Throughout my three decades of ministry, I remember going home from church on Sunday exhausted and thinking, “Did anyone really grow spiritually because of all the work that I did this week? Did all the programs and meetings move the needle for the kingdom of God?” Most of the time, if I was honest, I would have had to admit that I really didn’t know. Over the years, our church focused on some tangible metrics, like how many visitors came each week, average weekly attendance, and important financial numbers. These are good metrics, but do they really answer the question of whether people are growing spiritually? Often, we just added more programs and hoped for the best.
In Matthew 7, Jesus wraps up his longest and greatest recorded sermon. In verses 21-23, Jesus makes a startling statement. He says, “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven….” That should make all of us sit up and listen. But then he says in verse 21, “Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.” What if we don’t know what the will of God the Father is?
In the next couple verses people argue that they have done all the right things: prophesied, cast out demons, and done miracles. This would seem like enough to get you into the kingdom. Jesus calls them evildoers and says he never knew them. Apparently busier is not always better, and activity doesn’t always lead to spiritual growth. But there is hope.
In the next four verses, Jesus gives us an analogy with some insight on how we can help people grow spiritual and participate in the mission of Jesus.
Listen: Pay Attention to What God Says
In Matthew 7:21-24, Jesus provides an analogy of two builders, one of whom builds his house on the rock, the other of whom builds his house on the sand. Both builders listened to Jesus’ teaching. Our lives must be centered on paying attention to what Jesus and his Word says. We all know there is a difference between listening and really hearing. How much effort do we expend to really listen to Jesus? How many times do we hear a moving sermon and leave the church without ever thinking about that sermon again? If we want people to grow spiritually, we have to lead ourselves and others to actually listen to the Word of God.
Act: Put Into Practice What We Hear
It’s not that the people who did all those works in Matthew 7:22 were doing them with evil intent—that’s not why Jesus rejected them. Where we run into trouble is by doing church work in our name instead of in Jesus’ name. We can easily fill our calendars with meetings, activities, and good activity, but that activity may or may not be what Jesus wants us to do. If we are really listening to him, then we have to ask, “Am I following through on what I already know Jesus has directed me to do?” Being busy can get in the way of being effective in our ministry leadership.
In Jesus’ story, the first builder was paying attention to Jesus words and putting them into practice. He was doing what Jesus told him to do. His house was built on solid rock. Our churches are full of people who have heard the truth over and over again, but aren’t necessarily doing anything about it. That is the second builder in the story. He was hearing everything the first builder was hearing but wasn’t following through with it. He took no action. He was filling his life and calendar with his own agenda. His house was built on sand, and in danger of destruction when the storms of life hit. Have you ever wondered why some people who look like they have their faith intact suddenly walk away? Is it possible that they were not really following through with the things that Jesus was telling them? Maybe we need to look at our busy schedules again and ask Jesus where he really wants us to spend our time!
Know: Focus on Relationship
In Matthew 7:23, Jesus says, “I never knew you.” The activities people did in Matthew 7:22 didn’t spring from a relationship with Jesus. There is a relational component to our discipleship. Discipleship is relationship. Jesus called His disciples to come and know Him, to be with Him, and to follow Him. Is our activity for Jesus fueled by our relationship with Him, or disconnected from it?
Small group discipleship must be built on individuals’ relationship with Jesus and their relationships with each other. Without group members’ relationships with Jesus being the fuel for the relationships in the group, spiritual growth is unlikely to occur. The branches must be rooted in the vine.
