Matthew 7:24‭-‬29 Sermon on the Mount Summarized

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.  And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.  Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.  The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell-and great was its fall."   When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. [Matthew 7:24‭-‬29 NASB]

Remember the lessons that Jesus has taught us so far. The themes covered in the Sermon on the Mount are:

• Humility - "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." [Matthew 5:3 NASB] In the Beatitudes, Jesus is teaching us that the humble and penitent man is the one whom God considers blessed. This is counter to the culture of the world that glorifies power, position, wealth and fame. The humble man will stand in the face of persecution and endure it, where the prideful man will take up arms against it. "God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble." [James 4:6 NASB]
• Righteousness based on faith instead of law - "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." [Matthew 5:20 NASB] The Pharisees were meticulous about keeping to the letter of the Law. But Jesus ushered in a New Covenant to replace the old. "this is the covenant that I will make with them  after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws upon their heart, and on their mind I will write them," [Hebrews 10:16 NASB] He has give us His Spirit, and by the power of that Spirit, we can live righteously. "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." [Galatians 5:16 NASB]
• The dangers of hypocrisy - "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven." [Matthew 6:1 NASB] "But the LORD said to Samuel, "For God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." [1 Samuel 16:7 NASB] Check your motivation that you are serving at the pleasure of God and not for your own pride.
• Simplicity of prayer - "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Pray, then, in this way: Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name...." [Matthew 6:7-9 NASB] Don't simply recite the Lord's prayer. If you do, it will become a meaningless repetition. Instead see the lesson Jesus is teaching. This prayer is short, simple, and to the point. You can drop the "thee and thou" and flowery language. If you have a need, simply ask in faith for God to provide. If you are interceding for another, simply ask God to intervene. Prayer is a conversation with God, not a display of religion.
• Faith in God's provision - “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" [Matthew 6:25 NASB] Our God is a good Father. He doesn't promise us riches, but He does promise that our basic needs will be met. This doesn't happen by sitting back and waiting for manna to fall from heaven. But He will make a way for us to work and earn what we need. "For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either." [2 Thessalonians 3:10 NASB] We are not like a 30 year old child still living in Mom and Dad's basement, expecting to be waited on and provided for.
• Judgmentalism - "Do not judge so that you will not be judged." [Matthew 7:1 NASB] The Bible says that all of us "have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," [Romans 3:23 NASB] None of us has a sinless background, but we have relied on God's grace for our salvation and forgiveness. Just as God tolerated our sin, and led us to repentance, we need to tolerate others and pray for their salvation. "Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?" [Romans 2:4 NASB]
• Danger of false teachers - "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?" [Matthew 7:15-16 NASB] Don't follow a preacher or spiritual leader based on signs, number of followers, or empty promises of "health and wealth". But rightly judge their teaching that they are teaching the true word of God. See the fruit of their life, whether they are profiting from the labor of their followers or if they are living a humble life, and submitting themselves to others.

James tells us, But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. [James 1:22-24 NASB]