June 14th, 2026 - Against The Tide: Part 4 (9:00 AM)

Jun 14, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Rooted in the Vine, Not Taped-On Fruit

A fruit tree doesn’t strain to produce apples—it simply grows what’s natural to its life source. So it is with following Jesus. Trying to tape good works to a dead heart is like tying plastic fruit to a palm tree. True transformation happens when we’re grafted into Christ, drawing life from Him. Without His Spirit, our efforts are hollow. But connected to Him, His character flows through us. Fruit isn’t forced—it’s the overflow of abiding. [44:14]

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
(John 15:5, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you been taping “fruit” to your life instead of letting it grow naturally from connection to Jesus? What practical step can you take this week to abide more deeply in Him?

Day 2: “Lord, Lord” vs. “I Never Knew You”

Miracles and ministry mean nothing without intimacy. Jesus warns that even spectacular acts done in His name won’t save those who never truly surrendered their hearts. Saying “Lord” means little if we’ve never let Him lead. The difference isn’t in what we do for Him, but whether we’ve let Him rewrite our desires. Eternal life begins with being known by Him, not impressing Him. [37:15]

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”
(Matthew 7:21–23, ESV)

Reflection: Does your relationship with Jesus feel more like a resume of service or a shared heartbeat? How might you prioritize knowing Him over performing for Him?

Day 3: The Spiritual Weight Room

Fans cheer; followers train. Spiritual growth requires sweat—the daily choice to pray when distracted, forgive when wounded, or serve when tired. Like an athlete building muscle, consistency matters more than grand gestures. Skipping the “weight room” of Scripture, prayer, and obedience leaves us spiritually flabby. But showing up, even when it’s hard, reshapes us into Christ’s likeness. [53:43]

“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”
(2 Corinthians 13:5, ESV)

Reflection: Where is your spiritual “routine” lacking intentional training? What one discipline could you commit to this month to build endurance in following Jesus?

Day 4: Scenic Overlooks or Sweaty Trails

It’s easier to snap a photo of a mountain vista than hike the trail. Similarly, many prefer a faith that observes Jesus from a distance rather than walking dusty roads with Him. Fans want the view without the bugs, blisters, or unexpected turns. But followers discover His presence most deeply in the grind—the moments requiring trust when the path gets steep. [01:00:09]

“And the Lord said: ‘Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men…’”
(Isaiah 29:13, ESV)

Reflection: Is your faith currently a scenic overlook or a sweaty trail? What uncomfortable step is Jesus inviting you to take with Him this season?

Day 5: The Lifeblood of Surrender

A heart transplant changes everything. So does surrendering to Christ. Fans want Jesus’ forgiveness without His lordship—like asking a surgeon to heal them but refusing the operation. Followers consent to the knife, letting Him remove what’s dead and revive what’s dormant. His lifeblood pulses through reborn desires, making old cravings foreign. Resurrection starts when we stop clinging to our corpse. [01:02:53]

“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
(Acts 2:36, ESV)

Reflection: What part of your life still feels like a “corpse” needing resurrection? How can you actively surrender it to Jesus’ surgical grace today?

Sermon Summary

Jesus in Matthew 7 draws a sharp line between fans and followers. The text refuses to be impressed by people who say, “Lord, Lord,” or even by those who prophesy, cast out demons, and perform miracles, because the Father’s will is not bare activity but a life that Jesus actually knows. The warning lands after the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus presses beneath external religion to a new heart that rejects anger and lust, gives in secret, and treasures the Father. The contrast between fans and followers exposes a fan culture that loves comfort, spectacle, and “Jesus is the best,” while staying in the stands. A follower bears the weight of Jesus’ words, leaves comfort, and sweats through costly obedience, because Jesus is not only Savior but Lord.

A good tree becomes the central image. Jesus insists that real faith is not taped-on fruit but a new nature that produces fruit from a new root. “A good tree produces good fruit,” not by trying harder but by new life. Taping apples to a palm tree fools the eye for a moment but not the Gardener. So saving faith is not salvation by works, but a salvation that works, because Jesus changes the heart and the Spirit empowers a new direction.

Light becomes the second image. Jesus names his people “the light of the world,” yet light cannot be generated by gritted teeth any more than a person can glow on command. Light requires a source. Christ, the Light of the world, becomes the source as the disciple abides, reads Scripture, prays, lives in community, and trains in the spiritual weight room of daily obedience. Without that connection, the soul settles for lip-service worship that Isaiah exposed long ago, where lips honor God and hearts stay far away.

The call finally refuses a consumer Jesus who serves needs but claims no allegiance. The real Jesus calls people off the scenic overlook and onto the trail. The trail involves bugs, sweat, and unknown turns, but it also means companionship with the One who knows his disciples and makes them fishers of people. The final test is not whether someone once saw a miracle, but whether Christ is among them now, known as Lord in the ordinary grind and the hard choices that produce real fruit.

Key Takeaways

1. Fans admire, followers obey Jesus Fans love the moment, the music, and the vibe, but a follower carries the weight of “Lord” into Monday. Obedience will cost comfort, schedule, and pride, yet it puts a person in the game rather than in the stands. Jesus is not collecting admirers but disciples who move when he speaks. [35:21]
2. New birth produces real fruit A changed nature, not taped fruit, marks genuine faith. When Jesus gives a new heart, the Spirit grows visible repentance and durable character over time. Salvation is not earned by works, but it always works itself out in a different life. [42:06]
3. Light requires a living source Effort alone cannot make a life shine any more than a body can manufacture lumens by willpower. Connection to Christ as Light supplies power for holiness, witness, and endurance. Abiding practices are not accessories but the very circuit that keeps the lamp on. [53:43]
4. Test faith: is Christ among you? Genuine faith recognizes the living presence of Jesus, not just a distant story about him. When Christ is among his people, guidance, conviction, and courage surface in real decisions. If that living awareness is absent, the faith being held may be only a fan’s memory. [58:32]
5. Choose the trail, not the overlook Tourists take pictures; disciples take steps. The trail with Jesus includes sweat, bugs, and unknown turns, but it yields the kind of knowledge he calls “I knew you.” The road of following trades entertainment for formation and ends in a life that bears real fruit. [60:09]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[30:00] - Church plant and prayer
[30:57] - Against the Tide aim
[31:40] - Fan culture picture
[32:55] - Fans of Jesus vs followers
[35:21] - Cost and all-of-life discipleship
[35:46] - Matthew 7 warning
[41:32] - New birth, not mere effort
[44:14] - Taped fruit illustration
[53:07] - You are light, need source
[56:12] - Spiritual weight room training
[59:34] - Trail, not scenic overlook
[60:55] - Exposing the consumer Jesus
[63:27] - Invitation to follow Jesus
[65:10] - Benediction: Jesus Lord and Messiah

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV)
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

Observation Questions

According to Jesus in Matthew 7:21-23, what specific actions do people claim to have done in His name, yet He rejects them?
The sermon compares a “good tree” to genuine faith. What does Jesus say about the relationship between a tree’s nature and its fruit? [42:06]
How does the sermon describe the difference between “fans” and “followers” of Jesus? [35:21]
What illustration does the sermon use to explain the futility of trying to produce spiritual light through human effort? [53:43]

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus rejects people who performed miracles in His name but did not do the Father’s will? What does this reveal about God’s priorities?
The sermon warns against “taped-on fruit” (like apples on a palm tree). How does this metaphor help explain the difference between external religious activity and genuine transformation? [44:14]
Jesus says, “I never knew you” to those who called Him Lord. What does it mean for Jesus to “know” someone in this context? How does this relate to intimacy in a relationship? [47:58]
The sermon contrasts “spectators” at a scenic overlook with hikers on a trail. How does this analogy clarify the cost and reward of discipleship? [59:34]

Application Questions

Reflect on areas of your life where you might be acting as a “fan” of Jesus (admiring Him but avoiding costly obedience). What practical step could you take this week to move from the “stands” to the “field”? [35:21]
Are there “taped-on fruits” in your life—good deeds done to impress others or earn approval? How can you shift your focus to cultivating a heart connected to Christ? [44:14]
The sermon mentions abiding in Christ through prayer, Scripture, and community. Which of these practices feels most challenging for you? How could you prioritize one this week? [49:51]
When have you experienced the “trail” of following Jesus—sweat, discomfort, or uncertainty? What did that teach you about trusting Him? [59:34]
How would your daily decisions change if you lived with the awareness that “Jesus is among you” right now? [58:32]
The sermon warns against a “consumer Jesus” who meets needs but demands no allegiance. What is one area of your life where you need to surrender control to Jesus as Lord? [01:01:37]

Sermon Clips

33s

#GoodWorksDontSave

“I was thinking, you know what? Some people try to do is they try to tape good works to their tree. Right? It's a dead tree because if you don't know Jesus, you're dead. And so what they think is if I just grab some apples and tape it to a palm tree, right, does that make it an apple tree? No. And and that's what god sees with some people. Some people produce some good works but they're not they don't have the life giving source. Where does the life giving source come from? It comes from Jesus. A good tree produces good fruit. Where do you get that life, that new life that you need to produce fruit? From Jesus.”

30s

#HeartChangeMatters

“Jesus is saying saving faith turns you from this bad tree to a good tree. From a dead tree that doesn't produce good fruit to now God's working in your heart and in your life and now you're able to produce good fruit. The kind of faith Jesus is looking for is not somebody who can do miracles in his name, but somebody whose heart has been radically changed by Jesus. That's a follower of Jesus. You know, a a good tree doesn't produce fruit because it tries really hard. Right? You don't go out to your apple tree and say, just try a little harder and you'll produce some fruit.”

35s

#NoMoreSpiritualTourist

“A healthy apple tree produces apples. Right? And an unhealthy orange tree doesn't. A dead tree doesn't produce anything. And Jesus is teaching in a similar way the sign of saving faith is what is being produced from your life. Are you connected to Jesus Christ? In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, if you abide in me, you will produce a lot of fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing. And so the test of saving faith is, do you really know Jesus? Are you intimately connected to him? Not just saying the words I know you Jesus, but do you really know him?”

31s

#NotJustFans

“But the experience of being like a spiritual tourist where you take a couple pictures and you get back in the car is radically different than actually going on a trail where you're hiking up and going down and you're tired and worn out. And what a follower looks like is the person who goes on this trail with Jesus. Jesus is leading. I don't know exactly what direction we're gonna turn next, but you know what? Jesus, you're in charge. That's fine with me. Whereas a lot of people, what they do with Jesus is they they just wanna take the pictures, get back in the car, and go back about their life and doing things the way they want to.”

37s

#MiraclesDontEqualSalvation

“Our light source cannot be human effort. Right? Just think about that practically like right now. I wanna produce physical light. Can I do it? Watch. Right? Okay. Give me on the count of three, I'm gonna try my hardest to produce light. Let's see what happens. Okay? One, three. Did I glow? A little bit. There you go. Maybe the lights were shining just right on me. You know, if I get out my phone, now I have a light source. Right? If I plug in a lamp back there, now I have a light source. You can't produce physical light because you try really hard, can you?”

37s

#HeartOverPerformance

“No more can you produce spiritual light because you try really hard. The key to producing light is always about having a source that actually produces light. And what Jesus clearly taught is he is the light of the world. As you get connected to Jesus, now you have the source of light. And yet many of us are never really have that life giving connection. And so the problem is not that you need to try harder, but you really need to surrender your life to Jesus. You really need to know him personally. And Jesus only connects the people who don't say, you're my I'm a fan of yours, Jesus, but no. I'm willing to follow you anywhere you go.”

28s

#JesusAsLordAndSavior

“They they find somebody's demonically oppressed or possessed and they're able to help free them and by the power of Jesus' name. Those are the three examples Jesus uses. And he says, and yet though and they call Jesus lord and yet when Jesus sees them on judgement day, he will say, never knew you. Depart from me. And so there's there's supposed to be a certain degree of like, well, what's wrong with these guys? They seem to have it all together. Right? Like, doing miracles in Jesus' name is pretty impressive to many of us.”

33s

#FromFishermenToFishers

“But Jesus explained this new heart that God always had for people, but Jesus explains it in kind of a new way. So it's not just about murder. It's about anger. It's not just about adultery. It's about lust. It's not just about giving, but giving in secret just for the Lord. Jesus goes through all these teachings in Matthew five and six and and he tries to help people see what does it look like to really know God and live for him. But the problem again isn't that they just needed to try harder. The warning is not that these people didn't have enough good works in my opinion.”

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June 14th, 2026 - Against The Tide: Part 4 (9:00 AM)

Devotional

Day 1: Rooted in the Vine, Not Taped-On Fruit

Day 2: “Lord, Lord” vs. “I Never Knew You”

Day 3: The Spiritual Weight Room

Day 4: Scenic Overlooks or Sweaty Trails

Day 5: The Lifeblood of Surrender

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

June 14th, 2026 - Against The Tide: Part 4 (9:00 AM)

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