Sermon Tone Analysis

I. Reading of Scripture

[Matthew 7:15-23]

This is God’s Word.

Pray

II.

Introduction

A. Introduction to Text & Theme

I want us to hear again the words revealed in Verse 22. Jesus says:

When Jesus says, “On that day...”,

He speaking prophetically of the end of this world.

He is speaking of the Day in which the Kingdom of God comes in fullness.

When all Creation is restored and placed under Jesus’ eternal reign (Brown).

“That Day” will be the prophesied “Day of the Lord.”

“That Day” will be the “Day of Judgment.”

What Jesus has been teaching in The Sermon on the Mount by way of Kingdom principles, and righteous priorities and revelations about Our Father in Heaven and the relationship we have with Him through Christ the King, teaches us that —

We need not wait, and we should not wait, and we cannot wait until “THAT Day” to submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ!

Not when we are given THIS Day to do just that!

“Repent,” Jesus proclaimed, “for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

(Matthew 4:17b, ESV).

We pray together, as a community of faith, as the Church of Christ, to our Father in Heaven with these words of petition:

The road to “that Day” is this day.

The will of God may be done on earth, as it is in heaven, as Christ reigns in the hearts of his people.

Yet —

In speaking about “That Day,” Jesus repeats a sobering word from his previous saying.

Jesus employs the word [ πολλοὶ ], the word “many,” to contrast the fate of the majority with the fate of the few.

Jesus connects the command of this passage with the command of the previous passage, and calls for situational awareness.

Give me a report on your surroundings.

Where are you?

Who are you with?

Where are you going?

What are you taking with you?

Are we camouflaged among the crowds, walking the popular way of most, doing what is right in our own eyes, or —

Are we near to Christ, with cross in hand, following after Him on the less travelled, difficult way?

Many enter the wide gate, walk the easy way, and are destroyed.

How is it possible, that there are so many on the way to destruction and they do not know it?

The answer, is that —

They are deceived.

But notice, “They” isn’t the word Jesus uses to address the deceived.

Jesus does not say: "I never knew them.

Jesus says “I never knew YOU!”

This is a plural “You.”

This is a group “You.”

This isn’t a “few” of “You,” it is “Many” of “You”!

That means many people, many well-intentioned people, many professing, confessing Christians, are truly convinced that they are on the way to life, and they are not.

They are deceived!

Deception starts by accepting a small lie by another, and grows into a big lie we eventually believe ourselves!

It is one thing to be deceived by someone else.

It is a worse thing, to be deceived by yourself.

I sent out a letter in the first few months of pastoring this church, to members who haven’t been seen or heard from in a very long time — This did not go out to our homebound members, but to our non-homebound members who haven’t made an appearance in over a decade.

It was a “check up” letter, a way of asking with pastoral concern — “What is your status?” “How are you?”

“I’m the new pastor.”

“Where are you?”

“Are you still with us?” “Have you moved?” “Have you united with another fellowship?”

Being the new pastor, I had a little leeway to do that because I didn’t know anybody!

And I felt I was on pretty safe ground going for the group that had been distant for decades.

We received several gracious responses back.

Some had, indeed, moved away.

Others had, indeed, joined other fellowships.

Many churches today do not receive members by transfer of letter, so we never received a request or were told of that person leaving us.

Several months after my letter, I answered a call from a man that received that letter.

He came out swinging.

Mad as a hornet!

“You take my name off that roll if you want to.

Just go ahead and do it!

I’ve been a member of that church for however many years…just go ahead, take me off.”

I introduced myself, and the reason for the letter.

I asked him when the last time he attended was — he couldn’t remember.

I asked him if he intended to attend again, he said “no.” Do you pray? “No.”

Do you read your Bible?

“No.”

I asked him if he knew the Lord, he said “Yes” and proceeded to tell me how the Bible nowhere says he has to go to church.

And with care for his soul, I began to quote to him the words of Scripture and he had none of it.

He was deceived.

He was convinced he knew the Lord, but he had no relationship with the Lord.

And he didn’t even know it.

Somewhere, sometime ago, someone told him he only had to profess knowing the Lord and he would be saved.

And he believed that.

And then began to live that.

So that in time, he began to convince himself of that.

He was deceived by someone else, and eventually became a deceiver of himself.

Many will be destroyed, because many are deceived.

An actor can pretend so well that they can fool anyone into believing they are someone they are not!

But an actor that pretends too often, can even fool themselves into believing they are what they are not.

It is one thing to be deceived by another.

It is a worse thing to be deceived by yourself!

III.

Exposition

A. 7:15-20

1. 7:15

So Jesus begins with a command of warning —

“Beware of false prophets.”

That word “Beware” when found in Scripture means to be continually ready and on guard against a lurking danger!

(see LN).

In other words —

PAY CAREFUL ATTENTION!

We only need to be told to “beware” the things that we are easily deceived by.

“Beware of false prophets.”

(Matthew 7:15)

“Beware of people.”

(Matthew 10:17)

“Beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matthew 16:6).