The "many" people Jesus refers to here who sound so dedicated to Him have deluded themselves into thinking they are on the right path but their true condition before God is a disaster. Their profession of faith in Christ is empty because they do not live by the demands of His lordship. According to Jesus in verse 21 these people do not "do the will of my Father who is in heaven." Though they profess their allegiance to Christ and engage in religious activity, Jesus says in verse 23, they "practice lawlessness."

Think of the surprises you have experienced in your life. There are probably some pleasant ones. Did anyone ever put on a surprise birthday party for you? I turned forty the year after I moved here with my family and a group of brethren in the church put on a surprise "black balloon" party for me. I had no clue it was coming. It was a total –and pleasant - surprise.

Other pleasurable surprises might include such things as getting a larger return on your income tax than you anticipated, learning that you’ve been chosen to receive some special prize, or discovering that you’ve been recognized for some special honor at work.

There are unwanted surprises too, like going to work and discovering that your job has been eliminated due to downsizing or going to the doctor to find out that the spot that appeared on the x-ray is cancer.

Surprises, good and bad, are fairly common in life and most of us will experience some of each. But there is one surprise that I hope you and I never experience. I refer to the surprise of standing before the judgment seat of Christ, having attended church for many years, only to be rejected by Him.

Is such a thing possible? Yes, it is, and it is part of what Jesus is talking about in the passage of Scripture we’ll consider this morning.

We’re nearly finished with our Sermon on the Mount series called Learning from the World’s Most Famous Sermon. Lord willing, there will be one more message after this one and then we’ll move on to some other area of Scripture.

"Jesus on False Professors" is the sermon title today. We’re going to look at Matthew 7:21-23 if you would like to page over to that spot in your Bibles.

In the seventh chapter of Matthew Jesus has addressed the critical need for proper judging and discerning. He has warned of hypocritical judging in verses 1-5. He’s spoken of the peril of not judging and the resulting prospect of being torn apart by spiritual dogs and swine in verse 6. He’s instructed His hearers to ask, seek and knock for God’s wisdom in judging in verses 7-12. He’s given straightforward teaching about discerning the wide and narrow ways in verses 13-14, and the need recognize false prophets and not to be deceived by them in verses 15-20.

Jesus now turns to the need to judge ourselves and our own profession of faith. In verses 21-23 the Lord speaks of those we might call "false professors" - those who profess to be Christ’s followers but who do not live by His commandments and will be surprised when they get to judgment and learn that are banished from His presence. Not only can false prophets and false shepherds fool us into thinking we’re walking the narrow path when really we are not, but we can also deceive ourselves into thinking we’re living for Him when we’re not. Listen to Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:21-23:

The warning of this passage ought to be the concern of every Christian. Jesus isn’t speaking of atheists or agnostics here. Nor is He speaking of those involved in world religions who deny His deity and authority. He isn’t speaking of them. He’s speaking of us, those of us who call Him "Lord," people who count themselves among His followers and are convinced of His approval and their good standing with Him. Yet somehow, when judgment comes they are shocked to hear Him say, "I never knew you…" I ask again, is such self-deception possible?

Let’s take the passage at a little slower pace and see if we can get the full meaning of Jesus’ words. Of the people Jesus refers in this passage, note first:

1. Their Profession.

These are people who refer to Jesus as "Lord."

The Jew could use the term "lord" simply as a title of respect, much as we might use the term "sir." Such usage didn’t’ require any special knowledge of the one to whom it referred. But in the religious sense, as it is used here, the word "Lord" means much more. The Greek word is kurios and it is elsewhere translated "master" or "owner." It comes from the root kuros which means "supremacy." The word "Lord" among the Jews was also a popular substitute term from the Name of God which they considered to be too sacred to ever use in human speech. It seems reasonable to conclude then that the "many" here who call Him "Lord, Lord" on the Day of Judgment are people who recognize His supremacy and His deity. They are believers, not unbelievers. It is also possible that Jesus’ repetition of the word here, "Lord, Lord" doubles the intensity of this meaning.

The people He refers to are very religious. Not only do they call Him "Lord, Lord," but they also recognize the power of His Name. Three times they are represented as claiming mighty, miraculous works in His name. Verse 22 represents them as saying, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?"

These are people who openly profess Christ and even claim miraculous powers done in His name. (Whether they could actually prophesy, cast out demons, or perform miracles, He doesn’t say. Either they can or they think they can.)

To me their profession sounds like something we might see in some of the religious television programming today - people speaking the name of Jesus, calling Him Lord, "naming and claiming" things "in Jesus’ name," claiming miraculous powers, etc. Yet Jesus says here that their flamboyant profession is not, in itself, proof that they are on their way to heaven. You see, while such people have a very convincing profession, they have a problem with:

The "many" people Jesus refers to here who sound so dedicated to Him have deluded themselves into thinking they are on the right path but their true condition before God is a disaster. Their profession of faith in Christ is empty because they do not live by the demands of His lordship. According to Jesus in verse 21 these people do not "do the will of my Father who is in heaven." Though they profess their allegiance to Christ and engage in religious activity, Jesus says in verse 23, they "practice lawlessness."

In Luke 6:46 Jesus asked the very pointed question along these same lines: "And why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" This is the problem of the people in our text. They act religious. They sound very dedicated. In our day they attend church, and are involved. But when it comes right down to it they are unwilling to do God’s will.

These days we hear glowing statistics of the large percentage of people who claim to be Christians in this country. Yet you have to search long and hard to find among them people who actually live what they say they believe. This gap between profession and practice is the same one we see here in our text.

While such duplicity seems like it ought to be clear to everyone, according to Jesus, it isn’t, so let me give a few specific examples of how this might play out. If you expect to go to heaven you cannot claim to be a Christian and engage in fornication or adultery. If you expect to go to heaven you cannot claim to be a Christian and lie and cheat and steal. If you expect to go to heaven you cannot claim to be a Christian and engage in continued, willful sin. If you think that you can, you are as deluded as the people in this passage and are in for a big surprise on the Day of Judgment.

Paul warned Timothy of such people in 2 Timothy 3:1-5:

The people Paul refers to here are religious – they hold to a "form of godliness" - but their faith is only an outward form. Its great power never penetrates their lifestyle. They profess to follow Christ but live like the devil. It is so important that we understand this! In our day when just about any "form of godliness" passes as genuine in the minds of many, these words present a serious warning.

Listen to another of Paul’s warnings to Christians in Ephesians 5:5-10, and realize as you read it that these words were not written to rank unbelievers. They were written to the Ephesian church members – those who considered themselves to be among God’s people:

Another such warning with a similar tone is found in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, also written to Christians, not unbelievers. There Paul, says:

Some years ago I received a call to come to the home of a couple who were related to members of the church I served. They wanted to ask me some questions. I went and as we talked they told me that they were both Christians. However, I soon found out that they weren’t married. They were living together and had several children. I pointed out as politely as I could that what they were engaged in was called "fornication" by the Bible and that fornicators will not inherit the kingdom of God. I used this very passage in 1 Corinthians 6. At first they were defensive and I thought they were going to ask me to leave. But in time they consented to study the Bible further and as a result they separated. He moved out. Some months later, after they understood the issue better, the two of them were baptized into Christ and I officiated their wedding. This is an example of professing Jesus as Lord yet practicing lawlessness. I received word just a few months ago that this man is dying of brain cancer. I’m very glad they responded to the gospel.

The Apostle John echoed this same teaching the importance of practice matching profession in 1 John 3:7-8. Again, this was written to Christians:

Looking back at our text in Matthew 7, what is it that Jesus says about those who claim to be His followers but don’t seek God’s will above their own? It’s there in verse 23: "Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness."

Jesus speaks then, of people who profess Christ but practice sin. Yet strange as it might sound, they somehow think everything is fine and that they are on their way to heaven. That accounts for what we’ll consider next:

3. Their Perplexity.

The Day of Judgment will be a day of horror and surprise for people like this. They will arrive with confident expectation. They know Jesus. They’ve professed Him. They were religious. But when they stand before Him they are utterly perplexed at His words, "I never knew you…."

The will cite their religious involvement: "But Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name? Didn’t we cast out demons in your name? Didn’t we perform miracles in your name?"

These are the words of people who are absolutely shocked to find that their outward religion didn’t save them. Yes, the Day of Judgment will be a day of horror and surprise for many.

There is a parallel to this idea of surprise on the Day of Judgment in Matthew 25. In that passage which contains a lengthy picture of the judgment in the words of Jesus, the righteous and the wicked are separated as an ancient shepherd might separate the sheep from that goats. The sheep are invited to inherit the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world. The goats are told to depart from Him into the fires of hell. I’ll read the words of that passage that refer to those who don’t make it into the kingdom of heaven. Note their surprise. This is Matthew 25:41-45:

41 Then He will also say to those on His left, "Depart from Me, [These are the same words Jesus uses in our text in Matthew.] accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me." [Now note their surprise.] 44 Then they themselves also will answer, saying, "Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?" 45 Then He will answer them, saying, "Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me." 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

Yes, the Day of Judgment will be a day or horror and surprise for many who are self-deluded.

We’ve seen the verbal profession of these people. We’ve seen their disobedient practice. We’ve seen their perplexity and surprise when they find that the Lord doesn’t know them. Now we must look at:

4. Their Punishment.

Jesus says in verse 23, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness."

My friends, these are words I never want to hear Him say to me or to you! To have walked all this way, only to come to the end and discover that we have deluded ourselves and are banished from His presence would be the absolute worst thing that could ever happen. I want to avoid that surprise at all costs, don’t you? I hope you do.

Can you imagine being turned away from heaven with the horror stricken multitudes having only a Christless eternity to look forward to? No chance for redemption. No opportunity for a confession? No effect of repentance? No response of grace? Only banishment to the Lake of Fire?

Will such an outcome be common or rare on the Day of Judgment? I don’t have to answer that because Jesus already did. His words were "Many will say to me on that day…." Apparently this kind of self-delusion is a very common thing.

What can you and I do to avoid such an outcome? Let me offer three suggestions from Scripture. More could probably be said…

Paul wrote to the Corinthians who were in great danger of the very thing we’re talking about. In 2 Corinthians 13:5, he wrote: "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!"

We ought to do such self-examination regularly, perhaps daily as we go through life. This is one reason for frequent observance of the Lord’s Supper. When observed according to the teaching of the New Testament, the Lord’s Supper includes a time of self-examination. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:28: "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup." The apostle went on to say in that passage that a number in Corinth were weak and sick and even dead spiritually because they didn’t do this.

Hebrews 4:12 says, "The word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

We’re talking about self-deception here, which can be buried pretty deeply in the recesses of our minds and hearts. God’s word can penetrate those murky places and dig out the fraud if we allow it.

Most of you spend at least one session weekly in the assembly of Christians, listening to the preaching of God’s word. Do you pay attention? Do you come prepared to listen? Are your mental faculties engaged? When something hits close to home in your life, do you heed the words or do you ignore them?

Most of us have people around us who care about us. The ones who are Christians may come to us and point out something about our behavior that doesn’t seem right to them. That’s what "reproof" is. Don’t despise that when it happens. Don’t get mad and tell them to mind their own business. Next time they might just leave you to die in your sin! Those who truly love you will speak up because they care and if you find yourself tuning out such loving concern, it’s a good indicator that you’re living in this deadly land of self-deception.

Proverbs 15:10 says, "He who hates reproof will die."

Proverbs 29:1 says, "A man who hardens his neck after much reproof will suddenly be broken beyond remedy."

The following words are reportedly taken from an old engraving on a cathedral in Labeck, Germany:

Thus speaketh Christ our Lord to us:
You call Me master and obey Me not.
You call Me light and see Me not.
You call Me the Way and walk me not.
You call Me life and live Me not.
You call Me wise and follow Me not.
You call me fair and love Me not.
You call Me rich and ask Me not.
You call Me eternal and seek Me not.
If I condemn thee, blame Me not.

Don’t be a false professor!

Dave Redick is Minister of the Hwy 20 Church of Christ in Sweet Home, Oregon and Editor of The Preacher's Study. He may be reached at pstudysupport@comcast.net.

Copyright © 1996-2008 by The Preacher's Study. Permission is granted to subscribers to use this document in total or in sermon preparation in the context of the local congregation only. Publishing it in a book, on the Internet, or anyplace beyond the local congregation is prohibited.

All Scripture quotations and references are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise stated.

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