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24HourForums.com > The Top 10 Supported Forums > The Christian's Straight and Narrow Path > Bible Study > Bible Study: Matthew Ch 7 |
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DesertRat Forum-Blogger© Pioneer100© Member 
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MATTHEW Ch 7
For this segment of the study of the book of Matthew I am going to depart from my standard of not including the entire scripture in the post. I’m doing this because this chapter is so powerful in the message Jesus gave. The references to the book of Luke below each heading are the parallel scripture written in that Gospel. The words of Jesus are written in red and the commentary for our Bible study will follow in black text. The only exception here is the last two verses (28 & 29) where the biblical text will be in bold (since these verses are not quoting Jesus). Judging Luke 6:37–42 “Judge ? ?not, that you be not judged. ?2? For with what ?judgment you judge, you will be judged; ?and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. ?3? ?And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? ?4? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? ?5? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. 6? ? ?“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. Jesus warns his disciples against passing judgment on people in verses 1-5 by letting us know that God will measure us by the very same standard we apply to others. In illustrating his point Jesus thinks of his days as a carpenter. You can’t see to remove a tiny speck of sawdust from someone’s eye if you have a great plank of wood in your own. So it is with judging others. We tend to pick on a tiny blemish in someone else’s behavior, when there’s a far greater fault in ourselves. This is a difficult trait to overcome for a lot of Christians and yet it is one area where we are easily (and many times rightfully) viewed by the world as hypocrites. We need to learn to put aside our human nature to ignore our own faults while judging others and remember that God is the ultimate judge of mankind. As Christians we are given the “great commission” to preach the gospel to others but in doing so Jesus admonishes us in verse 6 that we must also be wise when we speak about God. Sharing the gospel with people who vehemently and sometimes violently reject it is like throwing pearls to pigs. Keep in mind this verse is not comparing people who reject the gospel to pigs or dogs, but rather making an analogy that you would not give something as precious a string of pearls to dogs or pigs and expect them to appreciate their value and beauty. More likely is that the pearls will be trampled under their feet and defiled as well as you taking a risk of being attacked. Likewise you don’t want to spend your time giving something as precious as the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who are adamantly opposed to hearing it since they will discard it as worthless and people too can become violent and turn on you for your actions. “Ask, and It Will Be Given” Luke 11:9–13 ?7? ?“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ?8? For ?everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. ?9? ?Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ?10? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? ?11? If you then, ??being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Jesus encourages his disciples to develop their relationship with God. We will find him to be a loving and generous Father. We have only to ask to receive his help, only to seek to find his way and only to knock to discover his welcome. Are we afraid that God will trick us or disappoint us? Will he take advantage of our weakness, or suddenly let us down? Jesus says that a loving human father, with all his failings, knows how to be kind and consistent with his child. Won’t our heavenly Father, who is perfect, be better still? Golden Rule Luke 6:31 ?12? Therefore, ?whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for ?this is the Law and the Prophets. Jesus sums up his teaching on how to treat people. We must behave towards others as we would like them to behave towards us. Give generously and receive joyfully. Forgive and be forgiven. Don’t judge and don’t be judged. This is the golden rule. This is the love of God in action. Two Ways of Life ?13? ?“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. ?14? ?Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. The teaching of Jesus is inspired and exciting. A life of joyful obedience opens before us — a life which finds its happiness in God’s love and its purpose in the work of his kingdom. But will we follow where he leads? Most Christians know that the path they have chosen is most certainly not an easy one. It is far easier to follow the path of the world and our modern “me first” culture. Jesus is not interested in merely entertaining us with stories or intriguing us with wise sayings. He looks for us to make a life or death choice and he invites us to join him on the narrow road that leads to life. False and True Teaching Luke 6:43–46 ?15? ??“Beware of false prophets, ??who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. ?16? ??You will know them by their fruits. ?Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? ?17?Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ?18?A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ?19? ? ?Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ?20?Therefore by their fruits you will know them. ?21? “Not everyone who says to Me, ?‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who ?does the will of My Father in heaven. ?22?Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we ??not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ?23?And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; ??depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Here, Jesus gives a warning about false prophets. These are people who claim to come from God, but don’t. They are fierce and dangerous — like wolves disguised as sheep. We must look carefully at what they actually do. You tell a good prophet like you tell a good tree — by the fruit! Jesus says there are plenty of prophets, exorcists and miracle-workers around who is nothing to do with him. So beware! There are many out there in the world today claiming to be men and women of God who are nothing of the sort and when their judgment comes that will be turned away for it is by faith alone that we are saved not by good works or deeds or appearing to be a good person. Only by faith in the risen Lord are we saved. Parable of the Two Builders Luke 6:47–49 ?24? “Therefore ??whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ?25? and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. ?26?“But everyone who hears these sayings of mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ?27?and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” Jesus ends his teaching (what we now call the “Sermon on the Mount”) with a challenge. You will only know the truth if you do it! For Jesus, the truth is to be lived. Living the truth is like building a house on a solid foundation of rock. Storms, hurricanes and flood water can do their worst, but the house will always stay standing. To hear the teaching of Jesus and ignore it is like building a house on sand. It has no proper foundation. When the trials of life come beating down and doubts come flooding in, the life without truth will collapse. Response to the Sermon ?28? And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that ?the people were astonished at His teaching, ?29? ??for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. The crowds are buzzing. They like Jesus — his vitality, his wisdom, his humor, his directness … Most of all, his words spring confidently and naturally from his life. He is so different from their other teachers! Amen!
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sirlamre Pioneer100© Member  Official Forum Troublemaker
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"Most of all, his words spring confidently and naturally from his life. He is so different from their other teachers!" He is the Voice of God on earth --- all souls naturally are inclined towards Him, whether their material bodies and personalities permit that to be acknowledged outwardly or not, the inner reality and deepest desire of each and every soul He has created is to yearn to return to His Presence and to seek nothing other than Him.
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JustifiedByFaith Pioneer100© Member  Searching The Hearts Of Man
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sirlamre wrote: "Most of all, his words spring confidently and naturally from his life. He is so different from their other teachers!" For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. Romans 8:19-23
 Jesus said, "Take heed that no one deceives you." Matthew 24:4 |
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JustifiedByFaith Pioneer100© Member Searching The Hearts Of Man
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JustifiedByFaith wrote:
Jesus said, "Take heed that no one deceives you." Matthew 24:4 |
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24HourForums.com > The Top 10 Supported Forums > The Christian's Straight and Narrow Path > Bible Study > Bible Study: Matthew Ch 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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