Paul Burkhart

Sermon: Matthew 7:13-29

Finding Freedom: The Freedom to Obey

Text: MATTHEW 7:13-29

13
Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to
destruction, and there are many who take it.
14
For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that
leads to life, and there are few who find it.

15
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheeps clothing but inwardly are
ravenous wolves.
16
You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs
from thistles?
17
In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the 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
Thus you will know them by
their fruits.

21
Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only
the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
22
On that day many will say to me, Lord,
Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many
deeds of power in your name?
23
Then I will declare to them, I never knew you; go away from
me, you evildoers.

24
Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man
who built his house on rock.
25
The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on
that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock.
26
And everyone who hears
these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on
sand.
27
The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and
it felland great was its fall!

28
Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his
teaching,
29
for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.


Prayer for Illumination:

Lord God, we all come to this moment from radically different places. Some of us hear your
words and it fills us with excitement and grace to follow them, while others of recoil from them.
And still many others of us are simply confused and dont know how to live out your vision for
your Kingdom. Would you, by your Spirit, offer us what we all need: new eyes to see your
words and our hearts? Please meet us in these moments, and in these words, and speak. Let
the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my Rock
and my Redeemer, in whos my name we pray, as one God, now and forever, Amen.

SERMON

A Good Man is Hard to Find

Flannery OConnor has this great short story called A Good Man is Hard to Find. In it,
there is a family road trip that ends terribly. Along the way, they run into an escaped murderer
her kills them all except for their old grandmotherthe matriarch of the family. She begins to
plead with him, telling him to pray. She says that shes sure theres a good man inside of him.
This leads to a fascinating conversation between them about Jesus, his teachings, and his
Resurrection. The murderer tells her that he wishes Jesus did what he said he did and was who
he says he was, because if it was true, and if he could believe it, it would have to fundamentally
change every part of who he is. In this moment, the grandmother sees herself in this murderer.
Even though shes very religious, she sees how little real, deep impact on her life that Jesus has
had, even though she believes it all.
She reaches out and touches the murder. He recoils and shoots her, killing her. (Yes, its
going to be a light and easy-going sermon today. Welcome to Liberti.) Thinking back on this
woman he just killed, the murder says something really powerful that ends the whole story:
She would have been a good womanif there had been somebody there to shoot her every
minute of her life.

Maybe you can identify.

If youve been with us this summer, you know weve been going through a series called
Finding Freedom in which weve been looking at each of the Ten Commandments to see,
rather than limiting or constraining us, how they actually free us in how we relate to God and
others. As weve been going through this series, or maybe as youve engaged with the whole
idea of God commanding things of our lives in the first place, I wonder if any of us can identify
with some people from the story.
Maybe you identify with the murderer, frustrated that Christians seem to need to have
a divine gun held to their head to be good people. Maybe you dont buy into this Christianity
stuff and dont see how any sane person could take the words of some Middle Eastern
Wiseman 2,000 years ago and think they still have some sort of authority over their lives now.
Or maybe youre like the grandmother: Maybe youve seen just how little real effect the life of
Jesus has had on your life. Or maybe you live your life under the divine gun, run ragged by your
desire to feel like youre pleasing to God and others. And when youre good at it, you feel the
arrogance and see the swagger with which you walk, and you hate yourself for it; or you fail
continually to live up to that standard and you live under such guilt and fear that the trigger
might be pulled.
I feel like these words are for us.

Ten Commandments Sermon on the Mount

If you were here last week, you know we talked about the Tenth Commandment, so you
might be thinking to yourself, Why are we still in this series? And why are we in Matthew?
Well, its actually really appropriate to end here.
The Gospel of Matthew is written primarily with an ancient Jewish audience in mind.
And one way that Matthew does this is by portraying Jesus as a sort Moses 2.0 throughout
the book. And here, Matthew portrays the Sermon on the Mount as a sort of Ten
Commandments 2.0.
So as we end this series on the Ten Commandments, we want to end our time the same
way that Jesus ended his own retelling of the Ten Commandmentswith this call to action. This
series has gone through to see the Freedoms that are embedded in the Ten Commandments,
and today I want us to go through the text and see a few more freedoms I think Jesus has for us
to know and experience as his people under his rule: The Freedom to Be Human, The Freedom
to Know and Be Known, and The Freedom to Build.

_____________________________________

The Freedom to Be Human (vv.13-14)

1. We have to make a decision. No neutral place.
The first thing we see in Jesus call to action is this section on the two roads. Hes trying
to point out that theres no neutral way of receiving the commands of God. God casts a vision
for human life under his rule and we by nature respond in one of only two ways. Theres no
once I get these answers figured out or once my life is together or once I decide if I want
to get involved in this church. No. The vision goes out, and you either follow it or drift onto the
path ruled by chaos and distance from Gods vision for the world. Theres no middle ground.
And so if youve been with us this summer, and youve sat under this teaching and have
received Gods vision for life under his rule and reign, the question today is, how are you going
to respond? Because you will respond.

2. Apologetic moment: QUOTES & Sub-Human vs. Super-Human
Now, Im sure there are people in this room that are thinking to themselves, Okay,
whether or not there is a God, why do Christians need some God telling them what to do in
order to be moral, good people? Or, even if there is a God, why on earth would he care about
arbitrary things like my sex life, how I spend my money, and how often I work rather than
rest?
Well, Ive got good and bad news for you. The good news is that the Christian view of
this stuff is a whole lot more substantive and nuanced than that. The bad news is that the
reality might feel even more presumptuous and arrogant than you originally thought.
The Christian idea of all this is not that we are merely human doing merely natural
things and can meet Gods super-human expectation. Rather, its that we live sub-human
lives occupied with all sorts of sub-natural ways of living. Gods commands are not about
making us super-humans, its about making completely human living life as naturally as it should
be. God isnt above us angry that we arent making it up to his standard of living, but instead
came down in Jesus and lived human life as it is most fully lived in Gods world. Talking about
this, British theologian and author says this:

A moments thought shows how this makes sense. When you think of the qualities
that characterize the God of the Bible, you probably think of his love, mercy, forgiveness,
creativity, faithfulness, generosity and so on. When you think of the best people you know,
those who seem most fully human, examples of humanity at its best, you probably end up
thinking of the same kind of things these are people full of love, mercy, forgiveness,
creativity, faithfulness and generosity. Again, the more like God you become, the more fully
human you are Sometimes, we worry that if we really took Christianity seriously we would
become weird and eccentric. [But Jesus] reminds us that to come closer to God is to fulfil our
true humanity, that to submit to Jesus as Lord is in fact the most liberating thing we can do. It
is not to become abnormal and odd, it is in fact to become the most normal people there are.
(Graham Tomlin, The Provocative Church)

3. Description, not Prescription. Means not the end
And so the seeming arrogant part is this: the commands of God are not arbitrary
prescriptions for God being happy with you. They are simply descriptions of the reality that
exists whether or not you are a Christian. These are the inherent, natural, moral laws of the
universe.
And so the narrow path Jesus calls us to is not a path into obedience, being a nice
person, getting ahead in life, or even making God happy. The path of obedience to Gods
vision under his rule is one that leads to lifefull, human life! And just so its not
misunderstood by those that have already bought into this Christianity thing: obedience is not
life itself. You could say that it is the gateway drug to your humanity. Your obedience (and
imposing it on others) is not life for the Christian. Obedience is a means to life in the Kingdom
of God, it is not the end goal of life in the Kingdom.

The Freedom to Know and Be Known (vv.14-23)

And so, in this text, we see first and foremost, that Jesus call to action is a declaration of
our freedom to live in the fullness of humanity. Next, lets look at the freedom to know and be
known. But quickly, we first have to deal with these hard words of Jesus.

1. Family convo: on the road, there will be conflict.
When Jared first sat me down and told me he wanted me to preach, I asked him if he
had a particular text in mind. He said yes, and gave me these verses. As I read them and got to
this part, I was thinking to myself Thank you, Jared. Thank you so much.
These are hard words. But remember, this Gospel was primarily written to the Jews who
had been hearing the Bibles story their whole lives. So when we read these words, we need to
remember that were listening in on a family conversation between God and his historical
people. Jesus spends the entire book of Matthew using every single angle he can think of to try
and tell the Jews that God is doing something new through him; that if they keep only living in
light of the old story, they were going to be left behind. He was trying to tell them that Gods
vision for his Kingdom and his people was so much bigger, deeper, and fuller than they had
resigned themselves to. And throughout the book, Jesus mocks them, insults them, is sarcastic,
and angry; but he also pleads with them, cries for them, weeps, uses the image of a mother hen
trying to draw in her babies under her wings to describe his heart towards them. And here, we
see Jesus using very hard words to them.
He first warns those that decide to walk this narrow path that there will be dangers on
the way. There will be many people and things that are vying for our attention and allegiance;
that will try and numb us and trip us up on the road. Jesus tells us to pay close attention so as
not to be distracted. And then, to the Jews, he tells them to listen to him else they will be one
of those distractions for those on the road. Thinking they are on Gods road to life, they will
ultimately find out that they were on the path away from Gods Kingdom the entire time.

2. No obedience possible alone.
But notice why they are ultimately rejected. Its not because they didnt have themselves
put together, or because they sinned too much, or because they didnt do all the churchy
things. Its because Jesus did not know them. And this theme of knowing is seen throughout
this section. In that first paragraph, Jesus says that we will know others, and they will know
us by our fruits. This whole path of living life in Gods Kingdom has to do with our freedom to
know others, know ourselves, and be known by God.
Think about it: it is impossible to live obediently in Gods Kingdom if you are the only entity
in the universe. Every one of the commands of God have to do with our interrelations with God
and others. This whole process is entirely communal.
Now theres a major controversy here at Liberti over whether or not Im a real Texan. I
moved away when I was 11, but still, I was raised in an area that had a much fuller set of
grammar rules for pronouns. SO if I was talking to one person, Id say you and if I was talking
a group, Id say yall.
This whole text is full of yalls, not yous: yall should enter the narrow gate, yall look
out for false prophets, yall will know them by their fruits. We walk through the gate as a
people, we grow in this process and look out for distractions together, we know God and know
one another together. We cannot become the humans God calls us to be without one another.
The modern Western self likes to think our identity is self-determinedthat we create who
we are as we create the world around us. But the Biblical vision for our humanity is that who
we are emerges from the spaces between us as we relate to others and God. All of Ten
Commandments are inherently relational.

The Freedom to Build (vv.24-29)

1. Its hard: godliness never happens by accident. We never stumble into it.
Now we turn our attention to this section about the two men building houses. So lets
say you buy into this. Lets say youve decided you want to walk into Gods freedom to be
human, and you want to press into the deep knowing of God and others required by this
process. Well, weve now got to build some stuff. And its hard. Evelyn Underhill, an early
twentieth-century Catholic writer on spirituality says this:

"The spiritual life is a stern choice. It is not a consoling retreat from the difficulties of
existence; but an invitation to enter fully into that difficult existence, and there apply the
Charity of God and bear the cost." (Evelyn Underhill, "The School of Charity")

You see, growing into our humanity is not a process of stepping back from real life
and trying to clean yourself up. Its about pressing all the more into the nitty-gritty, the
mundane, the everyday realities of real life. Walking the narrow road means you actually have
to make some actual changes in your life.
It means you have to make that appointment to go into counseling. It means you have
to look at your budget to find those places where you can be more generous and give to a local
church to invest in Gods work institutionally in this city. It means you have to identify those
people and places where you gossip and then stop being there. It means you have to take those
anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medications to clear the mental and emotional fog that can
consume you. It means you have to begin living deep life with Gods people. It means you have
to actually put software on your phone and computer to help you with your addiction porn. It
means you have to close up your online dating profile because of the ways it tempts you to turn
people into commodities. It means you have to evaluate your voting habits to see if you view
your political engagement merely as a means to make your place in society better, or serve
your niche concerns, even at the expense of the good of the whole of society.
Look at me. If you get nothing else from this sermon, remember this: Godliness never
happens by accident. We never stumble into our humanity. It takes work. We need to actually
work at this together, so as not to be swept away by the storm.

2. Apologetic: good, human non-religious people?
I suppose this is the best place to be super honest. Let me tell you the question that sort of
haunted me throughout my preparation for this sermon. It would be so easy for me to throw
some story in here about someone who didnt live this vision Jesus has for usdidnt build
their house on the rock so to sayand their life ended up being swept away.
And yet, not only do we know plenty of religious people whose lives were swept away
and full of chaos and great falls, but we all have neighbors, friends, co-workers, and family
members who are not religious at allheck, they might be actively hostile to God and his
realityand yet they seem to be living flourishing human existences. They are kind, generous
pillars in their community. They are great spouses, parents, friends, employers, or employees.
What are we to say about how they fit into this whole scheme weve been talking about?
Well, I cant say I have some knock-out Christian response, nor do I think there necessarily
needs to be one, but I do have a few thoughts for us. First off, humans are experts at coming to
some conclusion about the way reality is and then learning to live within those parameters. We
are pretty good at coping with what sucks within our understanding of reality and making the
best out of the rest. We should see in this this God is so loving and gracious, that he lets even
those that are hostile to him experience a taste of the fullness of human life. He is so good.
Remember, this way to humanity is the universal truth of all people, not just Christians.
Also, Id say that though these friends and neighbors live out a lot of their humanity without
following Jesus vision, they dont know the meaning underneath it. Their story is one that gives
no context, meaning, or justification for why they find life where they do. The Christian story
offers the foundation, the fullness of understanding why we find life where we do and what is
the foundation of our life in this world.
And lastly, Id say that what determines where one has built their life is not how good their
house is. Its the storm. The storm reveals whether your house is built on rock or sand, not how
happy you are or even how human youre feeling. Many of you know Im in social work. Ive
had clients who spent years in addictions, and once they got some stability in their lifean
apartment, vocational training, food stamps, and a checkthese addictions lose a lot of their
grip on them. And so then they think they dont need the same supports as before, and that
theyre passed the addiction. Ive had to tell clients on more than one occasion that your
growth isnt necessarily determined when all is well. Its when the storm comes. Its when you
lose the apartment, the money, and the food stamps. If you still dont go back to your addiction
then real change has happened.
And on a side note: if this is true, then, perhaps, when God does send little storms into our
lives and it reveals what parts of our lives are built on, this is actually his love and mercy that
sends these storms our way so we can see where weve built our lives, and make adjustments
as needed.

3. The messy house will stand!
Now this is all very heavy, I get that, but this is actually my favorite party of our text
today. What determines whether the housed stands or falls? Did you notice? Its not how well
the house is built!
You may have the most well-put together, carefully constructed and best-looking
metaphorical house, but if its built on sand, it will fall. And you may have the roughest,
messiest, most unsure and doubt-filled metaphorical house, but if its built on Christ and His
words, then you will stand!
This means that we have a freedom to build! We can relax. We can laugh at ourselves.
We can take radical chances and make big mistakes in our efforts to figure out life with God and
his people. And its okay. As long as we cling to this vision, then we are safe and secure.
And also remember: were doing this together. Its not just about each of you as
individuals building your own little house. We here at liberti are also trying to build a house
together. So let me invite you to join us! Be a part of us trying to figure this out. The house can
be pretty rough at times. The rafters are sometimes falling down, windows broken. You might
get hurt, you might others here. And yet, we are trying our damndest to build our lives and this
community on the rock of the vision for humanity that Jesus lays out here for his kingdom.
_____________________________________

PRACTICAL STUFF

Intelligent Repentance: Ignatian Examen

To repent intelligently is to think about the ways you fall short. Give them names.
Bring out your inner five-year old and continually ask, Why? Why did I respond that way?
Why was that the sort thing Id respond so strongly to? What am I clinging to and not being
able to let go of? Heres a tip: the first time you think youve worked your way down to the
root of your behavior, you probably have two or three more layers to go. One helpful tool the
Christian Church has used throughout the years is called the Ignatian Examen, and its a way to
really dive deep into your experience of God, others, and your own humanity on a day-to-day
basis:

Worship: Confession & Communion

Lastly, maybe youre just at the very beginning of this process. Maybe you dont even
know what road to take or if you even believe this stuff. Heres what Id encourage you to do:
keep coming and try it. A great place to start practicing these realities is here in the worship
service. In Confession, really give it some thought! Take the worship folder home with you and
try praying the confession prayers at home. Find out how to name your sins and search your
own heart. Learn what that feels like.
Second, once you start buying into this Christianity thing, take Communion. If youve
been here before, you may have noticed people that pray in their seats or while theyre in line
to receive Communion. Now, Im sure each person has their own private reasons and thoughts
in that moment, but throughout the Churchs history, Christians have felt the weight of
Communion, and the fact theyre about to receive taste the Presence of Jesus, and so theyve
spent time praying and bringing to mind all the things they can think of that might come
between them and the experience of Jesus. Theyve brought those things into their mind and
have kept them there as they take Communion, leaving those things up here at the front, so
they can fully take in and know the presence of Jesus, being nourished by him in those areas
where theyre weakest.
And its here in Communion that we see all of this so clearly. As we enter the {narrow
gates of our pews, and descend down the narrow path of aisles, we approach life itself in the
hands of those holding the bread and the wine. We Jesus as the one whose body is broken
whose house was knocked down in the storm so ours can stand on the rock. Who tasted the
bitter fruit of our own sin and heard the divine, I dont know you, so we can hear God tell us,
you are mine. And its here in Communion that we taste and partake in the fullness of life
lived for us in Jesus. So, let us with joy and anticipation come to take in life in its fullness.

So Liberti Church, as you hear and receive the commands of our Jesus, may you be
strengthened and nourished by his presence for the long, hard road ahead into the fullness
and beauty of your humanity In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.