Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: MATTHEW #11 - 7:20-34)
G. 7:13-23 HOW TO QAULIFY FOR AND ENTER THE KINGDOM
1. 7:13-14 THE NARROW AND BROAD WAY
a. 7:13 DESTRUCTION: THE END FOR MISSING THE NARROW GATE
EiSELtha-te [1525] diA tes steNES [4728] PUles [4439]: HOti plaTEIa [4116] kai euRUcho-ros [4439] hehoDOS
Enter you by the narrow gate: for wide and spacious isthe way
heaPAgou-sa [520] eis ten aPOlei-an, kai polLOI ei-sin hoi ei-serCHOme-noi di’ auTES.
that leads unto the destruction, and many are they that enter thereby.
b. 7:14 WARNING: FEW FIND CHRIST, THE NARROW WAY
HOti steNE[4728] hePUle, kai teth-limNEne[2346] hehoDOS heaPAgou-sa eis ten zo-EN,
Because narrow the gate, and straitened the way that leads unto the life,
kai oLIgoi [3641] ei-SIN hoi heuRISkon-tes [2147] auTEN.
and few are they that find it.
2. 7:15-23 AVOID THOSE WITHOUT THE FRUIT OF THE KINGDOM
a. 7:15 WARNING: THE HYOCRISY OF FALSE PROPHETS
ProSEche-te [4337] aPO ton pseu-do-pro-pheTON [5578],
Beware of the false prophets,
HOIti-nes ERchon-tai pros huMAS en enDUma-si [1742] proBAton [4263],
who come unto you in sheep’s clothing,
Eso-then DE ei-sin LUkoi [3074] HARpa-ges [727].
but inwardly are ravening wolves.
b. 7:16a By their :fruits you shall know them.
aPO ton karPON [2590] auTON e-pigNOses-the [1921] auTOUS.
c. 7:16b Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
MEti sulLEgou-sin [4816] aPO a-kanTHON [173] sta-phuLAS,eaPO triBOlon [5146] SUka?
d. 7:17 ALL TREES BRING FORTH AFTER THEIR KIND
HOUtopan DENdron [1186] a-gaTHON karPOUS [2590] kaLOUS poiEI [4160];
Thus every good tree brings forth good fruits;
to de saPRON [4550] DENdron karPOUS po-neROUS [4190] poiEI.
but the corrupt tree brings forth evil fruits.
e. 7:18 VIOLATION OF THIS PRINCIPLE: IMPOSSIBLE
ou DUna-tai [1410]DENdron a-gaTHON karPOUS po-neROUS e-negKEIN [5342],
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruits,
ouDE DENdron saPRON karPOUS kaLOUS poiEIN.
neither cana corrupt tree bring forth good fruits.
f. 7:19 Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is cut down, and cast into fire.
pan DENdron mepoiOUN karPON kaLON ekKOPte-tai [1581], kai eis pur [4442] BALle-tai.
g. 7:20 Surely then by their :fruits you shall know them.
Ara ge aPO ton karPON auTON e-pigNOses-the [1921] auTOUS.
h. 7:21 NOT LIP-SERVICE, BUT HEART-ACTION GIVES KINGDOM ENTRANCE
ou pas ho LEgon moi, KUri-e, KUri-e, ei-seLEUse-tai [1525] eis ten ba-siLEIan [932] ton ou-raNON;
Not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of the heavens;
all’ ho poiON [4160] to THEle-ma [2307] tou paTROS mou tou en tois ou-raNOIS.
but who does the will of my :Father who is in the heavens.
i. 7:22 MIRACLES IN JESUS’ NAME: AN ARGUMENT SOME WILL USE
polLOI eROU-SIN moi en eKEIneteheMEra,
Many will say to me in that :day,
KUri-e [2962], KUri-e, ou tosooNOma-ti [3686] e-pro-pheTEUsa-men [4395],
Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your :name,
kai tosooNOma-ti daiMOni-a [1140] e-xeBAlo-men [1544],
and in your :name cast out demons,
kai tosooNOma-ti duNAmeis [1140] polLAS e-poiEsa-men [4160]?
and in your :name do many mighty works?
j. 7:23 JESUS DOES NOT OWN FRUITLESS MIRACLE-WORKERS!
kai TOte ho-mo-loGEso[3670] auTOIS [HOti] OuDEpo-te [3762] EGnon [1097] huMAS:
And then will I profess to them [that] I never knew you:
a-po-choREIte [672] ap’ eMOU, hoi er-gaZOme-noi [2038] ten a-noMIan [458].
depart from me, youthat work :lawlessness.
H. 7:24-27 TWO HOUSES: CONTRAST BETWEEN HEARING AND DOING
a. 7:24-25 THE ROCK CHRISTIAN: HEARERS AND DOERS OF THE WORD
Pas oun HOstis aKOUei [191] mou tous LOgous [3056] TOUtous,
Every one therefore who hears these my words,
kai poiEI auTOUS, ho-moi-oTHEse-tai [3666] anDRI phroNImo[5429],
and does them, shall be likened to a wise man,
HOstis o-koDOme-sen [3618] auTOU ten oiKIan [3614] ePI ten PEtran [4073]:
who built his :house upon the rock:
kai kaTEbe[2597] hebroCHE[1028], kai ELthan hoi po-taMOI [4215],
25 and the rain descended, and the floods came,
kai EPneu-san [4154] oi Ane-moi [417], kai proSEpe-san [4363] teoiKIa eKEIne;
and the winds blew, and beat upon that :house;
kai ouk Epe-sen [4098]: te-the-meLIo-to [2311] gar ePI ten PEtran.
and it fell not: for it was founded upon the rock.
b. 7:26-27 THE SAND CHRISTIAN: HEARERS AND DISOBEYERS OF THE WORD
kai pas ho aKOUon mou tous LOgous TOUtous,
And every one that hears these my words,
kai mepoiON [4160] auTOUS, ho-moi-oTHEse-tai [3666] anDRI moRO[3474],
and does them not, shall be likened to a foolishman,
HOstis okoDOme-sen [3618] auTOU ten oiKIan ePI ten AMmon [285]:
who built his :house upon the sand:
kai kaTEbehebroCHE[1028], kai ELthan hoi po-taMOI,
27 and the rain descended, and the floods came,
kai EPneu-san hoi Ane-moi, kai proSEko-psan teoiKIa eKEIne;
and the winds blew, and smote upon that :house;
kai Epe-sen [4098]: kai en hePTOsis [4431] auTES meGAle[3173].
and it fell: and great was its :fall.
I. 7:28-29 CHRIST’S AUTHORITY: A CAUSE FOR AMAZEMENT
Kai eGEne-to [1096], HOte eTEle-sen [4931] ho IeSOUS tous LOgous TOUtous,
And it came to pass, when :Jesus ended these :words,
e-xePLESson-to [1605] hoi OCHloi ePI tedi-daCHE[1322] auTOU:
the crowds were astonished at his :teaching:
en gar diDASkonauTOUS hos e-xouSIan Echon,kai ouch hos hoi gram-maTEIS auTON.
29 for he was teaching them as having authority, and not as their :scribes.
NOTE: Jesus makes it abundantly clear that so-called prophets who operate in the gifts of the Spirit – but havenotthe “fruit” of the Spirit – they may be converts, but are notdisciples, and have noassurance of salvation.
At the very end of this Gospel, Jesus in the Great Commission confirms that the job of disciples is to make fellow disciples, with the end in view of seeing them keep all of His commands. How different this is to the “Seeker Friendly” churches of today.
Healing the sick, doing miracles and prophesying are not proof of discipleship. Gifts of the Spirit are but the early beginning of the Christian walk. Discipleship introduces one to the fruit of the Spirit, and separates the boys from the men.
This way is a contrast between the Narrow and Broad way. Few find Christ in the narrow way. These words of Jesus are fully confirmed by H.A. Baker in “Visions Beyond the Veil” and his other writings, and Oswald Chambers in all of his writings.
Jesus in this section of the Sermon on the Mount closes with a contrast between two types of builders. Who builds a house, must be very careful in his choice of foundations – rock versus sand. And His application is that the rock foundation professor, is one who “Hears and Does” the words of Jesus, while the sand foundation professor is the one who hears but does not do His words.
A missionary in Africa was translating the Bible into a native language. He had difficulty in finding the equivalent of “faith” in their language. After months of prayer, he settled on “hearing and doing” as the equivalent of “faith”. The native believers agreed.
And what was the conclusion of Jesus’ hearers to the Sermon on the Mount? Amazement! He was notlike their Jewish teachers – the scribes and Pharisees. He taught with Authority. He did not quote other scribes and Pharisees. He spoke as the Son of God directly from heaven. But “I”say unto you.
Let us saturate ourselves in these words of Jesus. Let us meditate upon them. Let us allow Him by His Spirit to live them out through us. The Sermon on the Mount is a picture of the normal Disciple who allows Jesus to do so. He becomes a Galatians 2:20 believer! J.A.W.