The Friendship Which Makes the Difference
Jerry N. Watts
Matthew 7:21-23
In almost 30 years of preaching, this has been one of those passages which I have preached from literally dozens of times. Normally, I couple it with verses 13 and 14 which speaks of the narrow road and the wide road lifting out five truths which every person needs to face in this life. (If you keep inviting me back, you may hear that message one day.)
But not long ago I was listening to one of our pastors use these 3 verses as the basis for his message. Now, his message on 'The Wise Builder' which tied these verses to the last part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount'. But just like God does from time to time, He literally made something leap of the page at me, it was almost like a divine revelation about what this verse says but is not so obvious to see. What I see Jesus speaking of here is simply 'FRIENDSHIP.'
Think about it: To a group of people who are arguing their case, that they are saved, Jesus Christ, The Son of God, The Lord of Glory, the friend of Sinners, and the Savior of the WORLD says, 'I NEVER KNEW YOU.' How startling. And listen, Jesus does not have a case of spiritual dementia where He forgets names. Jesus doesn't say, ''I no longer know you,'' ''I can't remember your name'', or 'I forgot your name'', but rather He says, ''I never knew you.'' Startling!
And in very good American tradition, those He speaks to have tried to outtalk and out-think Him and let Him in on all they had done! ''We prophesied in your name'' (anybody here done that?), ''We cast out demons in your name'' (anybody here done that?), ''We even did MANY miracles in your name'' (anybody here done that?). If we put this into today's language, it could be, I taught SS for 30 years, I was a deacon for 20 years, I was a preacher/student minister/senior adult worker/worship minister for 25 years. Now some of you are thinking, ''This preacher is about to tell us we are all lost?'' This's not what's happe ...
Jerry N. Watts
Matthew 7:21-23
In almost 30 years of preaching, this has been one of those passages which I have preached from literally dozens of times. Normally, I couple it with verses 13 and 14 which speaks of the narrow road and the wide road lifting out five truths which every person needs to face in this life. (If you keep inviting me back, you may hear that message one day.)
But not long ago I was listening to one of our pastors use these 3 verses as the basis for his message. Now, his message on 'The Wise Builder' which tied these verses to the last part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount'. But just like God does from time to time, He literally made something leap of the page at me, it was almost like a divine revelation about what this verse says but is not so obvious to see. What I see Jesus speaking of here is simply 'FRIENDSHIP.'
Think about it: To a group of people who are arguing their case, that they are saved, Jesus Christ, The Son of God, The Lord of Glory, the friend of Sinners, and the Savior of the WORLD says, 'I NEVER KNEW YOU.' How startling. And listen, Jesus does not have a case of spiritual dementia where He forgets names. Jesus doesn't say, ''I no longer know you,'' ''I can't remember your name'', or 'I forgot your name'', but rather He says, ''I never knew you.'' Startling!
And in very good American tradition, those He speaks to have tried to outtalk and out-think Him and let Him in on all they had done! ''We prophesied in your name'' (anybody here done that?), ''We cast out demons in your name'' (anybody here done that?), ''We even did MANY miracles in your name'' (anybody here done that?). If we put this into today's language, it could be, I taught SS for 30 years, I was a deacon for 20 years, I was a preacher/student minister/senior adult worker/worship minister for 25 years. Now some of you are thinking, ''This preacher is about to tell us we are all lost?'' This's not what's happe ...
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