Lesson # 7

Today’s Lesson is found in the Book of Matthew.

Please take out your Bible,.  and turn to the Book of Matthew.    Chapter #  7.    If you don’t have access to the Holy Bible in your language;.  you can access these passages on the website,.  https://www.biblegateway.com.

In the Evangelical Heritage Version of the Holy Bible,.  Matthew Chapter # 7,.  verses 1-5, scripture tells us that Jesus strongly cautioned His disciples against judging or condemning others;.  lest they be judged or condemned themselves,.  by the very same rules or guidelines.   Jesus was especially focussed on hypocritical judgement.   He said that we should especially not criticize others for being guilty of the very same types of sins that we ourselves also commit.   Jesus told them that they should first take the log out of their own eye,.  so that they could then see clearly to take the splinter out of their neighbor’s eye.   His message to His disciples that day was very clear.   We are not to condemn others,.  so that we  ourselves do not come under judgement. (Christians Are Called To Judge (1) – Femi Aribisala – August 29,  2021 – vanguardngr.com).

Jesus told His disciples not to cast their pearls before swine.   Although He definitely encouraged them to go out and preach the Gospel message to people all over the world,.  He let them know that when others would ridicule them,.   and refuse to listen to what they were preaching;.  that they should then shake the dust off of their feet,.  and go elsewhere.   The pearls that Jesus is speaking about in this verse of scripture,.   is the everlasting Gospel;.  the infallible and unchanging word of God.   The pigs that He is speaking of in this analogy,   are those who hurl insults at Jesus;.  and scoff at the word of God.   They do not appreciate what Jesus did for them up on the cross at Calvary.   They do not welcome the Gospel message at all.   And they would very strongly come against it;.  so that they would feel totally justified in returning to their evil and sinful lives. (Matthew Chapter 7,.  verse # 6),.  (What Did Jesus Mean When He Said To Not Cast Your Pearls Before Swine – Your Questions,.  Biblical Answers – gotquestions.org).

Jesus taught His disciples to ask God for the things that they wanted.   He explained to them that Almighty God is a very loving Heavenly Father,.  and if they would just ask Him in prayer for things that would be beneficial to them;.  and in accordance with His will and purpose for their lives;.  that these things would definitely be granted to them.   He told them that they should ask for these things in His name;   and thus,.   come before God with the full authority of Jesus Christ. (Matthew Chapter 7,.  verses 7-11),.  (“Ask,.  And You Shall Receive”.  Bible Meaning Of Matthew 7:7 – Christianity.com Editorial Staff – christianity.com – delivered by Google).

Jesus also taught His disciples a Golden Rule,.  which is based upon the Law of Moses.   He said that they should do unto others,.  as they would want others to do unto them.   In other words,.  they should be kind and loving toward others,.  so that others would be kind and loving towards them.   So,.  in all things;.  love thy neighbor as thyself.   Jesus also told His disciples that most people try to enter the Kingdom of Heaven through the wide gate;.  one that always leads to destruction.   He told them emphatically that only those who enter through the narrow gate,.  those who give up everything to follow Him;.  would be allowed to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.   Jesus said that they should cast aside all their pride,. giant egos,. earthly wealth and accomplishments,. family ties,. grudges,. negative attitudes,. lofty positions and esteemed titles,. lavish lifestyles,. and sinful habits.   He said that we should hate our lives here on Earth,.  and live only to please God;.  as true and devoted disciples of our dear Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthew Chapter 7,   verses 12-14),.  (What Does  “Do Unto Others”  (The Golden Rule). Mean In The Bible? – Jennifer Heeren – crosswalk.com contributing writer – May 30,. 2019 – biblestudytools.com),.  (Will You Choose The Narrow Gate,.  Or The Broad Way?   Have You Counted The Cost? – David Risa – activechristianity.org).

Jesus sternly warned His disciples against the dangers of false prophets.   He told them that these woeful imposters are great deceivers,.  and that their ultimate goal is to destroy people’s spiritual lives.   They operate totally in disguise,.  pretending to be both holy and righteous;.  but inwardly they are as ravenous wolves,.  seeking to flatly deny the teachings and authority of the Holy Bible;.  and to replace it with the teachings of men.   They spend all of their time and energy promoting themselves; rather than to glorify God,.  and to teach the Gospel message.   Jesus told His disciples that they would know them by their fruits.   He said that many would use His name in order to make themselves important.   And they would play on the emotions of their followers,.  in order to endear them to themselves;.  and to drain their pocketbooks of all of their money. (Matthew Chapter 7,.  verses 15-20),.  (Back To The Basics With Brian Brodersen – Devotional,.  Beware Of False Prophets – Brian Brodersen – Oct. 1,. 2018 – backtobasicsradio.com).

Jesus made it clear to His disciples that mere words and actions are not enough to get them admitted to the Kingdom of Heaven.   He told them that they must be motivated by sincerity and truth,.  and live day by day according to God’s will and purpose for their lives.   Jesus explained to them that His true followers should fully surrender their ambitions,  their attitudes,.  their egos,.  their bad habits,.  their goals,.  their pride,.  and their desires to Almighty God;.  so that His will could be done,.  in them,. and through them.   In everything that Jesus did,.  He succumbed to the will of His father in Heaven. (Matthew Chapter 7,.  verses 21-23),.  (What Does Matthew 7:21 Mean? – Parallel Verses – bibleref.com,.  a ministry of gotquestions.org).

The large crowds of people who followed Jesus were truly amazed by His teaching,.  because He taught them with the absolute authority of Almighty God.   Teaching them day after day,.  including the Sabbath day;.   His teaching was based on God’s Holy  word,.  as found in scripture.   Jesus taught them how to apply His teaching to everyday life.   He said that those who do the will of their Father in Heaven,.  are like a man who built his house on a rock solid foundation.   And when a great storm arose,.  his house held up very well against the strong winds and rain.   But Jesus told them that if they do not listen to the word of God,.  and put it into practice in their lives;.  they will be like a man who built his house on sandy soil.   And when a great storm arose,.  the house could not stand up to the strong winds and rain;.  and it was completely destroyed.   Jesus Christ lived His entire life as a very humble and righteous man.   He was totally without sin,.  and He lived strictly according to His teachings.   He had only love and compassion for His fellow man.   Jesus Christ stood solidly on God’s word,.  and used the power of scripture to fully transform people’s lives. (Matthew Chapter 7,.  verses 24-29),   (Jesus Taught With Authority – Pathway To Victory – Dr. Robert Jeffress – May 16,. 2017 – ptv.org),.  (Jesus:.  Example Of Humility – Sewell Hall – May 10,. 2022 – Gooch Lane Church Of Christ – teachingtruth.org),.  (Compassion In The Life Of Jesus – Jesus’ Compassion For Others – copyright 2022,.  Our Daily Bread Ministries – our daily bread.org).

          *******         Attention Students       *******

The multiple choice test for this chapter of the Bible,   and the answers to all of the questions;   are listed right below.   Feel free to take the test manually.   However,   if you would rather take it electronically,   simply click on the link below.  Then,  after you have completed the test;   hit the Submit button at the bottom,   and then click on the View Accuracy button;   to see how you did.  

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScafUieLh6cCOHzHmx1M2EfZnqg2KPhMIAEAw1YGQuEq8tpzA/viewform?usp=sf_link

Answers To Test Questions!

 1.   C.   2.   D.   3.   A.   4.   B.   5.   A.   6.   D   7.   B.   8.   C.   9.   B.   10.   A.   11.   C.   12.   D.   13.   B.   14.   A.   15.   C.   16.   D.   17.   B.   18.   C.   19.   A.   20.   D.   21.   C.   22.   D.   23.   D.   24.   A.   25.   C.   26.   B.   27.   A   28.   C.   29.   D.   30.   C.   31.   B.   32.   A   33.   C.   34.   B.   35.   C.

Test Questions!

1.     Jesus cautioned His disciples against judging  or condemning others

A.   so they would be more believable

B.   so they could make more money

C.   lest they be judged or condemned themselves,.    by the very same rules or guidelines

D.   lest they lose all of their friends

2.    Jesus told them to first take the log out of their own eye

A.   so that they could correctly criticize others

B.   so that the temple priests would think that they were holy

C.   so that they could predict future events

D.   so that they could then see clearly to take the splinter out of their neighbor’s eye

3.     Jesus told His disciples that we are not to condemn others

A.   so that we ourselves do not come under judgement

B.   so that we will not be criticized for our unjust and unruly behavior

C.   so that others will not think that we are spying on them.

D.   so that others will join the church

4.     Jesus told them not to cast their pearls

A.   in the ocean

B.   before swine

C.   on the floor of the Temple

D.   in front of others

5.    Jesus told His disciples that when others would ridicule them,.    and refuse to listen to what they were preaching;.  that they should then           

A.   shake the dust off of their feet,.    and go elsewhere

B.   cast judgement upon them

C.   report them to the elders of the church

D.   just laugh at them,.    and call them names

6.    The pearls that Jesus is speaking about in this verse of scripture is

A.   rubies

B.   sapphires

C.   the ten commandments

D.   the everlasting Gospel

7.     The pigs that He is speaking of in this message are

A.   those who horde money

B.   those who hurl insults at Jesus,.  and scoff at the word of God

C.   those who eat unclean food

D.   those who commit adultery

8.     Jesus said that these are people who do not welcome the Gospel message at all,    and would strongly come against it because

A.   they only believe in the Torah

B.   they are uneducated

C.   they want to feel totally justified in returning to their evil and sinful lives

D.   they don’t have time to learn it

9.    Jesus taught His disciples that they should ask Almighty God for the things that they wanted;.    and that those things would be granted to them              

A.   as long as they would be offered up as a sacrifice

B.   as long as they were in accordance with God’s will and purpose for their lives

C.   as long as they promised to share them with the poor

D.   as long as they notified the temple leaders of all their needs                       

10.          He told them that they should ask for all of these things

A.   in His name,.    and thus,.    come before God with the full authority of Jesus Christ                                                           

B.   after taking communion

C.   during the Passover

D.   on the Sabbath day

11.    Jesus taught His disciples a Golden Rule,.    which was based upon                 

A.   the Lord’s prayer             

B.   the Golden Rule of Confucius

C.   the law of Moses

D.   the statutes of the church

12.    He said that they should do unto others

A.   as others do unto them

B.   according to the Aramaic law

C.   according to Roman law

D.   as they would want others to do unto them

13.   Jesus also said,.    love thy neighbor

A.   with all of thine heart,.   mind,.   and soul.         

B.   as thyself                         

C.   if their neighbor was good to them   

D.   before taking communion                 

14.    He also said that only those who give up everything to follow Him

A.   would be allowed to enter the Kingdom of Heaven

B.   would become one of His original disciples

C.   would become spiritually enlightened       

D.   would be able to speak in tongues                                       

15.   Jesus said that,.    as His true and devoted disciples,.    that we should   

A.   always be appropriate in front of others

B.   drink only in moderation      

C.   hate our lives here on Earth,.    and live only to please God    

D.   always keep a happy smile on our face                                   

16.    He also told His disciples that they should cast aside.   

A.      brutal dictators                                         

B.   very restrictive temple rules    

C.   illegitimate children              

D.   all their pride,.   giant egos,.   and earthly wealth

17.   Jesus strongly warned His disciples against the dangers of

A.   false pretenses

B.   false prophets

C.   being Jewish          

D.   being religious

18.    He told them that woeful imposters would greatly deceive them,.    and their ultimate goal would be to

A .   ruin their reputation                                    

B.   to get them run out of the temple             

C.   to destroy their spiritual lives

D.   to cheat them out of their inheritance

19.    Jesus said that these imposters operate totally in disguise,.    pretending to be both

A.   holy and righteous

B.   rich and famous          

C.   clairvoyant and enlightened    

D.   gifted and blessed

20.    Jesus warned His disciples,.    that inwardly,.    these false prophets are ravenous wolves;.    seeking to flatly deny the teachings and authority of the Holy Bible,.    and to replace it with              

A.   the law of Abraham           

B.   the law of Moses

C.   the teachings of Buddha                     

D.   the teachings of men

21.    He told them that instead of seeking to glorify God,.    and teaching the Gospel message;.    that these imposters spend all of their time and energy

A.    praying,. and singing praise songs

B.   meditating and fasting       

C.   promoting themselves

D.   promoting Christianity

22.    Jesus said that people would know these false actors by their 

A.   fancy clothes

B.   religious practices

C.   devilish insignia         

D.   fruits

23.    He said that many of them would use His name,.    in order to make themselves

A.   important

B.   well known

C.   very wealthy

D.   all of the above

24.    Jesus said that these imposters would play on the emotions of their followers,.    in order to endear them to themselves;.    and to

A.   drain their pocketbooks of all their money

B.   get to know them better

C.   get their votes when they run for political office

D.   trick them out of their inheritance

25.    Jesus made it clear to His disciples,    that mere words and actions are not enough to get them admitted to

A.   His inner circle

B.   the King’s Court

C.   the Kingdom of Heaven

D.   lofty positions in the temple

26.    He told them that they must be motivated by sincerity and truth,   and live day by day

A.   in strict isolation

B.   according to God’s will and purpose for their lives

C.   separated from their friends and family

D.   out in the wilderness

27.    Jesus also explained to His disciples,    that His true followers should fully surrender               

A.   their attitudes,.   ambitions,    egos,   bad habits,.    and goals

B.   their bank accounts

C.   their houses,. their land,. and their valuables

D.   their livestock

28.    In everything that Jesus did,

A.   He always cleared it first with the temple priests

B.   He always tried to do it in front of a large crowd of people

C.   He succumbed to the will of His Father in Heaven

D.   He first consulted with the prophets

29.    The large crowds of people who followed Jesus,.    were truly amazed by His teaching,    because

A.   He promised them wealth and prosperity

B.   He promised them good health and longevity

C.   He taught them how to grow better crops

D.   He taught them with the absolute authority of Almighty God

30.     Teaching them day after day,.    including the Sabbath day;.    His teaching was based upon

A.   sound religious doctrine

B.   theories of creation

C.   God’s Holy word,.    as found in scripture

D.   the Code of Hammerabi

31.    Jesus taught people how to apply His teaching to everyday life.    He said that those who do the will of their Father in Heaven,.    are like a man who built his house

A.   in an underground tunnel

B.   on a rock solid foundation

C.   on a raised platform

D.   on top of a large mountain

32.    Jesus said that those who do not listen to the word of God,.    and put it into practice in their lives;.    are like a man who built his house

A.   on loose,. sandy soil

B.   in the middle of a cornfield

C.   on top of a landfill

D.   on the edge of a cliff

33.    Jesus Christ lived His entire life

A.   as a famous celebrity

B.   as a temple leader

C.   as a very humble and righteous man

D.   as a temple scribe

34.    He was totally without sin,.    and lived strictly according to

A.   the doctrine of priesthood

B.   His teachings

C.   the Hebrew Roots Movement

D.   the Gospel of social justice

35.    Jesus Christ stood solidly on God’s word,    and used the power of scripture to

A.   start a new religious order

B.   find favor with the Sanhedrin

C.   fully transform people’s lives

D.   have His way with the Roman officials

Jesus,.   I come to you today with a heavy and troubled heart.    My life right now is a total mess.   So many things in my life have gone wrong.    So many of my plans and projects have resulted in failure.    At one time in my life,.   I had high hopes for the future;.   but now I am very hurt and very upset about how things actually turned out.  Jesus……Jesus…….,.  I need you right now.    I am disgusted with my life the way it is.   I have no real friends that I can count on,.   and I am depressed,.  disappointed,.  dejected,.  and sorrowful.    But I do believe with all my heart that you can help me.  Jesus,.   I know that you love me so much,    that you willingly died on a wooden cross at Calvary;    for the full remission of all my sins.    I know that I am a sinner,.   and that the punishment for sin is death;.   but that you took my place on that cross at Calvary,.   so that just by my believing in you,.   and that you died for me;.   that I can have new life now,.   and one day go to be with you in Heaven for all eternity.    Jesus,.   I love you.    I need you.    Please come into my heart,.   right here,.   right now.   and wash away all my sins;    with the very same blood that you shed for me;.   on that old wooden cross at Calvary.   Jesus Christ of Nazareth,.   I accept you today as my Lord and Savior,.   and I will profess and proclaim your mighty name to everyone whom I meet.    Please fill me with your Holy Spirit,.   and help me to turn my life around.    I am so happy that you came into my life today……..  and thank you so very much for saving me from my sins!  Amen.  

 (How to Seek the Presence of Jesus Christ in your Life – Religion,.  Christianity – April 27,  2022 – wikihow.com),.   (32 Inspirational Bible Verses About God’s Unconditional Love – What the Bible says about  God’s love for you prove that His love never wavers – Christy Pina and Corinne Sullivan – Dec. 7,.  2021- womansday.com),.  (What Happened at Calvary? – Luke 23:.  39-49 – Pastor Bill Parker – rofgrace.com),.   (4 Bible Promises For When You Just Need To Cry:.   Jesus Help Me! – Janet Thompson – Jun. 25,   2020 – crosswalk.com),.  (What Does It Mean To Accept Jesus As Your Personal Savior? – Your Questions,.  Biblical Answers – gotquestions.org).

©  2022  Charles Spratt