Summary of the Sermon on the mount Matthew
Chapter 5-7 as follows:
1. A Christian’s character (Beatitudes)
Matthew 5:3-12
2. A Christian’s Influence (Salt & Light)
Matthew 5:13-16
3. A Christian’s Righteousness:
a) Christ, the Christian & the Law (Matthew
5:17-20 )
b) Avoid anger and lust ( Matt 5:21-30)
c) Fidelity in marriage and honesty in speech
(Matt 5:31-37)
d) Non retaliation and active love (Matt
5:38-48)
4. A Christian’s Religion (Not hypocritical but real) Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18
5. A Christian’s Prayer ( Matthew
6:7-15)
6. A Christian’s Ambition (Not material but
God’s rule) Matthew 6:19-34
7. A Christian’s Relationship (To his brothers and father) Matthew 7:1-12
8. A Christian’s Commitment (The Radical Choice) Matthew 7:13-27
Dr.Tiong’s main message is from Matthew
7:13-14
The
Narrow and Wide Gate
2 Gates – broad and narrow
2 Ways – narrow and wide
2 Crowds – big crowd and small crowd
2 destinations – life to God, life to destruction.
What is the narrow way/gate ?
It is more difficult to follow this narrow
way. This is to follow Jesus. Jesus promised that He will take our yoke and
we can find rest in Him.
What
is the broad way?
It is spacious and easy to follow. Allows diversities and flexibilities. There are a lot of tolerance and we can live
our own ways. Everything can be done
there is no limit.
Two
Crowds
One is a big crowd and the other the small
crowd. Revelation 7:9 spoke about the
large crowd. Many people fall in the
large crowd category.
Two
destinations
One way leads to destruction and the other
way leads to life. Dr. Tiong referred to
Pslam 1. In the narrow way we have fellowship with Jesus.
Matthew
7:15-20
A tree and its fruits and false prophets.
There were false prophets in the old
Testament, and event today we have false prophets. False prophets misled people examples in
modern times, Jim Jones who led about 900 people to suicide, and David
Koraze. How do we know whether they are
false prophets? Its by their
fruits. False teachers bear bad fruits
and good teachers bear good fruits. We
also have to look at the characters and conduct of these teachers. The hallmark of good teachers is that they
will not seek their own glory but they will only seek God’s glory. John 7:18 “Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain
personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of
truth; there is nothing false about him.”
The false teacher tech people to enter the broad way and not the narrow
way.
Matthew
7:21-23
Christ warning danger of mere verbal
profession. According to Dr. Tiong these
are scary verse when applied to himself.
Mere verbal profession is not enough.
It is not about what we say today or in the final day. What we say must be accompanied by obedience
and relationship with Jesus. We may be
able to cast out demons and finally when we meet Jesus he may not know us. Sign and wonders can also be performed by
false teachers.
Matthew
7:24-27
The wise and foolish builder. What kind of foundation are we built on? These cannot be seen. From the outside we all look the same. What kind of foundation we sit on? Whether we do what Jesus taught. If we hear and does not practise, we are like
being built on sand. When difficulties
come we cannot stand. We must hear and
practise the Words of God. If we
fellowship with Jesus we cannot go on sinning.
We need to make a choice.
Conclusion
In this modern time, everything is allowed
and flexible but we are not allowed to say Jesus is our Saviour. Now we are asked to make a choice, whether to
go on the narrow road or broad road. As
we make the choice, the path may not be easy but God will help us. He makes our yoke easy.
