Jesus and True Christianity Matthew 7:13-29

INTRO> Well our journey through the sermon on the mount. It has taken us 18 sermons, 18 weeks to walk through this great portion of scripture and Jesus like a masterful teacher ends his sermon with much clarity.

*ILL> This is a picture of the famous American poet Robert Frost, probably the most famous American poet. His most famous poem, “The Road Less Traveled” is high praised *Read Poem on separate sheet. It is often misunderstood though, Frost lived in England from 1912-195, there he met dear friend, Edward Thomas (Pic). They would take “walks through the woods together” and discuss poetry. Edward was a troubled man, and finally one day to add purpose to his life he enlisted in WW1, On Easter Monday 1917 he was killed in action. Frost wrote the poem about Edward, and the poem talks about two people who made two different choices, on ended in life the other in death. Frost before he would read the poem would often say, “”You have to be careful of that one; it’s a tricky poem — very tricky,” 

CONTEXT> The reason why I tell you that story is because it has a lot todo with our text today. It is not only highlight misunderstood but also crucial to the rest of the sermon on the mount. In these verses Jesus speaks in sort of cryptic language but he lays down and sums up what Christianity is all about. He shows us that 1) True Christianity cant be neutral. 2) True Christianity is non-negotiable 3) True christianity is deeply relational.

1. True Christianity can’t be neutral.v13-14

• • • “Enter by the narrow gate…” This is where Jesus get’s a lot of push back. He basically sums it up and says.. there are only two ways but he is also teaching us a principle.

APP> No one is neutral. You can’t be neutral for what you love. APP> People like Tim Keller would ultimately say that each of those are also paths of faith.(illustration that no one has ever seen love before.)  Everyone has faith in something.

• • The word “narrow here “straight or confined” *ILL> Jesus is saying that Christianity is a lot like Willy Wonkas factory (pic) Remember the door (Pic) ““The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.”― G.K. Chesterton, What’s Wrong with the World APP> Jesus is the only path to God but there are many paths to Jesus.

2) True Christianity is non-negotiable. v15-20

• • • • “Beware of false prophets…” People often jump to Jesus analogy of a tree and its fruit but Jesus is using that analogy to explain the idea of false prophets. Literally people who will teach wrongly about the kingdom, interesting the greatest threats are always inside the church, not outside the church. *ILL> Mowing my lawn when we first purchased our home and driving over a pear.

APP> So what fruit is Jesus speaking about, what are nonnegotiable to enter into the kingdom?

1. 1. The fruit of repentance. “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” John 3:8 …“and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the Gospel.” Mark 1:15
   2. The fruit of faith in Christ alone. “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5

APP> You don’t negotiate with a King.

3) True Christianity is deeply relational. v21-27

• • • • These next verse are scary and also cryptic. Jesus lays down and clarify everything that he has been saying.
      • “I never knew you….” Wow, so what the game changer? Whats the difference Jesus tells us with these two houses…

1. 1. 1. 1. Obedience is the evidence of faith. “ who hears these words of mine and does them…” Jesus shows us that the difference is obedience. ““If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” John 14:15 That’s what so crucial… you can’t reverse the order. But notice something in the text… the difference in the houses is the foundation… what’s the one thing the “good builder” didn’t have to do? the Foundation. Most scholars agree that this rock, this foundation.. is GRACE!
         2. Acceptance in Christ produces obedience to Christ. This is fundedntal to Christianity. I am forever in debt to Tim Keller for this understanding. *Walk through the Gospel vs Religion Pic

“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 as their scribes.” – Matthew 7:28-29

I think here we have our application, the proper way to hear this sermon.

Close> If there is a kingdom and there is a King, how are we to live? What does true Christianity look like?

*ILL> In the TV show the Crow (PIC) it’s about Queen Elizabeth (Pic) and her family. When her father King George Died (Pic) She was thrust into the reign of being a queen. There is a scene, when she finds out, that she is now the Queen, this is a big deal. But the moment happens, when it goes from a concept to a reality.

Her and her husband are getting ready to walk off the plane, he takes the lead, her assistant speaks up and says, “Um Sir, Philip isn’t allowed to escort her from the plane because “the crown takes precedence”. That’s it! That’s Christainity.

Big Idea > Christianity means the crown takes the lead.

“This is the man who builds his house upon the rock. He is a man who desires and prays for holiness and who strives after it, h does his utmost to be holy, because his supreme desire is to know Christ. Not only to be forgiven, not only to go to heaven, but to know Christ now, to have Christ as a brother, to have Christ as his companion to be walking with Christ in the light now, to enjoy foretaste of heaven here in this world. This is the man who builds his house upon the rock. He is a man who loves God for God’s sake and who’s supreme desire and concern is that God’s name and God’s glory may be magnified and spread abroad.” Lloyd-Jones, Sermon on the Mount. pg314