Be Sure

Read the Text - Matthew 7:13-27

Introduction

Suppose there is an evil man.

This man lies, cheats, steals.

He murders and tortures innocent people without remorse.

He is selfish, and makes every decision only to please himself.

He lives this life with no attempt to improve.

Now suppose there was a church-going man.

This man attends church three times every week.

He serves in the nursery on Sunday evenings, watching other people’s children.

He works 9-5 M-F, and serves his family diligently.

although he sins, he does his best do and speak morally.

Which of these men would you assume is the one who would spend eternity in Heaven, and which is the one who would spend eternity in Hell?

Would it surprise you if I said that there is a good possibility that both of these men would spend eternity in Hell? To hear Jesus tell them, “I never knew you; depart from me you who practice lawlessness”?

The truth is, there are many who may think they are right with God, when they are really not.

What about you here today? Some of you may tell me right now that you are not right with God—that you are not a Christian.

Others may tell me that you are a Christian this morning.

But how scary would it be to assume that you are a Christian, yet your whole life you have been building on a weak foundation. Living a lie.

This is a matter of eternal life and death. Jesus, in our text this morning, lays out only two options: either you are a Christian or your’e not. Either you are right with God, or your’e not.

Are you sure that when you stand before Christ someday, you will be accepted by Him? How do you know?

Context

Jesus said this at the end of his sermon on the mount.

The sermon on the mount was the description of the citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven, someone who was saved, who knew Christ as their savior and Lord.

Jesus gave this sermon on a mountain, like Moses did when he proclaimed the Law to Israel.

What was the Law supposed to do? It was to show the people where they fell short, where they needed God’s grace to change them.

This law does the same thing for us. Jesus was talking to His own disciples when he gave this sermon, but he obviously knew that the large crowds of people sitting around him were listening as well. We can’t be sure, but maybe Jesus spoke a little louder here so everyone else knew to pay attention!

This morning, we are looking at the final section of the sermon, which is a gospel call. After giving his description of who the kingdom citizen is, He ends by calling his hearers to examine themselves to see if they are on the right path to the kingdom.

He made it clear that there are only two paths to take. There is no middle ground, no compromise. You are either saved or you’re not—either on the right path, or not—entering through the right gate, or not—building your life on the right foundation, or not—whether you will spend eternity in Heaven, or spend eternity in Hell.

This is a call for every one of you here today to do the same. The most important thing about you is whether you are trusting in the right foundation or not. And this sermon will show you how you can be sure of your eternal destiny.

It will tell you to be sure of 4 main things:

Be sure of your path (13-14)

Be sure based on you fruit (15-20)

Be sure of your profession (21-23)

Be sure of your foundation (24-27)

Lets look at the first command.

1 - Be Sure Of Your Path (13-14)

Notice with me that there are two different paths here, leading to two different gates, through which are two different outcomes.

The First Path and Gate

Wide—you can bring whatever you want with you. The path is so wide that you don’t bump up against others, you can carry whatever you like with you; you could even drag a cart full of stuff with you.

Easy—since its so wide, there are many others on it as well. No one judges you for being on that path, so there is lass conflict with others.

But this wide, easy path that leads to the wide, easy gate that many go through leads to destruction — Hell.

The Second Path and Gate

Narrow—if you are trying to navigate a narrow path, it doesn’t help you to have a suitcase, duffel bag, or bulky backpack. Even if you could somehow squeeze your luggage through the path, there is no way to get anything through the narrow gate.

If you want to be saved, you must be willing to give up everything else in your life. Jesus said that anyone who wished to follow Him must take up his cross daily and follow Him, and to hate his father, mother, brothers, and sisters in comparison with Christ. You cant serve both God and wealth.

Hard—this path is difficult. Its full of rocks, hills, valleys, river crossings. People will think your’e crazy for going that way! Why would you believe in Christ? Why would turn from your old life? People will try to convince you you made a bad choice.

Even though this path is narrow and hard, it leads to life!

Jesus later on gave a parable about seeds landing on different types of soils. Those seeds are the gospel, and the soils are the hearts.

Some people sprouted up quickly! They believed in Jesus! But when the deceitfulness of wealth got in the way, they proved they were on the wrong path.

Others sprang up quickly as well, they fell away because life got hard and people began treating him poorly for their faith.

If you were out on a hike and came to a fork —one way looking flat and easy, well-worn and with beautiful scenery—and the other way with long weeds growing in the path, large rocks everywhere and it looks dangerous, we would naturally take the easier path. But what if someone told you that the nice-looking trail led to a crazy man’s house who shot at anyone who got close!

In contrast, the dangerous-looking path led to a beautiful waterfall, green trees and meadows.

Even though the way looks hard, its only hard for a little while, and the end will be worth it.

The point is that this life is a path, and each one of you are at the crossroads. Will you choose the easy path where you can sin all you want, do what you want, and live whatever life you want? Or will you choose to humble yourself before the mighty hand of God, and trust in Christ’s finished work — taking the hard path knowing that it leads to life?

One question you might have at this point is: How do I know if I am on the right path, leading to the right gate?

2 - Be Sure Based On Your Fruit (15-20)

One additional difficulty for the one on the right path is the presence of false prophets (15). Jesus says to beware (be on constant alert) for men who look and sound like they speak the truth, but inside they are vicious wolves who only kill and destroy.

He then tells you how to tell if a teacher is a sheep or a wolf--”you will know them by their fruits.”

notice in verse 20 that He repeats that phrase, “you will know them by their fruits.” Jesus is giving them this important truth twice, and argues for the truth in between them.

[you will know them by their fruits (explanation) therefore, you will indeed know them by their fruits]

It is these false teachers that point people toward the wide gate that leads to destruction.

Don’t listen to them! Don’t believe someone who preaches something other than Salvation through Grace alone by faith alone through Christ alone.

If someone tells you that salvation includes money, health, wealth, or anything other than Christ; don’t listen. They point to a way that leads to destruction.

While it is true that Jesus is teaching what the fruits of such false teachers are, It is also true that anyone who is a true citizen of God’s Kingdom will produce good fruits, and anyone who is not will produce bad fruits.

How will you know if you are a kingdom citizen or not? Jesus says that you will know by your fruits.

He says that just like grapes aren’t gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles, Good fruit is not produced by evil hearts. He says that bad trees don’t produce good fruit--

Manchineel fruit

“This tree may resemble that of an apple tree, but its fruits and leaves produce a deadly toxin that can cause great suffering. The manchineel tree is located in Florida, Mexico, and northern South America. These green or greenish-yellow fruits look similar to regular apples.

If you ever come near this tree, please beware of its toxic components.  While there are no reports of deaths, some reports show that people have suffered extreme agony eating the fruit of this tree. Because of its acute toxicity, governments in some places that grow this tree have placed warning signs cautioning people to stay away.”

This tree looks like a regular apple tree, and the fruits look like regular apples—but the fruits cause great agony.

You want to be sure what kind of tree this is before you eat it, don’t you? Assuming that the tree produces good fruit without being sure what kind it is could lead to agony.

Its dangerous! It looks like it is something good for you but it actually is harmful.

In a much more profound way, you want to know the state of your own heart today, and you wont want to leave here until you know. In this passage, there are two types of people:

The man who builds his house on the rock, who is in the right path headed to the right gate, who produces good fruit.

The man who builds his house on sand, who is on the wrong path headed to the wrong gate, who produces bad fruit.

Which are you? How can you be sure?

You can know for you today. Jesus will clearly draw the line between the two men by describing the two ways, the two types of fruit, and the two foundations.

So what about your fruits?

Do the fruits of your life point to the right gate? or do they evidence that you are headed toward the wrong gate?

If your fruits—what you live for, the decisions you make, what you love, the basic direction of your life—are bad, then like the bad tree in Jesus’ analogy, you will be cut down and thrown into the fires of Hell.

Listen! If you are hearing me say this and conclude that you just need to leave here this morning and live a better life, you are missing the point!

The solution to your problem is not to simply stop doing bad things and start doing good things, it is to humble yourself before God. It is to go to Christ asking for forgiveness of your sin. It is to trust in Christ’s finished work on the cross when the sin of God’s people was transferred to Christ. It is to receive Christ’s perfect righteousness deposited into your “account” through faith, trusting in Christ like a parachute.

It is a dangerous thing for you to simply live a more moral life and not bow your knee before the Lord Jesus Christ.

So far, Jesus has told us to be sure of our path, and to the sure based on the fruit of our lives. Next, Jesus will say that you need to be sure of your profession—what your profess about Christ.

3 - Be Sure Of Your Profession (21-23)

This is one of the scariest parts of the whole Bible.

These verses say that there are those who honestly believe that they are on the right path, yet they live their whole life deceived, living a lie.

notice that the emphatically call Jesus “Lord”

Notice that they prophesied in Christ’s name, surely many of these will be preachers. Notice that these people cast out demons, and performed miracles — but none of these things got them into heaven.

Instead, they heard the most terrifying words in the Bible: “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

“In that day”

the day of judgement and wrath.

When Jesus first came, He came in humility, meekness, and gentleness.

When He comes again it will be in judgement. To judge the world and all those who rejected Him

How terrifying it would be to hear Jesus say this to you. There will be no second chances after hearing this, only eternal punishment.

It is not enough to simply believe in God.

Its not enough to be “spiritual”

It is only “the one who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven” who will be saved.

What is the Will of God?

1 Timothy 2:4 says that God ‘desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Matt 6:33 reveals that God wants you to seek His Kingdom first and His righteousness, not seek the things in this life.

Psalm 2 says that God wants you to bow your knee to Christ, His Son.

God wants you to come before Him stripped of everything you once held onto:

your self-righteousness

your sin

your wealth

your reputation

Leave it all behind and count it as rubbish, come to Christ who is the true treasure worth more than anything.

I’m not saying to ignore your family or your responsibilities, but to pursue Christ as the most important thing in your life—He truly is.

If you do pursue Christ in this way, you will be a good tree producing good fruit, which means you will work hard to lead and serve your families well. You will work hard to fulfill your responsibilities and you will do your best to not sin.

But you can’t switch the order. You can’t live a godly life apart from Christ.

Make Him the foundation that you build your life on. This is the final command of Jesus, to be sure of your foundation.

4 - Be Sure Of Your Foundation (24-27)

The two people we have been talking about — the kingdom citizen on the right path and the unsaved person on the wrong path — are seen is this final section building the houses of their lives on two different foundations.

everyone knows you build a house on a solid foundation, right? Building a house on sand will lead to the collapse of the house.

Notice the description of the man who has his house built on the rock—he is the one who hears Jesus’ words and acts on them.

It is not enough for you to hear the things I am saying to you this morning, think that was nice, and go back to your bunk like nothing happened.

You need to make a decision today: will you submit to Christ, seek His forgiveness of your sin, and follow Him? or will you ignore His gracious offer before you today, reject Him, and continue your path toward to gate to Hell?

Why would you not turn to Christ now? Why would you wait? Why would you even hesitate?

Jesus is the narrow way,

the small gate,

He is the true shepherd of the sheep,

He is the true prophet,

He is the Lord and Judge,

and He is the sure foundation that will protect you from the coming wrath.

Turn to Christ now while he may be found, while there is still time.

If you do, the house of your life will stand even after the wind and floods of God’s judgement come, because it is built on the rock of Jesus Christ.

But if you choose to reject Christ’s gracious offer of salvation in your pride, you are building your life on the sand.

Jesus says that when the rain and floods come of God’s judgement, that house will fall. “And great was it’s fall.”