Many Will Say, “Lord, Lord”
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Profession is not Possession
Profession is not Possession
Matthew 7:21–23 (KJV 1900)
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; (Startling Reality)
but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. (Simple Qualification)
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?
(Stunned Crowd)
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: (Shocking Statement)
depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Solemn Judgement)
Intro:
In a recent Barna Poll, 79% of Americans that were polled believe in a literal place called heaven.
Out of that 79%, 52% believe they can work their way to heaven. That is 1 in 3 Americans.
that means 1 in 3 people you talk to that believe in heaven, think they can get there on their own merits.
That really puts this text in perspective.
Christ here is finishing up His famous Sermon on the Mount.
Most people love to hear Matt. 5 and 6 but very few like it when Matt. 7 is preached.
From the very beginning of chapter 7 Christ, dealing with the pharisees, begins by saying Judge not, that ye be not judged.
Many want to take this out of context and say that Christ tells us not to judge each other
Christ is not saying do not judge others,
Christ is telling the pharisees and us that if we are going to judge someones motives and actions, we first have to judge ourselves.
simply put, dont call someone out for drinking, if you yourself are drinking.
Then He goes into talking about prayer.
most dont have a problem with this,
its the following verses that really begin to cause most people to squirm in their seats.
Christ opens verse 13 with Enter ye in..
He is fixing to tell His listeners that there are more folks that will go to hell then there will be that go to heaven.
Then He tells us to judge peoples fruit because many that claim to be something they really are not
( If I plant an apple tree I expect to eventually get apples.)
Then Christ comes to where we are this morning,
Again talking to the Pharisees and us, Christ lets us know that just because you claim the name of the Lord does not mean He claims you.
I want you to know this morning, not everyone goes to heaven when they die!
I know you want to believe this, but God’s Word tells us something much different.
Christ tells us in verses 13 and 14 that the gate is narrow and few there be that find it.
Isaiah 5:14 tells us that hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure..
You may think you are going to heaven when you die, but unless you have come God’s way, John 14:6 you will be like those that we see in our text.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
So, As Jesus draws His sermon to a close, He takes time to remind people of the seriousness of their salvation.
He wanted all those that hear these words, to be sure that they take heed that they are genuinely converted.
He wanted everyone to know that just because you have professed Christ does not mean that you possess Christ.
It is my prayer this morning that you will allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart today.
With a crowd like this, it is a very good possibility that there are some here that professes Him, but do not posses him.
So lets take the next few moments this morning to look at Many Will Say, “Lord, Lord”: Profession is not Possession.
I. Startling Reality
I. Startling Reality
v.21a
Jesus makes one of the most startling statements in the entire Bible.
He says that not everyone that claims Him as their Lord will be saved!
He is letting his hearers know that there are some that think they are saved but who in fact are lost and headed to hell.
Jesus makes it crystal clear that not all who profess Him. Posses Him.
A mere profession of Jesus as savior is not enough to save you!
You may believe in the doctrines of the faith
You may be very sincere and would even give a stranger the shirt off of your back
you may belong to a Bible believing church
be a good person morally
do good works for His name sake
which are all good and any born again person should have these qualities
But these qualities can not save you
Only Christ can do that. John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Acts 16:31 (KJV 1900)
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,...
I think it is clear that Jesus is telling us that there are those that are being deceived by a profession.
Why do I believe this?
The Echuniminical movement has done more damage to the Church then anything else.
this movement has pushed salvation by prayer for so long that many independent baptist churches have began doing this.
*talk about this heresy*
if this isn't enough, the very Word of God has much to say about it.
How about the parable of the wheat and the tares( tares grew along with the wheat. I am sure because they were in the same field and looked alot like the wheat, the tares thought hey I am one of them. The tares decieved themselves by professing themselves to be wheat, but at the harvest, the husbandman would be able to tell the difference and will separate them from the real thing Matt. 13:24-30; 13:36-43.
or
For many are called, but few are chosen.
This does not mean God chooses some to go heaven and everyone else goes to hell.
Paul says, 1Tim.2:4
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
Peter says
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
And Jesus himself said,
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
So Why is deception by profession such a major concern?
Because without Christ, there is no hope of salvation.
There is hope for nothing but hell itself.
Sadly there are to many that are sitting in Church pews that will bust hell wide open because they are relying on some “salvation experience” that their mom or dad told them they had or because of some prayer they said.
There are many professors and very few possessors
What you need to understand this morning is that there are many who are trusting in some words or deeds they did to get them to heaven.
Sinner friend, you better be sure that you posses the Lord and not just profess Him.
Your eternity depends on it!
II. Simple Qualification
II. Simple Qualification
v.21b
You say, well preacher if not everyone who says Lord Lord will go to heaven, then who will?
Glad you asked.
Jesus says, only those that do the will of the Father.
You say, what is the will of the Father?
Again, glad you asked.
Now, dont associate this to works. that is in no way what Christ is saying here.
Ephesians 2:8–9 (KJV 1900)
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
If we are going to understand what Christ is saying here in verse 21 then we have to understand what the will of the Father is.
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.
So Matt. 7:21b refers to John 6:40.
The Bible makes it clear that salvation comes to those who see the Son and believe on Him.
The Bottom line is this, Salvation is by pure faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ that He completed when He cried out, “Testelisti” It is finished.
If you can come to the place where you trust in nothing, and I mean nothing else but the death, burial and ressurection of Jesus Christ to save you from your sins which is true biblical salvation then you too can be saved
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
God has made it so easy to receive the salvation He offers, that He has invited all who thirsts to come to Him John 7:37
John 7:37 (KJV 1900)
... Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
Revelation 22:17 (KJV 1900)
...And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Is your faith in a profession?
It better be in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone.
III. Stunned Crowd
III. Stunned Crowd
v.22
When these people hear the requirement for salvation, they begin to recount all the things they have done in life.
They had done some pretty impressive stuff!
They had preached the Word of God!
They had cast out devils!
They had done many wonderful works!
And, they had done it all in the Name of Jesus!
You see, they were sincere!
They were busy!
They were doing good stuff in a good Name.
They were making a difference.
They were so busy working for the Lord that they never took the time to get to know Him personally!
These people appealed to their works to save them.
They even call Him Lord, but they do not know Him!
If this verse teaches us anything at all, it teaches us that works cannot produce salvation!
My friends, you can do it all!
You can work and give and visit and preach and teach and go to church and on and on and on, but the truth still remains.
Salvation is
by grace...through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Do you hear these boasting?
Notice that their whole claim to Heaven rests in what “they” have done!
The focus is on them and not on the Lord.
May I just remind you today, your salvation will never be about you?
It will never be about what you have accomplished or what you may have done.
Salvation is all about Jesus and what He did when He went to the cross and took the sins of the world on Himself at Calvary, 2 Cor. 5:21
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Salvation is about Him!
Salvation is about the One Who suffered, bled and died to accomplish what a million lifetimes of religious works can never do,
Ill. Heb. 9:12–14; Heb. 9:25–28; Heb. 10:10–14!
(Ill. The awful sufferings of the cross, Isa. 52:14; Isa. 53:4–11!
Glory Hallelujah!
Because of all this, I am glad that I can tell you today,
If you have received Him and His plan, then praise the Lord you possess Him.
If not, then you need to realize that one day you will fall before Christ and say Lord, Lord, because all you have is a profession and not a possession
IV. Shocking Statement
IV. Shocking Statement
v.23a
As those people stood before the Lord, surely they were shocked at what they had already heard.
Now they are about to hear something that will forever seal their destiny.
He tells them, “I never knew you.”
They had claimed to be working in His name.
They had claimed that they knew Him.
They had professed a relationship, but Jesus tells the truth.
He tells them that at no time in their lives had they ever possessed Him.
He never knew them!
Of course, Jesus is God! He knows everything.
He knew who they were and He knew their hearts.
What He means here is that He had never known them in a saving relationship. These people had never been saved!
There are those who feel that this passage is speaking to backsliders. Some feel that these people were once saved and now, for whatever reason, they are lost again.
Of course, Jesus says that He “never” knew them.
If He ever knew then He cannot say that He never knew them!
These aren’t backsliders!
These people are just plain lost in their sins!
I am convinced that many who we call “backsliders” in the church are really people who were never been saved in the first place, 1 John 2:19
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
The whole point of this verse is this, 2 Tim. 2:19
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
If Jesus ever knew you, He still does today. If not, then you might be in this crowd that gathers on that day and finds they have no future in Heaven. Not everyone that professes Him, possess Him!
V. Solemn Judgement
V. Solemn Judgement
v.23b
These lost ones are ordered to leave the presence of the Lord!
There is only one place in the universe where men can be free from the manifest presence of God and that is in the fires of Hell, 2 Thes. 1:8–9
2 Thessalonians 1:8–9 (KJV 1900)
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
We need to remember that there is a vast difference between Heaven and Hell!
1. Heaven is described as a place of endless bliss and eternal glory, Rev. 21:4; John 14:1–3.
2. Hell is described as:
A. Unquenchable Fire—Mark 9:43
B. A place of memory and remorse—Luke 16:25, 27–28
C. A place of thirst—Luke 16:24–25
D. A place of misery and pain—Luke 16:24–26; Rev. 14:10–11.
E. A place of frustration and anger—Matt. 13:25; Matt. 24:51
F. A place of endless separation—Rev. 21:8; 2 Thes. 1:8–9
G. A place of undiluted divine wrath—(Ill. Hab. 3:2, There will be no mercy for those who go to Hell!)
(Ill. It is clear to see that there is no comparison between Heaven and Hell.
Which one do you want to go to when you die?)
I think the saddest words in all the Bible are these words recorded here, “I never knew you, depart from me.”
These are people who expected to hear the Lord welcoming them into Heaven.
They were sincere.
They thought they were saved.
They knew all the catchwords and the right things to say.
They knew “Gospel speak”.
Why then will these people hear these words?
They will hear them because they are basing their hope of salvation on their own works and goodness.
They will hear them because they have failed to place their faith in the finished work of Jesus on the cross.
They will go to Hell because they chose their way over God’s way.
They thought a profession ment they had a possession.
Jesus knows the truth and so do you.
From chapter 5 to 7 is one sermon and the bottom line is righteousness.
Even if a person performed works identical to those of Jesus, did those works in the name of Jesus, and called on Jesus as Lord and God, he would still be breaking God’s law if his life was not lawful according to Jesus’ definition throughout this sermon.
True righteousness can be derived only from the Savior.
Stuart K. Weber, Matthew, Holman New Testament Commentary, (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 1:103.
I wonder, what will Jesus say to you?
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
I pray that if you are here this morning and are basing your salvation off of a profession that you made long ago, I pray that you can look back and say, I know i dont just profess Him I possess Him.
If you have never even professed Him
wont you come this morning and recieve Him as your personal savior, so you can not only profess but possess.
For the rest of us, let us examine our selves and make sure that we are in the faith.
I think the following poem could be used as a scalpel to our spiritual hearts
Jon Courson’s Application Commentary Chapter 7
You Call Me Master
You call Me Master and obey Me not.
You call Me Light and see Me not.
You call Me the Way and walk Me not.
You call Me Life and choose Me not.
You call Me Wise and follow Me not.
You call Me Fair and love Me not.
You call Me Rich and ask Me not.
You call Me Eternal and seek Me not.
You call Me Noble and serve Me not.
You call Me Gracious and trust Me not.
You call Me Might and honor Me not.
You call Me Just and fear Me not.
If I condemn you, blame Me not.
when you die and open your eyes in hell, you can't blame God. He has just given you another chance to repent and call on Him to save u.