Let us give heed to the word of God from Matthew 7. Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction. And those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life. And those who find it are few. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? So every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down. and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven. but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and cast out demons in your name and do many mighty works in your name? And then will I declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock, and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall. because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell. And great was the fall of it. And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority and not as their scribes. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Amen. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we pray that you would open the eyes of our heart to behold the glory of Jesus Christ in your word, to show us the one who is like the Father from all eternity, eternal God, and who took on flesh and became man and did so to suffer and die, that through his death and resurrection, we might have life and that we might have forgiveness and that we might have blessing. through him and be united to him now and for all eternity. For it is in Christ's name we pray, amen. Today we come to the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount. In his closing remarks, Jesus bids us pay attention to the two and only two paths, the only two ways that lie before each one of us to follow in our lives. Shall we follow the sinful desires of our hearts? Or shall we follow Jesus, the Creator and Savior of all who trust in Him? And Jesus reminds us of the two very different eternal destinies that await those on each of these paths. Jesus exhorts everyone to choose wisely. It was the burden of the Old Testament to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven was coming and that the king of heaven, the king from heaven was coming. Genesis 3.15 predicted that the offspring of the woman would crush the head of Satan, the one who brought all mankind into sin. Genesis 49.10 predicted that the king would come from the line of Judah. And Matthew 1 shows us that Jesus is the offspring of Abraham and Judah and David and the heir to the throne of David. Isaiah 9, 6 says that this human son would also be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, and Prince of Peace. But how can a human being also be God? Matthew 1 says that the child in Mary was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and they were to name Him Jesus. And then it quotes Isaiah 7, 14, saying, Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son. And they shall call his name Immanuel, which means God with us. Micah 5.2 predicted that the eternal God would be born in Bethlehem. And Matthew 2 records that the wise men in the east saw a star in the sky and followed it to Israel, sure that it was a sign of the coming of the King of heaven, and asked where he was to be born. And the scribes quoted Micah 5.2 and said, in Bethlehem. And they went and found the child there and bowed down and worshiped. worshiped him. Daniel 9 even gave the precise time of his coming. It said that after the decree was given to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, which occurred in the year 454 BC when Artaxerxes issued a decree to Nehemiah, found in Nehemiah chapter 1, to go back to Jerusalem with the people and rebuild the city of Jerusalem, that 77's would occur. That is 70 times seven, 490 years. And it said that in the middle of the 70th seven, in the middle of the last seven years, which pointed forward to 486 and a half years after that year, that an anointed one would be cut off to atone for sin and to bring in everlasting righteousness. And 487 and a half years later, in AD 33, Jesus Christ, who was anointed by God with the Holy Spirit at his baptism by John, was anointed as the one true prophet, priest, and king of God's people by God from heaven. And in AD 33, he was crucified and cut off for the purpose of atoning for all the sins of all who trust in him. And he placed on their accounts his perfect righteousness that they might become children of God. Malachi 3 predicted that God would send his messenger to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah, the one who would refine and purify his people. And Matthew 3 tells us of the coming of that messenger, John the baptizer, who said about Jesus, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And he said, and he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. And he said, repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And then Jesus, the king from heaven, sat down on the mountain and taught his disciples and the multitudes about the kingdom of heaven, which people were already entering. And Joel too predicted that when the kingdom came, God would pour out his spirit upon men and women and sons and daughters and even servants from every people and nation and tribe in the world and would fit them for the kingdom of heaven. And in the Sermon on the Mount, we have seen that Jesus said that no one can enter his kingdom based on their self-righteousness. He said that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are poor and humble in their spirits before God. He said that it belongs to those who mourn over their sins, those who meekly beseech God for forgiveness. Those who hunger and thirst for Jesus to make them righteous in God's sight, that they may become sons and daughters of the kingdom. And Jesus promised to not only create all these things in His people, but He also promised to make His people merciful, and pure in heart and peacemakers who bring others into harmony with God and who are willing to suffer and be persecuted for the glory of Jesus Christ. In the final 17 verses of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus, the King of heaven, exhorts all to enter into his kingdom now. that you may enter into the consummate eternal kingdom of the Father, which will come when Jesus returns to judge all men. Today, we will look at this general call of Jesus in Matthew 7, 13 through 29, under four headings, two ways, two prophets, two fruits, and two destinies. First, in verses 13 and 14, God shows us, Jesus shows us two ways. God has long spoke of two and only two paths that all people in this life must choose in this life. In Deuteronomy 30, God exhorts all to turn from the path of death and evil and to choose instead to follow the path of life and good. All men are, all people are born spiritually dead and walk in evil. God must circumcise our hearts. He must remove our slavery to sin. He must create in our hearts a love of righteousness and a desire to walk in obedience before God. In order for us to choose to walk in the path of spiritual life and good, God exhorts all. Jesus exhorts all in verses 19 and 20. This is Deuteronomy 30, 19 and 20, and God exhorts all. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life. He is the source of life, of all life, physical life, spiritual life, eternal life. Choose life, it is found in Him. He is your life and length of days. Psalm 1 speaks of the way of the righteous and also the way of the wicked. This does not mean that those who make themselves righteous go on that path and that those who make themselves wicked go on that other path, it means that God exhorts us to abhor our wickedness and to cry out to Him to make us righteous, that He would make us righteous in His sight, and He would enable us to leave the path of the wicked that we are on and to walk in obedience to Him. Jeremiah 17 says that the one who trusts in his own strength, in his human strength, is following the way of the wicked. And that way is a very hard way in this life and in the life to come. The one who follows it lives in a spiritual desert. He is destitute of the water of spiritual and eternal life. But the one who puts his trust in the Lord, will flourish like a tree planted by a stream of water. It is always green. It is always fresh. It is always growing. And he does not need to be anxious or worried or fearful in any situation, for God will supply him with all the grace he needs for his life and for godliness, and he will bear much spiritual fruit. for God's glory. Jesus now takes up these figures in Matthew 7, verses 13 and 14, and he exhorts us, enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life and those who find it are few. Jesus here uses an illustration of a house and its gate and its pathway. We should not think of an American house that only has a front door. No, we should think of a Spanish villa which has a front gate and that gate leads us into a courtyard and there is a path around the courtyard that gives entrance to the different rooms in the house. And this house has a gate and a path that is very broad. And it's very easy for many to walk back and forth on this path at the same time. Many can walk forward on this path without jostling each other, without bumping to each other. But the other house has a gate that is narrow, very narrow. It is so narrow when you open the gate, only one person may go through it. Two people can't get through it together. And the path is narrow. And two people cannot pass each other on the path. And one cannot pass another. They both have to turn sideways to get by on this narrow path. Jesus says that one path in life is broad. and easy and a very great number of people are comfortably walking on it and conversing with many others headed the same way. But the end of that path is eternal destruction. Jesus exhorts us to enter the narrow gate and to walk on the narrow, difficult path, which requires that we walk in obedience to God's law and requires that we are willing to suffer persecution from the world for being identified with Jesus Christ. Because this path is the one that leads to eternal life and into the rooms in heaven, into a heavenly home for us. Jesus wants us to seriously consider which path we are on and what end result, what the end result will be of the path we are on. Secondly, let us consider two fruits. Jesus says in verses 15 through 20, beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. They look like sheep, they look like God's people, but they're not at all. They're dangerous wolves who attack God's people. He goes on to say, you will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbrushes? thorn bushes or figs from thistles. So every healthy tree bears good fruit. But the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and is thrown into the fire. Thus, you will recognize them by their fruits. A prophet is a person who gives new revelation. It does not have to be a prediction of the future, but it is a new revelation that adds to the Word of God. Jesus warns all who are listening to him to beware of the coming of false prophets who will preach a different gospel than the gospel that he gives to them and that he accomplishes for them. Jesus will also warn later in Matthew 24 that many false Christs and many false prophets will come and try to get the people to follow them. instead of Christ. They will even perform what appear to be miraculous signs and wonders, causing many to be deceived and to follow them. And Paul, when speaking to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20 verses 29 through 31, warns that many false prophets will arise even from the midst of the church and Christians, and they will speak twisted things to draw disciples away to follow them. Jesus describes such as fierce Wolves that do great harm to the flock of believers. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says that these false prophets will try to give the appearance that they are sheep, that they are the people of God, but they are really wolves who have come to destroy God's people. But if false prophets are able to perform, or at least fake, miraculous signs and wonders, how can anyone know that they are not true prophets of God? And Jesus answers, you will recognize them by their fruits. Jesus says that you can judge what kind of tree it is and whether it is a healthy sound tree or not by what kind of fruit it bears, and whether the fruit is good fruit or bad. And he says that every person who does not bear good fruit is destined for eternal fire. The fruit of wicked thoughts, wicked words, wicked deeds gives evidence of those who are following the way of the wicked. which leads to destruction. The fruit of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds gives evidence of those who are following the way of the righteous that leads to eternal life. The fruits of both prophets and of disciples include both our words, what we say, and our actions, what we do. First, They teach, what they teach, what people are teaching, must agree with all the words of God, all the teaching of God's word, and all the teaching of Jesus, the divine savior. Isaiah 820 says, if they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn, they have no light, they are in darkness. If they speak against the truth of God's word, If any in the church speaks against the truth of God's word, they must be disciplined. They must be corrected. They must show that they are teaching contrary to it. And if they do not repent, they must be put out of Christ's church. Secondly, there will be those, both teachers and disciples, who affirm God's word and say, I believe all that God has said in his word. And they may even teach God's word accurately, but they are leading a very sinful life. and they are leading others to walk in sin. They too must be disciplined, and if they do not repent of their wicked life, they must be put out of the church. Christ's church must not excuse a sinful, unrepentant life on the ground that the person is a fine teacher of the word of God. Nor may Christ's church excuse false doctrine. on the ground that the person has done so many good works for the benefit of the people of God. Jesus says they are destined for eternal fire. Jesus says there are two fruits and our words and or our works will show us whether our fruit is fruit produced by the Spirit of God in us or fruit produced by Satan. as he feeds upon our sinful human nature. Thirdly, we see two prophets. We looked at the two fruits, now two prophets. Jesus says in verses 21 through 23, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven. but the one who does, the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and cast out demons in your name and do many mighty works in your name? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness. In these verses, Jesus continues to talk about the fruit of the believer as an evidence of genuine knowledge of God and salvation. He again reminds us that there are false prophets, spiritual wolves, who make every attempt to hide their false doctrines and their sinful lives and clothe themselves as sheep. Satan may even give them the power to perform miracles. And they may even profess to prophesy in the name of Jesus, to cast out demons in the name of Jesus, and to do many mighty works in the name of Jesus. 1 Timothy 5.24 warns us that the sins of some people are conspicuous. That means they're obvious. Everyone sees them. Going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. He's saying, you must keep looking. At some point, sooner or later, the fruit of wickedness will always give away the false prophet, the false teacher, the false disciple. And Jesus says that he will declare to them, to the false prophet, to the false teacher, to the false disciple, on the day of his return, I never knew you. Depart from me. you workers of lawlessness. In contrast to these many false prophets, Jesus is saying that there is only one source of all prophecy. There is only one true prophet, and that is Jesus Christ himself. And all the other true prophets in the Old Testament and the New Testament all received their message, their words, from the Lord Jesus Christ himself. In verses 21 and 22, Jesus says that people will say to him, Lord, Lord, indicating that they claim to serve Jesus. In verse 21, Jesus refers to God as my father who is in heaven, indicating that Jesus is the son of God, that he has the same eternally divine nature as his father. In verses 22 and 23, Jesus says that he will sit as judge of the world at his return, and he will infallibly separate the true sheep from the true goats, and he will send the false disciples away into eternal judgment. In verses 24 and 26, Jesus says that everyone who obeys his words will secure his eternal salvation. And everyone who does not obey or listen to his words will suffer eternal loss. Jesus says, repent, believe in me, Turn from your sins. Trust in me alone and you will find life. But if you do not listen to his words, you shall not find life and you shall suffer eternal loss. And verses 28 and 29 declares, The crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, as one who possessed the authority of God to reveal God's will to all men. and to hold them accountable for how they respond to it. Jesus is the true prophet from God to whom all must give heed. Finally, let us consider two destinies. Jesus closes the Sermon on the Mount with verses 24 through 27. Everyone there then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on a rock. He was looking for a good foundation to build his house. He wanted to put his house on a rock that could not be shaken, that could not be moved, that when the storms came it would be a solid foundation and his house would stand. And we read, and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man, a man who didn't care where he built his house. He just wanted to put it in a place that he had a beautiful view and he didn't care that the only thing under it was sand. There was no foundation. And when that sand filled with water, it would shift and change and the house would move. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell. And great was the fall of it. Jesus concludes with a very vivid parable that shows us two different destinies that come to those who follow two different sources of truth for their lives, and who walk on two very different paths, and who bear two very different fruits. Recently, I walked up on one of our mountains here in Abilene. Now, we don't have real high mountains. We have these mazes that are flat on top. But I walked up on one of those, and I noticed that the cut in the mountain that was made to put the road there revealed that the entire mountain was dirt. It was just dirt, little stones, little pebbles. It wasn't rock. It was dirt. And the recent hurricane in western North Carolina reminded us of what happens when mountains that are dirt get saturated with water. And then the streams coming down through those mountains swell with water. And the result is that the whole side of the mountain, including all the houses and the roads and the towns, are swept away in the water. down the mountain, a very, very tragic event, and a very strong picture that Jesus paints for us. Jesus presents the two ways in such a parallel way that only a few words here differ in each image, but the effect of these small changes in what he says in each picture those differences result in an enormous difference. Jesus contrasts those who do his words with those who do not do his words, who do not follow them. He identifies those who are doing his words and following him as wise, and those who reject his words as foolish. He says that the wise are building their life and their hope of eternity on a solid rock that cannot be moved, but the foolish are building their life on sand which cannot provide a firm foundation. And he says that the storms of this life, but most especially the storm of the final judgment at Christ's return, will not cause the life of the wise to be swept away. but it will totally destroy and totally sweep away the life of the foolish. And their fall and their destruction will be great, total, and eternal. Jesus has just set before us not only the two and only two paths in life, one that leads to the eternal kingdom of God and one that leads to eternal destruction, He has not only exhorted us to not follow the sinful desires of our heart, but to follow Jesus, our creator and prophet and savior. He has also vividly encouraged us and warned us about the two very different eternal destinies that await those who are traveling on each path. Jesus exhorts all to choose wisely. If we follow the false prophets of this world, We follow a false way. We produce false fruits and we trust in a false hope. Our hope is in vain. It is empty. But if we worship Jesus, the one true prophet, he will lead us in the one true way. He will produce in us true fruit, and he will give to us a true and certain hope of joyous and eternal life. The foundation that we need to build our life and destiny upon is the words of Jesus. He and his message is the one rock that can give us a firm foundation for life and for eternity. It can safely protect us through all the storms of this life and the final judgment. Will you build your life on the sand of this world's values and joys? Or will you build your life on God's values? and joys that last forever. Will you focus your life on the things of this world? Will all your time and attention be spent on the things of the world? Things that will perish when this world perishes? Things that you will lose when you pass from this world? Or will you seek now to lay up treasures in heaven? Jesus has set before you the way of life and blessing versus the way of death and cursing. Which will you follow? Jesus says to you, truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has, right now, this day, this moment, this time, has eternal life. He will not come into judgment. but has passed from death to life. Praise God. Let us pray. Eternal God and Heavenly Father, You give to us all things we need, and You give to us a glorious Savior who has given His very life for us and suffered for us and bore the awful wrath due to us for our sins. And You bid us come to Him that we may be rescued from the judgment due to us for our sins and that we may experience the glory of peace and joy and rest and salvation in Him for all eternity. Heavenly Father, I pray that you would so move our hearts that we would hear and heed the call of Christ to come to Him. For it's in Christ's name I pray. Amen.