Week 12 - In Conclusion

Text:
Matthew 7:13-29
MT 7:13 "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.
MT 7:15 "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 thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
MT 7:21 "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!'
MT 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. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation 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 built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
MT 7:28 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.

I remember a movie that came out when I was younger. It was a Flash Gordon remake that was pretty terrible. At the end, after Ming the Merciless is destroyed, the phrase "The End" appears on the screen. But then, just as the movie comes to a close a question mark (?) cryptically appears, making you wonder if there is more to this story. Thankfully, there wasn't. It is a pretty rotten movie.

Jesus brings the sermon on the mount to a close. After teaching His disciples the ways of His new community, Jesus ends His historic discourse on the Kingdom of God. His conclusion, however, never really comes. He instead tells a story about a man and his house of which the materials of the foundation are the key to success. We are left with an open-ended command, one that is obeyed every day, in every moment.

In the Kingdom, every second is a choice, and every choice is rife with the potential for greatness. The path Jesus lays before us is not easy, nor is it convient, but it is great. We must choice that path every day, every hour, every second.

Closing Questions:

1. How does the Sermon on the Mount challenge you? Free you?
2. If you had to summarize the Sermon on the Mount in one sentence, what would it be?
3. What has been the most impacting reality of the series? Why? How have you responded to it?

Week 11 - The Golden Rule

Text: Matthew 7:12

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

I'm reading a book right now called Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking. It's a pretty interesting study on how to make quick decisions and trust your instinct. One of the concepts is to reduce the amount of necessary variables in the decision making process. For example, if you're trying to decide where to dinner, is the average cost per packet of Nutra-Sweet really information you need?

In a way, that is what Jesus reduces all of the nuances of Law and prophetic command to in the Golden Rule. Out of the 613 commands of the Law, Jesus gets them to only one variable, "How would I want someone to treat me?"

Now this is not a relational investment strategy. It's not like if I treat people with respect, then automatically, everyone will shower me with respect. The truth is if people want to treat you like dirt, they're going to treat you like dirt. It's more what should I do, irregardless of what other may do? I heard one of those TV therapist say one time, "You have the quality of relationships you want."

What the Golden Rule gives us is a quick boundary, an easily remember parameter to make decisions concerning people and behavior. I may not know of the theological nuances of Paul's argument for the relational context of pagan and believer, but I know that I want people to be nice to me, so I start with being nice to them. It's a stop and think kind of thing.

Questions to consider:

1. How do you want to be treated? Do you treat people that way?
2. Have you ever seen a relational turn for the better because of your proactive obedience to the Golden Rule? Share the results.
3. IS the Golden Rule more than just being nice to people? What other relational and behavioral reactions can we share with people?
4. How does the Golden Rule affect your relationships in your family? Friends? At Work? At Church?

Week 10 - Just Keep Swimming

Text: Matthew 7:7-11

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
MT 7:9 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Americans, on the whole, are driven by results. When advertisers try to get us to buy a new car, typically it is celebrated for its performance. It's why we take score in sports. We need to know who won and who lost. We need to know how many yards, pitch counts, and free throw percentage. We are driven to know who is better, me or you?

In this passage, Jesus destroys comparisons. He reminds us that success in spirituality has little to do with results, it is in the pursuit.

Spirituality is a process, it is the path that leads to a given destination, not the destination itself. So then, one might ask, what is our destination?

Dallas Willard, one of my favorite authors, says that being a Christ-follower is life that is dedicated, above all things, to simply being like Jesus. The truth is I will never be exactly like Jesus. He's the Son of God, I'm the Son of Robert.

But in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus, instead of showing a beautiful destination we have no hope of ever reaching, shows us how amazing the trip is as well. If we were launched into faith with an expectation of immediate arrival, we would have no hope. But Jesus invites us to take the trip, with Him as our guide, ensuring that not only will we arrive, but that we got the most out of the journey.

Something to think about:

1. Have you ever given up on something? Why? Would that same reason pressure you to give up on faith?
2. Why should focus more on the trip than the arrival?
3. How can we keep going in faith?
4. What role do others have in keeping us on the journey?

Week 9 - The People's Court

Text: Matthew 7:1-6
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, `Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. 6 "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.

I used to have some old episodes of "The Honeymooners" on VHS. I loved Ralph Kramden. He was loud, rash, and completely unaware of how out of control he was. As much as Ralph never wanted to admit it, Alice was in complete control of their castle.

While Ralph was a fun guy to watch, it's a horrible way to live. Think about the messes he made with his mouth, with his uniformed judgments, and with his rash decisions. If he could just stop, slow down, and think, Ralph's life, while not nearly entertaining, would have gone much smoother.

That's all that Jesus is trying to accomplish here, really. Think about what you are about to say, think about how you are going to say it, and think about who you are saying it to. Jesus is trying to help all of His followers to understand that judgment and criticism are potentially destructive devices, only to be used by those who are informed and qualified. No one in human race falls into either one of these categories, let alone both. So Jesus tells us to avoid sweeping statements about "those people" or "guys like you." Avoid looking at another with eyes to attack.

Instead stop and think about the grace you would like to receive, about how often we demand the benefit of the doubt from people that we do not readily give it to. Cut each other some slack, he encourages, look for the best, and deal with the worst with grace and mercy. We will all need someone to return the favor someday.

Things to ask yourself:

1. Am I quick to judge? Why? What benefit do I receive from judging someone else?
2. How do I handle the truth? Is it a tool or a weapon?
3. What do we do with people who refuse the truth?
4. What can I do to avoid being a person of judgment rather than a person of mercy?

Week 8 - Set Free

Text: Matthew 6:19-34
MT 6:19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
MT 6:22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
MT 6:24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
MT 6:25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
MT 6:28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, `What shall we eat?' or `What shall we drink?' or `What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

In the first week, we stumbled across that fact that to be blessed really meant to live free from worry. Throughout the Sermon, Jesus taught how to accomplish that reality. Free from the worry of religious expectation, free from the worry of others opinions, fear from the fear of an angry and vengeful God.

But there's a lot in this world to be worried about as well. Freedom in prayer is great, but somebody's got to pay the bills. God's grace is an overwhelming reality, but grace doesn't pay college tuition.

Christ himself brings us back to reality in this passage. While we spend the last several passages in religious and spiritual bliss, pondering the great measure of our Father's love, Jesus' feet are planted firmly on the ground, feeding us and making sure we have something to wear.

Religious life is never separated from daily living. There is no difference between my spiritual life and my real life. The mistake I make is when I think that the things I do at work or at home won't influence or affect my connection to God. Life is meant to be lived with Jesus every day, in every moment, not just at church or in a Life Team. If I draw too hard a line between the sacred and the secular, then I create a walled community, that Christ needs permission to access. Jesus sets us free from every prison, even the ones we want to live in.

Things to think about:

1. If Jesus lived my life, what would that look like?
2. How can I trust God for everything, not just the "big" stuff?
3. What are some of the things I do to "separate" my real life and my spiritual life?
4. Who is someone that lives a completed connected life?

Week 7 - Hypocrites and Hustlers Part 2

Text: Matthew 6:5-18
MT 6:5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
MT 6:9 "This, then, is how you should pray:
" `Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
MT 6:10 your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
MT 6:11 Give us today our daily bread.
MT 6:12 Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
MT 6:13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one. '
MT 6:14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
MT 6:16 "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

I have a 3 year old son. Every morning he comes into my room to wake me up. He asks me for his breakfast, and he asks me for something to drink, and then he asks me to turn on his favorite movie. Every morning, the same thing, in the same sequence, and in the same manner. And you know what, I never get tired of it.

I know what he is going to ask for, I know that I could very easily have everything ready for him before he even gets up. I know that it is within my power to make everything he wants happen for him. But that's not the point. His need is not what makes the time so great and rewarding. It's the fact that he asks. That's how we start our day. We talk. We communicate. He acknowledges his dependences on me and I respond by acknowledging my love for him. If I simply got up and had everything waiting for him with no dialogue, then I am not his provider, I am his maid. But we talk about it. He knows sometimes he has to wait for the response. He can find out if something other than what he asked for is going to happen.

You see the asking is what builds the relationship, not the need.

So that's why we ask anyway.

Things to do and think about:

1. Try to pray for as long as possible without asking God for anything. Then, when you do ask, consider what things are you asking Him for?
2. Try writing a prayer and then reading to God. How is this different than your usual prayer life?
3. Try praying for different lengths throughout the day. What happens? Do you prefer at one time or several times?
4. As you pray, consider how aware you are of God's presence. Is He real in that moment?

Week 6 - Hypocrites and Hustlers

Text: Matthew 6:1-4
MT 6:1 "Be careful not to do your `acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
MT 6:2 "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

One of my favorite TV shows is "Cops." I don't why, but the sight of grown men hiding under kiddy pools makes me laugh. One of the little secrets about "Cops" is that any one who appears on the show has to sign a release giving permission to use their image. Imagine that. You've just been caught on video committing a crime, running from the police, and being chased down and caught in some stranger's hammock, and the first you decide is "Yeah, I'd love to be on TV!" It makes you wish Jesus didn't include that earlier comment about calling people idiots.

In our culture, image is everything. Pop artist Andy Warhol once predicted that someday, every person would have their own fifteen minutes of fame. The struggle of fame and acclaim is nothing new to human pursuits. Even in the church, the "hypocrite" is a rampant virus, choking out purity of intent and motivation.

But the disease of hypocrisy is easily cured. Step to the back. Choose the rewards of God over the rewards of acclaim. Play to the audience of One. Realize that this is His story and the entire universe stands only a supporting role. Stop and ask yourself, "Why?"

Things to ask yourself:

1. Why does Jesus use the illustration of giving to the poor? What are other things we try to do publicly?
2. Who in your life has been a model of humility? What impact did they have on you?
3. Read Romans 12.3. How would you define humility? What does humility accomplish in our lives?