Sermon notes from Sunday 10 February 2019 pm
Matthew 7 verses 13 - 29
The Lord was speaking to the people one day when a young scribe stood up. He was willing to take a stand against the Pharisees and scribes, to take the Lord`s side. He agreed to all Jesus said, stepped forward and then asked "what is the greatest commandment in the law?" Jesus replied "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment." The young man said "Well Master thou hast said the truth; for there is one God and there is none other but he. And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." Jesus responded "thou art not far from the kingdom of God." (Mark 12 verses 28 - 34) I am sure this young man thought in his heart he was on his way to heaven and home. Remember when Nicodemus came to Jesus, he thought he was on his way to heaven, then Jesus said "except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of heaven." The scribe had the appearance of a good man but not a saved man. There is a difference in being a good living person and a saved person by the grace of God. In 1 Corinthians Paul speaks to the church. They were coming around the Lord`s table eating and drinking. Paul told them "let a man examine himself." Salvation is personal. It matters not about the person beside you or in front of you. Are you saved? Have you trusted in Christ?
The grave warning the Lord gives - verse 23 "And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from me ye that work iniquity." Why did he not know them? Because they never began at the cross of Calvary, never acknowledged the sinfulness of the heart, that they needed a Saviour, that they had to be humble and bow at the feet of Christ. Jesus spoke here of a day when many will say "Lord, Lord." There is a day coming, a day set aside when we must appear before the judge of all the earth. In Acts 17 when Paul preached in Athens he said "God hath appointed a day when he will judge men and women." If you were to stand before the Lord and be asked "why would I allow you into heaven?" what would be your reply? "Because I have done such and such". Jesus will turn to you and say "I never knew you. Take a look at the seriousness of this grave warning. He is pointing to a day when people will stand before God. There is a deception in it and it all comes from Satan himself. He blinds us with all sorts of things. Imagine for a moment and put yourself in their shoes. Born into this world to good families, taught to be a good person, kept a middle distance, not outspoken, came to where Jesus was and turned away. Jesus warns them "I never knew you." What would it be like for you? Salvation is not something to be toyed about with. Will you look at the invitation to come to the cross as something that far surpasses anything else you have. Salvation is something to be assured of. It is God that witnesses with my spirit that I am a child of God. Or the very same spirit witnesses that you are not saved. It is awful to get to the door of heaven for God to say "I never knew you." People can say "I have my own church and I worship there every Sunday morning." Here`s a people who have the language. The Lord will say to you "I never knew you." Did this young scribe ever take that step I wonder? God has spoken to you before, you are not far from the kingdom but you are not saved.
In Acts 8 we read of a young man who went down to Jerusalem. He had a great job, he worked for the queen of the land. On this occasion the desire was in his heart to go down to Jerusalem to worship. He was involved in all the activities going on in Jerusalem but in the midst of it all he was not saved. The Bible says if I want to be saved I need to repent of my sins, acknowledge my sin, acknowledge that there is but one way - through Christ and his death on the cross of Calvary. Elijah on the day going up to Mount Carmel to meet the prophets of Baal. They were worshipping but not sincerely. 400 prophets of Baal were calling on their god but heard nothing. They were so sincere. They began to cut themselves with their knives but still no response. In Acts 16 we meet a woman named Lydia. Remember how she went out to a riverside and sat amongst the woman. She could probably have said "Lord, Lord" yet she was not saved.
It is not of words either. Salvation is a work of God in the heart. "If thou shall believe in thy heart and profess with thy mouth." You have to do it in the right way. The people only had lip service. In Acts 8 Philip goes to Samaria where souls were being saved and healed of sickness, rescued from demon possession. The city was full of joy. A man called Simon was saved and he followed after Philip. He was interested in the mighty things God was doing. He was so absorbed in all that was happening but he had no real profession in his heart. He was not right before God. Salvation is a heart religion. It is not about the words we say. Verse 22 "and in thy name cast out devils."
It is not of works. Here`s a people so active. Ephesians "it is by grace that you have been saved not of works lest any man should boast." It is nothing else, not church and God, not your works and God, it is the Lord and him only. These people are seeking access to heaven by the works they are doing. There are those depending on works to get them to heaven. "I have taught Sunday School for years, I will be in heaven." "I have visited the sick for years, surely I will be in heaven." When you look at Christ hanging on that cross suffering and bleeding for you, he was doing it for you. When Naaman went down to the prophet, thinking he was a mighty soldier, one thing he did not acknowledge was the state of his leprosy. When he was told to go and wash in the Jordan river he thought "I would never do that." He was so angry at what he was told to do. People have done that even today - "what right does that give him" they ask. Naaman didn`t find consolation in battles, he found it only when he obeyed the voice of God.
It is not of wonders. Remember the plagues in Egypt, the severity of each one. It wasn`t the great wonders that brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, it was the blood of a little lamb painted on the doorposts. How simple it was to walk out that night. How easy it is to come under the blood of Christ, trust him as Saviour and Lord. Here are a people who have come to the door of heaven, so confident they will get in. They have prophesied, cast out devils and did many mighty works. The Lord will say "I never knew you." Jesus said "him that cometh to me I will not cast out." If you come to that place where you are prepared to say "I have sinned and because of that you have died, because of that I am taking you as my Saviour."
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