Matthew

Matthew 7:21-23

Matthew 7:21-27, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ 24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

One of the most scariest or tragic passage in the Bible is this passage only. Many will find out on that day from our Lord that they are not going to heaven but to hell.

Most often asked questions

Who will go to heaven? Do the Roman Catholic, or Mormon, Or Anglican, or Evangelical go to heaven? Rather the question must be are you going to heaven? Earlier our Lord brings a choice, forces a decision. The response to The Sermon on The Mount is not to admire it, not to extol its ethical virtue.

The only permissible response to The Sermon on The Mount is decide.

Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

• Go through the narrow gate onto the narrow way that leads to life, or
• Go through the wide gate onto the wide way which leads to destruction.

Would they follow the broad path that leads to destruction or the narrow path that leads to life? He challenges them not just listen to the Sermon on the Mount and marvel. They must decide whether to follow his words and enter the kingdom of heaven or not.

Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus describes why many will not enter the narrow road. They will not enter because of false prophets. False prophets will usher them off the narrow road onto the broad path of destruction. Jesus’s calls all listening to beware of them.

Matthew 5:20, “If your righteousness does not surpass that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven”

The Pharisees were the epitome of righteousness of their day. They seemed to observe all the religious activity.

But Christ gave the sermon that they are not real.

Matthew 5:48, Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

We are to be righteous, how righteous? More righteous than the most righteous.

We are to be perfect, how perfect? As perfect as God is. You cannot be more righteous than the most righteous people, on your own. Because the most righteous people are as righteous as people can be on their own. You cannot be as perfect as God is perfect because you are a human being.

All through this sermon, Jesus is endeavouring to show men the inadequacy to deal with God on their own to enter His kingdom. They can’t make it! The purpose of The Sermon on The Mount then is identical to the purpose of the law of God in the Old Testament.

When God gave the law on Sinai, the law was not given to show man how good he must be. The law was given to show man how good he couldn’t be, how bad he was, and how short he came.

Paul summed it up wonderfully for us.

Romans 3:23, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:10, As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one;

Galatians 3:24, Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. So Jesus in this Sermon on the Mount showed us very clearly that we ought to enter through the narrow gate with much difficulty.

It is easy to end up on the broad path if we don’t have a discerning heart. All the false religion will sell Heaven but only one will go to Heaven rest all of them will take you to Hell. All the religions of the world are done by the human achievement, but Christianity is the only one with divine accomplishment.

Here these words are not spoken to other religious people.

Anyone going to Hell is a tragic thing but especially one who heard the Gospel going to Hell is even more tragic. Jesus here is not talking to ordinary people. Jesus speaking to the highest religious people. This is why I said this is one of the tragic passages.

V 13, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. V 22, Many will say to Me in that day, Disobedience to the Word of God.

1. Prayer of confession

Simple prayer prayed is that enough for you to be in heaven? 2. Self-examination Paul wrote 4 letters we have got only 2. After writing 29 chapters of content to Church in Corinth this is what Apostle Paul has to tell them.

2 Corinthians 13:5, Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.

We have complete series of message preached on the title ‘Are you a Christian’

3. Religious activity

Coming to our church does not guarantee your place in heaven. Giving offering, Doing Worship, Preaching, Serving in the church.

4. Comparing with others

I am not like so and so… What would a Christian do? LGBTQ People try and do the social Gospel. People associated with organisation than God. I am Baptist, I am Lutheran, I am Anglican…

Deception or Self-deceived

V 21-23 People say but they don’t do. V 24- 27 People hear but they don’t do. Our Lord says that they are deceived.

• One side there is a verbal confession
• Another side there is an intellectual knowledge.
• Empty words,
• Empty hearts.

We will look at only V 21-23 this morning. V 21-23, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

V 21, Not everyone who says to Me, V 22, Many will say to Me in that day The claim! We have full of people who are filled with empty words. They say, but they don’t do God’s will. Now, there’s nothing wrong with saying.

Romans 10:9-10, that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. So, you have got to say, confession is necessary!

But confession without obedience is a sham. V 21, Lord, Lord V 22, Lord, Lord The word mentioned here is not just respect but they are ‘Kurios’ Kurios is the word translated in the Septuagint of the Old Testament for the name of Jehovah.

Remember the same thing happens later in Matthew 25?

Matthew 25:6-12, “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the

bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. 11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

Same word they say Lord, Lord! In that day This is the White throne judgement in Revelation 20th Chapter. So, in effect heir confession is that they acknowledge,  You are God,  You are God incarnate,  We believe in Virgin birth,  We believe in miracles,  We believe in your Death,  We believe in your resurrection,  We believe in your intercession, and  We believe your second coming.

“Lord, Lord,” they say it twice indicates their zeal, passion, fervency, commitment, and their strength of devotion.

V 22, Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 3 Times in Your name! They aren’t even so self-centred. We have been doing it for You, We have been preaching for You, We have been casting out demons for You, and We have been doing miracles for You.

An amazing claim. It is respectful, it is orthodox, it is fervent, it is zealous. They proclaim and they do works. We might even say that these have got to be Christians. V 21, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

Because not everybody who says that has been doing the will of the Father who is in heaven.

So how does our Lord respond?

V 23, And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

Matthew 25:12, But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

God doesn’t know who they are? No, of course He knows who they are He knows everything. This is not talking simply about an awareness. The word “know” is used in the Bible is of an intimate relationship.

Amos 3:2, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”

Does that mean the only people He knew about were Jews? No. It meant that He had an intimate relationship with them.

John 10:14, I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.

Genesis 4:1, Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.”

When Mary was pregnant with our Lord as He, as the divine seed, was infused by the Spirit of God, Joseph was shocked.

Why?

Matthew 1:25,and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.

The word know embodies an intimate relationship. Jesus says, “I never had any intimate relationship with you. He says, “depart from Me,” Get out of My presence forever.

Why? V 23, you who practice lawlessness!’ That is a present participle.

Why? Because instead of doing God’s will, His righteous standard, you do continually, always work lawlessness.

What it means to profess Christ? Absolutely nothing! If your life doesn’t back it up.

2 Peter 1:5-11, But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. If you can’t add to your faith, virtue, then you are not going to know you are really redeemed.

James 2:17, Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. Profession is valueless. To profess Christ, invalidly, is taking the Lord’s name in vain in the ultimate sense. I don’t think taking the Lord’s name in vain is saying, “Jesus Christ” or “God” out on the streets.

But the epitome of violating God’s name is to claim Christ when He isn’t yours. Judas kiss to say, “Lord, Lord,” and then disobey. We must be consumed with doing the will of God.

What does the Lord prayer teach us?

Matthew 6:10-12, Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. Let your will be done through me,

What if I don’t do it if I fail? “Forgive us our debts as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We know that we are going to fail but that’s where we come for forgiveness, and that’s part of the righteous act. The righteous standard Jesus speaks of assumes we’ll fail, but when we fail, we will be there confessing.

1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The ones being forgiven are the ones confessing.

What Jesus is NOT saying here is that this is the perfect standard. If you ever fail, you are out. Rather what He is saying that this is the perfect standard, and part of the perfect standard is that when you fail you deal with it.

The Sermon on The Mount is not the direction of your life, not the perfection of it.

John 6:28-29, Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” Where do you start with the will of God? Believe on Christ.

The only thing acceptable to God is a righteousness that is the product of repentant faith in Jesus Christ, and that produces good works. V 23, paraphrase, “Not for one single moment have I acknowledged you as My own or known you intimately. You are forever expelled from My presence because you continue to work lawlessness.

What makes this so shocking is that the claims they make are amazing? V 22, Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’

Three words, prophecy, cast our demons, and miracles. Some who claim that will be legitimate, have been some who were true prophets, some who truly in the name of Jesus Christ cast out the enemy, some that God used to do marvellous mighty things.

But there are plenty who are going to claim it and it isn’t true. It isn’t true.

Did they really preach, prophesy?

Did they really cast out demons?

Did they really do mighty works? Three alternatives. 1. By God’s power. 2. By Satan’s power. 3. By faking it. All three could be true.

1. By God’s Power

Even if they are unbelievers it could be true? Yes. Do you know that God has worked through unbelievers? In the Old Testament, God has worked His work through unbelievers.

Numbers 23:5, Then the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”

2 Peter 2:15, They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; He was an unrighteous evil prophet for hire, but God used his mouth. There have been times when God has even worked through unregenerate people.

1 Samuel 10:10-11, When they came there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him; then the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. 11 And it happened, when all who knew him formerly saw that he indeed prophesied among the prophets, that the people said to one another, “What is this that has come upon the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”

Amazing.

John 11:51-52, Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad. the Lord put a prophecy in the mouth of that vile high priest, so that he prophesied the death of Christ for all men. It’s very possible that some of these self-deluded people were used by God, did speak God’s truth. 2. By the power of Satan.

They may have done wonderful things and cast out demons and preached under the power of Satan. For Satan can express his power. Satan expressed his power on Job, didn’t he, in death, destruction, and disease. No question about it.

Acts 19:11-16, Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant

Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?” 16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Jesus even acknowledged that the Jews had this ability when Jesus said, “If I cast out demons by Beelzebub, who do you cast demons out through?” He was recognizing that perhaps they had even done that and that you could cast out demons.

Why would Satan cast out Satan? Because he’s confused to begin with, his whole system’s a mess.

Deuteronomy 13:1-3, “If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams,

for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. They were Satanically energized.

Matthew 24:24, For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

2 Thessalonians 2:8-10, And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. Satan can do some amazing things.

The magicians of Egypt who were trying to mimic the miracles of Moses were just pulling off fake things. When they reproduced what Moses did, I think it was just trickery, just their own little magic. 3. By faking. How they did it the point is they were deceived.

They thought it was God, but it wasn’t God.

There are a lot of people today preaching, a lot of people casting out devils, a lot of people healing and a lot of people doing other stuff that they believe is God and it isn’t God. Loads of people believe that. They say, “it’s the Lord, it must be God.”

It is nothing but Satanic or trickery.

Conclusion

Do you know Jesus?

Does Jesus know you?

John 14:23-24, Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. Self-righteousness is so dangerous. You believe you are doing what God wants, but His commandments have been twisted. That is what we have seen throughout the Sermon on the Mount.

• You call Me master and do not obey Me,
• You call Me light and do not see Me,
• You call Me the way and do not walk with Me,
• You call Me life and not live with Me,
• You call me wise and do not follow Me,
• You call me eternal and do not seek Me,
• If I condemn thee, blame do not Me!

What will you hear when you stand before God?

Matthew 25:34, Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

Matthew 25:41, “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire

prepared for the devil and his angels

Let’s live in such way that He will not be ashamed to call us His brothers and sisters on that day.