Brian Maloy

Our passage today begins in v15, but we have to acknowledge from where we have just come… the Narrow Gate. This is an important “build” into the passage we are studying today. 

Let’s look closely and consider it briefly. 

Matt 7:13-14:

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

There are SO many things we could dig into, but even looking at the surface like we have time for right now… 

1. We are told to enter through the Narrow Gate.
2. The alternative is the Wide Gate, and the path is broad, and it leads to destruction.
3. The Wide Gate has many who enter through it. 
4. But the Narrow Gate is indeed Narrow. The way is difficult, BUT it leads to life. 
5. Few find the Narrow Gate.
6. We can infer that the “way being broad” means that it’s well traveled, it’s a path of ease. Honestly I love those trails in the woods — they are great! 
7. We can also infer that even those who may look for the Narrow, many of them choose to step off because it is indeed, difficult — those trails are HARD, but in the end, any good hiker knows… they are worth it. 
8. Further, I think it’s fair to also infer (since few find the Narrow Gate), that many also don’t look for it. 
9. Which means we must seek it, stick with it when it’s difficult (it’s promised to be), and see it through. 

I am SURE we could talk about that metaphor for days, but I know we have to move on and get to the text at hand. But I couldn’t ignore that important moment that builds right into where we find ourselves today.

Fruit (v15-20)

When we look at Matt. 7:15-20, a quick theme emerges — fruit, or fruitfulness! I love this theme. 

Jesus starts with a clear warning — be wary, be on guard — there are false teachers, there are those who are not sheep, although make themselves to appear as such. Instead, they are wolves in sheep’s clothing. They seek their own power, their desires are paramount, their fears consume and guide them. Naturally we can all think of extremes examples. But Jesus doesn’t say keep an eye out for the extreme examples. He says for us all to be on guard, we all must learn to graciously be discerning. 

Mercifully, Jesus doesn’t just give that warning without help. Immediately after, He tells us HOW to become discerning in this regard. Look at v16 — we can recognize them by their fruit, by its quality, or lack thereof. Good trees produce good fruit, bad trees produce bad fruit. Bad fruit doesn’t come from a good tree. So while it may sound “judging” and we as a modern culture have been conditioned that “judging” in any way is unkind… this is not judging — this is discerning. This is wisdom practiced, and lived out.

I literally just read today a quote from PDT — he said:

“Irritation at the sin of others is ignited by self-righteous pride; compassion in the face of their sin is motivated by humble grace”. 

While I haven’t pondered this long, I do think there are some exceptions to this of course. But nevertheless, it’s a helpful heart check. Am I judging their sin, or am I discerning enough to see their sin for what it is, and respond in wisdom? This is a fine line, and the Holy Spirit not only helps us do this well, but also knows our heart and motives. 

My recommendation for us all — move cautiously, with grace, but also courage. There is definitely a difference, and most of us (if honest) can tell where our heart is at if we follow down a train of thought. If motivated from compassion, pray for wisdom to act. If judgment, repent, and ask the Lord to help you have compassion for the sin of others. 

YET, we cannot just stop here at considering the hearts of others — their sin, and the wolves among us. We must look inward further, and consider the fruit in our own lives.

QUESTION for you:

What does your life show about your heart?

What fruit is evident, good and bad in your life?

> it is wise to slow down and ponder such questions, with honestly, humility, and a desire to walk in step with Jesus.

Because in the end, if false teachers can be identified by their fruit — so can false or weak Christians. Our heart is revealed by our life. Our life is made up of so much, but definitely includes these things:

• Our thoughts
• Our words
• Our actions
• Our habits
• Our use of time
• Our beliefs

When we humbly and honestly look at what our life is saying, we MUST respond. WE must either keep walking toward the Father, or repent for where we have failed, and turn to walk back toward the Father. Those who obey His Word, indeed bear good fruit.

I think we all long to bear good fruit, to be fruitful in the Kingdom — and Jesus is telling us exactly how to go about it.

Obedience (v. 21-23)

I love how Jesus makes this so clear WHY it matters. It’s one thing to know that good trees produce good fruit, in other words, that a good heart produces good fruit. But then Jesus goes on and explains why obedience (which produces good fruit) is so incredibly important.

I remember being in San Antonio as a kid, and there was a church we went to for a program. I remember being confused and didn’t quite understand, but they were acting out this moment of people arriving in heaven, one of the girls being a pastor‘s kid, and Jesus saying, I never knew you. It always confused me and bothered me, but Jesus is helping us understand when we slow down and read here.

He starts out talking about the Kingdom of Heaven again (which is a cool connection back to Deuteronomy and the OT, since Matthew is great at connecting his gospel back to the OT for Hebrews). In effect, He is describing the rule and reign of God in this world. 

If we desire to enter His Kingdom, we are submitting to His rule (not ours, not the world’s). Our obedience is evidence that we desire to be in His Kingdom. So, rebelling against God’s rule is indicative that we are not really part of His Kingdom, and we do not desire to be part of His Kingdom.

Now lean in… I still sin. I struggle. I fail daily. But I hate that. I hate that I sin, I hate that I grieve my Heavenly Father. I hate that I grieve the Holy Spirit. I hate that my sin spits on the sacrifice of Jesus. Remember when Paul said he also hated how he did what he didn’t want to do (Romans 7)? It’s horrible. But that is the difference, our sin grieves us too. We long for restoration. We want to want the things of God. We ask for forgiveness, and help to turn back (1 John 1:9). 

I fail daily still, but praise be the Lord, who takes away the sins of the world. Sanctification is slow, hard, it is the narrow path — promised to be difficult, but worthwhile. 

Wisdom/Foundation (v24-29)

Jesus then pushes a bit deeper into this obedience idea to help us understand. We know a good heart produces good fruit, and while it’s usually obvious HOW we produce good fruit — Jesus is kind and doesn’t leave it up to interpretation, He makes it abundantly clear. 

Look at the two foundations Jesus describes, and those who build upon each of them in v24-29. 

Initially He speaks of one who builds their life on His teaching. Jesus describes them as wise, like a man who builds his home on the rock. This seems not just like a good idea, but creating stability in a world of constant upheaval and change. 

Think about what He is doing in this metaphor, foundations are essential for a house to remain steady in the storms of the world. Likewise, as humans, building our lives on the right foundation (the Word of God), quite literally enables us to remain steadfast and firm in the storms of the world.

WE. NEED. THAT. The world is chaos, even when it’s calm and stable which is rarely. In fact we’re promised it will often be — Ps. 46, Jn. 14:27, Jn. 16:33, Isa 32:17-18, Matt. 24:6.

So rather than being easily deceived, easily swept up, easily ruled by emotions, confusion, and the lies of the world — we have an alternative. God’s Kingdom operates differently. Building our lives in/on His Word, enables us to stay on the Narrow Path — the path that leads to abundant life (Jn. 10:10), which Jesus told us — He came to bring. 

Praise be the Lord. 

Wrap Up

There is so much we covered in such a short passage. We looked before our lesson to the Narrow Gate, which led us beautifully to a warning about teachers who lead us astray, who are not interested in helping us stay on the Narrow Path. Jesus didn’t leave us with an ambiguous warning, but gave us clear instructions how to discern (not judge). It’s helpful advice not just for teachers, but also our own hearts need that check as well. From there we walked to obedience, and why obedience is so important — and why it places us right in God’s Kingdom and Lordship. But Jesus reminds us HOW to be obedience by landing in a place where we must build our lives upon something, and that something is the very Word He speaks, the very Word itself. 

How do we know that we have not built our lives on the Rock, rooted in and on the Word of God?

• Storms (big and small) in our lives, wreck us (Matt. 7:27, Jam. 1:6)
• We hear the Word, but we don’t do it (Matt. 7:26)
  • I mean, we listen to sermons, podcasts, read Devotionals, but when our lives look no different…
• We are tossed to and fro by every idea or emotion (Eph. 4:14)
  • We’re easily swayed by culture, trends, world.
• We bear little or no fruit (Matt. 7:17-20, Jn. 15:5-6)
  • We see growth in sin, not growth in godliness.
  • We excuse ourselves rather than repent…
• We love the world more than God (1 Jn. 2:15-17)
• We resist correction, or conviction (Pr. 21:1, Heb. 3:13)
• We rely on our own strength (Jer. 17:5-6 & 7-8)
  • I too often default to self-reliance versus prayer.
  • Sometimes we panic versus try to trust.
• We confess Jesus with our lips but deny Him with our lifestyle (Titus 1:16, Jam. 1:22, Brennan Manning too!)
  • We talk Christian, but live otherwise.
  • We know truth but don’t submit to it.

Father help us. Help us to trust. Holy Spirit, give us a passion for the Word. Help us to understand it. And really help us to submit to it, and let it mold and shape our hearts to be like You. Give us humble honest hearts — so we can see the sin and brokenness within us — and quickly repent, and surrender to Your rule and reign. Help us to walk within Your Kingdom, help us show others the way.