The Challenge of Churching the Church
Jim Davis
New churches are emerging all over the metropolitan areas of the
country. All sorts of things are being done to attract members. Market
surveys have been taken of what people are looking for in a church.
Great efforts are made to profile churches to the perceived desires of
those looking for a church. The surveys often only reflect how church
goers think the church needs to change to be more relevant to non-church
goers.
The results of the surveys are showing up on church signs. I noticed one
sign with a caption under its name that read “Church done differently.”
I see other signs with captions that say, “Traditional
Worship”—“Contemporary Worship”—“Casual Dress.” I can only wonder what
does a sign that reads “Church done differently” mean to someone who has
never been to church.
Is the world as enamored with it all as church people are. Does any of
this have any real meaning for the unchurched or non-Christian? Many
think that doing things differently makes them more spiritual. Others
think doing things the way things have always been done is indicative of
true faithfulness. One group has ten things it can do—another has ten
things it can’t do. Each group seems consumed with promoting its own way
of doing church. One can only wonder what the unchurched think as they
visit churches.
What Is Being Left Undone?
Jesus stepped into a religious world not much different from our modern
religious world. Amazingly, he didn’t seem to take issue with how things
were done, but he was concerned with what was being left undone.
Luke 11:42
"Woe to you Pharisees, because you give
God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but
you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the
latter without leaving the former undone. NIV
What we are doing may become our undoing. Jesus told the Pharisees, “You
travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes
one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are” (Matthew
23:15). We must ask ourselves, to what are we converting people? What is
the final result? What is their focus? Are they converted to a church’s
way of doing things, or are they converted to Jesus Christ? Do they
become a child of God or twice as blind as they were.
Nothing is more difficult than teaching the unlearned who think they
have learned how things ought to be done. Have you ever noticed those
who type with two fingers? They will probably never unlearn the two
finger method. This is true with every field of learning. What I know or
think I know blinds me to what I could really know. This is especially
true with things we deem sacred. We are afraid to look beyond what we
think we know—we are afraid it will be a violation of the sacred—which
is a mortal sin for religious minded people.
Churches have become some of the most homogenous social groups in our
society. All black. All white. All Hispanic—Korean—Vietnamese, etc. All
who think alike on religious subjects? All who aspire to the same type
of formal or informal worship service? All who aspire to the same type
dress attire for attending worship. All who are from the same
socio-economic groups as well. The list could be stretched to ad
nauseam.
It seems as though a church sign that says “Church Done Differently” may
limit outreach. This approach has the tendency to create a homogenous
group only interested in doing church differently. And as a matter of
course, they would probably have to come to an agreement as to how they
would do church differently. It seems this approach would forever be
ruling out those who couldn’t agree on how to do church. But how does
the message of “Church done differently” touch the lives of the lost—the
unchurched.
I brought a new convert into a church. He heard a sermon about how the
church has changed and needs to change its tradition. He came out and
said, “I don’t know what they are talking about, I have never attended
church before.” He didn’t understand it all. He actually laughed; he
thought it was silly. The message was confusing to him. What is in store
for this new convert to Christ? Will he be grounded in the gospel? Will
he be assimilated into the body of Christ or a fellowship of people who
are only interested in doing church differently? Or will he forever hear
preachers spending their time seeking to promote church the way it has
always been done?
What About A New Approach
I spoke to someone a few days ago (July 3, 2007) whose family has been
closely associated with world missions. He told me that world missions
have a specific target group to reach. Imagine humanity forming a
pyramid with the very top vertex portion of the pyramid representing 20%
of humanity who make the most money. This is the target group they have
sought to reach for years. After all, this group of people would be the
shakers and movers of any community—wouldn’t they? We have heard of
trickle down economics, well this is trickle down gospel. Yet, there is
a new awakening—the gospel preached didn’t seem to trickle down to the
billions of lost as hoped. The efforts, with few exceptions weren’t
successful in reaching beyond the targeted group of movers and shakers.
The message hasn’t reached across humanity’s dividing lines.
Walmart’s marketing approach makes more sense, and it works. They know
that if you sell items that only appeal to those at the top of the
social pyramid structure–you will make fewer sales. Walmart has targeted
those at the bottom the pyramid with a real need to live economically.
Yet, it is a strategy that appeals to everyone all the way to the top of
the pyramid. Target the billions at the bottom of the pyramid and you
will reach billions. Target those who really have a felt need for
something better.
Jesus’ gospel turns the world mission pyramid concept upside down. Jesus
began at the bottom of the pyramid. Jesus came to tear down the dividing
walls.
Luke 14:12-14
12 Then Jesus said to his host, "When
you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers
or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you
back and so you will be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite
the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed.
Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection
of the righteous." NIV
Jesus’ approach left the religious standing on their heads. Multitudes
came to hear him. He always gave them exactly what they needed. He gave
them compassion. He fed the hungry. He healed the sick, gave sight to
the blind, and restored the hearing of the deaf. He didn’t pretend to
meet these needs while enriching his own bank account. It opened their
hearts to hear the message of God. He left a message with them—treat
others as I have treated you. He crossed societal barriers in one giant
step. He was born in a despised place at the bottom of the pyramid for
this specific purpose.
His inverted method left the religious pyramid teetering on its vertex.
They couldn’t imagine eating with sinners and outcasts—crossing those
barriers was forbidden. There was no one standing on their heads in the
synagogues when Jesus visited. But when he left they were standing on
their heads as they tried to fit what Jesus taught into what they
thought they already knew. I can only wonder if this would be Jesus’
method of reaching the churched today. It might be a new concept for a
church. Imagine going into a church with everyone standing on their
heads—even better—people leaving the worship with the desire to live so
much like Jesus that it would turn the world upside down with the living
message of Christ.
Of course this concept is more radical than trying to fit people into a
church profile of their own design—designed to make them feel
comfortable. They may not feel as free as they would like. We love our
liberties—even if enslaved to them unknowingly. We are willing to die
for our freedom. We haven’t changed much from the days of
Galileo—anything different from what we already believe or have chosen
to believe is heresy—even if it is true.
Jesus Was A Radical Messiah
When the religious world refused to listen to the message of
Christ, Jesus encouraged his disciples to do something radical.
Matthews 22:1-14
22:1 Jesus spoke to them again in
parables, saying: 2 "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a
wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had
been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to
come.
4 "Then he sent some more servants and
said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner:
My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is
ready. Come to the wedding banquet.'
5 "But they paid no attention and went
off — one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his
servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He
sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
8 "Then he said to his servants, 'The
wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9
Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' 10
So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people
they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with
guests.
11 "But when the king came in to see the
guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.
12'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?'
The man was speechless.
13 "Then the king told the attendants,
'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where
there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
14 "For many are invited, but few are
chosen." NIV
God invited the religious folks in Jerusalem to come to the banquet his
Son was preparing for them. They were the first to be invited. Somehow,
in the midst of all the ceremonial practices in Jerusalem, the Messiah
went unnoticed. Something blinded them to his presence. Were the
religious folks too busy washing the cups and platters at the temple?
They felt threatened by his message—and they should have? This parable
became a reality when God sent the armies of Titus to destroy Jerusalem
in A.D. 70. Why? They refused to come to the feast on the LAMB from the
tribe of Judah.
Is it time to do what Jesus encouraged his disciples to do—go out
into the highways and byways to reach the lost? Jesus is
speaking of the Jews who refused to accept him as the Messiah. They
would not accept the righteousness he offers. They preferred to practice
a religion they believed made them holy—a religion they felt comfortable
with—they became self-righteous. By-the-way, don’t misunderstand the
part about the man who was not wearing a wedding garment in this story.
I wouldn’t want to go back and fall into a trap of trying dress or
undress those coming to church. He simply represented those who refuse
to be clothed with Christ’s righteousness.
In our modern world should the church think it is beyond the same
judgment from God? God has always judged his people. Peter writes, “For
it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it
begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the
gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17-18). Judgment begins at the house of God.
The book of Revelation is about God’s judgment on a sinful world, but
John’s vision begins with his judgment of the seven churches of Asia.
God’s judgment of churches serves as an example of God’s judgment for a
sinful world.
We may overlook how and why the gospel spread to the uttermost part of
the world in the first century. Was it because those who chose to
believe were driven out of the synagogues? Were they driven into a world
tired of the superficial—a world needing something more real than mere
religious practices? Was it God’s way of spreading the gospel as he
brought judgment upon his own? Is this what is happening with all the
religious turmoil in our modern world? Is God judging his people for
their divisiveness? Would we be foolish or naïve to believe otherwise?
After all, isn’t this what God has always done?
God had the temple in Israel destroyed at least twice in Israel’s
history. The Ark of the Covenant was stolen at least once. God only
knows where it ended up. He brought famine, earthquakes and pestilence
upon Israel as a wake up call numerous times. Should we doubt that all
the hoopla about how to do church differently or to do it the way it has
always been done is meant as a wake up call? The religious uneasiness
reveals how superficial the church has become?
Should we tell a modern world looking for the Messiah what Jesus told
the Samaritan woman he met at the well? She had been married five times,
and had seemingly given up on marriage. So she was just living with the
sixth man of her life. Her story sounds so modern. Jesus revealed to her
that he knew all about her five husbands and the other man in her life.
She knew life wasn’t working that well for her, and she responds to
Jesus.
John 4:19-26
19 "Sir," the woman said, "I can see
that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but
you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem."
21 Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a
time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain
nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we
worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time
is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the
Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the
Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in
spirit and in truth."
25 The woman said, "I know that Messiah"
(called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to
us."
26 Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to
you am he." NIV
The woman knew about the ongoing religious controversies about where to
worship, but apparently she was overlooking her personal need. This
woman’s question isn’t much different from what people are asking today.
She asks, do we worship on this mountain or on Mt. Moriah? Jesus made
his answer very clear. He tells her, it is not about this mountain or
Jerusalem. Jesus says, “. . . a time is coming and has now come
when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth,
for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and
his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
Our questions are a little different but they are the same questions.
Where do we do church? How do we do church? Which church should I join?
We certainly have a lot of choices. Would Jesus’ tell us, it is not
about this church or that church? Would he tell us that the true
worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth?
What Did Jesus Teach
Jesus began his preaching ministry immediately after his baptism.
Matthew writes, “From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for
the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matthew 4:17 NIV). Immediately following
the writing of this statement about what Jesus began to teach, Matthew
tells us what Jesus taught. He taught about the kingdom of heaven
reigning in the hearts of those who believe. Matthew records the heart
of Jesus’ message in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5
through 7. He reveals how Jesus challenged us to live differently.
It must have been difficult for the religious Jews to hear this message.
It had strong overtones that they needed to be reborn. Nicodemus crept
up to Jesus in the darkness of the night and ask Jesus, how can this be?
After all he had been circumcised at birth. It was a sign he was already
chosen by God. Now Jesus tells him to be born again. Can you imagine
John calling the religious of his day a bunch of religious snakes and
vipers? He told them they needed to be baptized unto repentance for the
remission of sins (Mark 1: 4). I am sure they were thinking—“But! I have
already been circumcised.”
Jesus takes the world to task in the Sermon on the Mount. How about
walking into a church that gives you a copy of the Sermon on the Mount
as their statement of faith? The approach may be too revolutionary. But
Jesus walked into the midst of a bunch of hypocrites and gave them this
statement of faith in God. This is really the message he came to give
this world. He preached the message through the words he spoke and by
the deeds he lived.
Of course, we are talking about convicting the world of sin. Personally,
I can’t read through Jesus Sermon on the Mount without realizing my
deepest failures. By the time I finish reading those three chapters of
the Bible, I am mourning over my spiritual poverty. Yet, this is the
very thing that qualifies me to enter into the kingdom of heaven. It is
no accident Jesus begins his sermon by saying, “Blessed are the poor in
spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven—blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:3-4). He knew those searching
for the real thing would mourn and need comforting before he finished
speaking to them.
Jesus’ message wasn’t a religious message. It was a message about how to
live. It was a message about life and how to have it more abundantly.
Jesus’ message wasn’t about this church or that church. It was about God
ruling in the hearts and lives of men and women to reveal his glorious
way of life through them to reach, serve and bless others.
We can only ask, “Has the kingdom of God message gotten lost in all the
messages about how to do church?” A person looking for a church to
attend was essentially told on his first visit to one church, “We don’t
believe in worshipping the way the church down the street worships?” He
was overcome by his curiosity, and he just had to visit the church down
the street. And the message was “Isn’t it wonderful to have the liberty
to have this kind of worship service? The people down the street don’t
have this liberty.” Both churches preached the same message. This
message was—this is the way you do church. The fellow thought, “How
superficial.”
Conclusion:
Just take a few moments to read Jesus Sermon on the Mount. It really
sums up all the Bible says in three chapters. If you feel convicted,
simply do what Jesus says. Seek him and you find him. When you feel lost
in your search, ask him to guide you in your search of God and you will
receive the answer. The message of Jesus’ sermon is so simple that it is
mind boggling. It will only take you from 8 to 15 minutes to read it,
but it will challenge you for the rest of your life. There are no other
chapters to which you can go and survey a thumb nail sketch of
everything God has to say about how to live and seek him. It may help
make what you are really searching for in a church a reality for you; I
know it has for me.
Matthew 5-7
5:1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat
down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying:
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely
say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad,
because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they
persecuted the prophets who were before you.
13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness,
how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything,
except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
14 "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they
put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In
the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your
good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I
have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 I tell you the
truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not
the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law
until everything is accomplished. 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least
of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called
least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these
commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell
you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and
the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of
heaven.
21 "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not
murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22 But I
tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to
judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable
to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of
the fire of hell.
23 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there
remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift
there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother;
then come and offer your gift.
25 "Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to
court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you
over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and
you may be thrown into prison. 26 I tell you the truth, you will not get
out until you have paid the last penny.
27 "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' 28 But
I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already
committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes
you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose
one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it
away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your
whole body to go into hell.
31 "It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a
certificate of divorce.' 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces
his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an
adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
33 "Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do
not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' 34
But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's
throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem,
for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head,
for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 Simply let your
'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the
evil one.
38 "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for
tooth.' 39 But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone
strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if
someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as
well. 41 If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42
Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who
wants to borrow from you.
43 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your
enemy.' 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He
causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the
righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what
reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And
if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do
not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly
Father is perfect.
Matthew 6
6:1 "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be
seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in
heaven.
2 "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as
the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by
men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3
But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your
right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your
Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to
pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by
men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6
But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your
Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in
secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling
like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many
words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before
you ask him.
9 "This, then, is how you should pray:
"'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.'
14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly
Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their
sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
16 "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they
disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the
truth, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast,
put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be
obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is
unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward
you.
19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and
rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and
where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.
22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole
body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body
will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how
great is that darkness!
24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love
the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You
cannot serve both God and Money.
25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will
eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more
important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look
at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable
than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field
grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon
in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God
clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is
thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little
faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall
we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all
these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But
seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will
be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for
tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its
own.
Matthew 7
7:1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you
judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will
be measured to you.
3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay
no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your
brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time
there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank
out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck
from your brother's eye.
6 "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If
you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear
you to pieces.
7 "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and
the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who
seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9 "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or
if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though
you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much
more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for
this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the
road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small
is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find
it.
15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing,
but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will
recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from
thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree
bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree
cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is
cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will
recognize them.
21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22
Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in
your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'
23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you
evildoers!'
24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into
practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain
came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that
house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into
practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain
came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that
house, and it fell with a great crash."
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed
at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not
as their teachers of the law.
NIV
