Today, we will focus our attention on the book of Matthew. First, we will read chapter seven verses 21-24, and then we will go to the eighth chapter and read verses 11-12.
Matthew Chapter 7 verses 21-24, And it reads: 21Not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matthew 8: 11-12 reads, 11And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. May God add a blessing to the reading and the hearing of His word. The title of this message is called “The Eternal Consequences of Knowing and Being Known." As I study the scriptures, I cannot help but to realize that there are eternal consequences to knowing and being known. In Chapter 8 verse 23, it was Jesus that said, “And then will I profess unto them I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” I have wrestled with this scripture, because Jesus is describing the day of judgment. And this talk of judgment seemed so harsh to me, because Jesus described himself telling the lost that He “never knew them.” One might wonder, “Why would Jesus say that he never knew them?” This is a good question, because the Bible teaches us in Psalms 139 that God knows everything. The scriptures teach us that there is nothing hidden from God, but yet Jesus tells them “I never knew you.” Therefore, it is important for us to realize that Jesus knows everything about the lost. He knows their names. He knows where they are from. He knows where they were born. He knows who their parents are. He knows their life decisions. He knows their sins. He knows their successes. He knows their works. It is important for us to know that Jesus knows exactly who they are. But in this text Jesus is explaining to the lost that He has never known them intimately. He is telling them that he has never had a real/genuine relationship with them. In the day of Judgment, God will explain to them “We have never been close!” We have never had a legitimate or personal relationship! This day of Judgment will be a terrible day, this is the day when the lost finds out that there is no more time. This is where the lost finds out that there is no room for them at heaven’s celebration, because that celebration is for the groom which is Jesus Christ and his bride which is the body of Christ. That day of celebration is being prepared by the Savior Himself, but it will only be special for the Bride of Christ.
The Scenario of the Young Man in College
Imagine you’re a young man. You’re in college, and you have a crush on this young lady. You’re a saved and handsome young man. You’re a business entrepreneurship major, and you have a lot going for yourself. You have a lot of promise. You have made several attempts to get her to recognize you. You have tried for years to get her to notice you and give you a chance. But she’s not interested in you. She has rejected you time after time. She has chosen to be with other men that ultimately did not mean her any good. So, life goes on, and you find true love. You get married. Your business going well, and eventually you become rich. On the other hand, the young lady spends years since those college days being used and abused by the other men that she chose. She has no where to go and she’s alone. Finally, the young lady that you crushed on for all those years came to her senses. She realized that you were really the only young man that truly cared for her.
One day she tries to explain to you what happened and how she could be the woman that you need. But it’s far too late for her. The Wedding has already ended. The young man is in love with another woman, and he’s happily married! And the young man turns to the young lady that he so desired in college to tell her “Depart from me, I never knew you.” This is what Judgment Day will be like for those that are lost. So many will want to join the celebration beyond the gates, but the ones that are not known will be cast into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And the celebration will only be for the Bride of Christ. The Bride of Christ are the ones who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They will be the only ones allowed into the Wedding Celebration. Today, I want to admonish you don’t miss the celebration that will happen in heaven. Don’t be the one standing at the Judgment begging for just one more chance. Build a relationship with Him now while He is still available. What more does he have to do to prove that he is worthy of our time? What more does he have to do to prove that he is worthy of an intimate relationship with us? Why do we push him to the side? What more does he have to do to receive our loyalty? The Bible says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” What a price Jesus paid to reconnect us to our Heavenly Father?
The Centurion Man
Lastly, there is critical information in Matthew Chapter 8 verses 11 and 12. Hear the words of our Lord Jesus! He says, “And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” It is important for us to recognize the context of this scripture. Jesus says these words immediately after speaking with a centurion man. The centurion man was a supervisor of soldiers. The centurion wanted Jesus to heal his servant who was at home sick with the palsy, and Jesus was willing to come to the man’s house to heal the boy. But the man had such a faith in Jesus that he believed that Jesus could heal his servant by only speaking a word.
Not only did the man show greater faith in Jesus than any person in Israel, but the man showed Jesus respect. The man told Jesus, “Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof, but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.” The reason that this man showed such respect to Jesus is because he knew that Jesus was Lord. Therefore, it is critical that we know who he is. He that comes to God must first believe that He is, and that He’s a rewarder to those who diligently seek Him. Historically speaking, this centurion man was a Roman which is considered to be a gentile, but yet he had so much faith and respect for Jesus. It was this gentile that inspired the Son of God to say that “Many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Jesus is explaining to the people that there will be many gentiles that will be in heaven.The gentiles are people that are not Jews. The gentiles represent the people that are not very religious. They are not the best with protocol and religiosity. They probably do not know everything about the church. They are probably not the best singers or dancers in the church. They probably are not the best at praying out loud before large congregations, but Jesus is explaining to the people that are listening to him that there will be many gentiles coming from the east and the west that will be in heaven.
God's Rejection of Empty Religion
There will be many gentiles that will love God with a pure heart. However, in the next verse Jesus says, “But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” The children of the kingdom that Jesus is speaking of were the Jews. For centuries the Jews have been considered to be the Chosen people of God. But there is a reason Jesus said that many of them would be cast out into outer darkness. They represent the very religious people.They don’t have a relationship with God, but many of them have the proper understanding of orthodoxy.They are the best at doing church. Many of them are the best of singers. They are the best of dancers.They are the best of preachers, but their hearts are not right. The Bible says, “Only the pure in heart will see God.” It doesn’t matter how well you do church if your heart is not right. What does it matter if I sing well or dance well? What does it matter if I preach well, and my heart is not right with God? What does it matter if I do all of these things, and my heart is not longing for God? What does it matter if I do all these things, and my heart does not long to please God? It’s all in vein if the motives of my heart are not pure.
Conclusion
Do you remember when you first started dating the one you loved? Seemed like you could never get enough of them. You wanted to learn more and more and more about them. You’d stay up all night talking on the phone together. Sometimes it would be 1 or 2 o’clock in the morning when the two of you would finally hang up the phone. When’s the last time you’ve done that with God? Have you ever done it? You can stay up all night talking with God, and letting him whisper sweet words of comfort to you. When’s the last time you’ve done it? A true bride consults her husband about every major decision in her life. Do you do that with God? When you’re dealing with a true bride, she’ll always tell you that her husband is her best friend. Can you truly say that about God. Can God say that about you? Sometimes we get frustrated with our spouses, because we fill like we are not getting their attention. And we misinterpret those empty spaces as rejection. But I’ve learned that God orchestrates some of those empty spaces so that you can spend quality alone time with Him. David teaches us that God’s mind is full of us. He’s constantly thinking of us and how we can possibly grow a relationship with Him. I know some of you don’t believe me. The Bible says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and he delighteth in his way .” So, often times God will schedule times when when He wants it to be just you and Him, and you should not dread it. You should look forward to it. It’s definitely something to think about, because it’s critical. The consequences are eternal.
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