Read chapter in full: www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+7&version=ESV

 

Nov 28

Sermon of the Mount – Christian Dedication

Matt 7：21-29 （ESV）

I Never Knew You

²¹ “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. ²² 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?’ ²³ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Build Your House on the Rock

²⁴ “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ 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. ²⁶ 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. ²⁷ 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.”

The Authority of Jesus

²⁸ And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, ²⁹ for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

Meditation：

 

The Sermon on the Mount makes us aware of a fundamental choice: Jesus repeatedly asks His children to be different than other people. Our righteousness should be deep rooted in our heart, our love should be wide enough to bear with our enemies. We are facing two kinds of treasures, two masters, two aspirations, two disciples and two paths. Now is the time for our decision. Are we going to follow the crowd or follow our heavenly father? Are we going to follow the wandering opinion of the majority, or follow the will and revelation of our heavenly father? In the last section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus’ main purpose is to remind us that we are facing an unavoidable decision.

 

• Read Matt 7:21-29. Looking superficially, what are the things we can praise about the people described in the passage (v21-23)? Why did Jesus not care about their good declaration and actions but announced their sins instead?
• It is difficult for us to distinguish between true or fake Christians. However, a storm will reveal things that are hidden. What are the storms you are facing? How do these storms reveal the characters of your life?
• Which teaching in the Sermon on the Mount gives you the greatest challenge?
• Pray that God will help you to submit to His authority especially on those things that you don’t want to submit or things you are doing hypocritically?