Matthew 7:21-28 (3 Oct 2019)

21  ‘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.  22Many 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?”  23Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”

24  ‘Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.’

28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

• The only ones in heaven?
• See verses 21-23
  • Do you know anyone who will be denied by Jesus like this?
  • Looking at people you know can you tell who will be accepted and who will not?
  • Can you tell the difference?
  • What IS the difference?
• NB: Jesus can tell the difference!!
  • Despite appearances Jesus says …
  • I never knew you
  • I never approved of you
  • I never authorised or empowered you
  • I was never with you.
  • They were false prophets – they were “evildoers”
  • “Away from me” … where to?

• But we must take care…

Mark 9:38-42

38‘Teacher,’ said John, ‘we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.’

39  ‘Do not stop him,’ Jesus said. ‘For no-one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me,40for whoever is not against us is for us.  41Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.

• Just because they are not in our group, club, denomination, ordination, that does not rule them out.
• Those against are clearly against; 
• Those not against and those for us are for us
• Note the warning in verse 42!
• 42  ‘If anyone causes one of these little ones – those who believe in me – to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung round their neck and they were thrown into the sea.

In one of his confrontations with the antagonistic Pharisees Jesus said:

Matthew 12:30-32

30  ‘Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.  31And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.  32Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

• There are only two positions to be in, two relationships: you are for Jesus or you’re against him, you acknowledge Jesus as God, Saviour and King or you don’t, you belong to Jesus or you don’t
• If you are not in relationship with Jesus you are against him
• If you are with him you gather others in also; otherwise you divide and scatter.
• If you deny the truth the Holy Spirit tells us about Jesus you are saying the Holy Spirit is a liar – clearly blasphemy.

Visited church in Queensland – theme for several months was “Together” – “Discovering together what it looks like to be the church”.

That day the topic: Gathering.

Began to think about gathering, unity, the body of Christ.

What of those whose teaching, theology, doctrine tries to reinterpret the Bible to suit the world around us?  That leads to differences, division and cheats people of the truth of the Gospel.

What of the world, the media, those who speak against Jesus?

I felt angry with these people – and suddenly was rebuked:

“What right have you got to be angry?”

Remember God’s rebuke to Jonah who was angry that his sheltering plant had withered?

Then after all the discussion and reasoning between Job and his friends, God finally spoke:

Job 38:1-4

1Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:

2‘Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?

3Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.

It was a clear reminder from God that he loves them all and has no wish to harm them at all.

Why doesn’t God come and clean up the mess in the world:

2 Peter 3: 9The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

• Visit to Sutherland
• Calvin responds to Luther

I see two lessons in all this:

Lesson 1: There are those who would think of themselves as Christians but are not so that, in time, Jesus will deny them his presence and dismiss them. 

Lesson 2: It’s important to ensure I am not one of them.

Which is why the following verses in Matthew 7 are important… build your house on the rock and not upon the sand! 

• Do you have eternal life?
• Are your eternal life foundations securely on the rock which is Jesus himself?
• Will you be welcomed or rejected by Jesus?
• How sure are you of your relationship with Jesus?
• Why are you so sure?
• Have you received the Holy Spirit?
• Do you know the Holy Spirit testifying to your spirit that you are a child of God?
• Are you living, enjoying, relishing, eternal life with Jesus your Saviour and Lord?

5 Pillars

1. Scripture alone – the Bible is the inspired word of God
2. Grace alone – unearned empowering by the Holy Spirit
3. Faith alone – as a gift of grace
4. Christ alone – only his sacrifice makes our access to God possible
5. Glory of God alone – we have no claim of honour or boasting