Knowing Jesus Beyond Religious Activity

Ministry Leadership Begins with Knowing Jesus, Not Proving Ourselves

Matthew 7:21–23 is one of Jesus’ most searching warnings for pastors, ministry leaders, and every Christian who serves in His name. Jesus describes people who use the right language, claim meaningful spiritual activity, and point to visible accomplishments—yet hear the devastating words, “I never knew you.”

The issue is not that ministry, spiritual gifts, obedience, or service are unimportant. Jesus is not dismissing faithful work. He is exposing the danger of building our confidence on what we have done for Him while neglecting life with Him. As this message in the Kingdom Wisdom sermon series emphasizes, religious activity can never replace genuine relationship with Jesus.

For leaders, this is a needed word. It is possible to preach, organize, counsel, lead worship, pray for people, build programs, and carry substantial responsibility while slowly losing the habit of simply being with Christ. The call of Matthew 7 is not to abandon ministry, but to recover its proper source: abiding in Jesus.

What Does Matthew 7:21–23 Warn Ministry Leaders About?

Jesus says:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

He continues by describing those who appeal to prophecy, deliverance, and miracles done in His name. Their defense is not indifference or obvious irreligion. They claim significant spiritual activity. Yet Jesus’ final assessment is not that they lacked results, influence, giftedness, or public success. He says, “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23).

This passage must be read in the flow of the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 7 has presented consequential contrasts: two gates, two roads, two destinations, and two kinds of fruit. Jesus now goes deeper. A person may look religious on the surface, speak the vocabulary of faith, and participate in remarkable activity while still missing the life found in relationship with Him.

That warning should create humility, not anxiety-driven performance. Jesus is not describing sincere believers who struggle, fail, repent, and keep returning to Him. He is warning against claiming His name while living apart from His authority. The question is not whether a believer has ever stumbled. The question is whether we are learning to live under the reign of Jesus rather than using religious accomplishment to establish ourselves.

Why Saying “Lord” Is Not the Same as Living Under Jesus’ Lordship

Calling Jesus “Lord” matters. Confession is not insignificant. But Jesus teaches that the language of faith is not the same thing as knowing the Lord of our faith. People can know when to say “Amen,” sing worship songs, quote Bible verses, and give familiar answers without growing in communion with Christ.

For those in ministry, this distinction is especially important because we regularly use the language of faith publicly. We speak about God, explain Scripture, lead prayer, and invite others to trust Jesus. Those are holy responsibilities. But ministry language can become so familiar that leaders forget to bring their own hearts honestly before the Lord.

Calling Jesus Lord gains its meaning as we learn to live with Jesus as Lord. That kind of relationship includes listening, responding, repenting, trusting, and yielding our lives to Him. It is not merely correct theology stated from a platform; it is a life increasingly shaped by the character and authority of Christ.

Can Impressive Ministry Activity Exist Without Spiritual Intimacy?

Jesus’ answer is sobering: yes. The people in Matthew 7 point to spiritually impressive works. Yet visible activity is not automatically evidence of spiritual intimacy. This does not mean we should become suspicious of every gift, ministry, or testimony. It means we should not confuse gifts with maturity, outcomes with abiding, or public usefulness with private surrender.

The sermon makes an important distinction: the power is in the name of Jesus, not in human accomplishment. The name of Jesus is above every name, and there is power in His name. Leaders therefore have no reason to boast as though spiritual fruit originated with us. We are recipients and servants of grace.

Paul makes a related point in 1 Corinthians 13:1–3. Eloquence, prophetic insight, faith, generosity, and sacrifice can amount to nothing without love. The Christian life is not ultimately measured by how impressive we appear. It is about Christ’s life being formed in us.

This is a vital leadership diagnostic. We may be busy doing things we believe Jesus wants done, while neglecting what the preacher called “the glorious opportunity to just be with Jesus.” Relationships require time and attention. It can feel easier to ask for a list of rules, tasks, or measurable outcomes. But rule-following cannot replace the relationship for which we were created.

Leaders seeking encouragement in the daily work of shepherding others may also benefit from the pastoral resources at Church Encourager. Healthy encouragement does not flatter performance; it helps people return to the presence and grace of Jesus.

What Is the Father’s Will in Matthew 7?

When Jesus says that only those who do the Father’s will enter the kingdom of heaven, many readers immediately feel pressure to do more, work harder, or become more religious. But the wider teaching of Jesus directs us first toward receiving and trusting the Son.

In John 6:40, Jesus says, “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life.” The Father’s will begins with looking to Jesus, believing in Him, receiving His life, and learning to live under His loving reign.

This does not make obedience optional. It puts obedience in its proper order. Obedience is the expression of relationship, not an attempt to earn one. Ministry leaders need this order continually restored because leadership environments can make work feel like proof of worthiness. But our standing does not rest in our output. We serve from relationship with Christ, not for the right to have one.

John 15:4–5 gives the central image: Jesus is the vine, and His people are the branches. A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. “Apart from me you can do nothing.” Kingdom life is not something we independently produce and then present to Jesus. We receive His life, remain in Him, and see His life bear fruit through us.

How Can Leaders Measure Faithfulness Without Becoming Performance-Driven?

Church leaders need wise ways to evaluate ministry. Attendance, generosity, volunteer engagement, and organizational health can provide useful information. But none of these measurements can answer the deepest question: Are we abiding in Christ?

The better questions are relational and formative. Are we spending time with Jesus, or are we only busy on His behalf? Are we measuring our spiritual lives primarily by activity or by relationship? Is our life increasingly reflecting Jesus’ character in love, patience, humility, grace, and trust?

These questions do not eliminate practical leadership responsibilities. They ensure that practical responsibilities remain connected to the life of God. For church teams looking to think carefully about sustainable, Christ-centered ministry practices, Church Consultant provides a helpful context for leadership development shaped by the life of the local church.

Jesus describes eternal life relationally in John 17:3: knowing “the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” Eternal life is not merely knowing about God or accomplishing things in His name. It is knowing Him.

Life Is Received, Not Achieved

Matthew 7 presents two different approaches to Jesus. One says, “Lord, look at everything I have done for you.” The other says, “Lord, apart from you, I can do nothing.” One tries to establish standing through religious accomplishment. The other receives life through relationship with Christ.

The sermon captures this contrast in a concise phrase: “Life is received not achieved.” That is not a call to passivity. It is an invitation to stop trying to create spiritual life independently. We are invited to receive the life of God, abide in Christ, and then do the next right thing He places before us.

For leaders, this may require a simple but serious return to practices that make room for relationship: talking with Jesus, listening for Him, reading Scripture, bringing our motives into the light, receiving prayer, and allowing Him to reshape the hidden parts of our lives. The goal is not to perform spirituality more effectively. The goal is to know Jesus and live from His life.

A simple prayer for this week is: “Jesus, I don’t just want to do things or good things. I want to know you and live from your life.”

That prayer leads us back to the center. Jesus has done everything necessary to make relationship with God possible through the cross and resurrection. He invites us to say yes, follow Him, remain in Him, and bear fruit that comes from His life rather than our striving.

Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.