Will You Be Shocked On Judgment Day?
Matthew 7:21-23
Ever since Anthony brought up Matthew 7:21-23 in church about 6 weeks ago, I have been thinking about it a lot. I have been asked to speak at the chapel service at the Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival in Grass Valley next Sunday. The more I thought about it, the more was convinced that this is the text I should bring to them. I will be speaking to an audience that largely professes Christ as Lord, but few of them are probably true Christians. Please pray for me, because I will be stepping into an environment of entertainment, and trying to get people to be sober and serious and consider their eternal future for a few moments. It has the potential to go down badly.
But, it’s not just to a mixed audience at a music festival that this message needs to be heard. Every church in the world needs this message. And especially, every church in the United States needs this message. Probably we, above all, need to hear these sobering words of Jesus Christ. It is so easy to profess Christianity, and yet not bow the knee to Christ here in America.
Many pastors and bible teachers have confessed that this passage just may be the most terrifying passage in all of the Bible. Let’s read it together.
Matthew 7:21-23, “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, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”
The first thing we should notice in Jesus’ words is the expression “on that day.” Now, what day was Jesus talking about? That day is in the future. Many will say to Me on that day. Well, in the immediate context in verse 19, Jesus said, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” That day, must have reference to the day when every fruitless tree is cut down and thrown into the fire – in other words fake Christians are judged and cast into Hell.
In 2 Thessalonians 1:9-10 Paul wrote, “These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed – for our testimony to you was believed.” So “that Day” includes the day when the wicked are cast away from the presence of the Lord, and when the saints marvel at Christ and glorify Him in His coming.
In 2 Timothy 4:8 Paul said, “in the future there is laid up 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 loved His appearing.” What happens on “that Day”? The Lord judges men. The righteous receive rewards. The wicked are punished.
So, I think we are safe to say that when Jesus spoke of “that Day” He was referring to Judgment Day, in which the eternal state of every person will be pronounced forever.
The terrifying part of what Jesus says in Matthew 7:21-23, is that many people will be shocked on Judgment Day. They will be expecting to enter into the kingdom of heaven, but will be excluded forever. I hope you agree with me that it is far better to deal with the reality of Jesus’ words now, while there is still opportunity to get right with God, than to hear those awful words pronounced on Judgment Day, and there be no opportunity to do anything about it!
So, let’s take the question “Will you be shocked on Judgment Day” and consider it soberly and prayerfully.
This morning I want to show you 3 contrasts in this passage:
- Between what they say and what they do
- Between what they expect to receive and what they actually receive
1. The Contrast Between What They Say and What They Do
What Do They Say?
“Lord, Lord”. They call Jesus Lord. In fact, they don’t just call Jesus their Lord, they cry out, “Lord, Lord!” They are passionate about Jesus being their Lord. This teaches us a very important truth. People can verbally claim that Jesus is their Lord, without it being true. What does it mean that Jesus is their Lord? It means that He is their Master. He is the one who rules their life. If Jesus is someone’s Lord, it means that they have submitted their life to His rule and reign. The most important thing is no longer what they want, but what the Lord wants. If I am not submitted to the Lord’s will, then I am a liar when I call Him my Lord. In fact, Jesus said in Luke 6:46, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” The Lord is offended when we claim that He is our Lord, and continue to live in rebellion to His known will.
In 1 Peter 4:2, the apostle says that we are to “live the rest of the time in the flesh, no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.” Jesus taught that “if anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” Many people mistakenly think that the Christian life is about adding Jesus to your life. Picture your life as a pie. You’ve got that pie cut up into a bunch of different slices. Your marriage is one slice, your children are another, your job is another, your church is another, your friends are another, and then you have a slice marked “Jesus”. Folks, that is NOT the Christian life. The Christian life is about Jesus becoming the whole pie. He becomes your entire life, not a slice of it that you give attention to part of the time. The Christian life is not about adding Jesus to your life. It is about your old life dying, and a brand new one taking its place. And that new life is called Jesus. “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” Unless you are ready for your old life to die where it was all about your will, and a new one to be resurrected where it is all about God’s will, you are not ready to be a Christian.
What Do They Do?
What they don’t do. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21, “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.” Jesus taught that the important thing is not what you say, but what you do. Now, of course, we must confess Christ as Lord. Romans 10:9 says, “if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Confession of Christ as Lord is essential… but it’s not enough. The problem is that many people confess Christ as Lord, but are not real Christians. Why would I say that? Because of what Jesus taught. He told us that many people will claim Jesus as their Lord, but they do not do the will of the Father. Confession of Christ as Lord is important, but confession alone is not proof of salvation. Confession must be accompanied by a life of doing the will of the Father. When saying and doing come together, you have solid assurance of a true conversion.
What they do. So, verse 21 tells us what they did not do – the will of the Father. What did they do? That comes out for us in verse 23. Jesus said they practiced lawlessness. A lawless life is the exact opposite of a life surrendered to Christ. It is the opposite of a life devoted to doing the will of the Father. The King James version refers to them as “workers of iniquity.” The New International version describes them as “evildoers.”
Notice the verb “practice.” No Christian is perfect. We all stumble and fall, more than we would like to admit. But these people practice lawlessness. In other words, it is their habit of life. When I was learning to play the banjo, I had to practice several hours every day. Because I “practiced” the banjo, it became the habit of my life. I gave myself to it. I devoted myself to it. Someone who practices lawlessness has given themselves over to fulfilling their own desires and lusts, rather than giving themselves over to doing the will of God. These people may confess Christ as Lord, but have given themselves to sinful practices. Perhaps it is drunkenness or drug abuse. Maybe it is stealing from their company, committing adultery, viewing pornography. Maybe it is pride and arrogance, or selfishness, or unforgiveness. The point is that this person confessed Christ as Lord, but lived in these sins without repentance. Does that describe you?
Notice that MANY will say these things.
This is one of the things that makes this text so scary. Jesus didn’t say, “A few will say to Me on that day.” He said, “Many will say to Me on that day…” Jesus has already used that word “many” just a few verses earlier in this same sermon. Notice what he said in Matthew 7:13-14, “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 small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are FEW who find it.” Jesus said that many will walk the broad way that leads to destruction, and few will walk the narrow way that leads to life. Then He says a few verses later that He will declare to MANY, “I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”
Whatever Jesus meant by “many”, it is clear that this is not an insignificant fraction of people. It is a sizeable group of people.
2. The Contrast Between What They Expect And What They Receive
What They Expect
Did We Not… It is obvious that the many are expecting to enter the kingdom of heaven. Their expectation is built upon certain things they have done. They claim to have prophesied, cast out demons, and performed many miracles. Their boast is in the miraculous things they have done.
Now, there are three options here. Either they 1) claimed to do these miracles, but really didn’t; or 2) they really did these miracles by the power of God; or 3) they really did these miracles by the power of Satan. Any of those options is possible. We have every reason to believe that Judas worked miracles of healings and cast out demons by the power of God, even though he was not saved, just as the other eleven disciples did – Mt. 10:1. Balaam and Saul and Caiphas all prophesied, even though they were not saved. It is also possible that unsaved people have performed miracles through the power of Satan. After all, Matthew 24:24 says, “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” In the end, it really doesn’t matter which of the three options is the true one. The result is the same. They either claimed to or actually did miracles, and they put their confidence in this for their eternal salvation. But they were horribly deceived!
So, what was way more important than the miracles they performed? The life that they lived! Jesus said that they practiced lawlessness. He also said that the only people who would enter into the kingdom of heaven were those who did the will of the Father.
In the parable of the man who built his house on the rock versus the man who built his house on the sand Jesus emphasizes this same truth. There was absolutely no difference between these two men except in one area. They both heard the words of Jesus. They both built houses. Their houses both went through a great storm. The one thing that was different between them is that the man who built his house on the rock heard the words of Jesus and acted upon them. The man who built his house on the sand heard the words of Jesus but did not act on them. That’s it! Action. Actually living out the kind of life that Jesus taught. The houses that they are building represent their lives. The great storm represents Judgment Day. On Judgment Day every person’s works will be reviewed and judged. Only those that acted on Jesus’ words will be approved of God on that day.
Don’t let anyone deceive you into thinking that if you can prophesy or cast out demons or do a miracle then you are a shoo in for heaven. This text teaches the exact opposite! They were absolutely convinced they were on their way to heaven, and they were shocked to learn the truth.
What They Receive
They expect everlasting life in heaven. What do they receive? Take a look at verse 23, “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”
I never knew you. True salvation is when Jesus knows you. This is not talking about Jesus knowing about you. He knows about everyone. He is omniscient. But this is talking about Him having a saving covenant relationship with you. For Jesus to know you means that you are His, and He is yours. It is what we read about often when God says, “I will be their God and they shall be My people.” There is an unbreakable bond of love between you and Jesus.
However, Jesus says here “I never knew you.” This is not an example of people whom Jesus once knew, but then the relationship was severed. This is not talking about people who were once saved who are no longer saved. This is talking about people who were never saved! Now, they fooled a lot of people into thinking they were saved. They prophesied, cast out demons and worked miracles, but were never saved.
Depart from Me. What words could be more terrifying to hear on Judgment Day?! Hell is to be separated from the gracious presence of God for all eternity. Although those in Hell are separated from the gracious presence of God, they are not separated from the wrathful presence of Christ. Revelation 14:10 speaks of those who will “drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.” Those people are in Hell but they are in the presence of the holy angels and the Lamb, which is a term for Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:9 says that those in Hell “will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.”
So, what did they expect? Heaven, eternal life, the presence of Christ. What will they receive? Hell, eternal destruction, being banished by Christ.
So, does this mean that a person earns heaven by living the way Jesus commanded us to live? Is this salvation by good works? Is it salvation as a reward for obedience? No, not in the least. The Scriptures are clear that we are not saved by works, lest any person should boast. We are saved purely by the grace of God which flows to us through the cross of Christ. When we come to Christ as a guilty, unworthy sinner, confessing our sin, repenting of our evil deeds, and casting ourselves on the mercy of God, we are saved without doing a single good work. However, every person who does that, begins to live a new life indwelt by the Holy Spirit who transforms them from the inside and out. They begin to live a life of holiness. They do the will of the Father. They turn away from lawlessness and seek to live a life that is pleasing to God. Their obedience is evidence that they have been saved by grace. A disobedient, sinful life is evidence that Jesus never knew them.
Conclusion
My friends, will you be shocked on judgment day? Do you expect to go to heaven? If so, what is your confidence in? Is it in the miracles you have performed? If so, you are lost. Is it in yourself? Do you believe that you are such a good person that God would never condemn you? If so, you are lost. Every person here deserves eternal judgment. I have asked hundreds of people the question, “If you died today and stood before God and He asked you, “Why should I let you into My heaven”, what would you say? And probably 98% of the time, the answer is, “because I’m a good person.” So, what are they trusting in? Themselves. But what must we trust in? Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
Today is a good day to examine ourselves. 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed you fail the test?” The difference between the person who is saved and the person who is lost is that Jesus Christ is in the person who is saved. And don’t you know that if Jesus Christ is in someone, his life is going to look a whole lot different than the person who does not have Jesus Christ dwelling in them?
You don’t want to get to the end of your life, die, and stand before God only to hear Him say, “I never knew you; depart from Me.” Now is the acceptable time; today is the day of salvation. You can get right with God right now. A man doesn’t get right with God by raising his hand at a religious meeting, or walking an aisle. The Bible says the way we get right with God is through repentance and faith. Repentance has to do with turning away from the old sinful life. Faith has to do with turning to Jesus Christ to save you. You must turn away and turn to. That’s what conversion is all about.
If there is no proof in your life that Jesus Christ lives in you, that you are doing the will of the Father, that you are living a holy life before God – then repent this morning. Put your full trust in Jesus Christ to save you. Go to God. Find a quiet secluded place. Take a walk. Pour out your heart to God. Tell him that you are turning from your old life of sin, and putting all your confidence and trust in Christ. Then begin to follow Christ every day. He will talk to you as you read the Bible. You can begin to talk to Him in prayer as you commune with Him every day. Those are the initial steps. You will want to be baptized in water, and find a good bible teaching church, but this morning just focus on repentance and faith.
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