We read the conclusion of what
is usually called our Lord's Sermon on the Mount, and that's
fine because that's where he was when he preached this message. It consists of three chapters,
chapters 5 through 7. And our Savior exemplified the
perfect example of what a preacher ought to be. That is how he ought
to preach. We read the reaction of the multitudes that heard
him on the mount that day in verses 28. They were astonished
at his doctrine. They were just astonished at
it. And we're told the reason was he taught as one having authority. as one having authority, not
like the scribes, but as one having authority. This, his message,
as all other messages he brought, everything he ever said, it wasn't
on the format of an internet chat room where I understand,
I'm not involved in those things, but I've seen them or looked
at one, and everybody gives their opinion. Well, this is what I
think, and this is what I think. They're all on one is just as
relevant or carries as much weight as the other. No, no, no, no.
That wouldn't have impressed this multitude. The scribes may
have taught that way, but our Lord didn't. He declared the
truth. He didn't bring up questions
for debate, did he? He spoke what thus saith the
Lord, and he left it right there. He left it right there. On one
occasion, People didn't like what he preached, didn't like
it at all. He talked about man's inability. He didn't say anything
about man's so-called imaginary free will. He spoke about no
man coming to Christ unless the Father drew him. They won't even
know they're lost unless they're taught of God. He spoke about
man's inability and God's sovereignty. And the crowd said, we don't
like that. We don't have to listen to that.
We'll just leave. And that's exactly what they
did. And I think it's worthy to note, he didn't chase after
them. He didn't chase after them and
compromise and say, well, listen, maybe we can shave the rough
edges off of this thing and get you back. He just didn't do that.
He was the messenger of God. He was God in flesh. He declared
truth. He didn't offer an opinion to
consider, did he? Never, never. He taught doctrine
to be believed. To be believed, to be bowed to.
To be bowed to or be a rebel. There was no in between. He didn't
defend a religious system. That's I imagine was one of the
reasons they were astonished because they were probably used
to that. The Pharisees with their touch not taste not handle not
and describes their religious systems. But our Lord taught
a righteous salvation, not a system of theology, a righteous salvation. He didn't say come to this point
and that point and the other point. He said come unto me.
Come unto me. If you labor, if you're heavy
laden, come to me and I'll give you rest. Is anybody thirsty?
Come to me. Salvation is in Him. He didn't speak with uncertainty,
did he? Never. This is another thing,
perhaps the primary thing that impressed this multitude. Man,
this guy talks like he knows exactly what he's talking about. He talks dogmatic. He talks with
authority. There's no elbow room in his
messages for doubt. I mean, he just tells us exactly
how it is. I find that refreshing. In our
day, people hate dogmatism. I mean, you read what God's Word
says and they'll respond, well, but this is what I think. Really? And whether that's me or you,
what does that have to do with it? I mean, we don't bring our
thoughts to God's Word. We bow to God's Word. We bow
to it. And I think God's people do. They bow to God's Word. He taught
matters of certainty as one having authority. As we said, in this
chapter, the Lord is concluding His Sermon on the Mount. And
throughout His message, here, time and time again, but especially
as He concludes, and in other places in the Gospels, the Lord
draws a clear, unmistakable distinction between true and false religion. He does, doesn't he? Between
an outward ceremony, which is what they were used to, and inward
godliness. What the old writers referred
to as having a vital union with the Son of God. A vital union. Drawing life from Him. Being united to Him. being one with him. Man, religion can't do that.
I don't care if it's Catholic religion or Baptist religion,
it can't do it. No. A vital union means I either
have it or I'm going to hell. It means I either know Christ
or I don't know Christ. He that is righteous, let him
be righteous still. He that is unholy, let him be
unholy still. Oh, this vital union is not an
option, it's an absolute necessity to be united to the Son of God. It's no wonder that Paul said,
oh, that I might in that day, in that day which is read of,
be found in Him. Be found in Him. Here again in chapter 7, he brings
his sermon home. He brings it to a close. to all
who heard him by making a pointed, plain exhortation and warning
that we need reminded of constantly. I read a statement, it's not
in my notes, but it comes to mind, that Brother Don said in
his commentary on Matthew. He said, the one thing that is
the most dangerous to the souls of men is false religion. Our Lord warned of that over
and over and over, didn't He? He did here in these verses that
we read and many other places. That is the most dangerous things
to the souls of men and yet that is the most, most thing that
people regard the least. The one thing that is the most
dangerous is the very thing that they pay the least mind to. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that
indicative of our natural blindness? Let me give you an example of
this. It's from a bulletin last Sunday, the 28th, from Clay Curtis,
that pastor's up there in New Jersey. His text in this article,
in its brief, is from 1 John, chapter 3. 1 John 3, verses 11
through 14. They say this, for this is the
message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should
love one another, not as kings, not as Cain, who was of that
wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore did he slay him? Because his own works were evil
and his brothers righteous. Marvel not, my brethren, if the
world hates you. We know that we have passed from
death unto life because we love the brethren." Clay made some
comments on those verses that I'd never thought of before.
He said Cain and Abel were not only brothers physically, but
each one professed to be brothers spiritually. Abel claimed to
know God, so did Cain. There was no way to tell this
was not the case. More than likely, and this is
the part I'd never really given thought up to, more than likely
Cain assembled at the place of worship for many years as their
father Adam instructed him. as a professing believer right
alongside Abel. Cain came all those years with
his bloodless offering while Abel came with the blood of the
Lamb. But God only tells us about one day, one day, in that day,
our text. But God only tells us about one
day when Cain's attitude changed toward Abel. His issue with Abel
festered. I like that word, festered. All
the time he was hypocritically coming with his man-made offering that God rejected,
didn't have respect to, the work of his own hands. All the time
in his heart he hated his brother. That hate festered. His issue
with Abel festered until at last Cain could not contain his heart.
He killed that one He once pretended to love. What happened? What
happened? On that day, God made Cain hear
the gospel. God declared that Cain's works
were evil and that his brothers were righteous. After years of
pretending love, God stripped away Cain's false refuge. Remember, the Lord told his disciples,
the Pharisees, they don't have a cloak for their sin. I've come
and I've pulled the cloak back and they hate me for it. And
he concluded this article by saying, there was nothing Cain
could do to hide his carnal heart. It was enmity against God. Therefore, it was enmity against
God's child. Hmm. It's good. It's good, isn't
it? Here in verses 21 through 23,
our Lord speaks these words. And this is the title. Here's
the handle for you to grab hold of. In that day. In that day. Here the Lord Jesus Christ plainly
tells us of a time, a day, when every cane, when every cane will
be exposed. When they'll hear these awful
words, I never knew you. But we prophesied in your name,
I never knew you. We cast out devils in your name,
I never knew you. We performed great miracles in
your name. Doesn't that sound familiar?
Could anything better describe the day in which we live, these
hucksters? I've got miracles, miracles,
miracles. The only thing they're going
to relieve you of is that hump in your back pocket, your wallet,
your money. And the Lord said, I never knew
you depart from me. Oh, but on the other hand, brothers
and sisters in Christ, in that day also, this is just as certain,
just as sure, no question about it all that I would live like
I believed it. In that day to every able, Every true believer
trusting Jesus Christ for all of his salvation and all of his
hope, just as certainly as those who don't know him will hear
him say, depart from me. Those who do know him, he taught,
they will hear, come, come, ye blessed of my Father. Inherit
the kingdom prepared for you. How about that? You mean there's
not going to be no empty mansions in glory? You mean there's not
gonna be no unworn crowns? Little Johnny's, you know, what
was that hymn? Give my crown to mother. Ain't that special. Build my
house next to mother. Oh no. Come ye blessed of my
father. Inherit the kingdom prepared
for you. For you. Sounds like God did
all this on purpose. Don't it? Don't it? Oh, what
a great God. prepared for you from the foundation
of the world. In Matthew chapter 13, how about
looking at that? Matthew chapter 13, verses 30
through, or beginning at verse 30 rather. Matthew 13, our Lord
said, concerning the parable of the
tares and the wheat, the enemy sowing tares amongst the wheat,
he said when his disciples Asking to explain it, we'll read that
too, but verse 30. Let both grow together until
the harvest. And in the time of harvest, I
will say to the reapers, gather ye together first the tares,
and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat. Don't
lose that precious wheat. Gather it into the barn. As therefore,
he explained afterwards to his disciples concerning this parable,
verse 40. As therefore the terrors are
gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the end of
the world. The Son of Man shall send forth
his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things
that offend." All things that offend. And anything that's not
perfect is an offense to God. Anything that's not absolutely
sinless is an offense to God. All things that offend, and then
which do iniquity, like the many, and shall cast them into a furnace
of fire, and there shall be welding and gnashing of teeth. Then shall
the righteous shine forth. Oh, then shall the righteous
shine forth. Oh, what a day. Then shall the
righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their father,
who hath ears to hear. Let him hear. Let him hear. Then,
then, verse 22, when all that happens, is exactly what the
Lord is speaking of here in Matthew chapter 7. In that day, Bobby
sang about it a moment ago, a portion of that hymn by McShane. When
this passing world is done, not if, child of God, not if, this world we sing it, we don't
much act like it, But this world is not my home. I remember I
used it in the bulletin years ago, a fellow by the name of
Arrow Smith. He said, how becoming it is for
a Christian to go licking up the dust of this world when he's
on his way to glory. This world's not my home, and
yet grabbing every bit of it I can get hold of. Oh, no. When
this passing world is done, it all passes away. And when has
sunk yon glaring sun? When we stand with Christ on
high, looking o'er life's history, then, Lord, shall I fully know,
not till then, how much I owe. And this is what we read up here
in our text. McShane wrote this. When I hear the wicked call on
the rocks and hills to fall, when I see them start and shrink,
on the fiery deluge brink, then Lord shall I fully know, not
till then, how much I owe. How much I owe. In that day, the time has ended
when our Lord said, let the tares and the wheat grow together.
Not anymore. Not in this day. That's come
to an end. Now that day that God has appointed
has arrived. Do you hear that? That's serious. That's serious. That's what Paul
told the philosophers on Mars Hill, didn't he? God had appointed
a day in which he shall judge the world in absolute righteousness
by that man which he had appointed. And he's given proof of it, certainty
of it, by raising him, that is Christ, from the dead. Paul in
Hebrews 9 said, it's appointed. It's appointed unto men once
to die. Then what? Purgatory? Soul sleep? Whatever I imagine heaven or
hell might be or nothing at all? Then what? It's appointed unto
men once to die and after this, the judgment. After this. the
day that we read of it. It wasn't a fable after all,
Billy. It wasn't a fable. It's not a fairy tale. Jesus
Christ told the truth. That day has come. That day has
arrived. When all mankind are going to
be ushered into the presence of God Almighty, what will matter
then? What will be important then?
Oh, there will be many like that rich fool that our Lord spoke
of concerning those who were covetous and trusted in their
riches. You remember that in Luke 12.
That rich fool just laid his head on his pillow one night
and said, what am I going to do? I got a lot of stuff. Just
got too much stuff, but I can't give it away. Got to keep all
my stuff. So I'm going to build bigger barns to put all my stuff.
And God said, you're a fool. Tonight, tonight, tonight I'm
gonna require your soul of you. What if he said that to Larry
Criss or John Copeland or anybody else here? Tonight I'm gonna
require your soul of you and then whose will all those things
be? The wise man said, what profit
has he that has labored for the wind? It's gone. It's all gone. The Lord Jesus Christ teaches
plainly in these verses that not everyone is saved. Many will
say the same many that entered into the broad way. He says in
verse 22, many will say to me in that day. So you mean being saved is just
not a matter of saying so? Well, you'd be hard pressed to
find a lot of people that won't say so. They'll say they're saved. Is that all there is to being
a Christian? Is that all salvation amounts
to? Because this multitude before the throne sadly found out it
wasn't. They said a lot of stuff, but
our Lord said, I don't know you folks. Don't know you people.
He knows His sheep. He's never ever said concerning
His sheep, I don't know them. Oh no, He knew us. He knew us
in that everlasting covenant of grace when He received us
into His hands from God His Father and promised to do everything
required by God's holy law to bring them back to glory and
to present them without fault back to His Heavenly Father. Oh, He always knows His sheep.
When He came into this world, made of a woman, made under the
law, He knew His sheep. He was coming for them. When
He said, O Father, I come to do Thy will, O my God, He was
doing it for His sheep. He always knows His sheep. And
glory to His name, when we stand before the judgment throne of
God, He's going to know His sheep. I know you. They will never ever
hear God would cease to be God if that should happen. They will
never hear like these that didn't know him but only pretended to
or thought they did were deceived. No, his sheep will hear, come
on in. This is all for you. I've been
waiting for you. These are the mansions I prepared
for you. Come and be with me forever.
Oh, glory to his name. They claim these many to have
done many wonderful works all in the name of Christ. But during
all that time, a whole lifetime perhaps, they never knew Christ. Isn't that startling? Isn't that
startling? Man, that's serious business.
Is anything more serious? Is anything more solemn? And
this is what Jesus Christ himself said. This is how it will be. It will be in that day exactly
this way. These folks go right up to the
judgment seat of God Almighty and thinking they're going to
hear, come on in, come on in. I never knew you. Depart from
me. Cast them into outer darkness. They're offensive. They're offensive. They're a stench in my nostrils.
Their filthy rags are an offense to me. Their self-righteous robes
are an offense to me. Cast them out. I know you've
heard the story about a lady. Brother Henry Mayhan asked her
if she was a Christian. The lady said, Oh, Brother Henry,
of course. I've been a Christian all my life. And Henry looked
at her and said, Lady, that's too long. That's just too long. A Christian all your life? That's
not possible. Like the rich young ruler. Man,
wasn't he impressive. He searched out Christ until
he found him. And when he found him, he did
what very few would do. He came before him and kneeled
down to him. Kneeled down to him. And said,
Lord, not many would do that. What must I do to inherit eternal
life? And our Lord who knows the hearts
of all men, he knows mine, he knows yours. Right now, right
now. Looked at that young man and
said, one thing you like. The young man asked him, what
do I like in you? I've kept the law. I've kept
the law. I mean, that's not been a problem
for me. He didn't have a clue what the
law was, what the law really meant. the spirituality of the
law. He said, oh, I've kept all this
since I was a youth. What do I like yet? And he really
didn't think he liked anything. And our Lord said, one thing
thou likest, one thing thou likest, the one thing that makes a sinner
accepted by a holy God, that presents him without fault before
the throne of God, that makes him well-pleasing to God, That
young man lacked what every one of this many here in Matthew
7 lacked. The one thing needful they didn't
have, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ. Man, that's
serious, isn't it? That's what I mentioned in your
bulletin today on this verse of scripture. Not every one.
My soul. It's not enough to say I'm a
believer. That's what they said. But the
Lord said, that's not enough. That should grab our attention.
Does it? Does it? Do I have your attention? Does that grab? Does that not
grab your attention? How can such a thing happen?
The Lord tells us that He will, but He also tells us why, how
it happens. Oh, in the light of this, I think
I can understand a little bit of what Paul said when he cried
out, oh, woe is unto me if I don't preach. I hope you know that's
not what he said. He said, woe unto me if I preach
not the gospel. Because the gospel alone is the
power of God unto salvation. Paul also wrote, how shall they
hear without a preacher? He said, whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, but how shall they
call on him in whom they have not heard? And how shall they
hear without a preacher? Oh, no wonder Paul said, The
gospel being the power of God and the salvation, I must preach
the gospel. I must get the gospel to them. And so he did until his dying
day. And in this day that John in
his first epistle spoke of, when he said, brothers and sisters,
little children, it is the last time And you have heard that
Antichrist shall come just like our Lord taught. Even now are
there many Antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time. It's all around us. Just all
around us. Our loved ones. So it seems like the world bows
to the God, the image of man's will. Does it not? Paul spoke
about that in 2 Thessalonians. Oh, that deceiver, that antichrist
will deceive many. And because men refuse, not accidentally,
but make a deliberate, rebellious choice to refuse to hear the
truth, God sends them a lie. Justly so, not unjustly. My soul, God's Don't worry about
God being fair. That's not going to happen. But
because they refuse to believe the truth, Paul said God will
send them a strong delusion. God will let them have what they
want. Oh, my soul, aren't you glad
God didn't leave you alone? There was a time in your rebellion,
you said, leave me alone. Leave me alone. Oh, I'm so thankful
that he wouldn't take no for an answer. And Paul says, they'll
be damned who refuse to believe the truth. But he didn't stop
there, daddy. But. Oh, but. We are bound to give thanks always
to God for you, brethren, because God has from the beginning chosen
you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the
truth, whereunto he called you by our gospel. Woe unto me. if I preach not
the gospel. We said, not everyone that saith.
This is what the Lord said in verse 21, not everyone that saith
Lord. Again in verse 22, many will
say to me, Lord, Lord. Evidently, being a Christian,
a believer, involves more than merely saying so. Many did that. Multitudes trust their immortal
souls to know more than saying the sinner's prayer. Ask them
if they're a Christian. Yes, I said the sinner's prayer. I repeated what the preacher
told me. He put words in my mouth, and
then he guaranteed me I was saved eternally. Saying I accept Jesus. They said what they were told
to say, and then they were assured that you're a Christian. But
will you hear what the Lord Jesus Christ said? He said, that's
not enough. That's not enough. That's to
follow the broad way to destruction with the many of verse 13. Those
many, the same many to whom he said, I never knew you. Look again at verse 21, the second
part. Not he that saith, but he that
doeth. Are you looking at it? but he
that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Hearing
and doing. He's the one. He's the one. And he only that's on the solid
rock. The solid rock of God's salvation. Grace that does not make a person. Grace that does not make a person
obedient to God is not the grace of the gospel. Did you hear that?
Grace that does not make a person obedient to God is not the grace
of the gospel. It's a delusion. Faith that does
not make a man faithful is not the faith of God's elect. Salvation
that does not transform sinners into the image of Jesus Christ
their Savior is not Bible salvation. It's just not. It's a delusion. It's an imposter. Salvation,
as our Lord plainly taught here, is more than a religious profession.
or an emotional experience, or the performance of religious
duty, salvation is doing the will of God. What must we do
that we may work the works of God, they asked, and the Lord
Jesus Christ told them in John 6. This is the work of God, that
you believe, verse 29, that you believe on him whom he hath sent. Believe on the Lord Jesus. What
must I do to be saved? The terrified jailer asked Paul
and Silas. What must I do? Well, there's
nothing you can do. That's not what they said. Paul
wasn't worried about not appearing Calvinistic enough. I've had
people say that and act that way. Nonsense. What must I do to be saved? I
wish somebody would ask me that. So I would love to hear somebody
cry out. What must I do to be saved? I would answer in the
same language that Paul did. Believe, believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. I was talking to a fellow
one time that took me to task because I said God commanded
all men to repent but he said they can't. I said that's not
the issue. God doesn't lower his standards to meet our ability
otherwise there would be no standards. When Adam sinned, God still held
him responsible, did he not? Still held him responsible to
obey him even though he couldn't. It wasn't God's fault, was it?
No, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. This is what it boils down to.
This is what it boils down to. Last of all, doing God's will
is not simply saying it, But doing God's will is obeying the
Lord Jesus Christ. It's believing on Him. And that
faith, saving faith that believes on Him, bows to Him. It surrenders to Him without
reservation. Anything less than that is not
saving faith. You remember what the Lord Jesus
Christ Himself said, praying that high priestly prayer in
John 17. to his father. This is life eternal. You want
to know the definition of eternal life? This is life eternal that
they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom
thou hast sent. I never knew you. I visualize that multitude when
they hear those words And I see in my mind's eye the face of
my own loved ones, children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters,
clinging to a false profession. And they'll hear, depart from
me, I never knew you. Oh, my soul, God don't allow
it. But that's the way it will be unless they believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ. Even if you're sitting in a dungeon
cell waiting to be executed, you can say with a heart full
of joy and confidence, it's all right. I know whom I have believed. I think he's able. I'm convinced,
I'm persuaded that he's able to keep that which I've committed
unto him against that day. I will encourage you to read
verses and study verses 24 through 27. Because there our Lord makes
application of what he just said. He tells us how such a horrible
thing should happen. To those who hear him say, depart
from me, they never were on the foundation. Their foundation
were what they confessed in verse 22. Casting out devils, doing
many wonderful works, prophesying. And the Lord said, it's a sandy
foundation. It's no foundation whatsoever. Again, I say with Paul, in that
day, I want to be found in him. Don't you? Someone very well
said, it is faith alone that justifies, but the faith that
justifies is never alone. Is that right? James said, show
me your faith without your works and I'll show you my faith by
my works. I'll show you the evidence of
it. genuine faith. In that day, I want to be found
in Him. Oh, to build upon the one foundation
laid by God. In that great day, in that great
day, when God, as Paul tells us in Hebrews 12, shakes this
world, shakes it, shakes this religious world, and everything
And everybody that's not up on Jesus Christ, the solid rock,
is going to fall out into hell. Everything. Everyone. Is that
not what he teaches here? I perhaps have told you the story,
but years ago, when I was still living back in West Virginia,
quite a while ago, there was this old lady who lived in the
town. We all called her Granny. She
wasn't my Granny, but everybody called her Granny Arthur. And
I knew her. After God saved me, I tried to
talk to her, tried to witness to her. I knew, it was obvious,
she was just trusting a false profession. She just rushed me
off. Everything's well, everything's
well. She came down to die. She was dying. John, I went to
her house. Maybe I've told you this before. And I took a Bible and I turned
to Luke 18. the parable of the Pharisee and
the public. And I went through that, verse
by verse, sitting next to her bed. Just like I was talking to a
five-year-old. I thought, man, you can't be
too plain. And after I got done, I said,
Granny, what do you think of that? And she looked at me and
said, that Pharisee was a good man, wasn't he? She identified with the Pharisee. And she went out to meet God
Almighty, like the Pharisee, trusting something other than
the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, may God convince me now,
today, if I'm not a believer, if I don't have genuine faith,
may God convince me of it now, rather than in that day, like
this many that stand before Him and be convinced of it everlastingly
too late. God bless you. Thank you for
your attention.