Bible Study - Follow Jesus - Your Decision - Matthew 7:13-29 - September 30, 2012

Bible Study – Follow Jesus – Your Decision – September 30, 2012

This is lesson five (5) and the final lesson in our series of study entitled “What It Means to Follow Jesus.”

Our scripture is Matthew 7:13-29.

JESUS was bringing HIS training session to a close. HE had taught about GOD’S expectations for the disciples that follow JESUS. What HE required applied to those who call themselves followers/disciples of CHRIST. Later they were known as The Way. Followers of CHRIST were first called Christians in Antioch, which has stuck until this day.

Being the ideal disciple is impossible through human effort. The indwelling Holy Spirit is the only One Who can provide the power, teaching, enlightenment and guidance to Christians to live as GOD desires for HIS children to live and to obediently serve HIM.

The world’s message to people is that a loving GOD would never allow anyone to go to Hell. The world tells us that we were made to enjoy life and the pleasures of life. HE did make us to enjoy life but not to the exclusion of HIM through CHRIST. The Bible tells us in John 10:10 - A thief comes only to stealh Eph 4:28 and to kill and to destroy.i Jn 6:27 I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance. The world will tell you that it offers more gusto but that is Satan’s lie. Satan’s desire is for every human to be destroyed. We need to keep in mind that the world is ruled by Satan. GOD’S desire is for everyone to choose eternal life through CHRIST. GOD gives every person a choice – eternal life, through CHRIST or eternal destruction by rejecting CHRIST.

Lets/ read Matthew 7:13-14:

Entering the Kingdom (GOD’S Kingdom is generally considered here upon earth. Humans enter HIS Kingdom here on earth, through CHRIST, to obediently serve HIM as directed by the Holy Spirit. CHRIST is the narrow gate and obediently following HIM is the narrow road.)

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. 14 How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.

JESUS confronts HIS audience with a decision, which gate and path do they choose? HE had been teaching about GOD’S expectations of HIS disciples. Making the right choice was not easy, in fact, the right gate was a very narrow, tight, constricted gate compared to the more enticing gate and road which are very broad and easy. People like easy and generally choose easy.

JESUS told HIS audience then, which applies to people today, to be very careful when they choose because their choice is eternal and has an element of finality to it. JESUS told them, which extends to people today, that the narrow gate is the right choice because it leads to LIFE. The wide gate leads to a broad road which looks attractive but it leads to destruction.

How do you choose, the narrow gate and road which JESUS stated that leads to life or the wide gate and broad road that leads to destruction? You make a decision. We all choose one or the other. What is your choice? As this lesson unfolds, hopefully your choice will be made clear, if you have not already made that choice.

More and more in the world today, we see that being a Christian is not high on some social ladders. It is not easy to be a Christian because it is a narrow gate and road and many do not want to find it or consider it because of the social stigma.

But consider this death is 100% for every human and then judgment by GOD. Do you want to escape judgment? JESUS tells us in John 5:24 –

“I assure you: Anyone who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.”

Choose CHRIST as your Savior now if you have not already done so. Ask HIM to forgive you of your sins and to come into your life now. You might think, “Gee, I can’t hold out being a Christian.” That is exactly correct, you cannot hold out in your own strength. But GOD, through the Holy Spirit, will abide in you, if you will allow HIM.

I fought this battle for many years before finally giving up and asking the LORD to take me like I was the good and the bad, and for HIM to give me the strength to live the Christian life. HE did. Have I lived it perfectly? NO!!! That is why HE gives Christians 1 John 1:9-10 - If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive s Ps 103:3; Jr 31:34; Mt 9:6; 26:28; Col 1:14; Jms 5:15 us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say, “We don’t have any sin,” we make Him a liar, and His wordt Lk 8:21; Heb 4:12 is not in us.u   

Consider this, once you are born into the family of GOD, you can never be unborn. Your citizenship is in heaven and you are GOD’S Son or Daughter for eternity.

How do we know that is true? Those who take that step of faith receive the Holy Spirit as their security deposit or down payment in their lives. The Holy Spirit confirms that you are a child of GOD in Romans 8:16-17 – 16 The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs of God and coheirs with Christ – seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. You do not receive this confirmation and assurance until you take that step of faith to receive CHRIST as your Savior. I always wanted to have the confirmation before I took my step of faith but it just does not work that way. We must take the step of faith first and then the confirmation comes.

Being a Christian may appear to be a dull, restricted life. However, when you receive CHRIST as your Savior, it frees you to live the abundant life in CHRIST. Once you settle your eternal destination you are truly free to live the abundant life, which is CHRIST in you.

Let’s read Matthew 7:15-23: (This is so true today. I heard the Rev. Jesse Jackson speaking a few days ago equating allah to GOD. He knows better but to be politically correct he did not speak truth. When those who know the truth compromise, we are in a world of hurt in the world. GOD and allah are NOT the same. GOD tells us to love our enemies but allah tells his followers to kill their enemies. Something is very wrong with trying to say they are the same.)

15 “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. 16 You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? 17 In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’ 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’

Satan has his followers in the world and they are false prophets/preachers/pastors/healers and the list goes on. They are counterfeiters who appear to be genuine but delight in putting a false twist on truth. They pump out their poison to those eager to receive a feel good religion the world wants to hear. They promote religion but you must keep in mind that Christianity is not a religion. There are those who want to make Christianity a religion by following church ritual but CHRIST in you makes you a Christian. Following church ritual will NOT get you to heaven. There is only one way – through CHRIST. 

How do you get CHRIST in you? You ask HIM to forgive you for your sins and to come into your life. When you ask CHRIST into your life a miracle takes place. You are born in your spirit, which is your second birth (born-again) and you become a child of GOD through CHRIST. Being born into GOD’S family is only possible because CHRIST gave HIS life to pay, in full, the sin debt. Once the sin debt had been paid, the way to GOD was open. But every person must come through the narrow gate, which is CHRIST.

As a born-again Christian you will receive eternal life and all the promises of GOD. Your citizenship is in heaven and you will dwell with JESUS and GOD for eternity in heaven.

JESUS told those listening to HIS sermon that they can recognize false teachers by their fruit. Look at their lives and evaluate what they saw. Do you see JESUS being manifested in their lives? JESUS spoke of fruit bearing trees. An apple tree produces apples. A cherry tree produces cherries and so it goes for each tree and its fruit. I know we can graft trees.  

The quality of the fruit produced by a certain tree depends upon the health of the tree. To separate truth from error, Christians must know the Bible. Teachers, pastors, preachers of GOD’S Word can teach truth mixed with error. The result is false teaching. This leads Christians to false assumptions about GOD and CHRIST, which in turn leads to disappointment when trials come into their lives. They become discouraged and disappointed in CHRIST and GOD. Know the truth by studying GOD’S Word and don’t sit under false teachers.  

JESUS made it clear that there will be those who will tell HIM all the spiritual things they did in HIS name. These false teachers will hear the sad words of, ‘I never knew you! Depart from ME, you lawbreakers!’ These false teachers and prophets have deceived themselves to believe that they are doing GOD’S work because they see results. They forget that GOD’S Word when read or spoken has power and will not return void. Those who speak or read GOD’S Word can be convicted of their sins but refuse to ask CHRIST to forgive them, thus they remain in their fallen state.

Notice in verse 21that JESUS referred to GOD as “MY Father.” JESUS made the connection for HIS audience that GOD was HIS Father. Since GOD was and is HIS Father, then JESUS was GOD’S SON. This connection is important when we come to the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount and see the response of JESUS’ audience in verse 29.

JESUS used the title of LORD in referring to Himself. JESUS had not completed HIS mission and therefore had not received the title of LORD as Christians refer to HIM after HIS passion and resurrection. It is likely HIS followers, at this time in HIS ministry, thought that HIS title of Lord resulted from HIS disciples calling HIM Lord to show HIM honor and respect as their rabbi or master teacher. As their teacher, they would be expected to obey HIM.

Not everyone who says LORD, LORD will enter into heaven. Do not be deceived. Simply calling CHRIST LORD or saying religious words or doing good deeds alone does not certify that a person is a true disciple. A true disciple does the will of GOD through a personal relationship with HIM through CHRIST. A true disciple knows both CHRIST and GOD through their relationship with Them. Such a relationship does not come from head knowledge but heart knowledge resulting from experience as the Christian obediently serves as directed by the Holy Spirit.

CHRIST is the only way to GOD. Sin was a barrier between GOD and humans to have a personal relationship with GOD until CHRIST gave HIS life to pay, in full, the penalty for sin. Keeping of the law and animal sacrifices were place holders before CHRIST gave HIS life to pay, in full, the debt for sin. After CHRIST'S passion those secured by the shed blood of animal sacrifice received salvation through CHRIST'S shed blood. CHRIST broke the barrier between GOD and person-kind, which opened the way to GOD through CHRIST. CHRIST was the perfect sacrifice for sin, which GOD accepted as atonement for sin. How do we know that? It is because of the resurrection of JESUS by GOD. The penalty for sin is death. GOD raised JESUS from the dead to show unequivocally that JESUS paid the price for sin in full. The resurrection is the proof that JESUS conquered sin because HE conquered death.

Second Corinthians 5:21 – He (GOD) made the One (JESUS) who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

JESUS took the sin of all who will believe in HIM upon Himself, so that Christians can receive JESUS’ righteousness. When a person accepts CHRIST as his/her Savior the miracle of rebirth takes place in his/her spirit. He/she is born into GOD’S family and receives all the rights and privileges of being GOD’S Son or Daughter for eternity. That will never change regardless. Just as every human was conceived when the sperm of his/her earthly father united with the egg of his/her mother resulted in him/her. You will never change that fact that your parents will always be your parents regardless of what you do.

Obediently serving GOD through the leadership and guidance of the Holy Spirit will result in rewards that will be given by GOD. When Christians refuse to obediently serve GOD, they never lose their salvation but they lose rewards of gold, silver and precious stones as the Apostle Paul mentions in 1 Corinthians 3:11-15.   

Each person is accountable to GOD and has a choice to make. Have you made this choice? Do you see good healthy fruit coming from your life? DO you see good healthy fruit coming from the lives of the teacher’s/pastor’s/preacher’s you are listening to or sitting under to reveal truth? If not, pray and ask GOD to lead you to those who teach truth.

As we approach the end times, false teachers will become more prolific. The Christian jargon can be learned. The Bible tells us that in the end days, even the elect can be fooled by false teachers. Even those who cast out demons and prophesy are deceived into believing they have a personal relationship with CHRIST because of what they are able to do.

Satan can counterfeit the power of GOD and deceive. That is why true Christians must know the truth by studying GOD’S Word, the Bible, and yielding to the teaching and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. I believe that those who are not true believers in CHRIST know it because GOD reveals truth in the “eyes of our hearts.” These false teachers are too proud to admit that they have never been born-again through the shed blood of CHRIST.

If this applies to you, please do not let pride prevent you from having an intimate loving relationship with CHRIST. Confess your sins now and ask CHRIST to forgive you and to come into your life. Build your Spiritual life upon the solid rock of JESUS CHRIST and HIS righteousness which JESUS tells us about in our next scripture.

The Two Foundations 

Let’s read Matthew 7:24-29:

24 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!” 28 When Jesus had finished this sermon, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, 29 because He was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their •scribes

JESUS made it clear that HIS audience had a choice to make. Those who make the correct choice will be like the man that built his house on a rock. When destructive forces come along they will be able to weather the storms of life. Those who reject what HE had told them will be like the foolish man that built his house on the sand. When destructive forces come along, what he had built will be destroyed.

Again, we all have a choice to make. Do we build our lives on the foundation of JESUS, the solid rock or upon the sands the world offers?

As I studied this scripture, I can hear our dear friend Bede Jeffords telling the story about the lady in India. Bede is a Medical Educator with a MS postgraduate degree in Human Anatomy and Physiology from the Medical University of South Carolina. She taught medical students, graduate students, and nurses. Bede’s husband, Dr. Vernon Jeffords, is a surgeon. During the first twenty years of their Short Term Volunteer Medical Mission Service, they both taught nurses, medical staff and worked in Baptist Mission Hospitals in India, Gaza, Yemen, Indonesia, and Africa. Many times Bede's review courses helped the national nurses pass their government exams.

 

Bede taught a group of village women in the Baptist Health Center at the Bangalore India Baptist Hospital in 1978. She read this scripture to the ladies in her Bible study class. The ladies began to laugh and pointed to a lady in their Bible study group. The lady had built her house on a dry creek bed. When the rains came her house was washed away.

JESUS made it clear, each person has a choice. Do we choose HIM, the solid rock, and eternal life or reject HIM, build our lives upon sand, and choose eternal death? There will be a major destructive force that will come to every human upon earth called physical death. Do you choose eternal life through CHRIST or eternal death by rejecting HIM?

It was decision time for in HIS audience. WHO would they choose?

Notice HIS audience had never heard such teaching before. JESUS taught as ONE with authority. The Holy Spirit was at work in the hearts of those who had listened to JESUS but the critical question was, “Who would respond and become a true disciple?” Just acknowledging CHRIST as a great teacher does not cut it as far as Salvation is concerned.

Do you accept JESUS as your Savior? That is step one. The next question is, “Will you make HIM the LORD of your life?” Some people take both steps at one time and for others it is a process. For me it was a process. It was hard for me to release control of my life to HIM because I wanted to run my own life. I can tell you, you will never find the full joy and build a dynamic relationship with CHRIST if you hold back. Trust HIM to lead and guide you through the indwelling Holy Spirit and experience the abundant Christian life. Blessings!