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Back to the Mountain

Floor Plans

 — Dale Beaver

Message Notes

Matthew 7:21-29 (p. 804-5)

 

Wisdom to discern direction is built from the ground up.

 

Matthew 7:24-25
24”Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.” 

 

Proverbs 24:3 
A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense.

 

The most emphatic offense that I gained from studying this sermon comes from the wake-up call to trust Christ and obey Him in all this, not to compartmentalize righteousness into an area that is easy for me, but to ask Him for transformational power to live a kingdom lifestyle.

 

Luke 6:46-49
46“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? 47I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. 48It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. 49But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”

 

Ignorance builds for destruction from the top down.

 

Matthew 7:26-27
26But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.

 

Proverbs 1:7
Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

 

We must heed the warning, defensively, to absolutely deny the world any credibility with defining who Jesus is in character as well as instruction. The overarching lesson is that God reigns supremely over His kingdom, Jesus has come to gather those who will reside in that kingdom, and there is a lifestyle that is consistent with citizenship.

 

Matthew 5:3, 10
3“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
10“God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

 

Matthew 7:28-29
28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.

 

Jesus is the personification of the foundation of wisdom.

 

Ephesians 2:20
Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.

 

1 Corinthians 3:11-15
11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. 12Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. 13But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. 14If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

 

Knowing the Difference

 — Dale Beaver

Message Notes

Text: Matthew 7:13-23 Page 804

The Christian world view has many facets, but primarily: 1) God loves us and reigns sovereignly, and 2) Our lives have eternal consequences.

-Bob Beasley

 

Proverbs 3:5-6
5Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

 

There are two roads and they don’t end up at the same place.

 

Mathew 7:13-15
13“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. 15Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.”

 

If you’re on the party bus, why question the road you’re on?

 

John 10: 9-10
9”Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. 10The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

 

John 10:1-5
1“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! 2But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. 5They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.”

 

John 10:11-13
11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. 12A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. 13The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.”

 

John 10:27-30
27“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. 30The Father and I are one.”

 

Matthew 7:16-20
16You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

 

Philippians 3:17-19
17Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. 18For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.

 

 

Matthew 7:21-23
21”Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’”

 

John 6:39-40
39And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. 40For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.

 

Give and Take

 — Dale Beaver

Message Notes

Matthew 7:1-12  page 804

 

Matthew 7:7-8
7Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 8For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

 

Is there is a persistence to your prayer life?

 

Matthew 6:7-8
7When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!

 

James 1:5
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

 

1 John 5:14 
And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.

 

Matthew 7:9-11
9You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! 11So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

 

Have I learned what to ask for?

 

Luke 11:13
“So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

 

Matthew 7:12
Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.

 

Matthew 7:1-2
1Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2For you will be treated as you treat others.  The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

 

Matthew 22:37-40
37Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

 

Romans 5:5b
For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

 

Judge Not

 — Dale Beaver

Message Notes

Matthew 7:1-6 (page 804)

 

Matthew 7:1-2
1Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. 2For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

 

John 7:24
Do not judge according to external appearance, but judge with proper judgment.  

 

Luke 6:36-37
36You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. 37Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven.

 

Luke 9:54-55
54When James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, “Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?” 55But Jesus turned and rebuked them

 

We don’t doom but we do discern.

 

Habakkuk 3:2
I have heard all about you, Lord. I am filled with awe by your amazing works. In this time of our deep need, help us again as you did in years gone by.  And in your anger, remember your mercy.

 

Matthew 7:3-5
3And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 4How can you think of saying to your friend, “Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,” when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? 5Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

 

We discern between personal planks and the flaws of a friend.

 

Galatians 6:1-3
1Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.

 

Matthew 18:15-17
15If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. 16But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. 17If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.

 

1 Corinthians 5: 9-13
9When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. 10But I wasn’t talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. 11I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.12It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. 13God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”

 

Matthew 7:6
Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.

 

Matthew 5:1-10  (p.802)

 

We discern between the poor in spirit and the pig at heart

 

Sneaky Faith

 — Dale Beaver

Message Notes

Matthew 6: 19-34  p. 803-804
 

Matthew 6:24-25
24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.” 25 “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?”

 

Matthew 6:26-30
26 “Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?”  28 “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?”
 

If the Creator cares for His creation, the Father will care for His children.
 

Matthew 6:31
“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’”
 

Romans 8:32
Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?
 

Matthew 6:32-34
32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
 

Habakkuk 2:12-14
12 “What sorrow awaits you who build cities with money gained through murder and corruption! 13 Has not the Lord of Heaven’s Armies promised that the wealth of nations will turn to ashes? They work so hard, but all in vain! 14 For as the waters fill the sea, the earth will be filled with an awareness of the glory of the Lord.”

 

Sneaky Wealth

 — Dale Beaver

Message Notes

Matthew 6:19-24 

 

The Content of Matthew 6:

A warning concerning the hypocrisy of the religious (6:1-18)

A warning concerning the materialism of the non-religious (6:19-34) 

 

How do we practice a kingdom lifestyle in this world?

 

We choose between two treasures.

 

Matthew 6:19-20
19“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. 20Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.

 

The true value of any treasure is ultimately controlled by its location.

 

We trust what we treasure.

 

Matthew 6:21-23
21Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. 22“Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. 23But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!

 

The direction of my ambition reflects the devotion of my heart.

 

Psalm 119
105Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.
111Your laws are my treasure; they are my heart’s delight.

                       

We serve what we treasure.

 

Matthew 6:24
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.

 

Which kingdom are we living for?

*What is the source of my peace?

*What is the source of my significance?

*Where have I placed my confidence and security?

 

Sneaky Sacrifice

 — Dale Beaver

Message Notes

Matthew 6:1-18 page 803 in the bible under the armrest

 

Matthew 6:1
“Watch out! Don’t practice your righteousness publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.”

 

Matthew 6:16
“And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.” 

 

Matthew 9:14-15
14One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?” 15Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

 

Isaiah 58:1-3
1Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Shout aloud! Don’t be timid. Tell my people Israel of their sins! 2Yet they act so pious! They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to learn all about me. They act like a righteous nation that would never abandon the laws of its God. They ask me to take action on their behalf, pretending they want to be near me. 3“We have fasted before you!” they say. “Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!” “I will tell you why!” I respond. “It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves.”

 

Zechariah 7:4-6
4The Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me this message in reply: 5“Say to all your people and your priests, ‘During these seventy years of exile, when you fasted and mourned in the summer and in early autumn, was it really for me that you were fasting? 6And even now in your holy festivals, aren’t you eating and drinking just to please yourselves?’”

 

Jeremiah 14:11-12
11Then the Lord said to me, “Do not pray for these people anymore. 12When they fast, I will pay no attention. When they present their burnt offerings and grain offerings to me, I will not accept them. Instead, I will devour them with war, famine, and disease.”

 

Matthew 6:17-18
17But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

 

Matthew 5:3-5
3“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. 4God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5God blesses those who are humble, for they will inherit the whole earth.”

 

Isaiah 58:4-7
4What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me. 5You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the Lord? 6“No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. 7Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.”

 

Romans 12:1-2
1And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

 

Sneaky Prayer

 — Dale Beaver

Message Notes

Matthew 6:1
“Watch out! Don’t practice your righteousness publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.”

 

Matthew 6:5-6
5“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”

 

Matthew 15:7-8
7“You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, 8‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.’”

 

Take Dead Aim—start with exclusion.

 

The most important advice I can give you is to take dead aim. Once you address the golf ball, hitting it has got to be the most important thing in your life at that moment. Shut out the crowd, forget how your swing may look, and concentrate on where you want the ball to go. 
-Harvey Penick    

 

Matthew 6:7-8
7“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!”

 

Don’t waste time “waggling”—get to the work of prayer.

 

The waggle is a small practice swing and a way to ease tension, unless you get so involved in waggling that you forget your purpose.
-Harvey Penick

 

If we take these two pictures together, we shall find that there are two main errors underlying our approach to God in prayer. The first is that my interest is only for myself as the one who is praying. The second is that I feel that the efficacy of my prayer depends upon my length and manner of praying. 
-Martyn Lloyd-Jones

 

Matthew 6:9-13
9Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 11Give us today the food we need, 12and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. 13And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.

 

Consider your approach—come to your Heavenly Father.

 

Matthew 18:1-4
1About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” 2Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. 3Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

 

Ephesians 3:20
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

 

Matthew 6:14-15
14“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

 

Be sure to follow through—it’s the validation of integrity.

 

In an effort to have a student learn the right type of action down in the hitting area, one of the first things I do is put him or her in a good follow-through position. This is important because the follow-through is a reflection of what has gone on before it.
-Harvey Penick

 

Sneaky Charity

 — Dale Beaver

Message Notes

Current Context for the Sermon

The Character of a Kingdom Life (The Beatitudes)  Matthew 5:3-12

The Character of a Kingdom Life Contrasted  Matthew 5:13-16

The Character of a Kingdom Life related to the Law   Matthew 5:17-48

The Character of a Kingdom Life in the presence of God and in submission to Him  Matthew 6

 

Dividing Matthew 6 for Study 

The practice of our religious life before God   6:1-18

The practice of a Kingdom lifestyle in the kingdom of this world   6:19-34

 

Matthew 6:1-18  (p.803)

 

The keys to the context of 6:1-18
“But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!”   Matthew 5:20

“Watch out! Don’t practice your righteousness publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.”  Matthew 6:1

 

Interpretive Problem

Matthew 6:1
“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others………

Matthew 5:16
“In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

 

To practice sneaky charity, avoid the extremes.

 

Matthew 6:2a
“When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity!”

 

To practice sneaky charity, stay anonymous.

 

Isaiah 42:1-3

1“Look at my servant, whom I strengthen.

    He is my chosen one, who pleases me.

    I have put my Spirit upon him.

    He will bring justice to the nations.

2He will not shout or raise his voice in public.

3He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle.

 

To practice sneaky charity, remember the greater reward.

 

Matthew 6:2b, 4
2I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.

4Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

 

Luke 16:15
Then he said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God.”

 

Hebrews 4:13
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

 

2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

 

To practice sneaky charity, trust God with the score.

 

Matthew 6:3
“But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”

 

Luke 18:11-12
11The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! 12I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’  (you remember God, and I remember it too!)

 

Matthew 25:31-40 (p. 824)