Sermon
Jesus' Most Solemn Words
November 13-14, 1999
Pastor Donald Sheley

Let's take our Bibles now. We're in Matthew's gospel. We're coming to the close of our study on the Sermon on the Mount. We've been here for over a year I think. I pray that you've been blessed. My heart has been blessed and challenged as we thought again the great words of Christ. We've arrived at verse 21 of Matthew chapter 7. In our observation we said a few weeks ago that the sermon really came to an end at verse 12 where Jesus says, "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets". In the rest of the chapter, the rest of the sermon, Jesus gives four warnings. He's given out the words of life. It's now time for His listeners to make a decision, and He's really calling them to a decision. 

Warning number one, we talked about it a couple of weeks ago. Jesus said there is a narrow way and few there be that find it, but eventually it leads to life eternal. There is a broad way and many take that way. It's the way of living life for self without any concept or any thought of the sacred and the divine, and eventually, Jesus said, that broad way, which has many on it, will end up in destruction. 

Last Lord's Day we took the second warning and Jesus said there are true prophets and there are false prophets. There is a true gospel and there are false gospels. Thus, it's imperative that we choose the gospel that is true, the words of Scripture. Now in this passage today listen to what Jesus said, "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. 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?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me you who practice lawlessness!'" Jesus says there are true disciples and there are false imitators, and not everybody that's religious or talks religion will go to heaven. Not everybody who says 'Lord, Lord' will make it. 

Now the Lord willing, next Sunday we take our last sermon from Jesus, and it's the words of warning concerning the foundation we choose to build our life on, the shifting sands of time or the eternal rock of ages. We make the choice. So these warnings are really the closing words of Christ, and He's asking us to make some decisions. I must admit to you that in studying for our sermon today, and each time that I talk from this particular passage, it really moves my heart to the deepest sources of worship and question because they're solemn word if ever there were. I don't know in the Bible if there're any more solemn words than these, where Jesus said not everybody who looks, and acts, and talks religious will make it into heaven. It's obvious and clear that in this paragraph our Lord is continuing the theme which He started when He dealt with this matter of false prophets, and when we go through the gospels again and again, Jesus warns concerning self-deception and self- delusion. 

In fact, just a few verses prior in His sermon Jesus said these words, "If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" And what He's saying is if what I think and what I believe, if at the end it turns out to be a lie, and I thought all the time it was right, what a tragedy to live with a darkness that I thought was always light. Every time I think of that verse there's a picture in my mind and I look to see that day in judgment when the judge of all the earth will be there and all mankind will be before Him, and think with me of the millions and the multitudes of people who have joined false religions who did not teach the doctrine of Christ who presented Him as something else. Yet they were religious. They seemed that they were good folks, and they'll get right to the gates of heaven thinking that God is obligated to bring them into heaven, and they will hear the words, depart from Me, I never knew you, you that work lawlessness. And all the time they lived their life thinking that what they believed and the religion they followed was truth, and it turned out to be a lie. What a sad moment. What a tragic eternal moment for those who are self-deceived. 

Old Isaiah says in 44:20, He feeds on ashes; A deceived heart has turned him aside; And he cannot deliver his soul, Nor say, "Is there not a lie in my right hand?" The man who lives with darkness feeds on ashes the old prophet said. Jesus dealt with this whole matter of self-delusion and self-deception in the book of Revelation. It's Revelation 3:15-19. Jesus said, I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold or hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. 

Jesus said you claim to have it all. You claim to be rich. You have need of nothing, but you're self-deceived. You're miserable. You're wretched. You're naked. You're blind. You're poor, and then He gives the advice, I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed. So here's a church, Laodicean church, and Jesus said you're deluded, you're really miserable and poor. Now in the text that we have before us, Jesus shows us some of the false and wrong things on which men tend to rely as far as their salvation is concerned. And the general principle behind the teaching is that self-deception with regards to the soul and its relationship to God is generally due to our relying upon false evidences of salvation. And the first piece of false evidence on which some people tend to rest is rather surprising, it is none else then a correct belief.

You see Jesus is saying there are going to be those who say 'Lord, Lord' and the implied is these are people who understood. These are people who verbally expressed that God's word surely is the Bible, and that Jesus is the Son of God, and that He died on the cross. They're saying the right thing. They acknowledge the right thing, but all it is is intellectual ascent, and there are a lot of people today in religion in the church world who everything is up here (points to head). They know all the facts. They know the truth; they know the Bible. They say it's the word of God and they'll acknowledge it, but they've never allowed those truths to transform into their heart and make them a new creature in Christ Jesus. They know they say, but what they know and what the say has not become real and not become a transforming power in their lives. The Jesus they speak of has never become the Lord of their life. 

Now there are things we must believe as Christians. We must believe that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Son of God. We must believe the New Testament doctrine that He was sent of God to be the Messiah, the Savior of the world, and that because of that He's been exalted and is Lord of all, and ever knee will someday eventually bow before His presence. We believe that. That's part of our Christian faith. To be a Christian is primarily a matter of believing these, and in the belief of them, trusting in them and allowing those truths to transform us. Paul says to Titus, they profess that they know God, but in works they deny Him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate. So it's possible to talk religious ways. It's possible to know all there needs to know and still miss heaven. Jesus said only he who does the will of My Father. It's not everybody that says 'Lord, Lord' that's going to get to heaven. Only he who does the will of My Father. Now the question that we have to put before our own hearts is when I call Him Lord, do I do that He tells me to do? 

Go with me to Luke 6:43. Look at what Jesus says here, For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. And then He added these words, look at verse 46, And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Now that's the point of Christ in our text. You can say Lord, Lord, Lord, as much as you want to, but unless He truly is the Lord of our lives, it's just words. We're just lipping it and until we live it, it will never get us into heaven. 

Now I'm at a very crucial place theologically, and I want you to listen very, very closely. This is delicate theology. You see in the church today, and especially in Evangelicalism, there is this teaching that you can receive or believe that Jesus is the Savior, but you don't have to allow Him to be the Lord. You can at some further day in your life turn your life over to Him and let Him guide your life, but as long as you say I believe that He's Savior, you're saved. Now that you and I would reject. And I picked up some of their literature, and here's what's in their literature. These are the people that say you can acknowledge Jesus as Savior, but you don't have to turn your life over to Him and let Him be the Lord of your life. Here's what they say in their books; Repentance is a change of mind about Christ. In the context of the gospel invitation repentance is just a synonym for faith. No turning from sin is required for salvation. 

And yet, when John started his ministry and when Jesus commenced His ministry, what is the first word that he used? Repent! And repent means to turn from my sin and my godlessness and to turn my life and commit my life to Jesus Christ and live each waking moment seeking to bring honor and praise to His glorious name. They all began their preaching with the words repent, but the new gospel leaves out the whole word. They say no turning from sin is required for salvation. Just say it with your lips and that's all that's required they say. And here's their final point. It is possible, they say, to experience a moment of faith that guarantees heaven for eternity then to turn away permanently and live a life that's utterly barren of any spiritual fruit. Genuine believers might even cease to name the name of Christ or confess Christianity and still they will be saved and made inhabitants of heaven for all of eternity. That is a lie. And you see Jesus said it's not everybody that says 'Lord, Lord', it's he who does the will of My Father. And in this very delicate theology, as soon as you mention works then people say no, no. He's telling us that you can work your way into heaven. That's not what I'm saying. I believe with all my heart there is not a thing I can do that can make my, bring my salvation about.

I must come to Jesus Christ just as I am. There is nothing I can perfect. There is nothing, no good that I can do. I must rely totally on His grace, on His mercy, and on His forgiveness. I do not work for my salvation. We believe that. There are those in the church world that say no, I can work my way into. I'll do good and I'll be this, and in fact, you oft times you ask people, are they Christian? Oh, they do, they're very good people. The implied is you can get to heaven by being good, but the Bible says that our goodness is as filthy rags in the sight of God. So never misunderstand me, I will never preach that salvation is by works, never; but, Jesus said when salvation is genuine, when there has been a real spiritual transformation, a transaction that has taken place in our life, it will be evidenced by fruits. And if there are no fruits there's nothing that happened inside no matter how much I lip it with words. That is the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

You say well Pastor, give us some verses. I will. Go with me to 1 John chapter 2. Now folks you just can't get the gospel any clearer than this. This is as clear as you can get it. This is exactly what Jesus said. Jesus said not everybody who says 'Lord, Lord' are going to make it into heaven, as religious as they may sound, and have all the doctrine correct. It's he who does the will of My Father, that is doing what pleases God, following His word and applying this to our life. Look at what it says. Here's John and he's preaching and John says, verse 3 chapter2, Now by this we know that we know Him. You see it there? And the interesting thing, the word for know is that intimate words that's used in Genesis chapter 4 that defines the intimate relationship between two persons, between Adam and Eve. And what John is saying, if you say that you have had that intimate, wonderful relationship where Jesus Christ has become the Lord of your life, you'll know that it's for genuine if, look at what he says, if we keep His commandments. There is the qualifier. See that's the evidence. A changed heart produces that desire to follow God's word and to follow His commandments in our lives.

Look at what he says again in verse 4. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar. That's pretty blunt, isn't it? That's what Jesus said. You can say 'Lord, Lord' all you want to, but if you're not doing in your life what God wants you to do in following Him and serving Him with your heart and soul, you're not going to make it folks. Look at what he goes on to say, But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. And that's what John is saying. If I've come to know Jesus Christ and He's truly transformed my life and I'm doing everything I can genuinely. That doesn't mean I'm going to live perfectly. I'm going to fail. I've fallen a dozen times this week, but God knows my heart. I want to do right and as soon as fail I seek for forgiveness, but I long to please God and follow His word. And the Bible says as long as I do that, there is a perfecting of His love in me that's going on. 

Paul speaks of it this way; we are changed from image into image into His glory. That's what he's saying. When I've come to that moment of salvation I may have all my imperfections, but a true believer will be a man or a woman who is progressing to become more and more like Jesus Christ because their goal is to live a life that pleases Him from this book (pats Bible). That's what John said. Now look at the next verse. John says, He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. And here's what John says, if you say you're a Christian there should be certain characteristics, there should be certain things that mark you life that are Christ-like, that make you different. And again, I'm not speaking of perfection. I'm just simply saying when something deep has happened spiritually within our lives and Jesus Christ lives within, He's going to affect a change in my lifestyle and my life values. He's going to do it. It's called the fruits of repentance. 

Now James did not have a conflict with Paul, and in the theological circles James got very clear. James says faith without works is dead. O, you say, but he's in conflict with Paul. Paul said just believe and it's all of grace. No, Paul takes the front side; James analyzes the after experience of conversion. Paul says we come to Him because of His grace, not a thing we can do. And James says and when He has done that eternal work in our lives, it's going to be evidenced by fruit. And if there're no works there, nothing happened inside that's going to affect us eternally. There's no conflict between Paul and James. Old Luther said I'm going to throw out the book of James. It's nothing but a bunch of straw. I don't like Luther for that. Whoever takes the initiative to say you're going to throw away a portion of the Bible just because you don't agree with it, James said listen, if you're going to call Him Lord, then let your faith produce some works of faith. 

You say well, where does it say that? Go with me to Luke chapter 3, and look at verse 3. Now remember this is, we'll just start with John. John preaches repent. He speaks of John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled And every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight And the rough ways smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'" Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, "Brood of vipers! Boy I mean he didn't take Dale Carnegie's book on How To Win Friends And Influence People, did he? Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? "Therefore, here it is, bear fruits worthy of repentance. What's old John saying? If you're genuine, it's going to prove it by your life. 

Now notice verse 10, So the people asked him saying, "What shall we do then?" In other words, we want to do what's right. So John gives them some very practical advise. He answered and said to them, "He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise." What 's John saying? John is saying we live selfish lives, self-centered, just of our life. If God, if repentance is true, you're going to have a generous heart and you're not going to be greedy. You're going to be living for others. And Paul says the love of Christ is shed abroad in our hearts through the work of the Holy Spirit. John said if you want to prove that you've had a change of life, then quit living selfishly and take what you've got and share it with others, for a generous heart is a marking of a Christian who the love of Christ constrains us to love others. 

Well, look at what he said. The tax collectors came. They were baptized. They said John, what are we supposed to do to prove that we really have repented? He said look at, "Collect no more than what is appointed for you." He said you've lived dishonest lives. You've taken advantage of people and he said if you really truly repent, you're going to live with honesty and fairness. You're not going to be greedy. You're going to be gracious and fair. What's he saying? If there has been a true change of heart, it's going to effect the way you deal with people in your public work. They're going to see something about us that marks us different, our value system, our life values are going to be totally different than the sinner. And if they're not, we haven't been changed. 

Well John goes on. It says, Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, "And what shall we do?" So he said to them, "Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages." And he was speaking to a problem where the soldiers would take from other people under force. They were not content. They would get any sources they could from foreign people. Now what John is saying, if repentance is truly genuine, you're going to be a different person, a different soldier. So this is what Jesus is saying. We can say 'Lord, Lord, Lord', but if that relationship with Jesus Christ is not producing fruits of righteousness we're not going to make it. Now the next verse really gets searching. 

Look at what Jesus said in our text. Many, not just a few, not just the odd ones, many will say to Me in that day. What day? The Day of Judgment. The day when all men shall stand before God and give an account for their works done in the flesh. Ladies and gentlemen, just as sure as we sit here this Sunday morning, here on earth, the day will come when all of us will stand at the judgment bar of God. All of us. That's the day that Jesus is referring to. None of us will miss it. It's an appointment none of us can cancel. We'll keep it and we'll stand there, and Jesus said there are going to be some standing there and say, Jesus, 'Lord, Lord', look at what I did. I did all of these wonderful things. I preached in Your name. I cast out demons. I did great wonders. Don't I deserve to get into heaven? And I did it in Your name. And Jesus will say, you depart from Me you worker of iniquity, I never knew you. You see when you read through the scriptures one of the marks of the closing days of time is the marks of deceivers. Jesus said there will be deceivers that go out that will do lying wonders and deceive, if possible, even the very elect.

Paul in his Thessalonian passage in 2 Thessalonians, Paul says Jesus will come with flaming fire taking vengeance upon all those who did wonders and deceived many. And Paul speak in the Corinthian passage in chapter 3, he says Satan makes his ministers as angels of light, deceptive. Now you see we're evangelicals and we believe that God can do anything and thus, we often back up and say, O isn't that wonderful. Look at what's being done and look at these people who are being healed. And Jesus puts up the caution light and said just a minute, just a minute, there are deceivers and those deceivers will deceive, if possible, even the elect. And I'm cautious to make judgments, but I'll have to be honest with you, I am a cautious person because what Jesus says is that many in that day will think that the genuine evidence for true faith is the miraculous, and it isn't. Satan will perform miracles, even to deceive. So Jesus is saying you can't count on just being religious and saying religious things. And when He said 'Lord, Lord' that showed a fervency. 

You just can't be excited about what you believe, and you can't put all your trust in what you think is supernatural. Those things won't get you into heaven, but He said only those who do the will of My Father which is in heaven. Those are the only people who are going to go to heaven. When you stand before God on that judgment day don't stand there and say, God, you've got to let me in because I went to Pastor Sheley's church, and I partook of communion, and I paid my tithe. Don't ever use that excuse. It won't get you anywhere. When you stand there may He say to you, well done thou good and faithful servant. You say Pastor, then how can I know? How can I know? I don't want to ever hear those words, depart from Me, I never knew you. They'll ring down the corridors of eternity. I don't want to ever hear those words. You say, what do I do? 

Go with me to a passage in 2 Corinthians. Here's exactly what you do. Here's the answer folks. I can't tell you. I can't make a judgment for you. I can't stand here today and say I can guarantee that when you arrive at the gates of heaven God will let you in. it's up to you. That's what Jesus is saying. I preached My sermon. It's time for you to make a decision. Are you going to go the broad way or the narrow way? Are you going to listen to truth or falsehood? Are you going to be a genuine follower or just a fake? It's up to you. Look at what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 13:5. Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 

Now let me read that one a little clearer. I'll read it from the Amplified text, and here's what it says in the original. Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. You know your heart's condition before God. You know if you're walking a long distance from Him. You know if you're just lipping it instead of living it. You know that. I can't make that judgment. And Paul said I'm responsible to examine, to test, and evaluate my own faith to see if I'm holding on and showing the fruits of it. And then he goes on to say, Test and prove yourselves [not Christ]. Do you not yourselves realize and know [thoroughly by an ever-increasing experience] that Jesus Christ is in you – unless you are [counterfeits] disapproved on trial and rejected? And here's what Paul is saying, I've got to look at my heart and ask God to reveal Himself to me. I've got to know that my own heart has been transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that there is that passion and that love and that desire within me to do what is right. I'll not do what's right all the time, but God knows my heart. That's what's there and I want that. I want to serve Him with everything inside me. 

I will fall and I will make my mistakes, but as soon as I do I say, Jesus, forgive me and I get up and keep going because He knows my heart. Paul said I want to make sure that that burning passion to serve Christ and to do what pleases Him is ever aflame there. Jesus said it doesn't count what you say, it counts what you live. And if you're not living it, you're wasting your time saying it because it won't get you into heaven. Solemn words aren't they? And the decision is on your shoulder. The broad way, narrow way. False gospel, true gospel. A genuine follower, or a fake. And next Sunday a foundation that's on the rock of ages or a life that's a wash on the sands of time. It's your decision.

Let's bow our heads. Lord Jesus Your words are so straight that we can't miss the implications. We can't miss the seriousness of it. If we're just saying things that sound religious, even believing the right thing, You've told us very clearly that's not going to get us into heaven. And You've told us very clearly that it's only those who do Your will, follow Your word, and serve You with all or our hearts. And each of us have got to deal with this personally, and I pray Lord Jesus, that there are those today who do not know You and have not experienced that personal transforming power of Your grace, may they search for You and find You with all their heart. In Jesus' name. Amen. God bless you.