Matthew 7:13-29 - A Bible Study About Discernment and More

How are you using what you know? It is important for us to learn and take in knowledge but it’s more important that we act on the knowledge we already have. We’re in Matthew 7:13-29, the closing sections of the Sermon on the Mount when Jesus called his listeners to use discernment and put his teachings into practice.  How can you know if a teacher is pulling you the wrong direction? How do you build a faith that endures?  Answers to these questions and more in today’s episode.

Transcript

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What are you doing with what you already know? Now, it is important for us to keep on learning, to process new information, and to remain curious. But it's equally, or even more important, that we put what we already know into practice. On that happy note, welcome to Meet Me in the Word. I am delighted that you've joined us today. We're in Matthew chapter 7, verses 13 through 29. It's the end of the Sermon on the Mount, and it's the part where Jesus challenges his listeners to practice discernment and to put what they have already learned, his teachings, into practice. Go ahead and open up your copy of God's Word to Matthew 7, again, verses 13 through 29, and we're going to go through it teaching by teaching, or kind of paragraph by paragraph today. But before we do any of that, let's pray. Jesus, thank you so much for your goodness and your kindness to us. God, thank you that you have taught us so well and continue to teach us. God help us to put those things into our lives in meaningful ways. We're here to meet with you. Would you please meet with us? Amen. All right. Your copy of the scripture may already have these handy little uh subtitles along the way, and they really can be helpful for us as we're just processing how to receive all the different uh teachings and words and things that are present there. And we're just gonna follow uh their lead. So we're gonna start with the narrow and wide gates, verses 13 and 14. Jesus teaches and he says, Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it, but small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. I'm going to have us ask a key question for each of these little uh teachings, these little uh paragraphs that are there, and then we'll look at what I've identified as a central instruction or teaching. Uh, and so you're stuck with my observations here, but hopefully they're helpful to you as well. So the key question here is where am I going? Or you might say, which path am I on? Uh Jesus describes this narrow path or this narrow narrow road that we've entered through by the narrow gate, and then the other one is the wide gate and the broad road. And probably you've heard this analogy even outside of the context of scripture, because it's become a pretty commonly spoken of idea, uh, particularly in the church, this idea of the of the broad path and the narrow path, and which one are we on? And I think because it can be already kind of familiar, we maybe use it almost in a cliche kind of a way, but it actually really compels us to take stock of who we're taking our cues from. The reality is that even those of us who tend to keep to ourselves, we do take our cues from others. And we find comfort in knowing that there are a bunch of people that tend to agree with us. That's a very safe feeling. But it can be deceptive, especially when we've just kind of bought into uh popular opinions or ideas and we're simply just kind of following down that path. Jesus called his listeners to practice that level of discernment for themselves. And I'm a Jesus follower, so I'm going to practice it for me, but to really consider like, am I believing this or am I participating in this because it's just kind of what everybody else is doing? Or am I doing this because I really believe that this is what God's best is for me? And so when we when we are willing to stand out a little bit, when we're willing to to travel a different path, something that's maybe a little odd compared to what everybody else is doing, uh, and not just doing it to be a contrarian. Like some of us, I'm saying us, some of you, right, and maybe a little bit me here too, but some of us do things just because they're different. That's just you're just trying to be weird. Um, and I mean that in the kindest way possible, by the way. That's not what this is. This is traveling a different path, not because I'm trying to stand out, but because I want to do the thing that Jesus is asking me to do. So the question is again, where am I going? And the instruction is don't follow the crowd. Let's keep going. True and false prophets in verses 15 through 20. Again, Jesus teaches and he says, Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown to the fire fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. All right. The key question here is who do I trust? And it's an important one. You know, there are a lot of gifted communicators that are in our world today. You can find them in churches, you can find them on YouTube or on podcasts, just like we're doing right now, or any variety of platforms. And some of them are quite compelling, quite convincing, quite articulate. But Jesus says, don't necessarily pay attention to that. Some of them are just clever, but they don't actually offer us words that lead to life, words that benefit us. And so Jesus says, here's the instruction, look at the fruit. Look at what happens uh after a period of time, look at the legacy that they're leaving behind. Are these people leading others into lives of wholeness and goodness? Or is there a deception going on? Is there a sense of glorifying self? Who's benefiting uh from the result of these people's uh teachings? And and you can actually use that pretty um, what's the word I'm looking for, pretty consistently uh with teachers that you listen to or watch. And when we find folks that are uh that are just they're they're pocketing things, that you know, whether it's financial gain or fame, those kinds of deals, by the way, being famous isn't wrong, having lots of money isn't wrong, but when they're using their teaching to uh to glorify or benefit themselves rather than or more than it glorifies God and benefits the listeners, then we should pay attention to that. So look at the fruit, and that's a good way to identify true and false prophets uh as opposed to just their eloquence or those sorts of things. All right, true and false disciples. Interesting. Kind of a continuation here, but still it's got its own distinction. Verses 21 through 23. 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 who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons, and in your name perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you away from me, you evildoers. There's nothing quite like the bluntness of Jesus. Just incredible, right? Away from me, you evildoers. All right. The key question here is what or who is a true follower? Who is a true follower? And this is one of those parts where we can find ourselves pretty quickly going like we think about everybody else, like, oh, I wonder if they're really a follower of Jesus. And there may be some benefit for us in doing that, but but we probably should begin with looking at ourselves first, right? Am I really in on Jesus? Uh what's what's happening in my heart here, or am I doing something, uh, something else in that? So, what is a true follower is the essential question that I think uh Jesus is is asking or or answering. And the instruction here is that obedience is better than performance, right? Obedience is better than performance. And we see performance in these other people that Jesus is describing for us. They're saying, like, well, didn't we prophesy in your name, right? Didn't we drive out demons? Didn't we perform miracles along the way? And so these, even these miraculous signs, even these uh wonderful things, if if their lives or our lives are just built around this idea that, oh, well, we've seen these remarkable things, these remarkable performances, that doesn't necessarily mean that you've bought in and placed your faith, your your followership into Jesus. Uh and so it really is about doing the things that God has asked us to do. Jesus says that very plainly. Only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven, right? And so are we doing the things that God has taught us to do? That matters far more than how talented we are, how good looking we are, any of those kinds of deals. That stuff matters much less. It matters less than our abilities and the displays of power or those other sorts of things. So just a couple of follow-ups here. Um, one, just don't get caught up in the displays of others. And it's easy for us to do that, but that's not really what this is all about. And then, secondly, how do you follow Jesus in private? If you're trying to trying to sort this out for yourself, like, and I've not meant to put you into any kind of a place where you're like, oh, well, I don't even know if I'm saved now. Don't go there. But how do you follow Jesus in private? And and it'll help you to differentiate between the things that are maybe like for others, even if you don't really want them to be that way. But yeah, in your in your quiet time when nobody else is looking, uh, go to that place and and have those honest conversations with the Lord. And then finally, we have the wise and foolish builders, verses 24 through 29. And if you grew up in Sunday school, you definitely, well, I shouldn't say definitely, you probably learned that great song, Don't Build Your House on a Sandy Land, which is based off of this teaching. Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority and not as their teachers of the law. The key question I think Jesus is asking for all of us is how can we endure, or how can I endure? We want to have, I think, homes and houses, lives that that withstand adversity, that withstand temptation, that withstand critique. We want to be building something that that really does have staying power. How can I endure? And the instruction is practice what Jesus preaches. Put these things that you have learned into practice. Don't just listen to them and think, oh, that's a great way to live, or that's a really interesting thought. Uh we need to actually live out our faith, and Jesus calls to do, calls us to do exactly that. For some ongoing reflection, we're coming to the the end of our time here, but for some ongoing reflection, I want to leave you with this assignment, I guess, maybe. Uh do it or don't. Um that's that's really totally up to you. But but I would invite you to take some time to trace back over the Sermon on the Mount, all of it. So Matthew 5 through 7. We've come to the end now, and and and invite the Spirit to reveal two things: one bit of encouragement and one area of growth for you. So just, you know, open open up your copy of the word and just prayerfully read it. You don't need to necessarily make this into a you know hours-long experience. You can if you want, but it can be as simple as just going back, reading these three chapters, and asking the Spirit of God to just highlight two things for you again, right? That one area of encouragement where it's just like, because we need that, and and I think all of us have opportunities for encouragement, and the Lord wants that for us. But then also just a spot where you have an opportunity to improve, as your employer might say to you. Um, but yeah, we all have those as well. Don't make it more complicated, just spend time with the Lord and let him lead you into fullness and into good fruit. Let's pray. Jesus, thank you for this amazing day that you've given us. God, thank you for all of your teaching. Thank you for the incredible things that it does in us and for us. God, we want we want to be genuine followers of you. Be with us now. Amen.