Jesus' Invitation and Warning

Last week we started exploring a teaching of Jesus in Matthew 7 and looked at the worst kind of deception: self-deception. We also revisited the language of the two paths, a sweeping biblical theme that has served us well as we consider the way of Jesus.

If you missed last week's Inside Forum you can find it here and for more on the theme of the two paths you can watch a recent teaching here.

Let's look at eight more verses as we keep reading through this formidable teaching of Jesus:

Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it." And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. - Matthew 7:21–29.

Did you notice that level of self-deception taking place? Here is my paraphrase, "Jesus, didn't we do all the right things and even see the power of your work in our lives - doesn't that count?"

Paul David Tripp pierces into this idea when he says, “One of the enemy's most useful tools is the ability of wrong to imitate right. Couple this with our natural propensity to spiritual blindness and you end up with personal spiritual confusion. It is scary to think of the number of times we think we are serving God when we're actually serving ourselves, or the number of times we think we are worshiping God when we're actually giving worship and service to some aspect of the creation.”

The language of two paths sits in front of us again.

Let me draw you to the language of Jesus in Matthew 7:23 as a kind of conclusion. What He says is sobering and striking, "I never knew you." This actually provides us a great window into the heart of Jesus (or a kind of fruit in His life). What He desires is intimacy. To know Him and be known by Him. That is the starting point. We could have all the trappings and trimmings of Christianity, but without true intimacy, there is no authentic relationship.

Two paths are before us this morning, and again this afternoon, and even later this evening. I am not sure there is ever a time when the two paths are not before us. May the words of Jesus, both His invitation and warning, serve as a gentle (or stern) reminder to stay connected, to seek after His kingdom, and to pursue a deeper relationship with Jesus.

A quick challenge based on everything we just walked through- When, where, and how will you pursue Jesus this weekend?

See you Sunday.

-Bradley