I. Introduction
A. Ill-Equipped
1. Have you ever been asked to do a job, but weren’t given the necessary resources to accomplish the task?
2. You might lack knowledge, skills, resources, or other factors that prevent you from being successful.
3. It’s frustrating, isn’t it?
B. Ill-Equipped for Eternity
1. As Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount, He paints a sad picture of people who are not prepared for eternal life.
2. Thankfully, Jesus’ warning also provides important teaching that can equip us for eternity.
3. Let’s examine what Jesus says so that we can make sure we are equipped for the most important life, eternal life.
II. Equipped for Eternity
A. in Christ
1. Jesus tells us that our confidence should not be in ourselves, but in Him.
a. Notice that those who come to Jesus are pointing to the things they have done in His name.
b. These people suffered from self-deception. They believed in themselves more than in the One they were to serve.
c. They are using their deeds as proof that they should be known by God, but it is only lip service because they have not done the will of the Father.
2. Knowing God is not the same thing as knowing God.
a. Verbal profession is not always an indicator of possession.
b. Being known by God is of the utmost importance.
c. It doesn’t matter how many people know you; all that matters is that the Lord knows you on Judgement Day.
3. He will only know you if you have taken the time to know Him.
B.
1. Equipped for eternity means aligning life with the Father’s will through .
a. “Knowing Him” is covenant language—relational, intimate, belonging. Scripture teaches that this knowledge is proven by obedience.
b. John 14:15 If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
c. James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves
2. It’s not so much about obeying God’s big commandments in big moments, but following His will in the moments as well.
3. Many of the contrasts made in the Sermon on the Mount would have been small matters to religious teachers, but they were a big deal to Jesus (anger, lust, keeping your word, etc.).
4. In the end, it’s not about the great things you have done—it’s about simply following God’s will for your life.
C. Equipped for
1. Jesus’s warning becomes our .
a. Confidence in Christ, not .
b. Humility to follow His way, not my .
2. The proof isn’t perfection, but —a life continually moving toward becoming like Christ.
a. Eternity isn’t entered by claiming Jesus—it’s entered by belonging to Jesus, proven in joyful obedience to the Father’s will.
b. Illustration: Jesus speaks of the Kingdom as something we can enter.
3. Jesus provides us with the entry into the Kingdom. He also has the power to deny entry.
III. Conclusion
A. There’s a great day coming
1. Many of us have heard the illustration of being asked to select three things you can take with you if you knew you were going to end up on a desert island.
2. The point of the exercise is to get you to think about what is most important.
3. Let’s get a little closer to home: If you knew today was your last day, what would be most important to you?
4. Are you prepared for entry into eternity?
B. Invitation