Obedient to Jesus' word - Matthew 7:15-27

Featuring: Ian Bentley

Date: Sunday, 12 May, 2013

Jesus expected and encouraged his disciples to obey his words, but what did he have in mind for his disciples to do? What words did he think they should be listening to and putting into practice.

Well I suppose overall we should be placing our lives under the authority of the whole of Scripture but here surely “these words of mine” must refer back to what he has just been saying in the Sermon on the Mount.

As I said earlier one of the marks of Jesus’ authority which leads us to see him as God was his authority in the way he taught. We see that a lot in the Sermon on the Mount where he uses the expression “you have heard it said...but I tell you”. It was that which made the people listening sit up and take notice. Here was something very different from what they normally heard. “I tell you” has an authority doesn’t it?

In these chapters he told them about being salt and light, making a difference in the world as they lived out and spoke out their faith. He spoke about loving their enemies and not seeking revenge – that’s a hard saying we might be tempted to put aside. He spoke about worry, about true spirituality being what takes place out of sight of others rather than on show for others to be impressed by!
I haven’t time to go through the whole of the Sermon on the Mount but you can look it through later today or as your Bible reading this week.

These are the words of Jesus that he expects and encourages those first disciples, and us centuries later, to hear and to put into practice.

What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? It means Jesus expects and encourages us to hear and obey his word. That is being a true disciple, a wise person.

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