Wise or Foolish: Revealed by life storms.

Matthew 7:24-27 “...Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 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. 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. 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..."

Luke 6:46-49 “...Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great..."

Context: these verses come directly after Jesus warned about false teachers, bad fruit and lack of relationship.

Why is it not enough to just hear the words of Jesus?

- what we do determines outcomes.

- hearing sermons is dangerous business when the words don’t translate to action.

What are the outcomes of our response to the words of Jesus?

- if we hear and do, what we build in our life is not shaken by life’s storms.

- if we hear and fail to do, what we build is left in ruins by life’s storms.

Does either choice guarantee us there will be no storms?

- the floods come.

What do you think it means to dig deep to lay a foundation on the rock?

- genuine subjection to Christ.

- will a shallow foundation suffice?

- how would describe shallow Christianity?

- an empty profession and with external appearances only.

James 1:22-25 “...But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing...”

Romans 2:13 “...For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified...”

Two roads, two trees, and two houses. They are as different as night and day.

Ravenous Wolves: Destined for the fire.

Matthew 7:15-20 "...Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits..."

Luke 6:43-45 "...For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks..."

What is a true prophet supposed to do?

- literally, one who foretells future events.

- a true prophet is anointed to speak for God.

- a true prophet teaches men the will of God.

What makes a prophet a false prophet?

- false representation of God.

- false representation of what God expects.

What do false prophets look like?

- they appear to be real.

Did the religious leaders of the day seem to be good men, teaching spiritual truths about the Messiah and His kingdom? What about religious leaders of our day?

How can false prophets be recognized?

- by their fruit.

- prophets can be properly identified over time.

1 John 4:1 "...Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world..."

Surprise Departure: Missed it.

Matthew 7:21-23 "...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. 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?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness..."

Luke 13:25-28 "...When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out..."

What credentials were not enough?

- some actually had some pretty hefty credentials, or at least claimed to have them: prophesy, casting out demons, mighty works.

- some just claimed to be close to Jesus: ate/drank in presence, heard the teaching.

What credentials are needed?

- doing the will of the Father.

- being known by Jesus.

What credentials do you have?

How can a person think they have saving faith but be 'workers of lawlessness'?

2 Timothy 2:19 "...But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity...”

1 Corinthians 8:2-3 "... knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God..."

Do ravenous wolves lead to surprised departures?

The Golden Rule: Do unto others

Matthew 7:12 "...So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets..."

Luke 6:31 "...And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them..."

What is Jesus saying?

- to put ourselves in our neighbor's place, and direct our conduct accordingly.

Why practice the Golden Rule? (KJV and NASB translate "so" as "therefore")

- we don't want judgment.

- we want the benefits of God's goodness.

- we reap what we sow.

How can the Law and the Prophets be summarized this simply?

- the Law and the Prophets were to create a "set apart" people who did things the way God wanted them done.

- God is love, and expects all our actions to be selfless acts of love for others.

- we're not embracing God's way until our individual value systems become community oriented.

Socrates, Buddha, and Confucius stated it differently: "Do not do to others what you would not have done to you;" How does this statement differ from Christ's?

- how does not doing something differ from doing something?

- passive vs active.

- there is a big difference between withholding bad and pouring out good.

- not being mean, harsh, or cruel is not the same as being generous, understanding and kind.

The Narrow Gate: Hard but right.

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..."

Luke 13:24 "...Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able..."

Who goes through the wide gate? Why?

- many.

- it's easy, requiring no self control or self denial.

Who goes through the narrow gate? Why?

- few.

- it's difficult, requiring self control and self denial.

What is the fate of the majority?

- destruction.

What is the fate of the few?

- life.

Why do people like to position ourselves with the majority?

- we think there is safety in numbers.

Why should we be willing to go where the majority won't go?

- we should see beyond the immediate to the long term consequences.

Persist: Go for it.

Matthew 7:7-8 "...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 to the one who knocks it will be opened..."

Luke 11:5-10 "...And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, 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 to the one who knocks it will be opened..."

Context:

- Jesus had been talking about our relationship with others.

- we are to avoid judging others.

- we are to serve others without being hypocrites.

- we can't do these things without divine grace.

- we need help.

Who receives what they need from God?

- everyone who asks.

How should we Ask?

- are we informing an ignorant God?

- are we begging from a reluctant God?

- we aren't prevailing upon God, we're prevailing on ourselves to submit.

- prayer is God's designed way for us to express our need of Him.

James 4:3 "...You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions..."

1 John 5:14 "...And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us..."

Who finds what they need from God?

- the one who seeks.

How should we Seek?

- people can receive creative gifts without seeking from God: material blessings like air, rain, food.

- people receive redemptive gifts by seeking from God: spiritual blessings like forgiveness, peace, faith, love.

- are we seeking the things with the greatest value?

Isaiah 55:6 "...Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;..."

Jeremiah 29:13 "...You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart..."

Who gets through the closed doors?

- the one who knocks.

How should we Knock?

- as one who desires to gain entry?

- are we willing to persist until the knocking brings a response?

We ask (simple petition) for what we wish. We seek (earnest search) for what we miss. We knock (persistence) to get through obstacles or to gain access to what we're separated from.

What does the Luke account add to the context?

- persistence in asking, seeking; knocking.

Matthew 7:9-11 "...Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 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!..."

Luke 11:11-13 "...What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!...”

Does God always give us what we want?

- the Israelites got their meat and it led to death.

Numbers 11:31-33 "...Then a wind from the Lord sprang up, and it brought quail from the sea and let them fall beside the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and a day’s journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the ground. And the people rose all that day and all night and all the next day, and gathered the quail. Those who gathered least gathered ten homers. And they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. While the meat was yet between their teeth, before it was consumed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord struck down the people with a very great plague..."

Does God know how to give good things?

Does God know how to give us what we need?

- Jesus for our justification.

- the Holy Spirit for our guidance.