Avoiding Quicksand

Avoiding Quicksand

James 1:22-1:25

Matthew 7:24-7:28

Good morning to those that are listening to us online-welcome to service. We are glad you’re here.

Prayer-

Please turn to Matthew 7:24-28

Matthew Chapters 5-7 is what is called “The Beatitudes”-

Jesus preaching series that was the best to be ever written.

He talked about worrying, asking, seeking, knocking to find the things of God.

He taught on what it would take to make it into the kingdom of God- what things could be sent up to heaven and what things would never enter the gates of heaven.

He taught on how we are not judge others and how we will be judged on judgment day

He had a lot to say about behavior and attitudes.

This is the one sermon that wraps it all together.

He talked about foolish people that never make wise decisions about the things of God.

Matthew 7:24-28 Read from Bible-

Jesus taught wherever He went and they had a choice of wither they were going to accept or reject the words He brought them.

People today have the same choice.

None of us in USA will stand before Jesus and say that they did not know that they needed to make a decision for or against accepting Christ as Lord.

Jesus taught with authority!

They “were astonished.” Other translations will have “amazed or astounded” This word in the Greek is used 4 times in Matthew and at a total of 13 times in the NT confined to the Synoptic Gospels and Acts.

Every time this word is used, it is always concerning the people or the disciples at the teaching of Jesus or His miracles.

WHAT WAS SO AMAZING? He could back up everything He spoke to them.

He demonstrated His authority over nature. He calmed a storm.

He had authority over demons and cast them out.

He had authority over disease and sickness and healed people.

He had authority over death and came back from the dead

He said He would come back and that is soon going to happen!

Matthew 28:18 “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me” Customize this se

Jesus did not leave it to the crowd to perceive his authority. He claimed it!

Nothing matters more than people coming to Christ for salvation and then those people becoming disciples—not just members of the crowd. (Repeat)

When Jesus went up to a mountain to deliver his sermon, the Sermon on the Mount, there were two groups of people: the crowd and the disciples.

Matthew 5:1-2 –“Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.”

This should be familiar to you, I have taught from this verse. There is a large crowd of people and a small group of disciples. And although the large crowd is present and listening, Jesus seems to be speaking to the smaller crowd. He was preaching to His disciples.

The “crowd” was a group of people who liked Jesus. Know anyone like that?

They were fascinated with Him, intrigued by His words and actions.

Wherever Jesus went, there they were. The crowd was aware of His healing powers and miraculous works, and they wanted to get in on that.

They were caught up in the excitement and didn’t want to miss anything.

And then, there are the disciples. This is a smaller group of people who don’t just like being around Jesus but have decided to trust and follow Jesus.

So, when Jesus sits down on a mountain to teach about the way to live life in the kingdom of God, He is speaking to those who are a part of the kingdom – His disciples.

The crowd is listening, but they are not getting it!

The crowd isn’t the goal

Finding out which one are the wise, and which are the foolish!

To the world, they may look the same but to Jesus He knew the difference. To Jesus one is curious and to the others He saw commitment.

To some they knew he spoke with authority but they were not going to bow to his authority and change their life- so when he look for commitment to follow him, he knew who would go and who would stay. Jesus wants us to trust and follow Him, not just hang around him when it is convenient and safe.

So back to the text verse- Matthew 7:24- “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.” (26) “But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who builds his house on sand.”