Good morning, Church. Please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Matthew. The last couple of weeks we've been blessed to hear from God's Word out of the book of Philippians. But today we are going to take a detour and we're going to learn a little bit about what Christ teaches us in the Sermon on the Mount. So this morning we will be reading from Chapter 5 of the Gospel of Matthew. We're going to look specifically at Matthew Chapter 7, verses 15 through 23, but you can go ahead and park yourself in Chapter 5. I've titled today's sermon, The Works of a True Believer, The Works of a True Believer. The Sermon on the Mount is filled with God's law. It's an exposition by Christ to those that were there, a large crowd, and to his disciples about God's law and obedience to the law and some of the eternal consequences. The Gospel of Matthew is a wonderful resource for us today, as we consider especially the Sermon on the Mount, the reality that this world is filled with false teachers, and it's filled with false teaching. Before we get into the Gospel of Matthew in our specific passage this morning, it's helpful for us to look at the historical background and larger context of this Gospel. So let me set the table for us, and then we will go into the text. The Gospel of Matthew talks about the coming of Jesus as the King of Israel. It details the advent of Jesus as King and His authority as King. Matthew explains Jesus' purpose as King. He records the agenda of Jesus as King and the adversaries to His kingship. Matthew teaches about the work of Jesus as king and the administration of Jesus' kingdom, the atoning work of Jesus, and his command for his subjects. The Gospel of Matthew is written for converted Jews to clearly demonstrate Jesus as rightful king over all Israel. The author of the gospel is none other than Matthew, the disciple of Jesus, the tax collector, also known as Levi. The proposed date of this writing is mid to late 50s A.D., with the earliest proposed date as 50 A.D., keeping in mind that Jesus was crucified between 30 and 36 A.D. We know Paul wrote his epistle to the church in Rome sometime around 56 A.D., as Romans was written during Paul's third missionary journey to Christians living in Rome. So Paul wrote Romans while in Corinth in 56. We also know that the Gospel of Luke was written from Rome in 60 to Theophilus, shortly before the Book of Acts was written in 61, as a follow-up to his Gospel and ends abruptly with Paul's first imprisonment, so was likely written then. Matthew is, of course, the first book in the New Testament, the first of the four Gospels, and is widely accepted to have been written after Romans but before Luke. We know some things about the recipients and what was going on at their time. Certainly, as this circulated in Jerusalem, the persecution was beginning. In the year 66 AD, within a decade of the writing, the Jews of Judea rebelled against their Roman masters. The rebellion was crushed under the reign of Nero, the emperor. And in the year 70 AD, the city of Jerusalem was ransacked by the Roman general Titus, who was the son of the new emperor, Vespasian. The temple was burnt to the ground and destroyed. The Gospel of Matthew was written to account for the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and to inform the reader of Israel's error in the rejection of Jesus while clearly demonstrating Christ's rightful kingship over His people as the Messiah. It was written as an apologetic to the Jews regarding Jesus as Messiah, the King. This is a didactic gospel, meaning it is intended for instruction. And being instructive, it is inclined to teach or lecture others. It is for teaching, intended to teach the reality of the good news and Christ's kingship as Messiah. The Gospel prepares its readers for the glorious blessings of reconciliation with God the Father in the coming Kingdom of Heaven due solely on the atoning work of the King, Jesus Christ. The term Kingdom of Heaven is used 32 times in the Gospel. The preaching of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount alludes to the Kingdom and who it will belong to in the future. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his listeners that the kingdom will be for those who are spiritually poor. Jesus tells the crowd listening that the kingdom belongs to those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness. The persecution had not happened at this point in the narrative, but Jesus talks about future events as if they are past or present. Jesus continues in the sermon to tell those listening that whoever teaches and keeps the commandments of God will be called great in the coming kingdom of heaven. And Jesus also sternly tells the crowd that if their righteousness does not surpass that of the Pharisees, then they will not enter the kingdom. Later in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is speaking to a centurion who is requesting healing for his servant. At this time, Jesus tells the centurion that those who have faith in God's promises will recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom. Christ reveals that the prophets of old and indirectly the saints who have come before will be together in the coming kingdom of heaven. And if you're near chapter five, you can see the immediate context for the sermon can be found in Matthew 4, 23 through 25. These verses say that Jesus was ministering throughout all Galilee, proclaiming the gospel and healing diseases. many, many people from beyond the Jordan, Syria, an area in northeast of Galilee, the Decapolis, five cities of Galilee, east of the Jordan, it says, Jerusalem, and Judea. He was healing and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom to large crowds, sick people, demon-possessed, epileptics, paralytics, whom he had healed. Large crowds were following Him. And it's important to point out that not everybody that was there that day was a true follower of Christ. There were some there that had been healed. There were some there that I'm sure heard of the miracles and perhaps wanted to just see something, a spectacle. There were certainly some there that wanted to be healed themselves. There were His true disciples, we know that from the text, but there were also some there that were professing Christians who in their heart were not actually true Christians. It's no different for us today. Some of you here are true disciples of Christ. Some of you just want to hear something from God. Some of you are professing Christians, but you don't really believe in your heart. God knows that. This sermon is for all of us this morning. So let's enter into the Sermon on the Mount, and we'll sit at the feet of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In chapter 5, it starts, it says, He went up on the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and began to teach them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the lowly, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out to be trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, Nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to abolish the law or the prophets. I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that the ancients were told, you shall not murder, and whoever murders shall be guilty before the court. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court. And whoever says to his brother, you empty-headed, shall be guilty before the Sanhedrin. And whoever says, you fool, shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. Therefore, if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. Make friends quickly with your opponent at law while you are with him on the way, so that your opponent may not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. Truly, I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last quadrants. You have heard that it was said, you shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. But if your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you. For it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you. For it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. Now it was said, whoever sends his wife away, let him give her a certificate of divorce. But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, you shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord. But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king. Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your statement be yes, yes, or no, no. Anything beyond these is of the evil one. You have heard that it was said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, do not resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your garment also. And whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him too. Give to him who asks of you and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. so that you may be sons of your father who is in heaven. For he causes his son to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore, you are to be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect. Beware of doing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them, otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. Therefore, when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be glorified by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret, and your father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites, For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your father who is in secret, and your father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do. For they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore, do not be like them. For your father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then in this way. Our father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your father will not forgive your transgressions. Now whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your father who is in secret. And your father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. So then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink, nor for your body. as to what you will put on? Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you, by being worried, can add a single cubit to his lifespan? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow. They do not toil, nor do they spin. Yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will he not much more clothe you, you of little faith? Do not worry then, saying, what will we eat? Or what will we drink? Or what will we wear for clothing? For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged. And with what measure you measure, it will be measured to you. And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, let me take the speck out of your eye, and behold, the log is in your own eye. You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds. And to him who knocks, it will be opened. Or what man is there among you, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him? Therefore, in all things, whatever you want people to do for you, so do for them, for this is the law and the prophets. Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Verse 15, beware of the false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, in your name did we not prophesy? And in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many miracles? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and does them may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain descended and the rivers came and the winds blew and fell against that house. And yet it did not fall for it had been founded on the rock. And everyone hearing these words of mine and not doing them may be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house, and it fell. And great was its fall. Now it happened that when Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one having authority and not as their scribes. Praise God in the highest heaven for a record of this sermon and what it means for us today. This world is filled with false teachers and false teaching and the Lord very helpfully gives us some direction on how we can identify false teachers. At the beginning of the year, I was privileged to preach before this congregation from First Thessalonians, and I shared with you a survey that was done at a Christian university in Arizona, and I'll spare all of the specific statistics. But in summary, about a third to half of professing Christians believed in things and supported things that were not in the Bible, that were actually not taught in the Bible, or the Bible would specifically say this is wrong, and yet they believed him. In that survey, professing Christians said they think abortion is morally acceptable if it spares the mother from financial or emotional discomfort or hardship. So we're talking about convenience. There are many professing Christians today that think the Bible is ambiguous in its teaching about abortion. There are many so-called Christians that reject the idea that marriage is defined as being between one man and one woman. There are many self-identified Christians that think lying is morally acceptable as long as it advances personal interest or protects their reputation. These viewpoints are disturbing, and they are the result of false teaching and false teachers. This passage today is just as relevant as when the Lord Jesus Christ spoke these words 2,000 years ago. In chapter 7, verses 13 through 27, Jesus gives a logical argument that there are two ways people live by. Two ways that will determine their eternal destination. Two gates. two ways, two kinds of trees, two fruits, two ways of works, two judgments, and two foundations. In verses 13 through 14, Jesus started by exhorting his listeners that there are two ways to life and only one leads to the kingdom of heaven. He continues in our section with pointing out two kinds of fruit in life. In verses 15 through 20, he lovingly warns the people how to identify false prophets who lead people astray with false teaching. And he concludes his logical flow of thought by pointing out that false prophets cannot produce good doctrine nor good works. These false Christians are making a catastrophic mistake by anchoring their hope of salvation in their works alone. In verses 21 through 23, Jesus identifies this as evil and not connected to him. In verses 24 through 27, he makes it clear that for those putting their faith in works, their end is destruction. Jesus authoritatively declared to the people listening to the Sermon on the Mount, false Christians, supposed works of good, are actually evil in his sight and they will not stand on the day of judgment. Today we'll take a closer look at verses 15 through 23. One of the things that you hear most if you step out in evangelism, and whether you're at the door-to-door ministry or you're out in the park, when you ask people about what they think is going to happen when they die or if they're going to go to heaven, the number one thing over and over again, why do you think you're going to go to heaven? Because I'm a good person. That is a lie from the pit of hell and there are so many people that are deceived and think that if they live a good life and they're good and they check all these boxes that they're going to go into the kingdom of heaven. In this passage, Jesus gives two crystal clear examples of false Christianity so that you can live your life by faith in a way that is pleasing to him. Number one, is false teachers cannot produce sound teaching. We'll see that in 15 through 20. Two examples of false Christianity. Number two, false Christians stand on their works, not faith. Verses 21 through 23. Two crystal clear examples of false Christianity so that you can live your life by faith in a way that is pleasing to Christ. False teachers cannot produce sound teaching. Let's look again at verses 15 through 20. He says, beware of the false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. And before we get a little closer in looking at these verses, it's, I think, important to point out that this verse is often cherry-picked when we want to make accusations against other believers. We do it with our friends, our co-workers. We do it with our family, sometimes even our spouses. And we say, oh, you're not living the perfect standard that I perceive out of the Word of God. I know you by your fruit. You must not really be a Christian. If you're making accusations against another believer using this passage, you are outside of the context of the Bible. That is not what Christ meant. This is about false teachers. We are not called to be fruit inspectors, as Pastor Seymour likes to say. No, we're called to love one another, build each other up. Yeah, false teachers don't look like false teachers. They disguise themselves as believers. And it is not what is on the outside that gives them away. On the inside, it says they're like wolves who wish to tear and consume. And this idea can be found in Ezekiel 22 in the context of Israel's false leadership. It says her princes within her are like wolves tearing their prey by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain. False teachers are in it for personal gain and marked by a worldly greediness. You have somebody that consistently teaches something that's opposite of the Bible, and they're extremely wealthy. This is a clue. From the heart flows out evil desires and actions. Their teaching and actions betray them. Jesus gives the parable of the tree that cannot produce good fruit. In James 3, James uses the same logic. He says, The Lord started his logic by emphasizing he was warning about false prophets and how to recognize them. He points out here that false prophets cannot produce good teaching or good works. In Matthew 12, the Lord says something similar in the context of speech. He is saying that words reveal character. So if the person is teaching something that doesn't match with the scripture, they are a false teacher. It is not what the false teachers do, but what they don't do that will condemn them to hell. And the word picture of bad fruit being forcefully thrown into fire conveys judgment and eternal punishment. This is a mirror passage to Matthew 3.10 when John the Baptist makes the identical statement. The time is now. Remember John the Baptist's words in Matthew 3. The axe is already laid at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Jesus will continue his logical flow of thought in verse 22 when he refers to the day of the Lord and God's final judgment. Since these false prophets do not speak the truth, they are self-deceived, and their followers are self-deceived. Both will face judgment, and the consequence will be eternal torment in hell. John warned that the judgment is coming soon, and Jesus reiterates his forewarners' warning. Jesus later declares He is the judgment in verse 23. In verse 20, if you notice, he restates verse 16. Here the Lord creates a bracket of the logical principle that false prophets are incapable of teaching sound doctrine. Their doctrine matches with their lifestyle, nor are they able to produce followers who live by sound doctrine. And since they only produce bad teaching and evil works, they are not good for anything except destruction. The reality is not all deeds are righteous deeds. The Lord demonstrates logically that not every supposed good deed is actually righteous in his sight. The deeds of men are evil in the sight of God. Consider John chapter three when Jesus talks about judgment. He says, this is the judgment that the light has come into the world and men love the darkness rather than the light for their deeds were evil. The difference in the deeds is determined by what side of the cross you are on. If the works we produce are a result of our salvation by faith, they are righteous. If they align with the will of the Father in glorifying Him and sharing His Son, then they are righteous in His sight. Our motivations for the good works we perform need to be checked by the rubric of humble obedience in serving God. And one way is by serving others and proclaiming the truth in every situation, no matter how unpopular it is. If our heart's motive is not to glorify God, then our works cannot be righteous. Works without faith are useless and end up being self-serving. The logic here is so simple. Do you go to a briar patch to pick grapes? One commentator on this passage pointed out that from a distance, blackberries on the buckthorn flower could be mistaken for grapes. Flowers on certain thistles could be mistaken for figs from a distance. And Jesus is making a simple and logical point. False teachers are like a briar patch. They cannot produce good teaching. We can recognize false teachers by what they cannot produce. Their teaching correlates to an unrighteous lifestyle. Thinking about this and just some examples we've heard from this survey, a person of God who preaches from the pulpit that abortion is acceptable out of convenience is not a man of God. That is a false teacher. A pastor that stands in the pulpit that says he embraces the homosexual lifestyle and he is a gay pastor is not a pastor. He is a false teacher. A woman that stands in the pulpit and says she is a pastor is not a pastor. She's a false teacher. We have mainstream denominations that are historically conservative and teach sound doctrine who are now falling away where they have female pastors who are lesbian and they encourage others in that lifestyle. If a man stands in the pulpit and says that we should cut out the Old Testament from Christianity because it's scary and confusing, that person is not a pastor, it is a false teacher. Consider what we read last week from Timothy. Paul told Timothy that he had learned from his grandmother and his mother the sacred writings, he's referring to the Old Testament, that were able to make him wise to salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ, because the Old Testament describes the Messiah to come, the one who's going to put everything right. If a person stands in the pulpit and says that we should cut out the Old Testament, I would argue not only are they a false teacher, that person is satanic. Flee from that kind of stuff. People that claim that you should go into a room and close your Bible and turn the lights off and pray and the Holy Spirit will tell you everything about the Bible, that person is a false teacher. Those who claim direct revelation from God, those who say, God talks to me and he puts word pictures in my mind and because of that you should do this, and what they're saying doesn't match up with the word of God, that person is a false teacher. If you want to hear the words of God, then open the Word of God. God has spoken to us in His Word. That's why this sermon is so essential for us to understand, and these passages are so helpful. False teachers are identified by their doctrine, their teaching. True teachers of the Word of God do not teach false doctrine. And you can identify a false teacher by their fruit. And this idea of fruit is not saying what false teachers can produce. No, it isn't what a false teacher can produce in terms of teaching or the way they live their lives. It is that they cannot produce good teaching and good works in the way they live their lives. A false teacher can only produce false teaching and they are recognizable for their habitual lifestyle of unrighteous living. Sound teaching produces sound living. False teachers cannot produce sound doctrine. In this text, Jesus gives two crystal clear examples of false Christianity so that you can live your life by faith in a way that is pleasing to him. The first was that false teachers cannot produce sound teaching. The second is that false Christians stand on their works, not faith. the true works of a true believer. In verses 21 through 23, the Lord says this, Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, in your name did we not prophesy, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many miracles? And then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. And we'll see what he means when he says the will of the Father. In verse 21, he's talking about faith and belief. And in verse 22, he's talking about works, as in standing on your own works. Lord, Lord is important here. It's the servant or the slave calling to the master in a term of reverence and respect. They're acknowledging his position. But the double Lord is key. They're proclaiming with their mouth an allegiance to Jesus. But salvation is more than just lip service. It is demonstrated by authentic faith, followed by sincere action in carrying out the Lord's commands. Another way to say it is living by the teachings of Jesus. In the parallel passage about the two foundations in Luke 6, Jesus asks, why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say? Claiming mere allegiance to Jesus is empty without repentance and faith. Acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God does not mean perfect sinlessness in this life, but a complete remission of our sin based on faith in Jesus. Through faith, the righteousness of Jesus is imputed to us. And this translates to the ability to do works that are truly pleasing to God. According to Jesus, this is the will of the Father. John 6. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life. And I will raise them up on the last day. In verse 22, Jesus is just continuing from verse 21 his thought process. He is unequivocally saying that he has authority to stop people from entering the kingdom of heaven. He is placing himself in equal power and authority with the Father. And of course, we know there's an economical role, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. But Jesus declares that those who do the will of his Father will enter the kingdom of heaven. The will of the Father is to believe in the Son, the true works of a true believer. Those that do not will make desperate pleas in a vain attempt to gain entrance. Consider what the Apostle Paul says to the Church in Rome. In the context of those struggling with whether to maintain the old dietary restrictions within the law, he says in Romans 14, "'But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith, and whatever is not from faith is sin.'" Whatever is not from faith is sin. Jesus does not deny that they actually did any of the things that they claim. Notice in the passage, he doesn't call them out and say, no, you didn't do those things. No, but it will take more than works or works of power to enter the kingdom of God. It will take faith alone in Christ alone. On the final day of judgment, many false Christians will make claims about all the great things they have done for Jesus. Their works are not on the same level of saving faith in Jesus. In John 6, when the crowd at Capernaum were seeking Jesus, they asked Him about what they could do to work the works of God. And Jesus answered, This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent. Many false Christians will stand on their works on that terrifying day of judgment. And Jesus will go on to explain this in the parable of the two foundations. Jesus will send them away from himself in the sense of not having commissioned them. He does not regard them as his own in any way. The habitual practice of these false Christians was a lifestyle of evil living as if there was no law. And this is not a momentary stumble in the sense of a remnant sin in a believer's life. You know, we all struggle with sin. It doesn't mean that you're not a Christian. If you're convicted by your sin and you have a desire to grow, praise God for your struggle. No, this was a pattern of consistent lawlessness, disguised by supposed good works. They had no true connection to Jesus. In verse 23, Jesus actually quotes Psalm 6, verse 8, in the context of the servant of God who is desperate to be free of all who do evil. In Psalm 6, we see it's a psalm written by David as prayer for mercy in a time of trouble, and David says this in verse 8, he says, Depart from me, all you who do iniquity, for Yahweh has heard the voice of my weeping. Jesus quotes this passage to communicate His long-suffering of overlooking sin is over. In our passage from Matthew, we see the doctrine of hell. Hell is a sobering reality. The doctrine of hell is taught more by Jesus than anyone else in the Bible. It is almost exclusively taught by the Savior. The reality is that there is a judgment of eternal punishment for those that are not true followers of Christ. The term hell is used in two ways in the Bible. The first refers to a temporary or intermediate holding place for the coming judgment. The second use is what Jesus refers to in this passage. It is a place of eternal damnation for those who have rejected the Lord Jesus Christ. But remember, the Bible teaches us that God didn't make hell for us. He made it for the devil and fallen angels. God is a God of mercy and love and compassion. He doesn't desire for one person to perish, but that all would repent and believe in the gospel. No, the false prophets cannot produce sound teaching, nor righteous living, and they lead their followers in the same. And since they cannot produce righteousness apart from Jesus, their only possible destination is hell, the very real place of hell. They are not true followers of the Lord. They will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Fake Christians have not repented of their sins and believed in the Son, in their heart. Therefore, their works are considered evil in the sight of God. Consider the words of the prophet Isaiah from Isaiah 64. He says, for all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment, and all of us wither like a leaf, and our inequities, like the wind, take us away. These false teachers and their followers will be sentenced to hell for their rejection of the Son. He never knew them. This verb for knew is used in an intensive form in the Greek, conveying that the Lord knew everything about these false prophets and their works, but what he is saying is that he never knew them in any relationship to himself. He never knew them. Whatever is not from faith is sin. One way to think about this, knowing, think about it like this. There are many people who love sports, sports mania, and that's great, and if that's you today, God bless you, enjoy the game. But probably the most popular sports figure alive today is Michael Jordan. Some have memorized every detail of his life and career. They can tell you every game history. They know all the stats and the scores, the wins and the losses. Some may even have started playing basketball because of Jordan. But the fact is, they don't know Michael Jordan, or Michael Jordan does not know them. He has no relation to them. It is possible to know a lot about the Bible, Even to memorize large portions of scripture, but to have nothing going on in your heart. The true belief is not there. Outwardly, you may pretend, but the Word of God judges you. The Word of God is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the human heart. We show that we truly know Christ when we abide by His Word. If we act in accordance with the Word of God, it shows He lives with us. The Holy Spirit lives in us. Our actions or deeds are never in contradiction to what is taught in the Word of God if we are truly followers of Christ. But remember, not all deeds are righteous deeds. The Lord demonstrates in this passage that not every supposed good deed is actually righteous in His sight. Often the good deeds of men are evil in the sight of God. Works produced by faith will always align with the will of the Father. Works according to the Word will always put the will of God first. Wrong motivations for the good works we perform are often revealing of our spiritual condition, because it is possible to have a desire to do good outside of believing Jesus in your heart. And if our heart's motive is outside of Christ, then our works are not righteous. Self-seeking works without faith are useless and end up being self-promoting. The main thesis of the Sermon on the Mount is that there are positive and negative eternal consequences based on our faith and obedience in Jesus as the Lord. According to the sermon, the positive eternal consequences are the rewards in the kingdom of heaven and entrance into the kingdom. The negative eternal consequences are the punishment of the fiery hell and the denial of the entrance into the kingdom of heaven. The sermon centers on the laws of God and walking in obedience to them. Obedience to the law results in reward and entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Disobedience to the law results in being placed in hell and not entering the kingdom of heaven. Jesus makes it clear that professing Him as Lord is not enough for salvation if it is not true in the heart. Works are not sufficient. The real work is faith. True, saving faith in Him as Lord is salvation. True salvation and faith is demonstrated by walking in obedience to the law. Several phrases are repeated throughout the preaching that Jesus uses to make the point of the sermon. In the beginning of the sermon, the phrase, blessed are, is used repeatedly to point out that the kingdom of heaven is what is in store for those who live for God. Jesus repeats the term kingdom of heaven to qualify the fact that those who are obedient to his laws will be allowed entrance into the kingdom. That's in 5, 3 through 12. The kingdom of heaven is real. Jesus states several times that God the Father will reward them in the kingdom. Jesus also uses the term hell several times. We will be held accountable for our actions, words, and thoughts. Our words come from our heart. That's in 521 through 522. Jesus is warning us about our habitual lifestyle and is using graphic images to paint a picture of how serious sin is in our lives. 530. Hell is real. Jesus gives us a valuable instruction in modeling our prayer and teaches us that we should ask the Father to intercede on our behalf through prayer. As we practice forgiveness in our lives, we are forgiven by the Father. We see that in 6, 14 through 15. Jesus teaches forgiveness with God means forgiving others. And he dummy-proofs it for us. All the laws, all the law, all the prophets. We are commanded to treat others the way we want to be treated and this covers it all. Matthew 7, 12. Jesus warned the audience that the consequences for not living out their faith and obedience are eternal. They are of eternal consequences. We see that in 7, 21 through 23. Jesus is the one who decides who enters the kingdom and who will go into hell. True salvation is the gospel. As Jesus began his ministry, this is recorded in Mark 1, 14 and 15. Now after John, John the Baptist, was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God and saying, The command of salvation comes from Jesus, the works of a true believer, turning from sin and believing in Jesus. not self-righteous or self-seeking works of any kind. But faith is not separated from good works. Consider Ephesians 2, 8-10, it says, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing. It is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." Jesus authoritatively declared to the people listening to the Sermon on the Mount that false Christians' supposed works of good were actually evil in his sight and they would not stand on the Day of Judgment. This text shows us that you can recognize false teachers by what they teach and how they live their lives. And Jesus gives the parable of the tree and its fruits. The Lord explains that false prophets appear to be like normal believers, but on the inside, they are greedy and corrupt. He explains that the false prophets cannot produce good fruit, referring to their teaching, their lifestyle, and by extension, their followers. Jesus makes a claim of ultimate authority equal to the Father. He declares that He will decide who enters the kingdom of heaven and who will not. Jesus explains that many people will make claims of allegiance based on their works. Many will not enter the kingdom of God because they have built their righteousness on their own works rather than on saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In this passage, Jesus gives two crystal clear examples of false Christianity, so that you can live your life by faith in a way that is pleasing to him. False teachers cannot produce sound teaching, and false Christians stand on their works, not faith. In Romans chapter 10, verses 5 through 13, it says this, For Moses is right about the righteousness that is based on the law. that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. But the righteousness based on faith says, do not say in your heart, who will ascend into heaven? That is to bring Christ down. Or, who will descend into the abyss? That is to bring Christ up from the dead. But what does it say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. That is the word of faith that we proclaim. Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. The works of a true believer are simple, turning from sin and believing on the name of Jesus. We live by faith, we are justified by faith alone in Christ alone. And I pray that if you're on the fence about this, that you make a decision today. Let me pray for you. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for this day of worship. Thank you for sending your son into the world so that those who believe on the name of Jesus will not perish but have everlasting life. You are the God who is goodness and who does good. You demonstrated your love for us on the cross and the truth of the good news. You demonstrate your goodness and love to us by teaching us your word. In your word, you have given mankind everything we need to live out our faith in this world. You have provided the Spirit to help us navigate the sometimes dark paths of life and to illuminate our minds to the truth. Your word is truth. God, sanctify us in the truth. As we reflect on all of the amazing riches from the Sermon on the Mount, help us, God, to live holy lives that reflect our true belief in the name of Jesus. Help us to not be fooled by the pleasant-sounding false teaching of this world. and help us to have godly convictions that are based on the truth found in the word of God, not worldly, political, or cultural lies that masquerade as the truth. Please, God, give us the ability to discern the truth from lies, as the times are evil and there are many evil men and women who have come amongst your people to deceive and lead astray. May we look at the Sermon on the Mount and all the words of Scripture as that which they truly are, the very Word of God spoken through the prophets and the apostles, moved along by the Spirit, and spoken from the very mind of the one and only true God. Your Word is more valuable than all the riches and all the earth, and may we look upon it and see that it is the truth. Fill our minds with your word and protect us in these times of evil and deception so that we are not led astray in believing half-truths and distortions. May the word of God be the only ruling and guiding principle in our lives. Our Father in heaven, holy is your name. We pray this morning that your kingdom come and your will be done on earth just as it is in heaven. Please provide for us this day our daily provision of food and resources. And Father, please forgive us of our sins, as we also have forgiven those who have sinned against us. And please, God, lead us away from temptation, but deliver us from evil and protect us from the devil and his schemes. God, our Father, we praise you in the highest heaven, for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. We pray in the name of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.