NOTES: 12/4/11 PM
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The Gospel According To Matthew, Session 4

12-4-11 PM

Do Not Condemn

Matthew 7:1-6… “Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

Look at yourself closely before you look at others

The measure of judgment you use will be used on you

³ And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? ⁵Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

We are especially warned to not condemn others in any area were we are guilty

⁶ “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

Two meanings…

1- What is holy ought not to be left exposed to the criticism of the unholy

2- What we preach, we better live or it will tear us up wit the fury of wild swine

Matthew 7:7-12… “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. ⁹ Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? ¹¹ If you then, being 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!

Ask

Ask while you’re searching

Knock- literally beat the bushes while you pray & seek

God will provide more than enough- what ever you need

¹² Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Here is a parenthetic jewelof truth

The Golden Rule

The Narrow Way

Matthew 7:13-14… “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. ¹⁴ Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Check the map of life- The highway has only one entrance many will miss it!

The gate is narrow & the path beyond is difficult… i.e. straight

The Gospel According To Matthew

You Know Who Has Entered The Gate

By Their Fruit

Matthew 7:15-20… “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

Some will dwell among you with an appetite for destruction

¹⁶ You will know them by their fruits.

They are easy to spot- they look like & profess to be sheep… but they are carnivorous!

(Continued)… Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Therefore by their fruits you will know them

4 ½ verses explain why the church must be alert for wolves

1. We want a harvest a useful harvest- not thorns & thistles

2. No matter how badly we want a thorn to be a fig it isn’t

3. Every unfruitful tree will be burned… don’t get too close to the fire or you will end up like Nebuchednezers faithful soldiers

Jesus Will Separate The Christian

From The Religious

Matthew 7:21-23… “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²²Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Itain’t what you say… Its what you do!

CEV… Get out of my sight, you evil people!”

NLT… Go away; the things you did were unauthorized

Build On The Rock

Matthew 7:24-27… “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

²⁶ “But everyone who hearsthese sayings of Mine, and does not dothem, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

Qualification…

Whoeverhears and obeys the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5,6 & 7)

Promise…

All Life’s storm will be powerlessagainst you

Disqualification…

Whoever hears and does not obey the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5,6 & 7)

Promise…

All of life’s storms will leave you greatly broken

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