Not Everyone?
Notes
Transcript
Tough things in the Bible!
You all enjoying this series? If not, you will love the next one! If so, you will love the next one!
Have you ever been in those situations where you have been completely slapped in the face?
Not necessarily literally, but that would work too I suppose!
I mean, where you think you know something, you are doing something completely right, and then Jesus says nope?
Anyone want to share? Yeah, me neither! JK
I feel like, for me, that this happens pretty regularly, and this passage is one that does it!
There are 3 difficult things in this passage:
Not everyone will enter the kingdom of heaven
Many will say…and do amazing things and still miss it
I never knew you
1. Not Everyone...
1. Not Everyone...
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
It may seem a little simplistic to say that not everyone will enter the kingdom of heaven.
There are plenty that believe that if they are simply a “good person” that they will go to heaven “when they die.”
First off, this christian walk, this journey that we are on, this becoming more like Jesus... is more than simply “going to heaven” when we die!
Even if you were right, which you aren’t…we will talk about that in a minute, you are missing so much! We will talk about that here at the end of the message.
There are even those that believe if they know about God, or who God is, that that’s good enough.
It is clear here that the standard that Jesus sets for the Kingdom of Heaven is much more than simply knowing who God is!
I have spoken with several people who have this undertone in what they say. They say things like “I used to go to church, I know who God is.” Or, “I have my beliefs”
What’s that even mean? “I have my beliefs?” I don’t know, but I know what Jesus is laying out here for us! And, it is clear, that people who know Him, even people who would recognize His position by calling Him Lord, may not enter heaven.
So, that’s why this passage made it into the series. There is so much more to entering heaven than simply knowing who God is!
Before we dive into what it takes to enter the kingdom of heaven, let’s look at what the kingdom of heaven is.
Let’s start with crazy John! So, John the baptist knew his position - it was to point people to Jesus! So he says:
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
So, why would John say this? Well, it is obviously because Jesus is hear now!
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’
So, John the Baptist was preaching it, and then was thrown in prison - eventually beheaded, and now Jesus echoes what John was preaching. The kingdom of heaven is here!
As Jesus came into the world, He brought the kingdom of heaven with Him! He taught many things, and the intent was for people to see the kingdom of heaven!
This is a new kingdom! One that thinks differently, acts differently, and loves differently!
Thus, for those who want to experience heaven on earth, they must understand that it is through Jesus!
We don’t have to “wait to get to heaven!” We can experience here on earth!
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
So, to enter the kingdom of heaven, we have to do the will of the Father!
To enter the kingdom of heaven we must obey. Obedience is the key to the Christian life!
You see, it isn’t enough to just know…we must do! Jesus didn’t say memorize all of the scripture and gain as much knowledge as you possibly can, then you will be good!
The greek word for the word “does” here is a verb. It’s an action word.
I love what James has to say in chapter 1. James is great because he talks about what we should do as Christians.
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
Don’t get all caught up on the word law here....it’s Jesus - He did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it! He completed the law! It’s now the law of love and of grace....
To do the will of the Father is to obey.
It begins with belief…belief that God is who He says He is…that Jesus is who He says He is and that He does what He says that He does!
which turns into repentance…God, because of who you are…perfect and Holy…and because of who I am a broken and sinful, I can’t be with you…thus, I want to turn from my ways and want to become like you…holy and set apart...
and repentance leads to forgiveness…because of what Christ did on the cross, I can be forgiven! I can be blameless in the sight of God! I can be no longer condemned.
and forgiveness then leads to more obedience. To be doers of the Word! To not longer just sit and listen, but to do!
Because I now know my position with God, and who He created me to be....now I can do what He has called me to do...
To enter the Kingdom of heaven, We must do the will of the Father!
In Luke 9 - Jesus, with Peter, James, and John went up on the mountain and Jesus was transfigured and His clothes became blinding white! Moses and Elijah appeared....
34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”
To do the will of the Father is to listen to the Son!
Jesus says if we love Him, we will obey His commands! To do the will of the Father, is to obey!
This leads to the second difficult thing in this passage:
2. Many will say....and do!
2. Many will say....and do!
22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’
This is where it gets a little interesting.
Even people who prophecy in the name of Jesus will not enter the kingdom of Heaven!
The background information here is that people would use the name of Jesus for their advancement. It was to their benefit!
There is a semi-humerous story in Acts about this....
11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. 13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. 17 When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. 18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done.
People trying to cast out demons in the name of Jesus without any authority or for personal gain, didn’t end so well. They were likely trying to be like Paul and gain the fame that Paul had!
People can try to use the name of Jesus for their own personal gain, but the ironic thing, is that won’t actually gain the most important thing, the kingdom of heaven in their life!
I really feel for those preachers who are “in it” for the wrong reasons....money, fame…who knows what. Jesus gets on them pretty harshly here…you can prophesy in the name of Jesus, but still miss the mark.
You can even drive out demons…and perform other miracles in the name of Jesus, but still fall short.
You see, it’s about intentionality…it’s about your heart. Are you trying to do the will of the Father or are you trying to get your own status? So, what’s up here?
And the third hard thing:
3. “I never knew you!”
3. “I never knew you!”
23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
What sounds to be super harsh here is actually good news!
If you are someone who doesn’t take what Jesus says seriously, or someone who uses Jesus’ name for your own personal gain, or someone who does things for the “good” of the kingdom of heaven with the wrong intentions, then this news is terrible!
It should be terrifying! Jesus saying “I never knew you. Away from me!” I literally can’t think of anything worse that you could ever hear!
But, if you are truly following Jesus and His will, with the right intentions, this is actually amazing news! Jesus is giving us an opportunity…and that is to know Him!
We can know Him! And we can follow Him!
And of course the question: but how?
We have the opportunity to know Jesus, but how?
First, read about Him! Read the gospels, Matt. Mark. Lk. and John....fall in love with Jesus!
Secondly, pray. I know, it is really hard, and maybe even awkward at first, but start. You can pray out loud, in your head, or even journal.
Thirdly, begin listening. Ask Him to speak to you and listen.
Fourthly, find someone following Jesus and model what they do! Ask them to help you study the gospels and to teach them how to pray.
And now it gets a little more difficult.
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
To have a relationship with Jesus means that we will daily deny ourselves!
We deny our will and we submit to His!
When we have thoughts contrary to what is laid out in scripture, we keep our mouths shut!
When we want to do something unloving, we stop!
We can preach a whole sermon on denying ourselves as it’s just as difficult as anything else I have preached in this series!
We won’t go completely down that road right now....
Worship Team Come up!
But, to follow Jesus, means to deny ourselves!
Jesus says in:
35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
If we are all following Jesus, we are denying ourselves, serving others, and loving one another!
Folks, this should be the church! Not a bunch of perfect people, but a bunch of people denying ourselves and following Christ!
And when we, the church, can figure this out, people will come to see what these radical people are doing and lives will be transformed!
So, if you want eternal life, not just after you die, but now, here is the present, you must:
Do the will of the Father!
Call on the name of the Lord. Believe that Jesus died for your sins
Confess that you are a sinner - repent of your sins - and ask Jesus to forgive you!
Get to know Jesus! Salvation - what you just did - is just the beginning! The journey that you are now on is going to be amazing!
Get to know Jesus! Fall in love with Him!
Meet with people who know Him!
We now have a chance to respond! As alway, you are welcome to come to the front and pray, I as well as many others, are willing to pray with/for you!