Statement: Matt 7:21
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Illustrate: The picture
here is one of depending upon the activities and the good deeds of religion to
please God – instead of depending upon proper worship in a NTC to please God .
. .
Heb 11:6 But without faith
it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he
is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
To please
God is to satisfy God “completely
and entirely” . . . the way to draw near
unto God – the way to actually visit
God is through proper
Worship .
. . and what we are told here is that for God to be completely and totally
satisfied with our lives – it is necessary that we have more confidence in
obedience than we have in our good
works –
the idea is that it requires faith
to actually commit our lives to the idea of being rewarded for seeking God – instead of being rewarded
because we work for God . . .
Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our
righteousnesses (good works) are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf;
and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
The
reference in Matt 7: 21 to entering
into “The kingdom of heaven” is not talking about going to
heaven
when are saved . . . this verse is talking about entering into the city after
we “get” to heaven . . .
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to
destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly (beyond
measure)
“Not every
one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven” is
reminding us that not everyone in heaven is going to have the same address . . some of God’s children will live
in the
city very close to Jesus – and some of God’s children will live outside the
city and their address in heaven will not very close to Jesus at all . . .
For example:
If we were to measure the distance that each one of us lives from the church –
we would find that some live much closer to the church than
others . .
. this is something that is completely in our control – every single one of us
could sell our houses and move to Dardanelle within a few
blocks of
the church . . . but some of us enjoy living in the country too much to move to
town . . . some of us enjoy being close to our children and
grandchildren
– so this is why we choose to live closer to them than the church . . . I
suppose that I live further away from the church than anyone . . . and I often
think about how convenient it would
be to live
right next door to the church instead of 30 miles away . . . I know that the physical distance that we live from the
church has nothing to do
with how
much we actually love the church . . . but the point is – that our address in
heaven is determined by the attitude we have toward the
church
here in this life . . . the closer we live to the church (in our heart) – then the closer we will live to Jesus in
the eternity of heaven . . .
Applicate: Re 22:14 Blessed (happy or well
off) are they that do his commandments, that they may have right (privilege) to
the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and
sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth
and maketh a lie.
The lesson
for us here is that just like we are able to choose our address here . . . we
are also able to choose our address in heaven . . . If we love sin more than we
love God – then in heaven we will
not have
the privilege of living within the city – but if we love God so that we regret
our sins and repent of them – then we will live within the city
Statement: Rev
22: Re 22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is
filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous
still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
12 And, behold, I come quickly;
and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
1) He that is unjust, let him be unjust still – To be unjust is to do
wrong or to be an offender who walks contrary to the truth . . . when Jesus
returns – His children that are doing
wrong will not have time to “change” the direction of their lives
a) The man that has an injured
life outside of the truth will continue to be injured after Jesus returns . . .
and what he carries with him into heaven will be something of little value
(wood – hay – stubble)
b) I Cor 3:12 Now if any man
build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
2) and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still – To be filthy refers to a life
that is soiled or dirty . . . when Jesus
returns – His children who are caught with dirty lives will not have time to
take a bath and clean their up their lives before they enter into the pearly
gates
a) The man who has a dirty life
when Jesus returns will continue to be dirty afterward . . . and he will not be
able to hide the dirt that he carries with him into heaven . . . (wood – hay –
stubble)
b) 1Co 3:13 Every man's work
shall be made manifest: for the day (of judgement) shall declare it, because it
shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try (test) every man's work of
what sort it is.
3) and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still – To be righteous does not
refer to the absence of sin in our life . . . but rather it refers to being
innocent – it refers to being set free by another or to being justified
by the judge which is GOD .
. .
a) For a child of God to be righteous – refers to how it is
possible for us to either walk in the direction of God’s will – or to walk
against the direction of His will . . .
i) The idea here is that at the
return of Jesus – the man that is caught walking in the direction of God’s will
for his life – will carry this “righteousness” with him into heaven (gold –
silver – precious stones)
ii) And as long as he is in
heaven – the direction of his life on this earth will not be forgotten . . .
iii) 1Co 3:14 If any man's work
abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
4) and he that is holy, let him be holy still – To be holy is to be pure
– to be morally blameless – or to be consecrated to fulfill God’s will as
opposed to living to fulfilling our own will . . .
a) The man who has dedicated
his life to the true worship of Jesus Christ . . . when Jesus returns and
catches this man living that type of commitment . . .
i) Then after he walks through
the pearly gates to enter into heaven . . . throughout eternity – this man’s
dedication is something that will never be forgotten . . . (gold – silver –
precious stones)
ii) 1Co 3:14 If any man's work
abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
5)
And, behold, I come quickly – The word “and” connects
this verse with what we have just read . . .
a) The sudden return of Jesus
is connected with the condition of the lives that we are living today. . .
b) At the return of Jesus - If
we are caught with our hand in the cookie jar . . . we will not have time to
remove our hand and drop the cookie . . .
c) “Notice” . . . “See” . . .
when I return – when I appear . . . it will be sudden . . . like a flash of
lightening – what the sudden flash of lightening reveals – is what you will
take with you into eternity.
6)
and my reward is with me – God’s reward does not refer to salvation . . . because salvation is
not a reward – it is a gift . . .
a) Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye
saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
b) God’s reward literally refers to pay for service . . .
c) the idea being that when
“the flash” of His return reveals an unjust life . . . then we will get paid
for an unjust life . . .
d) When “the flash” of His
return reveals a filthy life – then we will get paid for a filthy life . . .
e) When “the flash” of His
return reveals a righteous life – then we will get paid for a righteous life
f) When “the flash” of His
sudden return reveals a holy life – then we will get paid for a holy life . . .
g) My reward is with me means
that God has already written the check – He has signed it – and when He returns
– He will hand deliver it – to every single one His children
7)
to give every man according
as his work shall be – To give means to deliver
. . . or to put in ones hands
a) according means right now with all speed . . .
b) as his work shall be – refers to how
our effort – and how our occupation
in life is literally going to follow us
into the next life . . .
Illustrate: The picture we have here is –
for a sudden unexpected flash of light catching us unaware – and revealing the
direction of our life at that particular instant of time . . .
For example – If I suddenly turned the lights off during my lesson
today . . . and if a picture of your thoughts the instant that the lights went
out
could be
displayed on a screen . . . would the screen reveal that you were saying a
prayer . . . Would the screen reveal that you were day dreaming
about what
you would do after service . . . would the screen reveal that you were thinking
bad thoughts . . . Suppose that you got a job and a new house for the rest of
your life based on what the screen
revealed
at that one instant in time . . . would you get a good job in a nice
neighborhood – or would you get a bad job in a bad neighborhood . . .
Now we
might say . . . that is not really fair – I kept my mind on the sermon the
entire time . . . I only day dreamed at the very last when the lights went out –
most of the time my thoughts were good . . .
Well fair
or not . . . this is exactly what “he that is unjust/filthy will be
unjust/filthy still means” . . .
the reward
of the child of God who is unjust/filthy – will not be good . . . (wood – hay –
stubble)
1Co 3:15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but
he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
The
heavenly address of the child of God who lived an unjust/filthy life – will not
be in a very good neighborhood . . . and neither will it be in the city close
to Jesus . . .
Re 22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and
murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
Applicate: So the lesson for us here is –
that we are told to take an inventory of our lives . . . and if our life is
directed in same direction as God’s will – then we should continue . . . but if
our lives are pointed
in a
direction that is against God’s will . . . then we have an opportunity to turn
around . . .
The dogs –
the sorcerers – the whoremongers – the murders – the idolaters – those that
loveth and maketh a lie . . . are not sinners that are in hell
But these
are those whose rewards were burnt up in I Cor 3 . . . as they suffered loss –
but were saved yet-so-as by fire . . .
Now it may
not seem fair . . . but I want you to listen very closely to these next
scriptures . . . they tell us that God does not care about our past
God does not care if our past is filled with good . . . God does not
care if our past is filled with evil . . . but in the scriptures we just read .
. . God clearly tells us that TODAY is the only thing that He is concerned
about . . .
2Co 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the
day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, NOW is the accepted time;
behold, NOW is the day of salvation.)
If God sees humility and repentance in my heart today – then the evil that He saw in me yesterday is forgotten
If God sees pride and rebellion in my heart today – then the righteousness that He saw in me yesterday is also
forgotten . . .
Eze 33:17 Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is
not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal.
18 When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth
iniquity, he shall even die thereby.
19 But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is
lawful and right, he shall live thereby.
20 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel,
I will judge you every one after his ways.
Re 22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is
filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous
still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
12 And, behold, I come quickly;
and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
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