What do I know with Isaac Carroll
What do I know with Isaac Carroll
Today's Bible Reading: Matthew 7 - Embracing Hard Truths, Discernment, and True Discipleship
What happens when we confront the uncomfortable truths of Matthew Chapter 7? Join me, Isaac Carroll, as we explore Jesus' profound teachings and tackle the vital question of whether we seek validation from others or prioritize God's approval above all else. We'll dissect the often-misunderstood command to not pass judgment on others, challenging us to exercise discernment with love and humility for our own shortcomings. By delving into the metaphor of the narrow gate, we uncover the necessity of embracing the challenging, yet rewarding path of true discipleship.
As we navigate this spiritual odyssey, we also shine a light on the perils of false prophets and the unmistakable importance of aligning actions with faith. Through vivid metaphors like the good and bad trees, discover how to discern genuine followers and the stark warning Jesus gives to those practicing lawlessness. We'll discuss the role of grace and intent in living a life of righteousness, highlighting the beauty of genuine repentance. Embrace the deeper meaning of obedience to Jesus' teachings, not as a mere ticket to heaven, but as a sincere expression of love and reverence for God. We'll wrap up this insightful journey by setting the stage for an exciting exploration of Matthew Chapter 8 in our next session.
May God bless you and lead you always.
Welcome to the podcast. I'm Isaac Carroll, and this is what Do I Know? Alright, in the last Bible study we were in chapter 6 of Matthew and today we're going to be in chapter 7. Now, chapter 7, to me, is probably the scariest chapter in the entire Bible. It makes Revelation seem like a walk in the park. I can paint you a picture Jesus is winding up his servant on the mount and he's been teaching us how we should be more concerned with God's approval, his acceptance, than we should be worried about someone else's acceptance or someone else's approval or even our own approval. We should be focused on God and that we should trust in God, that he's going to provide for us, that he loves us and is going to provide for us, so we don't spend all our time trying to provide for ourself. Now you can probably see where we get this wrong. But then he turns a corner and he goes into hard truths.
Speaker 1:Now, we tend not to like hard truths. They make us feel uncomfortable and we don't like being uncomfortable. Why? Because we know how sinful we are and to face any scripture at all that challenges us and it doesn't guarantee our 100% place in heaven. We don't like facing those scriptures. It's inevitable.
Speaker 1:When we go into a Bible study or a class and we hit these hard truths, someone will say their life verse, the scripture they have memorized, and it's the one that makes them feel the most comfortable. And to me it's like they're saying okay, I don't understand what that means and I don't like what it makes me feel. So I'm going to say this is where I stand, this is what makes me feel comfortable, this is where I'm staying, I'm not going over there and I'm not. I don't want anything to do with that verse, because that verse challenges me and I don't like that. I like to be confident and at peace and that doesn't make me feel either of those things. And I get that. I do. I get it. But if Jesus said it and and we 100% want to understand what Jesus has to say to us, because if Jesus said it to us, then it is the utmost importance that we understand it. So we have to face these hard truths sometimes.
Speaker 1:Let's go into chapter 7 and see what Jesus has to say, verse 1. But do not notice the log that is in your own eye. Or how can you say to your brother let me take that speck out of your eye and look the log that is in your own eye, you hypocrite. First take the log out of your own eye, then you will see clearly. To take the speck out of your brother's eye. Do not give what is holy to dogs and do not throw your pearls before pigs or they will trample them under their feet and turn and tear you. All right, let's address this first teaching in chapter 7. Do not judge or you will be judged. This is a teaching that is beat to death and not in a good way, and we get it wrong so many times. We'll see it and we'll say, okay, we're not supposed to judge someone.
Speaker 1:This does not mean that we shouldn't discern someone's actions. When someone is sinning, when a brother or sister of ours is sinning and we see them sinning, this does not mean that we should mind our own business. How are we to help them? How are we to have a relationship with someone if we are ignoring their? How are we to help them? How are we to have a relationship with someone if we are ignoring their issues? To judge someone is to give someone a sentence. When we go before a judge, we get sentenced, we get judgment. We're not supposed to judge in that manner.
Speaker 1:It does not mean we're not supposed to discern someone's actions, someone's attitude, their disposition. We can discern when someone's hostile. We can discern when someone's intent is bad. We can discern when someone's sinning. And when we see someone sinning, especially a brother or sister of ours, we're supposed to help them address their sin, not give them judgment. There's a difference. We're supposed to come along beside our brothers and sisters in love, not judgment, to help them, because we know what it's like. Matter of fact, our log is bigger than their speck. We have issues of our own. It's in that suffering of our own failings that we're able to come along beside our brothers and sisters and help them in their hour of need, their trials. It helps us do that in love, not in judgment. And we know this because in the very next verse Jesus says do not give what is holy to the dogs. How we discern and you don't think that means actual dogs, right, how we discern someone as a dog, jesus is saying we're supposed to judge, we're supposed to discern without being judgmental. I hope that makes sense.
Speaker 1:Let's move on Verse 7. Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened to you, for everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and the one who knocks it will open. Or what person is there among you when his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone. Or if he asks for a fish, he will give him a snake. So, among you, when his son asks for a loaf of bread, will give him a stone, or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake. So if you, despite being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father, who is in heaven, give you good things to those who ask him? In everything? Therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the law and the prophets. Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the way is broad. That leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. But the gate is narrow and the way is constricted. That leads to life, and there are a few who find it.
Speaker 1:Verse 13.
Speaker 1:Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and broad.
Speaker 1:That leads to destruction. All right, verse 13. What did Jesus just say in the passage before that? Verse 12, he says in the passage before that Verse 12, he says In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the law and the prophets. Now it reminds me of another passage we just went through recently in chapter 5 of Matthew. Verse 48 says Be perfect, for your Father in heaven is perfect, and he says this right after he was saying that we should love everyone and to forgive and to help to treat others the same way we would have them treat us. By doing so, we would fulfill the law and the prophets. Jesus gives us a theme that we should take to heart Be perfect, straight and narrow is to treat people in a godly manner. Treat people the way you want them to treat you.
Speaker 1:Moving on Verse 15. Beware the false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inward are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles are they. So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad trees bear bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then you will know them by their fruits.
Speaker 1: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, will enter. Many will say to me on that day Lord Lord, did we not prophecy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and in your name perform many miracles? Then I will declare to them I never knew you. Leave me, you practicers of lawlessness. Therefore, whoever hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who builds his house on the rock and the rains fell and the floods came and the winds blew and slammed against that house, and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who builds his house on the sand, and the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and he slammed against that house and it fell, and the collapse was great. All right, verse 15 through verse 27 are all tied together into one teaching, and with it comes the most frightening verse in the entire Bible, the dreaded I never knew you Depart from me. You practices of lawlessness. Now, this scary verse is actually the key to unlocking this lesson.
Speaker 1:So what is a prophet, and how do we know that one is false? A prophet is someone who claims to have a message from God. Now, that message could be a future event, prophesying about something that's going to happen, but not always. A lot of times in the Old Testament when God used a prophet, it was to tell the people about their current condition or their relation with God. Now there were false prophets in the Old Testament and they said everything's fine, you're God's people and God's not going to punish you, because God loves you. He only wants what's best for you. How do you know a false prophet? You know a false prophet when what he says doesn't come true, when God does punish the people. Now, do you really want to find out that way that that prophet was wrong, when you find yourself in punishment because you listened to the wrong person? Well, I know my answer.
Speaker 1:So how do we keep from following into false teachers, false prophets?
Speaker 1:Jesus teaches us.
Speaker 1:He says you will know them by their fruit.
Speaker 1:A good tree does not put forth bad fruit.
Speaker 1:A bad tree does not put forth good fruit. He finishes it by talking about someone who hears the teachings and acts on them. It's like a man who builds his house upon a rock. He says acts on them. Acts is a verb, it's something we do, and the Greek word is poeo. It means to do, to fulfill, to accomplish one's duties. Jesus said you will know them by their fruit. The fruit is karpos and it means the outcome of their actions, fruit actions, jesus says.
Speaker 1:Depart from me, you practicers of lawlessness. What is lawlessness when they don't follow God's guidelines, when they depart from the morality of God? How do we depart from the morality of God? Well, we stray from the Ten Commandments. We're more worried about our happiness and our freedom than we are about God's laws, god's purpose, god's plan, god's sovereignty, purpose, god's plan, god's sovereignty.
Speaker 1:I heard a preacher once say that we've been fooled by grace and at first I took this hard because I was like how can you say such things about grace? Grace is all we have. It's what saves us, knowing that there's nothing we can do to overcome our sin. Grace is all we have. It's the greatest thing we have, god's grace. But what he said was that we were fooled by grace. I don't think we were fooled by grace. I think we were fooled by our intent.
Speaker 1:God says he discerns the heart of every man, our intent. If we love God, truly love God, and we were truly sorry for our sin, we don't go on sinning, because why would we continue to live in the regret that brought us to God in the first place? It's His grace that gives us joy that we can continue knowing that we are a faulty creature and we can live in that assurance of God. But in every way we try to please God. In every way we try to adhere to God, knowing we are imperfect, relying on God to fulfill us. We'll know them by their fruit when they are unconcerned about their sin, when they are unconcerned about their sin, when they are unconcerned about their lawlessness. We will know it by their fruit, their actions, their outcomes of their actions. We'll know them that they are false, so that we do not follow after them, but we follow after God.
Speaker 1:Jesus says in John 14, if you love me, keep my commandments. We don't keep God's commandments to make it into heaven. We keep God's commandments because we are concerned about the approval of God, because his sovereignty matters to us and we love him, verse 28. When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed At his teachings, for he was teaching as one who had authority and not as a scribe. We should take everything that Jesus says as an authority. We should do everything we can to apply it to our life in such a way that is pleasing to God, and not worrying about whether or not it's acceptable to ourselves or makes us feel a certain way. We should be more concerned about God's purpose, god's intent and God's approval. If we seek that first, everything else will be lined out for us. All right, guys, I love you. Next time we'll be in chapter 8 of Matthew. Until then, god bless you, goodbye.