Serving Christ in Unity:
January 2024 Series

Who is wise and who is foolish (vs 24-29) 24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and does them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 “And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and fell against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 “And everyone hearing these words of Mine and not doing them, may be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 “And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” What should be our response (vs 28-29) 28 Now it happened that when Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were astonished at His teaching; 29 for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

Who will enter heaven (vs 21-23) 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, in Your name did we not prophesy, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’ Quote: The words of an engraving from the cathedral of Lübeck, Germany, beautifully reflect our Lord’s teaching here: Thus speaketh Christ our Lord to us, You call Me master and obey Me not, you call Me light and see Me not, you call Me the way and walk Me not, you call Me life and live Me not, you call Me wise and follow Me not, you call Me fair and love Me not, you call Me rich and ask Me not, you call Me eternal and seek Me not, if I condemn thee, blame Me not. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (Vol. 1, p. 480). Moody Press).

1) Who will enter the narrow gate (vs 13-14) 13“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14“For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it. 2) Who will bear good fruit (vs 15-20) 15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 “You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? 17 “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 “So then, you will know them by their fruits. Scripture speaks of three basic kinds of false teachers: heretics, apostates, and deceivers. Heretics are those who openly reject the word of God and teach that which is contrary to divine truth. Apostate teachers are those who once followed the true faith but have turned away from it, rejected it, and are trying to lead others away. Those two kinds of false teachers at least have the virtue of a certain honesty. They do not claim to represent orthodox, biblical Christianity. The false shepherd (the deceiver), on the other hand, gives the appearance of orthodoxy, frequently with great declarations and fanfare. He is not a liberal or a cultist but one who speaks favourably of Christ, the cross, the Bible, the Holy Spirit, and so on, and who associates with true believers. He may go out of his way to appear orthodox, fundamental, and evangelical. From his looks, vocabulary, and associations he gives considerable evidence of genuine belief. But he is not genuine; he is a fake and a deceiver. He has the speech of orthodoxy, but is a living lie. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (Vol. 1, p. 465). Moody Press.) 2 Peter 1:5-8: 5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, 6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, 7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 2:18-19 18 For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, 19 promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.

1) Ask God for the true Life and salvation (vs 7-11) 7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 “Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? 10 “Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! 2) Apply good works of your salvation (vs 12) 12 “Therefore, in all things, whatever you want people to do for you, so do for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. James 1:17 Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

1). Stop judging or criticising based on your own standards (vs 1-2) 1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 2). Look at your own life (vs 3-5) 3 “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. 3). We judge according to God’s commands (vs 6) 6 “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. 1 Peter 4:15-17: 15 Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; 16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?

Matthew 6:31–34 31 “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32 “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. 1. Do not worry: Jesus advises against excessive worry about necessities like food, drink and clothing. He acknowledges that these are important needs but urges his listeners not to let anxiety dominate their lives. 2. Gentiles run after these things: Jesus contrasts his followers with those who do not have a relationship with God. He points out that people who don’t have a belief in loving God may be preoccupied with acquiring material possessions. 3. Your Heavenly Father knows: Jesus reassures his followers that God is aware of their needs. He emphasizes that God cares for them and is aware of what they require for their well-being. 4. Seek first his Kingdom and righteousness: Jesus advises his listeners to prioritize seeking God’s kingdom and living righteously in accordance with Gods ways and values. By focusing on their spiritual growth and relationship with God, they can find a sense of purpose and meaning beyond material things. 5. All these things will be given to you as well: Jesus promises that if his followers prioritise their spiritual well-being and seek God’s way, their basic material needs will be taken care of. It does not necessarily mean luxurious living, but rather that God will provide what is necessary for meaningful and purposeful life. 6. Do not worry about tomorrow: Jesus advises against worrying about the future. He encourages his followers to focus on the present day and trust that God will provide for their needs in the future as well.

1) A worthy disciple will confess Christ in public (vs 32-33) 32 “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 “But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. 2) A worthy disciple will be hated by his unbelieving families (vs 34-37) 34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 “For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; 36 and A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. 37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 3) A worthy disciple will suffer for Christ (vs 38-39) 38 “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.

Why worry you of little faith (vs 25) 25 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? a) God feeds the birds (vs 26-27) 26 “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 “And who of you by being worried can add a single cubit to his life span? b) God gives clothing to the flowers (vs 28-30) 28 “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Ephesians 1:18-19 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might…

1) Fasting that pleases God (Matthew 6:16-18) 16 “Now whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17 “But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face 18 so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. 2) What is true wealth (Matthew 6:19-24) 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 3) Fix your eyes on Jesus with undivided heart (Matthew 6:19-24) 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. Where will you store up your money wealth properties? here on earth or in heaven Where will you fix your eyes? to Jesus the light or to darkness of this world Who is your slave master? The Love of money, love of wealth and properties or God alone? Application: If you cannot choose you cannot be a disciple of Christ You need to choose only one to serve as your Master Choose Christ your Lord and Master Saviour and King allow Him now. Joshua 24:14-15 14 “Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

9 "Pray, then, in this way: Elements of praying with a pure heart 1) Pray to the Father in heaven (vs9a) 'Our Father who is in heaven, 2) Pray that God’s name is Holy(vs9b) Hallowed be Your name. 3) Pray for the Kingdom to come now(vs 10a) 10 'Your kingdom come. 4) Pray for God’s will be done (vs 10b) Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. 5) Pray for God’s daily provision (vs 11) 11 'Give us this day our daily bread. 6) Pray for God’s forgiveness of our sins (vs 12) 12 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 7) Pray for God’s deliverance from trials (vs 13) 13 'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Conclusion [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.'] Before we end just to remind you 14 For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. Fasting; The True Treasure; Wealth (Mammon) (Matthew 6:9-15 NASB)

1) Be careful how you practice your righteousness (vs1) 1 "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. 2) The reward of true righteous giving (vs 2-4) 2 "So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:1-4 NASB)

1) Do not retaliate if you want to be perfect in Christ (vs 38-42) 38 "You have heard that it was said, 'AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.' 39 But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. 41 Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. (Matthew 5:38-42 NASB) 2) Love your enemies if you want to be perfect in Christ (vs 43-48) 43 "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48 NASB)

33 Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.’ 34 “But I say to you, amake no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is bthe throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING. 36 “Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of the evil one.

1) The acts and consequences of adultery (vs 27-30) 27 "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY'; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell. (Matthew 5:27-30 NASB) 2) God’s will for divorce and remarriage (vs 31-32) 31 "It was said, 'WHOEVER SENDS HIS WIFE AWAY, LET HIM GIVE HER A CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE'; 32 but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (Matthew 5:31-32 NASB) For correction: I just want to correct and clarify what I said regarding unmarried couples who committed sexual immorality are married in God’s eyes, taken from Deuteronomy 22:28-29: 28 “If a man finds a girl who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her and they are discovered, 29 then the man who lay with her shall give to the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall become his wife because he has violated her; he cannot divorce her all his days. Exodus 22:16 “If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged, and lies with her, he must pay a dowry for her to be his wife. (New American Standard Bible: 1995 update) I said, when two persons committed sexual immorality (fornication) and living together as husband and wife before marriage in God’s eyes they are already married. but I didn't qualify what I said or I should say to correct what I said, — if the unmarried couple committed sexual immorality they needed to get married ASAP or pursue marriage as soon as possible or else they are living in sin. And the penalty of sexual immorality is spiritual death they will not inherit the Kingdom of God. At the same time, they are forever married as husband and wife for life and no to divorce. I think theologically and biblically the idea of unmarried couple living together like husband and wife are married in God’s eyes it seems good and feels good to the hearers but it is wrong ( 1 corinthians 6:18; 1 Corinthians 7:8-9; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-6; Hebrews 13:4). so I stand corrected. Thanks for your understanding.

1) The definition and acts of murder (vs 21-22) 21 "You have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.' 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. 2) The cure of committing murder (vs 23-26) 23 Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. 25 Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last cent. (Matthew 5:21-26 NASB)

Matthew 5:17-20 17 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Personal Relationships (Matthew 5:17-20 NASB)

The impact of a blessed life You are the salt of the earth / You are the light of the world / Matthew 5:13-16

7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Disciples and the World (Matthew 5:7 - 12 NASB)