Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 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. —Matthew 7:24-25

The gospel is less about how to get into the Kingdom of Heaven after you die, and more about how to live in the Kingdom of Heaven before you die. —Dallas Willard

At its core, life in the Kingdom of Heaven is lived

.

The problem: life with other people is

.

Earlier in his teaching, Jesus “built

” around the behaviors that destroy relationship: murder, adultery, divorce, violence, and limiting love.

He concludes with instruction for how we relate to those

to us.

Living in the Kingdom Together

Life together cannot exist where we

others. (Matthew 7:1-2)

When we condemn another we really communicate that he or she is, in some deep and just possibly irredeemable way, bad – bad as a whole, and to be rejected.” —Dallas Willard

The disciple cannot be the light of the world if that disciple is too busy judging the world rather than healing its brokenness.” —Amy-Jill Levine

Jesus’ command not to condemn is not a command to avoid

judgment. (Matt. 7:6)

Pigs have no use for

.

The issue is not the worthiness of the recipient, but their

and/or desire to receive the gift.

Sometimes, our “gifts” are coercive, manipulative, or

.

Ask, Seek, Knock

Instead of forcing our wills upon others, Jesus instructs us to

. (Matt. 7:7-8)

Asking requires us to accept the possibility of being told “

.”

God takes the same

with us.

One sign of emotional and spiritual

is the ability to ask for what we need.

Our confidence in asking comes from God’s

. (Matt. 7:9-11)

We imitate

generosity and blessing in our relationships with others.

In our asking and answering, we do to

as we would have them do to us. (Matt. 7:12)

The Golden Rule is guided by the Great Commandment to

God and neighbor. (Matt. 22:36-40)

Warnings for the Way

The path of least resistance

leads to destinations worth visiting. (Matt. 7:13-14)

The narrow way is the way of sacrificial love, exemplified in the

. (Matt. 7:15-17, 18-20)

We discern which voices to heed by looking for

. (Galatians 5:22-23)

Jesus warns against those who misuse his name while actively

his teachings. (Matt. 7:21-23)

A Foundation That Lasts

The Way of the Kingdom is characterized not just by hearing, but by

. (Matt. 7:24)

Jesus’ Kingdom is a

where there is no condemnation or coercion, but instead there is freedom, blessing, generosity, and selfless love.

Action Steps

the Sermon on the Mount this week from Matthew 5-7.

the media and voices you listen to—do they have good fruit?

for what you need—from God and others.