"Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’"
We welcome you to worship in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is my honor and great privilege to have you here with us today. We are especially grateful for those of you who have been sharing the ministry website, and social media platforms with all of your family and friends. Your faithfulness and commitment to share God's Word with others continues to bring about tremendous results. People all around the world are responding to God's Word, with more and more coming to Christ. This is so amazing!
Therefore, we ask you to pray that God will continue to give those of who teach the Word of God the courage and boldness to speak the truth in ministry, as we continue increasing face of adversity in the coming days! It's becoming increasingly difficult in the world in which we live to speak truth to a culture that's literally offended by everything, especially biblical truth. Pastors are being silenced for speaking the truth in God's Word.
God has ordained that false prophets exist. I realize that sounds absurd and I'm sure you're asking yourself the same question I once did, until I came to better understanding of God's Word. Why? Why on earth would God ordain false prophets?
Paul gives us the answer in I Corinthians 11, "For there must also be factions among you, so that those who are approved may become evident among you." While we are not to judge the hearts of those who claim to speak for God, we can and must examine their fruits. That's how we can distinguish true believers from false ones. False teachers draw the false disciples, the ungodly to themselves and in so doing, they damn them. It’s a part of God’s judgment.
As I stated in our last message, error separates the chaff and the wheat. In other words, it's God's way of revealing who is genuine. Because tares are sown among the wheat. Many of these false prophets are going to look like authentic followers of Christ because they'll talk about Jesus, talk about the Bible, and talk about salvation. But there's nothing offensive, nothing confrontational in their teaching. They aren't the least bit critical, they are accommodating to everybody's view point. That's why large numbers of people are drawn to them. Their messages are antithetical to Christ's teaching. They are absolutely convinced that God’s mind is far bigger than those who teach about the narrow way.
False teachers will claim Jesus' words need to be reinterpreted to accommodate an ever changing culture. However, I believe Jesus' words when He very clearly said that the broad way doesn't cut it because they have the wrong view. His words need no reinterpretation nor are they to just to be heard, they demands a response. The true man of God knows Jesus Christ and proclaims His gospel, he doesn't seek to change it. I believe that it is imperative that we must teach exactly what the Bible says! And any way you read it, in verse 13 our Lord very clearly calls for the proper response, "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it." You cannot just play church and follow Christ!
Our loving, compassionate, tender hearted Jesus compels people to forsake their sin and their self-will and enter through the narrow gate. In spite of what many claim, that's not unlike Him. We see that elsewhere in Scripture. Christ concludes His Sermon on the Mount by describing another common reason people are kept out of the kingdom of heaven, simply self-deception. Self-deception.
Heavenly Father,
Father, we thank You for Your Word. As we embark on this very serious passage of Scripture, we pray that You would lay bare the souls of those who are deceived, use these words to penetrate our hearts of the unredeemed and fill them with an overwhelming desire to belong to You. Give them a hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Christ. Father, do a mighty work in hearts of every hearer today, that Christ would be exalted and You would be glorified. In Jesus' name we ask and pray
Today's Message: The Most Terrifying Passage In Scripture
Sadly, many today have been taught that if they say a prayer and profess Christ, they're saved. However, as we learn from our text, there are many who will call Christ Lord in the last days, who have served him in the church who will be excluded from entering into heaven. Because they were deceived about their true spiritual condition. Rather than being on the narrow road that leads to life, they were on the broad road that leads to destruction.
Contrary to what many people believe, the church is not suffering because of attacks from the outside but because of satanistic attacks from the inside. The majority of people in church don’t even know what it means to be a Christian. Many people within the church are spiritually dead. It will be a tragic day when many, whose hopes were fostered by the comforting words of many false preachers and teachers, will learn that they too will be lost, and will eventually will be destroyed at God’s judgment.
The true church is the one proclaiming the message of Jesus Christ, which is sometimes unpopular, offensive, controversial and difficult to hear because we are called to be the moral conscience of the community. The authentic man of God does not sugar coat his message, he teaches exactly what the Bible says. A preacher that teaches the message of Jesus Christ is going to become an issue in the community because it is the polar opposite of a worldly view. Sitting in this church will be most uncomfortable, people will squirm in their seats because we proclaim the gospel, a gospel that divides. It is the body of Jesus Christ set apart unto God.
Open your Bibles with me if you would to the Gospel of Matthew chapter 7. Matthew 7 verses 21 through 23. This is one of those messages that's difficult to hear, and even harder to preach. That's why so many pastors today skip right over it. However, I believe it's not only important to hear, but it is crucial to understand. I believe we must proclaim that man is a sinner, drowning in his depravity, separated from God and the coming of the judgment of God. Before we can offer them precious gift of salvation. Furthermore, I believe we must warn those who have not received Christ as Lord and Savior, as well as those who are self-deceived.
I invite you to follow along with me as I read these three very important verses, as we prepare our hearts for the Spirit of God has to say to each of us. Matthew 7:21-23.
"Not
everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’"
Sadly, many are raised in the church, read their Bibles and have an orthodox profession of faith, but they are not truly saved. Our text today is a warning to those who are comfortable, who think they are saved, who in reality are not. They do not know Jesus Christ in a crucial, personal way. Therefore, as we begin today's message, I would encourage each of us to carefully examine our hearts and our lives, because there is soon coming day when Christ is going to judge. Christ is going to come and judge on a particular day. A day which is unknown by us. It will come quickly and it is going to be a reality.
Before we begin, allow me to say that I am only Christ's under-shepherd, proclaiming the message of Jesus in Matthew chapter 7 are brought to bear upon this generation. Contrary to what some believe, I do not like confrontation, I do not enjoy, however, I also recognize that at times it's necessary because I want people to understand and recognize their sin. I want them to examine themselves to see if they are really in the faith.
I believe it's far better to confront them now, while there's time to rectify the problem, rather than to have Christ confront them on that day to come. Furthermore, I believe that every time you come to the Lord’s Table, it is a time of self-examination. If you’re unwilling to do that, there's an issue. The problem is being in a church, being around true Christians, it lures people who are unsaved into thinking they're quote-unquote "Christians. It's deceptive because that doesn't mean you're saved.
Churches are popping up everywhere, who aren't trained biblically, who aren't explaining what it means to have saving faith and they are damning the souls of people. And it's not just churches, it's Christian institutions too, there seems to be no end to them. They're not teaching salvation, they're hucksters, peddling Easy Believism. They teach that you don't have to repent of sins in order to be saved.Just believe in Jesus. Allow me to remind you that even Satan and demons believe, and I can assure you they're not saved!
Next, I'd like to draw your attention to the phrase "on that day," or sometimes it's written "in the day," it depends which translation of the Bible you use. But it is very important and it appears various places in the Bible, and is used around 70 times in the Old Testament and about 15 times in the New Testament. I won't belabor the point, but it points to a period of time, not a specific twenty-four hour period.
Now let's look at verse 21, "Not
everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter."
I believe this will be the tragedy of all tragedies, to not be allowed into the Kingdom, and to be shut out forever. To be waiting for the bridegroom to come and when He arrives, you're left devastated and disappointed. It may sound unthinkable, but I can assure you that day will occur. Every Sunday, there are multitudes of deceived souls sitting in church, listening to the sermon, singing the songs, saying the prayers thinking their going to heaven. They are religious but lost. They believe they will be admitted to heaven, only to find that it's the entrance to hell. In other words, they have no faith to commend them.
Let me tell you, there is no true salvation without taking up one’s cross, following Christ and obedience to His teaching. Any other claim to salvation is simply a false one. In John 14, Jesus clearly said in no uncertain terms, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." No reinterpretation of the Scripture will change what Jesus is saying here!
In Matthew 25, there's the parable of the ten virgins who were invited to the feast. You don't need to turn to it, I'll just read it to you. "Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour."
Again, we have a clear illustration by our Lord, of those who were unprepared, believing they would be admitted to wedding feast. The oil is reference to personal true salvation, which cannot be given to others who come unprepared. Five of them came prepared and five of them did not prepare. They weren't ready when the bridegroom unexpectedly arrived and said "Lord, Lord, open to us."
They were at the right place at the right time, they had on the right clothes, they had their lamps, "But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour." What a solemn warning for the church today, it's the same as it is in Matthew chapter 7.They had set aside their relationship with Lord, they had pursued their desires, so He doesn't know them. Those expect to enter the kingdom will not necessarily get in. It's not even those who ask to enter. It's those who are obedient that enter His kingdom. What a tragedy for those who are caught off guard and found to be unprepared.
It's the same scenario in Matthew 7:22, "Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’" It is only through personal saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who will enter the kingdom, and no one else. I'd like you to notice that Christ doesn’t rebuke them. Nor does He declare that their works were unacceptable or ingenuine. The issue is their faith and it's not difficult to determine from their response "Lord, Lord, did we not..?" they were in shock that they weren't getting in. They had deceived themselves. If you know Jesus, then you obey him. Not perfectly, but deliberately.
That's brings us to verse 23, "And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’" God has given us the conditions for entering the kingdom, there's are no short cuts. We have to choice to obey and fulfill His requirements. Or we can neglect to do what is expected. However, when He condemns us, we have no one to blame but ourselves. There's going to be a lot of people who are going to hell, sadly, they'll be pastors, teachers and church goers among them.
For many, attending church regularly, participating in study groups, volunteering for church programs becomes a means of assurance for many professing Christians. None of these are proof of salvation. God can and has used unbelievers to get His works done. The world is full of unsaved people who do unknowingly do the will of God helping victims of disasters, feeding the hungry, assisting the elderly etc. I can assure, that unless they receive Christ as Lord and Savior before He returns and obey His commands, they will not enter the kingdom! The difference is, they're not expecting to. Unlike many well-known Christian pastors and professing believers, those who are prone to self-deception. Because there was not a genuine spiritual self-examination. All of their profession and well intended efforts will certainly not earn their way into heaven.
In Closing..
I know this isn't a popular message, it's not the kind we like to hear, I believe however, it is that we all need to hear. There are many people who love to read the Bible, hear it preached and try to understand its mysteries. Christianity is filled with religious phonies and self-deceived believers who profess to follow Christ, and are very involved in the church, yet their faith is not genuine, they are uncommitted to obedience to His Word. It is just enough to be dangerous. They come for the spiritual experience and to receive all that God can do for them, and give Him their superficial faith and lack of obedience in return.
Saving faith is wanting Christ whether you're rich or poor, healthy or sick, dead or alive even if it costs you everything. You want Christ for forgiveness of your sins, to your Lord and Savior. You want Christ to be your strength and your guide. And it doesn't matter if you have anything else. You just want Christ.
May it be so..
And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.
Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen
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