Message Notes
A Beautiful Life | Week 8
Ashrei
The beautiful life is available to you and through you.
The heart of the rules.
Treasures in the kingdom of heaven.
On earth as it is in heaven.
God is a good provider & priority.
“Do not judge…”
Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Destruction = Waste
Road = Hodos = Way
CHOOSE THE NARROW WAY.
Rich Villodas "Entering through the narrow gate leads to a spacious life that people long for, although the world may not understand Jesus's teachings and find them too constraining. While the broad path is oriented around the value system of the world, the narrow path is oriented around the wisdom and way of Jesus."
Matthew 7:15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
A prophet (prophētēs) = One who speaks for God
Pseudoprophētēs – Pseudo = sham, not genuine, counterfeit, or has the deceptive.
WOLVES IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING.
IT MATTERS WHO IS INFLUENCING YOU.
Matthew 7:16-20 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
WHAT’S THE FRUIT?
Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Knowing Jesus and being known by Jesus.
John 15:5, 8 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Baptism is a public expression of a soul-level foundation – a declaration of commitment and identity that Jesus is Lord, Savior, Son of God – the way, the truth, and the life.
Matthew 7:28-29 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.