Sermon for MHBC (18 September 2022). You can watch on our website or on Facebook or YouTube.
We have an opportunity in front of us. There has been a decisive shift away from Christian principles. The opportunity, then, is for us to take up a distinctive and robust Christian life.
We’ve heard the whole Sermon on the Mount. Jesus comments on the law and he shows how just checking off some rules doesn’t cut it. “You haven’t murdered. But what about the anger in your heart? That’s murder.” Jesus lays down an impossible standard. In fact, let me remind you of the standard he sets forth. In 5:17, he says, “Your righteousness must surpass that of the religious leaders.” At the end of chapter 5, he says, “Be perfect like your Father in heaven.” Perfection—that’s the standard. It’s impossible. It’s overwhelming. There’s no way we can meet that standard.
But Jesus has laid out a better way for us. The Sermon on the Mount has been praised as exceptional in every generation. And after hearing ten sermons on it, you likely find it compelling. So how do we get in on this life? How can we be part of what Jesus teaches? How can we become the type of Jesus tells us to become?
Our point this morning is simple: It begins with Jesus. He is the gate and the path and the shepherd and the true vine and the rock. It begins with Jesus, and if we miss that, and try to live by the Sermon on the Mount without him, we will either be crushed by failure and guilt or be destroyed by our own self-righteous pride.
So Jesus gives us a few different images and examples to think about, but each one comes back to this basic point. It begins with Jesus.
1. Jesus is the Gate
Let’s take a look at vv. 13–14.* A long history of Christian interpretation associates Christ with the gate. Jesus is the gate that leads to life.
I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
John 10:9
In Christ, God is reconciling the world to himself. The gate to life, the gate to hope, the gate to making sense out of your existence, is Christ.
What’s at stake? Notice v. 13 again. Destruction. We will destroy ourselves if we choose a different way. The stakes are high.
It may surprise you to learn that I have a tendency toward the melancholy. Sometimes life is just so sad. And sometimes I feel the weight of that deeply. And that has caused me over the years to question Christianity. And as a result, I’ve searched to see if other compelling answers are out there.
But here’s what I’ve learned: nothing holds out hope in the midst of a broken world than the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel says this world is crushed under the weight of sin and we are too. But God acted powerfully in Christ to break the chains of sin. And there’s not a path of enlightenment through meditation or through yoga. Instead, there’s a person who did all the work for us and his name is Jesus. We enter into life through him.
One of the earliest names for the Christian movement was The Way. When Jesus called his first disciples, they were fishing, and as he passed by, Jesus said, “Follow me.” And Scripture tells us that they immediately left their nets and followed him. That is what this looks like.
We are doing a baptism this afternoon. Baptism is a public sign of following Jesus. When the person comes up from the water, we say, “Raised to walk in newness of life.” Trusting in Jesus sets our life on a new trajectory, a new path.
Taking the narrow road puts us in the minority … it means shuffling and rearranging our life in a radically counter-cultural way … many of us in this room are accustomed to Christianity being assumed … but that hasn’t always been the case … and Jesus tells us that we can expect following him not to be mainstream. And, by the way, even when Christianity was assumed in our culture, that didn’t mean everyone took Jesus seriously.
The way is hard and difficult because it means relinquishing our rights … actually it means the annihilation of our self, so that we can become more like Christ. And that’s essential because in ourselves, we really don’t have anything to offer.
2. Jesus is the Vine
Look at v. 15.* They look sweet and safe, but inwardly they are dangerous, just like the wide road. But Jesus says that their fruits expose them. Look at vv. 16–20.*
Jesus uses two images here that have connections elsewhere. He says they look like sheep. Throughout the NT, followers of Jesus are referred to as sheep. In John’s Gospel, Jesus says he is the true shepherd, and his sheep know his voice. What do wolves do when they hear the shepherds voice? They run.
The other image Jesus uses is about trees. Notice that the issue is the tree itself. The command is not, “Produce better fruit.” The reality is that isn’t possible for diseased trees. But in John’s Gospel, Jesus says, “I am the vine” and those who follow him are the branches. He says, “If we abide (remain; spend time with) in him, we will bear good fruit.” So that’s the key. If we are disconnected from him, we will never produce good fruit. But if we abide in him, we will bear good fruit.
My grandparents’ neighborhood had an apple tree … these apples would be all over the street and I was told they were types of apples, but something didn’t look right about them. I certainly never wanted to eat one and I was told not to eat them because it was a crab apple tree. Those apples are far too tart to eat. The problem is that that tree could never possibly produce the type of apples people want to eat … it would have to be changed into a different sort of tree altogether.
C. S. Lewis argued that since Christians are to live forever, becoming the right type of person is immeasurably important. He writes, “We might think that God wanted simply obedience to a set of rules: whereas He really wants people of a particular sort.”
Jesus’s discussion of the law in Matthew 5 made that clear. Consider Jesus’s teaching on anger. Jesus shows that while the law says, “Do not murder,” there is more at state. It is not enough to only obey the command. Jesus calls his followers to become the type of people who do not respond in anger. Jesus calls us to abide in him so that we become the types of people who produce fruit. And lest we think he is just telling us to do more good things the next few verses make it clear that he wants something more than doing some good things.
3. Jesus is God’s Will
Look at vv. 21–23.* This passage shows without question that mere rule-following or mere good works do not save. Let’s note the differences? Jesus says, “Not everyone who says Lord, Lord (expression of familiarity) will enter the kingdom of heaven.” Who will? The one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
What is the will of God? We can overcomplicate the will of God, acting like it’s a puzzle to figure out. But several passages make the will of God crystal clear. Let me share one. John 6:29: Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” So the will of God is Jesus—that we would trust him and believe him.
Notice that the will of God is not synonymous with doing great works … Doing the Father’s will is not equal to doing good things … or even great things. All of the examples Jesus gives are impressive: they prophesy and cast out demons and do many mighty works.
Implication: The good news is you don’t have to be a superstar to do this. Doing the will of God is not … giving the biggest gifts … preaching the best sermons … singing the prettiest songs … witnessing to the most people … it is knowing Jesus. Busyness can be a great enemy to the spiritual life … Jesus invites us to be with him.
The Spirit wants to shape us into the people of God. That requires something deeper to happen than just doing some impressive things. It requires abiding with Jesus and knowing him. In fact, do you know the definition Jesus gives for eternal life in John 17:3? And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. Here is the path to life. There’s no other way.
4. Jesus is the Foundation
Look at vv. 24–27.* Notice the houses are identical … the circumstances are identical … What’s the difference? It is the foundation. The one who builds on sand is the one who hears the words of Jesus but doesn’t put it into practice. The one who builds on the rock not only hears but does them.
Now again, let’s be clear. Jesus isn’t just talking about doing stuff. The verses before this have made that clear. Back in the opening section of the Sermon on the Mount, before Jesus started talking about the OT law, he says this, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (5:20). The Pharisees were extremely religious. By all indications they were good people. They followed the law to the letter. Many of them could say with a measure of integrity that they hadn’t broken any of the Ten Commandments. So what’s the deal? Did they not build their life on the rock? Jesus says, “No.” They built on sand.
They had built a life on their own righteousness. But here’s the problem. Our own righteousness won’t withstand the storms of life and it certainly won’t cut it when we stand before the Lord.
But if we build on Christ, we have a foundation and a righteousness that can never be shaken or taken away. Even death itself could not overcome the blazing righteousness of Christ Jesus.
There are a lot of things we can build our lives on. We can build them on our good works, our giving, our church attendance, our families, our jobs. But none of those can withstand the ultimate storms. Every single one will be swept away when the storm gets violent. But Jesus is a sure foundation that can never be swept away.
So we are told to establish our life on him. What does that look like? Notice what he says, “Put these things into practice.” Following the Jesus’s teaching is transformative … By sincerely trying to practice Jesus’s teaching we are trusting him and by doing so we are simultaneously annihilating ourselves and expanding ourself. But make no mistake about this: Christ is the foundation.
Some of you are struggling with something in your life. Some of you feel guilty. Some of you just aren’t where you want to be. The right move is not to read a book or Google answers. The right move is to look to the firm foundation. You can build your life on Jesus. But in order to build a life that will last, it must begin with Jesus. We see something to that end in the last two verses.
5. Conclusion: Jesus is the better way
Look at vv. 28–29.* Jesus’s teaching is different. They are astonished. It’s not like the scribes. We are at the end of his sermon, where he pushes us to consider whether we are willing to follow him, to trust him, and to be his students. Put another way, the time has come for us as individuals and us as a church to ask the question: How will I respond to Jesus? We’ve heard the whole sermon … now what do we do with Jesus?
Don’t go any further than this. Does your life begin with Jesus? He’s the only foundation worth building on. He’s the only vine that can cause us to bear fruit. He’s the shepherd who can bring us into his flock. And he is the gate to eternal life. It begins with Jesus.
One modern hymn I wear out on my playlist is “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us.” I just want to conclude with two verses from that song.
Behold the man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life –
I know that it is finished.I will not boast in anything,
No gifts, no power, no wisdom;
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer;
But this I know with all my heart –
His wounds have paid my ransom.