The Sermon On The Mount Pt.7:Founded Upon A Rock...
We come to the conclusion of our "Sermon on the Mount" series this week as we take a look at Matthew Chapter 7, verses 13-29, and I'd like to take this opportunity to say that I'm so thankful for all the views of this series, and that I've been truly blessed and learned so much from this series of studies, and it is my prayer that is has been as helpful and enlightening for all of you as it has been for me, and so we pick it up at verse 13...
"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."
With verses 13 and 14, Jesus lays out the facts of eternal destiny, and tells us in no uncertain terms that we determine our outcome, our own eternity, by the path which we choose. This is indeed a sobering thought. Notice that no apology is given for the straitness of the gate, nor for the narrowness of the way, which we must trod if we hope to gain eternal life. The choice is ours to make, and the fact is, we must make a choice. There is a line from an old song that says..."If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice", and this is exactly the case. The question becomes, then, which path will we choose for ourselves? The broad path demands no changes in our nature, or our habits, nor does it require any restraint of our lusts, or desires, and certainly no one will walk the broad path by themselves. However, the end of the path leads to destruction. How sad it is that so many are fooled into believing that the ride is worth the horrible fate that awaits them at the end! The broad path, and the wide gate are, unfortunately, by far the most popular choice, so much so, in fact, that we are told in Isaiah 5:14..."Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it." We, as followers of Jesus, must shine the light of truth in this dark world, and we must never allow others to dim our light simply because it is shining in their eyes. We must be content in the knowledge that there is nothing wrong with being different from the rest of the world. As we are told in Titus 2:13-14..."Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Let us never feel the need to apologize for our belief in the truth, and may we never be ashamed to proclaim the name of Jesus..after all, why should we try to fit in, when we were born to stand out?
Jesus gives us an ominous warning concerning false prophets in verse 15, followed by a detailed explanation of how to recognize them in verses 16-20..."Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." There are individuals, and indeed entire organizations, both secular and religious, which profess to be Christian, and claim the name of Jesus, who are nothing more than the proverbial "wolves in sheep's clothing." It is our duty to spend time in God's word, and to pray for guidance, that we will be able to discern who these false prophets are. As we are told in 1 John 4:1..."Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." We are not to be taken in by what someone looks like, or by what they say, because as we read in 2 Corinthians 11:13-14..."For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." It is only by the actions of an individual that their case is proven. Whether or not someone's actions are in line with God's word, and not the way in which they portray themselves, determines their credibility. However, while we prayerfully discern the false prophets around us, let us never forget the fact that there is a false prophet that whispers directly in our ear, the most insidious and dangerous of all, that roaring lion which seeks to devour us. May we pray for clarity in our hearts and minds, that we would not only see through the many false prophets around us, but also that we would tune in to the voice of the Spirit within us, and not the voice that would lead us down the broad path to destruction.
In verses 21-23, Jesus gives us a glimpse of the Great Day, and the fate of those whose motives and actions are not in accordance with God's will..."Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." A dreadful pronouncement of judgment upon those whose hearts are impure, who have never given the precious blood sacrifice of Christ the preeminence in their lives. Those who only pay lip service, saying, "Lord, Lord", but never giving their hearts fully to Jesus, are no different from the Roman soldiers which put the robe on His back and the crown of thorns upon His head, and bowed down, mocking Him. Countless thousands will claim intimacy with Jesus in that day, but He will refute their assertions by openly proclaiming that not only was their acquaintance was not broken, but rather, that there was never a relationship to begin with. A sad state, to be sure. Many throughout history have prophesied, cast out devils, and done many wonderful works in the name of Jesus, but their hearts were not in the right place. How could these things be, we ask? Jesus explains in Matthew 15:8..."This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."
With verses 24-27, Jesus closes out the sermon on the mount with a beautiful parable which not only separates the "hearers" from the "doers", but is also filled with hidden treasures, pearls of wisdom, which will help to strengthen our faith..."Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." First of all, we must acknowledge the fact that we are blessed simply to be hearers of Jesus, as there are many in the world who have not yet been given the awesome privilege of hearing the gospel. But hearing, as we all know, is not enough. We must open our hearts and minds, believe and obey the gospel, and only then will we be likened unto the wise man that built his house upon a rock. So, what is the rock that Jesus speaks of here? We read in Matthew 16:16-18..."And Simon Peter answered and said unto him, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." So we see, the rock is the confession that Peter made, and that we all must make, the acknowledgement that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the Son of God. Our belief must be proclaimed, as we are told in Romans 10:9-10..."That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." So, the question becomes, what is our foundation, or, where will we build our house? The fact is, we all have a house to build, a spiritual house, the building of the hope of life eternal. Many, lamentably, only build their houses to suit themselves, as if they would live here forever. We are provided a rock upon which to build our house, which is Christ, but, sadly, many reject Him, as He tells us in Mark 12:10..."...the stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner." The bottom line is, there is a storm coming, and the rains will descend, and the floods will come, and the winds will blow, and if our house is not founded upon the rock, it will fall, and great will be the fall of it.
Verses 28 and 29 bring the chapter to a close with a summary of the reaction of the people to the words of Jesus..."And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." Jesus had the consciousness of Divine authority, as the Lawgiver, and the Judge, and He reached the people in a way that the scribes, which only read the law, could never aspire to. No wonder, then, that the people were astonished at His doctrine. And now, some 2000 years later, people are still astonished. And well they should be, as there has never been, nor will there ever be, a teacher, a preacher, or a prophet, who has expounded God's ways in such an eloquent and firsthand way. Jesus taught with authority, because He was given authority, as He tells us in Matthew 28:18..."...All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth."
The sermon on the mount stands the test of time as the most powerful discourse ever delivered, the single most important sermon that has ever, or will ever, be preached. The precepts and promises set forth in this sermon have been proven true for over two thousand years, and when combined with prayer and faith, they will help to ensure that our houses are founded upon the rock. May we all be led by the Spirit, and walk the narrow path, that we would enter in at the strait gate, and be among the precious few that find eternal life.
"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
With verses 13 and 14, Jesus lays out the facts of eternal destiny, and tells us in no uncertain terms that we determine our outcome, our own eternity, by the path which we choose. This is indeed a sobering thought. Notice that no apology is given for the straitness of the gate, nor for the narrowness of the way, which we must trod if we hope to gain eternal life. The choice is ours to make, and the fact is, we must make a choice. There is a line from an old song that says..."If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice", and this is exactly the case. The question becomes, then, which path will we choose for ourselves? The broad path demands no changes in our nature, or our habits, nor does it require any restraint of our lusts, or desires, and certainly no one will walk the broad path by themselves. However, the end of the path leads to destruction. How sad it is that so many are fooled into believing that the ride is worth the horrible fate that awaits them at the end! The broad path, and the wide gate are, unfortunately, by far the most popular choice, so much so, in fact, that we are told in Isaiah 5:14..."Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it." We, as followers of Jesus, must shine the light of truth in this dark world, and we must never allow others to dim our light simply because it is shining in their eyes. We must be content in the knowledge that there is nothing wrong with being different from the rest of the world. As we are told in Titus 2:13-14..."Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Let us never feel the need to apologize for our belief in the truth, and may we never be ashamed to proclaim the name of Jesus..after all, why should we try to fit in, when we were born to stand out?
Jesus gives us an ominous warning concerning false prophets in verse 15, followed by a detailed explanation of how to recognize them in verses 16-20..."Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." There are individuals, and indeed entire organizations, both secular and religious, which profess to be Christian, and claim the name of Jesus, who are nothing more than the proverbial "wolves in sheep's clothing." It is our duty to spend time in God's word, and to pray for guidance, that we will be able to discern who these false prophets are. As we are told in 1 John 4:1..."Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." We are not to be taken in by what someone looks like, or by what they say, because as we read in 2 Corinthians 11:13-14..."For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." It is only by the actions of an individual that their case is proven. Whether or not someone's actions are in line with God's word, and not the way in which they portray themselves, determines their credibility. However, while we prayerfully discern the false prophets around us, let us never forget the fact that there is a false prophet that whispers directly in our ear, the most insidious and dangerous of all, that roaring lion which seeks to devour us. May we pray for clarity in our hearts and minds, that we would not only see through the many false prophets around us, but also that we would tune in to the voice of the Spirit within us, and not the voice that would lead us down the broad path to destruction.
In verses 21-23, Jesus gives us a glimpse of the Great Day, and the fate of those whose motives and actions are not in accordance with God's will..."Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." A dreadful pronouncement of judgment upon those whose hearts are impure, who have never given the precious blood sacrifice of Christ the preeminence in their lives. Those who only pay lip service, saying, "Lord, Lord", but never giving their hearts fully to Jesus, are no different from the Roman soldiers which put the robe on His back and the crown of thorns upon His head, and bowed down, mocking Him. Countless thousands will claim intimacy with Jesus in that day, but He will refute their assertions by openly proclaiming that not only was their acquaintance was not broken, but rather, that there was never a relationship to begin with. A sad state, to be sure. Many throughout history have prophesied, cast out devils, and done many wonderful works in the name of Jesus, but their hearts were not in the right place. How could these things be, we ask? Jesus explains in Matthew 15:8..."This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."
With verses 24-27, Jesus closes out the sermon on the mount with a beautiful parable which not only separates the "hearers" from the "doers", but is also filled with hidden treasures, pearls of wisdom, which will help to strengthen our faith..."Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." First of all, we must acknowledge the fact that we are blessed simply to be hearers of Jesus, as there are many in the world who have not yet been given the awesome privilege of hearing the gospel. But hearing, as we all know, is not enough. We must open our hearts and minds, believe and obey the gospel, and only then will we be likened unto the wise man that built his house upon a rock. So, what is the rock that Jesus speaks of here? We read in Matthew 16:16-18..."And Simon Peter answered and said unto him, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." So we see, the rock is the confession that Peter made, and that we all must make, the acknowledgement that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the Son of God. Our belief must be proclaimed, as we are told in Romans 10:9-10..."That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." So, the question becomes, what is our foundation, or, where will we build our house? The fact is, we all have a house to build, a spiritual house, the building of the hope of life eternal. Many, lamentably, only build their houses to suit themselves, as if they would live here forever. We are provided a rock upon which to build our house, which is Christ, but, sadly, many reject Him, as He tells us in Mark 12:10..."...the stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner." The bottom line is, there is a storm coming, and the rains will descend, and the floods will come, and the winds will blow, and if our house is not founded upon the rock, it will fall, and great will be the fall of it.
Verses 28 and 29 bring the chapter to a close with a summary of the reaction of the people to the words of Jesus..."And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes." Jesus had the consciousness of Divine authority, as the Lawgiver, and the Judge, and He reached the people in a way that the scribes, which only read the law, could never aspire to. No wonder, then, that the people were astonished at His doctrine. And now, some 2000 years later, people are still astonished. And well they should be, as there has never been, nor will there ever be, a teacher, a preacher, or a prophet, who has expounded God's ways in such an eloquent and firsthand way. Jesus taught with authority, because He was given authority, as He tells us in Matthew 28:18..."...All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth."
The sermon on the mount stands the test of time as the most powerful discourse ever delivered, the single most important sermon that has ever, or will ever, be preached. The precepts and promises set forth in this sermon have been proven true for over two thousand years, and when combined with prayer and faith, they will help to ensure that our houses are founded upon the rock. May we all be led by the Spirit, and walk the narrow path, that we would enter in at the strait gate, and be among the precious few that find eternal life.
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