Faith in Every Chapter — New Testament Sermon Series

This sermon is part of a journey through all 260 chapters of the New Testament, exploring the message of faith in each one.

Introduction: Two Sides of the Same Subject

In Matthew 5, Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 6, He continued teaching about our private relationship with God, forgiveness, money, and worry.

Now, in Matthew 7, Jesus brings His sermon towards its conclusion.

As I read this chapter, I notice something interesting: Jesus repeatedly compares two sides of the same subject.

He describes two people looking at the same problem, but seeing it differently. He compares two kinds of fathers, two gates, two kinds of trees, two groups of people, and two builders.

It is almost as if Jesus is saying, “There are two ways to approach this. Which one are you going to choose?”

Here are the comparisons we will explore:

1. The person with a plank in their own eye and the person with a speck in another’s eye.
2. Our heavenly Father and earthly fathers.
3. The narrow gate and the wide gate.
4. The good tree and the bad tree.
5. Those who do the Father’s will and those who do not.
6. The wise builder and the foolish builder.

Each comparison gives us an opportunity to examine our own lives.

1. The Plank in Your Eye and the Speck in Someone Else’s Eye

Jesus begins with a warning about judging other people.

In Matthew 7:1–5, He tells His listeners not to judge, and then gives a memorable illustration.

He asks why someone notices a speck in another person’s eye while failing to notice the plank in their own eye.

The picture is almost comical.

Imagine a person walking around with a large piece of timber sticking out of their eye, while carefully pointing out a tiny speck in someone else’s eye.

How could they possibly see the other person’s problem clearly?

Jesus is exposing a common human tendency: we can be very good at noticing the faults of other people while being remarkably poor at recognising our own.

We may notice someone else’s anger while ignoring our own temper. We may criticise someone for being selfish while failing to see our own lack of generosity. We may complain about another person’s pride while believing that we are simply confident.

Jesus is not saying that we should never recognise wrongdoing or help someone who is struggling. In fact, He says that after removing the plank from our own eye, we will be able to see clearly enough to help remove the speck from our brother’s eye.

That is an important distinction.

Jesus does not say, “Ignore everyone else’s problems.”

He says, in effect, “Deal with your own problems first.”

There is a difference between condemning someone and helping them. There is a difference between pointing out a fault to feel superior and addressing a problem because we genuinely care.

The lesson: Before we criticise someone else, we should honestly examine ourselves.

We might discover that the problem we see in another person is also present in our own life.

And if we do need to help someone, we should do so with humility, remembering that we too need God’s mercy.

2. Our Heavenly Father and Earthly Fathers

In Matthew 7:7–11, Jesus teaches about asking, seeking, and knocking.

He tells His listeners to ask, and it will be given to them; to seek, and they will find; to knock, and the door will be opened.

Then He gives an illustration involving earthly fathers.

If a son asks his father for bread, will the father give him a stone? If he asks for a fish, will the father give him a serpent?

Jesus says that even earthly fathers, who are imperfect, know how to give good gifts to their children.

How much more, then, will our heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him?

This is a comparison between human fathers and God.

Earthly fathers can love their children deeply, but they are limited. They may misunderstand a situation, make mistakes, or fail to provide what their children need.

God is not limited in the same way.

Jesus uses this familiar relationship to help His listeners understand God’s generosity and care.

But we should also notice that Jesus does not say that God will give us everything we ask for exactly as we ask for it. A loving father does not give a child something harmful simply because the child wants it.

The point is that we can approach God with confidence, trusting His goodness.

For some people, the idea of a loving heavenly Father is easy to understand because they had a loving earthly father. For others, their experience of a father may have been painful or disappointing.

Jesus’ comparison does not mean that God is just like every earthly father. Rather, He points us towards the goodness of God, who is the perfect Father.

The lesson: We can bring our needs to God, trusting that His character is good even when we do not understand His answers.

We may not always receive what we expect, but we can continue to seek Him and trust His wisdom.

3. The Narrow Gate and the Wide Gate

In Matthew 7:13–14, Jesus presents two gates.

One is wide, and the road leading through it is broad. Many people travel along that road.

The other gate is narrow, and the road leading through it is difficult. Few find it.

Jesus says that the broad road leads to destruction, while the narrow road leads to life.

This is one of the clearest contrasts in the chapter.

Two gates. Two roads. Two destinations.

The broad road is attractive because it is easy to enter. It does not require us to question our priorities or change the direction of our lives.

The narrow road, by contrast, requires a response to Jesus. It involves listening to Him, trusting Him, and taking His teaching seriously.

The narrow road is not necessarily the road that receives the most public approval.

Sometimes the right decision may be unpopular. Sometimes following Jesus may require us to change our behaviour, forgive someone, resist temptation, or choose honesty when dishonesty would be easier.

But Jesus says that the road leading to life is worth finding.

We should be careful not to assume that we can identify every person’s final destination simply by looking at them. Jesus is giving a serious warning and calling His listeners to respond to Him.

The lesson: Do not assume that the easiest or most popular path is the right one.

Following Jesus may be demanding, but He calls us towards life.

4. The Good Tree and the Bad Tree

In Matthew 7:15–20, Jesus warns about false prophets.

He describes them as people who may appear harmless on the outside but are dangerous within. He uses the image of wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing.

Then He introduces another comparison: good trees and bad trees.

A good tree produces good fruit. A bad tree produces bad fruit.

Jesus says that a tree is recognised by its fruit.

This is a practical way to evaluate the influence of someone who claims to speak for God.

A person may use religious language, appear impressive, or claim to have a special spiritual authority. But Jesus tells us to look at the fruit.

What kind of life does this person produce?

Do they encourage honesty, love, humility, and faithfulness? Or do they produce manipulation, greed, division, and harm?

The fruit of a person’s life can reveal something about the condition of their heart.

This principle also applies to our own lives.

We can ask ourselves: What is growing from the way I live?

Are my words producing encouragement or discouragement? Are my decisions helping people or harming them? Is my faith making me more loving, more honest, and more willing to serve?

Jesus is not suggesting that we will never make mistakes. A good tree can still have imperfect fruit at times. His warning is about the underlying character and direction of a person’s life.

The lesson: Do not judge spiritual claims by appearance alone. Look at the fruit.

And remember that our own lives should also produce the kind of fruit that reflects our faith.

5. Those Who Do the Father’s Will and Those Who Do Not

In Matthew 7:21–23, Jesus gives another serious comparison.

He says that not everyone who calls Him “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of His Father.

He then describes people who point to impressive religious activities. They say they prophesied, cast out demons, and performed mighty works in Jesus’ name.

Yet Jesus says that He will tell some of them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

This is a confronting passage.

These people are not simply claiming to have attended a religious service. They are describing extraordinary spiritual activities.

But Jesus shows that impressive religious activity is not the same thing as a genuine relationship with Him.

There is a difference between saying the right words and living in a way that reflects those words.

There is a difference between claiming to represent Jesus and actually submitting to His teaching.

This does not mean that we earn salvation by performing enough good works. Rather, Jesus is warning against a faith that consists only of words, appearances, or claims.

A genuine response to Jesus involves taking His will seriously.

What does He ask of us? To love God, love our neighbour, practise mercy, pursue righteousness, and live according to His teaching.

The lesson: Do not rely only on religious words or impressive spiritual experiences.

Ask whether your life is being shaped by the will of God.

The question is not merely, “Have I called Jesus Lord?”

It is also, “Am I willing to follow Him?”

6. The Wise Builder and the Foolish Builder

Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount with one final comparison.

In Matthew 7:24–27, He describes two people who build houses.

One is wise. The other is foolish.

The wise builder builds his house on the rock. The foolish builder builds his house on the sand.

Then the rain falls, the floods come, and the winds blow against both houses.

The house built on the rock stands. The house built on the sand collapses.

What is the difference between the two builders?

Jesus explains that the wise person hears His words and puts them into practice. The foolish person hears His words but does not put them into practice.

Both people hear the sermon.

Both people know what Jesus has said.

Both people build a house.

But only one puts His teaching into practice.

This is a powerful way for Jesus to conclude His sermon.

He has spent three chapters teaching about the attitudes, choices, and behaviour of His followers. Now He asks what we will do with those teachings.

Will we listen and then carry on as before?

Or will we allow His words to shape the way we live?

The storm in the illustration reminds us that life will bring difficulties. Jesus does not promise that those who follow Him will never experience trouble.

The difference is the foundation.

A life built on Jesus’ teaching has a foundation that can withstand the storms of life.

The lesson: Hearing Jesus’ words is not enough. We must put them into practice.

Faith is not merely knowing what Jesus said. It is trusting Him enough to build our lives around His teaching.

Bringing the Six Comparisons Together

Let’s look at the six comparisons in Matthew 7.

Subject	First side	Second side
Judging others	The person with a plank in their own eye	The person noticing a speck in another’s eye
Fatherhood	Earthly fathers, who are imperfect	Our heavenly Father, who is good
The way of life	The wide gate and broad road	The narrow gate and difficult road
Character	The bad tree producing bad fruit	The good tree producing good fruit
Faith	Those who do not do the Father’s will	Those who do the Father’s will
Building a life	The foolish builder on the sand	The wise builder on the rock

These comparisons are not all identical. Some are warnings, some are illustrations, and some are promises about God’s character.

But together they create a powerful pattern.

Jesus asks us to examine the difference between what appears right and what is actually right.

We can appear religious while neglecting our own character. We can claim to know God while refusing to follow His teaching. We can hear the truth and still build our lives on something that cannot support us.

The question is not simply which side we admire.

The question is which side describes our lives.

Conclusion: Which Side Are You On?

Matthew 7 brings the Sermon on the Mount to its conclusion.

Jesus has taught us about judging others, asking God for help, choosing the narrow road, recognising good and bad fruit, doing the Father’s will, and building our lives on a firm foundation.

He has repeatedly placed two alternatives before us.

Will we focus on the faults of others while ignoring our own?

Will we trust the goodness of our heavenly Father?

Will we choose the broad road because it is easy, or seek the narrow road that leads to life?

Will we evaluate spiritual claims by appearances, or by the fruit they produce?

Will we merely call Jesus Lord, or will we seek to do the Father’s will?

Will we hear His words and forget them, or put them into practice?

The final illustration is perhaps the most important of all.

The wise builder and the foolish builder both heard Jesus’ sermon.
The difference was what they did with it.

That is the challenge for us today.

We can read Matthew 5, 6, and 7. We can admire Jesus’ teaching. We can discuss it, remember it, and even teach it to others.

But Jesus calls us to do more than listen.

He calls us to build.

And the foundation we choose will make all the difference when the storms come.

Continue the journey

Matthew 7 concludes the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 8, we begin to see Jesus’ teaching accompanied by action as He heals a man with leprosy, responds to a centurion’s faith, and demonstrates authority over sickness and the storm.

Our journey through all 260 chapters of the New Testament continues, one chapter at a time, exploring the message of faith in every chapter.

Thanks for reading.

God Bless.

From Tony Egar.

Brisbane, Australia.

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