We Make Our Answer Now

June 15, 2003: “We Make Our Answer Now” – Matthew 7 (Bro. Dave Noble)

Good morning brethren and sisters. My family and I are pleased to be meeting with you this morning, and we bring with us the love and greetings of the North Industry Ecclesia.
The seventh chapter of Matthew ends with the words, "And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes (Matt. 7:28-29)." The people were struck with amazement at his teaching because he taught with authority, or as the word is more often translated, "power". A power that is associated with rule or government; the power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed. In Luke 4:32 it says, "And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power." In the gospel of john it says, "Never a man spake like this man (Jo. 7:46)."
We know that Jesus was no ordinary man … he was the Messiah … the Son of the Highest. The people were astonished at his doctrine…those sayings which come to an end in these closing verses of chapter 7. At this point in the gospel of Matthew, we come to an end of one of the most compelling sections of scripture, one which is typically referred to as "the sermon on the mount." It is a most extraordinary passage that begins in Matthew 5 and goes through this seventh chapter. What is so compelling about these three chapters is that Jesus sets before his disciples a portrait of a character: a character that in every way is his very own. His own character that had not long before been tried through the trials he faced in the wilderness of Matthew 4. He emerges from that test with the absorption in and dependence on the will of God.
He sets out and defines that character with the Beatitudes at the start of Matthew 5. The remainder of the discourse is used to illustrate examples of how such a character should behave. As we look at the Beatitudes, we see a continual emphasis on the plural pronouns such as "they shall inherit", and "they shall see God," and as such, it teaches us that while the perfect example of this character is to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ, it also describes the character of each member of the class of people who are to find their true home in his Kingdom. They and they alone, can be its citizens. If such attributes are not developed in an individual, that person will not be fit to be a citizen in God's Kingdom.
After the character is defined by the Beatitudes, Jesus proceeds with illustrating for his disciples the manifestations of such a character. Such a character, which is defined by the inner qualities of the heart, has an outward conduct that he describes in the balance of Matthew 5. In Matthew 6, Jesus goes on to describe the things that the Servant of God should do and the things the Servant of God should avoid. He concludes in Matthew 7 with practical exhortations and gives a final warning as to what they should do with his teachings. They need to go beyond the amazement … they need to be applied and put into action!
It is a section of scripture we find ourselves reading in amazement, and reflecting on it as a wonderful collection of sayings and teachings of our Lord. We find ourselves saying "aren't these sayings wonderful." Yet we shrink back from the responsibility of their application to our lives. You know brethren and sisters, we would be hard pressed to find any situation or circumstance we face in today's world that is not addressed in some fashion in these three chapters. If we say we are facing an individual trial that we cannot find the answer or have no idea what God's will might be concerning it, then we have not given much thought as to the content of these three chapters.
Bro. Anthony Oosthuisen, at the Shippensburg Bible School in the early 90's, described these chapters as those that epitomize Christianity and the doctrines of our Lord. He titled the Sermon on the Mount "The King's Manifesto," because in it, Christ laid the foundation of all his future teachings, and laid the foundation of what the Kingdom of God was truly to be like. In the course of his talks he said, "Christianity has not bee tried and found wanting. It has been found hard and not tried!"
These sayings are indeed wonderful and beautifully put forth by our Master, but if that's where we draw the line, then it's no good. We must put them into practice and do them. And, they are hard sayings too, difficult for us to apply to ourselves, but yet, those who will be citizens of the Kingdom, will manifest the teachings of the Lord in their lives and in their actions.
It is that exhortation that we can glean from this seventh chapter of Matthew. Though there are many lessons to be gained from a careful study of this chapter, we will develop this theme with a look at three sections of the chapter, namely the verses dealing with the two ways, the two trees and the two builders. From those, we will focus ourselves on the emblems before us as we prepare to partake of them. They are simple principles, but large in scope when we meditate upon them in light of the life of our Lord and in consideration to our calling!
The first point for consideration is the parable of the two ways contained in verses 13 & 14. There it says,
"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

"Enter ye in at the strait gate" is a call to make a choice, to separate oneself from the crowd that drifts along the broad way that leads to destruction. The choice of the way determines the outcome, either life or death. Such a choice is found throughout the scriptures. Moses often exhorted the people regarding their life and conduct, and we know how in the days before his death he said:
"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live (Deut. 30:19)."

The thoughts put forth by Christ in this parable can also be found in the last verse of Psalm 1.
"For Yahweh knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish (Ps. 1:6)."

Here are the two ways…the one ending in destruction, and, though David does not say the way of righteousness ends in life, he says something more than that. He says they will be known of God. Being known by God includes all other blessings, including life eternal.
In Luke 13:24 the same parable is recorded, but with these words:
"Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able."
The word for "Strive" is indicative of an athletic contest … a fight … contending with adversaries. It comes from a Greek word from which we get our English word "agonize". It is a metaphor that not only indicates the struggle of the contest, but the period of rigorous training involving self-disciple and attention to everything that makes for fitness. Only through such striving can the goal of entering in at the strait gate be obtained. The crowd drifting on the broad way to destruction wants to follow the way that calls for NO self-discipline and the way that offers everything freely and easily.
Brethren and sisters, we made our choice when we entered the waters of baptism, but we must strive to remain on the correct path if we are going to reach the goal of entering in at the correct gate. These emblems before us remind us of the one man who was able to reach that gate and pass through it and is now become our example.

The second passage to be examined is found in verses 16-20 of Matthew 7. We read there,
"Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."

The account of this parable in Luke is much the same, but it adds this verse on the end:
"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh (Lk. 6:45)."

These words come in the context of false teachers described in verse 15. Jesus tells his disciples that they can judge them by their works, since a false teacher, one who is directing the people in the ways of unrighteousness, no matter how subtle, cannot bear good fruit … only that which is evil.
An important point that can be lost in this passage is that it not only describes how we can detect false teachers, but it also describes how the disciples of Christ can be judged. Those who are seeking after a place in God's Kingdom, can also be judged by their fruits. God is preparing a people who are to manifest the characteristics outlined in these passages. We are to be developing the fruits of the spirit in our lives that are centered on the aspect of love, and it is by those fruits that we will be judged.
We see in verses 21-23 of Matthew 7 that the Lord Jesus Christ is himself revealed as judge, and those that are turned away are those that are classified as believers. Much like the foolish virgins who were lax in their preparations as they awaited the coming of their bridegroom, they will be turned away at the door when the Lord tells them "I know you not (Matt. 25:12)." "Depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matt. 7:23)."
It is a frightening thought to be told that people can think they are all right, but they are hopelessly wide of the mark. People cannot be talking about what they are doing, exhibiting pride and self-examination, but rather, should be exhibiting meekness and humility in doing the work of the Heavenly Father. For as it says at the end of verse 21, "but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" is he who will enter the Kingdom. That is how Christ himself wanted all to judge him, for he did the works of the Father who had sent him.

This brings us to the parable of the two builders. Beginning in verse 24, we read:
"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."

The close resemblance of these words to several proverbs is easy to see. Proverbs 10:25 says,
"As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation."

Proverb 12 verse 7 states:
"The wicked are overthrown, and are not: but the house of the righteous shall stand."

And lastly, in Proverbs 14:11,
"The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish."

The righteous is the man who builds well and truly on the foundation provided by Christ, "rooted and built up in him, and established in the truth as he has been taught (Col. 2:7)." For Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "for other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 3:11)."

In the parable we see two men set out to build a home (which interestingly implies they had given up a previous home) near a stream. The wise one of the two proceeds to dig deep in order to find the solid rock as foundation. The other, considering it hardly practical to spend all that time and energy on excavation, goes to building his house without delay. He would be seen to make very spectacular progress by comparison with his more thorough neighbor. And while weather conditions were good it would seem to everybody that he was every bit as well off as the other who had chosen to add so much apparently unnecessary labor to his task.

But at the first serious test, there came disaster for the one … and vindication of the other. Heavy rain, fierce winds, and rising waters all combined in an onslaught of the elements. The storm brought down a sudden rush of floodwater, and very quickly the unstable foundations of the one house were eroded away. It caused instability that made it unable to stand the blast of the storm and the whole place fell in, and "great was the fall of it."

The main point that Jesus sought to make here is, very simply, that the closer a man comes to Christ in the life he lives, the more secure he is in present trials and ultimately in the day of judgment. And the opposite is true; the less close he is to Christ, the greater his danger. To any superficial scrutiny, such an individual may appear to be well equipped and safe, but the trials of life will differentiate between the genuine and the sham. Such a person does not hear and do the sayings of the Lord because of either spiritual laziness and an unwillingness to labor to build upon rock, or because of a desire to put on a show of religion without the inner transformation and personal dedication to Christ that is required.

It is with this parable that Jesus is bringing to a close his sayings of the last three chapters. He is exhorting and warning the people to hear his words and to do them…to put his sayings into action. The contrast between hearing and doing … and … hearing and not doing is the real point of this whole parable. In addition brethren and sisters, we must not leave this parable without noting that the knowledge of the two builders is the same. They both knew the sayings … they had heard them. The difference between the two is what they did with that knowledge.
We too have that knowledge brethren and sisters. We have heard the sayings of the Lord. We know the gospel and have entered into a covenant relationship with God through the waters of baptism, but what are we doing with that knowledge? As we contemplate the emblems before us and the sacrifice made by our Lord, we recognize that he manifested all the characteristics portrayed here in Matthew. These principles of righteousness, godliness, and holiness were manifested perfectly in his life, and we need to also apply them to our own, for these are the principles of eternal life.

Bro. Oosthuisen said in his class that "lip service is no substitute for loyalty. It is not enough to say we have enlisted in the king's army, as we have through entering into the waters of baptism, but it is also being a good soldier of Christ and waging a good warfare which matters."

Brethren and sisters, unless that knowledge we have brings forth a kingdom character in us, it has failed its purpose, and it is just an utter waste of time. This is the object of it all. God is seeking to create a certain kind of people for His Kingdom. The citizens and administrators of that Kingdom are being prepared NOW. We have to start living the life of the Kingdom NOW, reflecting those external qualities of character so that when our Master returns, he recognizes some part of himself in us.

Brethren and sisters, shall we be with him in that day? One thing is absolutely certain, we make the answer NOW!

Dave Noble, North Industry, Ohio