Know Certainty of Entrance notes. We can know the certainty of entrance into the kingdom of heaven. We have been talking about it for months. The kingdom is not something that will come one day. It is here, and we are to seek to enter it now.
Sermon On The Mount Sermon Series
Know Certainty of Entrance – How to Know the Lord
By Pastor Delbert Young
(Sorry no video or audio for this sermon)
Know Certainty of Entrance – How to Know the Lord
Scriptures: Matthew 7:21, Matthew 7:22-23, Matthew 7:24, Hebrews 12:1, 2 Timothy 4:7-8, Luke 10:40-42
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
We are to do the will of the father now. We are to enter the kingdom now.
ESSENCE OF THE SERMON:
The essence of the Sermon on the Mount is entering and Living in the Kingdom now. We live the beatitudes now. We live a righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the Pharisees now. Also, we pray the Lord’s prayer now. We forgive now. We lay up treasures in heaven now, and we seek first the kingdom of God now. So we enter the small gate now. We seek true preachers now. These are some of the ways Jesus has told us to enter the kingdom. I do the will of the father now. I can know that I know that I know that I am right with God and living in his kingdom.
However, Jesus said that the enemy will attempt to trick us concerning our salvation. First, the enemy will come, attempting to make us think that we are in the kingdom and that our eternity is secure when it is not. If that doesn’t work, he will attempt to make us think that we are not in the kingdom when, indeed, we are.
Know Certainty of Entrance
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Jesus said that many would fall for Satan’s trick.
Matthew 7:22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
Matthew 7:23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
The enemy’s deception is horrible, and the most horrible part about it is that it will happen to MANY! Many will be convinced that they are in good standing with God but will be deceived.
Jesus said that he would make certain that deception would not happen to you. He said that he would make it so clear anyone who heard the Sermon on the Mount or read it could know immediately where they stood.
Know Certainty of Entrance
ONLY:
He said that security in entering the kingdom of God and in salvation was not based on saying something or doing a religious act. It is based upon ONLY one thing. Anyone who does this one thing will know they have entered the kingdom of heaven. That one and ONLY thing is accomplishing the Father’s will.
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but ONLY he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
The Lord is not going to allow you or me to be deceived by the evil one. The Lord wants us to be like the wise man that we will talk about next time.
Matthew 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
The problem is that MANY do not hear and do it correctly.
There was a 92-year-old man who went to the doctor for a physical. That evening, the doctor saw the man living it up at a nightclub with a very young woman.
The doctor was a little concerned. So, he went to the man and said, “It looks like you are doing well.” The man said, “I am just doing what you told me to do.” The doctor said, “How is that?” The man said, “You said to find me a hot momma and be cheerful.” The doctor said, “I didn’t say that. I said you have a heart murmur. Be careful.” Sometimes, we don’t hear correctly, and it can cause serious problems. Satan’s deception will come and cause us not to hear that ONLY part.
Know Certainty of Entrance
TWO AREAS OF DECEPTION:
Jesus gave two areas in which the enemy will attempt to deceive us concerning our relationship with the Lord. The first area is that the enemy will deceive us by what we say.
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven…
WHAT WE SAY:
I remember a time years and years ago. I was sixteen at the time, and our church was having an evangelistic youth event for us. The pastor invited a youth group to come from another city to try and get us saved. I remember that it was night, and we were all sitting in a circle. The lights were dimmed. We were singing Combiya, my Lord. It was an emotional time. We were asked if we wanted to receive Jesus. We said, “Yes.” Then, we were led line by line in a sinner’s prayer. After the prayer, we were proclaimed “Saved!” I remember asking, “That’s it?”
Know Certainty of Entrance
I don’t mean to be making light of the efforts of those people. What they did is more than the youth group that I was in ever did for Christ. But was that it? Was my place in heaven automatically reserved because I prayed that prayer and said, Lord, Lord? I fear sometimes a false security and not an eternal security is given, and I fear we confuse the “sinner’s prayer” with a vaccination – one shot for life.
I know there is a confession of the Lord Jesus that we must make with our mouths (Rom 10:9-10), but is that it? See, I am satisfied that had that prayer been all I ever did toward my spiritual well-being, I would have heard, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoer.” Jesus wants to “know” us. Jesus said,
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but ONLY he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
None of you were born to be average, to just make it through life. You were born to conquer. The Bible says you are more than a conqueror. The Bible says you are an overcomer in this life, and the Bible says that greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. Doing God’s will removes us from being average. Father desires to bless you beyond belief.
Know Certainty of Entrance
Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us
(NIV) Hebrews 12:1 . . . let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
(TLB) Hebrews 12:1 . . . let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us
God has a great plan for your life. He has a path laid out for you. That path is his will. Not only will you be blessed beyond belief in this life. You will know that eternity with the Lord awaits you.
When we do the Father’s will, blessings overtake us, and eternity with Jesus awaits us.
It was when Noah did the will of God that Noah brought salvation to himself and his family. Our being in Father’s will does affect our families. When Abraham was on his marked-out course, God made an eternal covenant with Abraham to bless him. God has made a covenant to bless you. When Moses accepted the course laid out for him, Moses brought salvation and a kingdom to God’s people.
Know Certainty of Entrance
There is no telling how many people God will use us to touch when we are doing his will. King David was delivered from all his enemies when he walked in the Father’s will. The Father will deliver you from all your enemies. Solomon’s course was to bring wisdom to Israel. He did that, and no one was ever financially blessed like God blessed Solomon.
See, when we are on course and doing Father’s will, life is abundant, not average. We know that we know that we know that we are in the kingdom and salvation is secure. The apostle Paul said,
2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Paul knew that his crown awaited him because he had done the Father’s will. You and I know that we have one awaiting us, too. Jesus said not to allow the enemy to mess with you concerning your salvation. Jesus said that the ONLY thing we have to do is the Father’s will.
Know Certainty of Entrance
WHAT WE DID:
The second area in which Satan will come to deceive us with false security is by what we did. It’s by whom we know today. I’ll show you what I mean.
Matthew 7:22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
Matthew 7:23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
I like the way The New Living Bible translates verse 23.
(TNLB) Matthew 7:23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Go away; the things you did were unauthorized.’
Have you ever noticed how a stalker operates? One type of stalker is deceived into thinking they are in a relationship with the person they stalk. For example, movie stars and celebrities are constantly being stalked by people who think they are in some sort of relationship with the celebrity. The stalker can have pictures of the celebrity all over their house. They have the movies they were in, etc. They fantasize about being with the person and talking to the person. The sad part is the celebrity does not even know the stalker, much less have a relationship with the stalker.
Know Certainty of Entrance
There are spiritual stalkers. There are people who pretend to have a relationship with Jesus. They may have pictures of Jesus hanging in their homes. They may have Jesus movies, and they may even think they pray and talk to Jesus. Sadly, Jesus does not know them. The enemy has deceived them. They think that because they DID something religious, Jesus knows them.
The Book of Acts tells a story about some sons of a priest named Sceva (Act 19:12-13).
The Bible says they were vagabond Jews. That means they went around holding tent meetings and doing religious acts to gain money. They would cast out devils by saying, In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out. These people didn’t have a relationship with Jesus. They only heard about Jesus through Paul. They didn’t have a personal relationship. Their relationship was a fantasy relationship. Jesus wants to have a real relationship with us. He wants to know us, and he wants us to know him.
One day, John told Jesus that they had seen a man casting out demons using his name (Mar 9:38). That man didn’t know Jesus, and Jesus didn’t know that man. He was doing something religious, but he had no personal relationship with Jesus. The personal relationship is far more important than what we do.
Paul said that because of selfish ambition, people were going around preaching the gospel (Philippians 1:17). Those people did not know Jesus, and what they were doing was not authorized.
Know Certainty of Entrance
There are things for us to do, but if we are only doing things and not having a personal relationship with Jesus, then something is wrong.
There is a story in the Bible about two sisters whose names were Martha and Mary.
One day, Jesus was at their house, and the Bible says that Martha was distracted. She tried to get her sister Mary to help her cook and prepare, but all Mary wanted to do was be in the Lord’s presence.
Luke 10:40-42
40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things,
42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
The enemy will cause many to get caught up in all they do but never have a true and personal relationship with Jesus. There are things for us to do, but we cannot allow doing things to take the place of the one thing needed – a personal relationship with Jesus.
Know Certainty of Entrance
Matthew 7:22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’
Matthew 7:23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
It’s not what we did yesterday that will make the eternal difference. It’s (1) we know today. And it’s not that we say, Lord, Lord. We’ve seen it is (2) we keep our lives in the will of the Father. If we do those two things, no devil in hell can take us out of the kingdom of God.
Know Certainty of Entrance – How to Know the Lord
Know Certainty of Entrance – How to Know the Lord
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That You May Know the Certainty Luke 1:1-4
Gospel of Luke Chapter 1 video audio sermon notes
Good News to Everyone Everywhere Sermon
What Is The Kingdom Of God? Audio Series
What Is The Kingdom Of God? Audio Series
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