As all good preachers do, Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount with a call to respond, a call to not just listen to his words but to put them into action. The seriousness of this call is underlined by his use of a simple illustration: two different builders each building a house, but using two different foundations. One house stands up to the storms and one does not. The foundation makes all the difference.

As we’ll see, Jesus tells us that hearing and doing what he says is a secure foundation for building a life upon, Hearing and not doing is building on a foundation that is just waiting for trouble to happen.

We face the same decision Jesus’ first hearers did. Will we just listen to his words, or will we build our life upon them? No decision could have more far-reaching consequences.

In this third of four warnings that Jesus gives as he closes out his basic training for disciples, he warns that not everyone who calls him Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. It may be a surprise to find out who these excluded people are. Jesus wants each of us to be sure we are not among those who find out when it it too late that he never knew us. Now is the time to make certain that we are saved.

Jesus closes out his Bootcamp for Disciples (Matthew 5-7) with four warnings. The first has to do with being sure we are on the path that leads to eternal life.

Someone has estimated that there are over 4,000 religions and faiths in the world. While some want to believe that they are really all the same and lead to the same place, even a casual acquaintance with the Bible’s teachings and those of other world religions will convince you otherwise. They are quite different.

Jesus warns his disciples to be sure they are on the road that leads to eternal life and not some other road that can only lead to destruction. We can know what that road is and how to get onto it so that we can be certain, not just hopeful, that our final destination will be eternal life. This message will point the way.

One rule to rule them all. Borrowing from a similar line in The Lord of the Rings, this accurately describes the rule that Jesus will give to his disciples in the passage we’ll be instructed from today. It was one rule that would cover dozens and dozens of rules on how disciples are to treat other people. It is relationships simplified. Let’s see what this unusual rule is and how it applies to those who are following Jesus.

Jesus has already taught his disciples some basic content of prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). We called this the Model Prayer. Others call it the Lord’s Prayer.

But why pray at all? Is prayer just about clearing our minds? Is it just about fellowship with God? Is it just to bring us some peace?

Jesus address this question in Matthew 7:7-11. Very simply, he says, we pray in order to receive. We ask, seek, and knock, so we can receive, find, and have doors opened. And God promises to answer our prayers in this way. 

But does he? Aren’t some prayers unanswered? We have to consider this question as we turn to this section of Jesus’ Bootcamp for Disciples.

While followers of Jesus are not to be judgmental, they are not to lack discernment. The gospel we have to share and the truths God teaches are holy and precious. We are to be careful not to indiscriminately  share them with those who may treat them with contempt. This is the issue Jesus turns to in the single verse we’ll cover today.

A quick way to lose your witness and be labeled as a hypocrite is to become known as a judgmental person. Jesus speaks to this behavior giving a simple command and a constructive change in focus. While Jesus’ disciples are not blind to wrong behavior and wrong beliefs, their first focus is on their own behavior, rather than others’. Only when they’ve taken the time to get their own behavior right can they offer help to others. Jesus’ idea is simple. It’s one we need to learn to live by.

Anxiety is a big problem for many people and even for followers of Christ. It can extract a huge toll while accomplishing nothing. Is there a way out of anxiety? In his boot camp for disciples (the Sermon on the Mount) Jesus turns to the issue of anxiety and explains how his followers can be free of it. It all boils down to their understanding of God and his care for them, and their willingness to put God above all.

What are you passionate about? What do you desire above all other things? Who or what most easily gets your attention? How would you most like to spend your time? What do you want to be known for?

These questions reveal the deepest interests and priorities of our life. But are our priorities right? Have we selected the best ones? Do our interests lead to the best life we can enjoy?

Jesus wants to help those of us who follow him to know what the best interests and priorities of our life should be. In his boot camp for disciples (the Sermon on the Mount) Jesus turns to this issue in the passage we’ll cover today.

Jesus placed a condition on God’s forgiveness in Matthew 6:12, the Model Prayer. This condition was so important that he stated it again after he had completed teaching the prayer. Why? Why did Jesus want to make sure that his disciples understood the importance of this condition? We’ll consider this question in this message and then attempt to answer some questions this condition brings up.