Who Are You? Series

INTRODUCTION

• SLIDE #1

• In his book, Growing Deep in the Christian Life, p. 159-60. Charles Swindoll, writes, Several years ago, in Long Beach, California, a fellow went into a fried chicken place and bought a couple of chicken dinners for himself and his date late one afternoon. The young woman at the counter inadvertently gave him the proceeds from the day-a whole bag of money (much of it cash) instead of fried chicken. After driving to their picnic site, the two of them sat down to open the meal and enjoy some chicken together. They discovered a whole lot more than chicken--over $800! But he was unusual. He quickly put the money back in the bag. They got back into the car and drove all the way back. Mr. Clean got out, walked in, and became an instant hero. By then the manager was frantic. The guy with the bag of money looked the manager in the eye and said, "I want you to know I came by to get a couple of chicken dinners and wound up with all this money. Here." Well, the manager was thrilled to death. He said, "Oh, great, let me call the newspaper. I’m gonna have your picture put in the local newspaper. You’re the most honest man I’ve heard of." To which they guy quickly responded, "Oh no, no, don’t do that!" Then he leaned closer and whispered, "You see, the woman I’m with is not my wife...she’s uh, somebody else’s wife."

• Things are not as they always appear to be. The outside does not always reflect what is inside.

• As we close in on the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is going to speak to us today about what happens to us when we chose the wrong path and follow the wrong teachers.

• One of the sad things about this passage is that many of the people on the wrong path think they are on the right one.

• Is there more to entering heavens gates than many want to admit to?

• Let’s begin in verse 21.

• SLIDE #2

• Matthew 7:21 ( ESV ) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

• Verse 21 begins with a statement that could rock your world.

• SLIDE #3

SERMON

I. A STATEMENT THAT COULD ROCK YOUR WORLD.

• As we start in verse 21 we see a picture of people coming before Jesus at the final judgment. They are standing as they get to the end of the path they have chosen.

• They have been on a path that they have made for themselves.

• In the context the path may have included a little of Jesus mixed in with everything else they were doing in life.

• I can picture some of these people being people who had been a member of a church, maybe they were a somewhat active part of the church. Maybe they want to church as a child and quit going as an adult thinking they had “put in their time”

• They had heard the sermons on how Jesus demanded first place in our lives, but that thought really did not fit into their “lifestyle”. Jesus really did not mean those things about denying self or taking up your cross daily and following Him.

• Jesus really did not expect us to let in reign as king in ALL areas of our lives.

• As the people come to Jesus, this group will be in line calling out His name. (HEY JESUS, HERE I AM)

• The fact that the people cried out “Lord, Lord” indicates that these people understood who Jesus was and that they thought they had made a commitment to Him.

• Jesus speaks of the people He is speaking of calls out to Him LORD, LORD, this implies a spirit of intense zeal to demonstrate strength of devotion and dedication.

• When we get to verse 22, we see three references to doing things “in your name” this implies an emphatic understanding and convey the significance of who Jesus is. Jesus is therefore talking about those who make a profession of faith in Him.

• Jesus is telling the people that lip service is not what God is looking for. Lip service without obedience is meaningless.

• William Barclay in his commentary on Matthew say, “There are two great permanent truths within this passage There is only one way in which a man’s sincerity can be proved, and that is by his practice. Fine words can never be a substitute for fine deeds.

• There is only one proof of love, and that proof is obedience. There is no point in saying that we love a person, and then doing things which break that person’s heart. When we were young maybe we used sometimes to say to our mothers, “Mother, I love you.”