The Narrow and Wide Gates
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We are continuing our series of messages from the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5-7. Last week I started the message off with a recap of this incredible Sermon that Jesus preached. I want to start there again today.
Most Bibles have subtitles for each of the sections. I’m going to use the subtitles that I have in my Bible as a means of Recap. A little side note, each of the sermons preached from this sermon have a similar title to the subtitles...
I want to do this today in order to give us some context again for what Jesus has already preached and how what we are talking about today fits within that context.
In this Sermon on the mount, I have divided it into five sections:
Introduction: Matthew 5:3-16
Law and heart of it Matthew 5:17-48
Right Religious Practice Matthew 6:1-18
Challenge to our worldview Matthew 6:19-7:12
The Implications/Conclusion Matthew 7:13-27
Let’s go briefly through each one...
Introduction: Matthew 5:3-16
Beatitudes
Salt and Light
Law and heart of it Matthew 5:17-48
Murder/Anger
Adultery/Lust
Divorce
Oaths/Promises
Retaliation
Love For Enemies
Right Religious Practice Matthew 6:1-18
Giving to the Needy
Prayer
Fasting
Challenge to our worldview Matthew 6:19-7:12
Treasures in Heaven
Do Not Worry
Judging Others
Ask, Seek, Knock
The Implications/Conclusion Matthew 7:13-27
The Narrow and Wide Gates
True and False Prophets
True and False Disciples
Wise and Foolish Builders
***Title slide***
Last week, we looked at a passage that told us to Ask, Seek and Knock. In today’s two verses, Jesus is going to use an analogy to challenge us to follow Him. Let’s read that now.
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
At this point in Jesus sermon, this is invitation to those who are hearing it to make a choice. Chose either the narrow gate or the wide one. The narrow gate is all that Jesus has preached to this point. The wide gate leads to continuing on the path that we were on before we learned about Jesus.
Imagine yourself journeying along a path and then you come to what looks like two gates. It might look something like this:
***Show Picture***
Let’s talk in a little more detail about the wide gate Jesus mentions in verse 13.
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
The first point about this wide gate/broad path is that many will be on it. In fact we don’t even truly become aware that this is a separate path until we encounter someone who tells us about Jesus.
All are on this path to start. This is what Romans 3:23 says...
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
This sinful path is the path we were all on pre-Jesus. If Jesus is not your Lord and Savior, you are still on this path.
First, there are many on this path, second, this path is easy to follow.
This road is so wide and so broad that it is impossible to wander off it by accident. The worldly allure will keep you busy and distracted all along the way. Whether it’s chasing after money, pleasure, power…you name it, this road is self feeding and the ruts are HUGE!
1 - there are many on the path, 2 - this path is easy to follow, 3 - it leads to destruction.
There are two types of destruction…earthly and eternal.
Earthly destruction happens as the consequence of sin hurts relationships, causes pain and death…even while we still live and breathe.
Then there’s the eternal destruction...I don’t usually go fire and brimstone, but Jesus did it first…so…let me read to you what this eternal destruction will be like:
12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
11 And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.”
10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
When Jesus says destruction, he doesn’t mean no more existence, it means destruction actively happening…both here and on earth and eternally. Eternally means a forever, ongoing destruction. This is the path many are on…and where they are headed.
I want to just pause there for a moment. If you know someone who hasn’t put their faith in Jesus, this is the path they are on. Jesus says many will be on this road…that implies that we probably will know a few.
I have heard stories where people discover this truth and find the narrow gate only to run into someone they knew while they were on the wide road. The person is excited to see that their coworker is now on the narrow path. The coworker looks at them and says you knew this? How come you never told me?
This wide gate and broad road (1) has many on it. It is an (2) easy path to follow and it (3) leads to destruction.
Let’s talk about the narrow gate
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
The first thing to note is that only a few find the gate. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, people who are on the wide road to destruction just aren’t looking....this is what Philippians 3:18-19 says...
18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.
The distractions of this world, the promise of glory on earth, more and more stuff, the lie of the earthy philosophies…these all keep people from evening wanting to find this narrow gate. They are too busy celebrating on the wide path on the way to destruction.
The second reason that only a few find is that there are only few doing the work of telling. One of the most mysterious things about the Gospel is that the Holy Spirit does the work of preparing a heart and providing understanding, but God uses normal men and women to be the messengers of this Gospel message.
It is up to those who already believe to bring people to this narrow gate, Jesus. As the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t force him to drink. Church, we are called to lead people to this gate, to lead people to Jesus and then allow the Holy Spirit to do the work of opening their hearts to be able to receive.
Let’s read that verse again...
14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
In several translations, including this ESV and NKJV, there is an additional word....let’s look at the ESV
14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
That extra word is hard, or difficult. That is the next point about the narrow gate. First, only a few find it, second, this way or path is a difficult one.
We’ll battle our flesh as we fight our sin. We read in Matthew 5:29-30 that we are to cut off our hand and pluck out our eye if it causes us to sin. The battle against sin is a difficult one, but it is not an impossible one.
We are called to not only battle our own sin, but help our brother and sin battle theirs. We heard an amazing message from Aaron about how we are to judge one another properly, in love as we fight our sin nature together. That’s always a fun time when we have to call each other out on our sin right…not.
That’s just within our Christian community and ourselves. What about the war in the world. Jesus told us in Matthew 5:10 that we would be persecuted for our righteousness. So, we struggle and fight against our sin nature to pursue righteousness only to be persecuted by the world for it…yup.
This small gate leads down a difficult road. We will have to make choices and decisions that are sometimes hard to make because really we want some of what the world has, yet we have to deny ourselves.
We’ve said that the narrow gate is only found by a few, and that this path is a difficult one, lastly, this path leads to life.
Just like the wide path that leads to both earthly and eternal destruction, this narrow path affords both earthly and eternal life.
Let’s talk about earthly life. We are designed by our creator to be in relationship. First, with the God of the universe and secondly with one another.
This narrow gate, Jesus, offers the only path of reconciled relation with the God of the universe. When we trust in Jesus as both Lord and Savior, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit in us. The Holy Spirit is God and is God in us. We have the person of the trinity that Jesus describes as the Comforter, as the Counselor, as one who would teach us - We are given a different life here on earth because of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
It is by the power of the Holy Spirit in us that we are then able to be reconciled with one another, able to gather in unity of spirit in a place like this, worshipping together in like mind.
Over the last month or so, we’ve been studying the peace of God that comes even in the midst of all that the brokenness of the world tries to throw at us. The kind of peace that allows us to rest.
This is promise of a more fulfilling and meaningful earthly life, but there is also an eternal life.
Revelation 21 and 22 talk a lot about what heaven looks like and what we’ll experience. I want to read a passage of that for you.
1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.
I personally think this is such a beautiful picture of what we have to look forward to in eternity. I for one and looking forward to it. I’ve talked to people who don’t think this sounds like a good time. I don’t understand that, but when you read the next verse and what the alternative is...
8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
Eternity spent in a fiery lake of burning sulfur…no thanks.
***Title Slide***
So, the choice is simple. Narrow gate, or wide gate? Life or destruction? This is the choice before all who have heard this message today. You can’t say no one told you. Jesus is the only way to life, the only way to heaven. He is the narrow gate.
Most of those hearing this message have already walked through the narrow gate - they’ve put their trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior. They’ve decided to follow Jesus and are on the long, narrow and difficult road that leads to life. If that is you, you have been entrusted to go and bring others to the gate.
That means sharing what Jesus has done for you. That means inviting them in to walk along side as you journey down the road. The best walks along a road are the ones we travel together with someone.
Who comes to mind for you? Who would you like to invite onto this narrow road with you? Who needs life?
