Intro. This line of thought began back in verse 13 where Jesus talked about the straight gate and the narrow way. He warned against the broad way. having warned them about false prophets who would come in sheep's clothing, He told them that by their fruit they would know them. He now warns them:
I. NOT ALL WHO SAY,"LORD, LORD," ARE GOING TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.
A. It is necessary to say that Jesus is Lord to enter the kingdom of heaven, and anyone who does not acknowledge Jesus as Lord will never make.
1. Paul wrote:
ROM 10:9 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.
2. The NIV is a little more literal and accurate in the translation, That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
3. The King James declaring the Lord Jesus, too many people think of Lord as His name.
4. Paul wrote to the Philippians:
Phl 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Phl 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth;
Phl 2:11 And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
5. Peter declared to the people:
1TI 2:5 For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
a. To the council he said:
Act 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, [even] by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
Act 4:11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
Act 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
6. Jesus said:
JOH 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7. John the Baptist said:
JOH 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
8. John the beloved wrote:
1JO 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
1JO 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; [and] he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
Chicago's religions leaders have sought to rebuff the Southern Baptist Convention's plans to meet in the Windy City next summer, on the grounds that the large Christian group might foment "hate crimes" against minorities, is sounding alarm bells among Christians who fear that merely speaking openly about their core religious beliefs will soon be considered a crime. It seems Chicago's council leaders - representing 40 mainline denominations, Jewish synagogues, and African-American denominations - believe the outreach might spark violence and hate crimes against minority religious groups in the city. "We are particularly disturbed that the two groups who appear to be among your primary targets, Muslims and Jews, have during the past six months been victims of faith-based terrorist violence in Chicago," said the letter urging the Baptists to stay home. The council also includes Cardinal Francis George of the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, the Rev. Paul Rutgers, a
Presbyterian minister and Bishop
C. Joseph Sprague of the United Methodist Church's Northern Illinois Conference. Sprague, who oversees 425 United Methodist Churches in the Northern Illinois Conference, told World Net Daily that the Council was concerned that the presence of Southern Baptist missionaries in Chicago next year could upset the unity that has carefully developed between Protestants, Catholics and Jews in Chicago during the past few years. According to an Associated Press report Sprague said: The Southern Baptist campaign "smacks of a kind of non-Jesus-like arrogance, I am always fearful when we in the Christian community move beyond the rightful claim that Jesus is decisive for us, to the presupposition that non-Christians... are outside God's plan for salvation." "We did not in any sense want to suggest that we did not want them to come to this area. They are welcome to come," said Sprague, "if they're coming to join with us in acts of mercy and justice on behalf of this community
in general, and specifically on behalf of the marginalized and dispossessed." But Sprague makes it clear that traditional Christian evangelism is not acceptable or welcome. "We are not interested in their coming to proselytize or to suggest, however well intentioned, that Jews, Hindus, or others are second class." The problem, according to Sprague, is that proselytizing with the kind of attitude that one group is saved, while another is in need of saving, can provide "fodder" for deranged or demonized persons to attack religious minorities. To suggest that other religious groups are second-class citizens can be dangerous, because it feeds into the ideology of hate groups, he said. When it comes to Christian views on homosexuality, the prohibition against proselytizing is even stronger. Christians who treat homosexuals as second-class citizens are setting them up for persecution in a "fear-ridden society," said Sprague. Jesus said: Beware of false prophets who come
to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravening wolves.
D. Just saying "Lord, Lord" does not guarantee you entrance into the kingdom.
1. Jesus said:
LUK 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
2. It is interesting that when Judas lead the officers into the Garden to arrest Jesus, Judas said to Jesus, "Master, Master" and then he kissed Him.
3. There are many today who are saying "Lord, Lord, Master Master," but they are not going to enter the kingdom.
II. BUT HE THAT DOETH THE WILL OF MY FATHER.
A. That is what being a slave is all about. It is submitting to the will of your lord or master.
B. James warned:
JAM 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
JAM 2:15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
JAM 2:16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be [ye] warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what [doth it] profit?
C. Jesus spoke a parable to the Pharisees:
MAT 21:28 But what think ye? A [certain] man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
MAT 21:29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
MAT 21:30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I [go], sir: and went not.
MAT 21:31 Whether of them twain did the will of [his] father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
D. John wrote:
1JO 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
E. Paul wrote:
ROM 2:13 (For not the hearers of the law [are] just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
III. MANY WILL SAY TO ME IN THAT DAY, "LORD, LORD."
A. What will they be saying to Him?
B. Facinating, they will be saying the things that they had been doing.
C. What were they doing?
1. Prophesying in His name.
2. Casting out devils in His name.
3. Doing many wonderful works.
D. This takes us back a couple chapters where Jesus warns us concerning the motives behind the things we do. "Take heed that you do not your righteousness before men to be seen of men."
E. False prophets can, and often do;
1. Prophesy in His name.
2. Cast out demons in His name.
3. Do many wonderful works.
F. The key to this dilemma is that Jesus said, "He who does the will of the Father."
1. People can be doing religious things and not be doing the will of the Father.
2. They can beg the poor little widows to sacrifice and send in their Social Security checks so that they can have several homes, horse ranches, Limo's.
3. When they stand before the Lord and begin to tell Him of all of the things they have done, they will hear the Lord say: "I never knew you, depart from Me you that have worked iniquity.
4. Paul wrote to Titus:
TIT 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny [him], being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
5. Jesus said, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up His cross and follow Me."
Verse-Reference
Square — [Jhn 1:1 KJV]
Abbreviate Books
Use SBL Abbrev.
