that you alone
Christ
are the rock
upon which we can stand
oh God
help us
I pray
come and call us
to yourself
come and have your way
we pray
in your powerful
in your gracious
in your inviting
in your majestic name
help us
goodbye