Christ is the Only Sure Foundation

Transcript

GRM 1040
7/26/2009
Christ Is the Only Sure Foundation
Matthew 7:21-29
Gil Rugh


We're going to finish the Sermon on the Mount in our time together today, a sermon that began with the very familiar portion to many people—Matthew 5, the beatitudes. Many people know something about the beatitudes, and blessed are the poor in spirit, and blessed are the merciful. They are often applied in contexts that really are not what Jesus was speaking about when He gave the Sermon the Mount. And He concludes this sermon, this address given sitting on the side of a mountain, to His disciples and the crowd that has assembled. He concludes with a striking contrast that is not nearly so familiar as the opening parts of the Sermon on the Mount. And beginning with verse 13 down through verse 27 Jesus really draws to a conclusion in a sharp clear way what the basic issue is. He's been talking to these who claim to be followers of His about what is required to be part of the kingdom that He will establish on this earth. And what He really is talking about is the necessity to become a believer in Him as the Messiah and Savior. Requires a recognition that we are sinners separated from God, under condemnation and will be excluded from the kingdom unless there is a cleansing and forgiveness that takes place. For these Jews sitting here at the feet of the Messiah of Israel this is awesome truth. It is awesome truth for you and me today because the issues are the same. Some day Jesus Christ will return to earth to establish a kingdom on this earth. What is necessary for me to be part of that kingdom? Jesus is drawing a distinction here between salvation and no salvation.

It started with verse 13 where He tells them, enter through the narrow gate. Why is it important that you enter through the narrow gate? Because the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. In contrast the gate is small, the way is narrow that leads to life and there are few who find it. Characteristic of Jesus' ministry is this stark contrast—two choices, two alternatives, two destinies. That's all there is, that's it. In Matthew 13 for example He'll draw a series of the same kind of contrasts. We like to blur things today and confuse ourselves with the thought, there are many ways, there are many beliefs. Jesus says, no, there aren't. If you believe the Sermon on the Mount you have to believe that there is only one way to life and every other way is a way to destruction.

And furthermore, and we as believers need to realize this. A number of years ago a movement was popularized called the Moral Majority and they began to talk about the power of evangelicals and their influence and significance to make a difference in elections and so on. You know it's contrary to the Word of God—we don't have the moral majority, we have the moral minority, if you believe the Sermon on the Mount, because Jesus said in verse 13 that the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction. And there are many that go that way. The gate is narrow, the way is narrow that leads to life and there are few who find it. That's the contrast.

Now if that's the case we have to be careful. So He said in verse 15, beware of the false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. There are those who would come and tell you you're okay. And we looked in the Old Testament like in Jeremiah, the false prophets who said peace, peace and there is no peace because there is no peace, says my God to the wicked in Isaiah. They don't tell the truth. But they come like they are genuine spokesmen of God, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves and they will bring confusion and destruction to lives.

How are you going to know who is true and who is genuine in these teachers? You will know them by their fruits, verse 16. And He'll conclude that paragraph in verse 20, you will know them by their fruits. The contrast was between two kinds of fruit producing plants. The grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? Then every good tree bears good fruit, every bad tree bears bad fruit. You see the stark contrast? You say, well in some trees it's probably hard to tell good or bad. Jesus says a good tree cannot produce bad fruit, a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. And you see the emphasis? Same point with a different picture. The two gates, the two roads, the two ends, destruction and life; the kinds of trees, the two kinds of fruit; life and destruction. The bad trees are going to end up in the fire. Every Jew knew what that meant. You were excluded from the kingdom, you were condemned, you were going to the fires of hell.

We look at the fruits and we noted, what does fruit include? It includes what is taught and what is lived. Be careful you have both. We sometimes as Bible believing Christians get confused because we look at certain things but we don't look at the complete picture. By their fruits you will know them. Now this is the conclusion of the sermon which said back in chapter 7 verse 1, do not judge so that you will not be judged. If you were here for our study of that you see it is put into context here. There is clear judgment exercised and we are responsible to be careful to examine and evaluate. The next time someone, and you share the gospel with them and they say, judge not that you be not judged, say, you are so right. That's what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount and we want to be sure that we understand the Sermon on the Mount and do what Jesus said. So I appreciate your quoting that. Let's look at what Jesus said as He concluded that sermon. And show them where He said, judge not that you be not judged. Now let's move down to how He finishes up. So He drives home the point, you know like we do when we want to conclude something we drive home the most important point. Look at the contrast He draws, look at what we must know and understand.

Jesus now as He wraps this up draws the focus even more starkly. How will you know in their fruits? Well those who say Jesus is Lord and claim that they serve the Lord Jesus Christ and do mighty works for Him, we know they are genuine. So now Jesus is going to really unload the whole truck. You know what? Many are going to say to Me in the day of judgment as we anticipate the kingdom, Lord, Lord. They're going to acknowledge Me as Lord and they're going to say, we did many mighty miracles in your name and prophesied in your name. And He'll say, you are on y our way to hell.

Look at verse 21, not everyone who says to Me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. Not everyone who says to Me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. But who will? He who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. That's who will go into the kingdom. It's not enough to say He is Lord. I believe Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior. That means you are going to heaven. Not necessarily, because many will say to Him on that judgment day, Lord, Lord. But they're not going to go into the kingdom. Many will say to Me on the day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, in your name perform many miracles. Then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness. The contrast is between those who just hear and those who hear and do, hear and obey. Now don't be confused. You're not saved by what you do. You must enter the narrow gate. But when you have truly entered the narrow gate you will travel the narrow road, and that ends in life. Otherwise you have entered the broad gate and are traveling the broad way that ends in destruction. Those who say they have believed, those who claim to believe in Christ and even do miracles but are not producing good fruit—teaching the truth and living the truth—do not belong to Christ, no matter what they say.

You know this is not new to the Jews. It's always a struggle, it has always been a struggle; in Israel it was a battle, today it's a battle. Come back to Malachi 1:6, a son honors his father and a servant his master. In the physical realm a son honors his father, a slave honors his master. Then God says, then if I am a Father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is My respect, says the Lord of hosts to you, oh priests who despise My name. But you say, how have we despised your name? And he goes on to talk about their areas of rebellion against Him, disobedience to Him. So you see they claimed one thing but it didn't flow out in their lives. So the fact of making a claim, I believed in Christ, I've been baptized, I attend church, I .......... That's nice, but that doesn't mean you are saved. Genuine salvation changes a life from the inside out and makes you new. It results in a life lived in obedience to the Word of God, in submission to God and His authority in your life.

Turn over to Luke, a short verse that we could quote but I want you to see it. It's in the similar context that we have in the Sermon on the Mount as we have it in Matthew. Luke 6:46, this is the same teaching that we are reading in Matthew. Look at the statement in verse 46, why do you call Me Lord, Lord and do not do what I say? Something is wrong. Oh yes, I'm a believer in Jesus Christ, but I'm involved in an affair, I'm being immoral. Yes, Jesus Christ is Lord of my life but I am a little bit dishonest at work. Why do you call Me Lord, Lord and do not do what I say? That's an offense to God, it's a mockery. Yes, you are my Master, I am Your slave and I call You Lord, but I don't do what you say. What do you think this is? You understand you're on your way to hell. It's not calling Me Lord that saves you, it's truly believing in Me in such a way that your heart and mind submit to Me. You are changed on the inside, now you live under My lordship.

Come back to Matthew 7. The context of where we are in what Jesus is talking about, He says, verse 22, many will say to Me on that day. On that day is a technical expression drawn from the Old Testament. The Jews would recognize it. What is on that day? That is the day of the Messiah's judgment. We'll just look in Isaiah, come back to Isaiah 2. There are great Messianic passages in Isaiah's prophecy, on the reign of the Messiah, the kingdom He will establish on the earth. We're just going to pick up in verse 11, that tells you something about that time. The proud look of man will be abased and the loftiness of man will be humbled, and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. That's our expression. That's the day of the Messiah, when the pride of man will be abased and the Lord will be exalted. It's repeated down in verse 17, the same statement.

Turn over to Isaiah 4:2, note how the verse begins. In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the adornment of the survivors of Israel. Talking about the situation again with the establishing of the kingdom, the time of the Messiah.

Over in chapter 10 verse 20, now in that day the remnant of Israel and those of the house of Jacob will who have escaped will never again rely on the one who struck them. But will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. Again we're talking about the day of the Messiah. And what is the day of the Messiah? It is the day of glorious deliverance for His people, a day of salvation, a day when the kingdom will be established. But it is a day of judgment, a day of wrath, a day of condemnation for all the wicked. It is a day of sifting judgment when the Messiah will sift out those going into the kingdom and those not going into the kingdom.

Come back to Matthew 3. And here you have John the Baptist preparing the way for the coming of the Messiah. Verse 3, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight. And the people are coming out, including the Sadducees and the Pharisees, the religious leaders in Israel, to be baptized by John. And you'd think that would be a good thing to be identified with John and his ministry. But John said to them, verse 7, you brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance, and do not suppose you can say to yourself, we have Abraham for our father. Don't think that because you're a physical descendant of Abraham you're going into the kingdom. You have to repent of our sin, have your life changed by the power of God and bear fruit. The fruit trees that Jesus talked about in Matthew 7, bear good fruit, not bad fruit. You see that is a result of repentance, forgiveness and being made new by the power of God. It's not a matter, I'm going to work hard, change my life and be acceptable to God. You can't do it. You start with repentance, acknowledging before God your sin and turning from that sin and recognizing only God can provide His forgiveness. And that comes through His Son, He's my only hope and I'm believing in Him. Then you are given a new heart and thus your changed behavior flows out of that.

Come back to Matthew 7. So that day is the day of judgment when the Messiah will sift out. And if we had gone on in Matthew 3, a picture of a winnowing fork and you throw the grain up and the chaff blows off and the grain falls down. And then the chaff is gathered up and thrown into the fire. That's what the Messiah is going to do when He comes, there is going to be a sifting judgment. What have these people done? Look at Matthew 7:22, I mean this is pretty good credentials. They will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord. They're calling Him again their Lord. Did we not prophesy in your name? That's pretty good, to prophecy in the name of Christ. And in Your name, not in our name, in Your name, Lord, we cast out demons. And in Your name we performed miracles. They prophesied, they cast out demons, they did miracles all in the name of Christ and they're calling Him Lord. I mean, this is a pretty good resume to get you into the kingdom, it would seem. And yet Jesus will declare to them, I never knew you. Never, never. It wasn't at one time He did and now He ........... Never. Never did we have a relationship. That's what it means, I never knew you. We never had a relationship, you never belonged to Me, I was never your Lord in that saving sense. Depart from Me, you who work lawlessness. And you know where the departure is—Matthew 25 makes it clear, depart from Me cursed ones into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. There is no part in the kingdom for you, I never knew you. You see the key issue here, no blurring of it. Not that you prophesied, not that you did miracles, not that you called Me Lord, but you had a relationship with Me. That's through the narrow gate. We looked in previous studies, Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by Me. That's the foundation.

How could they do these things? How could they be so confused? I'm often asked about different teachers, and false teachers. Do you think they know they are false? Do you think false teachers really know they are false? Some of them are shysters, they know they are. There was one who used to go around through a large auditorium and just go up to people and tell all about them, people he had never met. Then one day a person took an electronic device where he could track radio signals and he found there was a radio signal moving around in that auditorium and he traced it down. And this man's wife was in the back with a transmitter and a sheet of names and locations in the auditorium and this man had a received in his ear and she was telling him, go now four rows back, in the third row and there is a lady sitting there whose name is so-and-so. And she's just had this experience. Well he knew he was a shyster, he knew that was his wife talking in his ear and not the Lord.

But there there are those who are completely, totally deluded and deceived by the devil. Right up to this day they are going to come before the judgment seat thinking, I'm in. What a shock. They are there to say, Lord, Lord, it's me. I've prophesied in Your name, I did miracles in Your name. And He says, I never knew you. Depart into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. We never had a relationship. What kind of shyster are you? How can you be so deluded? Satan is a master deceiver, he can cause us to deceive ourselves, to be deluded into thinking we are something we are not. How many people think they are going to heaven because they got baptized, been confirmed and joined the church? They are totally self-deceived, yet they are absolutely convinced they are going to heaven. There are people blowing themselves up in the world today because they think that's an immediate ticket into Paradise. Bad mistake, that's not true. Who has so deceived them, and how have they become so deluded that they are willing even to take their own life, thinking that is a sure ticket to Paradise. Understand people can be very, very deceived. How could they do miracles? I think it's interesting here. Jesus doesn't say, no, you never prophesied; no, you never did a miracle. That's not the issue, the issue here is I never knew you.

Back up to Job 1. You know it is a serious thing to underestimate your enemy. And it is a very serious thing to underestimate the power of the devil. Job 1. You are familiar with the setting, we don't have time to read a lot of it. But there is a time when the angels come to present themselves before the throne of God in glory and the devil is present there. The devil has lost his position in heaven, he has not lost his access. We will get to this in our study of Revelation 12, which is where we will be picking up when we resume our study of Revelation. But we're told in Job 1:6, now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord. Satan came also among them. And God initiates the conversation with satan, God is in charge of course. He says, have you considered my servant, Job? He's the most righteous man on the face of the earth and he loves Me and serves Me. I've given you the summary. And he doesn't do evil things. And satan says, no wonder he loves you and serves you, you've put a hedge around him so I can't hurt him. So you make his life good and easy so he loves you. Take away the hedge and you'll find out he won't serve you.

So verse 12, the Lord said to satan, behold all that he has is in your power. Only do not put forth your hand on him. So, the hedge is down, satan, you can use your power, this is satan's power now. He's in your power, only you can't touch his physical body. So what does satan do? Well verse 13, on the day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house a messenger came to Job and said, the oxen were plowing, the donkeys feeding beside them. The Sabeans came attacked and took them. They slew the servants with the edge of the sword. You know who caused the Sabeans to descend and attack? Satan. Now you look at it humanly, you thought it was just an attack of terrorism. The Sabeans came down and killed the servants and took the plunder. Satan has the power to control and influence people to do what he wants done, specifically kill and steal here.

While he was still speaking, verse 16, another came and said, the fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them. I alone have escaped. Satan has power over the forces of nature as we would call it. Evidently lightning strikes down from heaven _____ forth power and starts a fire and consumes. He can cause the lightning to fall from heaven? Fire to come down and consume? I mean, that's awesome power. We're not done. Then he is still speaking, then the Chaldeans formed three bands, made a raid on the camels, took them and slew the servants. Raised up another army of another group of people, not only the bands of the Chaldeans.

And then you have all the children of Job in the house celebrating.. Verse 19, a great wind came across the wilderness, struck the four corners of the house, fell on the young people and they all died. Do you see the power of the devil? It may here be masked to human observers as just unfortunate acts of nature. Lightning strikes or an unusual wind with great force striking at this particular place at this time. Or these two plundering bands attack, isn't that ................. Satan is a powerful being, he can move men and armies to do his will, he can use nature to do his will.

We're not done. Chapter 2, satan is back, another day when the angels come. He says have you considered my servant Job? I took down the hedge, you did all these things and what did Job say? And you know what Job's response was, Job 1:21, naked I came from my mother's womb and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God. You know what satan's response is? Well of course he survived that, you wouldn't let me touch his physical body. Skin for skin. Of course people hang on as long as they are doing okay personally and they're healthy. Let me touch his body and you'll see he changes. Chapter 2 verse 6, the Lord said to satan, he is in your power, only spare his life. Then satan went out from the presence of the Lord with sore boils, from the sole of his feet to the crown of his head. You see the power of satan to cause terrible physical suffering. He can do it, he is a powerful being.

I say this so that we realize we are dealing with a supernatural opponent. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenlies. We battle against satan and his forces. It's nothing for satan to cause a tornado, nothing for satan to call down lightning to strike where he wills, nothing for satan to cause physical affliction and illness so that his servant could go and do miracles, even a genuine miracle. Doesn't surprise me. I mean we would say that that house didn't fall on Job's children, it was poorly constructed and it really wasn't the wind that brought it down. It was the poor construction. No, we read the background, right? God told us what really happened. The power of satan was unleashed and the wind blew so hard at that particular point, it caused the house to collapse. Why? That was satan's way of killing all the kids of Job's that were in the house. His power.

So we talk about these people claiming supernatural power. That doesn't always mean it is God at work. Back up to Deuteronomy 13. Remember now you know the tree by its fruits. We're taking this piece by piece, but don't lose the overall picture—a tree is known by its fruits, you will know them by their fruits. When they say Lord, Lord and they do miracles. Okay, but we have to look at the total picture. What is the teaching that they are giving? What is the life that they are living? We look at it in the bigger picture. Look at Deuteronomy 13:1, if a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or wonder. So here somebody comes on the scene, I'm a prophet, God speaks to me in dreams and visions and so on, and here is my prophecy. And the sign or the wonder comes true. So he said, here is what's going to happen and a week later it happened exactly as he said it would happen. And he also says then, let us go serve other gods, let's do this and that's contrary to what the God of Israel has said. You shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you to find out if you love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul. How has the Lord tested you? Like He tested Job, He allows satan to do certain things. He's going to allow satan to bring a false teacher in and do a miracle, but the teaching of that false prophet, that false teacher is contrary to what God has said. But he did a miracle. So? He's teaching what is not according to what God's Word says. Well do you think he could do a miracle if God wasn't using him? I think the Bible is always right and God said if he teaches anything contrary to what He has revealed, he is false.

You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him, you shall keep His commandments. Listen to His voice, serve Him, cling to Him. That prophet or dreamer of dreams shall be put to death because he has counseled rebellion against the Lord your God. What about the miracle? What about it? __________________ Can unregenerate people do miracles? I don't always have the answer to that. I have magicians that I watch and I can't figure out how they did that, it's obviously sleight of hand. But you know I don't have to sort out, I'm going to believe them until I find out whether that miracle is genuine or not. Well, miracles aren't the final test, nor is it that they say Jesus Christ it he Lord of their life and I'm a follower of Christ. We have to be discerning, we have to submit their teaching and their life to the Word of God. And be careful because the counterfeits, you have to look carefully at the details. That doesn't mean we are on a witch hunt, looking for any speck of dust we can find anywhere, but we are to be discerning because these are serious matters because we're talking about people ending up in hell forever and ever. We don't want to make a mistake here. And Christ is speaking like there is no excuse to make the excuse. For salvation you submit to what I have said, you turn from your sin and place your faith in Me alone, you submit yourselves to the Word from My Father as the evidence of the transformation.

Come over in the New Testament to Matthew 24, what's going to be happening in the days preceding the return of Christ. Verse 24, for false christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders. We have those miracles again. So as to mislead if possible even the elect. I mean, we have the greatest display of miracles since Christ was on the earth still yet before us, and yet they will be false. Look over in II Thessalonians 2, talking about that same period of time. We will be in this in our study in Revelation with the details. Verse 8, then that lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan. What does the activity of Satan involve? With all power and signs and false wonders. They don't really come from the living God and they do not really turn people's attention. There will be miracles going on during that time preceding the return of Christ to the earth. Genuine, the two witnesses will do mighty miracles. But there will be overwhelming miracles with satanic authority that will be going on as well.

One more passage, Revelation 13, which is where we are going in our study in Revelation. Verse 13, what happens during this time, he performs great signs so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. I think this is striking, but you understand this is one of the two men that stand out in all of history as the most opposed to the living God and His Son. And yet he is even going to make fire come down out of heaven in the presence of men. Men can be self-deluded, many false teachers think they are genuine. We have false teachers in evangelical schools who think they are truly saved, but their teaching reveals them for what they are. There are those who have been accepted “in evangelicalism” that are teaching things today and yet because they say I trusted Christ and there was a day when I placed my faith in Him. But you examine their teaching and it is contrary to the Word of God and some of their lives are a disaster. Why are believers confused? Well they say they are believers and who am I to judge? I am no one, but the living God is and we have His word and He says you better. That's the point in the Sermon on the Mount because eternal destinies are in view.

Come back to Matthew 7:23, depart from Me you who practice lawlessness. I never knew you. So that's it. You enter the narrow gate, you will travel the narrow way. So you enter into a knowledge of Christ by His grace, understanding you are a sinner, understanding Christ is the only Savior. You place your faith in Him, you enter the narrow gate. Now your life will never be the same. You've been made new. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature. Old things pass away, behold new things have come. Some people try to get by with this silliness that is self-deluding. I know I'm saved, I can remember many years ago when I placed my faith in Christ. I just haven't been living for Him. You understand that's a lie from hell. You cannot enter the narrow gate and travel the broad road, right? I don't say this to be mean, but eternity is at stake here. You understand you are on the broad way that ends in destruction. Don't deceive yourself. I was saved, I'm just not living for Him.

A bad tree bears bad fruit, a good tree bears good fruit. You understand there are few that are saved. We don't say that with arrogance but humility because we understand that in God's grace we have been saved. But there are things that get accepted. We as parents can say, I remember when they were little, they trusted the Lord and that's what I'm holding on to because they haven't been living for Him. You know we want to believe a lie. People who are not living for Him have not trusted Him. They need the salvation of our God. I don't want to add to the confusion, it's too important. You understand when Jesus Christ is at the judgment there will be no confusion. They won't be able to stand here and say I trusted you, I called you Lord, I did serve you but then I got off the road. I never knew you. I don't want people to have to wait to that time to find out the end. The point is we need to settle it now.

Look how He goes on in verse 24. Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them. Note this, hears and acts, does them, who obeys them. May be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell and the floods came, the winds blew and slammed against that house. Yet it did not fall for it had been founded on the rock. So you see here you hear the Word, you respond in obedience to the Word. The first act of obedience is believing. God commands all everywhere to repent. This is His command, that we should believe in the name of His Son. Now we continue to live in obedience to His Word. He is our heavenly Father, He is our master, we are His slaves. Of course we honor Him, we obey Him. That's the wise man.

Now the picture is the house on a rock, the storm of judgment is coming. The life built upon the rock of the foundation of Jesus Christ will stand in the judgment. Everyone who hears these words of Mine, verse 26, and does not act on them, does not do them, does not obey them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, the floods came, the winds blew and slammed against that house. It fell, great was its fall. In the judgment they will not stand, their destruction is assured..

I want to take you back to the Old Testament to Isaiah 28:16. The Jews would understand what Jesus is saying here because Isaiah prophesied about it. Therefore thus says the Lord God, behold I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, a costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed. You see what we're talking about? You have that foundation because you've placed your faith in the rock that God has provided. Your life now is built upon the rock. It will not be unsettled, come the judgment. That verse is quoted a couple of times in the New Testament—Romans 9:33, I Peter 2:6. Life has to be built upon the foundation of Christ.

Turn to I Corinthians 3:10, according to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise masterbuilder, I laid a foundation and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Christ Jesus. So now if you have built on the foundation, you have to be careful that you build on this foundation as God intends. You see there is no other foundation, there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved. You understand the overwhelming masses of people on the face of this earth on the broad road to destruction. Who are you to judge? I'm not, but the judge of all men has said the broad road with many on it leads to destruction. The narrow road with few who find the narrow gate, traveling the narrow way, there are few. That leads to life. It is a narrow way. People get upset with fundamentalists, they are so narrow, you think your way is the only way. No, I don't think my way is the only way, I think God's way is the only way and I think it is a very narrow way because God says it's a very narrow way. I think most people are missing it, not because I'm the judge of most people but because God says there are only a few who find it. Most people are on the broad way to destruction. I don't want to confuse the issue, I don't want to give anybody the idea it's anything other than it is. It's exactly as God says it is, it's exactly as His Son says it is. Jesus Christ the One appointed by God the Father to be the judge of all men is telling us what it will be like. We ought to pay attention. That's the only thing that matters. If I as a preacher give you false comfort, peace, peace and there is no peace, you know nothing has changed. You've just been deceived. If I say, that's all right, I've known you for a long time, you've been part of my church, I know you're going to heaven. I may give you comfort but the reality of it is you will not stand before me to be judged. Both of us will stand before the judge of all men, Jesus Christ and I may say, Lord, he told me wrong. Well why did you listen to him? You should have listened to Me. What did I tell you? I told you build upon the foundation, the rock which will stand the test of the judgment. Yes, but I was raised in that church, Lord, and they told me if I got baptized and confirmed and partook of the sacraments or did my best or whatever else it would be okay. You shouldn't listen to them, I warned you about wolves in sheep's clothing. Why would you listen to those who told you something that was contrary to what I told you? Well they told me God was a God of love and He wouldn't sentence anyone to hell. Why would you believe a lie like that? How many times over did I tell you in My word that men and women would be sentenced to an eternal hell, which burns with fire and brimstone into the ages of the ages. You told us to believe men and not God. I mean, when you stop and think about it, why? Has God not been clear?

Back up to Matthew 7. Everyone who hears these words of mine. You'll note the same thing in both of these comparisons. Verse 24, everyone who hears these words of mine; verse 26, everyone who hears these words of mine. The first part of the comparison is the same, they are all hearing the same words, the words of Christ. The breakdown comes in the response. Everyone sitting here has heard the same message today, but not everyone sitting here will respond in the same way to the message. That's where now our individual, personal accountability comes to the fore. What will you do with Jesus Christ? What will you do with the message of the living God? He who hears and acts on it has built a foundation that will not be shaken; he who hears and does not act on it will not stand in the judgment. To me that's the most serious thing about a time like this when we meet together. People gather together, the Word of God goes out. My concern and burden is that the Word of God goes out as clearly as possible, as true as I can give it as God has given it. But the reality of it is it's your response to that Word which will determine your destiny. I believe what God said, I believe there are two ways, I believe the only way to life is His Son. I'm letting go of everything to place my faith in Him and have Him be the rock of my foundation, let Him make me new so I'm a good tree producing good fruit, believing in Him so that I enter through the narrow gate. And now I travel that road. You see people turn that around. They say, travel the narrow road, you'll get through the narrow gate, you'll get into heaven. No, no, no. I mean you could join this church, you could get baptized here, take communion here, be one of the best givers here, do all kinds of things here and die and go to hell because this church isn't the gate. You can hear about the gate at this church when the Word of God is taught, but Jesus Christ is the gate, He is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Him.

Many of us have believed in Him. We need to be as careful with the message as we can be. Not afraid to give it forth, but terrified we would give it forth other than as God has given it. That's my greatest concern, that if God were to give the evaluation of my giving a message, my sharing the gospel, He would say, well done, good and faithful servant. That's exactly as I gave it. That needs to be our burden. I don't want to fudge because I don't want people to think I'm too narrow, I don't want them to think I'm judgmental, I don't want them to think I'm the only one right, I don't want them to think I'm arrogant. I'd like them not to think any of that, but you know that's what they think of my God. This is what my Savior in His teaching narrows it down to. Do you think the Jews thought that was wonderful? We've seen what their response was on other occasions when His disciples came and said, do you know that they were offended by your teaching? Let them alone, they are the blind leaders of the blind.

Jesus has concluded and Matthew wraps it up, verse 28. What was the response? When Jesus had finished these words they crowds were amazed at His teaching. They hadn't heard anything like this. They were amazed. Strong words. Literally, they were struck out of themselves. They were dumbfounded. He was teaching them as one having authority, not as their scribes. You know what happens when people begin to drift away from the Word of God? They want to quote everybody and their brother who is a supposed authority. Dr so-and-so says this, scientist so-and-so says this. And the authority becomes other men. That was what the scribes and Pharisees would do, they would quote the Old Testament but then they would have all the other teachers that were admired. Rabbi so-and-so has taught this, rabbi so-and-so has taught that.
You understand the treasure you have? We have this treasure, the Word of God in earthen vessels. You're sitting there with a Bible in your hand. What a treasure. The Word of the living God, you have it. What's more important? We have teachers to instruct us, but we ultimately have the Holy Spirit and you have no need ultimately of a man to teach you, I John tells us. The ultimate teacher, I'm teaching you the word of God but it's only the Spirit of God who takes this and carries it to your heart and mind. If the Spirit of God doesn't take it to your heart and mind, it just goes ............... Didn't get anything out of that, missed that, I don't know what he was talking about, where do we go for lunch. Understand the seriousness we have here.

We have one authority. We don't have direct revelation from God as Christ was giving new material, but we have the same authority. I will not take one step back. This is God's Word, it is true. This is what He says. You are either on the way to hell or you are on the way to life. There is no middle ground. Well, I'm still deciding. Well you're deciding while you travel the broad road, and that road comes to a quick end and you are on the broad road, you're going to destruction. I mean, don't we do ourselves and others a favor by being as clear as God is? Aren't you glad He gave His word to be understood? You hear His word, you either obey or disobey. And by God's grace many of us have been privileged to believe and know what it is to be on the road to life. Our desire is that we share this word so that others will come to believe in this wonderful Savior and travel the road that will culminate in life as well.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the message of the Sermon on the Mount, a message of life, a message of hope, a message of a coming kingdom, of the anointed One, the Messiah of Israel who will establish a kingdom on this earth and all the righteous will enjoy that kingdom for eternity. Lord, it's an awesome message of warning. Most people fail to trust the One who is the only Savior and continue to travel the broad road, confident that most people are like them. They fail to consider the awful end of a life apart from Christ, fail to consider what it means to have Christ say, I never knew you, we never had a relationship, you must depart into destruction. May we be bold as your representatives as we share the message of life with those we come in contact with, that you might be honored. We pray in Christ's name, amen.