If you have your Bibles, if you would open them
to Matthew chapter 7. I really debated a lot
this week whether I would continue in this sermon
series knowing this is my text. You know, I believe
in expository preaching as we go verse by verse
making our way through each book of the Bible.
And sometimes you come to some harder verses,
certainly more sobering. You know, there are
days in which the Sunday falls, the Wednesday
falls, and, you know, I really thought, Lord,
do I want to, do you want me to preach a comforting
song? But I just didn't have any peace about
that. And so I decided, no, I'm going to stick
where we were and trust that God's providence
has brought us to this passage before us, although
it is Mother's Day. And with that, I wish all
of you ladies a very happy Mother's Day. It's
a gift of God's grace to us. And we celebrate
and we honor you this morning. that we worship
Christ, and we have to hear from him. And this
is how he has spoken to us. He has spoken to
his church through his word. We're in Matthew
chapter seven, verses 21 through 23. Jesus himself,
the divine son of God, he says, not everyone
who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into
the kingdom of heaven. Now right there is terrifying.
That's terrifying to me. That he who does the
will of my father in heaven. Many will say to
me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
in your name, cast out demons in your name, and
done many wonders in your name? And I will declare
to them I never knew you. Depart from me, you
who practice and notice lawlessness. Some translations
may say iniquity. Let us ask the Lord for help
this morning. Would you join me in prayer? Our
Father, Lord, speak by Your Spirit to Your people
who are gathered in Your name, Lord God. We profit,
Lord, by hearing from heaven. Lord, we realize
that it must be the Spirit of God that brings
conviction as well as illumination. Lord, I pray
that I would not be a distraction. Would You
help me to speak clearly, boldly, yet humbly,
Lord? I need You in this regard. Father, I beg
of you, Lord God, I pray that you would help
me to speak, Lord, by your spirit so that Christ
and Christ alone will get glory this morning.
And we pray this in his blessed name, amen. As
a teacher, whenever something is important or
I want to emphasize that my students really need
to know something, I will usually give a warning
or more than that, I usually just drop a hint.
And the warning may go something like this. If
I were you, I would highlight this because you're
probably going to be seeing this again in the
future. And the idea there, if you're a teacher,
everyone knows, well, that's going to find its
way on a test. Warnings like that are very helpful
because they arrest the student's attention.
They cause them to think about why I just said
it was important. And that's what warnings are
really designed and supposed to do. As we come
to the text today, it is not a teacher, but it's,
again, the Son of God. And he issues the most,
and I say that with all seriousness, the most
sober, the most serious, and I believe the most
sad warning of all. Jesus says not everyone who
calls him Lord is going to enter into the kingdom
of heaven. That means that some who assume they
belong to Christ do not belong to him. In other
words, there were some on that day who were listening
to Christ speak and they were deceived believing
that they were right with God. Yet sadly, Jesus
said they will be cast away from the presence
of Christ for all eternity. It's a dire warning.
And with dire warnings, we do well to take heed
and listen carefully to what he's saying. We
need to understand context, right? We're nearing
the end of this great sermon, known as the Sermon
on the Mount. He opened it. He began with those
Beatitudes. Blessed are. Blessed are the poor
in spirit. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are
the merciful. Blessed are the pure in heart.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after
righteousness. And in it he was giving the qualities
of those people who do enter the kingdom of Christ.
We then were directed, our attention was, to
the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, the scribes
and Pharisees. Jesus himself said that his disciples,
they are the light of the world, they're the
salt of the earth. He talked about a narrow gate
that led an open to a narrow way, a difficult
way is the word thepsis in Greek, and it ends
in life. We saw there was a danger posed by false
teachers who infiltrate the church and they lead
people astray. And today we come to the most
sobering passage yet. Jesus said there's going
to be some who are shut out of the kingdom of
God on the day of judgment. That means not everyone
who says they are saved are saved, and not everyone
who calls Jesus Lord is saved. Is there anything
more tragic than that? I mean, I don't think
there could possibly, there is nothing more devastating
than to come to the end of your life and find
out that you have been denied entrance into this
glorious kingdom of God. Nothing stands to that.
Everything pales in comparison to that. Jesus,
remember, there's two gates. Two gates open,
they lead to two roads. And they lead to two
different destinations. As I said, there's that
narrow gate, but since it's a narrow way, again,
the Greek word there, it's difficult, it flips
us, it hones you in. It's a way fraught with
danger. It ends in life. There's a very broad
gate, a very wide gate, opening to a very easy,
well -worn path. Looks enticing, yet it ends
in destruction. And that's the problem, that
easy path, that wide gate, it's enticing because
it makes absolutely no demands of you. The wide
gate would say there is no cost at all to following
Jesus. The easy road says, hey, you can have
your cake and eat it too. You can have Jesus
as Savior and no, he does not have to be your
Lord. That's a lie. Jesus said, not only are
there two gates leading to two roads leading
to two destinations, there are two types of trees
which represent two groups of people. There are
good trees and there are bad trees. Well, how
can you tell them apart? Jesus said it's very
easy. The good trees will bear good fruit. The
bad tree either bears no fruit or it bears a
corrupt bad fruit. Here's the problem. The bad
trees may look like good trees, for a while.
But in the end, the fruit will always reveal
what type of tree it really was at its root.
The trees, obviously, are serving as a metaphor
for the disciples of Christ. See, both types
of people, both the good trees and the bad trees,
both claim to belong to Christ. They both say
they're disciples of His, but Jesus said only
the tree that bears forth good fruit actually
belongs to Him. And then he said, hey, to his
disciples, be on guard. Be vigilant. Why? Because
Satan is going to make sure there are false teachers
who are on that broad, easy path, and they will
be beckoning people to join them. Now, these
false teachers are coming in sheep's clothing.
They look like Christians. They sound like Christians.
They are not Christians. The broad way, it's
the way of indulgence. Pride. It'll appeal to
your flesh. The narrow way. It's hard. It's a
way of cross bearing. Surrender. Humility. Repentance.
It is a hard way, folks. And yet it is compelling.
It is compelling to those who are truly regenerate
because the true disciple of Christ sees and
understands the cost of following Jesus, yet
He does not let that deter Him. Why? You are
compelled to follow Christ because your eyes
and your heart have been opened to see how glorious
He is. You can't deny it. You see Him and you
must follow Him. But in the passage before us,
Jesus was addressing a mixed audience. See, on
that day, he said they were gathered. You have
true disciples. Then you had false converts or
false disciples, we might say. Some of them who
were gathered there on that day were just merely
curious. They hadn't made up their mind. But
we also know the scribes and Pharisees were there,
the leading religious officials, and they were
deceived. And all of them were gathered. There
was a crowd there that day. Now, our text, verses
21 through 23, is connected to the passage we
looked at last week, verses 15 to 20. Let me
show you real quickly. In verse 15, Jesus warns
his followers, watch out for whom? False prophets
who come dressed as sheep, right? Verse 22, our
text today, the people who are shut out of the
kingdom, what are they crying out? We've prophesied
in your name. Verse 19, Jesus says that tree
that bears no fruit at all is going to be cut
down and thrown into the fire. It's a sign of
God's judgment. Verse 23, though, our text today,
those who are shut out of God's kingdom are cast
away from Christ, depart from me. Again, it's
a sign of God's judgment. So we understand false
prophets that Jesus issued the warning in verse
15. They are religious leaders. They are people
who claim to speak for God. And in this case,
they even preach in the name of Jesus. But not
only do they preach in Jesus' name, they cast
out demons in His name, they actually work wonders
in His name. Now, you're probably right there,
you're a little bit puzzled. Well, if they're
false, how do they do those things? If they are
false prophets, then how are they doing these
mighty signs and wonders? I think there's a couple
reasons. I think back to the Exodus event. And
Moses and Aaron are standing before Pharaoh,
and Pharaoh has his own sorcerers and magicians.
And remember when Moses' rod is thrown down and
becomes a snake? So they threw their rods down.
What happened? They became snakes. They were
able to duplicate some of Moses' and Aaron's
miracles. Not all. Now we do know that Moses'
snake ate up their snakes. But nevertheless,
that's what happened. So it could be done by
the power of Satan. It could be done with permission
from God. And you're like, why? He tests His
people. He weeds out the false from the true.
In Matthew 24, speaking about the end, it says,
for false Christs and false prophets will rise
and show great signs and wonders to deceive,
if possible, even the elect. Now, it's not possible,
but they're going to be doing such mighty signs
and mighty wonders that if it were possible,
even the elect would be deceived. So we learn
something very clearly here. Being able to do
signs and wonders is no guarantee of the authenticity
of the one performing them. So let me just tell
you, pay heed to what you see on Christian broadcasting.
Not all that glistens is gold. There's a call
for discernment. Because these false sheep, false
prophets, they come dressed in sheep's clothing,
so they look good, they sound good, they're doing
mighty works, evidently. And you say, but if
these mighty works don't confirm authenticity,
and we know that they're false, then how are
we not to be deceived? How can we know for sure
who is actually speaking the truth of God? First,
as our Lord taught us, you must examine the fruit
of their lives. Listen, let me just say an easy
test, low -hanging fruit here, and this is not
the only one. Those Christian broadcasters who
are fleecing the flock of God and getting filthy
rich and living in mansions and having private
jets, they're false. Look at the fruit of their
lives. It appeals to the flesh. That's an easy
way. Don't listen to them. That's not hard. It
gets much more difficult because there are some
who are much more deceptive than that. Secondly,
not only do you examine the fruit of their lives,
you must examine carefully the content of their
message. Is their message consistent with revealed
truth that the church has always taught from
the beginning? So we need to go back, we need
to know something about history, we need to know
something about apostolic teaching passed down
through the generations. Is it consistent with
that? Peter, James, and John, do you remember
on that day they were permitted to go up with
the Lord to that mountain and they saw him transfigured
before them? Not only, they were eyewitnesses
of his glory, but they also heard the voice of
God the Father from heaven. See, three men, they
saw Christ's glory, they heard God the Father's
voice, thunder from heaven, and then Peter writes
this though. And the King James says we have
a more sure word of prophecy. I'm reading the
New King James. And so we have the prophetic
word confirmed, which you do well to heed as
a light that shines in a dark place until the
day dawns and the morning star rises in your
hearts. Knowing this first, no prophecy of scripture
is of any private interpretation. Yeah, you don't
get to come up with your own interpretation.
For prophecy never came by the will of man, but
holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the
Holy Spirit. There is something even more sure
than signs and wonders, and that is the Word
of God. We must evaluate every miraculous sign,
every mighty wonder. Even, now listen carefully,
personal experience must be examined and judged
by the sure word of God. I've had people through
the years tell me about personal experiences.
I don't ever try to argue with them and tell
them they didn't have it. But I can tell you
if they're biblical or not. Just because they
saw something or had some religious experience
leading to religious affection does not make
it of God. We're called to be discerning here.
So we have to understand there are false prophets.
Everything must be judged by the canon of Scripture.
It's the only infallible guide. So there's false
prophets, but there are also false converts.
You know who was there on that day when Jesus
was speaking? Judas. Judas preached in Jesus'
name. He was part of the one sent out. Apostolos,
one of the sent ones. He cast out demons in his
name, we know. Judas was permitted to do signs
and wonders in Jesus' name. And for all those
things, he was never a true convert. He was not
a believer. He spent time with Jesus. He spent
three years with him. And yet he never knew Jesus
in a saving way. For all the external garb, for
all the external works, Judas had no internal
reality. He was a false convert. And then Jesus
is saying, not everyone who says to me, Lord,
Lord, will enter into his kingdom. But he gives
a caveat here. Who does enter the kingdom? The
one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
The one who does the will of God. The one who
enters the kingdom of heaven is the one who does
the will of God. Doesn't that sound like works
righteousness? Is Jesus somehow suggesting that
our entrance into His kingdom is based on our
works? Is that what He's saying here? No. We
must listen to the whole counsel of the Scriptures.
In Ephesians 2, and I know these are common verses,
but bear with me. Ephesians 2, 8 and 9. For by
grace you have been saved through faith, and
that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God,
not of works. Why not? lest anyone should boast.
No man, no man, no woman will ever boast before
God that he has somehow contributed anything
to his salvation. Salvation does not come by
our works. It is a gift, a gift of God received
by faith or in faith. Titus chapter 3, Paul speaking
there. Notice, not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to His mercy
He saved us. How? Through the washing of regeneration
and renewing of the Holy Spirit. Salvation is
not of you. 2 Timothy 1, 9, speaking of God,
who has saved us and called us with a holy calling,
not according to our works, but according to
His own purpose and grace which was given to
us in Christ Jesus before time even began. I
mean, the scriptures are abundantly clear, and
that's a sampling. The sinner is saved by grace
alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone,
to the glory of God alone. So what did Jesus
mean when he said the one who does the will of
God is the one who will enter into his kingdom?
Again, we must consider the whole of scripture.
What were these people calling Christ? Lord.
Kurias. Kurias means master. owner. The Greek
word there, it was used of supremacy and authority.
It can refer to deity. It could also just refer
to an elevated status. So these people were calling
Christ, kurios, master. But they didn't do his
will. Master, I'm your servant. Who doesn't serve?
That's an oxymoron. Luke 6, Jesus said, Why do
you call me Lord, Lord?" That's exactly what
these people were doing. And do not the things
which I say. Jesus is saying, stop it. Be done
with the fakeness. He loads it. Read Revelation
with the Church of Laodicea. Don't call him Lord
and then not obey him. He says, you call me Lord.
You recognize that I'm someone special and you
don't follow me. You don't serve me. You don't
obey me. I'm not your Lord. They only called
him Master. But they didn't do what He commanded.
They didn't honor Him as Lord through their obedience.
And what did Jesus just say? Every tree is known
by its fruit. That means you can say He is Lord.
You can mouth those words all you want. Your
actions will show if that is true or not. Their
profession of Christ as Lord was only that, a
profession. They never bowed their hearts. to
Christ. It's the same today. Many will call Christ
Lord, but their lives show no evidence that they
really mean it or that there's any reality behind
it. People call themselves Christians all the
time. Christians literally is the diminutive.
It means a little Christ. Today we use it to
refer to as followers of Christ. So you have
followers of Christ who don't follow Him. Do
you see the problem Jesus has? You want the kingdom
of God, but you don't want to follow God. So
what is Jesus saying? To say that He is Lord
is to bend and bow our will to His even when
it's uncomfortable and when it's unpopular. See,
the true disciple of Christ strives to obey the
will of God, albeit imperfectly. There's always
been two dangers in the church, and I'll talk
briefly about them. Do you have legalism, and
then we could call license. But I prefer the
term antinomianism. Don't get hung up on the
terms. Legalism is where, and this is my definition,
there's a better definition out there. Legalism
is where one so emphasizes works that they begin
to believe, now they may be orthodox and no it
doesn't, but they begin to believe that their
works play a part in their standing before God.
This would be Jesus plus something equals salvation.
You go to the churches in Galatia, it was Jesus
plus circumcision, then you could be saved. So
legalists, here's what they believe. Your works
somehow will earn merit before God and increase
your standing before Him. And friends, that's
a damnable lie. Isaiah 64 6. all our righteousnesses,
and I know it's a weird word, they made it plural,
are like filthy rags. See, our acts of righteousness
and the quality of righteousness both are reprehensible
to God. Why? Because the only way for our works,
in order to be acceptable to God, they would
have to be pristine and absolutely perfect according
to His holiness. And that's an utter impossibility
for those born of Adam. That's legalists. They
believe somehow, I'm working, I'm contributing.
Now they may not say that, but that's their MO,
that's their modus operandi, that's what they're
working from. But you have on the other hand,
you have the antinomians. They distort God's
grace. They say it doesn't matter really how
you live because grace covers it all. So they
would say, Christians are not bound by any ethical
or moral law because we are justified by faith
alone and not by obedience to a law. Now we are
not saved by obedience to any law, but you are
never without law to Christ. 1 Corinthians 9,
when Paul is talking about how he does all things
to win some, to the Jew becomes like a Jew, to
one without the law, he acts like one without
the law. But notice what he said in 1 Corinthians
9, 21, to those outside the law, that's Gentiles,
I became as one outside the law, but notice,
let me highlight this, not being outside the
law of God, but under the law of Christ. This
is Paul. that I might win those outside the law.
What he meant by there, I'm not going to go observe
the kosher laws. I'm not going to observe the
ceremonial laws because I'm dealing with Gentiles.
I don't need to do that. But the whole time he
knows he's operating, I still have an obligation
to obey God. I'm under the law of Christ. Elsewhere
called the law of love. Friends, if he's Lord,
if he is Lord, it is our duty to obey him. Not
to be saved. but because we belong to him and
we have been purchased by him for his holy purposes.
First Corinthians 620, for you were bought, don't
look at 19, for you were bought at a price. That's
a son of God dying for you. Therefore, glorify
God in your body and your spirits which are gods.
You don't even belong to yourself. It's not your
life. It's not your body. It's not anything of
yours. Paul put to death the antinomian view
in Romans 6. What shall we say then? Shall we
continue in sin that grace may abound? Hey, sounds
like a good idea. God loves to sin. God loves
to forgive. Let's just keep that going. Verse
2. God forbid, certainly not. How shall we who
died to sin, that's a Christian, live any longer
in it? Do you not get it? Antinomianism is a
perversion of God's grace. Titus chapter 2, for
the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared
to all men. Notice what the grace of God does,
teaching us that denying ungodliness, denying
worldly lusts, you and I as Christians should
live soberly, that's seriously, righteously,
that's holy, and godly, just like Christ, in
this present age. So grace does something. The
grace of God teaches us to obey and to follow
Christ. But today, surprisingly, in this area,
in Lawrence County this morning, there are people,
there are false teachers who say that repentance
from sin is unnecessary for salvation. And yet
Jesus said, unless you repent, you're going to
perish. John the Baptist said, unless you repent,
you're going to perish. You read Peter and Paul,
they said, unless you repent, you're going to
perish. We've reached it today, so you don't
need to repent. Just believe. It's false. There
are teachers who say you can continue to live
in sin and open rebellion to God and be a Christian.
Let me read 1 John 2, not my words, this is inspired
text. Now by this we know that we know Him, if
we keep His commandments. That does not save
us, this is how we know. He who says, I know
Him, and does not keep His commandments, John
says is a liar, and the truth's not there. Whoever
keeps His word, Truly, the love of God is perfected.
It's matured. It's brought to completion in him.
And by this, we know that we are in him. See,
the people that Jesus mentioned, they claimed
to be disciples, but they didn't obey him. And
the whole point of Jesus' sermon, Matthew 5 through
7, is what life in his kingdom looks like. It's
an internal righteousness leading to external
displays or works, we could say that. And he's
really issuing an indictment on the scribes and
Pharisees. Remember, they had twisted, they had
perverted the law of God, leaving others astray,
yet the whole time thinking we're actually serving
God. They were the most deceived. They were confident
in their relationship with God and the fruit
of their lives, so there is no root there at
all. But they couldn't see it. They were proud
men, self -righteous, and worst of all, they're
hypocrites, who appeared to work for God. But
as you got close to them and closely examined
their lives, you could see they did not know
God. They weren't poor in spirit. They were not
meek men. They never hungered and thirsted after
righteousness. They hungered and thirsted after
commendation. Do you see what Jesus is saying
here? These people did religious works, but that's
not a substitute for a changed heart, and a changed
heart leads to a changed life. Obedience is a
key. It's one of the tests of our sonship. Read
through 1 John, 1 John 3, verse 10. Notice what
he says here. In this, the children of God and
the children of the devour manifest. Friends,
that ought to make us stand up. I'm like, okay,
let's listen to this. Whoever does not practice
righteousness is not of God. Nor is he who does
not love his brother. Pharisees, remember, a
religious veneer. obeyed their man -made traditions,
they kept them fastidiously, assuming they were
okay, but there was no relationship in the heart
that brought forth love, mercy, and obedience.
They were not marked by love, they were marked
by pride. Those who know Christ, again, and we're
not talking about perfection here, but they obey
Christ from a heart that has been changed and
it's now marked by love for Him. John 14, Jesus
said, if you love me, keep my commandments. Who
goes to heaven? You're saying, well, the person
who's been saved by the grace of God, received
in faith, yes. And yeah, as we look through scriptures,
the grace of God produces something. First John
2, the seed still abides in you. A heart of love
and a heart of obedience in those who have been
truly redeemed and received God's grace. So,
who interests the kingdom of heaven? Jesus said,
the one who does the will of my Father who is
in heaven. What is God's will? At its core, it
is to believe in Jesus, John 640, and to follow
him in obedience. Friends, I need to say this
once more. Salvation is not earned by works.
It's not. It's all of grace. That true living
faith that's united to Christ will always produce
a fruit of obedience at some level. Transformed
lives flow from transformed hearts, new hearts.
Regardless of how weak our obedience seems at
times, and I will tell you mine seems very weak
at times, but even then there's contrition, there's
shame. The Holy Spirit has His hand upon you.
Bruce Hurt, he said this, do believers always
do God's will? No. Sadly, the answer is no. We
are not yet glorified. We still possess the fallen
flesh. Clearly, genuine believers from time to
time choose their will over God's will. Many
times. But when they do, as disobedient children
of God, they subject themselves to the discipling
hand of their Father. Amen. In contrast, those
individuals that Jesus is describing in this
passage continually, habitually, and as their
normal pattern of life, choose their will over
God's will. In short, he says, what Jesus is
describing is not perfection, but direction.
Direction of one's life as evidenced by your
daily thoughts, words, and deeds. Believers,
while not perfect in this life, are headed toward
heaven. That's the direction. Although from time
to time they do live like they're headed in the
opposite direction. See, this is what makes it
so hard. Do you remember the seed that was sown
in the field that produced wheat and tares? And
the disciples said, do you want us to go pick
the tares? And Jesus said, no. Leave it alone
until the end, because inevitably you're going
to pick up some wheat when you do it. It's hard.
But we have to understand there's a warning here
that we need to heed. Spurgeon, he explains the
danger of these false converts. He said they
had a religious character, but they never had
a renewed heart. They had religious actions but
never born again. They were fluent talkers, earnest
workers, but they had not confessed or repented
of their sin or laid hold of Christ by living
faith. And then Spurgeon, he counsels those like
us who've made a profession in Christ. Here's
what he said, covet, seek, desire most of all,
seek holiness, the holiness that does not want
to be seen. That's just the opposite of the religious
leaders. Remember, they would sound a trumpet
before they gave. They loved to be praying outside
where people could see them. They loved all these
things. They loved it when you knew they were
fasting. Spurgeon says, no, seek to be holy in
private. Plain, honest, dealing with God in private.
Much secret prayer, much meditation upon the
Word, in brief, a life of consecration to God.
This is his counsel to converts. We're quickly
nearing the end. MacArthur, he says there's two
reasons why there's so many false converts in
the church. His two reasons, and I thought these
were pretty good. He said, first of all, there's
many preachers who give a false doctrine of assurance,
and I would say amen to this. I've seen it many
times. So many professed Christians have a false
doctrine of assurance. Often it is because the
person who witnessed to them told them that all
they had to do was make a profession of faith,
walk an aisle, raise a hand, say a prayer, and
never doubt what the Lord had done in their lives.
I can tell you how many people I have talked
to through the years that will tell me of their
salvation at a vacation Bible school when they
were in second or third grade, and that was the
last sign. And they're like, well, I know I saved
them. I'm like, how do you know that? Well, I
know, because the preacher told me if I do that.
Unfortunately, many evangelists, pastors, and
personal workers, they attempt to certify a person's
salvation apart from the convicting work of the
Holy Spirit and the evidence of fruit with continuance
and obedience of the word. Secondly, he said
there's a failure to examine themselves. Do you
know we're told to test ourselves? Paul told
the Corinthians that. Examine yourselves as to
whether you're in the faith. Test yourselves.
Do not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in
you unless indeed you are disqualified. Test,
examine. Some never examine their lives though.
They simply will look back on a time when they
made a profession of faith or said that prayer
and they satisfy their hearts with that. I know,
I know what I prayed. A person who is not concerned
about having his present sins cleansed has good
reason to doubt that his past sins have been
forgiven. A person who has no desire to come
to the Lord for continued cleansing does have
reason to doubt that he ever came to the Lord
to receive salvation. When a couple lives together
without being married, when a person practices
homosexuality, when a person is deceptive or
dishonest in business, is hateful, vengeful,
and I've had to lying or habitually practice
a sin without remorse or repentance, such persons
cannot be Christian no matter what sort of experience
they claim to have had or what sort of testimony
they now make. Jesus said there will be some
shut out of his kingdom. And verse 23, he said,
and I will declare to them. I never knew you.
Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness."
I never knew you. Now you say, but I thought
Jesus is God. Doesn't He know all things and
all people? Yeah, He's not saying He doesn't
recognize them. He's not saying, I don't know
your name. New means relational intimacy. He
is declaring that He has never had a relationship
with these people, meaning they're not part of
His flock. John 10, Jesus said, I'm the good
shepherd and I know my sheep. 2 Timothy 2, the
Lord knows those who are His. Friends, this is
the good news. The Good Shepherd is acquainted
with His sheep. Why? Because it is for them He
died, and it is for them that He ever lives to
make intercession. Of course He knows those who
are His. So the ones who are denied access into
the kingdom never belonged to the kingdom. He
says, you who practice lawlessness. The Greek
word is anomia, without law. It's where we get
the word antinomian. These people have lives
marked, characterized by iniquity. They are Lord
of their lives, not Christ. They refuse the rule
of Christ in their life. They govern themselves.
They're not submitting to Him as Lord. In 1 John
2, Jesus said, John says, he who says, I know
him and yet does not keep his commandments as
a liar and the truth is not in him. I don't know
how to be any more clear than the Apostle John
is. But there's people that'll explain it away,
explain it away, and explain it away. I don't
think we ought to explain it away, I think we
ought to listen. Even Billy Graham, who is known
as this big evangelical leader, not always known
for being the most theologically precise, even
he said, no man can be said to be truly converted.
to Christ who has not bent his will to Christ.
He may give intellectual assent to the claims
of Christ, may have had emotional religious experiences,
however he's not truly converted until he has
surrendered his will to Christ as Lord, Savior,
and Master. You can profess many things. That
your lives that are marked by a lack of obedience,
that are marked by having no law to God, he does
not rule over you, show that you don't belong
to the kingdom. And the most loving thing I can
do today is to preach what Jesus said. Salvation
and obedience are inseparable. Salvation produces
obedience to God's will. It's not a perfect obedience,
it's not a complete obedience, but there is a
level of fruit being produced. Because a good
tree cannot bear bad fruit, which is why Jesus
said, buy their fruits, you will know them. I
close with these words. They're actually engraved
on a cathedral in Germany. I thought that might
be hyperbole, but no, it really is. These are
engraved on a cathedral there in Germany. Thus
speaketh Christ our Lord to us. You call me master
and obey me not. You call me light and you see
me not. You call me the way and you walk me not.
You call me life and you live me not. You call
me wise and follow me not. You call me fair and
love me not. You call me rich and ask me not.
You call me eternal and seek me not. If I condemn
thee. Blame me not. Friends, this is not to scare
anyone this morning. My prayer has been, Lord,
help us not to do that. I also want to make sure
that we are not emphasizing obedience at the
point of your thinking. That's what brings you
into the kingdom. But what he's saying is those
whose lives have received the grace of God don't
receive it in vain. Those who call him Lord bow
their knee to him. They don't rise up in self
-governance. And friends, this is the word of
the Lord this morning. I would say if you're
here this morning and you know you're like, my
life, I can tell you right now, I've never, I've
never repented of my sin and bowed my knee. This
is what Jesus said, all those who come to me,
those who are given by the Father are going to
come to me and all those who come to me, they
will be received. Jesus does not reject you.
If you understand that you are a sinner and you
believe Christ is Savior, then you bow your knee
to Him, confessing Him as Lord and He will receive
you. And I pray that God would so work in your
life that that would be true even today. Let's
pray. Father, I pray, Lord, this morning, God,
for your help. Father, if there's been anything
that I've said that's been unclear, unhelpful,
or at last untrue, Lord, I pray that not only
would there be correction, but the Holy Spirit
would bring that to my mind. But Lord, I pray
for those who are listening this morning. Lord,
your word always tells us, he who has ears, let
him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Lord, this is what we're wanting to do. Lord,
Father, help us to preach Christ, but the whole
Christ. Lord, he's not just Savior, he is Lord.
Lord, grace does something. And Lord, God, let
us, Lord, fight this good fight of faith. Lord,
let us proclaim the truth. And Lord, I pray that
you keep me back, Lord, that by any means, Lord,
we would begin to slip either into legalism,
where we believe our performance brings us merit
before you, or Lord, where we would, on the opposite
hand, just be lawless before you because of grace.
Lord, help us, Lord. God, we need you, Lord.
God, we need your forgiveness. We need your work.
We need you, Lord, because the most desirous
thing that we have, Lord, is to know Christ and
to make him known. It is to live for the kingdom
of God and seek you first, Lord, and your righteousness.
And we ask all this in Jesus' mighty, glorious
name. Amen.