Watch our Livestream 10am Sundays at 10am on Sundays Give Online
Matthew 7:13–23 (ESV)
This morning, we will work through the final passage from the Sermon on the Mount. I believe we are on sermon number twenty-one in our series, “Living in the Kingdom.” Some theologians approach the ethics of the Sermon on the Mount as though they belong to the Old Covenant (Law); others approach as though the ethics belong to a future, visible reign of Christ during a millennium. Our approach has been to see these commands as instruction from Jesus for how we should live in the here and now—in the “already and not yet” of Christ’s Kingdom.
Last week, Philip brought us into this final section of this most famous of sermons, reminding us that there are only two paths to choose from, and that there are only two final destinations. The wide gate opens to the easy way that ends in destruction; the narrow gate opens to the hard way that leads to life. Jesus continues to bring these two paths into focus with our text this morning.
After Jesus gave us two and a half chapters of the ethics of the Kingdom of God (in which he is the King), we now are faced with the “What now?” of his sermon.
The bottom line… it’s not enough to hear or even to respect Jesus’ teaching. He expects and demands more than that.
Jesus begins our text with a warning against false prophets. He is concerned for the multitude to whom he is preaching (as well as the church moving forward). What kind of spiritual leaders will they follow in the future? Jesus is not asking or wondering if false prophets might arise; he is telling them it will happen. He is warning them to be on the lookout.
Certainly this warning applies to false prophets like Muhammad (Islam) or Joseph Smith (Latter Day Saints) who lead multitudes away from the authority of God’s word and create new religions.
However, I think Jesus’ concern in these verses is a little closer to home. He is concerned about religious leaders within the faith who claim to speak for God but are not true prophets or even true believers. We can see this in verse 15.
Matthew 7:15 (ESV)
These false prophets claim to be one thing, but are something else entirely.
This is not a simple comparison of sheep and goats, but of sheep and wolves. And this is not just any wolf, but a ravenous one. He is seeking someone to devour.
Jesus is using a laughable word picture when he speaks of a wolf dressed up in sheep’s clothing. My first thought was ROUSs (Rodents of Unusual Size). Perhaps you think of Looney Tunes with “Ralph Wolf” and “Sam Sheepdog.” Though entertaining, though, this image doesn’t quite capture the severity of what Jesus is talking about.
Throughout church history, there have been many leaders within the church who have deceived, stolen, abused, and led others astray. Even during the early days of the church within the New Testament, the apostles and elders had to be on the lookout for false prophets. Paul warns the elders in Ephesus with these words:
Acts 20:29–31 (ESV) — I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.
“Be alert!” Paul says.
How will we know when we come across one? Jesus answers in vv. 16 and following:
Matthew 7:16–20 (ESV)
Though the Old Testament does give tests to identify false prophets by their prophecies coming true, Jesus is aiming at something even more basic here. How do they live? What is the spiritual fruit in their own lives?
Don’t think of “fruit” here as “number of followers.” Certainly there have been very popular false prophets, who are smooth talkers, persuasive, and can attract a crowd. Instead, Jesus is telling his disciples to look for righteous, faithful living.
The Old Testament also used this test for prophets. Here is an example from Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 23:11–14 (ESV) — “Both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in my house I have found their evil, declares the LORD. Therefore their way shall be to them like slippery paths in the darkness, into which they shall be driven and fall, for I will bring disaster upon them in the year of their punishment, declares the LORD. In the prophets of Samaria I saw an unsavory thing: they prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray. But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his evil; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah.”
Paul also warns of false teachers who don’t “accord with godliness.”
1 Timothy 6:3–5 (ESV) — If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.
This is why Paul makes such a big deal out of the character of potential elders when he is writing to Timothy and Titus. Paul is not merely looking for influential men, but for godly men. He tells Timothy and Titus to watch the manner of their lives.
Let me offer a gentle warning to us here regarding influential online Christian personalities.
I am grateful for all of the many resources we possess for growing in knowledge and effectiveness. Just this week, I have been encouraged by several different YouTube channels in my spiritual life. I’ve watched some conversations between a pastor and two Latter-day Saint missionaries. I heard some great examples of effective arguments from scripture to use when speaking to Mormons. I also was exhorted by another Youtuber to be more gracious and understanding when talking to Christians with different theological systems than my own. Over the last month, I’ve heard apologetics debates, a defense of having modern translations of the Bible, and “a daily analysis of the news from a Christian worldview.”
However, since the fruit we are supposed to evaluate is not merely what a prophet says or teaches, we are at a significant disadvantage when we ingest so much of our teaching through social media influencers and online teachers. When I’m listening to a Podcast or video, I can’t see how the person lives in his everyday life. I can’t watch how he treats his wife or disciplines his children. I have no idea if he is sober-minded and pursuing holiness in his real life.
Jesus tells us to recognize them by their fruits. The author of Hebrews says it this way:
Hebrews 13:7 (ESV) — Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
He does not just say, “obey their teaching.” He says instead to consider the outcome of their way of life (fruit), and imitate their faith.
Paul points to his own life the same way when writing to the Philippians.
Philippians 4:9 (ESV) — What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
What should we look for, then, in our spiritual leaders?
1 Timothy 3:2–6 (ESV) — Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
Let’s move on from the danger of false prophets to…
Matthew 7:21–23 (ESV)
You may not be concerned about personally becoming a false prophet, but this warning should certainly get our attention. What do we have here, exactly?
First, we should acknowledge that this is not an edge case. “On that day” certainly points to the final day of judgement. Verse 22 says that “many” will respond to Jesus in this way. This should, of course, remind us of vs. 13.
Matthew 7:13 (ESV) — “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
I wish I could see Jesus deliver this part of the sermon to the multitude on the mountain. Remember that in this sermon he is teaching his disciples, but also speaking to the crowd that has been following him. I’m sure there are various levels of disciples, undecided, and skeptics among the crowd.
Let this sobering picture humble you and soften your heart. There will be “many” on “that day” who will make some appeal to Jesus to enter heaven based on some spiritual claim about their life on earth and then be flat-out rejected.
Note that there seems to be an element of surprise when Jesus rejects them. It seems that, at some level, they really thought they had done what was required.
Let’s take a closer look at their profession, their actions, and their deficiencies.
One of the questions I typically ask in a baptism interview is “What does it mean to say that Jesus is Lord?” As a pastor, I want to make sure the person understands that one can’t appeal to Jesus as Savior without also receiving him as Lord? Jesus is both Savior and Lord, and cannot be divided.
What, then, are we to make of verse 21?
Matthew 7:21 (ESV) — “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.
“Lord” (Greek, κύριος) could be translated as owner, master, or lord. We might even use “sir.” Notably, this same term is used to translate YAHWEH in the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible completed hundreds of years before Christ). Throughout much of the NT it is used to ascribe deity to Christ. Jesus is clearly pointing to more than mere owner/master status here.
We should realize, therefore, that “Lord, Lord” is a strong confession. It is true, respectful, and necessary to acknowledge Jesus as Lord.
The problem is not in the words they are using, but in the connection between words, heart, and actions.
What about their actions?
Even if you’re not impressed with their profession of the Lordship of Jesus, you might be impressed by their actions. Look at their claims again in vs. 22.
Matthew 7:22 (ESV) — 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?’
We should note, first, that these are three activities that the Jesus’ disciples did during and after his public ministry on earth. We also read about these kinds of deeds in the book of Acts done by the apostles. We are even Continuationists, and believe that God still works through prophecy, spiritual warfare, and mighty works today.
We might initially assume that they are lying about their deeds. But, do we have evidence to suspect that they were actually lying about what they had done? Is it possible that they participated in these spiritual activities without being a true believer? I think so.
We should remind ourselves that powerful signs and wonders are not a sufficient test of truth and righteousness.
Remember the magicians in Egypt in the Old Testament? They reproduced several of the miracles performed by Moses. Remember the seven sons of Sceva in the Acts 19? They were itinerant Jewish exorcists invoking the name of Jesus over evil spirits. Evidently it sometimes worked, but they had a pretty rough encounter with one particular possessed man.
Acts 19:15–16 (ESV) — But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
The New Testament also teaches us to expect to see powerful signs and wonders intended to deceive the people of God. This power actually comes from Satan.
2 Thessalonians 2:9–10 (ESV) — The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
Clearly, Jesus does not consider the profession (Lord, Lord), or the actions (prophecy, exorcism, and mighty works) as a guarantee or positive proof that someone belongs to him.
If their profession and actions were so strong, what is the problem?
Verse 23 has the answer.
Matthew 7:23 (ESV) — And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Jesus tells them that they have a relationship problem and a heart problem.
Christianity is about more than ethics, laws, and religious practice. It is not primarily about ceremony or liturgy or incantation. One of the beauties of Christianity is that our God is a relational God. He is relational with himself as the Trinity, and he is relational with his worshipers. Christianity is not merely a religion of obedience (though that is there), but of love and relationship.
Mark 12:30 (ESV) — And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
The LORD has set his love on his followers (Deut 7:7-8).
John 1:12 (ESV) — But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
1 John 4:15–16 (ESV) — Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
This relationship is part of our very gospel message.
2 Corinthians 5:20–21 (ESV) — Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Whatever we might say about the scene Jesus is playing out for us in the Sermon on the Mount, we must say that Jesus does not have a relationship with them. “I never knew you.” Knox even translated this, “You were never friends of mine” (Morris, Pillar, p. 181).
As a side note to those who believe a person can lose his salvation, Jesus’ words should clear this up. He doesn’t say, “You were my friend and then you left me.” He says, “I never knew you.”
Not only did these so-called followers have a relationship problem, they also had a heart problem.
Jesus calls them “workers of lawlessness,” which pulls the rug from under their religious claims. Despite their claim to have done religious things in Jesus’ name (prophecy, exorcism, mighty works), Jesus points out that they are, at heart, lawless.
The parallel account in Luke’s gospel helps us see this.
Luke 6:46 (ESV) — “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?
Jesus calls us to believe in him, but also to follow and obey him.
It is doing the will of the Father that matters, not the words we profess. This is not salvation by works: the contrast is not between merit and grace, but between profession and way of life. If people really trust Christ for salvation, their lives will no longer be self-centered; that they belong to the good tree will be made manifest by the fruit they bear. The history of the church is replete with examples of ecclesiastics who made free use of expressions like “Lord, Lord,” but whose arrogant and self-centered lives made a mockery of their words. Jesus is not saying that those saved will have earned their salvation, but that the reality of their faith will be made clear by their fruitful lives.
- Leon Morris, Pillar, 179.
Notice how Jesus describes this eternal sentence of judgment.
“Depart from me.” Though we could say a lot about what Hell is—and this is an important doctrine—for now notice the Christ-centered nature of this eternal punishment. Separation from Christ is central to the doctrine. Yes to punishment, pain, fire, and outer darkness. But, don’t miss the separation from God. This is quite the claim to Jesus’ deity and centrality!
“Depart from me.” These are words none of us wants to hear. Submit yourself to Jesus Christ this morning. Call out to him for mercy, forgiveness, and grace. Believe that Jesus came to give his life as a ransom to pay the penalty for your sins. Believe that Jesus rose from the grave on the third day and offers new, eternal life to you if you will repent of your sins and turn to trust in him alone.
Don’t trust in your own works (did we not prophesy, cast out demons, and do mighty works in your name?).
Now, we come to the final danger for us as we hear Jesus’ sermon.
Matthew 7:24–27 (ESV)
(I know, I know, you are all starting to sing the kids’ song in your head and wondering if your neighbor would judge you for doing the hand motions.)
What an amazing concluding image for a sermon! It doesn’t quite work for any preacher besides Jesus, though.
Jesus makes it clear that hearing is not enough. His followers must hear and do. And, now that they have heard Jesus’ sermon, they are accountable for what they have heard.
John 15:22 (ESV) — If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.
Have you ever considered the dangers of reading the Bible and being in church?
In applying this teaching to ourselves, we need to consider that the Bible is a dangerous book to read, and that the church is a dangerous society to join. For in reading the Bible we hear the words of Christ, and in joining the church we say we believe in Christ. As a result, we belong to the company described by Jesus as both hearing his teaching and calling him Lord. Our membership therefore lays upon us the serious responsibility of ensuring that what we know and what we say is translated into what we do.
- John R. W. Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount, 210.
If we go back to Philip’s sermon last week, we had two gates, two ways, two companies, and two ends.
Now we can add to that, “two houses.” Perhaps they look the same from the ground up.
But, these two houses are really about two very different foundations, and will come to very different ends.
Have you ever considered how unobvious it is during the act of hearing whether someone is a hearer-only vs. a hearer-and-doer? Go ahead and look around the room, but you can only judge by what you see right now. Who are the hearers only? Who are the doers? Yes, some of you are taking notes, and others of you are daydreaming. Some might even be texting your friend or reading the news. We are all wondering what’s for lunch. But, can we really discern in the moment between the hearers and doers? Not really. How, then, do we know? When the storm comes.
Matthew 7:25 (ESV) — 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.
Has this person really been hiding God’s word in his heart in order to obey? The storm will show it. Has the person been giving and praying and fasting in secret? The storm will show it. Has the person come to rest in the mercy and grace of God, even in the mist of hard Providence? The storm will show it. Has the person forgiven his brother, and put away anger? The storm will show it.
What is the storm? Persecution, hardship, suffering certainly qualify. A difficult relationship; a medical diagnosis; mental illness? Yes. Ultimately, we could read into the text the final judgement of God as well. But, I think the trials of life are the main idea. Jesus’ own brother James wrote about this in his letter. After talking about the necessary trials we will all face, he wrote:
James 1:22–24 (ESV) — But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.
There is a real danger here of “deceiving ourselves” every time we hear and don’t put into practice what we hear. We must exercise our “doing” muscles.
I don’t believe many of us are card-carrying members of the “hearers-only club.” But, we can so easily start attending the meetings. We are all tempted to be part of the professional-hearers class. “Teach me more; feed me more.” It is a lie of the enemy that we need to learn more before we start putting what we know into practice.
The question is not whether we say nice, polite, orthodox, enthusiastic things to or about Jesus; nor whether we hear his words, listening, studying, pondering and memorizing until our minds are stuffed with his teaching; but whether we do what we say and do what we know, in other words whether the lordship of Jesus which we profess is one of our life’s major realities.
- John R. W. Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount, 209.
Put your hope in the one who preached the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 7:28–29 (ESV)
Don’t put your hope in your own works. Rom 3:20
Receive salvation as a gift.
Be reconciled to God through faith
Build your life on the only foundation that can withstand the judgment of God.
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand.
Here are some other recent messages.
We are a church built on the Bible, guided and empowered by the Spirit, striving to make disciples, and pursuing holiness in the context of robust biblical relationships.
© 2026 Cornerstone Fellowship Church of Apex
