Bible Study 2014 10 10

The World is Upside Down                   Bible Study  October 10, 2014
     We need the teachings of Jesus to Turn Our Thinking Right-Side Up

1-               Last week we finished with “Do not worry…” and the words “Seek First the Kingdom…” Matthew 6:35.  These are powerful directive words from Jesus.  Jesus never told us anything that was not good for us. 

2-                Tonight, we come to the end of the Sermon on the Mount.  Just as everything we experience has a beginning and an end, so too the Sermon on the Mount.   This section of the Bible really begins with Matthew 5:17 and ends with Matthew 7 29.

3-               Out of this section of Matthew we must remember, Jesus began this teaching of how to live in the Kingdom with the word Repent, then gives us behaviors of living in the Kingdom, and sums up these behaviors in Chapter 7:12, the Golden Rule.

4-               In Ch 7, verse 28 we read the people were “amazed”.  Here in this lesson, we will learn of this verb “amazed” and what it means.

The Golden Rule:

Matthew

Ch 7: 12   So (meaning- therefore)  in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

1-              Jesus gave many behaviors for us to seek to accomplish in His first sermon to the people.  Then He gives the summary, a summary to catch all proper behaviors in the Kingdom.  In one sentence Jesus covers the entirety, the essence, the completeness of living in the Kingdom.

2-              This is called an ‘inclusio’ phrase, a bookend, a summary.  The Other bookend, is Matthew 5:17- “Repent…”

3-              The title "golden rule" traditionally comes from "the Roman Emperor Alexander Severus (A.D. 222-35), who, though not a Christian, was reputedly so impressed by the comprehensiveness of this maxim of Jesus . . . that he had it inscribed in gold on the wall of his chamber."  (Thomas Constable, Notes on Matthew)

4-              Jesus could have spoke for days giving hundreds of instructions on how to behave in the Kingdom.  In one sentence, He sums it up behavior in the Kingdom-, Perfectly, Completely, and totally Understandably.  This is the perfection we worship in the Jesus we know.

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.

1-             Life is composed of many decisions we have to make.  There is always two choices in every decision we make.

2-             Do we take the easy way or the correct way; the narrow road less traveled or the road beat down by the many travelers;  the ‘straight and narrow’ and sometimes difficult that leads to eternal life  or the road filled with people always seeking the easy, fun, and  dangerous life that leads to self-destruction.

3-             In taking the Way of the Kingdom, the straight and narrow, we have the Sermon on the Mount to guide us.

4-             Notice the word ‘gate’ is the defining word here.  It may be a small gate, but Jesus controls the gate, His words here define our journey to and through the gate, and Jesus in His perfection opens the gate for us and will know us because of our Journey seeking the Kingdom.

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 thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?

21  "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he 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 perform many miracles?'

23  Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
Who are the false prophets of today?  How do we recognize them?  One sure way is when they say that have the real answers to your problems.  In reality, we find answers to our problems in the Gospels.

1-             Just as Jesus was obedient to God’s will, Jesus tells us that entrance to Heaven is accomplished by living in God’s will. 

2-             Jesus talked the talk of God’s will,  Walked the walk of God’s will, Suffered, Died, and was Glorified all because He lived what He taught and walked..

3-             When we stand before Jesus at our earthly death, the last words we want to hear from Him is “I never knew you.  Away from me…”

The Reaction of the Crowd at the Sermon on the Mount

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.

1-             The word “amazed”, the crowd was amazed.  In the Greek of Jesus’ day this had a strong sense.  What Jesus was saying was unheard of before Jesus came.  It was totally new.

2-             Not only were His words amazing, but so too His authority

3-             Jesus changed the world with His words and life, God verified His words and life by raising Him from the dead.  The people responded with believing. 

4-             How can we do any less than Jesus.  We must seek Him in Seeking the Kingdom by living in the ways He instructed..