Matthew - TROUBLE AT THE GATE

TROUBLE AT THE GATE

Text: Matthew 7: 21-23

Thesis:  To prove that one must obey God’s will in order to go to Heaven.

Introduction:

1.      There are many today in the religious world who claim to be living for God, but one may observe that there is much division over religious matters.

2.      How can so many be living for God in so many different ways?

3.      Some claimed to be seeking God as Zerubbabel and the Israelites did, “…for we seek your God, as ye do…” (Ezra 4: 2).

4.      The context of Matthew Seven in many aspects is dealing with righteous judgment (Mat. 7: 1-5; 15-20), and verses 21-23 is dealing with a judgment scene on the judgment day.

5.      We must first understand those things that will judge us.

a.       We will be judged by Jesus’ words (John 12: 48).

b.      We will be judged by the things done in our bodies (II Cor. 5: 10).

6.      Everyone has an appointment on the judgment day (Heb. 9: 27).

7.      We will look at three points from Matthew 7: 21-23:

a.       There is a choice to be made by man (Mat. 7: 21).

b.      Many complaints and excuses will be made by man (Mat. 7: 22).

c.       There is consequences to one’s choices in life (Mat. 7: 23).

Body:

I.                   There is a choice to be made by man (Mat. 7: 21).

A.    God has done all that He can do for our salvation (John 3: 16).

1.      He gave His only begotten Son.

2.      Jesus became the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world (John 1: 29).

3.      God revealed His will to us (II Pet. 1: 20-21).

B.     Man is now able to stand justified in the eyes of God if he would only be obedient to the gospel plan of salvation.

C.     Notice that doing the will of the Father is not merely saying, “Lord, Lord.”

1.      Jesus reiterates that point in Luke 6: 46 by asking the question of why would one call Him Lord and do not the things that He says.

2.      How was Paul told to call upon the name of the Lord?  Acts 22: 16

D.    One must do more than simply acknowledge God or just believe on Him, but he must be obedient to God’s will.

E.     One was a choice in this matter.

1.      We see many that contend to be following God, but they are failing to obey God’s will in one aspect or another.

2.      We see others that just never will obey the gospel or totally reject it at the very beginning.

3.      There will be trouble at the gate for these people.

a.       Some could be in line finding out that Colossians 3: 17 did mean that one must have scriptural authority for how he worships and serves God, but it will be too late then.

b.      Some could be in line finding out that Acts 2: 38 did mean that one must be baptized for the remission of his sins, but it will be too late then.

c.       Some could be in line willing then to bow a knee and confess the name of Christ, but it will be too late then (Phil. 2: 10-11).

d.      On and on one could go with illustrations of this point, but the crucial question for our discussion is, “Are you going to choose to obey the will of the Father now before it is everlasting too late?”

4.      Jos. 24: 15 – “…choose ye this day whom ye will serve…”

II.                Many complaints and excuses will be made by man (Mat. 7: 22).

A.     How many people will be offering up excuses on that day?

B.      Jesus depicts such a scene for us in Matthew 7:22.

1.      Here are people that prophesied in the name of the Lord.

2.      Here are people that cast out devils in the name of the Lord.

3.      Here are people that did “many wonderful works.”

4.      Here are people that are lost brethren.

5.      Why?

a.       Because they had only done SOME of the things that one was to do.

b.      They had not obeyed the will of the Father.

c.       So many people today seem to pick and choose what they deem to be important in religion, and pass over many of God’s commands.

d.      They will be the ones saying, “Lord we did this, and we did that.”

e.       Brethren, excuses and some good works will NOT get one into Heaven.

C.     One that obeys the will of the Father will not have to offer any complaints or excuses to God on that day.

III.             There are consequences to man’s choices (Mat. 7: 23).

A.    This principle can be seen in a child’s choice of obeying his parents.

B.     One will always have to pay the consequences for his choices in life.

C.     The same is true in religion.

1.      God sets forth His Will, and it is up to man to obey that Will.

2.      Man will suffer consequences based upon his obedience to God’s will.

D.    The ones pictures in Matthew 7: 23 faced a negative, eternal consequence for their choices.

1.      They had not obeyed the will of the Father.

2.      God said that He never knew them.  Why?

a.       They never knew God.

b.      One that knows God will obey Him (I John 2: 3).

c.       They were willing to make the absolute confession with service to God; thus, Jesus was not willing to confess them to the Father (Mat. 10: 32).

3.      God called them workers of iniquity.

a.       One is either for God or against Him.

b.      One can’t straddle the fence.

c.       One that is failing to keep part of God’s Law is sinning, because sin is a transgression of God’s Law (I John. 3: 4).

E.     This does not have to be your consequence on the judgment day.

1.      A Christian has so much more awaiting him on that day.

2.      He has the promise of that crown of life (Rev. 2: 10).

3.      He has that promise of entering into the place prepared for Him by the hands of Jesus (John 14: 1-3).

4.      He has the promise of the city of gold (Rev. 21: 18).

Conclusion:

1.      We have looked at the fact that one has a choice, no complaints will be accepted by God, and that one must face the consequences of his choice.

2.      The question is, “Will there be trouble at the gate for me?”