The Village Church
The Way of Faith - Audio
If you have your Bibles, please open them to Matthew chapter 7. This morning we're going to come to the last chapter with the sermon on the Mount. I was going to try to finish it up today, but as you start writing sermons, they get longer and longer, so it's going to be two sermons instead of one. Over these many months, we have seen Jesus show us two things in this sermon, two things. First, he has been showing us how to live a kingdom lifestyle, and secondly, he has been showing us that we cannot live this kingdom lifestyle in our own strength. He's been doing both of those things. As I said before, you cannot read this sermon on the Mount and not feel undone when you read it. Feel a little dirty like you don't measure up. That's one thing he wants to show you, that you can't do it. You've got to have a source outside yourself to do that. And there are two responses. I believe that we should have when it comes to this sermon on the Mount, and that's one of repentance and faith. That should be our response. Not to do this, but Lord I fail, not empower me to live, how I need to live. I'm trusting you to do it. We concluded last week's sermon by saying that Jesus did not want us to live an unrepentant worry, but he wanted us to live by faith, by faith. He began to show us the way of faith in the words of Matthew 633, he says, "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Notice I said he began to show us the way of faith, because he has more to say. And he continues to show us the way of faith, putting a little more flesh on it in Matthew 7, and we're going to begin looking at verse 13. 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. Jump to verse 21. Now everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord, we enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the world of my father who is in heaven." On that day, many would say to me, "Lord, Lord, do we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your names, and do many mighty works in your name?" Then I were declared to them, "I never knew you, depart from me, you workers of lawlessness." Everyone then who hears the words of mine does not do them, would be like a wife, everyone who hears his words of mine, and does them, would be a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and floods came, and the winds blew, and beat against the house, and it did not fall, because it was founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine, and does not do them, is like a foolish man who built his house from the sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat against that house, and it fell, and that great was the following. Let's pray with them, "Father, these are your words, and sometimes your words are hard to receive, because they offend us, but nonetheless it's your truth. It's not one man's opinion, but it's God, the very word of God, spoken from the mouth of God, and we treated it such, and we need your Holy Spirit to come, to preach through me, to take these words and apply it to the hearts of your people, because we're all in different places, dealing with different things, different struggles, but one thing is certain. One thing we all have in common is that we all need Jesus this morning, not less of him, but more of him, in every area of our life. And we call upon your Spirit to move in us in a mighty, mighty way, in Christ's name Amen. The way of faith, I'm using the way of faith to refer to saving faith in Jesus, so I'm calling it the way of faith. And if you're going to live by the way of faith, then you're going to need to know that this way of faith is first exclusively embraced, that's what verses 13 and 14 is talking about, in about a 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 at least to life, and those who find it are few. What do I mean when I say the way of faith is to be exclusively embraced? Jesus tells us here, in about a narrow gate, that is an exaltation to enter by a gate that is restricted and tight and exclusive, as opposed to entering in by another gate. Enter through the narrow gate, why, why Jesus, because the gate and the road that leads to destruction are wide and easy, but the one that leads to life is narrow and hard. These two gates, these two roles are talking about life choices, choices that lead to a particular end, the gate is referring to a gateway, you know when you go through a gate, you enter into another state or to another side or enter into something else, a role puts you on a journey into some destination, and here's the thing, these two gates, these two roles don't lead to the same place, but opposite places. First a wide gate in the easy world leads to destruction, destruction here is talking about final judgment, that will come in Christ's return, eternal punishment, and many are on this road and have entered through this gate, Proverbs 14, 12 says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but it's in, it's the way of death." You see that the wide gate, the spacious road, is a way of life to some people, and for those who are on it seems right, it seems to be on the right journey, the right gate, but in the end it leads to death, and those who are on it don't see it, are not even convinced of it, worldliness, atheism, all other world religions, agnostic, well what does that mean Alex, it's a person who claims to be neutral, a person who claims to have neither faith, nor disbelieving God, a better good person, I'm a liberal, I'm a conservative, whatever you want to fill in the blank, paths that can't save you. Matthew 16, Jesus says, "He asked a question, he asked his question to you as well, what will it profit you if you gain the whole world and you're in the end you forfeit your very soul." Think about that, what will it profit you and in this life you gain the whole world, the best reputation, the best status, the best life now, and in the very end you forfeit your very soul, there is no reward, the wide gate is not narrow and restricted, the road is easy and not hard, you know why, because it's man-centered, that's why, not Jesus-centered, it's life that is self-sufficient, self-centered, self-indulgent, independent from God the Father, and in this life and on that path people do what is right in their own eyes, they set the standards in their agenda, they are the masters of their own domain, and the reality for those who enter through this gate and travel on this road is that they lose their life and they may man attempt to find it, they lose it, and all the efforts to find their life in the end they lose it, but Jesus says there's a different way, enter through the narrow gate, the narrow gate is narrow the way it's hard but it leads to life and those who find it are few. So how can I go out of the wide gate and enter through the narrow gate, you have to exclusively embrace the way of faith in Christ alone, not Jesus and everything else, there is only one way to glory, one way to life, not many ways, Peter says in Acts 4, 12, there is salvation in no one else, for there's no other name on heaven given by which man must be saved, no other name, that's either true or that's a lie, it's that's black and white, he either telling the truth or that's a lie, Jesus himself says in John 14, 6, I'm the way, the truth, then the life, no one comes to the Father except through me, that's either true or he's telling the lie, exclusively embrace in Christ alone and salvation, he's either telling the truth or he's telling the lie and I need to sit down and find another job, yes, if it's not true, I'm selling you a bill of goods if this is not true, it's true you see there are no shortcuts, there is no rerouting, you have to exclusively embrace the way of faith in Christ alone in order to find life, this makes the gate narrow and they're way hard and it's this narrowness and restricted into Christianity that offends many people, what I just said offends many people, I come off as a bigot, but you know what the gospel fends everybody and that ain't ever going to change, the Bible is the very word of God, the very word of God and you know what, he doesn't apologize for his standards that he sits, he does not apologize for the way he sit for us to get to heaven and it's true his son and you know what, he doesn't apologize for that, he doesn't, Jesus Christ is the true gate and the true way the glory, no other way, now this gate and way is also narrow and hard because when you enter through it or on this journey, you don't do as you please, you're under the lordship and kingship of Jesus, in other words it means you simply die to self, that's what it means, you die when you enter through that gate, you die to self-will, self-sufficiency, everything you think that makes you right with him, you die to all of that, Jesus says if anyone will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me, for whoever will save his life will lose it, for whoever loses his life for my sake will find it, that's what it means, when you enter through that gate, you die, when you exclusively embrace the way of faith and Jesus for your salvation, it also means that he is sitting in the direction of your life, he becomes your standard, you submit to the will of God for your life, for your decisions, for everything, you submit to the will of God and what you believe, you submit to the will of God and how you live, it's hard and narrow and yet it's worth it, it's worth it, one Christian said, said one day life ends, one day life is going to end, one day history is going to end, it's going to end, the road, the hard road restricts, then it opens to eternal life, the easy road leads to destruction, the easy road makes no demands but it offers no reward, the hard road makes great demands but offers great rewards, blessed are the poor in spirit, why for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, why for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, that's the reward that awaits every believer, the way of faith is exclusively embraced in Christ alone for salvation but it is also relational, I get verse 21, now everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, enter the kingdom of heaven, for the one who does the will of my Father, who is in heaven, on that day, many will say, Lord, Lord, do we not prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, do many works in your name and then I will declare to them, I never knew you, depart from me, you workers of lawlessness, just like in the previous verses, these verses are doing the same thing but with a different twist, the focus here is that there are two ways you can approach Jesus or confess Jesus, two ways, there's a right way and a wrong way, it's black and white, now everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, enter the kingdom of heaven, for the one who does the will of my Father, who is in heaven, with these words, Jesus is speaking directly to those who are inside the church, he's talking to us, the outside world does not acknowledge Jesus is Lord, not to acknowledge him as Savior, he's talking in church folk, people who get up every Sunday, go to church, who say they are believers, and he says to these church folk, to us, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, enter the kingdom of heaven, for the one who does the will of my Father, who is in heaven, you see we know we get into heaven through Jesus Christ alone, he's the gate, he's the way that leads to life, but what is this will of the Father referring to, well this is the will of the Father that gets a person into heaven, because right now I'm a little confused, the will of the Father here is referring to the way of faith that confesses Jesus the way the Father wants it, you too, there's a particular way the Father wants you to confess Christ, the wrong way is based on performance, a performance based, those who are inside the church think when I'm performing will, I'm doing the Father's will in terms of salvation, what do they do, they prophesy in Jesus name, they cast out demons in Jesus name, they do mighty works in Jesus name, I mean if this is an hour time he'll be saying, well I preach in Jesus name, are you praying in Jesus name, are you name it, claim it in Jesus name, you teach it in Jesus name, you tithe in Jesus name, you go to church in Jesus name, a good works in Jesus name, you help the list of these in Jesus name, and here's the point, you can do all those things, all those other things, and then we give that spiritual step of approval in Jesus name, you can do all that and stamp it and still be outside God's will, and still not be doing the will of the Father, on that day many will say, Lord Lord, do we not prophesy on your name, cast out demons in your name, do many mighty works in your name, that day is referring to judgment, on that day many spiritual, religious, good moral church folk are going to say to Jesus, Lord Lord, look at my record, that's what he's talking about, look at my record, look at what I did in your name, look at how hard I worked for your name, look at how I served these years in your name, look at what I sacrificed for your name, look at what I gave up, I went over to be a missionary, your name, look, that what I did, look at my record, Jesus, and you know what he's going to say to you, I never knew you, depart for me, you work a lawlessness, well how offensive is that? And here he's not even talking to the world, he's talking to the church, told you it was offensive, it's hard to hear, but it's true, see it's not what you do in Jesus' name that removes your shame and guilt, but it's knowing him, do you know him? It's knowing Jesus, that's what he's talking about, the way of faith in Jesus that confesses him rightly, it's relationally not performance, it's a relationship based upon what he did for you, not what you do for him, and what did he do for you? He died for your sins, not the other way around. You see, he brought everything that was necessary to the salvation table, all you brought was your sin and guilt, that's it, that's it. He brought everything else, all you brought was your sin and guilt, it's on his record people that gets a person in the glory, not our record, you know why, because our record is stained by sin, even the best of humanity, the best person you know still falls short to God's glory, do you believe that, the best person you know, the best father you know, the best parents you know still fall short of God's glory, still fall short. John 6.40 says, "For this is the will of my father, the everyone who looks on the sun and believes in him to have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." And John 6.29, "This is the work of God that you believe in him whom he has sent, his will and his work, faith in Christ, all you need is nothing, but not many people have to do that because we always want something to bring, especially Americans, we don't want to be needy. Jesus offers you an invitation to know him, to trust him personally, not just to know certain things about him or to look a certain way but to be in fellowship with him and the father, intimacy. The same intimacy I have with my wife, the relationship I have with her, you can have that with the father, he wants to know you, you know what he told those folks, "I never knew you, depart from me, I never knew you, he wants to know you." Because one of the things that was broken in the fall was that man's relationship with the father was broken, Christ died to restore that union, that relationship, that fellowship, that man and God can be in perfect relationship again and is only through the blood of Christ that cannot happen. The way of faith is first, exclusively embraced in Christ, second, it's relational and third, it is practical, verses 24 and 27. Everyone who hears these words of mine and does them would be a wise man who built his house in the rock and the rain fell, the floods came, 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 does not do them, it would be like a foolish man who built his house in the sand, the rain fell, the floods came, the winds blew and beat against that house and it fell and great was the fall of it. Two builders, a wise builder, a foolish builder. These builders here are examples of how you can rightly and wrongly express your faith in Christ. Oh yeah, it has to be expressed too, I love the way Jesus balanced himself out here, the wise way and the foolish way. And here's the reality, as a believer, true seven faith in Christ would naturally overflow into other areas of your life, you would express it and live it, it happens naturally, it does. The wrong way, the foolish way to express your faith is seen in verses 26 and 27. The foolish way you express your faith is to merely just have an intellectual faith. You hear the word Jesus, you know the Bible, you know the senate school stories, you memorize your catechisms, you even know a little bit of theology. But do you put any of that in the practice, do you even practice what you preach? And Jesus says everyone who hears these words of mine does not do them, it's like a foolish man who built his house in the sand. Sand is referring to a weak foundation, referring to the wrong foundation. You see when dry weather, every building looks strong, appears strong, but when the storms come, when the hardships come, the house built on the weak foundation don't stand. You see the reason why it doesn't stand is because this person is really not a believer. That's why, because what Jesus is saying here, if you truly have faith in me, then you're not going to do what I say, you do will. Those who don't show that they don't really don't know me. Are you building on a sandy foundation? What are some things that can be a sandy foundation? Tradition, religious tradition, theology can be, if you think that's what makes you right with Jesus. Justice can be, if you think that makes you right, that saves you. What saves us is the rock, what flows out of that is me practicing my faith. He is the solid rock, the foreign foundation of which we stand. Only those who have true saving faith in Christ would strive to live obedient lives, to put it into practice. That means, when you hear his words, you're practicing. You, his word, really, really will become the light until your path, that when you read the scriptures, you'll pray the whole spirit will apply that to my marriage, to my job, as a father, as an employee, that you're not just listening to it, but lower you want it to infiltrate area, area of your soul and life. That's what he's talking about, living a kingdom lifestyle, supporting the church in its work, sharing your faith, serving the body, having compassion on the loss. As you grow in knowing him, that empowers you to live from him, that empowers you to live from him, and guess what, when the hardships and trials come, because they're gonna come against your life, the rain, the wind, the floods, they're gonna come, you know what? It's not your strength that keeps your life from falling apart, it's his, because what he's the foundation, the foundation, when Jesus is saying, when the, when the tornadoes pass by your house or your life, though you get wounded, you're gonna get hurt, but your whole life will not collapse, because he has you, he has you, and you have to believe that, because some of you right now struggling, hurting, don't thank God he hears you, but guess what, he hears you, he hears you, he knows what you need, don't forget the rest of the sermon on the Mount, he knows what you need, he knows what you're struggling, and guess what? As Richard said earlier, he's gonna walk alongside you through all of that. So we pray that the Holy Spirit will help us to believe these truths as we go out today. The way of faith is exclusively, exclusively embraced in Christ alone, it's relational, and it's practical for the Father God, I thank you that you are awesome God. Awesome God, the Father, you, you did for us what we cannot do for ourselves, you sent your Son to stood up on the cross, and Lord we, we are in this part of the season where we get ready to celebrate the resurrection, I can't wait to Easter, Lord, a reminder that Christ is no longer in the grave, Lord, yeah Christians we, we get criticized for a lot of things, but guess what I'll say is not dead, he ain't dead, he rose again, he defeated sin and death, he did with all the other gods could not do, he made us right with the Father, it was our own life, and right now he's sitting at that right hand of God the Father Almighty looking down upon his church, his beloved, still in a sitting for us, Lord Jesus thank you, Lord Jesus we praise you for all that you do, so Lord encourage the people, encourage those who are here who don't know you, I pray that you are speaking to their hearts right now, and your Spirit remove them and bring them into your kingdom, in Jesus name I pray, Amen. 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