Jesus: Creator, Savior, Lord and King #29 Jesus and The Sermon On The Mount #5 – Jesus and True Righteousness, Matthew 7

 

Jesus: Creator, Savior, Lord and King #29
Jesus and The Sermon On The Mount #5 – Jesus and True Righteousness, Matthew 7

 Introduction:

Since January of 2025 we have been looking at Jesus in all the aspects of His character, Deity, history and even personality through the series entitled Jesus, Creator, Savior, Lord and King. We could add other titles, like Messiah or God and they also would be appropriate, but the title I’m using is already too long and when I add the sub-titles likke Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount #5, Jesus and True Righteousness, well it almost needs a page by just to itself. Who Jesus is, what Jesus did and what Jesus taught is too vast for even a one year sermon series.

John the apostle after having written hundreds of pages and thousands of words about Jesus who he could have called cousin and friend, said this, John 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.”

There will never be a definitive book, sermon, movie or documentary about Jesus, but we can go to scripture and listen as Jesus speaks directly to us and that is much better. This is sermon #5 in the words of Jesus during the Sermon on the Mount. It has meant more to me this time than at any other time in my life and preaching ministry. The next time I listen as Jesus speaks it will mean even more. Isn’t that the miracle of God’s living Word and Jesus His Living Son?

Review

In the opening of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus describes those who are the “Blessed.” These people in the Beatitudes are those who are in the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom that is within us, and the Kingdom that is still coming waiting only for the return of Jesus.   

The Beatitudes - Matthew 5:3-10 Blessed are the believers, the saved, the redeemed, the children of God.

Jesus told those who are in the Kingdom that they have a calling to be peacemakers by sharing the good news of the Gospel and by being salt and light they are to be preservers, influencers in to those outside the Kingdom.

The key verse to the sermon is Matthew 5:20 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. It told them that day on the mount and us today, that the keeping the law could not open the gate to the Kingdom because the law does not make a person righteous but can only convict of sin.

Under the unforgiving law,  anger is the equivalent of murder. Lust is the same as adultery, divorce and remarriage breaks the law,  giving oaths is sin, resisting evil is wrong. Nor is the love for family and friend enough for you must “love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.

The Principles Of The Sermon Within these impossible laws though are principles that the Citizens of the Kingdom, those who have sorrowed over sin, mourned for forgiveness and hungered for righteousness,  these can and should strive for these as principles and goals of the  lives, not in order to enter the kingdom but because as a born again believer, and kingdom representative, I can and will love my enemy, I can and will turn the other cheek, I can deal with lust, anger, oaths and all the rest. The law still shows me that I am a sinner but grace through faith has enabled me to overcome sin through Christ in me the hope of Glory.

True Worship in Giving, Praying and Fasting

Then in the first half of chapter 6, Jesus tells us what true worship is by contrasting it with the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees.

In Matthew 6:1-4 True Worship Is Giving Quietly and Secretly

1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.  

In Matthew 6:5-15- True Worship Is Praying Sincerely From A Secret Place

6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Prayer is important to Kingdom Citizens and Jesus takes time to  instruct in pray. He presents a Model for prayer, in Matthew 6:9-15

Then in Matthew 6:16-18 The final aspect of true worship Is Fasting Secretly without A Show

In Matthew 6:19 Jesus moves from true worship to true faith. He tells them and us that…

True Faith Looks To Heaven – Matthew 6:19-23

20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

True Faith Trusts In God’s Care - Matthew 6:25-32

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

And That True Faith Puts God First – Matthew 6:33-34

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Transition: Now we come to Jesus’ words in Matthew 7.

Jesus has described the citizens, given the purpose of the law, told of true worship and true faith and now we are going to listen to His words on “True Righteousness.”

Introduction

How do we recognize true righteousness?

Its important because knowing what true righteousness is will determine how we practice that righteousness in our religion.

In the modern evangelical, Christian vocabulary the word religion has gotten dumped. We hear and say things like, “It’s not about religion its about relationship.” We understand that its saying we are saved not by religion but through a relationship with Jesus as Savior and Lord. But somewhere in there, religion has become a bad word. So, lets define what we are talking about.

First, Righteousness is the quality or state of being just or rightful. For a Christian this is found in God's standard or declaration of what is righteous. Righteousness is being right with God.

Now the word Religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

Religion isn’t a dirty word, nor should it be discarded. Religion is how we as believers, citizens of the Kingdom live and show our righteousness through Christ. If you throw away religion then you throw away doctrine, truth and accountability. No, religion cannot save any one but religion should show everyone what it means to be saved.

How is true religion and true righteousness seen? The world’s religions often choose outward clothing, jewelry, or tattoos or marking body to show that they are righteous and show their religion.

Examples.

Hassidic Jews
Buddhist Priests
Hindu Gurus
Catholic Priest and Nuns.

Just as Jesus taught that worship and faith comes from the inside, so also does righteousness. In Matthew 7 he is going to rapidly give several examples of true righteousness and true religion.

True Righteousness – Matthew 7

Righteous Is Seen In How We Judge

Matthew 7 ​1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

This of course is not a blanket command never to judge or use discernment, if that were true the rest of chapter 7 is a contradiction. Instead anyone who reads past the first seven words knows that Jesus is teaching against a critical heart and judgmental attitude about others.

The key to righteous judgment is first judging yourself, only after seen what a mess we are and asking the Lord to help us, can we then be helpful in our judgment of others. Jesus says we want to get a speck of sin out of someone else’s life while there is a 8x8 beam of sin in our own life. Deal with yourself first. This goes all the way back to the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees, but they were not the only one guilty of having a holier than thou judgmental attitude.

One of the hardest things for people to see is themselves. We are not self-evaluating instead we are self-decieving. Satan gets blamed for a lot of this but most times it is as James says, “James 1:14 … every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

I don’t know how many times I’ve had people tell me, Jesus said, “Examine yourself.” No, that was Paul in 1 Corinthians, but he learned it from Jesus teaching right here.

So true righteousness and the true religion that practices it, has no judgmental attitude because we are humbled when we seen our own faults.

Now look at vs. 6

Righteousness Seen In How We Honor Holiness

6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

Wow, now that is harsh and you know what it calls for judgment. You have to know what is holy and what are the dogs and the swine.

Understanding what Jesus is saying is not hard, but why did He say it here and so harshly? Keep in mind that the Sermon on the Mount was meant to be a remedy, an inoculation to the sin of Pharisaism. Which was defined by its harsh judgmental attitude. He’s already called them hypocrites and it could very well be that now calling them dogs and swine, two very repulsive animals to the Pharisees. Ultimately, they would reject Christ and his miracles making themselves guilty of the unpardonable sin. Jesus would no longer cast the holiness of his teaching nor the pearls of the Gospel before them and just as Jesus said, they did trample those things underfoot and try and tear him to pieces.

For us this means that we honor that which is holy, holding it in the highest regard and when it is obvious that the person or people we are trying to reach with the Gospel are not but wild dogs and feral pigs in their contempt, then you stop soiling that which is holy.

How do we know when such a drastic action must happen? That is why Jesus next talks about prayer. If you need wisdom to see the sin in your life and to judge the enemies of the truth and Gospel, then you need to be Asking Seeking and Knocking

Righteous In Persistent Prayer. Matthew 7:7-11

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?Jesus again comes back to the importance of prayer, this time not in the pursuit of worship but in the pursuit of wisdom. He presents pattern of increasing intensity and pattern for prayers.

Ask is the beginning, Seek is the more intense next step and finally knock is the action of one who will not give up on the power of prayer.

James the brother of Jesus wrote, “James 1:5-6 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. …”

True righteousness is found in the way we pray to God, especially in those areas where we need God to give us wisdom and humility.

Righteous In Giving Grace - The Golden Rule

 12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

So based upon what Jesus said, I think we start at humility in judging and must include prayer for wisdom, then Jesus says, “Therefore what you would want others to do to you, you do for them first. This is the fulfillment of scripture.”

This is the Golden rule, it is the standard Jesus set for us that changed the world. Slavery, the treatment of women, hospitals, orphanages, even the united Nations and our vain attempts to stop war are all based up “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Stop and consider the power of the Words of Jesus in just one short verse. No other person in all of time and history has wielded such wisdom and power in the words of his mouth.

No wonder when Jesus comes back the scriptures tell us, “Revelation 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations.”

His words here changed the world for better, but when He returns His words will smite the nations who have rejected His words.

Until then our righteousness is seen by giving grace to others through the Golden Rule.

Now Jesus is going to rapidly begin to close His sermon by giving several examples in sets of two. There are two gates, two ways, two kinds of fruit, and finally two builders.

Righteous in Critical Choices: Two Gates

13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

This part of the sermon on the mount could be speaking to those wanting to enter in, but it also could be seen as a warning against false prophets to those who are already in the gate.

To those who are not in, Jesus is telling them the entrance is not popular, it is not easy, it is a strait. The word is the word for a narrow, tight, even dangerous pass. The strait gate is restrictive because it in exclusively through Jesus Christ and faith in Him alone.

When Jesus walked the rich young man walk away he told his disciple, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom. It is like a camel passing through he eye of a needle.” That is the kind of strait meant here. But there is another way on the other side of another gate, it is not hard but broad. One gate leads to life, but the other gate leads to destruction.

Righteousness is seen in choosing the right gate and the right way, before and even after salvation.

In vs. 15 Jesus talks about another set of two, this time fruit and the trees that produce it.

Righteous In Bringing Forth Fruit: Two Fruits

15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Once again we hear Jesus telling Kingdom citizens to use good judgment, use the wisdom they gained through humility and prayer by judging false prophets who come in harmless disguise but are actually hungering to rip up the igoroant and undiscerning.

Jesus says, you can see past their disguise if you will quit looking at them and instead look at what they are producing, the fruit that comes from their teaching and doctrine.

Rotten corrupt religious leaders produce rotten corrupt followers and results from their own corrupt trees. Jesus makes it plain, “Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” The answer is no, of course not. So why is it that we can’t judge the false prophets of today?

Do righteous, humble, servants of God own houses, yachts, and cars that would make a billionaire blush? No, that is rotten fruit. Do good Christian leaders divorce their wives, abandon their families and then say but God still wants me to pastor? No, that is corrupt fruit. Do they claim special privileges, higher honors, impossible salaries and act like they are your only way of understanding and hearing from God? No, that is evil fruit.

We cannot judge another’s salvation but we are commanded by God to judge false prophets.

True righteousness is seen in judging the false prophets today, know good fruit from bad.

Transition: Jesus says we must judge them now for ourselves but one day He will judge them personally and what a horrible judgment Jesus pronounces upon those false prophets.

Righteous In Trusting the Lord’s Judgment: Two Rewards

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you (you were not in my kingdom, you did not walk through the strait gate, you did not follow the narrow way) : depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Jesus says “In that day” This has to be the day of the Great white Throne Judgment, when the dead who did not believe in Jesus are resurrected from Hell and brought before the Judge of All, who gave his life for all, but all did not accept Him as Lord and savior.  This is will be the worst sentence of justice ever pronounced and it will stand for all eternity as such.

“depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

John wrote of this day in Revelation 20:11-15 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Finally there is one last set of two in vss. 14-27. Probably the most famous of all, two builders.

Righteous In Building Our Life: Two Builders vs. 24

24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

Jesus concludes the Sermon On the Mount with an invitation.

Whosoever hears. Aren’t you glad the Lord used that same invitation so many times in his teaching. Whosoever will come. Whosoever believeth in Him.

 He never said, ”only those good enough, or those smart enough, or elect enough.” No, His is an open invitation and an also an open challenge, to Whosoever. This word  contains both the choice and the need to act. Whosoever hears and does these sayings of mine.

Jesus says that man is wise, not because he built a house, both men built houses, but the first is wise because of where he built that house. He built his house, his life, his family, his legacy, his eternity on the rock and that rock is Jesus Christ. The foundation of Jesus, the creator, savior, lord and king of the universe will hold up the life that is built upon the His truth.  

When the storms of life came crashing down like a tornado, or breaking over that house like a tsunami, it stood because it was founded upon Jesus the rock of eternity.

But there is another man, the foolish man who rejects the words of Jesus and instead builds upon the shifting sands of the worlds lies. When the storms of life fell upon that house, it collapsed, utterly and completely. Jesus says, “Great was the fall of it.”

When those outside the Kingdom fall, they fall hard. When those who have not put their faith in Jesus encounter catastrophe, they have nothing to hold them up. The world’s lies are exposed, and they cannot stand, they fall in terrible despair and hopelessness.

The Galveston Hurricane of 1900

In 1900 the island and city of Galveston was hit by a devasting hurricane. At this time Galveston was the richest city, proudest and some say the sinfulest city  in all of Texas.

So fierce was the wind that all the instruments back then that measured wind speeds went up to 100 mph but they were all overwhelmed and spun out of control. The Galveston meteorologist at that time was a man named Isaac. And he had said for years that Galveston was immune to big hurricanes and they would not be hurt by the small ones. He even wrote a scientific paper on this belief.

The island was only 8 feet above sea level, and when the storm hit it sent a 15-foot wave of water over the entire island only the tallest houses were not completely submerged. The water rose up to 4 ft every 4 seconds until the island was covered. It rained 9 inches in 24 hours and the wind was so strong that it blew bricks out of the walls of buildings and picked up entire wooden houses and business and turned them into kites in 120 mph to 150 mph winds.

The death toll was estimated at over 6000 people, but actually they couldn’t count the dead bodies, as many as 12,000 probably died. At first, they threw the corpses in the sea but the tide brought their dead right back to shore, so they stacked them up with the broken and splintered wood and burned the bodies on the beach for days and days.

They had built all their houses, their businesses, their hope and future, upon the sand of an island barely 8 feet high, and when the storm of the century hit, great was the fall of it.

I think of Galveston when I read these words of Christ, but I believe that Jesus’ words tell us that it will be worse for anyone who doesn’t listen and build their life upon Him. It will be worse because it will be personal, they will endure what cannot be endured, they will experience what none would ever want to experience. But it will be worse mainly because it will be eternal. Galveston the city rebuilt but eternal souls hit by the storm of the Lord’s judgment can’t be rebuilt, they will suffer forever because they ignored the words of the Lord and built their life on the sand of this world and its lies.

Conclusion

Matthew concludes by giving the result of Jesus words upon the listeners that day. In vs. 28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

I wonder how many of us today are astonished at the words, the truth, the doctrine of Jesus. We should be we need to be because just as they realized then, He speaks with authority, the authority of the creator, Savior, Lord and King of the Universe.