January 11, 2022
Our Beliefs Drive Our Responses!
Matthew 7
Adam Torma
Central Truth
What we believe about Jesus' authority makes a difference in our response to His Word.
Key Verse | Matthew 7:13-14
"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."
Matthew 7
Judging Others
1 Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
6 Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.
Ask, and It Will Be Given
7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
The Golden Rule
12 So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
13 Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy 1 7:13 Some manuscripts For the way is wide and easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
A Tree and Its Fruit
15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
I Never Knew You
21 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. 22 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?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Build Your House on the Rock
24 Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 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. 26 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. 27 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.”
The Authority of Jesus
28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
Listen to the Podcast
Listen NowDive Deeper | Matthew 7
Throughout my life I've heard friends and family say, "Treat others as you want to be treated," or, "Judge not, so you won't be judged," but I treated these sayings as casual pieces of advice. It took 28 years before God showed me that these common phrases were actually the teachings of Jesus.
The first time I read the Sermon on the Mount I was shocked. How did I not know that the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) and the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12) were both written in the Bible? Why was I amazed even though I had heard these teachings many times before? This time, Jesus had revealed to me His authority over everything, and I believed it. What we believe about Jesus' authority makes a difference in our response to His Word.
The Holy Spirit often reminds me of the amazement I had during that first reading. It now serves as a benchmark to help me check who has authority over my life: Jesus or myself. When I'm not astonished after reading God's Word, I believe that the Holy Spirit is warning me that I'm taking control and believing that I have authority over my life. When I'm believing in my own authority, I find myself on the wide path that leads to destruction. This motivates me to ask God to point me back toward the narrow gate that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14). When I believe in Jesus' authority, He makes me a wiser man who is moved to action, produces good fruit, and stands firm on His solid foundation.
Were you filled with wonder when reading the teachings of Jesus today?
Be astonished!
Discussion Questions
1. Are you astonished when you hear God's Word? Does it move you action? Why or why not? (Matthew 7:28-29)
2. Is there a log in your eye that you need to ask God to help you remove? (Matthew 7:4-5)
3. Are there people in your life with specks in their eyes? Are they waiting for you to remove the log out of your own eye so you can clearly see how to bless them? (Matthew 7:4-5)
4. When you ask God, do you expect that He will give you good things? Why or why not? (Matthew 7:7-10)
5. Do you recognize people more by what they say or by what they do? How does Jesus recognize you? (Matthew 7:21-23) Would people recognize you through the "fruit" of your spirit if they could also see your private thoughts and motives? (Matthew 7:15-16)