In his sermon 'Following Jesus,' Jason Dohm discusses the distinction between the narrow and broad ways that Jesus presents, emphasizing that the narrow way, which leads to life, requires abiding in Jesus Christ and submitting to His authority. Dohm warns against the misconception that living a strict life equates to following the narrow path, highlighting that many strict lives can still lead down the broad path to destruction. He stresses the importance of genuine faith, which is demonstrated through works that reflect an authentic relationship with Christ, as opposed to mere lip service or intellectual assent. The sermon delves into the dangers of false professions and faulty defenses, urging believers to examine their lives for evidence of true repentance and transformation. Dohm uses the parable of the wise and foolish builders to illustrate the significance of a solid foundation in Christ, explaining that life's trials will reveal the true nature of one's faith. He concludes by urging listeners to ensure their faith is genuine and built on the rock of Jesus Christ, warning of the consequences of a foundation built on anything else.

In many ways, our text this week is exposition of last week's text. I'm always really thankful when Jesus exposes His own words. And so It's really very helpful. Last week, Jesus set before us two gates. He set before us a narrow gate that puts us on a difficult way.

But though the gate's narrow, though the way's difficult, it leads to life. And Jesus is that narrow gate. And abiding with Jesus is that difficult way. So you have to think rightly about this. We can't think that the narrow way versus the broad way has to do with restrictiveness, sternness, strictness versus looseness because often the strictness and the narrowness of the other religions of the world are camped right in the middle of the broad way.

So it's not that. It's about the narrowness of just going through Jesus Christ, just abiding with Jesus Christ, just being submitted to the authority of Jesus Christ. So we shouldn't think of it that the narrow way is just strict and the broad way is just loose morals. Because many people who live very strict lives find themselves on the broad way. But it has to do with the fact that Jesus Christ is the door.

And He is the entry point into a life that leads to life. And abiding with Him, remaining in Him, is the narrow way. The other gate that Jesus puts before us is the wide gate. When you go through the wide gate, your feet are on a broad way. It's an easy way, but it leads to destruction.

And it's the way of self-serving and of self-relying, relying on self. So rather than entering through Jesus Christ the door and abiding with him and submitting yourself to his authority, it's a trusting in self. It's a relying on self. It's a road of self and the end of it is destruction. Not surprisingly, few find the narrow way.

But many enter in through the wide gate and walk on the easy, broad way into destruction. John 3 helps us understand why that is. In John 3, Jesus says this starting in verse 19, And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." So this is what we find about the narrow way and the broad way is that all of us have a heart that would put us on the broad way that leads to destruction.

Because every human heart hates the light. Unless God in His mercy would come and cause a fundamental change of being born again, becoming a new creation, we would all find ourselves scurrying like rats when the light is turned on and favoring the broad way. Jesus in last week's text then begins to talk about the evangelists of the broad way. They are the false prophets. He says that you know them by their fruits.

If you start examining thorn bushes, you don't find grapes. If you start examining thistles, you don't find figs. And so a careful examination will let us know who the false prophets are, who these evangelists for the Broadway that lead to destruction actually are. And when Jesus was speaking of this, the focus of it was really narrow. It had to do with false prophets exclusively.

And it has to do with seeing beneath the sheep's clothing. Jesus says that the false prophets are clothed in sheep's clothing. And you have to have a way to get under the garb to see that there's really a ravenous wolf under there. Today's text actually takes the same principle and it broadens it out. Last week it was just about false prophets.

Now it's about everyone. Consider verse 21, not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, we're out of the realm of the exclusive territory of false prophets now. Consider verse 24, therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them, It's opened up to the world and everyone in it who would name the name of Christ. Consider verse 26, but everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does not do them. So the spotlight has been on the false prophets in last week's text, but now the spotlight turns.

And the spotlight is now on us. And we are being asked to examine ourselves. And these are terrifying words because of what Jesus says. Because he says, many will say in that day. And because in this room we are all professors of Jesus Christ, and this is for us.

This is a text for us. So let's go to the text. We will begin in verses 21-23. Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name?

And then I will declare to them, I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness." This is about people saying things to Jesus. And there are two things in view here. There are People with a false profession, that's the first thing. And then there are people with a faulty defense.

And we'll look at each of those in detail. First, the false profession. Think of the profession as being made here. Lord, Lord, Jesus, you are my Lord. Jesus, you are my King.

Now we have to think about this rightly because there is no condemnation of confessing here. Confessing is not a bad thing. Having a profession of Christ is not a bad thing at all. In fact, it's entirely essential. But what Jesus is saying is there are two kinds of people that make a confession of Jesus as Lord.

There are those who confess Jesus as Lord and then they bear fruit. They do the will of their Father in heaven. They have evidences that it was a true profession. And then there are those who blather on. There are those who offer lip service.

There are those who give intellectual assent to the things that are in the Scriptures. There are those that have an appreciation for the things of God. There are those that adopt a philosophical standpoint with the gospel, that that is not the same thing as following Jesus. None of those things are. Intellectual assent is not the same thing as following Jesus.

Lipservice is not the same thing as following Jesus. Appreciation for the things of God is not the same thing as following Jesus. And this is exactly what John the Baptist was teaching in chapter 3. In chapter 3 verse 2, John the Baptist says, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. So John the Baptist is calling for repentance.

And then in chapter 3 verse 8 he says, Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance. In other words, demonstrate that the repentance is true. Demonstrate that there is real repentance here. And so what John the Baptist does in chapter 3 is what Jesus is doing here. There's a call to repentance and then there's also a call to give the evidence that there's a genuineness to the confession.

And to this second group, to this group that just blathers on, that just gives lip service. Jesus is essentially saying, you liars. When Jesus is truly king, There is evidence. Can it be any other way, brothers and sisters? When Jesus is truly King, there is evidence.

Something transformational happens. You are born again. It is not a tweak of the natural man. It is not a shuffling of the things associated with the natural man. It's becoming a new creation.

And the scripture gives us these terms and these phrases that would cause us to think rightly about this. So that it would be absurd to us to think that someone could be born again. Someone could become a new creation and yet all things stay the same again. Turn your Bibles to James 2. James 2 sheds light on this.

Actually, a lot of James sheds light on this, but we're going to focus on James 2, at least for the moment. James 2. You're all familiar with this text, but it is so helpful. It is just what Jesus is teaching in Matthew 7. James 2, starting in verse 14, What does it profit, my brethren?

If someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, depart in peace, be warmed and filled, but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body. What does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

But someone will say, you have faith and I have works. Show me your faith without your works and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God you do well. Even the demons believe and tremble. But do you want to know, oh foolish man, that faith without works is dead?" Saving faith results in union with Christ.

That's what comes out of saving faith. Union with Christ. And union with Christ results in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit actually taking up residence within you. And when that happens, then you get the fruit of the Spirit.

That's what it means. When you're indwelt by the Holy Spirit, when the Holy Spirit is in operation in you, these are the things that start to pop out because the Holy Spirit's there. And so Saving faith produces union with Christ. Union with Christ brings the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And the indwelling of the Holy Spirit always produces fruit.

As James says, I will show you my faith by my works. I'll show you my faith. I'll put it on display because it's genuine. And because it's genuine, there's always an outworking of it. Is this saying that we're saved by works?

Not at all. In no way. It's saying that works are the indicator, it's the litmus test, that tells you that there's something genuine inside, that there really has been a new birth, that there really is a new creation. And it brings forth evidence. John MacArthur says this, the faith that says but does not do is really unbelief.

Well said. The faith that says but does not do is really unbelief. It's fraudulent. It's faker faith. And it betrays the reality of the inward man, that No change has really taken place.

It's really unbelief. So that was the false profession. Now to the faulty defense. Verse 22 says, many will say to me in that day, Many will say to me in that day. What a loaded phrase that is.

First, that it's not a small number who will offer a faulty defense. It's not a small number. It's many. And then there is talk about that day. That day that is coming with such great certainty when all of us will give an account.

Paul says this in Romans 14, second half of verse 10, for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. That day is coming for every one of us in this room where we will be face to face with Jesus Christ and will give an account. And on that day many will make three claims to try to overturn the verdict of Jesus Christ, which is irrevocable, and yet they will try it. And these are the three claims. We prophesied.

We cast out demons. We did many wonders, all in your name. We prophesied in your name. We cast out demons in your name. We did many wonders in your name.

So these are people who erected a banner of Jesus Christ and they began doing things under this banner. I spoke for you Jesus. I fought against your enemies Jesus. I did amazing exploits for you Jesus. And yet, Jesus says in verse 23, Then I will declare to them, I never knew you.

Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. So though these people have outward things that they can point to, that were done under the banner that they had erected, the name of Jesus Christ. They can point to these outward things, but Jesus says, you are lawless. It might have been done under my name, but it was never done under my authority. It might have been done under the banner of Jesus Christ, but it wasn't an obedience to me.

These are the people from the first half of chapter 6. Remember this? This was just a couple of weeks ago. It's the hypocrites. It's the ones who do charitable deeds.

It's the ones who pray on the street corners. It's the one who fasts, and they make their faces look a certain way so they'll be sure to be seen. And they're doing, doing, doing, but it's always with an ulterior motive. And the motive has nothing to do with the glory of God, not so the Christian. The Christian is fundamentally different than that.

The Christian could care less whether they're seen or not. The glory of God is on their mind, but not so the hypocrite. They are doing, they are doing, they are active. They have things that they can point to, But they are the showy things. They are the things that they have done for their own honor, their own glory, and they are practicing lawlessness because it has been done under the name of Jesus, but never under the authority of Jesus.

And they are attending to the external, but they are always neglecting the internal thing. So all there is for them is the external. There is nothing internal with which they can rely on with confidence. Because it has all been for show. Somehow they have convinced themselves all along that it is really all for Jesus.

And this is the essence of what it means to take the Lord's name in vain. Taking the Lord's name is not appending a cuss word onto the name of God. That's not it. It's not good. We shouldn't do that.

But fundamentally taking the Lord's name in vain is taking the name of Christian. Being called His. Saying, Lord, Lord, and yet never being under His authority, never being conformed to His image. And when we take His name in vain, when we erect a banner and begin busily doing things under that banner that is never under His authority, Jesus says, depart from me. I never knew you.

Here's what Matthew Henry says, To depart from Christ is the very hell of hell. It is the foundation of all the misery of the damned to be cut off from the hope of benefit from Christ and His mediation. Think that a day is coming when Jesus to the many will say, depart from me. And Matthew Henry rightly says that is the hell of hell to be sent away from Christ for all eternity and to know that he will never Be your mediator. What a grief.

We should think upon these things now. We should give our attention to these things now so that we don't find ourselves one of the many on that day who Jesus says, depart from me. What a terrifying thought. In John 6, people ask Jesus a question. And it is the question and Jesus gives them the answer.

It has such a bearing on today's text, John 6, 28 and 29. Then they said to him, what shall we do that we may work the works of God? That's the question, isn't it? What shall we do that we may work the works of God? In other words, how do we please God?

What kind of works can we bring to God that will please Him? Obviously, these didn't do it. Prophecying under His banner, casting out demons under His banner, doing many wonders under His banner, obviously are not acceptable to Him, at least as they are done here. And so these people are asking the right question. What works may we bring to you that will be acceptable to you?

And here is what Jesus says, and we should all memorize this verse, Because it is the essence of the gospel. Jesus answered and said to them, This is the work of God that you believe in Him who He sent. If you want to do a work that will be acceptable to God in that day, that is the work. Only we find out in other places, not even that is your work. That is the work of God.

And yet, when people want to know what will be acceptable, what work will be acceptable to God in that day, Jesus says, Believe in Him who was sent by the Father. This is the work of God that you believe in Him who He sent. So the work of God for us who want to know what works we may do to please God is this. To trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ. That is what will be acceptable to Him on that day where we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

To trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ. That is what will be acceptable to him on that day where we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, to trust in the person and the work of Jesus Christ. This is the fountain from which all other works must flow. That our trust in Jesus Christ, our relying on Him, our being under His authority cheerfully to have Him as our King, would become the fountain from which all the other works that we do flow. If not, all those other things are dead works.

That's what James is saying. So there is no bypassing the work to Believe in Him who was sent by the Father. If you bypass that, every other work that is done is a dead work. But if you abide in that, if that is your work, believing in Jesus Christ, trusting in His work, then all the other works have life. To know Him and to be known by Him, to abide in Him.

Are you known by God? Are you known by Jesus Christ? Are you in a relationship with Jesus? We might think, well that's kind of a revivalistic talk, isn't it? But what Jesus is saying is this is what separates the real from the pretender.

This is what separates the genuine disciple from those who will be told to depart from him. Do we know him? Are we known by him? In 2 Timothy 2.19, Paul says this, nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal. The Lord knows those who are His.

And let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity. I'm going to read that again because that is a summary statement of what we are reading in Matthew chapter 7. Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands. We are going to talk about foundations in a minute. There are lots of tie-ins to this text actually.

Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands. Having this seal, the Lord knows those who are His. This we can trust in. God knows those who are his and let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity. Do you see the argument that Paul is making here?

If you name the name of Christ don't do it in vain. Depart from iniquity because God knows those who are His. That's what Paul is saying here. You can definitely fool me. You can probably fool your neighbor.

You might be able to fool your spouse, although that gets a lot trickier. But you will never fool God. The Lord knows those who are His. And so Those that name the name of Christ must depart from iniquity. Turn your Bibles to Luke 10.

We are turning our attention now to these works that have been done in the name of Jesus. Luke 10, 17-20. Jesus has sent the seventy out and now they are returning. Then the seventy returned with joy saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name. And he said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." The 70 come back and are so excited about the miraculous things that they've seen and participated in. By the way, Judas is one of these. Judas has been there participating in all of these things. The disciples are excited and they are jazzed that they are able to cast out demons.

Jesus says, yes, I have given you this ability, But don't rejoice in that. That the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. Jesus is saying, I got it. I understand that this is exciting. And that it looks like real progress for my kingdom is being made, and yet these things are so secondary.

Jesus is explicitly saying that. Not to rejoice over that, because they are so secondary. In fact, in eternity they're irrelevant. They would do these things, but what is relevant is that their names would be written in the book of life. So we should take that to heart when we see the hand of God at work and we are excited to participate in it.

And we should know that there are many who participate in the exciting work of God in this world who will point to those things on Judgment Day and it will not save them. And God will not honor those efforts. We should rejoice because our names are written in heaven and we should labor to make sure that our calling and election is sure. Now, you can't come to this text and not ask the question, can it really be that the unregenerate can prophesy, can cast out demons, can do miracles in the name of Christ. Can that really be?

I want you to consider what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11, verses 13-15. Where Paul says, For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness whose end will be according to their works." Paul's saying, it's no wonder if you should see these things. Because it's just like their father the devil, just like him.

He's always impersonating, he's always counterfeiting. So don't be surprised to see people prophesy in the name of Christ. Don't be surprised to see demons cast out. Don't be surprised to see wonders worked because it's just like the devil to do that. The ESV study Bible says this, mighty works are not proof of the Father's will, since they can come from sources other than God, including demons and human contrivance.

Haven't we seen enough of that? In the Bible and in our personal experience. Think of the Egyptian magicians who could counterfeit many of the wonders that Moses did. Think about Balaam, the prophet for hire. God put his words into his mouth and yet he was a wicked man.

Think about Saul, who found himself in the company of the prophets, really against his own will. Think about Caiaphas, the high priest in the time of Jesus. Look this one up later, John 11, 51. It says that Caiaphas had prophesied that year that Jesus would die for the nation. I can remember that.

I'm sure I've read that a bunch of times. But the high priest prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation. Now he had no context for that. He really didn't know what it meant. I'm sure he didn't understand that as substitutionary atonement.

And yet this wicked man who would later participate in the crucifixion of Jesus was prophesying. And lastly, think of Judas. Whenever we get turned around and are not thinking rightly about this and how these things can happen, Judas was there right under the nose of Jesus Christ for three years. He participated in the ministry, he participated in the miracles, he participated in the casting out of devils, and yet he is called the son of perdition. So can it be that the unregenerate would do this?

Yes, it can be. And the Bible speaks of it repeatedly. So these things are being said to Jesus. Lord, Lord, that's being said to Jesus. And did we not do these things in your name are being said to Jesus in an attempt to overthrow his verdict.

And this is very significant. It means that they are surprised, Doesn't it? Not that they knew all along that they were not joined to Christ, and yet there is something in them that wants to say, no, no, no, I'm joined, I'm in. And to bring forth their evidences. And we should look at that and know that the heart of man is so prone to self-deceit.

And it should cause us to give extra effort to examining ourselves. Here's what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 13 verse 5. Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. This is Paul writing to the Corinthian church. Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith.

Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed you are disqualified? Paul is telling us that we ought to know ourselves, that if Jesus Christ is in us, that is the central question for us to ask as we examine our hearts. Do you not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you unless you be disqualified? And we examine ourselves, but this should also wipe away our naivety about others who say, Lord, Lord.

Not that we become suspicious of our brothers and sisters in Christ. That's not what I'm saying. But I'm saying we shouldn't be naive. We should take this text that says many, many will say to me. And we should be sober about these things.

We should be aware. And we should expect that there will be times that come where we should be led by these words to warn others, to warn them, because we see things in their lives that make us wonder, will they be saying, Lord, Lord, on that day and be sent away from him for the good of their souls? Not that we're the judge of our brethren, but that we love our brethren. And when we see things that make us wonder, we would care enough to actually go to them, knowing that there are many in that day who will say that and be told to depart. Alright, back to Matthew.

Verses 24 through 27. Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house. And it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

And the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house. And it fell, and great was its fall." Some are truly building on Christ, some are not building on Christ. Both are building, both have a house to show for their efforts. From the outside the houses may look identical. In fair weather, you might not be able to tell the houses apart.

But one has a fatal flaw built into it. And it's out of sight. And it's out of mind. But the fatal flaw is there. And it ensures the destruction of that house.

The other has a saving virtue built into it. And it too is out of sight. And it too may be out of mind of onlookers and yet its salvation is built into it. Don't you know that life has a way of revealing these things? Life has a way of revealing these things and that is not chance.

That is the providence of God. That is the hand of God revealing what is genuine and what is fraudulent. It's like Matthew 13, the parable of the seeds. Some seeds fall by the wayside and the birds come and they devour that seed. Some seeds fall on the stony places and they spring up right away.

Looks like an healthy plant, but when the sun comes out, there's no root, and so it withers. There's some that falls among the thorns, and it too springs up, but the thorns, These cares of this world choke it out. And some falls on good soil, and it yields a crop of exponential proportions, 30-fold, 60-fold, 100-fold. The seeds don't change. The seeds are the seeds.

The soil doesn't change. The soil is the soil. And along the way, the plants look just like each other. But time and circumstances reveal the truth of the matter. Time and circumstances.

This is what Jesus is saying here. You can build your house. It can look identical to the other house. But time and circumstances will reveal whether you have built on a rock or whether you've laid it upon sand. And look at the description of these circumstances.

There's rain from above. There's flooding from beneath. There's winds on the side of the house. And the description is that it's beating on the house and That is the nature of these circumstances that reveal what's true and what's a fraud is That it's you're getting it from all sides and the pressure reveals whether your house is built to stand because it is on a solid foundation or whether there was a fatal flaw built into the house that looked so good for so long. We can't be lulled to sleep because it's calm today.

We can't be lulled to sleep because it's calm today. We can't be lulled to sleep because it's not raining today because the day will come when it's not calm. The day will come when it's raining and flooding and the winds are beating on our house. I'll never forget there was a sales trainer in my career. And he would always say, when you need a friend, it's too late to make one.

I'll just never forget that statement. And that's so true. When you need a friend, it's too late to make one. It's too late to make one. When it's raining like cats and dogs, and the flood's rising, and the wind's blowing, it's too late to make a friend.

Paul says this in 2 Corinthians 6 verse 2, Behold, now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. We should not think that the preaching of the Word, The means of grace are so common that it is acceptable to just wait and put it off and think about it on another day. Today is the accepted time. Now is the accepted time.

Now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation. This day will come for you. The day when your work is tested. The day when your house is revealed will come for you, it will come for me.

And it can't be predicted, but it is certain. Paul says this in 1 Corinthians 3 verses 10 and 11. According to the grace of God which was given to me. As a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it, for No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." So Paul exhorts us about how we build, but then he says, No other foundation can anyone lay than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ.

There is only one foundation. There aren't different kinds of foundations offered in the Bible. There is a rock, Jesus Christ, and then there is sand. Everything else is sand. Everything else that you would build on in this life that is not Jesus Christ is just sand.

So there are not alternative foundations to build upon. There's only one, Jesus Christ. That's what Paul is saying. And so that all the other alternatives are wrapped up in this one word saying. So your choices are to build upon Jesus Christ or to build upon something that is a fatal flaw that will cause the ruin of your house.

The collapse of it will be great. In Luke 6 when Jesus is teaching almost identical to this text in Matthew, He says He is like a man building a house who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. He dug deep and He laid the foundation on the rock. So in that text he is actually picturing someone who is taking great care to get the right depth to make sure that we are building on bedrock. Here is what Peter says in 1 Peter 2 verses 6 and 7.

Therefore it is also contained in the scripture, Behold I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, He lacked, precious, and he who believes on him will by no means be put to shame. Therefore, to you who believe, he is precious. But to those who are disobedient, the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. Whether believed or rejected, Jesus Christ is the same. Whether you believe in Him or whether you reject Him, He is the chief cornerstone.

We don't get a vote on that. He is that. And you will either fall on this stone and be broken and made useful by the breaking. Or this stone will fall upon you and you will be crushed by it. This is what the Scripture teaches.

Will you fall upon Jesus Christ and be broken in a beautiful way, in a good way, in a helpful way, in a way that makes you be emptied of self and filled with Jesus Christ, joined to Him in a saving way? Or will the chief cornerstone fall upon you and crush you? It will be one or the other. And Jesus is speaking of that day in Matthew 7. So what separates the wise man from the foolish?

Well, obedience. But to back up from that, we should consider Psalm 111 verse 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That's what separates the wise man from the foolish man. It's the fear of the Lord.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That's what separates the wise man from the foolish man. It's the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.

Doesn't that wrap up what we're talking about in Matthew? A good understanding have all those who do his commandments. In other words, when a person has been brought to fear the Lord, they are wise And that wisdom causes them to obey the commandments of God. That's what Jesus is teaching. Jesus is teaching Psalm 111, 10 in Matthew 7.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, a good understanding of all those who do His commandments. It is the person that fears the Lord that will both hear and do what Jesus says. The foolish person hears and he says, never mind. The foolish person hears and says, that's not for me. Or maybe tomorrow or I don't want to or or or and they comfort themselves that it will be okay because today it's not raining because today it's not storming.

Jesus says, and great was its fall. It is a total collapse. It is a total collapse when Jesus comes to test. So brothers and sisters, fear the Lord. Fear the Lord.

It's the beginning of wisdom and it will cause you to obey the commands of God because you have a good understanding according to Psalm 111 verse 10. The last two verses of the Sermon on the Mount. I guess the sermon is over now. We are back to narrative. And so it was when Jesus had ended these sayings that the people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes." First of all, I moved on maybe a little prematurely there.

Can you imagine this brilliant sermon, this perfect sermon, preached by the Son of God and this being the ending of it, and great was its fall. And then he stops and he just lets it sit there for people to consider whether they be in the faith, whether they've built in a fatal flaw. So much for a peppy summary. Jesus isn't interested in giving us a peppy summary at the end of his sermons. He wants us to consider.

He wants us to be wise. He wants us to walk circumspectly and think about our latter end. And this is the mercy of God. He wouldn't just leave us with happy thoughts, but He would challenge us where we are. And He would cause us to think about that day when we will all stand before him.

And he would force us to think about a house that looked so good, but the collapse of it was total. People hear the end of this sermon and they are astonished. And they should be astonished. Who knows how many people witnessed and heard this great sermon? Chapter 5 verse 1 indicates that it was a multitude.

Here in these last verses it says, the people. So certainly wasn't Jesus sitting around with his twelve disciples. And by the way, in the book of Matthew, the twelve disciples aren't singled out as twelve until chapter 10. So we're a long ways for them being singled out. Certainly wasn't Jesus just with a circle of 12 around him.

It was many people. And they heard him take on the religious conventions of the day. So many of the religious conventions of the day are contradicted. All their leaders contradicted the scribes, the Pharisees, the rabbis, taken head on by Jesus. And he acted like he had the authority to do it.

And of course it's because he did have the authority to do it, but this was not lost on his listeners. The rabbis and the scribes and the Pharisees when they taught, they would give their external sources. And best external source wins. The biggest rabbi that you can quote will carry the argument for you. Well, the prophets of scripture were so much better than that.

They were actually able to say, thus says the Lord. So the scribes quoted the other rabbis, but the prophets said, thus says the Lord. But Jesus says, I say to you. He doesn't quote the rabbis. He doesn't even say, thus says the Lord.

He just says, I say to you. And in this text, he is actually claiming to be the one who will judge everyone at the end of the world. Did you miss that as we went by it? Jesus is claiming that He'll be the one to do the separating on that day. This wasn't lost on the people who heard Him.

They knew something very unusual was happening. Here's the conclusion. We're a room full of professors. We've made a profession. We've confessed Jesus as Lord.

And the way Jesus speaks of the many false professors, it is unthinkable that there would not be some in this room. It is unthinkable the way Jesus speaks of this, that there would not be some in this room. It's unthinkable the way Jesus speaks of this, that there would not be some false professors in this room. I pray that we would all be found in Christ. But you can't read this text and come away with any other thought then.

Wow! It would be so unusual for all of us to be found in Christ based on what Jesus is saying here. In that day there will be many who say, Lord, Lord. And in their surprise, they will mount a defense. They'll say, I spoke your words, Jesus.

That is not enough. They'll say, I fought your enemies, Jesus. That is not enough. They will say, I did amazing feats for you, Jesus, and that is not enough. And he will say, I never knew you.

Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. You were never under my law. You were never under my authority. You were doing your own will. You were trusting in yourself.

The day will come when the circumstances of life or death will reveal what you've been building on. The day will come. Either in this life or on that day, either your life will reveal it or your death will. The day is coming. These are sobering thoughts.

Don't let them pass by lightly. Please don't let this text pass by lightly. Isn't it merciful to God that He would give us this text to force us to think about these things that are uncomfortable, and yet would we miss the opportunity that has been set before us by God To really examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. To test ourselves. Like Paul says, don't you know yourselves if Christ is in you or not?

Lastly, think what Peter said in the text we looked at in 1 Peter. To us who believe, Jesus is the precious cornerstone. It's a fearful thing to think that houses will collapse and there will be total ruin. And yet there is another house that is built on bedrock that is invincible to all that life can throw at it. Because it is built on a precious cornerstone, a precious cornerstone.

To those who have done the works of God, which is to believe on Him who was sent by the Father. And again, that's not even your work. You can't claim credit for that either. There's no boasting. Even that is the gift of God.

But those who have that work have planted themselves on bedrock. And though they be assaulted from above, from below, from the sides, they can stand. What a difference it makes. How precious it is to have a chief cornerstone that we can build a life on that will withstand all the tests of life. Christ is a precious treasure, isn't he?

Let's pray. Oh God, how can we not end this way by praising you that you are a mighty rock. You are a mighty foundation. God, may we be found to dig down deep to build upon that rock. And God, if it be so, we know that it is not to our credit, but it is the gift of God.

It is the gift of God that you would cause us to know you and to be known by you. So that no man may boast, but all who have trusted in you may glory in Jesus Christ. That all the work has been done by Jesus Christ. That your atoning blood is sufficient. You have made the way.

That you are the door, the narrow gate. And that those who enter that gate will abide with you on a difficult way, but on a way that leads to life. Oh God, I pray that you would fall upon this place with your Holy Spirit, that any unregenerate in our midst who might have been trusting in something else, God, I pray that You would make it so clear to them. Remove the veil from their eyes, God, that they might see their desperate need to be found in Christ to be joined with Him. In Jesus' name, Amen.