Taught As One Having Authority Series

Sermon on the Mount

Pt 15

Taught As One Having Authority

Matthew 7:21-29

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. [22] 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? [23] And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness! [24] Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: [25] and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. [26] But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: [27] and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall. [28] And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, [29] for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. [NKJV]

OPENING REMARKS

A. Sermon of the Mount Summary

1. The Sermon on the Mount is now coming to an end.

2. This passage forms the summation of the sermon.

3. Throughout this sermon Jesus Christ has been showing there is a difference between those who keep the Law for salvation and of those who put their trust in Him for salvation.

a. Those who insist on keeping the law (Good Works) are the ones on the broad way which leads to destruction.

NOTE: The Lord is not talking to irreligious people.

.. These are not atheists nor agnostics, pagans, heretics, or apostates.

.. These are people who are devoutly religious.

.. These are people who believe that they are doing the right things required of God - keeping the law, doing the right thing morally, attending worship on a regular basis, giving of their time, tithe, and talents - showing that they have a form of godliness | much like those of our current time (2 Timothy 3:1-5) among the 87% of Americans who proclaim that they are Christians.

b. Those who trust in Christ (accept the Gospel) have entered into the narrow gate which leads to life.

John 14:6

I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

John 1:12-13

[A]s many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

TEXT

I. Religion Alone - Insufficient

[21] 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.

[22] 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?

[23] And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!

A. Works do not save.

Ephesians 2:8-10

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

1. This group mentioned here have done mighty things in the name of the Lord – yet they are not known by Him. They are sincere in their efforts – but sincerely, wrong.

a. Call Jesus Lord, Lord – to repeat the usage of Lord indicates devotion.

b. Prophesied in His name – many a preacher, teacher, and instructor speak out for Christ / cf. Phil. 1:15.

c. Cast out demons in His name – Much like those of Sceva, Sceva, and Sceva (Acts 19:13-16).

d. Done many wonderful works in His name – great benevolence has been done throughout the world

2. Yet despite all of the great things they accomplished – In God’s Name – they did it all outside of the will of the God.

a. Those who act outside of the will of the Father will not be acknowledge for all of their good deeds. Christ here calls their efforts an act of Lawlessness.

Proverbs 16:2, 25

All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. … There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.