Authenticity in Christ: Beyond Performance to Intimacy

Today’s focus is a sobering call to examine the authenticity of our relationship with Jesus. Drawing from Matthew 7:21-23, the challenge is to move beyond outward displays of spirituality and religious activity, and instead pursue genuine intimacy with Christ. It’s possible to be busy for God—prophesying, casting out demons, performing miracles—yet still be unknown by Him if our hearts are far from Him. The warning is not for outsiders, but for those who look spiritual on the outside while neglecting the inner life of surrender and obedience.

Empty confessions—calling Jesus “Lord” without yielding to His leadership—are exposed as hypocrisy, a spiritual mask that hides rebellion. God is not impressed by our words or our religious performances; He desires our hearts, our obedience, and our love. Works done without mission or love, even the most impressive, are meaningless if they are not rooted in relationship with Christ. The temptation to measure our walk by results or by the applause of others is strong, but God’s approval is not the same as human applause.

Practicing lawlessness—living as if God’s commands don’t matter—can coexist with outward religiosity. The call is to stop straddling the fence, to repent of hidden sin, and to stop playing in the graveyard of compromise. Hearing the truth but not obeying it is self-deception; it’s like building a house on sand that will not stand in the storm. Communion and self-examination are vital practices, reminding us of Christ’s sacrifice and calling us to ongoing repentance and transformation.

Love is the root of all true service. Without love, even the greatest gifts and acts are empty. The absence of love reveals the absence of God’s presence. Living for the approval of people rather than God leads to spiritual emptiness, and refusing intimacy with Jesus is the greatest tragedy of all. The invitation is to return to the secret place, to cultivate daily relationship with Christ, and to let Him burn away everything that is not of Him. This is not about performance, but about presence—being known by God and knowing Him deeply.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Empty Confessions vs. Surrendered Hearts It is possible to call Jesus “Lord” while still ruling our own lives, offering Him lip service without true surrender. Hypocrisy is not just a failure of behavior, but a failure of the heart—a mask that hides our unwillingness to yield. God desires authenticity, not performance; He wants us to take off our masks and let Him transform us from the inside out. True confession is always accompanied by a willingness to surrender and obey. [76:24]
• 2. Works Without Mission or Love Are Meaningless Religious activity, even miraculous works, do not guarantee intimacy with God. The gifts and talents we possess are not badges of approval, but tools to be surrendered back to God for His glory. Miracles and ministry are empty if they are not motivated by love for the Miracle Worker Himself. The measure of our walk is not results, but relationship. [80:04]
• 3. Practicing Lawlessness: The Danger of Secret Rebellion Lawlessness is not just breaking rules, but living as if God’s commands are optional. Outward religiosity can mask inward rebellion, but God sees beyond appearances. The call is to stop straddling the fence, to repent of hidden sin, and to live in the freedom Christ purchased for us. Remaining in the graveyard of compromise is a refusal of the grace that sets us free. [82:49]
• 4. Self-Deception: Hearing Without Doing Knowing the truth but refusing to obey it is a subtle form of self-deception. Building our lives on knowledge alone, without obedience, is like constructing a house on sand—inevitably unstable. Communion and self-examination are opportunities to realign our hearts, repent, and walk in the grace that empowers true change. God’s grace is not a license to remain unchanged, but an invitation to transformation. [87:54]
• 5. Intimacy Over Performance: Returning to the Secret Place The greatest tragedy is to serve God without truly knowing Him. Jesus seeks our hearts, not our hands; our presence, not our performance. The invitation is to return to intimacy, to cultivate a daily relationship with Christ that goes beyond Sunday routines. In the end, it is not our ministry or our works that secure our place in the kingdom, but being known by Jesus and knowing Him deeply. [102:49]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [60:33] - Introduction and Setting the Tone
• [61:35] - The Seven Signs of “I Never Knew You”
• [62:17] - Reading Matthew 7:21-23
• [63:17] - The Weight of Jesus’ Warning
• [64:18] - Wrestling with a Difficult Word
• [65:42] - The Dread of Separation from Christ
• [67:08] - Warning to the Religious
• [69:14] - Activity vs. Intimacy
• [71:31] - Point 1: Empty Confessions Without Surrender
• [73:04] - Hypocrisy: Wearing a Mask
• [76:24] - Taking Off the Mask and Growing Up
• [78:29] - Point 2: Works Without Mission
• [80:04] - Measuring by Results or Relationship
• [82:49] - Point 3: Practicing Lawlessness
• [85:28] - Point 4: Hearing Without Doing
• [87:54] - The Graveyard of Compromise
• [91:32] - Point 5: Religion Without Love
• [93:50] - The Root of Love in Ministry
• [95:40] - Point 6: Living for the Approval of Men
• [97:53] - Point 7: Refusing Intimacy with Jesus
• [99:24] - The Call to Authenticity and Change
• [102:49] - Invitation to Return and Closing Challenge
• [104:15] - Final Prayer and Call to Commitment

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.’”

James 1:22 (ESV) — > “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (ESV) — > “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

Observation Questions

1. In Matthew 7:21-23, what kinds of religious activities do people claim to have done for Jesus, and what is His response to them? ([01:02:17])
2. According to James 1:22, what is the danger of only hearing God’s word but not doing it? ([01:25:28])
3. In 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, what does Paul say about the value of spiritual gifts and good works if they are not motivated by love? ([01:31:32])
4. The sermon describes hypocrisy as “wearing a mask.” What does this mean in the context of our faith? ([01:13:04])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Jesus warns that some people who do impressive spiritual works will still hear, “I never knew you”? What does this reveal about what He values most? ([01:03:17])
2. The sermon says, “God is not impressed by our words or our religious performances; He desires our hearts, our obedience, and our love.” How does this challenge common ways people measure spiritual maturity? ([01:16:24])
3. What does it look like to “practice lawlessness” while still appearing religious on the outside? How can someone tell if this is happening in their own life? ([01:22:49])
4. The message talks about “building a house on sand” by hearing but not obeying. What are some real-life examples of this kind of self-deception? ([01:27:54])

Application Questions

1. The sermon challenges us to examine if we are offering Jesus “empty confessions” or truly surrendering our hearts. Are there areas in your life where you call Jesus “Lord” but still want to be in control? What would surrender look like in those areas? ([01:16:24])
2. Think about your spiritual routines—serving, worship, giving, or even leading. Are there any ways you might be doing these things for the approval of others or out of habit, rather than out of love for Jesus? How can you realign your motives this week? ([01:33:50])
3. The sermon warns against “practicing lawlessness” and living in secret rebellion. Is there a hidden sin or compromise in your life that you need to bring into the light and repent of? What step can you take today to move toward freedom? ([01:22:49])
4. When was the last time you took time for honest self-examination before God, like during communion? What is one practical way you can make self-examination a regular part of your walk with Jesus? ([01:27:54])
5. The message says, “The greatest tragedy is to serve God without truly knowing Him.” What does cultivating intimacy with Jesus look like for you personally? Is there a specific practice (prayer, worship, solitude, journaling, etc.) you want to grow in this month? ([01:42:49])
6. The pastor said, “Stop playing in the graveyard of compromise.” Are there places in your life where you are “straddling the fence” between obedience and compromise? What would it look like to step fully into obedience? ([01:27:54])
7. The sermon invites us to “return to the secret place.” What is one thing you can do this week to prioritize time alone with God, not for performance, but for presence? ([01:42:49])