Matthew 7:13-27

“There have always been but two systems of religion in the world. One is God’s system of divine accomplishment, an the other man’s system of human achievement. One is the religion of God’s grace, the other the religion of men’s works. One is the religion of faith, the other the religion of the flesh. One is the religion of the sincere heart and the internal, the other the religion of hypocrisy and the external. Within man’s system are thousands of religious forms and names, but they are all built on achievement of man and the inspiration of Satan. Christianity, on the other hand, is the religion of divine accomplishment, and it stands alone.”

Vs.13-14Two GatesTwo WaysTwo DestinationsTwo Groups

Vs.15-20Two kinds of treesTwo kinds of fruit

Vs.21-23Two kinds of people who profess faith in Jesus

Vs.24-27Two kinds of buildersTwo kinds of foundationsTwo kinds of houses

V.24- [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

V.26- [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

V.27- Great was its fallV.13- the way is broad that leads to destructionV.23- Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness

No ConfrontationV.13- the gate is wide and the way is broad

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

No ConfessionV.21- Not everyone who says to Me Lord, LordV.22- Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we

not

No CommitmentMatthew 7:26-27 "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. 27 "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell-- and great was its fall."

“Never were there so many millions of nominal Christians on earth as there are today, and never was there such a small percentage of real ones . . . We seriously doubt whether there has ever been a time in the history of this Christian era when there was such multitudes of deceived souls within the churches, who verily believe that all is well with their souls when in fact the wrath of God abideth on them.”

The Sermon on The Mount, 1969

Luke 6:47-48 "Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. V.13- The narrow gateV.14- The narrow way

Narrow (Stenos) “to groan”Used to represent a restriction

Luke 13:23-24 And someone said to Him, "Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?" And He said to them, 24 "Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. Strive (agonize)

like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock

Don’t follow the crowdV.14- there are few who find it

Don’t take things at face valueV.15- False prophets look the part on the outside

InwardlyFruit

BuckthornDon’t just hear the word

V.21- he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven

James 1:22-25 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

Don’t fear trials, persecution, or judgmentV.25- The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew

and slammed against the house, yet it did not fallV.25- It had been founded on the rock

PetraMatthew 16:16-18 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ,

the Son of the living God." And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.