The Conflict (v. 1)

The inquiry

The indictment

The Cause (vv. 2-3)

Our selfish preferences

Our selfish pleasures

The Conviction (vv. 4-5)

Charge of adultery

Cheating on God

The Cure

Humility before God

Proximity to God

Purity in God

More to Consider

The two major ideas vying for supremacy within the last century and a half are state run, centrally planned communism (and its little brother, socialism) and free market, private property centered capitalism. Arthur Brooks of the American Enterprise Institute, presenting for the internet think tank PragerU.com, demonstrates the goal of both political ideologies to work for the basic common good. Quoting Frederic Hayek, Brooks says,

Whats the best way to help poor people escape poverty? Progressives and conservatives have very different answers to this question, but before we explore those answers, lets agree on this: Both progressives and conservatives believe that the government has a moral obligation to help those who, through bad luck or unfortunate circumstances, cant help themselves. Heres what a conservative icon, Nobel Prize-winning economist, Frederic Hayek, said on the subject:

There is no reason why, in a society that has reached the general level of wealth ours has attained, the first kind of security should not be guaranteed to all...some minimum of food, shelter, and clothing sufficient to preserve health and the capacity to work.

Whatever the media might tell you, there isnt a conservative out there who would not agree with Hayeks statement.

Both philosophies seek to turn collective attention toward a common good, and both have been and are being tried to various levels of success. However, both are human constructs and, therefore each have their weaknesses. Mike Farley

In the absence of a compelling external authority that enables us to draw the line confidently between right and wrong, true and false, we are left to fumble about with only our feelings to guide us. And are these feelings not often driven by self-desire and self-justification? Feelings are notoriously unreliable as a guide to belief or behavior. David F. Wells

Genesis 1:26-31, 2:15-17

God Given Animation (1:26a)

Gods life (Gen. 2:7)

Gods likeness

God Given Authorization (1:26b-27)

God is the Owner

Humanity is the manager

God Given Aspiration (1:28-31)

Have a fruitful life

Enjoy a fruit-filled life

God Given Limitation (Gen. 2:15-17)

One forbidden tree

One fearful warning

More to Consider

A biblical answer explains why all of life has become disordered. As the twenty-first century is beginning in the West, part of that disorder is the sense that life has no center, that it is adrift, and that it has no meaning. This answer, which explains all of this, is sin. And this is the normative answer. It does not change. This, in every age, is the answer that explains life's disorder. The center has not been lost. What has been lost is our ability to see it, to recognize it, to bow before it, to reorder our lives in light of it, to do what we should do as people who live in the presence of this center, this Other, this triune, holy-loving God of the BiblePaul's statement is that, since the fall, we have "worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator" (Rom. 1:25). David F. Wells

So, to eliminate any confusion on this point, I am going to give you a short quiz. In the Christian Story, who is the creator and sustainer of the universe? Who is the Lord, the master of the universe? Who is all-powerful? Who is the center of the universe? The answer to each of these questions is, of course, Godthe God who is completely distinct from the rest of his creation. Gregory Koukl

Sovereignty or governance means to be in control of or to be in charge of. Sovereignty concerns not only Gods right to control all, but also His actual sovereign dominion over all things. Sovereignty is based in several of His attributes since God is allpowerful, allknowing, allwise and allgood. This is because God knows the best thing to do and has the power to do it. He is prior to all things, produces all things, sustains all things, transcends all things, knows all things, can do all things, owns all things, rules over all things and controls all things. Norman L. Geisler

Matthew 7:24-29

The Structure of Life (vv. 24-25)

The Rock

The sand

The Storms of Life (vv. 26-27)

The same storms

The different outcomes

The Sovereign of Life (vv. 28-29)

The astonishment

The Authority

More to Consider

The reason you often cannot tell the difference between them is that the deep foundations of their lives are hidden from view. The real question is not whether they hear Christs teaching (nor even whether they respect or believe it), but whether they do what they hear. Only a storm will reveal the truth. Sometimes a storm of crisis or calamity betrays what manner of person we are, for true piety is not fully distinguished from its counterfeit till it comes to the trial. If not, the storm of the day of judgment will certainly do so. Stott, J. R. W., Stott, J. R. W. (1985). The message of the Sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7): Christian counter-culture (p. 209). InterVarsity Press.

From picturing two ways and two trees, our Lord closed His message by picturing two builders and their houses. The two ways illustrate the start of the life of faith; the two trees illustrate the growth and results of the life of faith here and now; and the two houses illustrate the end of this life of faith, when God shall call everything to judgment. There are false prophets at the gate that leads to the broad way, making it easy for people to enter. But at the end of the way, there is destruction. The final test is not what we think of ourselves, or what others may think. The final test is: What will God say? Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 31). Victor Books.

A person who comes to Christ for salvation comes to Christ the Lord, who has the right to demand obedience because of His lordship. Note that Jesus did not teach here that works save us, but rather that doing good works is a reflection of our obedience to Gods will (7:1620, 2427; cp. Jms 2:1426). Attempting to earn salvation by works is a rejection of Christs sovereignty. Sin replaces Gods sovereignty with our human bent toward self-will and rebellion against Gods will. Cabal, T., Brand, C. O., Clendenen, E. R., Copan, P., Moreland, J. P., Powell, D. (2007). The Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith (p. 1416). Holman Bible Publishers.

Our Relationship with the Culture: Part 2

Matthew 7:15-23

The Deceivers (vv. 15-20)

False identity

Faithful identifier

Bad trees bear bad fruit

Good trees bear good fruit

The Deceived (vv. 21-23)

Religion professed

Look at what we have done for You!

Relationship possessed

No dependence upon ourselves

Complete dependence on Christ

More to Consider

One of the major characteristics of false prophets in the Old Testament was their amoral optimism, their denial that God was the God of judgment as well as of steadfast love and mercy. They were guilty, Jeremiah said to the people, of filling you with vain hopes They say continually to those who despise the word of the Lord, It shall be well with you; and to everyone who stubbornly follows his own heart they say, No evil shall come upon you. Similarly, God complains: They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace. Such talk was, to say the least, a grave disservice to the people of God. It gave them a false sense of security. It lulled them to sleep in their sins. It failed to warn them of the impending judgment of God or tell them how to escape it. Stott, J. R. W., Stott, J. R. W. (1985). The message of the Sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7): Christian counter-culture (p. 199). InterVarsity Press.

Those hearing this sermon must have wondered about the religious leaders, who seemed to be good men, teaching spiritual truths about Messiah and His kingdom. Jesus made it clear they were not good for they were leading others astray. Even if they were doing supernatural deedsprophesying in His name, driving out demons, and performing many miracles, they were not obedient to the Father, continually doing His will (Matt. 7:21). They would be refused admission to the kingdom because Jesus had no personal relationship with them (vv. 21, 23). Barbieri, L. A., Jr. (1985). Matthew. In J. F. Walvoord R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 34). Victor Books.

The Rebellion vv. 1-3

Gods Response vv. 4-6

The Messiah vv. 7-9

Our Response vv. 10-12

THE WAY TO WISDOM

Receive Gods Instruction

Serve The Lord and Rejoice

Honor and Obey Jesus

Take Refuge in Him