Jesus concludes his sermon with some fiery rhetoric. Is he just a good teacher and insightful moral philosopher? Or is he calling us to a difficult choice to follow him?
A sermon on the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount. We see that Jesus brings the sermon to a conclusion with a call to choose the way of life or the way of death. This will be a hard choice that will alienate us from many people. But it is the only way to life. What will you choose?
Link: NY Times Interview of Al Pacino
Quotes:
Jesus [leaves] his hearers with a simple and demanding choice: to hear and ignore, or to hear and put into practice. It is a make-or-break choice with eternal consequences.
-R. T. France
The Sermon on the Mount compels us, in the first place, to ask who is he who utters these words.
-W. D. Davies
The Bible is a dangerous book to read, and the Church is a dangerous society to join. Which road are we going to travel? On which foundation are we going to build?
-John Stott
Seest thou the rock? Seest thou the sand; how easily it sinks down, how it yields to calamities? how it is overthrown, though it have the support of royalty, of number, of nobility? For them that pursue it, it makes more senseless than all.
-St. John Chrysostom, 4th c.
When he had given the people, on all sides, a taste of his doctrine, all were seized with astonishment, because a strange, indescribable, and unusual majesty drew to him the minds of men.
-John Calvin, 16th c.
Scripture text: Matthew 7:13-29
“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. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. 15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
21 “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. 22 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?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ 24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 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. 26 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. 27 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.” 28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
“The Point of Decision” preached by Rev. Dr. Timothy R. LeCroy. Sunday, October 13, 2024 at 10:00AM. New Life Presbyterian Church in Ithaca, NY. Come see the beautiful Finger Lakes region, and worship God with us. www.newlifeithaca.org.
Sermon music is from “We Will Feast in the House of Zion” provided by Sandra McCracken and with her permission. www.sandramccracken.com.
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