What do you think went wrong with the "Heaven’s Gate" church? Waco, Texas incident? What is your protection against such people? Remember Jonestown, Jim Jones? Nearly a thousand people died there. How could all these people follow someone like him? Why couldn’t they discern what was wrong with him? Why are there so many people being deceived by false teachers?

Matt 7:13 - What 2 ways are being described by Jesus?

Why is the wrong way filled with people and the other less?

- most people believe in salvation through works…that is why there

is a preponderance of world religions that teach good works as a

pre-requisite to salvation.

- before you accepted the gospel, what did you believe was the way to

heaven? Good works.

- This is not God’s way - in fact, he condemns people who believe

in this way… see Gal 1:6-9

Matt 7:14 - Notice how Matthew describes the right gate?

Small, narrow and few people are willing to enter it. Why?

-- Salvation is through Christ alone and his finished work on the cross

Example of turnstile - you cannot bring in all your luggage, just you

-- Review exclusivity issue: John 14:6, Acts 4:12, 1 Tim 2:5

Prov 14:12 - Yet inspite of God’s calling and his free gift of salvation, people

are still on the wide road.

- It is very possible to be deceived!

1. What or who am I trusting in to bring me to heaven?
2. Is it acceptable to God? Is it written in His Word or made by man?

Prov 30:5-6 - What stern warning does God give us here? We are not to change

His Word - neither add or subtract - we are to believe what He says.

Matt 7:15 - What does Christ warn us about here? False teachers

How does Jesus describe them? They come in sheep’s clothing.

More accurately, they come in "shepherd’s clothing" in order to deceive.

- Counterfeit is very much like the real - can hardly tell the difference

but there is a difference. The difference is the difference between

heaven and hell.

- What is their outward manifestation? They appear holy, godly, preach the

Bible, difficult to detect from outward appearance.

Matt 7:15 - Inwardly? They are like wolves who will tear you apart.

Matt 7:16-20 - How do we detect them? What fruit do we look for?

Gal 1:6-9 - Gospel cannot be changed

Prov 30-5-6 - God’s Word cannot be changed

2 Pet 2:1 - But they will "secretly introduce lies", subtle, not

easily detected - anything that goes against salvation

by faith in Christ alone!

- CHARACTER - look at what they do

2 Pet 2:1 - they usually have immoral lives

2 Pet 2:2 - truth will be sacrificed

2 Pet 2:3 - pride

Matt 7:21 - What sobering truth do we pick up from this verse?

Matt 7:22 - What did they boast of? How did they think they were entering the kingdom?

- Taught in Jesus’ name, cast out demons in Jesus’ name, performed

miracles in Jesus’ name. Humanly speaking, these were the ones we

we would think would enter heaven immediately.

Matt 7:23 - But what was Christ’s answer? Depart from me, you who practice

lawlessness, I never knew you.

- Why do you think Jesus called all their good works "lawlessness?"

They were doing it from pride, thinking they could earn salvation.

Rom 3:20 - No one can earn salvation, because no one can follow the Law 100%

The purpose of the law was to show us how sinful we are.

- Living Bible says it so well:

" Now do you see it? No one can ever be made right in God’s sight by

doing what the Law commands. For the more we know of God’s laws

the clearer it becomes we aren’t obeying them. His laws serve only to

make us see that we are sinners.

Matt 7:23 - Notice the word "knew". This was the key!

- To "know" means to have personal relationship, to know intimately.

Jesus wanted a personal relationship with them. They were insisting

on their own way and Jesus denied them entry to his kingdom.

Additional references, if needed:

Romans 10:1-4 / Ephesians 2:8-9 / Titus 3:5 / Galatians 2:16 /

Acts 4:12