T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
January, 1934
25
BLACKBOARD LESSON
relief in the Sermon on the Mount; they will have to abandon both Christ and Paul, in fact, the entire Bible. The lesson begins with what is called “The Golden Rule.” It is popular today to say that this is the only religion that men need, that all else is superfluous. But as a matter of fact, the practice of the Golden Rule by unregenerated men would bring moral disaster upon the world. Sup pose the man who loves hard liquor (and there seem to be plenty) would apply the Golden Rule in his dealings with other menl The illustration can be multiplied. The truth is that the Golden'Rule assumes the necessity of regenerated men with right desires. Without such men, the practice of the Golden Rule is actually dangerous. Lesson Questions V. 12. What immediately precedes the “therefore” in this •verse ? What is the only possible source of such unselfishness as this verse demands? In what way is such unselfishness manifested (Phil. 2:4) ? Should another’s attitude toward us gov ern our attitude toward him (1 John 4:10)? Vs, 13, 14. What two ways are open to every man? If the gate be strait (cf. R. V., “narrow”) and the way narrow (cf. R. V., “straitened”), how is entrance into the way of life gained (John 10:9) ? Vs. 15-20. What great tool does the devil use to confuse men concerning the truth? Where can the distinction between the true and false teachers be found? Vs. 21-23. Are zealous works always an indication that one belongs to God (Acts 26 :9; 1 Tim. 1:15)? On what does and will God base His judgment of works and words (Rom. 2:2, 16)? Vs. 24-27. What makes a man wise in God’s sight? Who is the Christian’s Rock Foundation (1 Cor. 3:11)? Memory Verse : “As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them like wise” ^(Lk. 6:31). Approach-. Last week we learned how Jesus told the people that more important than seeking after food and clothes was seeking after the kingdom of heaven. The Golden Rule M a t t h e w 7 :1-12
just as we would wish others to do. The failure to do on the part oi others does not exonerate us from doing our part. II. T he W arning A gainst the W ide G ate and the B road W ay (13, 14). Over and over we are warned that the journey through this world is a perilous and difficult one for the Christian. In the world there is tribulation for the Chris tian (John 16:33), and the world is always an enemy of whatever comes from the Lord (John 15:19, 20). Nowhere in the New Testament are we led to believe that the Christian life is one of ease or pleasure as far as this world is concerned. The entrance to the Christian life is the strait gate, and the path for the Christian is narrow (vs. 13, 14). Both the strait gate and narrow way are denied by the religions of this world. They seek to make the gate so large and easily entered that one may drift through it without effort of any kind, and the way so broad that one may have fellowship with the world and with God at the same time. The Lord would warn us that such is impossible. He would have us know that both the gate and the way are difficult for human nature (cf. Gal. 5:17). III. T he W arning A gainst F alse P rophets (15-20). The false prophets profess to be what they are not, and this false profession re veals their character (v. 15). They look like sheep, but in reality, they are wolves who come to kill. It is not without sig nificance that this warning lies between the passages concerning the two gates and two ways, and the two foundations. What God institutes, the devil immediately coun terfeits. We are tempted to look at the outwardly beautiful lives and seeming sin cerity of the false prophets, but the Lord warns against so doing; the inner reality is the important thing. The greatest menace to the Christian faith today is not the criminal in the prison, but the pro fessor in the chair. The place of these wolves to whom Jesus refers is not among the vicious and degraded, but among those whose outward lives compare favorably with true Christians. The false prophets are to be known by their fruit. Do they awaken a deeper in terest in missionary endeavor? Do they provoke to a fuller iiffe of prayer as the result of their work? Do they bring a more reverent and obedient treatment of the Bible with them? The answers to these and similar questions will often reveal wolves in sheep’s clothing. To be tolerant of such deceivers is to be intolerant of the Lord (2 Tim. 4:3, 4). They are to be shunned as one would shun poison. It is said that the first drink is what finally makes a drunkard; just as truly it may be said that the first harbored doubt makes an atheist. The Lord illustrates His teaching by the good and evil trees. The good tree must bring forth good fruit, and the evil one must bring forth evil fruit. The nature of the tree is revealed in its fruit (v. 16). The thorns and thistles may be cultivated and pruned and made to be beautiful for appearance, but their fruit declares their nature, whatever the looks may be. So it is with the false prophets; rooted in speculations, theories, and sophistries, they bear evil fruit, not good. The great error among them is in believing that salvation may come by education, culture, etc., which leads to the denial of the necessity for the new birth (John 3:1-7; Rom. 7:17). . Their end is destruction (vs. 19, 20).
We should remember that the Lord is not now speaking of immorality, but of the truth of God. That must be maintained and all that threatens that truth must be hewed down and burned. IV. T h e W a r n in g A g a in st S e lf -D eceptio n (21-23). Concerning the will of God, “What think ye of Christ?” is the deciding question. To believe on Him as Saviour, to rest in Him for peace, and to obey Him as Lord is to do the Father’s will (John 6:29; Matt. 11:28; Lk. 9:23). Works are not always a proof that one belongs to God (v. 22). Many good works are done against God. It is the motive which gives character to the work (cf. Acts 26:9; 1 Tim. 1:13). The One who will at last judge the work will not look on the outward appearance, but on the heart. And there will be a righteous judgment and perfect equity in all His decisions. V. . T h e W a r n in g A g a in st F a lse F o u n d a tio n s (24-27). Hearing and doing make a true foun dation upon which the building of life may stand, whatever the storm may do. Hearing and not doing make a foundation upon which the building stands insecure. Every man is wise or foolish before God. The wise man hears and obeys, the foolish man hears and disobeys. Every building will be tested by the storm, and then the foundation of each will be revealed. Obedience alone gives stability to the building. Whatever the appearance may be, where there is disobedience, there will surely be destruction when the test comes. Points and Problems Certain teachers who call themselves “Liberals,” but whom the Bible calls “false prophets” (v. 15), say that we must aban don the theological Christianity of Paul and get back to the simple and practical Christianity of the Sermon on the Mount. But even if we took their counsel, we would find the Sermon on the Mount bristling with theological doctrines. Notice, for example, the tremendous claims con cerning the Person of Christ in the lesson (which is but a small part of the Sermon) : First, He is the Keeper of the gate to the kingdom (v. 21) ; no man may pass with out dealing with Him. Second, He is to be the final Judge of human destiny in the last day (vs. 22, 23). Third, He is the Son of God in an utterly unique sense, call ing God “My Father” (v. 21), never “our Father,” in describing His own personal relationship to God. Fourth, in the light of subsequent teaching, He is seen to be “the Way” of verse 14 (cf. John 14:6). Fifth, certainly He is “the Rock” of verses 24 and 25. The definite Greek article, un fortunately omitted in the Authorized Ver sion, points to one specific Rock, the well- known Rock (Matt. 21:42; 1 Cor. 10:4; 1 Pet. 2:6-8). Those who wish to get rid of all doctrine and theology will find no
Th e r e we r e other things, too, that they needed to remember. L e s s o n S t o r y : Jesus found a great many people going around and telling tales and criticizing each other. J e s u s said to them that it is much better for each person just to . take care of him
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self, and see that he is doing the right thing, instead of telling the other person what to do. He said that telling the other person what to do is just like trying to take a speck out of a person’s eye, when there is another in one’s own eye. Of course you cannot see clearly enough to help another person, if your own eye is blinded. The best rule to remember, Jesus said, is to do to others as you wish that they would do to you. Then Jesus reminded them again to pray. He said that prayer is just like knocking at a door and having it opened. He said to the people that if a child asks his father for bread, “will he give him a stone? or if he asks a fish, will he give him a serpent? . . . how much more shall
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