1. LOST in CHURCH! How Does it Happen? Matthew 7:13-23

2. Matthew 7:21-23

3. 21 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Matthew 7:21-23

4. Are Lost Church Members Rare? Verse 22 "Many will say to Me in that day…”Verse 22 "Many will say to Me in that day…” “Half of all adults who attend Protestant churches on a typical Sunday morning are not Christian.” - Pollster George Barna * * Quoted in http://www.intra-evangelism.org/

6. Largest Group Notional “Christians” Consider themselves to be Christian. Believe they will have eternal life, but not because of a grace-based relationship with Jesus Christ. Don’t claim to know their eternal destiny with any certainty. Are less likely than others to embrace core Bible doctrines. They know the lingo and hold down key positions in churches across the nation.

7. How Can It Happen? Lack of InformationLack of Information: We never hear it Lack of UnderstandingLack of Understanding: We don’t get it Lack of WillingnessLack of Willingness: We don’t want it Lack of Humility:Lack of Humility: We can’t admit it

8. Lack of Understanding Lack of Understanding We don’t get it 55% of “born-again Christians” rejected the existence of the Holy Spirit. 52% denied the existence of Satan 35% denied the physical resurrection of Christ. 33% agreed that a person could earn his or her own salvation through good works – denying salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone. (Barna Research Group of Ventura, California www.barna.org)

9. It’s Not What You Say About the Lord “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven” verse 21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven” verse 21 “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name…?” verse 22“Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name…?” verse 22

10. “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name ?” verse 22“Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name ?” verse 22 Offering other things in lieu of obedience Trying to come to Christ on our own terms It’s Not What You Do For the Lord

11. Walking the aisle Praying the Prayer Raising your hand Filling out a card Being Baptized Joining the church

12. Untouched by Transforming Grace “…Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” verse 23“…Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” verse 23 A life untouched by repentance Lifestyle as an expression of what we are Matthew 7:17-20Matthew 7:17-20 “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit… Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”

13. It is about a Relationship with Jesus “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you…’” verse 23“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you…’” verse 23

14. Experience the Grace 7:13-14Enterby the narrow gate7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

15. Enter by Faith John 6:28-29John 6:28-29 Then they asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’ (NIV)

16. Enter by Faith ChristFaith in Christ Not Faith in Faith Not Faith in Christ Plus Not Faith in Christ But

17. Translations That May Have Been Used: Abbreviations & Copyright Info AMP or Amplified: © Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation ESV: The Holy Bible, English Standard Version © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. HCSB: Holman Christian Standard Bible © 2001, Broadman & Holman Publishers, LifeWay Christian Resources 127 Ninth Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37234 JPS: The Holy Scriptures (Old Testament) By the Jewish Publication Society All rights reserved MSG or Message: The Message © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson NAS: Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NAS) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE. Copyright 1960, 1988, by The Lockman Foundation, California. All rights reserved. NAS95: Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NAS95) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE. Copyright 1960, 1995, by The Lockman Foundation, California. All rights reserved. NET: The NET Bible, New English Translation (NET) Copyright © 1996, 1997, 1998 By Biblical Studies Press, LLC. All Rights Reserved The Holy Bible: The NET Bible(r) Copyright © 1998 By Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved www.netbible.orgwww.netbible.org NIV: Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by The International Bible Society. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. Scripture quoted by permission. NJKV: Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NKJV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW KING JAMES VERSION. Copyright (c) 1982 by Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved. NLT: Quotations designated (NLT) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW LIVING TRANSLATION Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois, 60189. All rights reserved. New Living, NLT, and the New Living Translation logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. NRSV: Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NRSV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION. Copyrighted 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America, and are used by permission. All rights reserved. Phillips: J.B.Phillips, "The New Testament in Modern English", 1962 edition, published by HarperCollins, is presented here with the kind permission of Mrs Vera Phillips and the J.B.Phillips estate http://www.ccel.org/bible/phillips/JBPNT.htmhttp://www.ccel.org/bible/phillips/JBPNT.htm RSV: Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (RSV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: REVISED STANDARD VERSION. Copyright 1946, 1952, 1973 by National Council of Churches of Christ. All rights reserved. Weymouth: WEYMOUTH NEW TESTAMENT: NEW TESTAMENT IN MODERN SPEECH by Richard F. Weymouth 3rd Edition (1912)--Revised & edited E. Hampden-Cooke YLT: Young's Literal Translation of the Holy Bible by J.N. Young, 1862, 1898 (Author of the Young's Analytical Concordance)