Final Destination

There are two destinations spoken of throughout this section of scriptures. And you and I had to make our decisions on this. And in this conversation Jesus tells us that these decisions are ours to make and have lasting consequences.

He told us in Matthew 7:7–11 - That if we ask for this Good gift, He won’t withhold it from us.

What is that gift?

He then talked about how we need to behave, to live and that the law and the prophets were given that we might truly live for Him and with one another. How we live toward our Father determines how we live with our brothers.

Today we’ll examine Matthew 7:12-23 Final Destination - which Jesus reveals the utter seriousness of how we follow after God and what that looks like.

Matthew 7:12 “ Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

Fifteen million laws have been passed to try to enforce the Golden Rule and the Ten Commandments.

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We spoke about this previously, this is often called the Golden Rule - because men make it about us “earning” our salvation or the sum total of Christian truth - the context however says different, Christ is relating what living is about in our relationships. To have a relationship with God leads to right relationships with people.

We are told in Micah 6:8 “ He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?” and Jesus himself said

and Please don’t misunderstand me - we are absolutely called to walk in holiness, righteousness. jesus himself says in Matthew 22:37–40 “ Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.””

The so called “golden rule” tell us tells us what God calls for, what it means to love God and love people. Love that God speaks of looks like the commandments (not the ceremonial or jewish law but the commandments) fulfilled in our lives.

Leading up to this, Jesus says our everything is wrapped up in Him and we need to call out and guarantees that he will answer. Here in 12 Jesus simply tells us how to live then in 13-23 says where the Final Destination is for all of us. v12 establishes the context for the remainder of our text today -

Matthew 7:13–14 “ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. (go where?) 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

We have some asking, seeking, knocking to do. We need to see out the true way, Jn 14:6 because that is where life is.

the most common wide and easy way is go your own way. truth is subjective the world says and we should just do what we want. Jesus says the broad and easy peasy leads to carnival? Rodeo? Party? Destruction. An eternal one.

the difficult way is to choose to die. To willingly pick up a cross to be nailed to it with Jesus. To not take part is to not be His. To suffer with Him is part of our Christian experience. Paul said of his accomplishments in the broad way, (turn to) Philippians 3:8–11 “ Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish (consider them garbage), that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Thats life.

Look we are all going to die. We will all pass from here to the next - Hebrews 9:27 - so we will all face him. Here Jesus reminds us all, we can travel the wide road, the path most are on, or chose to go Gods way. He’ll spend the next section of verses explaining it.

We are all called to repent. To admit our sin and admit that God was right about it. Most wont do that. To admit that my sin is offensive to God and I need to walk away from it offends most of us. And because of that, we created our own God our own version of Jesus that would accept our sin. We hid our hearts from the gospel. 2 Corinthians 4:3–4 “ But even if our gospel is veiled (hidden), it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.” We love our sin (Jn 3:19) and we would “perish” because of it. Thats the most traveled road.

Still we cry out sharing His grace mercy and love 2 Corinthians 6:1–2 “ We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Now my friends, accept His call. Recognize what Paul shared in 1Co 15:3-7 - Jesus died for your sins as the scriptures said he would - then was buried dead for 3 days. No one comes back from that. Then rose from the dead. Not just a man breathing again but more. And He said if we can buy all that, and give it up for Him, he has us covered. He guaranteed if you call Him Lord, He’ll take ownership if you really mean it, He’ll respond. He loves you more than we can ever know. Even though most will never look for it.

Jesus continues the invitation to ask for the good gift.

Matthew 7:15–20 “ “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”

The path chosen bears up in what people teach. Thus, what we believe about Jesus is important. He stresses over and over again the need for correct doctrine, right teaching and living for God. Jesus stressed he quite literally is truth, so those that preach Him must be true as well. Which means we better be sure that folks representing Him are legit.

They look like sheep. But they aren't. They are like their father, murderers, those that seek to consume, destroy. Peter warned 2 Peter 2:1 “ But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.” not just the scribes and pharisees of Jesus day but even now.

You will know them by how they live. Do they promote themselves or Jesus? They can use Jesus name but do they actually walk in Him? This is when you are allowed to judge :) They are man centered, still filled with pride.

Do they encourage sin or holiness? Do they bend the Scriptures or call you to live them? A bad tree produces bad fruit. And it will go that wide way to destruction.

Good fruit glorifies God, and helps others.

Jesus then gives us an incredibly sobering look at the lies we sometimes tell ourselves and others. Remember, we can have false teachers even in the places we call church.

Matthew 7:21–23 “ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

Not everyone who calls on Jesus really knows Him. We just saw that with false teachers and jesus here lets us know, that those that don’t come the way he specifics, will not enter the kingdom. I had a friend that claimed Alyssa Milano was in love with him. She was not.

You simply saying Lord doesn't bind jesus to a contract. its not magic words. Not everyone who says to me Lord = remember we talked about salvation in declaring him Lord earlier.

turn to Romans 10:6–13 “ But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, “ ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). this is by faith. you dont have to do it. 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): its not just saying it but truly believing it 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For (1) with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For (2) the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For (3) there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For (4) “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”” Just as Jesus teaches us here. If we rely on Him, then by faith, we truly will be saved. Not because you said some words or pretend to be a Christian, but because you gave it up to Him.

Many will say, they will even try to say we did good fruit stuff. May have even been good taught masses, cast demons out (Judas seemed to as well) but we might also say healing, ie miracles (leg lengthening). Matthew 24:24 “ For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9 “ The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,” like the egyptian magicians did with Moses and mimic the miracles - so satan does to deceive.

Doing something in the name of Jesus doesn't mean you’re doing it for Him. Sometimes its just a name dude.

Calling the name and living in sin, show us the type of fruit and a good tree will eventually produce good fruit even if a few are blemished.

I never knew you, you who breaks God’s laws. We are not save by our morality but our salvation leads us to morality and truth. Someone that constantly lives in sin, may not be His. 2 Timothy 2:19 “ Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”” Psalm 5:5 “ The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity.”

Jesus says those purposefully living a life in constant contradiction to the law and prophets, are not under grace.

they might have great shining 10k member “church” that hurts people not with calling them to repent, turn from sin, but to be affirming, socially concerned and bolstering the freedom to sin rather than the freedom from sin.

In closing = Read with me the words of vs 21-23 again.

Matthew 7:21–23 “ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

In that day. What day is that? Matthew 12:36 “ But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.” The day of judgement.

Revelation 20:11–15 “ Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Now, Jesus is going to use a parable to explain this. If you get what Jesus is saying, you’ll get on the boat (Jesus). If you are hungry, you’ll eat the bread of life (Jesus again). If you are thirsty, you’ll go to? (Jesus). Jesus is the gate/door/boat/tower, etc. The whole of Jesus’ sermon is you cannot earn your way. Its always been and always is by faith.

Even the faith that was had in the OT revelation was looking forward to what God would do. And He did it by coming to earth to save all who would accept the invite. Would you accept his invitation today?