Chapter 7
F. Judging Others & Fault Finding
7:1-5
1. Improper Judgement Forbidden
Verse 1 c/f I Corinthians 2:15
*** Judgement Unto Condemnation
2. Reasons Behind the Prohibition
Verses 2-5a
a. The Judgement We Use On Others Will Also be Used
On Us.
Verse 2
b. It is Hypocrisy to Be Looking for Fault in Someone
Else while at the Same Time Ignoring Our Own Faults.
Verses 3-5a
c. It is Hypocrisy to Try to Straighten Out Other People's
Lives when We're Making No Effort to Straighten Out
Our Own Lives.
Verses 4-5a -- Critical People Always Seem to Be
Meddling In Other People's Lives.
3. God's Kingdom Principles Given
Verse 5
a. Our Motive for Pointing Out Shortcomings in Others
Should Always be to Build them Up -- Not Put them
Down.
b. We Can't See Clearly to Help Others while We Have
Unacknowledged Sins in Our Own Lives.
c. We Need to " Clean Up Our Own Backyard " Before
We get too Concerned About Telling Others What they
Ought to Do.
G. Discretion In Gift Giving
7:6
*** Be Selective About What You Give to Whom Lest
Your Gift Be Wasted, and You Get Torn Up Over It.
H. Perseverence & Faith In Prayer
7:7-12
1. The Call to Persistence in Prayer
Verse 7 -- Ask & Keep On Asking ... Seek ...
2. The Call to a Process in Prayer
Verse 7
a. Ask
b. Seek
c. Knock
3. The Call to Faith in Prayer
Verses 7-11
4. The Call to Treat Others Graciously On the Basis
of Our Confidence that God Will Respond to Our
Prayers Graciously.
Verse 12
a. This is the Golden Rule -- c/f Luke 6:31
b. This is the Royal Law -- c/f James 2:8
I. Entering Into Life
7:13-14
1. The Command to Enter Into Life
Verses 13-14 c/f I Timothy 2:4 & II Peter 3:9
2. The Description of the Gate & the Way Into Life
Verses 13-14 c/f John 10:7-11, John 14:6, &
Hebrews 10:12-22
a. Strait Gate & Narrow Way
b. Jesus Said He was THE Door of the Sheep and
THE Way to the Father.
c. The ONLY WAY Into the Presence of God &
Eternal Life is By Faith in the Dying Flesh & Blood
Sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, who Offered
His Own Body as a Complete Sacrifice for Our
Sins.
3. The Description of the Gate & Way Into Destruc-
tion
Verse 13 c/f Proverbs 14:12 & Proverbs 16:25
a. Wide is the Gate
b. Broad is the Way
4. The Tally of Souls that Go Through Each Gate
a. Many Go Through the Wide Gate which Leads
to Destruction. *** Verse 13
b. Few Go Through the Straight Gate which Leads
to Life. *** Verse 14
J. How to Discern a False Prophet
7:15-20 c/f I Corinthians 2:15
1. The Command Concerning False Prophets
Verse 15 -- Beware of them
2. The Description of False Prophets
Verse 15
a. Their Outward Appearance May be Peaceful, Gentle,
& Harmless -- Sheep .
b. Their Inward Nature is Grasping, Greedy, Covetous,
Self-Seeking, Devouring, Insatiable, & Predatory --
Ravening Wolves .
3. The Discernment of False Prophets
Verses 15-20
a. Negatively -- Not by their Outward Appearance
Verse 15
b. Positively -- By the Fruit they Produced From Within
Verses 15-20
4. The Destruction of the False Prophets
Verse 19
K. The Criteria for Entrance Into the Kingdom of Heaven
7:21-23
1. Negatively
a. We're Not Saved by Paying Mere Lip Service to the
Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Verse 21 c/f Luke 6:46
b. We're Not Saved by the Good Works that We Have
Done in His Name.
Verse 22 c/f Titus 3:5 & Ephesians 2:8-9
2. Positively
a. In Order to Be Saved We Must Do What God Wants
Us to Do.
Verse 21 c/f I Timothy 2:4; II Peter 3:9; John 6:27-29;
John 6:37-45; & Romans 6:17
b. In Order to Be Saved We Must Have a Personal Rela-
tionship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse 23 c/f John 10:11 & 14 & John 10:27-30
L. The Importance of Obedience to Christ's Words
7:24-27
1. The Two Foundations Upon which Men Can Build
their Lives.
a. The Foundation of Obedience to the Words of Jesus
Christ
Verse 24
b. The Foundation of Disobedience to the Words of
Jesus Christ
Verse 26
2. There are Storms that Will Come Into Every Person's
Life.
a. The Obedient Hearer of Christ's Words Will Have
Storms in Life.
Verses 24-25
b. The Disobedient Hearer of Christ's Words Will Have
Storms in Life.
Verses 26-27
3. The Two Definite Futures which a Man may Expect
to Experience in Life Depending on What He Does
With the Words of Jesus Christ
a. The Future of the Obedient Hearer of Christ's Words
Will Be One of Stability & Security.
Verses 24-25
b. The Future of the Disobedient Hearer of Christ's
Words Will Be One of Instability & Destruction.
Verses 26-27
4. The Question We Must Answer is Will We Be Wise
Men or Foolish Men In Our Response to the Word
of God.
Verses 24 & 26
VI. The People's Response to the King's Message
7:28-29 -- Astonishment
A. They Were Astonished at WHAT He had Said.
Verse 28 -- His Doctrine
B. They Were Astonished at HOW He had Spoken.
Verse 29 -- ... As One Having Authority ...