Presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army, 24 Aug. 2013
By Captain Michael Ramsay
Today's sermon is going to be a little bit different than most of ours mostly because I haven't had a lot of time this week to find myriad stories to illustrate my points. I have been able to read quite a few different articles on this pericope so today we will take a little bit of a walk through Chapter 7. First I do have a story and a comic. The story is from Al Meyers:
With the new distracted driving laws in place across this country the RCMP are used to pulling over teenagers on their cell phones, making phone calls or even texting but what this one police officer saw was quite different. He saw an older lady knitting as she was driving down the highway. He put on his lights behind her but she didn't see him. She just kept driving so he pulled up behind her and yelled, “pull over”
“No”, She replied, “Sweater.”
This comic is one that was shared for us at Officer/family retreat this past week: There is this Baptist pastor about to baptize one of his parishioners. He goes to the tank. He holds his parishioner's hands. He says a prayer and then he looks at his friend and tells him that now when you are baptized all of you and everything that goes under the water belongs to God. This picture is the last frame of that comic.
We shouldn't necessarily judge the new convert for his actions in our story today - or should we? Let us look at our text today, Matthew 7:1-2: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (See Romans 2:1).
First thing here: What does it mean when it says do not judge? Does it mean that we are not supposed to discern right from wrong? Does it mean that we aren't supposed to make judgements at all? Does it mean that we are supposed to just go with the flow? No. The Apostle Paul is quite clear in calling us to judge the actions of other believers. 1 Corinthians 5, especially Verse 12, Paul tells us explicitly to do so.
And Jesus is recorded as saying a few times that it is necessary to apply sound judgement (cf. Matthew 7:15-20).[1] Matthew records Jesus’ call for excommunication if a person is judged to be non-repentant: Matthew 18:15-17.[2] Matthew records right in this book that we are looking at together over the next few weeks, Jesus' own words on making good judgements and look here at the next few verses. Verses 3-5:
“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? 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? 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.
Jesus here refers to the right judgement that there is a speck in your brother's eye. He is not saying that you should ignore that. Jesus is simply saying that you should not be judgemental when you bring your discernment to your neighbour's attention (cf. Genesis 41:33-39; Deuteronomy 32:28-29; 2 Samuel 14:17, 1 Kings 3:9-12; 2 Chronicles 2:12; Psalm 119:125; Proverbs 1:5, 10:13, 14:33, 15:14; Daniel 2:21; 2 Corinthians 2:14; 1 Corinthians 11:29-31; Philippians 1:10).
For example, this weekend we had a divisional conversation about the LGBT community brought about because of some of its more militant members' attacks on TSA recently. There was a good conversation about our local experiences with these sort of sexual ethics. The Salvation Army has had quite a few very good interactions with people in and around this lifestyle. One point that came to my mind about this quite simply would be if someone in our group here started condemning someone for a LGBT lifestyle who themselves is involved in adultery or serial marriages or fornication or pornography, that person would be a hypocrite; if someone who is 'living in sin' as they say were to try to pluck a spec from an adulterer’s eye, that would be hypocritical (cf. John 8:1-11; cf. also Matthew 5:28-32, 19:9; Mark 10:11; Luke 16:18). Now that is not to say that if I see that you are having sex outside of marriage that I shouldn't discern that as wrong and try to encourage you to a holy lifestyle. As a matter of fact, Matthew records Jesus as saying in Matthew 18:15-17 that that is exactly what I am supposed to do and likewise that is exactly what you are supposed to do for me should the need arise. Does this make sense? We are supposed to judge right from wrong but we aren't supposed to be judgemental in dealing with people who are struggling with and suffering the effects of sin.[3]
Next in Matthew's record of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, we have Verse 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 turn and tear you to pieces.” This is basically saying that if people do not accept the gospel message when you first present it, don't pester them with it, don't nag them with it, don't harass them with it - they won't appreciate what you are trying to do for them and therefore they may turn on you. Rather if someone is argumentative about the Scriptures and Salvation, just walk away, pray for them in silence and you or someone else may have another opportunity to speak with them about a better way to spend this life and the next. Matthew 10:16: Jesus says, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
This brings us to Matthew 7:7-8: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Does this mean that God will give you everything that you ask for? What if you ask for something evil? What if you ask for a lot money when Jesus has just said in this same speech (Matthew 6:24) that you cannot serve both God and money? Will God give you everything you ask for if you are simply persistent enough?[4] No. It says that God is a loving father and it says, Verses 9-12:
“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 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! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
A loving father would not give his children snakes and rocks when they really need fish and eggs. God gives His children good gifts. And it is these good gifts that we should come to our Father in Heaven about for He knows what we need even before we ask for it and so we need not worry about these things, simply bring them to our Lord, our Father who loves us.
Now let us look at verses 13-29 as one unit. We could break it up further but that would take quite a lot of time and I do have a bus to catch today so… Verse 13ff:
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.
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.
21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one 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 in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
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.”
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.
The keys to unlocking this section that we just read, I believe lie in Verses 21-27. Verse 21, Jesus tells us quite plainly: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” This is serious. Not everyone who goes to church goes to Heaven. Not everyone who calls Jesus ‘Lord’ will go to Heaven. In all likelihood not everyone in a church in Swift Current this morning will go to Heaven after her final morning on earth.
Not only that but – Verses 22,23 – even some people who prophesy in the Lord’s Name will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven; even some of those who successfully perform miracles in the Lord’s Name will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven; even some of those who actually do drive demons out of people will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This is serious stuff. Not only will not everyone who goes to church go to Heaven but not even everyone who does all of these things we’ve mentioned will go to Heaven. Not everyone who calls Jesus ‘Lord’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Cf. 2 Timothy 2:19 and Acts 2:21).
Then who of us will? If not some people who do miracles, cast out demons, prophesy and call Jesus their Lord, who will get into heaven? Well, the gate to Heaven is small and road to Heaven is narrow. So, who of us gets there? Those who – Matthew 7:15-20 – bear good fruit. Those who – Matthew 7:24-37 – put into practice everything that Jesus has said in His Sermon on the Mount. The good fruit that one will bear when one is a follower of Jesus, according to Matthew’s record of the Sermon of the Mount are love for one’s enemies, giving to the needy, forgiving others, not doing things for money or for the praise of other people, refraining from condemning others and persistently asking, knocking and seeking the will of God. As noted in 2 Timothy 2:19, Paul tells us “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”
But wait a minute, you might say. I read my Bible and I read my Bible as a child. I did my memory work for Sunday school. I know that the Bible says, Acts 2:21, that everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved. So, how can that be? How cannot everyone who calls Jesus ‘Lord’ be saved and how can everyone who does call on the Name of the Lord be saved. That seems contradictory.
What is this list all about? I know that God says that there is nothing that we have to do obtain everlasting life but we must be born again, John 3; there is nothing that we can do to obtain everlasting life. Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” John 3:16 records that “God so loved the world that He sent His Only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life”
So how does the Grace of God as reflected in Acts 2:21,“Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be Saved” fit with Matthew 7:21 “… “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven”?
It is quite simple actually. There is quite a difference between calling Jesus ‘Lord’ and actually calling upon Jesus as Lord.[5] If you are in the holding cells in town here and you call someone your lawyer, that doesn’t mean that he actually is your lawyer. If you were to say that Jack Hoffard or Amy Anderson were your lawyer, it doesn’t mean that they are and it doesn’t mean that they will represent you in court and release you from your situation. If however, you call on them; if you call their offices and they agree to represent you then they will be your lawyer and only then will they save you from the charges you are facing.
It is the same with us. If we just call Jesus our Lord He will not save us from the charges of sin we are facing but if we call Him, if we call on Him, He promises that indeed He will save us from our sins and when we are saved from our sins than all of those other behaviours will naturally follow because that is what it does look like to be free of sin.[6] So today, if there are any of us today who are not yet free of the prison cells of our own sins; today if there are any of us who are not experiencing that perfect freedom in Christ; today if there are any of us who have not called upon the Name of the Lord, come talk to someone after church, say a prayer, or come now to the Mercy Seat at the front here and receive a free gift of Salvation.
Let us pray.
[1] Cf. Douglas R.A. Hare, ‘Matthew’, (Interpretation: Louisville, Kentucky: John Knox Press, 1993), 77.
[2] But Cf. Dale C. Allison Jr, ‘A review of The Sermon on the Mount: A Commentary on the Sermon on the Mount including the Sermon on the Plain (Matthew 5:3-7:27 and Luke 6:20-49)’ in JBL pp37-38.
[4] Cf. Captain Michael Ramsay, ‘The Ethics of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel as reflected in parables spoken en route to Jerusalem’, Presented to William and Catherine Booth College (Fall 2006). Available on-line: http://www.sheepspeak.com./NT_Michael_Ramsay.htm#Ethics of Jesus in Luke’s Gospel
[5] cf. R. T. France, Matthew: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL : InterVarsity Press, 1985 (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries 1), S. 153
[6] Cf. Ellen T. Charry, 'The Grace of God and the Law of Christ,’ Interpretation 57 (2003): 35.
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