Day Seven – Thursday, January 9, 2025

One Year Journey Through the New Testament

Matthew 7

Welcome to our journey through the New Testament!

Judging

Luke 6:37–42

1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. 3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
6 “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces..

Points to Ponder:

• Judgment is not something for humans to hand out.
• Our imperfections disqualify us from judging others.
• Fix your own issues before examining someone else’s life.

Ask, and It Will Be Given

Luke 11:9–13

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, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 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 good things to those who ask Him!

Points to Ponder:

• Jesús encourages the listener to ask for that which he or she needs.
• Ask, seek, knock. Doors open when you do.
• God longs to give you the good things that you need!

Golden Rule

Luke 6:31

12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Points to Ponder:

• Invest the things you desire in others.
• When you sow, you reap.
• This is God’s will and the way to blessing.

Two Ways

13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Points to Ponder:

• There are two ways in life; one two!
• The harder way (narrow) leads to eternal life
• The easier way (broad) leads to hell and destruction.
• The narrow way is not full. The broad way is busy and full.
• Do the hard work. Walk the narrow way.

False Teaching and True Teaching

Luke 6:43–45

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a 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 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Points to Ponder:

• Don’t be fooled!
• If something bears bad fruit, it cannot be a good tree.
• Bad branches are cut down and destroyed.
• Bear good fruit!

True Way to the Kingdom

Luke 6:46

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Points to Ponder:

• Be a genuine believer.
• Make sure God recognizes you!

Parable of the Two Builders

Luke 6:47–49

²⁴ “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: ²⁵ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

²⁶ “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: ²⁷ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

Points to Ponder:

• Are you building on the right foundation?
• Bad foundations fail
• Strong foundations stand the test of time and the storm winds of life.

Response to the Sermon

²⁸ And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, ²⁹ for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Points to Ponder:

• Jesus taught in a way that rose far above that of the other religious leaders of the day.
• His teaching reached into the souls of those who listened that day.
• Take advantage of His teachings, preserved for posterity, and still as powerful today as the day our Savior spoke them!

All Scriptures from New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Join us this afternoon at 5:00pm for a discussion of this chapter live online. Live@5 with Dr. Greg Sloop can be found on Facebook on the Dr. Greg Sloop page or on the Kannapolis Church of God Facebook page or Youtube page.