Those God Never Knew

Happy Sunday. We are just a few weeks away from wrapping up The Sermon on the Mount. I hope that you've enjoyed this study. If you have a request for a new series, let me know. You can go to my website, david.com, and you can send me a message from there.

We received a call the other day from friends who had just gotten our Christmas card. It was in the mail for over four months. I tell you this because I send thank you notes to All of You Who financially support this ministry. If you have donated, thank you, but please know that a note has been sent. I hope you've gotten it.

Today's scripture is really a continuation of last week's lesson. Last week we looked at false teachers, wolves and sheep's clothing. Today we see these false teachers at Judgment Day. I'll read verses 21-23 from Matthew chapter 7.

There Jesus said, "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. 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? And then I'll declare to them, I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness."

Sadly, I have a picture in my mind of these false teachers. Not too long ago a rather well-known Pastor died who did great things in his life. After his death it was discovered that he was leading a double life and that, well, his life was just full of all types of sin, horrible things. We just read the words of Jesus where he said, "depart from me, you who practice lawlessness."

When we meet these false teachers in verse 23, they're bragging about their accomplishments: "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name?" Can't you picture these people, always in the Lim night, pushing their name over God's, putting on a show? Prophecy, casting out demons, signs and wonders. They choose to be very public in their Ministry, but they've placed success before obedience, show before go.

One commentator wrote, apparently the astounding things men can do in public are no indication of where they stand in private before God. John stot said that these people had a camouflage for their Disobedience. Back in the early 90s, Steve Martin starred in a movie entitled Leap of Faith. In the movie, Steve Martin portrays a faith healing Evangel IST that is just a fraud. Sadly, the movie was based on real life examples of wolves and sheep's clothing.

The question that all of us need to ask is, how can you tell? How can you discern who is right and who is just pretending? Jesus said this in verse 23: "And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness." The false teachers will live a sinful, Lawless life.

Last week I encouraged you to know scripture so that you could be on guard for FAL, from false teaching. And one great scripture that I thought of this week is from 1 Corinthians 13. Listen to verses 1 through3 about priorities: "If I could speak all the language of Earth and of angels but didn't love others, I'd only be a noisy gong or a clanging symbol. If I had the gift of Prophecy," like the people were talking about, "if I understood all of God's Secret land and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but I didn't love others, I'd be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it, but if I didn't love others, I would have gained nothing."

We need to look and see how these people treat others, all others. Years ago Thomas Jefferson, our nation's thirdd president, compiled a Bible known today as the Jefferson Bible. He cut out the parts he didn't want and left some others. He took out the miracles of Jesus, any teaching of the Divinity of Christ, and he took out the resurrection.

Today people are doing the same thing. False teachers are teaching what they want to. They're teaching of forgiveness without teaching of repentance. False teacher teachers are pushing Grace over obedience, pushing Joy over righteousness, blessings over persecution, results over relationship, Heaven over hell.

Matthew 21 again said, "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." Today it's our great opportunity to do the will of Our Father in Heaven. James 1:22 tells us, "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." God will not be deceived. Make sure you're always consistent in your faith, always.

Pray with me. Father, help us to be secure in our faith. Help us to show love. Help us to deal with sin and live a life Guided by the Holy Spirit. Help us to enjoy forgiveness but to practice repentance. Help us to enjoy Grace but to practice obedience. Father, thank you for this journey, for your wonderful teaching. In the powerful name of Jesus I pray, amen.

God bless you. Thanks for joining with me. Have a great week.