Matthew 7 Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: Matthew 7:1-6

A. Find out:

1. What are we not to do and why? v.1

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

2. How will we be judged? v.2

For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3. What do we have a tendency to do? v.3,4

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, `Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?

4. What do we need to do first? v.5

first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

5. What are we not to do? v.6a

Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs

6. What would happen if we did? v.6b

If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.

B. Think:

1. How in this passage does Jesus require distinction between judging and discriminating?
2. What is the first danger in judging others?
3. What is the second danger?

C. Comment:

Remember Jesus has been dealing throughout this sermon with realities. Now he moves to the reality of your standing versus the standing of others. The temptation for us is to look at other people and in weighing them up, start to put them down. To judge means to weigh people up AND condemn them.

Now, says Jesus, if you condemn others, you also will be condemned. That is the first reason for not doing it. Not only that, he continues, how can you condemn others when you have got things wrong in your own life. No, concentrate on getting your own life right and when you have managed that, then you can focus on others.

But finally, Jesus says something which seems at first sight to be out of context: don’t give spiritual gems to unspiritual people. Now, to be able to achieve this we have to learn to differentiate or discriminate between people, and we have to do this without judging or condemning them. We need to be wise as to how we respond to different people and avoid their hostile and unbelieving actions, but in doing that we are not to judge them, for God still loves them and wants them to come to know Him (whether they will, is another matter).

D. Application?

1. Judging and condemning others is not for the Christian.
2. Learning to discriminate between people is something for us.

Passage: Matthew 7:7-12

A. Find out:

1. What 3 things does Jesus tell us to do? v.7

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

2. What will happen if we do? v.8

For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

3. What won’t a parent do to a son? v.9,10

“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?

4. What does Jesus say we do? v.11a

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children

5. What more will our heavenly Father do? v.11b

how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

6. How are we to treat others? v.12

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you,

B. Think:

1. How does this relate to what is in verse 6 and the preceding verses?
2. What is the main point of this passage that comes over to you?
3. How is the Father’s love for us compared and contrasted with our love for our children?

C. Comment:

In the first 5 verses of this chapter, Jesus tells us to be aware of our own shortcomings before we focus on anyone else’s. In verse 6 he called for discernment in ensuring that we don’t share precious things with unbelieving people.

It is almost as if Jesus considers that we might feel after this that we are not worthy either to receive anything from God, and therefore he encourages us to pray and seek God and we WILL get answers. The verbs are all in the continuous tense in the original, ask and keep on asking, knock and keep on knocking etc. In other words, says Jesus, persevere.

To encourage us further he uses parent and son illustrations. If we give good gifts to our children, how much more will God, our loving heavenly Father give to us, so don’t be afraid to ask.

Finally, as he has been thinking how God graciously deals with us, Jesus encourages us to deal with others in a similar gracious way, using as a rule doing to others what we would like done to us, for in such a way we can ensure we are blessing others. As we do this we sum up all the things in the Law of God.

D. Application?

1. God promises He will give when we ask – persistently.
2. God gives as a loving, caring heavenly Father.

Passage: Matthew 7:13,14

A. Find out:

1. Through which gate are we to enter? v.13a

Enter through the narrow gate

2. What is the entrance like that leads to destruction? v.13b

For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction

3. Who go through it? v.13c

many enter through it.

4. What is the entrance to life like? v.14a

But small is the gate

5. What is the road to life like? v.14b

narrow the road that leads to life,

6. How many find it? v.14c

only a few find it.

B. Think:

1. What are the characteristics here of the way of destruction?
2. How is the way to life contrasted?
3. What does this mini-parable teach us about the numbers who will come to Christ?

C. Comment:

Jesus is coming near the end of this sermon on the mount and has been teaching in different ways on spiritual realities, the realities of coming into the kingdom (5:1-20), of a heart life (5:21 -48), of real piety (6:1-18), and of trusting God (6:19-7:12). All this needs to be borne in mind at this point.

Now, says Jesus, these are the realities, and they are not easy. In fact, they appear very restrictive, and few receive them. The way into this life is narrow and small, there is only one way, and most people reject it. The path is narrow and tightly defined and most people don’t want it. It’s death to self and being alive to God and to the realities being spoken about.

The fact is, says Jesus, that most people prefer to go the easy way, living just as they please in a life that has no restrictions, which appears easy going. The trouble is it leads to destruction. Yes, the choice in eternity is life or death, which is what all this sermon is about. It’s whether we will receive and live in eternal life now by going Jesus’ way, or whether we will experience death now and in eternity, separated from God. THIS is the challenge!

D. Application?

1. Easy come, easy go, easy live, easy die!
2. Life means we first face up to our real need, and receive God’s real help through His Son, Jesus, and really live on that basis.

Passage: Matthew 7:15-20

A. Find out:

1. How do false prophets appear? v.15a

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing,

2. But what are they like in reality? v.15b

but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.

3. How are you to recognize them? v.16a,20

By their fruit you will recognize them.

4. Where don’t you find grapes? v.16b

Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

5. Where will you find good and bad fruit? v.17

Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

6. Where can’t you find bad and good fruit? v.18

A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

B. Think:

1. How does this passage continue the theme of realities?
2. How can a name or a person’s position deceive us?
3. What sort of behavior designates the good or bad fruit, do you think?

C. Comment:

Another area of spiritual reality that needs considering is ministry, particularly of those who come to you from elsewhere.

When someone first comes, they may come as a well-known name or holding some position with a title. That, says Jesus, can be quite deceiving, for they may be completely different on the inside from what you would expect from such a person. The only way to really weigh up a person is to observe them carefully and watch for the fruit of their lives. They may seek to deceive you with good words but watch for the reality of the fruit that comes from them.

First the fruit of CHARACTER, the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22 ,23). Is there love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control?

Then, there is the fruit of MINISTRY, the fruit of lives truly changed, built-up, encouraged, released, healed. If it’s prophecy, of accurate words that are in line with Scripture and which are fulfilled, all leaving people loving Jesus more than before.

D. Application?

1. Words can be deceiving. They can deceive us about ourselves and they deceive us about others.
2. The reality is the fruit of the Spirit that is being developed in us and the effect of our serving on other lives. 

Passage: Matthew 7:21-23

A. Find out:

1. Who will not enter the kingdom of heaven? v.21a

“Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven,

2. Who will enter? v.21b

only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven

3. When will be the time of accounting? v.22a

on that day

4. What 3 things will many claim they’ve done? v.22b

`Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’

5. What will Jesus declare about them? v.23a

Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you.

6. What will he do with them? v.23b

Away from me, you evildoers!’

B. Think:

1. What is the one crucial criterion for going to heaven?
2. How can words deceive us?
3. How can actions be false and deceive us?

C. Comment:

In continuing on this subject of false ministry, Jesus now focuses very tightly on the key issue: is the person in question doing what they are doing out of obedience to God or for some other reason. Words and actions can be completely deceiving!

First, words. We may speak lots of fine words and call Jesus Lord, but if we are not actually obeying His word and obeying the prompting of His Holy Spirit, then all the words are meaningless. Jesus is not impressed by words without obedience.

Second, actions. We can involve ourselves in lots of apparently fine religious behavior, even apparently prophesying, casting out demons or doing apparent miracles, but if the origin of even these things is not the leading of the Holy Spirit, then we are not being obedient to Jesus and we are doing things with other motivations.

These are tough and challenging words of Jesus at this point (even more than what has gone before!) and any person must be challenged, “Is my life, my work, my ministry based on the leading of Jesus Christ by His word and His Spirit?”.

D. Application?

1. The crucial issue is not whether I speak right words but whether I am obedient to God.
2. The crucial issue is not whether I do good works but whether I am obedient to God.

Passage: Matthew 7:24-29

A. Find out:

1. Who does the wise man represent? v.24

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

2. What effect did the wind and rain have? v.25

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall,

3. Why not? v.24c,25c

because it had its foundation on the rock

4. Who does the foolish man represent? v.26

everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

5. What effect did the wind and rain have? v.27

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

6. What effect did Jesus’ teaching have and why? v.28,29

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law

B. Think:

1. What is the key message of this passage?
2. Why is the position of this passage significant?
3. What is the greatest danger in the Christian life?

C. Comment:

At the very end of this wonderful sermon given by Jesus to his disciples, comes this memorable warning: don’t just hear what I am saying, but put it into practice. There is no point us being blessed by the words in these studies if we don’t go away and actively put them into practice in our lives. So much does Jesus want us to heed this warning that he doesn’t say it in straight words, but he paints vivid pictures to ensure they stay with us, ones that every Sunday School child knows, but the message can be forgotten in the picture details.

When you obey Jesus, it will be like establishing your life on rock and whatever comes against it will have no effect, but if you don’t do what he says it will be as if you have no foundation, and so when the pressures of life come against you then everything will seem to collapse around you.

Finally note the effect these words had on the listeners: they were amazed, for the teaching came with clarity, boldness and sureness i.e. with authority, not like the uncertain and unclear teaching from the religious teachers of that day. May His words come to us with this same powerful effect. May we not simply hear and remain unchanged!

D. Application?

1. Many people hear God but that isn’t the issue.
2. The issue is, having heard, will you put into practice what you have heard?