Introduction:

Sermon on the Mount - Good News of the Kingdom… Mt.4:23

Jesus offers His audience a choice:

• Attitudes of the Kingdom - Attitudes of the World

• The Letter of the Law - The Spirit of the Law

• Self-Righteousness - Jesus’ Righteousness

• God - Money

• The Narrow Gate - The Wide Gate

• The Hard Way - The Easy Way

Two Paths:

Moses - Deuteronomy 30:15

Joshua - Joshua 24:15

David - Psalm 1:1-2

Matthew 7:13-14

The Path of this World:

• Diversity of Opinion

• Tolerance

• Compromise

• Relativism

• Syncretism

• Moral and Spiritual Permissiveness

“Truth is what our peers let us get away with…” ~ Richard Rorty

“I was soon altering ‘I believe’ to ‘One does feel’. And oh the relief of it! … From tyrannous noon of revelation I passed into the cool evening twilight of Higher Thought, where there was nothing to be obeyed, and nothing to be believed except what was either comforting or exciting.” ~ C.S. Lewis

Two Trees:

Matthew 7:15-20

False Prophets & False Teachers will increase - Matthew 24:11-14

You will recognize them by their fruit:

Character & Conduct

• Christlikeness

• Fruit of the Spirit

Teaching

• Is it in line with Apostolic Teaching

• 5 Fundamentals

Deity of Christ

Trinity

Salvation by Grace alone

Inerrancy and Authority of Scripture

The Return of Christ to rule and to judge

Influence

• What is the fruit of their teaching and ministry - 2 Timothy 2:16-19

Two Attitudes - Profession & Obedience:

Matthew 7:21-23

• Submission to the Lordship of Jesus

• Active, practical Obedience

Two Foundations:

Matthew 7:24-27

• The House on the Rock

• The House on the Sand

The Authority of Jesus:

Matthew 7:28-29

CG Questions

1. As a group, define what the Gospel is.

2. As a group, define salvation.

3. Have you ever doubted your salvation? Give some details: When?

Why?

How did you deal with it?

How did you get through that time in your life?

4. What should we do when we or others doubt our salvation?