Access Denied!
Matt.7:21-23
You might not consider it, but this world is very heavenly minded, considering just how wretched and wicked the world is, so in a recent Christian-Website poll, it was discovered that 93% of the people asked believed in a literal heaven. 93%! 53% Believe Good works can earn a place in Heaven. Another 34% “Born-again Christians” believed that good works can earn a place in Heaven.
The scripture teaches us this morning that not everyone goes to Heaven when they die! I know we want to believe they do, but the fact of the matter is, that Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people.
In what is, without question, the most important area of any person's life, most people, are sincerely wrong concerning what they know, accept, and believe about salvation.
Now all through The Sermon on the Mount, in chapter 5, 6, and 7 the Lord has been setting forth the heavenly standards of His Kingdom. As the anointed Messiah, the Christ, the King, He has divine principles which He himself demonstrates and now demands of those who desire to enter the Kingdom per se. Having counseled on the Picture of Kingdom Life (5:1-16), The Precepts Of Kingdom Life (5:17-48), The Practice of Kingdom Life (6:1-7:12), as the Lord draws near the end of His ‘Sermon on the Mount’ he reminds us of the seriousness of our salvation, the Lord says, now let Me caution you of one other thing, stop kidding yourself, are you truly a true member of the Kingdom of heaven? The Proof of Kingdom Life (7:13-29)
It is my fervent prayer that you will allow the Spirit of God to speak to your hearts today. It may be that there are some here this morning that have never been truly saved. Perhaps this is the day when you will come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior of your soul! Maybe there are those who think they are safe, saved, and secure but in reality, you're lonely, lost, and locked out. I am praying that God would impress upon your heart today! Perhaps there are those who know you have never been converted. There is no better time than right now to get to know Him. Let's join Jesus as He teaches us the truth and raises the question: “What in Hell do you want?”
I. THE TRUTH v.21
Jesus unveils one of the most HEARTBREAKING REALITIES in the entire Bible. He says that not everyone who calls Him Lord can claim Him as Lord! He is telling us that there will be some people who will think they are saved and en-route to Heaven, but who, in fact, are still lost and headed to straight Hell!
Jesus makes it clear that not all who profess Him possess Him! You may Acknowledge Him, but you have not been acquired by Him. You know Him, but He doesn’t know you!
A false profession of Jesus as Lord won’t save! A person may believe in the doctrines of the faith. They may seem sanctimonious and sincere. However, fictitiously saying you know Jesus won’t save your soul. Belonging to the church, being a first-class Christian, doing religious stuff, etc, are all honorable, but none of that can save the soul! Salvation comes: “…Except a man be born again…” Jn.3:3; “Examine yourselves, whether ye been in the faith…” 2Cor.13:5a; “Wherefore…make your calling and election sure…” 2Pt.1:10
I believe it is clear that Jesus is telling us that there will be some who will suppose they have been delivered and in reality they are deceived and depraved… SAD STATE v.21a (cf. Ps.51:5; Rm.6:23a)
Here v.21b, Jesus offers a SOVEREIGN SOLUTION for our right of entry into the Realm, Rule, and Reign of God, He says that we are given eternal life by “…doing the will of My Father which is in heaven” Does this mean that folk are saved by works? Of course not! Eph. 2:8-9. If we are going to understand content and context of this verse, we are going to have to find out what the determination and desire of the Father is? (cf.Jn.6:39-40) The Will of God Is not Boastful Talk but a Believing Walk. Believing Jesus Is Who He Said He is, Believing Jesus Will Do What He Said He Would (cf. Jn.3:16; 2Pt.3:19c; Rm.6:23b).
So, the Bible makes it clear that salvation comes to those who “see” (experience, connect) “the Son and believe (commit, entrust) in Him.” Commitment result’s in contrition of heart, confession, compassion, conviction, and compliance to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. You must come to the place where you trust nothing but the Birth, Life, Death, Burial, Resurrection, Ascension, and Return of Jesus Christ to save you from your sins, this is biblical salvation. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Rm.10:9-10; “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved...” Acts 16:31; “…I am the way, the truth, and the life…” Jn.14:6; “…And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”Rev.22:17
II. THE TESTIMONY v.22
There will come a PROPHETIC PERIOD v.22a, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ when they will finally be exposed for what and who they are: False professors! “…in that day…” for the Faithful Parishioners it’ll be a Joyous Day (reception), however for the False Professors it’ll be Judgment Day (rejection)! (cf. 2Cor.5:10)
Once they heard what the Fruit of ones Faith is, they begin to become Historical, in all reality they were only Hysterical. They thought they had provided a lofty resume! They had preached the Word of God! They had cast out devils! They had done many wonderful works! And, they had done it all in the Name of Jesus! Their words and their works will seem impressive to them, but their lives will not support the claim of their lips. It was a POINTLESS PLEA v.22b! In Luke 6:46 Jesus said, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” What the Lost claims the Lord condemns! Words, Works, Wonders… “…God is no respecter of persons.”
You see, it appears they were sincere in their labor. How they did what they did? I don’t know: God put words in Balaam's mouth, even though that prophet was false and wicked (cf. Num. 23:5). The wicked high priest Caiaphas without knowing and not on purpose “…this spake he not of himself…prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation” (Jn 11:51). Jesus said “For there shall arise false Christ’s and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders…”
The unbelieving sons of Scev’a, for example, were Jewish exorcists, who made their living casting out demons (cf. Acts 19:13–14). And last but not the least is the probability that some of the claims were simply counterfeit. The prophecies, exorcisms, and miracles were made-up and manufactured. The point is not how they done it? But why [motive] and for who [master] they done it for! Authorized or not, God did not honor it. Why? Because they had no part in His rule, reign or His righteousness, and those works, whether authentic or artificial, sovereign or satanic would stand them in no good stead before the judgment seat of Christ. “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” 2Tm.3:5
They were doing good stuff in God’s Name. It’s apparent; they professed an Outward expression but never possessed an Inward experience. They were so busy working for self, that they never took the time to worship the Savior!
If this verse teaches us anything at all, it teaches us that we are not the source of our salvation! You can know the religious lingo and language from A to Z, do church work 366 days a year, give 110% of your income, preach and teach till you are blue in the face and come to church 7 days a week, but the truth still remains. “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works lest any man should boast.” Eph.2:8-9
Do you hear us begging, bragging, and boasting? Notice that their whole claim to Heaven rests in what "they" have done! The focus is on self and not on the Savior. May I rush and remind you this morning, your salvation will never be about you? It will never be about what you have acquired or accomplished. Salvation is all about Jesus and what He did when He went to the Calvary and took the sins of the world upon Himself 2 Cor. 5:21. Salvation is about Him! Salvation is about the One Who suffered, bled and died to accomplish what a zillion lifetimes of religious works, words, and wonders can never do. (cf. Is. 53:4-11)!
III. THE TRAGEDY v.23
As those people stood before the Lord, surely they were taken aback at what they had already heard. Now they are about to hear a DREADFUL DECLARATION v.23a that will forever seal their destiny. He tells them, “…I never knew you…” All their words of awe and admiration and all their works of dedication and devotion will be declared empty and worthless. They may have had the Redeemer’s name in their mouths, but rebellion was in their hearts. They had claimed to be working in His name. They had claimed that they knew Him. They had claimed a connection, but Jesus confirms the truth. He tells them that neither at anytime in their lives had He ever known them!
Being the Omniscient One: knowing everything! He knew who they were and He knew their worth. The emphasis here is that Jesus neither at anytime acknowledged them in a personal relationship. These people had by no means been redeemed! cf. 1Jn.2:9
The parallel to this verse is this: “…The Lord knoweth them that are his…” 2 Tim. 2:19. If Jesus ever knew you, He still does today (cf. Jn.10:27-28). If not, then you just may be in this crowd that the text is speaking of. Not everyone gets to go to Heaven! These false professors’ are ordered to go away from the presence of the Lord! Jesus therefore will say to those who claim Him but never have committed to Him, “…I never knew you…” I have never known you as My loved ones, and you have never known Me as your Lord.
We have no intimate part of each other. You chose your kingdom, and not Yahweh’s kingdom. “…Depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” You, who continually, consistently and customarily “practice lawlessness”, DISMAL DEPARTURE v.23b
Finally they will be exposed for what they truly are: False professors! Any and everything done in Jesus’ name that He himself has not authorized is a blatant act of lawlessness (“iniquity”), there is only one destiny for such lawlessness…2Thes. 1:8-9
I suppose the most Disheartening Dialogue in the entire Bible will be the Discourse recorded here, “I never knew you, depart from me…” These are people who expected to hear the Lord echoing the words “…well done thy good and faithful servant…” They were fake, and they thought they would receive favor. Access Denied! Why? Because they have failed to place their faith in the shed blood of Christ at CALVARY’S CROSS! If you chose your way over Yahweh’s way, you will go to Hell. I wonder, what will Jesus say to you? Remember, ‘somebody’s going to hell, is it you’?
The Lord knows well that even His most faithful disciples will fail, falter, and fall! Otherwise He would not have told us to pray, “Forgive us our trespasses…” (Matt. 6:12). And “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). No Christian is sinless, but the fact that we wholeheartedly repent from our sins, seek the Lord's forgiveness, and “…hunger and thirst after righteousness…” (Matt. 5:6) is evidence that we belong to Him. God's “will” need not only be the desire of our life, but it is the direction of it as well. Oh, but those who deliberately and with determination “practice lawlessness”, however, give evidence that they never have and never will belong to Christ. They do not recognize or repent of their sins because they have no relationship with Christ.
The Way of Man Leads to . . . Hell. v.23b (cf. Pr.14:12)
The Way of the Messiah Leads to . . . Heaven. (cf. Jn 14:6)
