Two Rules and Two Ways

Passage

Matthew 7:12-14

Sermon Summary

Many people think that life is a road that leads to a gate that determines your eternal destiny. Jesus, however, says  the gate comes first, when you choose the trajectory of your life. The wide gate of moralism is so easy to enter that you barely have to choose it, but the narrow gate of grace must be "found." The simplest difference between these two trajectories is that Jesus is on one of them and not on the other. With Jesus on the hard way of faith, we begin to taste Life now, becoming more whole and consistent, inside and out. Powered by the Priceless Rule that God loves us first, we can begin to follow Jesus' Platinum Rule of positively doing for others what we'd want them to do for us. By contrast, the Golden Rule found in most religions only teaches us not to do what we don't want done to us. This makes the way of grace both harder and more beautiful.

Discussion Questions

1. [Optional starter question] What stood out or stuck with you from the sermon?
2. Walter argued that every life trajectory, religious or not, requires faith in a future we can't know for certain. Do you agree with that? Is faith in Jesus different in any way?
3. Explore some ordinary situations when it is hard to obey Jesus' Platinum Rule, much less the Golden Rule. Consider relationships with family, roommates, classmates or coworkers. Consider traffic and social media.
4. What tends to isolate you from receiving the love of God—and what habits or practices help you to receive it? Share specific ideas with each other. Resolve to try something new this week.
5. Have you ever been in a context where moralism ruled the day? What was it like? Did it produce actual goodness, or only superficial goodness? How did this environment affect the way people related to each other?
6. Tim Keller argued that the narrow way of Jesus is ultimately expansive, whereas the broad way of moralism is ultimately restrictive. How do you experience that expansiveness? Where do you see that restrictiveness?

Resources Consulted:

• Africa Bible Commentary, ed. Tokunboh Adeyemo
• True to Our Native Land, ed. Bryan K. Blount
• The New Testament in Color, ed. Esau McCauley
• Matthew for Everyone, NT Wright
• The Message of Matthew, John Stott
• The Divine Conspiracy, Dallas Willard
• The Sermon on the Mount, Sinclair Ferguson
• How to Find the Way (1998 sermon), Tim Keller
• The Last Battle, CS Lewis

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