Sermon on the Mount

Jesus is speaking. Not everyone who says to me, lord, lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven. But only the 1 who does the will of my father who is in heaven. 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. Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers. And Rory, 1 of our elders, is gonna come and preach those words to us now.

Well, good evening for me. 3 people here. Good to see. I loved doing that. Everyone's like, oh, should I say it or not?

Yeah. Yeah. You can say it. Well, may I add my welcome, and we are in our penultimate sermon on the on the mount. So, not penultimate sermon, penultimate section of the sermon on the mount.

Now, I don't know what you think is the scariest passage in the bible, maybe you think it's, you know, the angel of death in in Egypt or or maybe it's a story from judges. But I think that actually The passage that Tom's just read there is amongst the scariest passages in the whole of the bible. It's pretty strong words if you if you listen to Tom then. Right? And so you might be thinking, well, why why do we have to listen to scary passages?

I mean, Connie just say some nice stuff and us all feel fuzzy inside. But actually, it is a great mercy of the lord Jesus Christ to give us these scary passages so that we may continue living for Christ in our day to day living. And so that's why it's here. So we need to pray for our timeless passage, and and we want Jesus to teach us as he has done so in the last in the last sermons on those 7 amounts. Let's pray, and then we'll get stuck in.

Father, we thank you that you do indeed give us these these passages that yes, may be strong and yes, may be scary. But actually, you give them to us because we need to hear them. And, yes, we know that this is convicting, it is challenging, it is stark, it's a warning. We thank you that we can hear it so that we may continue to live for you. And so we pray now, that as we consider these verses that you will give us attentive heart and ears, that we will want to hear what you have to say to us.

So that we may continue on the road to salvation and to glory. And so we pray this in Jesus' name, our men. Now, I imagine that we've all had those situations where we've been extremely confident only to be extremely left red faced. Right? So those moments where you go into a sit and you think you're gonna get into somewhere only to be turned away.

Is everyone I guess we've all had that had that. It might be on public transport, you get onto the bus, and you realize, yeah, I'm gonna card or an oyster card or anything. And the Yeah. Or or or an event that you had to go to. And then someone forgot the ticket.

Yeah? And you get there, don't look at Jerusalem. No. Drisha has not done this. It feels like I was having to barber you, and it hasn't happened.

But, oh, that's Who's done it? We forgot the tickets, and we can't go and see this great gig or great game that we wanted to see. Or I guess the classic would be when you're going to the airport for a flight, and you get there And you get to the the people and they say passports, please. And you haven't got the passports, and you think, oh, well, I've I've got my driver license without doom. No.

If we need your passport, And that feeling of devastation, where your your face drops from the big, confident smile that you were gonna go to barbados on holiday, and now you're gonna have to settle for scarborough fair, wherever that is. That's that that stomach dropping. Somewhere that you didn't know existed. And that feeling of devastation I think is just the smallest of samples of what we actually see tonight in this passage. In fact, that feeling could be multiplied 10000 times over here.

Because Jesus in this passage takes us to judgment day. He takes us to the day of judgment where He will judge all mankind. For what they've done, for what they've thought, for the secrets they've had, and he shows us that there are those who have the correct itinerary. He shows us that there are those who have come prepared with the things that they need to to get into the kingdom of heaven, but he also shows us that are those who don't have it. But not only that there are those that don't have the correct itinerary, But there are some people who think they've got the correct itinerary and find out that they don't.

And so the result is that those with the correct itinerary enter and those without do not get into the kingdom of heaven. So there is not much more tragic for those who come in confident and get turned away. So what is it that we need to get into the kingdom of heaven? What is required, what do we need and what isn't enough. What is required, what isn't enough.

So the first point is words and deeds are not enough. Words and deeds are not enough. It takes more than just saying the right stuff. It takes more than that. Look with me at verse 21.

Not everyone who says to me, Lord. Lord. We'll enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the 1 who does the will of my father who is in heaven. So you've got these people that are coming to Jesus on judgment day, and they're saying, Lord, Lord, they know the correct title for Jesus. They know that Jesus is the master.

That's what Lord means. He's the 1 that people should serve. He's the 1 who is the ruler. They know what his title is. And you know, you might know these people.

We've learned all about you Jesus. We know your various names. I know you're called Shepard. I know you're called King. I know you're the ultimate priest.

I know. You're this, this, that, and the other. I know your lord, lord. I know you ought to be called lord, and and it even feels like there's emotion attached. They're even like they're quite happy to see the lord.

Lord. Lord. We've we've grown up hearing about you. We were in church. We we heard you at Sunday school.

We heard you insight assemblies. We heard about you. Yes. And we and some of us were brought up calling you Lord. And yet, not everyone enters the kingdom of heaven who says that.

Why? Because even though they call Jesus Lord, they don't live with Jesus as Lord. They don't live with him as master, as ruler, as the 1 that they have to obey. It's just empty words. It's a bit I guess I guess it's a bit like those people who, you know, they they they claim to be your friends, but they they there's no proof that they're your friends at all.

Maybe this doesn't happen to anyone else but me. Yeah, I'm your friend. Yeah. Well, yeah, we're, yeah, we're best mates. Well, you've not spoken to me for years.

There is no evidence that you are, my friend, or suddenly you maybe you can get them into an event or something like that. And suddenly, you've got lots of friends. Oh, Rory. Can you get me this? Oh, so it's just in your convenience.

That's what it's like here. Lord. Lord. I need you now. Get me into heaven.

But they're disobedient. They don't live for Jesus. They don't do in verse 21, the will of the Father. You might know that that story, that parable that Jesus says in Matthew, I think it's in chapter 21, where a father comes to a son, And he says, go out to the vineyard, and the sun says, yeah, yeah, I'll go. I'll go to the vineyard.

And what does he do? Doesn't go. That's the kind of thing going on here. So it's not enough to profess with your mouth, lord, lord, to get into the kingdom of heaven. Not enough.

Okay? Well then, if it's not just words, maybe it's actions as well. Right? So if I've got the words and I've got some actions as well, then surely, That's it. Right?

Well, no. Because also, It's not just words that's not enough, it's also deeds that are not enough. Not just deeds, but great deeds, and not even just great deeds but great deeds in the name of Jesus are not enough. Look with me at verse 22. Many will say to me on that day.

Lord. Lord, did we not prophecy in your name? And in your name, drive out demons, and in your name, perform many miracles. See? These these people come, they've done some amazing things.

They've done some great deeds for God. For Jesus. We said in Jesus' name, and we preached, and we performed miracles, and we drove out demons, there is not many better than us. Look what we did. But if you read on, look at the chilling this somber, this sad response in verse 23, then I will tell them plainly I never knew you, away from me you evil doers.

I never knew you. Now you might find that shocking. Maybe you do, I don't am. Well, I thought these these people did all this great stuff. They they They they were preaching away.

They they saw thousands converted, maybe. They they did some amazing miraculous signs. Really? They're not getting into the Kingdom of heaven, really? But if you think about it and you think about the bible, How many people did things that weren't saved?

Think, Judas. Right? Judas. Judus was sent out to perform miracles to drive out demons that preach the kingdom of God. He did those 3 things and he was a traitor to the Lord Jesus.

The list can go on. There's a there's a there's a prophet called Balem, who can only prophesy God's word, but he's a Torah. Saulking Saul. It's the spirit he he ends up prophesying. The list goes on and on and on.

That people throughout history have done amazing things, have preached, amazing sermons, have seen people come to know the Lord Jesus under their ministry, and they do not know Jesus, and they will not enter the kingdom of heaven. I was told a story about 1 man who who was preaching at a conference, a big conference, a big Christian conference, And before he went to preach, he turned to 2 other people who were also involved in this conference, and he said, I've got some real issues in my marriage, real issues. Just before I went to preach, And they said you're gonna go and preach. And he said, well, it's just a performance. It's just a performance.

Lord lord, do we not prophecy in your name? We're not entered into the kingdom of heaven necessarily. And and and Jesus says, it's in Matthew 24 verse 4, he says, for false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive if possible, even the elect. See, great science, great preaching, great miracles are not proof that you are a Christian. They're not proof.

Amazing act are not enough. The outward is not enough. The outward close of what Christianity is meant to be is not enough. Just because I say the right words, and I might say, Hallelujah now and then, does not mean that I have the right inner clothes to get into heaven. You know, I've loved watching the Olympics this year.

1 of my favorite things about the Olympics is the track cycling and the cycling in general. I just find it amazing. But what I what I've noticed that when the Olympics comes around, and great Britain are always doing really well. This happened especially in 20 12. Right?

That people get so into the cycling that they wanna do it as well. But they go all out, and they and then suddenly you see these like these these middle aged men wearing great Britain sky, whatever was sky at lycra. And it doesn't fit them in the same way. As it fits those athletes, does it? And you think And and and and because they they loved it so much.

But just because you're wearing a great written written lycra, doesn't mean you're in the great British team, and it's probably for the best for some of these blokes. Just because you're wearing the close of the team you support doesn't mean you're in that team. Just because you wear the close of Christianity. That that that Christianity's meant to look like. Does it mean you're gonna get into the Kingdom of heaven?

Look what Jesus calls them. In verse 23, you evil doers. You evil doers. That that that word means you Basically, you are law breakers. You're workers of lawlessness, of iniquity.

So so actually, even the very things they are doing is tainted by evil, these great works that they're claiming to do, is tainted by evil. Why? Because they do not know Christ, and more importantly, and this is the most important thing, he doesn't know them. Do you see that? I never knew you.

So despite the fact that they used his name to to act as they do, they have no relationship with Jesus Christ. They do not know him as Lord. And so, because they don't know him as lord as the 1 that they serve and who they they they wanna live for, that means that they're not living for him in their acts. They're doing it all for themselves. It's for their glory, not Jesus' glory.

And so despite the fact that they're doing all the right things, they're doing all the actions that they're saying all the right things that they're professing, that Jesus' Lord, they're on a wide road heading for a wide gate. They're not living out the sermon of the mount. There is there is no desire for them to she listened to God's word themselves, it's just about me proclaiming what God has to say. I read an amazing statistic from her from a Christian website in the UK a couple of years ago. Do you know the percentage of people who read the bible daily?

In the UK, Christian millennials. Daily is 9 percent. 9 percent Christian millennials read the bible daily. 13 percent read it a few times a week. That's amazing.

Where in a world where on the bible app, there's 18 39 bible versions in 1275 languages. 9 percent daily reading. They have no interest in hearing God's word. These people have no deep desire for personal growth. They have no deep desire for repentance.

They have no desire to deal with the sin in their lives, that they're happy to just keep on sinning in whatever ways they can. They've got no desire to act out the sermon on the mount to to forgive the the people that wronged them, They they hate the people around, and they gossip about the people around them. They've got no, they've got no prayer life, they've got no desire to be humble, to be poor in spirit. There is no desire for the sermon on the mount to be enacted on their lives. They're self serving and they're self aggrandizing They're all about praise for themselves and earthly rewards.

Spurgeon says this, we may preach with the tongues of men and of angels, yet if we have not love It profiteth us nothing. We may be even leaders of the church in the noblest and highest enterprises, and yet for all that Christ may say to us at the last, I never knew you. But Lord, the world blazed with my fame. I never knew you. I gathered thousands around me.

I never knew you. Wherever I went, they flocked to listen to my words, gosh. I never knew. Some of you may say, Lord, I was a deacon of the church or I was an elder. I was accustomed to visit the sick and to speak to inquirers.

Everybody in the church knew me, and I was held in high repute, yet he may say, I never knew you. I am an utter stranger to you. Your name was never familiar to me. I never knew you depart from me. This truth comes close home, and it ought to come close home.

To every 1 of us who has ever professed to be engaged in Christ's service. So you may come. And many, did you see that word? Many will come. Not just a few, many will come.

There are many people who are walking around saying I'm a Christian and actually have no have no desire to follow Jesus. And Jesus may say I never knew you're away from me you evil doers. I never knew you. We can use this as well. But I, you know, I served the church every week.

I never knew you. But I preached, I never knew you. But I went to a home group, I never knew you. But I went to prayer meet, I never knew you. Away from the you evil doers.

This is I think this is similar to what Pete was talking about this morning. Because, yes, you may have the veneer and the and the look of trying to be a Christian and doing great things. But if your heart is a heart of stone, There's no desire to know Jesus, and he doesn't know you. Another quote I got from desiring God, of all those who finally travel the broadway to destruction, are any so wretched as those who sang Christian songs, prayed Christian prayers, and sat under countless Christian sermons along the way. The man sipping sand in the desert because he thinks he holds a cup of water is the most tragic and pitiable of sight.

To plunge thoughtlessly into the next life is 1 horror, to play the saint and still be deceived, is another. I I don't know how to articulate this well enough, but I don't want this to be yours Don't let that be us. God forbid that this is us in this room. Let not us be the ones that look like Christians and And yes, we come to church and listen, and we pray, and we sing great songs. And we say, yes, I'd Oh, Jesus, you are Lord, but actually there's nothing in our hearts.

So that when we get to the last day when Christ is there, and he's judging the world, and we're going lord, Lord, and he says, no. I never knew you, away from me, you evil doers. That is not what I want. So words and deeds are not enough. Secondly, what is required?

Obedience and relationship. I've hinted at this already. Obedience, and relationship. See, it's much more than being gifted and saying the right words and having a good a load of good gifts. A load of things I can preach really well.

It's much more than that. It's all about character. It's all about obedience, It's all about going, what is the will of the father? I want to do the will of the father in verse 21. It's about obeying.

And that all begins how By no By Sorry. By being known by Christ. By being owned by Christ. See, this is the whole point of the gospel. The reason that Christ comes is not just to say a few nice words, And to warn us of some things, though Christ comes to die on the cross, to shed his blood so that he can buy us.

What for? For relationship with him. Bios so that we can be his people that we can be known by Jesus. That's the point. And so when we are bought by him, when we trust in the Lord Jesus, When we know that he knows us, then we can do the will of the father.

It starts with faith. Look at these words from John. Jesus says this in John 6. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life. Which the son of man will give you for, on him, God the father has placed his seal of approval.

Then they asked him, What must we do to do the works God requires? Jesus answered, the work of God is this, to believe in the 1 he has sent. You want to do the will of the father? You want to do the will of the father? Yeah?

Trust in Christ. Trust in Christ. And then once you've trusted in Christ, in that in that faith in Jesus, then strive to live a life of obedience of love. See, it's only when we trust in Christ, when we're when we're known by him, will we live? So it won't be that I'm I've got a heart of stone, I've got a heart of of what or a flesh now, and so I'll look at my life, and there should be growth.

There should be transformation. There should be a battle on my hands where I try and battle with sin and I and I'm broken by my sin, and I have to to go to to Christ in faith and repentance. If that's not there, then I would be worried. James chapter 1 verse 21 to 22 says this. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly, except the word planted in you which can save you.

Do not merely listen to his word and so deceive yourselves, do what it says. Do what it says. See the evidence of a relationship with the lord Jesus Christ is obedience. It's not just hearing the word. It's been a doer.

Be a doer of God's words. And as you live for Christ, as you obey him, as you trust in him. When we get to that final day, That is common. That final day of judgment is common. But after living a life of being known by Christ, and therefore, knowing Christ ourselves, when we get to that day when we see the Lord Jesus Christ as judge.

We won't get this we won't get this face, this this blank expression of puzzlement as to who are you? I never knew you. No. There'll be a little face of recognition. Like know when you see a friend that you haven't seen forever, it's like, yes, brother, sister, friend.

Come in. Come in. Well done, good and faithful servant. That's what I want. I wanna see the face of recognition of familiarity.

I do not wanna hear the words I never knew you depart from me. So how about you? See, this day of judgment is coming. And when it comes, what greeting will you get? When it comes, what reception will face you?

Now, these are hard words, but this is a chance for us to examine ourselves. To check yourself. You might have been coming here on going to church and reading the bible and doing all the the the Christian stuff, and you've actually never trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ? Listen to the warning. Do you want to get to that day and say, I never knew you?

Maybe you've met maybe you know you've never trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ. What can I say to you? Listen. The Lord Jesus Christ shed his blood. He died on a cross so that he can know you.

He can know you And so on judgment day, he won't say away from me you evil do. He'll say, come in. Come. Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Be known by Christ, be owned by Christ, and strive to live a life of obedience to him that begins with faith.

The words in verse 7 of ask, seek and knock. Ask, seek, not Christian. Ask seek, knock. Ask that we may live the life of being known by Christ and therefore knowing him to live out the sermon on the mount. And if you've never trusted him, ask, seek, knock.

Do it now. Do it now before judgment day comes. And you won't have to hear those haunting words. I never knew you, away from me, you will do us rather you will hear the sweet voice of Jesus saying, come in. Well done.

Good and faithful, servant. Let's pray. Father, we we thank you for these words, and They are convicting as we've said. And so we pray father that we will take them seriously, that you will help us to examine ourselves That we will recommit, that we will heed the warning, that we will Turn back if we've turned away in faith and in repentance to the Lord Jesus Christ. Father, I pray that we will be people that don't wanna hear those words, but do everything that they can to know Christ.

So that they may know you for eternity. And so I pray this in Jesus' name, amen.