Month: April 2025

Terry wrapped up his six-month series with a few messages on Matthew chapter 7. Each of the messages is included below, although one is missing notes (Sorry!). To listen to a message, simply click play on the audio player of the message you’d like to hear. All links will take you to the Scriptures referenced at BibleGateway.

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True Christianity, pt. 16

Matthew 7:1-6

Intro: Matthew 6:33 tells us how to live in God’s peace and rest. When He is our priority, everything else falls into place. It’s not an idle life; we must be disciplined and diligent. All we need to know can be found in the Word and we need to walk that out in our lives. Psalm 139 reminds us that we are continually on the mind of God; He wants you to have Him on your mind continually. To love God is to know His Word.

• Matthew 7:1 – Don’t Judge
  • to judge is defined as criticizing or condemning others
• Matthew 7:2 – Standard of Measure
  • checks & balances
  • the way you judge others is the standard by which you will be judged
  • James 2:13
    • if you’re not merciful to those around you, God won’t be merciful to you
    • God is willing to forgive, but He’s watching everything you do
• Matthew 7:5 – Hypocrite Pharisee
  • thought he was better than everyone
  • couldn’t see his own faults
• Matthew 7:3-4
  • oftentimes, we’re the last to know about the things that are wrong in our lives
  • Christians need to help each other
  • look closely at the Scripture:
    • Does it say, “Don’t judge”?
    • It says, “Don’t judge lest you be judged.”
    • If you are doing the same thing, you will be judged in the same way
• Judge Righteous Judgment
  • John 7:24
  • 1 Corinthians 5 – sin within the Church
    • v. 3 – Paul judged the situation
    • v. 9-11 – don’t associate with those who are immoral
      • the Word tells us to judge those within the Church that they might repent and be restored (v. 5)
    • v. 12-13 – God will judge those outside the Church
  • 1 Corinthians 6 – Right Judging
    • v. 1 – don’t take your business to the worldly courts
    • v. 2 – the believers shall judge the world
    • v. 3 – you shall judge angels
    • v. 4 – you have to make righteous judgments now
      • even the least among you in the Church should be able to judge righteously by the power of the Spirit
    • v. 5 – Paul rebukes the Church for not being able to judge wisely among themselves
  • Judge the world with righteous judgment
• Matthew 7:6 – Don’t Cast Your Pearls Before Swine
  • Be careful and discerning when handling the Word in dealing with unbelievers steeped in sin.
    • don’t use the Word flippantly
    • the Word stands forever
    • the Word is the most powerful and priceless thing we have
      • let the Spirit work through you so you can know how to share/use the Word wisely
      • Jesus spoke in parables (starting in Matthew 13)
        • so those who were receptive would receive it
        • so those who were opposed would have it hidden from them
        • Matthew 15:14

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True Christianity, pt. 17

Matthew 7:7-12

Review: Judges have the power to set free or condemn. We are able to judge those in the Church; God judges those who are unbelievers. The point of judging is to bring people to repentance.

• Matthew 7:7 – Ask, Seek, Knock
  • this is a command
  • followed by a promise – it shall be given, you shall find…
    • our portion triggers God’s response
    • present perfect tense – continually, ongoing
    • prayer, prayer, prayer
      • it’s a privilege to come directly to God Almighty
      • “Oh, what peace we often forfeit. Take it to the Lord in prayer.”
      • cast all your cares (1 Peter 5:7)
  • God is under no obligation to hear the prayer of an unbeliever
    • we are to intercede for those around us who don’t have access to Him
    • God looks to and fro (2 Chronicles 16:9)
    • 1 Thessalonians 5:17
  • The example of prayer is Jesus Christ
    • constant communication with the Father
    • only spoke the Father’s words (John 12:49)
• Matthew 7:8 – Response
  • ask, seek, and knock are action words
    • He’s waiting on us
  • Everyone!
    • that’s the love God has for us
    • All things are possible with God (Matthew 19:26)
    • don’t limit your prayers
      • ask for big things – He can do anything
      • don’t walk by sight
      • pray by faith
        • pray the Word
          • “God, you said…”
• Matthew 7:9-10 – Man
  • Fallen man cares about his children
• Matthew 7:11 – Man vs God
  • if an unrepentant, sinful, evil man cares about his children
    • HOW MUCH MORE
      • James 1:17
  • Your Father
    • we have a relationship with the Lord to benefit from these promises
    • intimate relationship
      • praying continually
      • meditating on Him, His Word
    • we are all created by God, but not everyone is a child of God
      • when you are saved, you are adopted into His family
      • closer relationship with Almighty God allows the cares of the world to fade
      • when we come together, we grow/encourage
• Matthew 7:12 – The Golden Rule
  • Do unto others (my part)
  • What you would have them do unto you
    • treat others the way you want to be treated
  • This is a summary of the law and the prophets
  • the Golden Rule is a barrier-breaker between us and the unredeemed
    • when we love our enemies, treat them with respect, it changes us & them
• Hebrews 4:14-16 – Come to the Lord’s Throne
  • we have a Great High Priest
    • He is our advocate
  • because of v. 14-15
    • let us come boldly to the throne of Grace
    • direct access to God through the blood of the Lamb
      • Jesus tore the veil separating us from God
      • you will obtain mercy and grace
      • Matthew 7:7 – Ask, Seek, Knock

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True Christianity, pt. 18

Matthew 7:13-14

I apologize for not having notes available for this.

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True Christianity, pt. 19

Matthew 7:15-20

• Intro: If there is true Christianity, then there is also a false Christianity. We need to be aware of false Christianity in order to not fall into it.
  • Galatians 5:16-25
• Matthew 7:15 – False Teachers
  • In the OT, false prophets spoke words that were not from the Lord (though they claimed they were).
  • In the NT, Paul speaks of teachers rather than prophets.
  • They look like they are harmless.
    • Sheep’s clothing – to get in amongst the sheep and scatter them
  • They are ravenous wolves.
    • Trying to destroy the people of God
    • Like tares among the wheat (Matthew 13:24-30)
    • They twist the Word, etc., to fit their worldview
    • Paul said the wolves are going to come (Acts 20:29-30)
• Matthew 7:16 – Fruit
  • You can tell whether a person is true or not by what their lives produce.
• Matthew 7:17-18 – Trees
  • Good trees produce good fruit.
    • Galatians 5:22-23
  • Bad trees produce bad fruit.
    • Galatians 5:19-21
• Matthew 7:19 – Bad Trees Cut Down
  • Teachers who deceive will be destroyed by the Lord.
    • Maybe not in this life, but certainly in eternity.
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:21 – prove and test
  • 1 John 4:1 – test the spirits
  • Acts 16:16-19 – what the spirit was saying was true, but the spirit was not of God – only discernment can tell the difference
  • Right judgment
    • Discernment is judging, but it is righteous judgment
      • judge the fruit of people’s lives
        • not by worldly “success” standards
        • by spiritual standards
      • listen VERY carefully to what they are saying
    • Jude – how false teachers are deceiving the Church
    • Matthew 24:24 – even the elect can be deceived, especially in the last days.
• Matthew 7:20 – You Will Know
  • It doesn’t say, “You will know them by their words.”
  • Their fruit = their lifestyle
    • Jesus’ life matched His message
  • Mark the false teachers and depart from them.
• Galatians 5:16-25
  • If we abide in the Vine (John 15), we will produce good fruit.
    • the Holy Spirit will cause us to live a holy life and produce the fruit of the Spirit
  • If we are attached to a rotten vine, we will produce bad/fleshly fruit.
  • v. 16 – The power of the indwelling Spirit breaks the power of sin
  • v. 17 – tug-of-war of the spirit
    • the Christian life isn’t easy
  • v. 19-21 – the works of the flesh
    • who we are apart from the Lord
    • God takes these away by the power of the Spirit, as we ask Him to (He won’t take what we don’t give)
  • v. 22-23 – godly fruit – who our God is
    • what the Spirit brings
      • Romans 5:5 – God puts His agape love in us
      • Ezekiel 36:26 – He changes our heart of stone to one of flesh
    • Joy
      • Nehemiah 8:10
    • Peace
      • John 14:27
      • completely at rest, no striving
      • doesn’t come and go
      • is always there if we keep our eyes fixed on Him
    • Patience/Long-suffering
      • put up with a bad situation or difficult person
      • rubs the hard edges off of me
    • Gentleness & Kindness
    • Faithfulness
    • Goodness
    • Self-control
  • You can tell who has the Spirit by these fruits
    • all the fruit will increase as we grow closer to the Lord
    • the worries of the world fall away & our focus turns heavenward
• Fruit is important to God!

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True Christianity, pt. 20

Matthew 7:21-29

• Intro: The truth of God can pierce the heart, deeply, through all the deception of the world. The truth is found in the Word of God.
  • Matthew 7:19 – False teachers come to lead us away from the Word of God
  • Matthew 24:24 – even the elect can be deceived
• Matthew 7:21-23 – “I never knew you.”
  • Many people think they are on their way to heaven, but they aren’t.
    • only those who do the will of the Father
      • hear what God says AND
      • do what God says
    • we are not saved by our works
      • we are saved by faith in Jesus
      • our works demonstrate what we believe
      • our lives need to match what we profess
    • Matthew 7:13, 18, 21-22, 24-25
      • Two ways:
        • 2 gates
        • 2 trees
        • 2 types of people
        • 2 foundations
    • hypocrisy – from the Greek for actor/putting on a mask
  • v. 21 – not everyone who cries out Lord
    • Lord = Master
  • v. 22 – many will call Him “Master,” but haven’t let Him be the Master of their lives
    • you must yield – turn your life over to Him
    • Matthew 16
      • deny yourself
      • take up your cross
      • follow Jesus
      • fall in love with God & He will transform you into the image of Christ
    • 2 Corinthians 13:5
      • take inventory of your life
      • religion is just adding God to your life
      • holding onto you rlife will not take you down the narrow way
    • God never knew them
      • they knew who God was, but God never knew them
      • they prophesied – knew the Scriptures
      • they cast out demons “in Your name” & performed miracles
        • were terribly deceived
        • were trusting in their works, not in Jesus
• Matthew 7:23 – Depart from Me
  • Do you know the President of the US?
    • You may know who he is, may have heard him speak, but does he have any idea who you are?
• Matthew 7:24-27 – The Two Foundations
  • Everyone who HEARS the Word & does it
    • nothing can destroy them
    • Jesus is the solid rock of our salvation
    • walk out salvation moment by moment
  • Your responsibility
    • What will you do with what the Lord has given you?
  • 1 Peter 1:6-7 – out faith will be refined by fire
  • Everyone who HEARS the word & doesn’t do it
    • will crumble when problems arise
    • have nothing solid to stand on
  • Exact same trials/difficulties in v. 25 & 27, but faith makes the difference in the outcome.
    • 1 Peter 4:12
    • James 1:23-24
      • Do you do what God tells you to do?
      • What is the evidence of your belief?
• Matthew 7:28-29
  • The people were amazed.
    • overwhelmed