Sovereign Grace Chapel, located at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. Welcome to the broadcast. If I was to give my message a title today, I would title it this. Some Most Dreadful Words. Think about that. Some Most Dreadful Words.

Let me read you the passage why I say this. Matthew chapter seven, just three verses. This is our Lord Jesus Christ speaking. He said, it's not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works. Listen now, here's these dreadful words. Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Truly, truly, I could say that's the most dreadful words. Think about it. The master himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, God manifests in the flesh. The master himself said, one day, this will happen, and it will happen to many. And what he says, it will happen to many. Many, verse 22, Many will say to me in that day, that same many, he'll profess unto them something. You see it? I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. It will happen to many. That's dreadful, that's dreadful.

Here's a second thought. It will happen to many who are zealous in Christ's name. Do you see that? They're zealous in Christ's name. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you work, that work iniquity. Dreadful words, for sure. Some most dreadful words. It will happen to many. It will happen to many who are zealous in Christ. That's dreadful. That's dreadful.

Here's a third thought. It will happen to many because they think, now listen to me. It will happen to many because they think doing God's will is the same as their religious doings. That's exactly what he says. Now, let's look at it. Look at what he says. Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter in the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven. Well, isn't the will of the Father is for us to do all of these wonderful, great, mighty things? No. No, look, many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? He doesn't tell them, no, you didn't do all that he has said. He will profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Some most dreadful words. It will happen to them because they think Doing God's will is the same as their much religious doing, and it's just not so. We'll see that in the text.

Here's a fourth thing. Christ himself, this is dreadful, but it's true nonetheless. Dreadful, but true nonetheless. Christ himself will ignore their profession. You hear what I'm saying? Christ himself will ignore their profession. In that final day, he will ignore their profession and give them his own profession. And then will I profess unto them. Well, we prophesied in your name. You see, we cast out devils. We got a great profession. Look at what we've done. Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Truly, truly some dreadful, dreadful words. Think about it. These have to be among some of the most dreadful words that will ever be uttered to the sons and daughters of man. Dreadful words, because they're from the God of all glory. Our creator, our benefactor, our sustainer. Jesus Christ created all that there is. Colossians chapter one. He is God manifest in the flesh. He that Christ said to his disciples, if you've seen me, you've seen the Father. You see, most dreadful words, most dreadful. It's just, these are the words of the Son of God that were uttered by the Son of God himself.

My wife and I once went on, I think it was Smith Mountain Lake, we were traveling back after a couple days there and we seen this antiques place and we stopped and had all kinds of really nice, interesting stuff, stuff my wife and I enjoyed. You all heard the phrase, Jesus loves me, this I know. I know you have. There's a song, Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. But my wife and I seen just a small plaque, maybe about that long, just a couple inches tall. And that plaque had on it this, Jesus knows me, this I love. Do you see the difference? You see the difference? Jesus knows me, this I love. Not Jesus loves me, this I know. It's Jesus knows me, this I love. Does that not correspond here? These are gonna be some dreadful words spoken by the master himself to many people.

Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Do you see that? As your pastor, Does your church, does your church, I'm asking, does your church teach you that to be known of God is far more of necessity than all of your religious wonderful works? Do they teach you that? Do they teach you that to be known of God is far more important than for you to do all of these religious things? If they don't, I'd get somewhere where they do, where they teach you that to be known of God is the important thing. Because think about it. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Truly, that's some dreadful words. Does your pastor teach that? Is that what you're under? Are you being taught that what you do is the most important thing in this world? Mm-mm. It's God knowing you. Because if God the Son don't know you, I don't care how many wonderful works you have, one day you may hear him say, depart from me, you worker of iniquity. I never knew you. Dreadful, dreadful. Words indeed.

Listen, listen to what our Lord said here. This is just a part of many words that our Lord spoke. Look at what he said in verses 13 and 14. Look at 13 and 14 of Matthew 7. Enter ye in at the straight gate. That doesn't mean straight, necessarily like a straight line, but straight tight. It's, as we say in the mountains, squeezed in. It's tight. Enter ye in at the straight gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and what? Many. Remember, the same many he's talking about down here. And many there be which go in there at, because straight is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Jesus Christ is that gate. He's confined as one person. Everything God wraps up when it comes to the eternal blessing of your soul is wrapped up whether Jesus Christ knows you or not. That's what he said. And then when I professed unto them, I never knew you. Oh, they knew all about him, but I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Isn't that dreadful? Look at what he goes on to say.

After he says, then, and then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Now look, therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man that built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon a what? A rock. Now think about it. Our Lord's kind of given us a little insight in here as to what he's talking about. About these dreadful words that some people's gonna hear, that many people's gonna hear.

Look. And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which build his house upon the sand. Now let's stop. Both of them had a house. Both of them had a house. The problem was not the house itself. Look at it. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and it beat upon that house, and it fell, and great, and great was the fall of it. Both men had a house. What was the problem? What was the difference? One was built on a rock. Jesus Christ is the rock. One was built upon the sand. Oh, I've done all these wonderful works. There you go. You have it right there. Our Lord just brought it right in the front door for us. You see it? He just brought it right in the front door for us. You got people bragging on themselves, and then you got people that said, I need a house. Yeah, I need a house, but my house must be built upon a rock. Jesus Christ is that rock. So again, I ask you, is that what your pastor's preaching? Is that who your pastor's preaching? Remember, the point is not about you doing wonderful works for the Lord, even in his name. It's whether he knows you or not.

You see, the master, think about it. The master will say to many, who thought they knew him, okay? Who thought they knew him, I never knew you. So which one is the important one? Which one's the important? They knew of him. They did all these wonderful works in his name. But he said, I never knew you. I can say that is some of the most dreadful words that the sons and daughters of men will hear. But he said, it'll happen one day. It'll happen.

Here's another thought. The master will also, this is dreadful, but it's true. The master will also cast them away with their iniquity remaining. Have you thought about that? With their iniquity remaining. Could it be that he's even calling their good works the iniquity? That is the context. Having a house is all great, but if you build it on the sand, what's gonna happen when the rains come and the floods come? It's going to fall. And not only will it fall, Great will be the fall of it. Do you see it? Great will be the fall of it. The master will cast them away with their iniquity remaining. Yes, even their deeds in his name are called their iniquity.

And then, right, just right after they say, have we not preached in your name? Right? Have we not preached in your name? And in thy name cast out devils. We've helped a lot of other folk. We've helped, we're philanthropic. We have the love of Christianity in our heart. We've just helped all these other people out and in thy name done many wonderful works. And he said, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Why? Because they're building their house upon the sand. The sand is our own works. Your works, my works, my friends, your works are nothing but sand and they will not hold your house up. Even their needs are called iniquity.

That's the question. Does God know me? Does Jesus Christ know me? Now there's a question, is it not? I realize this is not being preached in most places today, I understand that. But that's the question. Isn't that the question here? It's not about what you're doing for him, but it's about whether or not he knows you.

Does that really matter? Is that really important? Well, listen to what the Apostle Paul said about it. Listen to the importance of being known of God. Listen to what he wrote in Romans chapter eight. And I'm sure that the first verse I quote here, many of you will be familiar with. But after that, I realized that most people kind of veer away from what's after this verse.

Here's the first verse, Romans 8, 28. And we know that all things work together for good. And people quote that and quote that and just make themselves feel all comfy and just warm inside over that. But look at what Paul actually wrote. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

You see, God's got a purpose in which he calls certain people. That's it. There's many who obey, call on the Lord. They've used his name over and over. They call him Lord, Lord. They even acknowledge his lordship, but they're building all of it upon the sand of their own doing.

Look, for them that are the called according to his purpose for whom he did, look at it, even four know. What's that? That means he knew us before we knew him. But remember, he don't know everybody. You remember that? For whom, how can I say that? It said it right here. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate. Okay?

Now somebody said, but does that mean he saw my works? These folks' works didn't help them out, it was their sand. They built their house upon these works. Christ said, it's me knowing you, it's not you doing for me. Hmm. For whom he did forego, he also did predestinate. And it doesn't say predestinated to heaven and hell. I've been told that, accused of that. You preach, God predestinates some people to heaven, other people to hell. That's not what this says. And that's not what I preach.

Here's what I preach. For whom he did forego, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son. Now, do you want to be like Christ? Hmm? Then why are you mad? Because God predestinated some people to it. You hate that? You say, I don't care about that. Well, why are you mad about that?

Here's what God, what did he do? For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he, that is, that the son might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Moreover, whom he did predestinate, they may also, what? Called. And how'd he call him? Verse 28, according to his purpose. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called. And whom he called, them he also justified. And whom he justified, them he also glorified. Do you see that? As far as God's concerned, it's done. Now, I don't see that now. You're not gonna see that now, but that's the way God says it is. That's the way God says it is.

Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called. Somebody says, I don't believe that. Then you don't believe the Bible. It's that simple, ain't it?

Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called. Whom he called, them he also justified. And whom he justified, them he also glorified.

What shall we then say to these things if God freed for us? Who's that? The foreknown, the predestinated, the called, the justified, the glorified. That's the ones he's talking about because he don't know everybody. He go profess to some folk who knew all about him, did all these wonderful works in his name, but he go professing to them, I never, never knew you. He didn't foreknow him, he doesn't know him now, he'll never know him. I never knew you. Depart from me you that work iniquity. That's dreadful words, is it not? Depart from me ye of work and iniquity.

What shall we say then of these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? And here's the glory of it all. He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all. Do you see that? These people right here, these people. for us all. He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Those that God set his love on before the world began. those that God foreknew before the world began. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Rhetorical, nothing. As it is written, for thy sake, we are killed all the day long. We are counted as sheep for the slaughtered neigh, and all these things, and all in them. not after he brings us out of him or through him. In all these things, we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Now that's what it means to be known of God. As a matter of fact, listen to the way the Apostle Paul, look at the way he put it to the churches of Galatia. And he wrote it this way, to the churches of Galatia. And it's recorded in Galatians chapter four. Look at what it says in verse eight, how be it then, when ye knew not God, okay? These other people, Matthew said, they knew God. but they weren't known of him. Do you see it?

But look, how be it then when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. You worshiped idols. That's what he's telling them. Look, but now, after that ye have known God, or rather, now look, let's read it again. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather, are known of God. Do you see that?

Now he goes on and says, how turn ye to the weak and beggarly elements where into you desire again to be embodied. He was rebuking them for beginning to turn their eyes away from God himself and to be known of him. You see it? Or rather are known of God. Most dreadful words to ever be said. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work illiquity.

Now let me just give you three things, winding up this last several minutes. We know him, if we know him. If we know him like these Galatians did, that God Almighty had sent us. by the power of his spirit and the preaching of his gospel, and God Almighty's done something inside your soul, given you spiritual life within, and you hear that gospel, and you turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, it's because God knew you before the world began. It's because he foreknew you. It's because he set his love upon you in Christ Jesus before the world began. And if we know him, we know him only because he first knew us. He foreknew us, and yet some people, he gonna say, I never knew you. Isn't that most dreadful to think of hearing? Most dreadful. I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. We know him only if and because he first knew us.

Here's another thing, and John makes it clear. John actually says, it's 1 John 4, verse 19, we love him, because, you hear that? I'm quoting from John. Being moved by the spirit of God to write inspired scripture. We love him because he first loved us. That lets me know his love preceded mine for sure. And it lets me know this, if he loved me, I will come to love him. That's where it's at. He's got to love me first. Then when I profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

You see, we do not choose him. This is what Christ said in John chapter 15, verse 16. John himself records this for us. We did not choose him, he must choose us. What he told his disciples, ye have not chosen me. You don't choose Jesus, he must choose you. It ain't about you knowing Jesus, it's about does he know you? Because if he knows you, you will come to know him. If he loves you, you will come to love him. If he chose you, you will believe him. You don't choose him, God chose him. He is God's elect, Isaiah chapter 42. He's the only one that's ever chosen based upon his person and his work. You were chosen, if you were chosen, in Jesus Christ and not in yourself.

Which is better? Which is better? I asked you this question. These are some of the most dreadful words ever even written in scripture, but one day they'll actually be said by our Lord, right? Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Remember, there's a straight gate, and there's a narrow way, and there's a broad gate, a broad way. Many will enter in that broad way. Few will enter in that straight way. That straight way is one person. One man, the Lord Jesus Christ. Many will say unto me that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works? Then will I profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Then he says, now, where's your house built? Where's your house built? Upon a rock? It's not, see, upon a rock. See, it's built upon a rock, a rock. Not a lot of rocks, a rock. Is your house built upon a rock? Is your house built upon sand? Christ himself is the rock, not in your efforts. That's the sand. Don't build your house on the sand. You build your house on the sand, I don't care how good your house is built. I don't care how much you use Jesus' name in building your house. If it's built upon the sad, one day you will hear him say these dreadful words, and then when I profess unto you, I never knew you, depart from me, you that work iniquity. That's dreadful to even think of.

We did not choose him, he chose us. We love him because he first loved us. We know him only because he first knew us, which is better.

Which is better? To have mine iniquity exposed, even my best deeds. That's what the prophet Isaiah said, that even our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. You know what that means? Mensis cloths. Even our righteousnesses are as filthy rags in God's sight. What kind of hope do you have in that? None.

But if you're building your house upon the sand, that's what you're building your house upon, filthy rags, menses cloths. Which is better, for my iniquity to be exposed, even the iniquity of my best deeds? That's what I'm saying. That's what Christ is saying.

Which is better, to have my iniquity exposed, even the iniquity of my best deeds, and to have them exposed now? Have God show me what they are now, and make me ashamed of them now, and I run to Christ himself as my hope. Which is better? Which is better? To do that? To have God expose even my best deeds as filthy rags in God's sight? And that forces me to run to him and build my house upon him? Upon a rock? So when the storms come, it stands? Or am I still gonna just build my house upon the sand and build my house upon the sand? Which one?

Or to hear in the end, hear yourself saying. Just hear yourself saying and you won't be able to help yourself. Lord, Lord, I've prophesied in your name. Lord, I've done this. Lord, I've cast out devils in your name. I've helped other people out in your name. and I've done many wonderful works in your name, and all of a sudden you find yourself falling silent, silent before a sovereign God at the judgment seat, and you hear him say, and then I will profess unto them, I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity.

You know what I would counsel you to do? Throw down those works. Throw down those works. But preacher is preaching in his name and casting out devils and doing, throw them down. They're sand. If you're building your house on them, it's of no avail. Build your house upon the rock. Flee to Christ. Come to Jesus Christ. Rest upon Jesus Christ. Submit yourself to Jesus Christ and his righteousness. He is the end of the law for right, even the law. He's the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth.

So I ask you, Do you think these are some most dreadful words? Do you think so? Do you build upon the rock or do you build upon the sand?