Matthew 7:21 … Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Key Thought: Christians Are People Changed By God To Follow The Son Of God.

The devil loves to counterfeit Christianity – and often uses Christian bookstores and Christian businesses to do this.

I was reading an article by Dr. Russell Moore the other day called Does Jeremiah 29:11 Apply To You? I’m sure you’ve heard Jeremiah 29:11, or seen it on a sign or a get well card. The verse is very rarely quoted in the King James Version. The King James reads:

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

But the text usually quoted is from the New International Version:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

though sometimes it’s in the New American Standard:

“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”

The verse is passed off as one that says the Lord loves everyone, and will cause everything to work out in your life to be for the best. Does this verse apply to you? Dr. Moore writes:

“Many understand the text to be about God’s favor on one’s life and on one’s plans. If I just have confidence and follow my heart, someone following this line might think, God will bless me. … {That’s not what God is saying} … This verse comes in the context of a shocking message from the prophet. Those “left behind” in Jerusalem—anchored around the temple and the throne—assume that their relative fortune is a sign that God is for them, while those carted off in captivity to Babylon are seen to be under God’s curse. It’s not just those in Jerusalem who are tempted to think this way; those in Babylon are tempted to think it too. Israel’s God seems distant to them, and they seem as though they’ve been raptured away from the promises to Abraham. Jeremiah says, though, that God’s judgment will fall on Jerusalem, and that God’s purposes will come to being through the exiles.”

You can take a Bible verse out of context and make it say anything you want. The devil and the world are masters at doing this.

The often misquoted Jeremiah text is actually a promise to those who obey God’s Word that they will not be destroyed with those who denied God’s Word. God’s Word is most important. We must DO what God says to be blessed. The reason much of Israel is going to be destroyed is because they heard God’s Word but did not DO God’s Word.

This is what Jesus is telling us in our text today. Jesus said:

Matthew 7:21 … Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Not everybody is going to be saved. No. Only those who do the will of Jesus’ Father shall enter Heaven. We must DO what God says. This applies whether we are in the Old Testament or in the New Testament.

God’s Word has two covenants.
And OLD Covenant and a NEW Covenant.
Israel was under the OLD Covenant.
The Church is under the NEW Covenant.
The Old Covenant is Moses on a Mountain receiving the Law from God.
The Old Covenant is the people at the base of the mountain,
frightened by the Law.
The New Covenant is Jesus on a Mountain sharing God’s love.
Our text today is Jesus’ sermon from the Mountain.
As God spoke through our Lord Jesus, He spoke to those on the mountain.

What a grand difference there is between the Old and New Covenants. When Moses went up the mountain:

Exodus 19:16 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.

Did you hear God say “the third day in the morning”? Oh Beloved, when Moses was on the mountain the people trembled, for Moses gave the Law but did not enable anyone to fulfill the Law. The Law of God should make you tremble if you do not know Jesus. IT SHOULD MAKE YOU TREMBLE. The third day in the giving of the Law made Israel tremble, tremble, tremble! But when Jesus went up on the mountain “Jesus sat down, and His students – His disciples – came to hear Him speak” (Matthew 5:1). Our Lord Jesus would:

Matthew 16:21 … be killed, and be raised again the third day.

Matthew 17:23 … they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again.

Luke 18:33 … And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

1 Corinthians 15:4 … He was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

What a difference it makes! Moses come off the mountain with the Law, a Law that none could keep. But Jesus, Oh Jesus, He went up the mountain. He spoke the Law of God. And He promised that those who believe in Him would be enabled to keep what He said. That’s what this message is about today.

It Is Not Enough To Know Bible Doctrine

The Law is good. The Scripture is wonderful. Nothing bad comes from reading the Bible. Oh, how I wish that everyone would read the Bible. I am glad that, as a Church, we support the Gideon’s International. God’s Word brings light. As David said:

Psalms 119:105 … Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Jesus started preaching His “Sermon on The Mount” back in Matthew chapter 5. A lot of people went up that mountain with Jesus that day. I am sure that the path up the mountain was tricky. I get out of breath climbing the hill from our Fellowship Hall to our Sanctuary! The people came up, sat down, and heard Jesus. Some perhaps left before the sermon was completely. I have had people walk out on sermons before, and never heard the application. I have had people distracted by bugs flying around in the sanctuary, by someone coughing, by a baby passing gas or crying, or by disobedient children along with their parents who will not make them behave. Imagine Jesus preaching on the mountain that day. I imagine – knowing how people are – not every one stayed the full sermon, not every one payed attention to the whole sermon. But as Jesus comes to the end of the sermon He says:

Matthew 7:21 … Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven

There were many on the mountain that day that heard what Jesus said and called Him LORD. They knew Who Jesus was. Their DOGMA or DOCTRINE was right. When they came to Jesus they did not see Jesus as a mere teacher, but saw Him as Lord. The word “Lord” is the Greek KYRIOS, which was a title used for God under the Old Covenant:

Genesis 2:4 … the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,

Genesis 2:7 … the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Psalm 113:1-2 Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. 2 Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.

You may know a lot of Bible doctrine. You may know a lot of Scripture truths. That’s not a bad thing. But mere knowledge of truth will not get you into God’s Heaven.

II remember one episode of the Andy Griffith Show that was about the Mayberry Men’s Club. Called The Golden Door To Good Fellowship the men who were part of that club could get past that “Golden Door” (yes, there was actually a golden door) – BUT YOU HAD TO KNOW THE PASSWORD. Goober Pyle guarded the door, and unless you knew the password you couldn’t get in. But once you got in – oh what pleasures there were! You could drink all the root beer you wanted – oh, and play cards, too!

It’s not enough to know Bible Doctrine. It’s not enough to know that Jesus is “Lord”. A lot of people believe Jesus is “Lord”, and not just a good teacher. But do you follow Him? Has your knowledge changed your life? Jesus said:

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John 14:23 … If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Does your knowledge of Jesus effect your life? Do you do what Jesus says do? Or do you just hear and then walk away? Do you hear Jesus and then do what He says? Do you judge yourself before you judge others? Jesus told us:

Matthew 7:1-5 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.

The danger of judging others rather than yourself is that it can make you a Pharisee. No one wants to be a Pharisee, or self righteous. Jesus told the Pharisees:

Matthew 23:12-13 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. 13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

Self righteousness does two terrible, destructive things. It first of all keeps the self righteous person from realizing that we all are sinners in need of the Savior. What did our Lord say?

Luke 5:32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

It is good to know that Jesus is Lord – but do you know that none of us are worthy for Heaven? It is Jesus Who paid our way into Heaven. It is Jesus that we need to come to in humility, realizing we need a doctor.

We need to come to Him not just saying Lord, but surrendering to Him as Lord. Are you in love with Him?

It Is Not Enough To Be Excited

Matthew 7:21 … Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven

We are emotional creatures. We get excited – and we were designed that way. There were many people who were excited when Jesus first came and began to preach. When John the Baptist told his disciples about Jesus, saying:

John 1:32 … I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

Two of his disciples followed Jesus home that day. They thought that Jesus had come to save Israel from Roman occupation. When Philip, who followed Jesus, went and spoke to his friend Nathaniel he was excited. He said:

John 1:45 … We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

Oh, they were excited! I have preached the Gospel of salvation many years now. I have seen the Holy Spirit of God touch lives and change people’s lives. I have seen people excited, EXCITED, and come forward to give their lives to Jesus. They were on fire the day they were saved.

Then they cooled off. They heard the Gospel as if it were Fire Insurance, and Jesus Christ as the Salesman. But the Gospel is not just a momentary thing. I know you’ve been told this by others, but it’s not true.

As Jesus preached, more and more “disciples” followed Him, excited to see the Messiah, the Lord Who was going to overthrow Rome. When Jesus fed the 5000 with a two fish and five little biscuits the people were excited. Surely Rome is going to fall if we follow this Miracle Man!

John 6:14-15 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world. 15 When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone.

Jesus was “Lord, Lord” to these people. Jesus crossed the sea and moved to Capernaum – and the crowds followed Him! When Jesus saw this crowd – this excited crowd – He told them:

John 6:26-35, 40 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, THIS IS THE WORK OF GOD, THAT YE BELIEVE ON HIM WHOM HE HATH SENT. 30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? 31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

It is fine to be excited about Jesus. I am. But mere emotion will not save you, no more than merely hearing the doctrinal truths will save you. You must receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Receiving Him as LORD I will follow Him,
and DO what He says.
Receiving Him as SAVIOR I will trust Him to change me,
and make me His child.

When Jesus told the crowd what He expected of them the Bible says:

John 6:66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

To be saved is not just fire insurance. To be saved is to give Christ all that you are, and to let Him give you all that He is. To be saved is to be changed.

The Truly Saved Follow Jesus. Period.

Matthew 7:21 … Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

The Christian is the person who has received Christ as Lord and Savior. Because that person has received Christ their lives are changed. The changed life shows in the fruit we produce.

Matthew 7:17-20 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

What makes a good tree good, and a bad tree bad? It is in its design. How was it made? You see a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. It is God that tests the fruit. We who are saved are God’s garden (1 Corinthians 3:9). We who are saved are God’s trees.

Where are your roots planted?
God can see where your roots are planted!

If your life is rooted in Christ then the things that you do for God will be pleasing, because you are one of His children. But there are many people who say:

Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Too many people think “because I have done this good thing or that good thing I am saved”. But ARE you? Jesus said that on judgment day there would be MANY who were doctrinally correct. There would be MANY who were excited about Jesus. There would be MANY who preached or taught Bible classes. There would be MANY who volunteered to help others. There will be MANY who tithe, or were baptized, or on Church rolls. MANY, MANY, MANY. Then Jesus will tell them:

then will I profess unto them, I never knew you:
depart from me, ye that work iniquity

Oh you sang in the Choir, you preached in the pulpit, but you never knew Jesus – and He didn’t know you. This brings or should pause to each and every one of us. Pastor Greg Morse writes:

“ Jesus shows the fantasy of mere activism — of the one who would say, “I’ve done great things for God and thus I am saved.” … They thought and felt and acted, at times, like saints, but their lives were marked by self and sin. They listened to the Sermon on the Mount, only to go away not to cut off limbs of lust, nor cease their adulteries, nor end the hatred toward their brother, nor renounce the love of money, nor forgive their neighbor, nor relinquish their anxieties, nor resolve to be charitable in their judgments — all by faith in and love for the Preacher. Nor would they be bothered to ask, seek, and knock for the Spirit’s help (Matthew 7:7–11). Their righteousness would not exceed that of the Pharisees (Matthew 5:20).

They vainly thought — as I thought for many years, and ache over how many in our day still think it — that hearing was sufficient. That feeling was enough. That public displays of religion would do the trick. They wandered, as in a dream, trusting in the fact that they heard, that they felt, or that they did, even though they continued to practice sin.”

The saved are saved by unconditionally surrendering to Jesus. The saved love Jesus with a desperate love, and being saved by faith in Him obey Him in all things. He is Lord. Period.

If Jesus is your Lord, and you follow Him as Lord and Savior, then you know Him and He knows you. But if not, dear One, today is the day to receive Him as Lord and Savior. Call upon Him, dear one, and receive His salvation. Believe He died for you as Savior, and lives for you as High Priest. Obey Him in all things. Develop a desire to seek out the habit of righteousness. I end with His promise:

Matthew 7:24-27 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

May God the Spirit touch your hearts with His Word!