WELCOME
Communion Worship Service
Good morning First Baptist. We welcome you to worship this morning. Be sure to remember your brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the week as you pray for them, and as the Holy Spirit brings their faces to your mind. Be sure to also connect with them in the ways that are possible. And if you have any questions or would like to talk to someone, please don’t hesitate to contact the church through the church telephone and leave a message. (519-733-4144)
Songs
Call to Worship
Gather around,
you are welcome here,
and you will hear Good News.
In a world where there are so many discouraging and negative voices,
it is the God of encouragement who will speak to you today.
The God of Jesus Christ.
So come in, relax,
let your tiredness roll away.
Lift up your hearts, and listen.
GOOD MORNING FBK & WELCOME TO WORSHIP!
Songs
Prayer
Prayer of Confession & Assurance
The act of confessing our sin is not simply a recitation of our faults and wrongs, but also an opportunity to receive God’s mercy and share in that abundant grace. Confident of God’s love for us, let us offer our prayers, first in silence.
SILENT PRAYER
O God, we want to have our cake and eat it, too:
we want to be a friend of the world and still be your friend.
Yet, Jesus taught us: “No one can serve two masters.”
Give us strength and courage to get our priorities straight:
help us to seek your kingdom first.
Help us to live faithfully and joyfully in the world,
and to be friends with the people you call us to serve.
Help us also to remember that our best relationship
is the one we have with you,
We pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon:
“The wisdom from above is first pure,
then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield,
full of mercy and good fruits,
without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy” (James 3:17).
In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven,
and we are given a new way to live.
Let us accept God’s grace,
and live new lives of faith, obedience, and joy.
Following Jesus?
A Foundation that Endures
Today's Message: Pastor Marlee Page
Well, we’ve made it – we’ve come to the end of the road in this journey we’ve been on together.
Today will be our final message in the Following Jesus Series – Studying and applying the teaching of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount.
We are going to look at the last passage – vs. 13 – 29 of Ch. 7 this morning but also, we are going to make sure that we summarize what Jesus wants us to leave with – making sure that we caught the big idea and know what to do with it.
So, let me ask you:
When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, what was His main point?
Certain phrases from the Sermon on the Mount are well-known:
- Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth
- Judge not
- Blessed are the peacemakers
- Blessed are the merciful
- Let your light shine
- Be salt
- Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven
- If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also
- Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you
- Do not be anxious about your life
- Consider the lilies of the field
- Take the plank out of your own eye
Every one of those phrases is true, important, and vital for us to hear.
Yet, if you focus on those phrases as you reflect on the Sermon on the Mount you might miss the main point.
You see, not one of those phrases encapsulates the main point of the Sermon; indeed, all of them together don’t come close to summarizing the Sermon.
In the closing verses of the Sermon, Jesus helps His listeners to focus in on the main point.
Scripture Reading: Matthew 7:13-29
The Narrow and Wide Gates
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
True and False Prophets
15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
True and False Disciples
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
The Wise and Foolish Builders
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
This morning, we’ll consider Jesus’s conclusion under three headings:
- Three Perils
- Three Guideposts
- One Lord
So first up is the Three Perils:
1) A wide and easy road leads to destruction.
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
(Matthew 7:13-14)
When we need to read this the first thing we need to Remember: Jesus is speaking.
So Jesus is not speaking out of vindictiveness. He’s simply speaking truth. He’s not some preacher or prophet who delights in telling people they’re going to hell.
Many, He says, are headed to destruction. If you follow the crowd, if you do what culture around you does, if you think the way they think, you will meander down the road to destruction.
That’s the first, great danger.
2) False prophets point you to that road
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” (Matthew 7:15)
Jesus adds to verses 13 and 14. He says false prophets will tell you the road to destruction is the road to life. These false prophets look good – they are dressed like sheep, thus looking like those in Jesus’ flock. But in truth they are wolves.
Remember, throughout the first section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says that the Law of God requires conformity between our inner lives and are outward actions. That is their tell; False teachers display no such conformity. So, watch out for them.
So, the first peril is: If you meander along, you will end up destroyed. The second peril is: If you follow a seemingly good teacher who is actually a wolf, you will end up destroyed.
3) Many who think they are on the right road are headed to destruction
Look at the last two images Jesus gives us:
“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. 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?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
(Matthew 7:21-23)
Look closer at these people Jesus is talking about. They seem very good:
- They call Jesus “Lord”
- They call Jesus “Lord, Lord” – indicating some degree of fire & intensity.
- They prophesy
- They cast out demons
- They do mighty works or miracles
- They do many such mighty works
- They do all this in Jesus’ name – thus claiming to do this for His glory and by His power
Also, note that they are surprised at Jesus’ condemnation of them. They thought the Kingdom of heaven was theirs.
Why did they think that?
- First, because they called Him Lord.
- Second, because of their alleged fire for Jesus.
- Third, because of how they have ministered or their ministry success.
So, these folks think they are blessed, think they are saved, because of what they say, how they say it, and what they’ve done.
But is that what Jesus said at the beginning of this sermon?
Jesus said:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.”
(Matthew 5:3)
He did not say, “Blessed are those who say to me Lord, Lord, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.”
Ministry success, fire and brimstone, and mouthing the words “Jesus is lord” will never save us.
We see the second image in Jesus’ final story:
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 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. 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. 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.”
(Matthew 7:24-27)
Imagine these two houses are near each other in your town. Both are lovely. Both appear well-built. Both owners feel secure. When you walk by, you admire both houses.
But when the storm comes, one house will stand. The other owner will head to destruction. Even though he thinks he is secure.
Ev shared from this story last week when it shows up in Luke- Our foundations matter and they are important!
To quote her:
“This was a call to obedience. It was a call to come to Jesus, to listen to His Words and then to follow them and put them into practice. It was a call to lay a foundation on the solid Rock of Jesus Himself and His Word.”
Are you built on The Rock or on the sands of destruction?
So, three Perils:
A wide and easy road leads to destruction.
Many false teachers will happily point you and guide you in that direction.
And many people think they are on the right road but are self-deceived.
Next up: Three Guideposts
Jesus doesn’t only warn us of Perils. He also gives us three guideposts, three ways the narrow road leads to life.
Though the false prophets deceive via disguising themselves like sheep, Jesus says you can figure out what they really are:
“You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”
(Matthew 7:16-20)
What fruit is Jesus talking about?
We easily lapse into thinking that the fruit is some kind of ministry success: People coming to faith, big churches being built, people healed.
But Jesus’ next statements rule out that interpretation; these folks who prophesied and cast out demons and did miracles are workers of lawlessness!
So the fruit is not any type of ministry success then.
What is it?
Jesus has been talking about such fruit throughout the Sermon: Those who recognize that there is no way they can make themselves perfect like God, and so become:
- Poor in spirit
- Mourning
- Meek
- Hungering and thirsting for righteousness
- Not longing for recognition for their giving, for their prayers, for their fasting
- But longing for God’s Kingdom, for His Will to be done, for His Name to be hallowed
- Not being enslaved to money or anything in this world
- But gladly submitting themselves to God as His slaves.
That’s the fruit.
By their fruit – the right kind of fruit – you will know them. That’s the first signpost.
2) There is a road that leads to life
Verses 13 and 14 can sound purely negative: Many enter by the wide gate to an easy road that leads to destruction.
But there is also a note of hope in these verses: There is a road that leads to life! While the gate is narrow and the road is hard, it does exist – and anyone can enter by it!
This is not a limited access highway with signs saying, “Pedestrians and Cyclists prohibited!”
This is not a road in a gated community with a sign saying, “Only Mercedes and Lexus cars may enter!”
The road is hard – but all may and are encouraged and welcomed travel it.
3) Hearing and Obeying Jesus is that road
Who is like the man who built his house on the rock?
Everyone who hears these words of Jesus and does them!
You’ve got to hear! Others must hear! All of us must strive to understand and apply! You can’t build your house on the rock unless you hear.
But you can’t stop at hearing! You must obey!
As Jesus says so often:
“He who has ears – he must hear.”
Meaning: Not just that sound waves must make our eardrums vibrate, but that we must take these words to heart and follow them.
This is the narrow gate. This is the hard way. This is the road to life: Hearing Jesus, listening and then obeying Him.
But remember the thrust of Jesus’ entire Sermon: We must obey Him not only in actions – such as avoiding murder, adultery, revenge, and hatred – but by our inner being and outer actions being in tune with one another:
Becoming children of your Father who is in heaven
Being perfect like your Father is perfect
Hungering and thirsting to shine with the light of the image of God into the world around you
Having a righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, because your righteousness is more than outer conformity to a set of rules.
Jesus promises that when you do: The storms of life will come your way – the road is hard, as Jesus says. The rain will come, the floods will come, the wind will blow and beat against your house.
But it will stand, whatever the storm may be Illness, death of loved ones, poverty, loss, pain, rejection. Amidst the real pain, your house will stand because it is founded on the rock.
Three guideposts that point to the road that leads to life:
- Know false prophets by their fruit
- Don’t despair of finding the road to life: it’s there
- Hearing, listening and obeying Jesus is that road
But how are you going to obey Him? And so here’s the second important question we must ask you as we come to the end of this.
How are you going to be perfect like your heavenly Father?
That’s not going to come through self-discipline.
So how does that happen?
That question has only one possible answer:
Jesus Christ – our One and only Lord
Why is listening to Jesus so important?
The central message of the Sermon on the Mount is not a set of ethical rules, like “Love your enemies” or “Be peacemakers.”
The central message is: Jesus is Lord. And there is none like Him.
Listen to what Jesus says:
“I tell you who is truly happy – Not those who you think are happy, but the poor in spirit. Indeed, if you are persecuted on my account you are truly happy, and you will have a great reward in heaven.” Who can say such things?
“I have come to fulfill the Law and the prophets.” Who can say such things?
“You have heard that it was said . . . but I say to you…” Jesus claims to be the sole right interpreter of Scripture. Who can say such things?
“I never knew you; depart from me you workers of lawlessness.”
He claims to be the final Judge who will declare who is in the Kingdom and who is left outside. Who can say such things?
“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.” He claims His words are the difference between the Kingdom and destruction. Who can say such things?
No one can say such things – except the Messiah. The Promised One.
Anyone who says something like that is either a crazy fool – or He is the culmination of all the promises of the Old Testament.
And so Jesus says:
“You must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
How much chance do you have of perfection?
Let me point something out here that I suspect you know –
You cannot, I cannot fulfill the urgings of the Sermon on the Mount.
We all must recognize that – and because of that fact, each of us must turn to the one with all authority, turn to the Promised One, and recognize Him as Lord.
That’s what it means to be poor in spirit, you will mourn, you will be meek, you will hunger and thirst for righteousness, you will be merciful. And you will throw yourself on the mercy of Your heavenly Father.
There is a way that leads to death – and that way includes trying to live out the Sermon on the Mount all on our own.
Everything that Jesus has been teaching is pointing to this one truth – It’s all about Him!!!
Will we Say: “I want to live out this Sermon on the Mount – and I can’t on my own. I want Your righteousness. I acknowledge the literal dead end of all my striving for attention and recognition and success and happiness on earth. I want to be like You – I want to shine with Your light, to live for Your glory. I want to be part of Your Body, to do Your work.”
Jesus is Lord. He is the only Saviour.
Apart from Him – we are headed somewhere we don’t want to go.
United with Him- we are forgiven by His blood, raised to walk in newness of life through Him: We are children of our heavenly Father.
The Promised One welcomes you. So come to Him.
Communion
Come, join Him at his table.
You are His People and you are invited to sit with your Lord.
On the night he was handed over, Jesus had a meal with his friends. He took a loaf of bread and after giving thanks to God, he broke it and gave it to his disciples. He said, “Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
After supper Jesus took the cup of wine, and after giving thanks, gave it to them and said, “Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, remember me.”
Let us pray:
Dear Heavenly Father, we come to your table this day because you have invited us here. let this meal be nourishment for our souls… let it fill us up from the inside out …. Father, we thank you for the gift of your son Jesus Christ, whose love pursues us our whole life long. Thank you, Jesus, for giving your life to us in word and deed, even unto death, even death on a cross. Lord before we take the elements we pray together, as you taught us:
Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done,
On earth as is it is in heaven.
Give us this day, our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
The power and the glory,
Forever and ever.
AMEN.
“Through the broken bread we participate in His body, given for you.”
“Through the cup of blessing we participate in the new covenant Jesus gives.”
Take the elements now and be thankful.
Song
Benediction
Go forth to love one another.
Be rich in faith and serve one another in all joy and humility.
And may the power of God our Creator, Christ our Salvation,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forever.
Amen. Blessings & have a Great Week!