Sermon on the Mount (Part 6): A Different Life

Sermon on the Mount (Part 6): A Different Life

In this sixth and final lesson, we are going to look at how the life of a disciple is a different life. Our lives are filled with choices that we need to make. These choices reflect who we are. As Jesus’ disciples, we are to make choices in line with His will. This will invariably make us different from the world. In the end, these choices come down to deciding between what is right and what is wrong. We must be different by choosing what is right. Furthermore, we must be willing to be different for the sake of what is right.

Two Paths

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. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

The way refers to the direction we are to go and the manner in which we are to walk. Jesus explained in His illustration that there is a right way and a wrong way.

To follow the right way, we must be deliberate. Joshua challenged the children of Israel, “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). Joshua had made up his mind to follow God regardless of what others chose to do. Our decision to follow Christ must be just as deliberate. We must also understand that the right way is demanding. Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). We must be willing to sacrifice – even if it means sacrificing our lives (cf. Revelation 2:10) – for the Lord. Also, to follow the right way requires us to make a definite choice. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). He is not a way, but the way. We cannot waver in our conviction to follow Him or we will wander off. Finally, the right way is difficult. This is the word used in the New King James Version. We will not stumble into heaven. Rather, it requires effort on our part to get there. The Hebrew writer said, “Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience” (Hebrews 4:11).

To follow the wrong way, we can simply do whatever we want to do. The wise man warned that “the way of transgressors is hard” (Proverbs 13:15, KJV), but this was just referring to the consequences that come from choosing a life of sin. The initial choice is easy because we do not need to give thought to what is right or what will affect us in the long term – we can simply do whatever feels right at the time.

There is only one way. It is through Christ. Again, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). To follow this way will make us different because must will not choose to truly follow Christ. This is why Jesus said, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine” (John 8:31). Not everyone is truly a disciple of Christ; therefore, they will not continue to follow the way that is outlined in His word. They will not follow because the way is too demanding (Luke 9:23). But we must be willing to walk as He walked. Peter explained that we are to follow the example of Christ: “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:21-22). John wrote, “But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). We must “walk in the Light,” not in the way that “seems right” to us since this way leads to “death” (Proverbs 14:12).

Two Teachings

Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15).

This refers to the teaching we accept regarding spiritual matters. In pointing out that there would be false prophets, Jesus made it clear that some teachings are right and others are wrong.

The right teaching is that which is in harmony with the word of God. We can know this because the word of God is truth (John 17:17; Psalm 119:160). The right teaching is also that which represents the word of God in the proper context. Jesus said, “The Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). This means that the Scriptures will not contradict themselves. Therefore, when seeking to understand the meaning of a particular passage, we must be sure our interpretation harmonizes with other Bible passages. Many people fail to do this. As a result, they “distort…the Scriptures, to their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:16). Furthermore, the right teaching is the word of God in its entirety. One cannot omit certain parts of God’s word and still claim to be teaching the truth accurately. Paul told the Ephesian elders, “Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God” (Acts 20:26-27). If Paul failed to preach the word of God in its entirety, he could not accurately claim to be innocent before God.

The wrong teaching can be anything that is different from the truth that is contained in the word of God. We are guilty of following the wrong teaching when we listen only to what we want to hear. Paul warned Timothy that people would do this: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). While it may be appealing to listen to this type of message, it is the wrong teaching and will not do us any good before God.

There is only one truth. It is the word of God. When Jesus prayed to the Father, He said, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17). To follow the truth will make us different because most will reject it – either all of it or at least part of it. Some will be like the Jews that listened to Paul’s defense after he was taken into custody. At first, they “became…quiet” and listened to him (Acts 22:2). But once he taught something they did not want to hear – that the Lord sent him to preach to the Gentiles – they refused to listen any more. Luke recorded, “They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, ‘Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!’” (Acts 22:22). We must not be like this, but must listen to and accept all of the truth. As John wrote, we must “abide in the teaching of Christ” (2 John 9). We are not to go beyond of fall short of this. Near the close of the book of Revelation, John wrote, “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19). This principle of accepting all of God’s word and only God’s word applies to the rest of Scripture. We must accept all of the truth contained in God’s word.

Two Fruits

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 tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does nor bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16-20).

Fruit is that which is produced from our actions and teaching. Depending on our deeds and words, we will produce either the right fruit or the wrong fruit.

The right fruit is produced as we “walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16). This means we follow the word that has been revealed by the Spirit (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:10-13; Ephesians 5:18; Colossians 3:16). When we do this, it will produce certain fruit in our lives. Paul explained: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). The right fruit is also produced when we trust in God. Isaiah recorded, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it’” (Isaiah 55:8-11). God’s word will accomplish what it is intended to accomplish in our lives if we put our trust in Him and obey His word. To produce the right fruit, we must work for Him. As Paul said, “Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10).

The wrong fruit is produced when we seek to produce fruit (results, outcomes) regardless of whether the work in which we are engaged is “good.” Jesus said of the Pharisees, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted” (Matthew 15:13). Yet on another occasion, He acknowledged their zeal and fruitfulness in making converts: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves” (Matthew 23:15). As we can see in that verse, simply converting people does no good if we are converting them to something or someone other than Christ. While there may be fruit, if the work is not accomplished in the way the Lord intends, it will be the wrong fruit.

There is only one way to produce the right fruit. It is done by following God’s plan. Again, Paul told the brethren in Colossae that they were to “[bear] fruit in every good work” (Colossians 1:10). The way we know whether a work is a “good work” is to consult the word of God. Paul wrote, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Knowing that the word of God equips us “for every good work,” we know that if a particular work is not authorized in the Scriptures, it cannot be classified as a “good work.” Being careful to produce fruit by doing things God’s way will make us different because most people – even in the religious world – believe that “the ends justify the means.” Bible authority is mostly irrelevant to them. All that matters is whether or not there are positive visible results. However, we must trust in God rather than ourselves. Paul explained, “Such confidence we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant” (2 Corinthians 3:4-6). In other words, Paul was not relying upon what schemes and plans he could invent in order to win souls to Christ; he simply trusted in God. Therefore, he used “great plainness of speech” (2 Corinthians 3:12, KJV) and put his trust in God’s word. As he told these brethren in the first letter, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:6). We need to have the same trust in God today so that any fruit that comes through our efforts is the right fruit.

Two Works

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he 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 prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

These works are the deeds that we might do in service to God. Jesus explained that not everything we do for Him is accepted by Him. There are right works and wrong works.

The right works are those that are according to God’s will (Matthew 7:21). God’s will is found in what Jesus taught. He said, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me” (John 7:16). This message would then be sent from heaven by the Holy Spirit to the apostles. Jesus told them, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (John 14:26). These apostles were then commissioned to preach the gospel throughout the world and teach the disciples to “observe all that [Jesus] commanded” (Matthew 28:20). The right works will be those works that are authorized in the word of God. Paul wrote, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17). He told Timothy, “Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me” (2 Timothy 1:13).

The wrong works include whatever we think will honor the Lord. Notice that Jesus described people who claimed to do things in His name but were actually practicing lawlessness (Matthew 7:22-23). The problem is that we, as mere men, do not think like God. Yet many fail to see this. They believe that if they think a particular action will please God, then it must actually be pleasing to Him. The Lord rebuked the wicked, “You thought that I was just like you” (Psalm 50:21). Too many fail in this regard – they think that God is like them. Yet as we noticed earlier, the ways and thoughts of God are infinitely superior to our own (Isaiah 55:8-9).

There is only one set of works that is right. These are the works that are revealed in the word of God. Again, Paul told Timothy, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable…so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Following the Scriptures exclusively to determine which works are good will make us different because most people think that anything we do for the Lord is good. Yet we must do what He has told us to do. Jesus said, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). We must do what has been authorized in His word (Colossians 3:17), not presume to know what would please Him. When we attempt to make such presumptions regarding the will of God, we will fail. Paul explained why this is: “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:11-12). The only way we can know God’s will is to look at what He has revealed in His word. Therefore, the only way we can do what will please Him is to look at what His word defines as a “good work.

Two Foundations

Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain 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.

Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall” (Matthew 7:24-27).

This foundation is that which we build or base our faith upon. As with the other points in this lesson, Jesus indicated that there is a right foundation and a wrong foundation.

The right foundation begins with the willingness to hear Jesus’ words. He said elsewhere, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Luke 8:8). After we hear His words, in order to have the right foundation, we must obey Him. Jesus told His apostles to teach all disciples to “observe all that [He] commanded” (Matthew 28:20). The Hebrew writer indicated that Jesus is “to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation” (Hebrews 5:9).

The wrong foundation exists in one’s life when he fails to obey the Lord. He may listen, but he does not do what Jesus said to do. James explained that such a one is deceiving himself: “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves” (James 1:22). By listening, and even believing, one can allow himself to think that he is right before God. But if he does not obey the Lord, his life has the wrong foundation.

There is only one solid foundation. This is Jesus Christ and His word. Paul explained to the Ephesians that they had been “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20). This solid foundation is not based upon our emotions or experiences – it is based upon the word of God. Paul wrote, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Making Jesus and His word the foundation for our lives will make us different because many people only follow Christ when it is convenient. Faithfully following Him is not the basis for their lives; instead, it is more like a “fad.” The wise man wrote, “Many a man proclaims his own loyalty, but who can find a trustworthy man?” (Proverbs 20:6). It is rare to find someone who consistently keeps his word, but this is how we must be in our commitment to following Christ. We must base our lives upon Jesus and doing His will. If we do this, we can have the assurance that our efforts will not be in vain. Paul wrote, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Conclusion

As Jesus’ disciples, our lives must be different from the lives of those in the world around us. However, we are not to be different simply for the sake of being different. We are to be different because we are striving to follow His way and His truth, doing His work and producing the fruit He desires, while basing our lives upon the solid foundation of faithful obedience to His word.


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