Matthew 07: Kingdom Living 301

Have you ever wondered what Jesus really meant by "do not judge"? Or why the Golden Rule is such a pivotal teaching? In this illuminating episode of Bible Breakdown, Pastor Brandon guides us through Matthew 7, unpacking what he calls "Kingdom Living 301"—the advanced principles of living in God's kingdom.

The journey begins with one of the most misunderstood verses in Scripture. That famous "do not judge" line? It's not actually telling us to abandon discernment. Pastor Brandon explains the crucial difference between making observations based on someone's actions and sitting in the seat of judgment that belongs to God alone. This clarification liberates us to exercise proper biblical discernment while maintaining a humble heart.

We explore Jesus' teachings on prayer, discovering that "ask, seek, knock" isn't about manipulating God into giving us whatever we want, but about approaching our good Father with confidence, knowing He gives what is truly beneficial. The Golden Rule appears not as mere conventional wisdom but as Jesus' stunning summation of "all that is taught in the law and prophets." Pastor Brandon then tackles Jesus' sobering warnings about the narrow gate, false prophets, and those who use Jesus' name without truly knowing Him.

The episode concludes with the powerful metaphor of two builders—one who constructs on bedrock by hearing and obeying Jesus' words, the other on sand by listening without application. In a world of shifting opinions and temporary solutions, this timeless wisdom reminds us that storms will inevitably come to every life. The only question is: what foundation are you building on? Join us for this essential teaching that will transform how you approach both Scripture and the challenges of everyday life.

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The More We Dig. The More We Find.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to Kingdom Living 301
• 3:49 The Truth About "Do Not Judge"
• 6:59 Ask, Seek, Knock with Hope
• 8:49 The Golden Rule and Narrow Gate
• 10:24 Building Your House on Bedrock
• 14:34 Storms Will Come: Closing Prayer

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:24

Well, hello everybody. Welcome back to the Bible Breakdown Podcast with your host, pastor Brandon. Today, matthew, chapter 7, and today's title is Kingdom Living 301. If you've been with us the past couple of days, chapter 5 was 101, chapter 2 is 201, chapter 3 is 301. And we have been getting a little bit deeper into the Kingdom of God and, if we're honest, a little bit more complicated, a little bit more complicated, a little bit more difficult, and today we're going to talk about a couple of things that are powerful, a little hard and maybe something in the Bible that you didn't even know was there. So we're going to dive right into that. So, if you have your Bible, I just want to open up with me to Matthew, chapter seven. While you're doing that, if you want to take just a moment, if you're new around here, make sure you go to the Bible Breakdown podcast and leave us a five-star review. Make sure you also go to the YouTube channel, leave us a review, subscribe, leave us a comment, do all the things, and also make sure you're going to the Bible Breakdown discussion on Facebook.

Speaker 1: 1:21

It's an amazing group of people doing a wonderful job and the more we dig, the more we find, especially in the book of Matthew, because there's just so much here that we really can't cover in the space of the time we have, unless we want to make every one of these like two and three hours long. So when you go there we'll really be able to see those different things. And one of the things that I love just digging deeper on is this idea that Matthew is all about King Jesus. Matthew is all about King Jesus. One of the things that we've been saying is that Matthew opens up the gate with saying Jesus is at the very least the rightful king and he's like I got the receipts to prove it and it's the genealogy all the way down. That's why that was so important when we covered that. But then he talks about chapter 2 through 28. He's so much more than the natural king, he's God and we've been building onto that. In chapter five Jesus just sits with his disciples and just lays out how this world has been upside down, but he is turning it right side up again. And chapter five was kingdom living one-on-one we talked about we say the beatitudes and all those different things. Chapter 6 was all about how we get deeper into knowing God personally. And then chapter 7, it's 301. I mean, it's the harder of them because it really requires us to really dive deep into the kingdom of God and some of these are tricky.

Speaker 1: 2:42

And, to be honest with you, I'm just going to go ahead and say this as a pastor, the very first verse is one of my most hated. I know this is so bad, one of my most hated verses in the entire Bible. And the reason why is because people use it as a club to hit Christians over the head with and they're not Christians and they don't know what it means. Can I tell you, I disagree with anybody who says John 3.16 is the most memorized verse in the Bible. I don't agree with that. I think it's wrong. I think it's well-intentioned, but it's wrong. I think the most well, I think the most memorized verse in the Bible is Matthew 7, verse 1. So we're going to read these verses and then I want to try to maybe untangle some knots. Okay, here is the most memorized verse in the entire Bible. Here we go 7-1,.

Speaker 1: 3:30

Do not judge others and you will not be judged. Mm, mm-mm-mm. Let me read it again, because some people just love this verse. Let me read it again.

Speaker 1: 3:39

This is someone's favorite verse Do not judge others and you will not be judged. Usually people just simplify it down to don't judge. Can you tell? I have a problem. All right, verse 2. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.

Speaker 1: 3:59

And why worry about the speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye, when you can't see past the log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye, when you can't see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite. First get rid of the log in your own eye, then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye and don't judge others, because a little bit later on he is actually going to talk about fruit on trees and how you'll know a tree by the fruit. So you're definitely judging a tree when you say, hmm, that sure does look like an apple tree. How could you say that? Because there's apples on it. That'd be the reason why.

Speaker 1: 4:52

So is he saying you should never have an opinion about someone. No, that is not what he's saying. As a matter of fact, there are many times when we are supposed to be careful. How else are you going to know if someone's a false prophet, unless you judge what they're saying to be incorrect? What he is saying is we don't sit in the seat of judgment. There's a difference between being a witness and being the judge. I can sit as not the seat of judgment and go. You know what? That person has killed 12 people. I think they're a murderer. How dare you judge? I'm not judging. I'm saying based on their actions. This is the label that goes to them. What I'm not doing is now saying they get the death penalty. That's the judge to decide. Does that make sense? And so what he is saying is don't sit in the seat of judgment and then try to judge them. In that way, you can point out what's going on now, and there's a lot, there's a lot that is coming up later that talks about how to go about doing that in a gracious and honorable way, you know, and all the good stuff. But he's saying we don't sit in the seat of judgment. And then he also gives a warning and he's saying you know, the reason why you don't is because the way you judge others is the way it's going to come back to you. And then notice how he is saying why don't you focus on your own issues? And then, once you focus on your own issues, then you'll be able to see clearly that you can help other people with theirs. But spoiler alert by the time you do that, god usually humbles us to the place where we don't want to mess with anybody else. But that's what it's saying. It is not saying that we can't call a spade a spade. It's saying don't cast the judgment over them.

Speaker 1: 6:29

Okay, verse seven keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you, for everyone who asks receives, everyone who seeks finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be open. You, parents if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if you ask for a fish? Or if they ask you for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not.

Speaker 1: 6:57

So if you sinful people, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly father give good gifts to those who ask him? Pause. So what is he saying here? He's saying when you ask, seek and knock, he's saying ask with hope and then ask, knowing that your heavenly Father is good. Therefore he is going to give you good gifts. Now that doesn't mean he's going to give you everything that we think is good. He's going to give you what he thinks is good. Therefore, we always ask with hope because we know that our heavenly father is good and he will give us good gifts. And so I have to make sure that verse is not saying that if you ask, you seek and you knock, god is somehow obligated or required to give you what you think is good. It is that he will give you everything that he knows is good. All right, here's the verse.

Speaker 1: 7:46

Not everybody knows is in the Bible the golden rule, verse 12. Do to others whatever you would like for them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. Pause. Did you know that was in the Bible? Can I tell you, for the longest time I thought the golden rule was just like just a really good rule. I didn't realize that Jesus actually said that. And what he is saying is is if you want to sum up the entire law and the prophets, do to others what you would want them to do to you. Now notice it doesn't say do unto others before they can do to you, or do unto others, you know, because you're trying to manipulate them. No, he's like do unto others what you would like for them to do for you. It's powerful, all right.

Speaker 1: 8:26

Verse 13. You can enter God's kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad and its gates is wide for many who choose that way, but the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. The reason why is because it requires us to submit to the authority of God, and that's why it's so hard. Verse 15, beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit. That is the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce good fruit, bad fruit and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire? Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, you can identify people by their actions. Pause Now, remember.

Speaker 1: 9:30

Going back to verse one, jesus is not saying that we can't look at someone's actions and know if we need to put up a boundary and not be close to them. That's not judging, that's not casting judgment. That is seeing their actions and knowing what next step you need to take. Or verse 21,. Not everyone who calls out to me, lord, lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my father in heaven will enter. On judgment day, many will say to me Lord, lord, we prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name. But I will reply I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God's laws. Wow, such a sobering thing. All right, this is one of my favorite verses, section of verses in the entire Bible.

Speaker 1: 10:16

Here we go, let's finish it up, verse 24. Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise like a person who builds a house on solid rock, though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock, but anyone who hears my teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds his house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash. Jesus had finished saying these things. The crowds were amazed at his teachings, for he taught with real authority, quite unlike the teachers of religious law. Wow, well, as we have seen over the past three days, jesus talks about what it's like for us to relate to the world, then in chapter six, how it's to relate to God, and then chapter seven, it's about how to relate within the spiritual community. And then he finishes it, like I was saying before, with one of my favorite passages of scripture, because he uses this wonderful analogy and he's saying that those who build their life on my word and follow it, it's like they don't just listen, but they follow it. It's like someone who builds their house on the bedrock.

Speaker 1: 11:33

Now, here's the thing about building your house on bedrock, especially in that part of the land you had to dig down to find the rock. You couldn't just start building, because if you started building, that's what it was to build your house on the sand, and then, as soon as the winds and the rains came, it would wash you away. But what you have to do is you have to dig down, and sometimes you'd have to dig deep in order to find the bedrock. But then, when you found it, you build your life on it. That's why we read God's word every day, is we are digging through, getting rid of all the other stuff and finding the bedrock, the principles of God's word, and then building our life on that. And sometimes it would take longer to dig down to the bedrock than it would be to actually lay the foundation. And that's why we are willing to read God's word one chapter at a time. It's going to take us years to get through the whole Bible and then we start over again, because it is worth the time and effort to dig through and find the principles, because and I hate to say this, but because storms are coming.

Speaker 1: 12:30

Well, pastor, I wish you'd be more positive. Okay, I am positive, storms are coming. How could you say that? Well, because I know that everybody listening or watching this chapter today is in one or three places in their life. You've heard me say this before. Everybody you know is either coming out of a storm, they're right in the middle of a storm, or they're getting ready to head into a storm. And so here's the question. The question isn't what are you going to do if a storm arises in your life? It's what are you going to do if a storm arises in your life? It's what are you going to do when a storm comes?

Speaker 1: 13:01

Can I tell you, when a storm comes, it does not matter what people are saying on Twitter or X, it doesn't matter what people are saying on Facebook, it doesn't matter what people are saying in your life group, even though we love them, it is not matter what your auntie says, it doesn't matter what your husband or wife says. You know, what matters is what God's Word says. Because, can I tell you, none of those well-intentioned people can save your life. Only the promises in God's Word can. And for some of us, we've been building our lives on the opinions of others rather than the opinion of God's Word. And you know how we can tell. It's because, when the chips are down, when the storm is coming, what is holding firm?

Speaker 1: 13:43

And can I tell you, as somebody and I'm sure you've probably been here too, but as somebody who has been through some heavy storms in my life, I have learned that all the well-intentioned pieces of advice and everything else by other people, when the storms really come they don't mean nothing. But you know, what I have found Is that when I build my life on God's word and I dig deep on God's word, when those storms come they cannot move God's word, the promises of his word, and I can't tell you how many times I have opened up my Bible in the morning with tears in my eyes because my life has fallen apart. But I come back to it every time and say, god, only your word can satisfy, and you know what he does every single time. So I want to pray for you today and ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to see his word more clearly every day, so that when the storms come, you are solid on a firm foundation. Let's pray right now, god. Thank you so much for today. Thank you, god, that your word is a firm foundation.

Speaker 1: 14:41

Lord, I have no idea what people who are listening or watching to this what they're going through. My hope is that they're going through the greatest season of their life. Everything is perfect, everything is wonderful. They've never been more happy than they are right now. But, god, as I've walked through this life for a while, I know that that's not the case for probably some of us. Some of us. We're probably going through challenges, going through difficulties, and you know what the enemy wants to do. He wants to tell us that your word doesn't satisfy, that your word doesn't do what it can do.

Speaker 1: 15:13

I pray you'll silence the voice of the enemy today, that you have your way. Help us to remember and to see that you are holy and that you are good and, as we dig into your word, open our eyes to see the principles that we can build our life on every day. In Jesus' name, we pray Amen, amen, what God's word says in Matthew 28, verse 19,. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations. My prayer is that you will become a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow. For Matthew, chapter eight.